1.Of Truth 论真理-双语名著无障碍阅读丛书——《培根随笔集The Essays of Bacon》

Francis Bacon 1. OfTruth What is truth? said jesting{} Pilate, and would not stay for an answer. Certainly there be, that delight in giddiness{②}, and count it a bondage③} to fix a belief; affecting④ free-will in thinking, as well as in acting. And though the sects{③}of philosophers} of that kind be gone, yet there remain certain discoursing}wits, which are of the same veins^③}. though there be not so much blood in them, as was in those of the ancients. But it is not only the difficulty and labor, which men take in finding { out of truth, nor again, that when it is found, it imposeth^ upon men's thoughts, that doth bring lies in favor; but a natural though corrupt love, of the lie itself. One of the later school of the Grecians},examineth the matter, and is at a stand, to think what should be in it, that men should love lies; where neither they make for pleasure, as with poets, nor for advantage, as with the merchant; but for the lie's sake". But I cannot tell; this same truth, is a naked, and open day-light, that doth not show the masks, and mummeries^{}, and triumphs^{}, of the world, half so stately and daintily} as candle-lights. .002: 1.论真理 善戏的彼拉多曾说: ① jesting /d3estin/ 开玩笑 “真理是什么呢?”说 的,滑稽的 了之后并且不肯等候回答。世上尽有一般人喜欢把 ② giddiness 眼花,轻率 ③ bondage /'bondidg/ n. 奴 意见变来变去,并且认为固定了一种信仰即等于上 役,束缚 ④affecting =loving 喜欢 了一套加锁;在思想上和行为上他们都一样地要求 sect /sekt/n.教派 意志的自由。虽然这一流的各派哲学家已成过去 philosopher /fi'losafa/ n 哲学家 然而仍有些心志游移的说者和他们同声同气-虽 discoursing = windy. rambling夸夸其谈的,不 然这般人比起古人来血气薄弱一点。但是使人们好 着边际的 伪说的原因,不仅是人们找寻真理时的艰难困苦 nvein/vein/n.气质:倾向 ② imposeth upon = impose 亦不是找寻着了真理之后真理所加于人们的思想约 upon约束,限制(th或eth 为动词单数第三人称后 束,而是一种天生的--虽然是恶劣的--对于伪 缀,下文同) 说本身的爱好。古希腊晚期哲学学派中有人曾研究 oGrecian/qri:fan/n. 希朋 , 过这个问题,他不懂得伪说之中有什么东西竟会使 sake /seik/ n. 缘故 人们为伪说的本身而爱它,因为伪说既不能如诗人 mummery /mAmori/ 哑 之所为,引人入胜;亦不能如商人之所为,导人得 剧表演 B triumph /traiamf/ n. 凯 利。我亦不懂得这是什么缘故:可是“真理”这件 旋 东西可说是一种无隐无饰的白昼之光,世间的那些 daintily /deintili/ al. 小巧 地,鲜艳地 歌剧。表演、庆典在这种光之下所显露的,远不如 .003· The Fssays of Bacon Truth may perhaps come to the price of a pearl, that showeth best by day; but it will not rise to the price of a diamond, or carbuncle{①}, that showeth best in varied lights. A mixture of a lie doth ever add pleasure Doth any man doubt, that if there were taken out of men's minds, vain opinions, flattering hopes, false valuations, imaginations as one would. and the like, but it would leave the minds, of a number of men, poor shrunken② things, full of melancholy③ and indisposition④, and unpleasing to themselves? One of the fathers, in great severity , called poesy vinum daemonum^{}, because it filleth the imagination; and yet, it is but with the shadow of a lie. But