培根經(jīng)典散文隨筆兩篇
弗朗西斯·培根是英國文藝復(fù)興時(shí)期最重要的散文家、哲學(xué)家。他不但在文學(xué)、哲學(xué)上多有建樹，在自然科學(xué)領(lǐng)域里，也取得了重大成就。他的第一部重要著作《隨筆》最初發(fā)表于1597年，以后又逐年增補(bǔ)。該書文筆言簡(jiǎn)意賅、智睿奪目，它包含許多洞察秋毫的經(jīng)驗(yàn)之談，其中不僅論及政治而且還探討許多人生哲理。下面學(xué)習(xí)啦小編為大家?guī)砼喔?jīng)典散文隨筆，希望大家喜歡!
培根經(jīng)典散文隨筆：論復(fù)仇
Revenge is a kind of wild justice; which the more man\'s nature runs to, the more ought law to weed it out For as for the first wrong, it doth but offend the law; but the revenge of that wrong, putteth the law out of office. Certainly, in taking revenge, a man is but even with his enemy; but in passing it over, he is superior: for it is a prince\'s part to pardon. And Solomon, I am sure, saith, It is the glory of a man to pass by an offence. That which is past, is gone, and irrevocable; and wise men have enough to do, with things present, and to come: therefore, they do but trifle with themselves, that labour in past matters. There is no man doth a wrong, for the wrong\'s sake; but thereby to purchase himself profit, or pleasure, or honour, or the like. Therefore why should I be angry with a man, for loving himself better than me?
復(fù)仇是一種野生的裁判。人類底天性越是向著它，法律就越應(yīng)當(dāng)耘除它。因?yàn)轭^一個(gè)罪惡不過是觸犯了法律;可是報(bào)復(fù)這件罪惡的舉動(dòng)卻把法律底位子奪了。無疑地，復(fù)了仇不過使一個(gè)人和他底仇人得平而已，但若置而不較，他就比他底仇人高出一等了;因?yàn)閷掑冻饠呈蔷醯讱飧乓?。確信所羅門有言：“人有怨仇而不報(bào)是他底光榮”。過去的事情是已經(jīng)過去了，并且是叫不回來了;明智的人留心現(xiàn)在和將來的事情已經(jīng)夠忙的了;所以那些勞勞于過去的事情的人簡(jiǎn)直是枉費(fèi)心力而已。沒有人是為了作惡而作惡的;而是為了要給自己取得利益、樂趣、或榮譽(yù)、或類此的事情的。因此為什么我要對(duì)著某人因?yàn)樗麗圩约簞儆趷畚叶鷼饽?
And if any man should do wrong, merely out of ill nature, why, yet it is but like the thorn, or briar, which prick, and scratch, because they can do no other. The most tolerable sort of revenge, is for those wrongs which there is no law to remedy: but then, let a man take heed the revenge be such as there is no law to punish: else, a man\'s enemy is still before hand, and it is two for one. Some, when they take revenge, are desirous the party should know whence it cometh: this is the more generous. For the delight seemeth to be, not so much in doing the hurt, as in making the party repent: but base and crafty cowards are like the arrow that flieth in the dark. Cosmus, Duke of Florence, had a desperate saying, against perfidious or neglecting friends, as if those wrongs were unpardonable: You shall read (saith he) mat we are commanded to forgive our enemies; but you never read, that we are commanded to forgive our friends. But yet the spirit of Job, was in a better tune; Shall we (saith he) take good at God\'s hands, and not be content to take evil also? And so of friends in a proportion. This is certain; that a man that studieth revenge, keeps his own wounds green, which otherwise would heal, and do well. Public revenges, are, for the most part, fortunate; as that for the death of Caesar, for the death of Pertinax; for the death of Henry the Third of France; and many more. But in private revenges it is not so. Nay rather, vindictive persons live the life of witches; who as they are mischievous, so end they unfortunate.
并且即令有人純粹因?yàn)樯员緪憾髁藧?，那又怎么?也不過象荊棘一樣;荊棘刺人抓人因?yàn)樗鼈儾粫?huì)作別的事啊。復(fù)仇中最可原諒的一種就是為了報(bào)沒有法律糾正的那一種仇的;可是在這種情形里那報(bào)仇的人也應(yīng)當(dāng)留神，他那報(bào)復(fù)的行為要沒有法律懲罰才好;否則他底仇人仍然要占先的，因?yàn)槎酥g吃虧底比例乃是二比一也。有些人在報(bào)仇底時(shí)節(jié)要對(duì)方知道這報(bào)復(fù)是從那里來的。這是比較地大量;因?yàn)閳?bào)仇底痛快處似乎不在使對(duì)方受苦而在使對(duì)方悔罪也。那些卑劣狡猾的懦夫則有如暗中的飛箭?？扑怪兯?，佛羅棱司底大公，曾有句鋒銳的話是說無義和忘恩的朋友的。他底意思好象這些罪過是不可恕似的，他說：“你可以在圣書中讀到基督教我們饒恕我們底敵人的話，可是你永遠(yuǎn)讀不到有教我們饒恕我們底朋友的話”。然而約伯底精神則調(diào)高一格。他說：“難道我們從上帝手中只要好的而不要壞的么”?以此例推于朋友，亦當(dāng)如斯。的確，一個(gè)人要是念念不忘復(fù)仇，他就是把自己底傷口常使其如新，這傷口若不是這人老在思想報(bào)復(fù)，是會(huì)痊愈的。公仇底報(bào)復(fù)多半是結(jié)局較佳的：例如為凱撒之死，為破提拿克斯之死，為法蘭西王亨利第三之死以及許多類此的復(fù)仇事件是也。然而在私仇底報(bào)復(fù)上則不如斯。反之，銜怨深而喜報(bào)復(fù)的人所度的生活是妖巫一般的生活。這種人活著的時(shí)候于人不利，死了也是于己不幸。
培根經(jīng)典散文隨筆：論困厄
It was an high speech of Seneca (after the manner of the Stoics) that the good things which belong to prosperity are to be wished; but the good things that belong to adversity are to be admired. Bona rerum secudarum optabilia; adversarum mirabilia.
