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原文：

STUDIES serve for delight, for ornament, and for ability. Their chief use for delight, is in privateness and retiring; for ornament, is in discourse; and for ability, is in the judgment, and disposition of business. For expert men can exe-cute, and perhaps judge of particulars, one by one; but the general counsels, and the plots and marshalling of affairs, come best, from those that are learned. To spend too much time in studies is sloth; to use them too much for ornament, is affectation; to make judgment wholly by their rules, is the humor of a scholar. They perfect nature, and are perfected by experience: for natural abilities are like natural plants, that need proyning, by study; and studies themselves, do give forth directions too much at large, except they be bounded in by experience. Crafty men contemn studies, simple men admire them, and wise men use them; for they teach not their own use; but that is a wisdom without them, and above them, won by observation. Read not to contradict and confute; nor to believe and take for granted; nor to find talk and discourse; but to weigh and consider. Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested; that is, some books are to be read only in parts; others to be read, but not curiously; and some few to be read wholly, and with diligence and attention. Some books also may be read by deputy, and extracts made of them bothers; but that would be only in the less important arguments, and the meaner sort of books, else distilled books are like common distilled waters, flashy things.

Reading make a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man. And therefore, if a man write little, he had need have a great memory; if he confer little, he had need have a present wit: and if he read little, he had need have much cunning, to seem to know, that he doth not. Histories make men wise; poets witty; the mathematics subtile; natural philosophy deep; moral grave; logic and rhetoric able to contend. Abeunt studia in mores. Nay, there is no stand or impediment in the wit, but may be wrought out by fit studies; like as diseases of the body, may have appropriate exercises. Bowling is good for the stone and reins; shooting for the lungs and breast; gentle walking for the stomach; riding for the head; and the like. So if a man's wit be wandering, let him study the mathematics; for in demonstrations, if his wit be called away never so little, he must begin again. If his wit be not apt to distinguish or find differences, let him study the Schoolmen; for they are cymini sectors. If he be not apt to beat over matters, and to call up one thing to prove and illustrate another, let him study the lawyers' cases. So every defect of the mind, may have a special receipt.

译文（由“@旺旺先輩810”本人翻译）：

论学（谈读书）

弗朗西斯·培根

学，可修身养性，可增光添彩，亦可增长才干。独居之时，显其修身养性；谈吐之间，显其增光添彩；决断之际，显其增长才干。行家能手可处理要事，亦可逐一决断，但纵观全局，结集概要，则学识渊博之人略胜一筹。旷日持久之学易致怠懈；过于华丽之辞易致做作；墨守成规之断易致迂腐。学习弥补天资，而经验弥补学习：天资犹如花草树木，学则使其枝繁叶茂，学乃无穷无尽，若无经验之限，则亦无的放矢。奸诈之人蔑学，无才之人慕学，明智之人践学；而学本身并未教导实践，故智在学外，而非学中，践学全凭洞察。阅读时不可处处批驳，不可拘泥于书，亦不可生搬硬套；而应用心权衡斟酌。书籍有供品味者，有供吞咽者，亦有为数不多需咀嚼消化者。是则，书籍有应跳读者，有应略读者，亦有为数不多应精读者，且精读时需全神贯注，持之以恒。书亦可请他人替读，并取其概要；但此法仅适于无关紧要或价值较低之书，否则浓缩之书如同蒸馏之水，淡然无味也。

多读造就满盈，多说造就聪慧，多写造就切实。是以少写之人须过目成诵；少说之人须天资聪颖；少读之人须八面玲珑，方能以博学之象掩无知之态。史学使人高明；文学使人机智；数学使人敏锐；哲学使人深沉；伦理道德使人庄重；逻辑修辞使人巧辩。长年累月之学，皆会塑成性情。若天生才智受限，则需以适当学习炼之；正如万般病痛，皆可以相应运动治之。投球益肾，射箭益肺，漫步益胃，骑乘益脑，诸如此类。若心不在焉，可研究数学计算，以其需全神贯注，若稍有不慎，则须从头推演也。若难明事理，可研究经院哲学，以其辩证，皆为细琐繁杂也。若难以全面观事，不善于以一物证一物，可研究律师断案。故一切才智缺陷，皆可对症下药。

关键词： 增光添彩 无的放矢 过目成诵 修身养性 生搬硬套