it is not the lie that passeth through the mind but the lie that sinketh in, and settleth in it, that doth the hurt; such as we spake^{} of before. But, howsoever these things are thus^{②} in men's depraved{} judgments, and affections, yet truth, which only doth judge itself, teacheth that the inquiry{①} of truth, which is the love-making, or wooing^{} of it, the knowledge of truth, which is the presence of it, and the belief of truth, which is the enjoying of it, is the sovereign{} good of human nature. The first creature of God, in the works of the days, was the light of the sense: the last, was the light of reason; and his Sabbath{} work ever since, is the illumination of his Spirit^{}. First he breathed light, upon the face of the matter or chaos^{①}; then he breathed light, into the face of man: and still he breatheth and inspireth{ light, into the face of his chosen. The poet{,that beautified the sect^{}, that was otherwise inferior{②}to the rest,saith vet excellently well: It is a pleasure, to stand upon the shore, and to see ships tossed upon the sea; a pleasure, to stand in the window of a castle, and to see a battle, and the adventures thereof ·004· 墙振随笔集 灯烛之光所显露的庄严美丽。在世人眼中真理的价 ① carbuncle /ka:bAnkl/红 值也许等于一颗珍珠,在日光之下看起来最好;但 宝石 是它决够不上那些在各种不同光线下都显得无比美 丽的钻石和红玉的价值。掺上一点伪说的道理总是 给人添乐趣的。要是从人们的心中取去了虚妄的自 ②shrink/frink/r: 收缩 动 词过去式,shranh 是、自谀的希望、错误的评价、武断的想象,就会 /shrunk过去分词:shrunl 使许多人的心变成一种可怜的、缩小的东西,充满 /shrunken ③ melancholy /melonkol 忧郁和疾病,自已看起来也讨厌。对于这一点会有 忧郁 人怀疑么? ④ indisposition /indispe'zifan/小病,微 早期的耶教著作家中有一位曾经很严厉地把诗 善 severity /si'veriti/ n. 严重 叫作“魔鬼的酒”,因为诗能占据人的想象,然而 poesy /pauisi/= poetry 诗不过是伪说的影子罢了。害人的不是那从心中经 诗歌 vinum daemonum = 过的伪说,而是那沉入心中、盘踞心中的伪说,如 devils'wine 魔鬼的酒 B spake /speik/ [古]speal 前所言者是也。然而这些事情,无论其在人们堕落 的过去式 的判断力及好尚中是如何,真理(它只受本身的评 thus/As/ ad.如此,这样 o depraved /dt' prervd/ 堕 判)却教给我们说研究真理(就是向它求爱求婚) 落的,颓废的 认识真理(就是与之同处)和相信真理(就是享受 inquiry /in'kwaiari/ n. 打 听,询问 它)乃是人性中最高的美德。 woo/wu:/t.求婚,求爱 sovereigm/'sovrin/至高无 上帝创造宇宙的最初那几日中,他所创造的头 上的 一件东西就是感官的光明;他所创造的末一件东西 Sabbath/saebo/ 安息目 主日 就是理智的光明;从那以后直到如今,在他工作完 e illumination /ilju:mi'neifan/ n. 照明 毕而休息的时候,他的作为全是以他的圣灵昭示世 o Spirit /spirit/n. 精神 人。最初他在物或混饨的面上吹吐光明;然后他向 chaos /keios/ n. 混乱 inspire /in'spaio/ v.激发. 人的面自中吹入光明;到如今他还在往他选中的人 启示 的面目之中吐射光明。有一派哲学在别的方面都不 The poet 这里这个诗人 指Lucretius(卢克菜修) 如他派,可是有一位诗人为这派哲学增光不少。这 the sect 这里这一流派指 Epicureans(伊壁鸠鲁学 位诗人曾说:“站在岸上看船帕在海上簸荡是一件 派1 乐事;站在堡垒的窗前看下面的战争和它的种种经 inferior /in'fiaria/a. 