8.Of Boldness论大胆-双语名著无障碍阅读丛书——《培根随笔集The Essays of Bacon》

8.Of Boldness IT is a trivial grammar-school text,but yet worthy a wise man's consideration.Question was asked of Demosthenes,what was the chief part of an orator?he answered,action;what next?action;what next again?action.He said it that knew it best,and had by nature himself no advantage in that he commended.A strange thing,thatthat part of an orator which is but superficial,and rather the virtue of a player, should be placed so high,above those other noble parts of invention, elocution,and the rest;nay almost alone,as if it were all in all.But the reason is plain.There is in human nature generally more of the fool than of the wise;and therefore those faculties by which the foolish part of men's minds is taken are most potent 5.Wonderful like is the case of boldness in civil business:what first?boldness;what second and third?boldness.And yet boldness is a child of ignorance and baseness, far inferior to other parts.But nevertheless it doth fascinate and bind hand and foot those that are either shallow in judgment or weak in courage,which are the greatest part;yea and prevaileth with wise ·050· 8.论大胆 ①trivial"trivial/a琐碎的 有人问德冒斯尼斯，一位演说家最主要的才能 是什么？他说，表情。其次呢？表情。又其次呢？ 表情。这虽是小学读本中一段滥熟的故事，然而值 得明哲之士的思索。说这话的人是最懂得所说的事 情的人，又是一个在他所称扬的事情上没有天生的 优势的人。表情在一位演说家所有的才能中不过是 ②orator /orata/n.演说者 表面的一种，并且是属于优伶的一种长处，然而竞 会被抬得这样高，超出那些其他的长技，如独创， ③elocution /elo'kju:∫(o)n/ n雄辩术；演说术 口齿清晰等等；不特此也，简直好像这一种表面的 才能是唯一无二的，是一切的一切似的，这真是怪 事了。然而其理由是显而易见的。人性之中总以愚 ④faculty/faekolti/n.部分 ⑤potent /'pautant/a强有 者的部分比智者的部分为多；因此那些能够引动人 力的 心中愚蠢之一部的才能是最有力的了。同这个非常 相似的，就是在世事中的大胆：头一件是什么？大 胆。第二件第三件是什么？大胆。可是大胆不过是 无识与卑贱的产儿，比别的关于世事的知识贱多 ⑥shallow'faclaw/a浅的 了。然而它真能迷惑并控制那些见识浮浅或胆量不 ⑦prevail/pri'veiW.获胜 足的人，而这种人又是数目最多的。更甚者，大胆 ·051· The Essays of Bacon men at weak times.Therefore we see it hath done wonders in popular states;but with senates and princes less;and more ever upon the first entrance of bold persons into action than soon after;for boldness is an ill keeper of promise.Surely as there are mountebanks for the natural body,so are there mountebanks for the politic body;men that undertake great cures,and perhaps have been lucky in two or three experiments,but want the grounds of science,and therefore cannot hold out.Nay,you shall see a bold fellow many times do Mahomet's miracle Mahomet made the people believe that he would call an hill to hime,and from the top of it offer up his prayers,for the observers of his law.The people assembled;Mahomet called the hill to come to him,again and again;and when the hill stood still,he was never a whit abashed,but said,If the hill will not come to Mahomet,Mahomet will go to the hill.So these men,when they have promised great matters and failed most shamefully,Yet (if they have the perfection of boldness) they will but slight it over,and make a turn,and no more ado. Certainly to men of great judgment,bold persons are a sport to behold; nay and to the vulgar also,boldness has somewhat of the ridiculous For if absurdity be the subjet of laughter,doubt you not but great boldness is seldom without some absurdity.Especially it is a sport to see,when a bold fellow is out of countenance;for that puts his face into a most shrunken and wooden posture;as needs it must;for in bashfulness the spirits do a little go and come;but with bold men, upon like occasion,they stand at a stay;like a stale at chess,where it is no mate,but yet the game cannot stir.But this last were fitter for a satire than for a serious observation.This is well to be weighed;that ·052· 培根随笔集 也能把有智之人在他们意志不坚强的时候克服了。 因此我们常见大胆在民治国家中曾有奇效，而在有 统治阶级或君主的国家中则不如此之甚；大胆总是 在勇敢的人们初次活动的时候功效大，而以后就没 ①mountebank mauntibaegk/=quack 有这样大了；因为大胆是不善于守信的。对于人的 江湖郎中，骗子 2 undertake /iAnda'teik/ 肉体有江湖医生；对于政治体也有江湖医生；这就 从事 是那些敢冒险治大病，也许在两三次试验里有好运 气的人；但是他们缺乏科学根据，所以是不能持久 的。真的，你可以看到许多大胆的人屡次实现谟罕 ③miracle'mirakl/n奇透 默德的奇迹。谟罕默德教民众相信他，说他要把某 一座山叫到他面前，然后从那座山顶上为那些信奉 ④assemble/a'sembal/n.聚 集 他的教律的人祈祷。民众都聚集在一起了；谟罕默 ⑤whit/(h)wit/n.些微 德一次又一次地叫那座山到他面前来；然而那座山 ⑥abash /'bae/.使… 羞愧 屹立不动。在这时候，他一点也不沮丧，反而说 道：“要是山不肯到谟罕默德这儿来，那么谟罕默 德要到山那儿去了。”类此，那些江湖派的人，当 他们预先许下很大诺言而最终很可耻地失败了的时 候，依然（假如他们有完全的勇气的话）会把这种 ⑦vulgar /vAlg(r/a相俗 失败轻描淡写，并转而言他，再不一顾。无疑地， 的 在识见远大的人们看起来，勇夫是一种可笑的人； 8 ridiculous /ri'dikjulas/a. 荒谬的 不但如此，在平常一般人的眼中，大胆也是有点可 absurdity /ab'sa:diti/n. 荒谬 笑的。因为，假如“荒唐”是引人发笑的一种起因 00 countenance 的话，那么你可以确信很大的豪勇是很少没有一点 kauntinans/面容，脸色 荒唐之处的。尤其可笑的是在一个勇夫被人揭穿而 posture /'pastfa/n.姿势 失败的时候；因为这样一来，他的表情将十分尴 Bbashfulness /'bae ffulnis/ 尬，这是必然的；因为在退让之中，人的精神是有 n羞怯 B stale/steil/n.势均力敌的， 来有去的：但是那些勇夫在如上述的情形之中他们 =stalemate,僵局 的精神就只能待着，好像下棋下成和局一样，输是 不算输，然而那一局棋是无法走了。但是这一种最 鱼satire"sataia/n.讽刺 ·053· The Essays of Bacon boldness is ever blind;for it seeth not dangers and inconveniences. Therefore it is ill in counsel,good in execution;so that the right use of bold persons is,that they never command in chief,but be seconds, and under the direction of others.For in counsel it is good to see dangers;and in execution not to see them,except they be very great. ·054· 培根随笔集【 后所说的事或者较适于讽世的文章而不适于庄肃的 论说。这一点最值得考虑；就是大胆永远是盲目 的；因为它是看不见危险和困难的。因此，大胆在 议论中是不好的，在实行中是好的：所以勇夫的适 当用途是永不要让他们统帅一切，而应当让他们为 副手，并听他人的指挥。因为在议论之中最好要能 看出危险；而在实行之中最好不要看出危险，除非 那些危险是很重大的。 ·055·