《论读书》是培根随笔中的一篇 　　英文版：OfStudy(论读书） 　　STUDIESservefordelight,forornament,andforability.Theirchiefusefordelight,isinprivatenessandretiring;forornament,isindiscourse;andforability,isinthejudgment,anddispositionofbusiness.Forexpertmencanexecute,andperhapsjudgeofparticulars,onebyone;butthegeneralcounsels,andtheplotsandmarshallingofaffairs,comebest,fromthosethatarelearned.Tospendtoomuchtimeinstudiesissloth;tousethemtoomuchforornament,isaffectation;tomakejudgmentwhollybytheirrules,isthehumorofascholar.Theyperfectnature,andareperfectedbyexperience:fornaturalabilitiesarelikenaturalplants,thatneedproyning,bystudy;andstudiesthemselves,dogiveforthdirectionstoomuchatlarge,excepttheybeboundedinbyexperience.Craftymencontemnstudies,simplemenadmirethem,andwisemenusethem;fortheyteachnottheirownuse;butthatisawisdomwithoutthem,andabovethem,wonbyobservation.Readnottocontradictandconfute;nortobelieveandtakeforgranted;nortofindtalkanddiscourse;buttoweighandconsider.Somebooksaretobetasted,otherstobeswallowed,andsomefewtobechewedanddigested;thatis,somebooksaretobereadonlyinparts;otherstoberead,butnotcuriously;andsomefewtobereadwholly,andwithdiligenceandattention.Somebooksalsomaybereadbydeputy,andextractsmadeofthembothers;butthatwouldbeonlyinthelessimportantarguments,andthemeanersortofbooks,elsedistilledbooksarelikecommondistilledwaters,flashythings.Readingmakeafullman;conferenceareadyman;andwritinganexactman.Andtherefore,ifamanwritelittle,hehadneedhaveagreatmemory;ifheconferlittle,hehadneedhaveapresentwit:andifhereadlittle,hehadneedhavemuchcunning,toseemtoknow,thathedothnot.Historiesmakemenwise;poetswitty;themathematicssubtitle;naturalphilosophydeep;moralgrave;logicandrhetoricabletocontend.Abeuntstudiainmores.Nay,thereisnostandorimpedimentinthewit,butmaybewroughtoutbyfitstudies;likeasdiseasesofthebody,mayhaveappropriateexercises.Bowlingisgoodforthestoneandreins;shootingforthelungsandbreast;gentlewalkingforthestomach;ridingforthehead;andthelike.Soifaman'switbewandering,lethimstudythemathematics;forindemonstrations,ifhiswitbecalledawayneversolittle,hemustbeginagain.Ifhiswitbenotapttodistinguishorfinddifferences,lethimstudytheSchoolmen;fortheyarecyminisectors.Ifhebenotapttobeatovermatters,andtocalluponethingtoproveandillustrateanother,lethimstudythelawyers'cases.Soeverydefectofthemind,mayhaveaspecialreceipt. 　　中文译文 　　中文版：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.练达之士虽能分别处理细事或一一判别枝节,然纵观统筹、全局策划,则舍好学深思者莫属.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,盖天生才干犹如自然花草,读书然后知如何修剪移接；而书中所示,如不以经验范之,则又大而无当.有一技之长者鄙读书,无知者羡读书,唯明智之士用读书,然书并不以用处告人,用书之智不在书中,而在书外,全凭观察得之.读书时不可存心诘难作者,不可尽信书上所言,亦不可只为寻章摘句,而应推敲细思.书有可浅尝者,有可吞食者,少数则须咀嚼消化.换言之,有只须读其部分者,有只须大体涉猎者,少数则须全读,读时须全神贯注,孜孜不倦.书亦可请人代读,取其所作摘要,但只限题材较次或价值不高者,否则书经提炼犹如水经蒸馏、淡而无味矣.（译者：王佐良）读书使人充实,讨论使人机智,笔记使人准确.因此不常作笔记者须记忆特强,不常讨论者须天生聪颖,不常读书者须欺世有术,始能无知而显有知.读史使人明智,读诗使人灵秀,数学使人周密,科学使人深刻,伦理学使人庄重,逻辑修辞之学使人善辩：凡有所学,皆成性格.人之才智但有滞碍,无不可读适当之书使之顺畅,一如身体百病,皆可借相宜之运动除之.滚球利睾肾,射箭利胸肺,慢步利肠胃,骑术利头脑,诸如此类.如智力不集中,可令读数学,盖演题须全神贯注,稍有分散即须重