19.Of Nature in Men 论人的天性-双语名著无障碍阅读丛书——《培根随笔集The Essays of Bacon》

19.Of Nature in Men NATURE is often hidden;sometimes overcome;seldom extinguished①.Force maketh nature more violent in the return②； doctrine③and discourse④maketh nature less importune⑤；but custom only doth alter and subdue nature.He that seeketh victory over his nature,let him not set himself too great nor too small tasks;for the first will make him dejected by often failings;and the sccond will make him a small proceeder,though by often prevailings.And at the first let him practise with helps,as swimmers do with bladders or rushes;but after a time let him practise with disadvantages,as dancers do with thick shoes.For it breeds great perfection,if the practice be harder than the use.Where nature is mighty,and therefore the victory hard,the degrees had need be,first to stay and arrest nature in time;like to him that would say over the four and twenty letters when he was angry; then to go less in quantity;as if one should,in forbearing wine, come from drinking healths to a draught at a meal;and lastly,to ·142· 19.论人的天性 天性常常是隐而不露的，有时可以压伏，而很 D extinguish /iks'tingwif/v. 少能完全扼杀的。压力之于天性，使它在压力减退 熄灭 2②rctm=reaction 之时更烈于前；教海和劝导会缓和天性；但是习惯 ③doctrine /doktrin/n.教 义 却真能改变气质，约束天性。凡是想征服自己天性 ④discourse dis'ko:s,'disk:s/n演 的人，给自己设定的任务不要太大或太小；任务太 讲 大将因为常常失败的缘故而使他灰心；而太小，虽 importune /im'po:tju:n 款强求 然能使他常常成功，但是将使他成为一个进步甚小 @ater3 lta/.改变 ⑦subdue/sAb'dju/v..使服 的人。还有，在起始的时候他应当用些帮忙的事务 从，压制 来练习，就好像学游泳的人用浮胞和苇筏一样；但 ⑧deject/di'd3ekt/.使沮 丧 是过了些时候，他应当与困难相博以为练习，就好 像舞蹈家穿着厚鞋练习一样。因为，假如练习比实 用还难，那么其结果就更为完美了。如果天性强 固，因之不容易克服，就必须慢慢来：第一，要及 时阻止天性，不要放纵，就好像有的人在生气的时 候默诵二十四个字母的名字以抑怒气一样；这段工 ⑨forbear/f:'bea/.忍耐 夫做到了，然后在量的方面应该减少，就好像要戒 0 draught /dra:f/n一饮 的量 酒的人，从引觞互祝减到每餐少量一饮一样：最 ·143· The Essays of Bacon discontinue altogether.But if a man have the fortitude and resolution to enfranchise himself at once,that is the best: Optimus ille animi vindex laedentia pectus Vincula qui rupit,dedoluitque semel. [Wouldst thou be free?The chains that gall thy breast With one storng effourt burst,and be at rest. Neither is the ancient rule amiss,to bend nature as a wand to a contrary extreme,whereby to set it right,understanding it,where the contrary extreme is no vice 5.Let not a man force a habit upon himself with a perpetual continuance,but with some intermission.For both the pause reinforceth the new onset;and if a man that is not perfect be ever in practice,he shall as well practise his errors as his abilities, and induce one habit of both;and there is no means to help this but by seasonable intermissions,But let not a man trust his victory over his nature too far;for nature will lay buried a great time,and yet revive upon the occasion or temptation.Like as it was with Aesop's damsel, turned from a cat to a woman,who sat very demurely at the board's end,till a mouse ran before her.Therefore let a man either avoid the occasion altogether;or put himself often to it,that he may be little moved with it.A man's nature is best perceived in privateness,for there is no affectation;in passion,for that putteth a man out of his precepts; and in a new case or experiment,for there custom leaveth him.They are happy men whose natures sort with their vocations;otherwise they may say,multum incola fuit anima mea [my soul hath been long a ·144· 培根随笔集 D fortitude /'fortitju:d/n. 后，才可以完全戒绝。但是假如一个人有那种毅力 刚毅 2 resolution /rezo'lju:fon/ 和决心，能够一举而解放自己，那是最好的： n坚定 ③enfranchise /in'fraent Jaiz,en-/v. 最能坚持灵魂的自由的人，就是那 与自治权 挣断折磨心灵的锁链，一举而永免受罪的人。 古人的遗训说，应当把天性屈到相反的另一极 端去，好像一根杆杖似的，以便它再反过来的时候 可以适中，这句话也是不错的；不过我们须要明 ④amiss/a'mis/awd.有毛病 白，此处所谓的另一极端当然要不是恶德才行。 一个人竭力培养新习惯不可连续不断进行，而 ⑤vice/wais/n.恶习 应当稍有间歇。因为一则停一停，再开始时更起 perpetual /pa'petjuol/a. 劲；二则，假如一个并不完美的人永远继续练习的 永恒的 话，他不仅练习了他的优点，连谬误也一定要练习 ⑦reinforce/riin'fois/u.增 援，加强 了，结果二者都成了习惯。这种情形，没有别的补 救之策，除了用合时的间歇和休止。但是一个人也 不可过于相信他对于自己的天性的征服，因为天性 ⑧intermission /inta(:)'mifan/n.中止 能够长期潜伏着，而一有机会或诱惑就会复活。就 好像《伊索寓言》中猫变的女子一样，她坐在餐桌 ⑨damsel/daemzol/n.年轻 的一头，坐得端端正正地，可是一见有只小鼠从她 女人 demurely /di'mjuali/ad 面前跑过，她就坐不住了。因此一个人应当要么完 真地 全躲避这种场合，要么常常接触这种场合，以便少 被牵动。人的天性在私生活里最易看出，因为在那 种生活里是没有虚饰的：在热情里也最易看出，因 为热情使人把平日的教训忘了；在一种新的事情或 1 passion/'pebn/n热情 precept/pri:sept/n教训 尝试之中也最易看出，因为在这种情形里是无惯例 可援的。凡是天性与职业适合的人是有福的人；反 之，那些从事他们本不想做的事业的人，他们可以 说：“我的灵魂曾久与天性不合之事物周旋。”在 ·145· The Essays of Bacon sojoumer];when they converse in those things they do not affect.In studies,whatsoever a man commandeth upon himself,let him set hours for it;but whatsoever is agreeable to his nature,let him take no care for any set times;for his thoughts will fly to it of themselves;so as the spaces of other business or studies will suffice.A man's nature runs either to herbs or weeds;therefore let him seasonably water the one, and destroy the other. ·146· 培根随笔集【 ①converse /kon'v3is/u.交 学问方面，一个人勉强去学天性不喜欢的学科，应 谈 ②affect=lke,desire喜欢， 当有固定的时间：但是凡是与天性相合的学科，那 期望 就不必有什么规定的时间；因为他的思想会自己做 主，飞到那方面去；只要别的事情或学科所剩下来 的时间足够研究这些学问就行。一个人的天性不长 成药草，就长成莠草；所以他应当适时灌溉前者而 seasonably /'siizanabli/ ad正合时宜（恰好） 芟除后者。 ·147·