次等 的,较低的 过是一件乐事;但是没有一件乐事能与站在真理的 .005· The Fssays of Bacon belo: but no pleasure is comparable to the standing upon the vantage① ground of truth (a hill not to be commanded, and where the air is always clear and serene②), and to see the errors, and wanderings, and mists, and tempests③, in the vale④ below: so always that this prospect be with pity, and not with swelling}, or pride. Certainly, it is heaven upon earth, to have a man's mind move in charity, rest in providence{, and turn upon the poles of truth. To pass from theological^{}, and philosophical truth, to the truth of civil business; it will be acknowledged^{}, even by those that practise it not, that clear, and round dealing, is the honor of man's nature; and that mixture of falsehoods^{}, is like alloy{} in coin of gold and silver, which may make the metal work the better, but it embaseth{} it. For these winding^{}, and crooked^{} courses, are the goings of the serpent{*}; which goeth basely upon the belly{, and not upon the feet. There is no vice^{}, that doth so cover a man with shame, as to be found false and perfidious{. And therefore Montaigne^{} saith prettily, when he inquired the reason, why the word of the lie should be such a disgrace{, and such an odious{} charge? Saith he, If it be well weighed, to say that a man lieth, is as much to say, as that he is brave towards God, and a coward towards men. For a lie faces God, and shrinks from man. Surely the wickedness of falsehood, and breach{}of faith, cannot possibly be so highly expressed,as in that it shall be the last peal{②}, to call the judgments of God upon the generations of men; it being foretold{②}, that when Christ cometh, he shall not find faith upon the earth .006. 培随笔集 ①vantage /va:ntid3/ n. 优势 高峰(一座高出一切的山陵,那里的空气永远 ② serene /si'ri:n/ a.宁静的 ③ tempest /tempisu/ n. 暴风 是澄清而宁静的)目睹下面谷中的错误、漂泊。 雨 ④vale /veili:.'watlei /n. 谷. 迷雾和风雨相比拟。”只要看的人对这种光景永 尘世 存侧隐而不要自满,那么以上的话可算是说得 swelling/swelin/ a. 膨胀的 (增大的) 好极了。当然,一个人的心若能以仁爱为动机 providence /providans/ n. 天意 以天意为归宿,并且以真理为地轴而动转,那 theological /ia'lod3ikl/ a. 这人的生活可真是地上的天堂了。 神学 ③ acknowledge /ak'nolid3/ v. 从教义中的真理和哲学中的真理再说到世 承认 falsehood /fo:lshud/ 谬误 事上的真理。即使那些行为并不坦白正直的人 oalloy /aeloi/n. 合金 也会承认坦白正直地待人是人性的光荣,而真 embase=debase贬低,降 低 假相混则有如金银币中杂以合金一样,也许可 winding /waindin/ a. 婉蜒 的 以使那金银用起来方便一点,但是把它们的品 crooked /krukid. 弯曲的 质却弄贱了。因为这些曲曲折折的行为可说是 serpent /sa:pant/ 大毒蛇 蛇走路,蛇是不用脚而是很卑贱地用肚子走路 (在圣经中指魔鬼撒旦 Satan) 的。没有一种罪恶能和被人发现是虚伪欺诈一 B goeth basely upon the belly 般使人如此蒙羞。所以蒙田在他研究为什么说 卑贱地用肚皮走路。(圣经) 中的故事,说蛇引诱亚当、 人说荒算是这样的一种羞辱,一种可恨之极的 夏娃犯罪,于是神诅咒蛇 “你必用肚子行走,终身吃 罪责的时候,说得极好。他说:“仔细考虑起 士“。 vice /vais/n.罪恶 来,说某人说就等于说他对上帝很大胆,对 perfidious /po'fidias/ 背信 世人很怯懦。”因为言是直对着上帝而躲避着 弃义的,不忠的 Montaigme 即Michel Eyquem 世人的。曾经有个预言,说基督重临的时候 de Montaigne米歇尔·埃康. 德·蒙田(1533~1592),法国 他将在地上找不到信实;所以言可说是请上 散文作家,其散漫而生动的 帝来裁判人类全体的最后的钟声。对于虚假和 有关个人的散文被认为是 16世纪法国散文的最高表 背信的罪恶再不能比这个说法揭露得更高明了 现形式。 disgrace /dis'qreis/ n. 不名 营 odious /oudjas.-diasl a 可 憎的 ②breach /bri:tf/ n.违背 ②peal /pitl/n. 钟声 o foretell /fo:'tel/ v. 预言 ·007·