培根哲理散文隨筆閱讀
弗朗西斯·培根是英國文藝復興時期最重要的散文家、哲學家。他不但在文學、哲學上多有建樹，在自然科學領域裏，也取得了重大成就。他的第一部重要著作《隨筆》最初發表於1597年，以後又逐年增補。該書文筆言簡意賅、智睿奪目，它包含許多洞察秋毫的經驗之談，其中不僅論及政治而且還探討許多人生哲理。下面本站小編爲大家帶來培根哲理散文隨筆閱讀，希望大家喜歡!
培根哲理散文隨筆閱讀：論青年與老年
A MAN that is young in years, may be old in hours, if he have lost no time. But that happeneth rarely. Generally, youth is like the first cogitations, not so wise as the second. For there is a youth in thoughts, as well as in ages. And yet the invention of young men, is more lively than that of old; and imaginations stream into their minds better, and, as it were, more divinely. Natures that have much heat, and great and violent desires and perturbations, are not ripe for action, till they have passed the meridian of their years; as it was with Julius Caesar and Septimius Severus. Of the latter, of whom it is said, Juventutem egit erroribus, imo furoribus, plenam. And yet he was the ablest emperor, almost, of all the list. But reposed natures may do well in youth. As it is seen in Augustus Caesar, Cosmus Duke of Florence, Gaston de Foix, and others. On the other side, heat and vivacity in age, is an excellent composition for business. Young men are fitter to invent, than to judge; fitter for execution, than for counsel; and fitter for new projects, than for settled business. For the experience of age, in things that fall within the compass of it, directeth them; but in new things, abuseth them.
一個年歲不大的人也可以是富於經驗的，假如他不曾虛度生活的話;然而這畢竟是罕有的事。一般說來，青年人富於“直覺”，而老年人則長於“深思”。這兩者在深刻和正確性上是有着顯著差別的。青年的特別是富於創造性，想象力也純潔而靈活。這似乎是得之於神助的。然而，熱情熾烈而情緒敏感的人往往要在中年以後方成大器，尤愷撒和塞維拉斯就是明顯的例證。曾有人評論後一位說：“他曾度過一個荒謬的——甚至是瘋狂的青春”。然而他後來成爲羅馬皇帝中極傑出的一位。少年老成、性格穩健的人則往往青春時代就可成大器，奧古斯都大帝、卡斯曼斯大公、卡斯頓勳爵即是如此。另一方面，對於老人來說，保持住熱情和活力則是難能可貴的。青年人長於創造而短於思考，長於猛幹而短於討論，長於革新而短於守成。老年人的經驗，引導他們熟悉舊事物，卻矇蔽他們無視新情況。
The errors of young men, are the ruin of business; but the errors of aged men, amount but to this, that more might have been done, or sooner. Young men, in the conduct and manage of actions, embrace more than they can hold; stir more than they can quiet; fly to the end, without consideration of the means and degrees; pursue some few principles, which they have chanced upon absurdly; care not to innovate, which draws unknown inconveniences; use extreme remedies at first; and, that which doubleth all errors, will not acknowledge or retract them; like an unready horse, that will neither stop nor turn. Men of age object too much, consult too long, adventure too little, repent too soon, and seldom drive business home to the full period, but content themselves with a mediocrity of success. Certainly it is good to compound employments of both; for that will be good for the present, because the virtues of either age, may correct the defects of both; and good for succession, that young men may be learners, while men in age are actors; and, lastly, good for extern accidents, because authority followeth old men, and favor and popularity, youth. But for the moral part, perhaps youth will have the pre-eminence, as age hath for the politic. A certain rabbin, upon the text, Your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams, inferreth that young men, are admitted nearer to God than old, because vision, is a clearer revelation, than a dream. And certainly, the more a man drinketh of the world, the more it intoxicateth; and age doth profit rather in the powers of understanding, than in the virtues of the will and affections. There be some, have an over-early ripeness in their years, which fadeth betimes. These are, first, such as have brittle wits, the edge whereof is soon turned; such as was Hermogenes the rhetorician, whose books are exceeding subtle; who afterwards waxed stupid. A second sort, is of those that have some natural dispositions which have better grace in youth, than in age; such as is a fluent and luxuriant speech; which becomes youth well, but not age: so Tully saith of Hortensius, Idem manebat, neque idem decebat. The third is of such, as take too high a strain at the first, and are magnanimous, more than tract of years can uphold. As was Scipio Africanus, of whom Livy saith in effect, Ultima primis cedebant.
