談讀書
——王佐良譯
讀書足以怡情怀各，足以博彩倔韭，足以長才。其怡情也瓢对，最見于獨處幽居之時寿酌；其博彩也，最見于高談闊論之中硕蛹；其長才也醇疼，最見于處世判事之際硕并。練達之士雖能分別處理細事或一一判別枝節(jié)，然縱觀統(tǒng)籌秧荆、全局策劃倔毙，則舍好學深思者莫屬。
讀書費時過多易惰乙濒，文采藻飾太盛則矯陕赃，全憑條文斷事乃學究故態(tài)。讀書補天然之不足颁股，經(jīng)驗又補讀書之不足么库，蓋天生才干猶如自然花草，讀書然后知如何修剪移接甘有；而書中所示诉儒，如不以經(jīng)驗范之，則又大而無當梧疲。
有一技之長鄙讀書允睹，無知者慕讀書，唯明智之士用讀書幌氮，然讀書并不以用處告人缭受，用書之智不在書中，而在書外该互，全憑觀察得之米者。讀書時不可存心詰難作者，不可盡信書上所言宇智，亦不可只為尋章摘句蔓搞，而應(yīng)推敲細思。
書有可淺嘗者随橘，有可吞食者喂分，少數(shù)則須咀嚼消化。換言之机蔗，有只須讀其部分者蒲祈，有只須大體涉獵者，少數(shù)則須全讀萝嘁，讀時須全神貫注梆掸，孜孜不倦。書亦可請人代讀牙言，取其所作摘要酸钦，但只限題材較次或價值不高者，否則書經(jīng)提煉猶如水經(jīng)蒸餾咱枉，淡而五味矣卑硫。
讀書使人充實徒恋，討論使人機智，筆記使人準確拔恰。因此不常做筆記者須記憶特強因谎，不常討論者須天生聰穎基括，不常讀書者須欺世有術(shù)颜懊，始能無知而顯有知。
讀史使人明智风皿，讀詩使人靈秀河爹，數(shù)學使人周密，科學使人深刻桐款，論理學使人莊重咸这，邏輯修辭之學使人善辯：凡有所學，皆成性格魔眨。人之才智但有滯礙媳维，無不可讀適當之書使之順暢，一如身體百病遏暴，皆可借相宜之運動除之侄刽。滾球利睪腎，射箭利胸肺朋凉，慢步利腸胃州丹，騎術(shù)利頭腦，諸如此類杂彭。如智力不集中墓毒，可令讀數(shù)學，蓋演算須全神貫注亲怠，稍有分散即須重演所计；如不能辨異，可令讀經(jīng)院哲學团秽，蓋是輩皆吹毛求疵之人主胧；如不善求同，不善以一物闡證另一物徙垫，可令讀律師之案卷讥裤。如此頭腦中凡有缺陷，皆有特藥可醫(yī)姻报。
【原文】
Of Studies
——Francis Bacon
Studies serve for delight, for ornament, and for ability. Their chief use for delight, is in privateness and retiring; for ornament, is in discourse; and for ability, is in the judgment and disposition of business. For expert men can execute, and perhaps judge of particulars, one by one; but the general counsels, and the plots and marshalling of affairs come best from those that are learned.
To spend too much time in studies is sloth; to use them too much for ornament is affection; to make judgment wholly by their rules is the humor of a scholar. They perfect nature and are perfected by experience: for natural abilities are like natural plants, that need pruning by study, and studies themselves do give forth directions too much at large, except they be bounded in by experience.
Crafty men contemn studies, simple men admire them, and wise men use them, for they teach not their own use; but that is a wisdom without them and above them, won by observation. Read not to contradict and confuse; nor to believe and take for granted; nor to find talk and discourse; but to weigh and consider.
Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested; that is some books are to be read only in parts; others to be read, but not curiously; and some few to be ready wholly, and with diligence and attention. Some books also may be read by deputy and extracts made of them by others; but that would be only in the less important arguments, and the meaner sort of books; else distilled books are, like common distilled waters, flashy things.
Reading makes a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man. And therefore, if a man write little, he had need have a great memory; if he confer little, he had need have a present wit; and if he read little, he had need have much cunning to seem to know that he doth not.
Histories make men wise; poets witty; the mathematics subtle; natural philosophy deep; moral grave; logic and rhetoric able to contend.?
Abeunt studia in mores. Nay there is no stond or impediment in the wit, but may be wrought out by fit studies: like as diseases of the body may have appropriate exercises. Bowling is good for the stone and reins; shooting for the lungs and breast; gentle walking for the stomach; riding for the head; and the like. So if a man’s wit be wandering, let him study the mathematics; for in demonstrations, if his wit be called away never so little, he must begin again. If his wit be not apt to distinguish or find differences, let him study the schoolmen; for they are cymini sectores. If he be not apt to beat over matters, and to call up one thing to prove and illustrate another, let him study the lawyers’ cases. So every defect of the mind may have a special receipt.
