每日美文 · 10月5日｜岳阳楼记（节选） · Of Studies（论读书）

【今日中文 · 古典诗文】

岳阳楼记（节选）

至若春和景明，波澜不惊，上下天光，一碧万顷；沙鸥翔集，锦鳞游泳；岸芷汀兰，郁郁青青。而或长烟一空，皓月千里，浮光跃金，静影沉璧；渔歌互答，此乐何极！登斯楼也，则有心旷神怡，宠辱偕忘，把酒临风，其喜洋洋者矣。
嗟夫！予尝求古仁人之心，或异二者之为，何哉？不以物喜，不以己悲；居庙堂之高则忧其民；处江湖之远则忧其君。是进亦忧，退亦忧。然则何时而乐耶？其必曰“先天下之忧而忧，后天下之乐而乐”乎！

【今日英文 · 散文】

Of Studies（论读书）

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 affectation; to make judgment wholly by their rules is the humour of a scholar. They perfect nature, and are perfected by experience.

读书足以怡情，足以傅彩，足以长才。其怡情也，最见于独处幽居之时；其傅彩也，最见于高谈阔论之中；其长才也，最见于处世判事之际。盖才智之士虽能处理个别事务，逐一辨识；而统筹全局、运筹调度，则唯博学之士能之。读书费时过多易惰，文采藻饰太盛则矫，全凭条文断事乃学究故态。读书补天然之不足，经验又补读书之不足。

• for delight, for ornament, for ability —— 培根惯用的三分法，句式高度对仗，是英文“平行结构”的教科书范例。注意后半句省略了重复的 their chief use，只留 for ornament, is in...
• the plots and marshalling of affairs —— marshalling 原指“整队、列阵”，此处引申为“统筹调度”。培根大量使用军事与法律隐喻。
• the humour of a scholar —— 此处 humour 不是“幽默”，而是古义“脾性、习气”（中世纪四体液说）。全句意为“学究的习气”。读早期现代英语要格外注意这类“假朋友”。

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