青年人敏銳果敢，但行事輕率卻可能毀壞大局。青年的性格如同不羈的野馬，藐視既往，目空一切，好走極端。勇於革新而不去估量實際的條件和可能性，結果常因浮躁而改革不成卻招致意外的麻煩。老年人則正相反。他們常常滿足於困守已成之局，思考多於行動，議論多於決斷。爲事後不後悔，寧肯事前不冒險。因此，最好的辦法是把青年的特點與老年的特點在事業上結合在一起。這樣，他們各自的優點正好彌補了對方的缺點。從現在的角度說，他們的所長可以互補他們各自的所短。從發展的角度說，青年可以從老年身上學到他們所不具的經驗。而從社會的角度說，有經驗的老人執事令人放心，而青年人的幹勁則鼓舞人心。但是，如果說，老人的經驗是可貴的，那麼青年人的純真則是崇高的。《聖經》說：“你們中的年輕人將見到天國，而你們中的老人則只能作夢。”有一位“拉比”(猶太牧師)解釋這話說：上帝認爲青年比老年更接近他，因爲希望總比幻夢切實一些。要知道，世情如酒，越濃越醉人——年齡越大，則在世故增長的同時卻愈會喪失正直純真的感情。早熟的人往往凋謝也早。不足爲訓的是如下三種人。第一種，是在智力上開發太早的人。小時了了，大未必佳。例如修辭學家赫摩格尼斯就是如此。他少年時候就寫出美妙的著作，但中年以後卻成了白癡。第二種，是那種畢生不稅稚氣的老頑童。正如西塞羅所批評的赫騰修斯，他早已該成熟卻一直幼稚。第三種，是志在才疏的人。年輕時拒負很大，晚年卻不足爲訓。像西茲阿·阿非利卡就是如此。所以歷史學家李維批評他：“一生事業有始有終。”
培根哲理散文隨筆閱讀：論美
irtue is like a rich stone,best plain set;and surely vitue is best,in a body that is comely,though not of delicate features;and that hath rather dignity of presence,than beauty of aspect.
美德好比寶石，它在樸素背景的襯托下反而更華麗。同樣，一個打扮並不華貴卻端莊嚴肅而有美德者是令人肅然起敬的。
Neither is it almost seen,that very beautiful persons are otherwise of great virtue;as if nature were rather busy,not to err,than in labor to produce therefore they prove accomplished,but not of great spirit;and study rather behavior,than this holds not always:for Augustus Caesar,Titus Vespasianus,Philip le Belle of France,Edward the Fourth of England,Alcibiades of Athens,Ismael the Sophy of Persia,were all high and great spirits;and yet the most beautiful men of their beauty,that of favor,is more than that of color;and that of decent and gracious motion,more than that of favor.
外表美麗的人，未必也具有內在的美。因爲造物主似乎是吝嗇的，他給了此就不再予彼。所以許多容顏俊秀的人卻不足爲訓，他們過於追求外形美麗而忽略了內心的美。但這也許不全對，因爲奧古斯都·撒、菲斯帕斯、法蘭西的菲力普王、英格蘭的愛德華四世、雅典的阿爾西巴蒂斯、波斯的伊斯梅爾等既是大丈夫，又是美男子。就形貌而言，自然之美要勝過粉飾之美，而優雅行爲之美又勝於單純禮儀之美。
That is the best part of beauty,which a picture cannot express;no nor the first sight of the e is no excellent beauty,that hath not some strangeness in the proportion.A man cannot tell whether Apelles,or Albert Durer,were the more trifler;whereof the one ,would make a personage by geometrical proportions;the other,by taking the best parts out of divers faces,to make one personages,I think,would please nobody,but the painter that made them.
最高的美是畫家說無法表現的，因爲它是難於直觀的。沒有哪種美能極致到不存在比例上的瑕疵。曾經有兩位畫家——阿皮雷斯和艾伯特·丟勒滑稽地認爲，可以按照幾何比例，或者通過攝取不同人身上最美的特點，用畫合成一張最完美的人像。其實像這樣畫出來的美人，恐怕只表現了畫家本人的某種偏愛。
Not but I think a painter may make a better face than ever was;but he must do it by a kind of felicity(as a musician that maketh an excellent air in music),and not by rule.A man shall see faces, that if you examine them part by part,you shall find never a good;and yet altogether do well.
畫家不能通過這樣畫出更好看的臉，(正如爲曲子營造氛圍的音樂家)，創造它的常常是構思，而不是公式。有許多的臉，就他們的部分看並不優美，但作爲整體卻非常動人。
If it be true that the principal part of beauty is in decent motion,certainly it is no marvel,though persons in years seem many times more amiable;pulchrorum autumnus pulcher;for no youth can be comely but by pardon,and considering the youth,as to make up the comeliness.
雖然美之菁華無疑在於優雅的舉止，但有些老人更顯得可愛，這印證了一句拉丁諺語：“暮色之色更美。”而儘管有的年輕人具有美貌，卻由於缺乏完美的修養而不配得到最好的讚美。
Beauty is as summer fruits,which are easy to corrupt,and cannot last;and for the most part it makes a dissolute youth,and an age a little out of countenance;but yet certainly again,if it light well,it maketh virtue shine,and vices blush.
美猶如盛夏的水果，是容易腐爛而難保持的。世上有許多美人，他們有過放蕩的青春，卻迎受着愧悔的晚年。因此，應該把美的形貌與美的德行結合起來。這樣，美才會發出奪目的光輝。