“幸運(yùn)底好處是應(yīng)當(dāng)希望的;但是厄運(yùn)底好處是應(yīng)當(dāng)驚奇嘆賞的”，這是塞奈喀仿畫廊派的高論。
Certainly if miracles be the command over nature, they appear most in adversity. It is yet a higher speech of his than the other (much too high for a heathen): It is true greatness to have in one the fragility of a man and the security of a God. Vere magnum habere fragilitaterm hominis securitatem da. This would have done better in poesy; where transcendencies are more allowed. And the poets indeed, have been busy with it; for it is, in effect, the thing which is figured in that strange fiction of the ancient poets, which seemeth not to be without mystery; nay, and to have some approach to the state of a Christian: that Hercules when he went to unbind Prometheus (by whom human nature is represented) sailed the length of the great ocean in an earthen pot or pitcher: lively describing Christian resolution; that saileth, in the frail barque of the flesh, through the waves of the world.
無疑地，如果奇跡底意思是“超越自然”，那么奇跡多是在厄運(yùn)中出現(xiàn)的。塞氏還有一句比這更高的話(這話由一個(gè)異教徒說出，幾乎是太高了)：“一個(gè)人有凡人底脆弱而又有神仙底自在無憂，那就是真正的偉大”。這句話如果是一句詩，也許更好一點(diǎn)，因?yàn)樵谠娎镱^，高夸的說法，好象是更為可許似的。詩人們也真的常說這句話，因?yàn)檫@句話實(shí)際就是古詩人常述的那個(gè)奇談中所表現(xiàn)的——而這個(gè)奇談?dòng)炙坪醴菬o深義的;不特如此，它所描寫的還很有點(diǎn)接近_底情形呢——那就是當(dāng)赫扣力斯去解放普羅密修斯的時(shí)候(普羅密修斯是象征人性的)他坐在一個(gè)瓦盆或瓦罐里渡過了大海?；絖肉之軀的輕舟渡過世間底波濤的決心，這故事很生動(dòng)地描寫出來了。
But to speak in a mean.The virtue of prosperity is temperance; the virtue of adversity is fortitude:which in morals is the more heroical virtue. Prosperity is the blessing of the Old Testament; adversity is the blessing of the New; which carrieth the greater benediction, and the clearer revelation of God\'s favour. Yet, even in the Old Testament, if you listen to David\'s harp, you shall hear as many hearselike airs, as carols: and the pencil of the Holy Ghost hath laboured more, in describing the afflictions of Job, than the felicities of Solomon. Prosperity is not without many fears and distastes; and adversity is not without comforts and hopes. We see in needlework, and embroideries, it is more pleasing to have a lively work upon a sad and solemn ground, than to have a dark and melancholy work, upon a lightsome ground: judge therefore, of the pleasure of the heart, by the pleasure of the eye. Certainly, virtue is like precious odours, most fragrant when they are incensed, or crushed: for prosperity doth best discover vice; but adversity doth best discover virtue.
但是用平凡的話來說，幸運(yùn)所生的德性是節(jié)制，厄運(yùn)所生的德性是堅(jiān)忍;在倫理上講起來，后者是更為偉大的一種德性。幸運(yùn)是《舊約》中的福祉;厄運(yùn)是《新約》中的福祉;而厄運(yùn)所帶來的福祉更大，所詔示的上帝底恩惠更為明顯。然而即在《舊約》之中，如諦聽大衛(wèi)底琴音，就一定可以聽見與歡頌一般多的哀歌;并且圣靈的畫筆在形容約伯底苦難上比在形容所羅門底幸福上致力得多了。幸運(yùn)并非沒有許多的恐懼與煩惱;厄運(yùn)也并非沒有許多的安慰與希望。 在針工與刺繡中， 我們常見，若在一片陰沉的底子上安排一種漂亮的花樣， 比在一片淺色的底子上安排一種暗郁的花樣悅目得多; 從這眼中的樂趣上推斷心中的樂趣罷。 無疑地， 美德如名香，經(jīng)燃燒或壓榨而其香愈烈，蓋幸運(yùn)最能顯露惡德而厄運(yùn)最能顯露美德也。