培根散文阅读欣赏：论父母与子嗣

 　　of parents & children 论父母与子嗣

　　the joys of parents are secret; and so are their griefs, and fears: they cannot utter the one; nor they will not utter the other. children sweeten labours; but they make misfortunes more bitter they increase the cares of life; but they mitigate¹ the

　　remembrance of death. the perpetuity by generation is common to beasts; but memory, merit, and noble works, are proper to men: and surely a man shall see the noblest works and foundations have proceeded from childless men; which have sought to express the images of their minds where those of their bodies have failed: so the care of posterity² is most in them that have no posterity. they that are the first raisers of then-houses, are most indulgent towards their children; beholding³ them, as the continuance, not only of their kind, but of their work; and so both children and creatures.

　　父母底欢欣是秘而不宣的，他们底忧愁与畏惧亦是如此。他们底欢欣他们不能说，他们底忧惧他们也不肯说。子嗣使劳苦变甜，但是也使不幸更苦。他们增加人生底忧虑，但是他们减轻关于死亡的记忆。由生殖而传种是动物同有的;但是名声、德行与功业则是人类特有的;而最伟大的事业是从无后嗣的人来的这种事实也是确实可见的;这些人是在他们底躯体底影象无从表现之后努力想表现他们精神底影象的。所以，无后代的人倒是最关心后代的人了。首先树立家业的人们是对于他们底子嗣最为纵容的;他们把子嗣看做不但是本族底继嗣，而且也是自己事业底继续;因此，他们对自己底子嗣与自己所造的事物都是一样的看法。

　　the difference in affection of parents towards their several children is many times unequal; and sometimes unworthy; especially in the mother, as solomon saith; a wise son rejoiceth the father, but an ungracious son shames the mother.

　　父母对子嗣之间的慈爱往往是不平均的，而且有时是不合理的。尤其以母亲底爱为然;如所罗门所说：“智慧之子使父亲欢乐，愚昧之子使母亲蒙羞”。

　　a man shall see, where there is a house full of children, one or two of the eldest⁴ respected, and the youngest made wantons; but in the midst, some mat are, as it were forgotten, who many times, nevertheless, prove the best the illiberality⁵ of parents, in allowance towards their children, is an harmful error, makes them base; acquaints them with shifts; makes them sort with mean company; and makes them surfeit⁶ more, when they come to plenty: and therefore, the proof is best, when men keep their authority towards their children, but not their purse. men have a foolish manner (both parents, and schoolmasters, and servants) in creating and breeding an emulation⁷ between brothers, during childhood, which many times sorted to discord⁸, when they are men; and disturbed! families. the italians make little difference between children, and nephews, or near kinsfolk; but so they be of the lump, they care not, though they passe not through

　　their own body. and, to say truth, in nature it is much a like matter, in so much,

　　that we see a nephew sometimes resembleth an uncle, or a kinsman⁹, more then his own parent; as the blood happens. let parents choose betimes the vocations¹⁰ and courses they mean their children should take; for then they are most flexible; and let them not too much apply themselves to the disposition¹¹ of their children, as thinking they will take best to mat, which they have most mind to. it is true, that if the affection or aptness of the children be extraordinary, then it is good not to cross it; but generally, the precept¹² is good; optimum eli ge, suave¹³ et facile illud faciet consuetude). younger brothers are commonly fortunate, but seldom or never where the elder are disinherited.

　　常见在一子嗣满堂的家中，有一两个最长的受尊重，还有最幼的受过度的纵容;但是居中的几个则好象被人忘却了似的，而他们却往往成为最好的子嗣。父母在对儿子应给的银钱上吝啬，是一种有害的错误;这使得他们卑贱;使他们学会取巧;使他们与下流人为伍;使他们到了富饶的时候容易贪欲无度。因此为父母者若对他们底子嗣在管理上严密，而在钱包上宽松，则其结果是最好的。人们(父母，师傅，仆役皆然)有一种不智的习惯，就是当弟兄们在童年的时候，在他们之间养成一种的争竞。其结果往往在他们成人的时候，弟兄不和，并且扰乱家庭。意大利人在自己底子女及侄甥或近亲之间无所分别;只要他们是本族，即令非己身所出，亦不介意。说真的，在自然界亦大类此;我们看见有时侄子象伯父或叔父或某位近亲而不甚象自己底父亲，这是血气使然。由此可见以上所言之不谬也。为父母者当及时选择在他们意中他们底子嗣所当从事的职业及训练;因为在那个时候他们最易训导;同时为父母者亦不可过于注意子嗣底倾向，以为他们心中所最好的他们会最为乐就。如果子嗣底所好和能力是超群的，那末最好不要拂逆他，这是真的;但是就一般而言，下面这句话是很好的：就是“选择最好的(职业或训练)，习惯会使它成为合适而且容易的”。兄弟中为幼弟者多半结局良好，但假如长兄辈被剥夺或削除继承权，则鲜有或永无如是者矣。

