友邻哲学旅人 E24 论青年与老年（上）

E24 论青年与老年（上）

In the essay "Of Youth and Age" he puts a book into a paragraph.
在《论青年与老年》一文中有那么一段，他说：

"Young men are fitter to invent than to judge, fitter for execution than for counsel, and fitter for new projects than for settled business;
“年轻人适合创造而缺乏判断力，热衷行动而缺少谋略，更适合作新的事业而不是去墨守成规；

for the experience of age in things that fall within the compass of it, directeth them; but in new things abuseth them...
因为随着年老的经验给了他一个资深的罗盘，指引着他；但在面对新事物时带着框架去做却容易误导他们......

Young men, in the conduct and management of actions, embrace more than they can hold, stir more than they can quiet; fly to the end without consideration of the means and degrees; pursue absurdly some few principles which they have chanced upon; care not to" (i.e., how they) "innovate, which draws unknown inconveniences...
年轻人不管是在这种行为行动管理上，往往喜欢大包大揽却无法完成，喜欢掀起波澜而没法平息；一下子就飞到了结果解决上，没有考虑到方法和度的把握上；他只考虑追求唯一的那几个法则，很荒诞的去追寻；根本不在乎这个发明是怎么做到的，而这个就是带来了各种不确定的麻烦......

Men of age object too much, consult too long, adventure too little, repent too soon, and seldom drive business home to the full period, but content themselves with a mediocrity of success.
老年人则爱批评，他们思虑太多，冒险太少，懊悔太快,他们很少一气呵成地把事情办的干净利索完满地解决，相反只满足于平庸的成功。

它蕴含在这个社会当中，培根把社会运营的背后的思想提取出来-机械主义。

Certainly it is good to compel employments of both,...because the virtues of either may correct the defects of both."
毫无疑问，两者的特性相结合才是最理想的状态......因为如此便能取长补短。”

He thinks, nevertheless, that youth and childhood may get too great liberty, and so grow disordered and lax.
当然，培根也认为青少年太过自由，容易变得不羁散漫。

"Let parents choose betimes the vocations and courses they mean their children should take, for then they are most flexible;
父母应该及早为孩子规划未来的职业与道路，因为这时孩子的可塑性最强；

and let them not too much apply themselves to the disposition of their children, as thinking they will take best to that which they have most mind to.
父母不能太纵容孩子，不能想着他们做喜欢做的事就能做好。

第一，家长要为孩子作选择，但是也不能过度的将自己的意志压制在孩子的身上，而忽略了孩子的一些天赋，过度的凌驾是家长是个Loser.

It is true that, if the affections or aptness of the children be extraordinary, then it is good not to cross it; but generally the precept" of the Pythagoreans "is good, Optimum lege suave et facile illud faciet consuetudo,"—choose the best; custom will make it pleasant and easy.
For "custom is the principal magistrate of man's life."
这是事实上的一件事情，如果这个孩子他对一件事情所谓的喜爱和适应性，是非常杰出的，那么就千万不要去错过；但是毕达哥拉斯的箴言很对：“选择最好的，和最适合他的。--那么后来的习惯会让它变得容易。”原因是“习惯乃人生的主宰。”

所以要体察孩子的天赋。

The politics of the Essays preach a conservatism natural in one who aspired to rule.
《论说文集》在政治上倡导的是保守主义，这对一个渴望统治的人来说是再自然不过的。

Bacon wants a strong central power.
培根想要的是一个强劲的中央政权。

Monarchy is the best form of government; and usually the efficiency of a state varies with the concentration of power.
他觉得最好的政体是君主制，而通常情况下，一个国家的实力和权力的集中程度成正比。

"There be three points of business" in government: "the preparation; the debate or examination; and the perfection" (or execution).
政府要做的工作有三项：准备、辩论或审核、执行。

这句话直接影响了英国议会制的制度。英国议会内阁要通过一个法案要通过“三读”。

"Whereof, if you look for dispatch, let the middle only be the work of many, and the first and last the work of a few."
“关于此事，如果你要考虑这个事情怎么分配的话，还想把事情办得又快又好，那中间的事最好让多数人去做，第一阶段和最后阶段的事则让少数人去做。”

谋划时人越少越好-迅速讨论

已经做好的法律让大多数人投票

最后执行让一小撮人去做。

He is an outspoken militarist; he deplores the growth of industry as unfitting men for war, and bewails long peace as lulling the warrior in man.
他是一个毫不掩饰的军国主义者，他谴责这个工业的发展让男人们不再适应战争，他哀叹长期的和平消磨了人类的斗志。

Nevertheless, he recognizes the importance of raw materials: "Solon said well to Croesus (when in ostentation Croesus showed him his gold), ‘Sir, if any other come that hath better iron than you, he will be master of all this gold.’"
无论如何，他承认禀赋的重要性，他写了这么一段话：“所罗门和克罗伊斯（当克洛伊斯想所罗门摆阔的看了下他手上的金子的时候），‘这位先生，任何一块其它的铁要比你好一点点的话，它将会是所有金子的主人。’”

语言点

counsel: n. 咨询

stir: vt. 搅拌

repent: vi. 后悔；忏悔

mediocrity: n. 平庸

lax: adj. 随意的

betimes: adv. 及时，趁早

disposition: n. 气质；倾向

aptness: n. 适应性

magistrate: n. 市政官；管理人员

preach: vt. 宣称，宣扬

monarchy: n. 君主制

perfection: n. 打磨

whereof: adv. 关于什么；关于那事

dispatch: n. 分配

outspoken: adj. 毫不掩饰的

deplore: vt. 谴责

bewail: vt. 悲叹