1 mitigate   

vt.（使）减轻，（使）缓和

参考例句：

• The government is trying to mitigate the effects of inflation.政府正试图缓和通货膨胀的影响。
• Governments should endeavour to mitigate distress.政府应努力缓解贫困问题。

2 posterity   

n.后裔，子孙，后代

参考例句：

• Few of his works will go down to posterity.他的作品没有几件会流传到后世。
• The names of those who died are recorded for posterity on a tablet at the back of the church.死者姓名都刻在教堂后面的一块石匾上以便后人铭记。

3 beholding   

v.看，注视( behold的现在分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟

参考例句：

• Beholding, besides love, the end of love,/Hearing oblivion beyond memory! 我看见了爱，还看到了爱的结局，／听到了记忆外层的哪一片寂寥！ 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 文学
• Hence people who began by beholding him ended by perusing him. 所以人们从随便看一看他开始的，都要以仔细捉摸他而终结。 来自辞典例句

4 eldest   

adj.最年长的，最年老的

参考例句：

• The King's eldest son is the heir to the throne.国王的长子是王位的继承人。
• The castle and the land are entailed on the eldest son.城堡和土地限定由长子继承。

5 illiberality   

n.吝啬，小气

参考例句：

• Sometimes I even call top is an illiberality. 有时我甚至称得上是吝啬。 来自互联网

6 surfeit   

v.使饮食过度；n.(食物)过量，过度

参考例句：

• The voters are pretty sick of such a surfeit of primary sloganeering.选民们对于初选时没完没了地空喊口号的现象感到发腻了。
• A surfeit of food makes one sick.饮食过量使人生病。

7 emulation   

n.竞争；仿效

参考例句：

• The young man worked hard in emulation of his famous father.这位年轻人努力工作，要迎头赶上他出名的父亲。
• His spirit of assiduous study is worthy of emulation.他刻苦钻研的精神，值得效法。

8 discord   

n.不和，意见不合，争论，（音乐）不和谐

参考例句：

• These two answers are in discord.这两个答案不一样。
• The discord of his music was hard on the ear.他演奏的不和谐音很刺耳。

9 kinsman   

n.男亲属

参考例句：

• Tracing back our genealogies,I found he was a kinsman of mine.转弯抹角算起来他算是我的一个亲戚。
• A near friend is better than a far dwelling kinsman.近友胜过远亲。

10 vocations   

n.（认为特别适合自己的）职业( vocation的名词复数 )；使命；神召；（认为某种工作或生活方式特别适合自己的）信心

参考例句：

• The term profession originally denoted a limited number of vocations. 专业这个术语起初表示数量有限的职业。 来自辞典例句
• I understood that Love encompassed all vocations, that Love was everything "." 我明白爱含有一切圣召，爱就是一切。 来自互联网

11 disposition   

n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署

参考例句：

• He has made a good disposition of his property.他已对财产作了妥善处理。
• He has a cheerful disposition.他性情开朗。

12 precept   

n.戒律；格言

参考例句：

• It occurs to me that example is always more efficacious than precept.我想到身教重于言教。
• The son had well profited by the precept and example of the father.老太爷的言传身教早已使他儿子获益无穷。

13 suave   

adj.温和的；柔和的；文雅的

参考例句：

• He is a suave,cool and cultured man.他是个世故、冷静、有教养的人。
• I had difficulty answering his suave questions.我难以回答他的一些彬彬有礼的提问。