On Knowledge
A
Although kingdoms and provinces may be wrested①from the hands that hold them…it is the glorious prerogative②of the empire of knowledge，that what it gains it never loses．On the contrary，it increases by the multiple③of its own power;all its ends become means④;all its attainments help to new conquests．
—Daniel Webster
B
A little learning is a dang'rous thing;
Drink deep，or taste not the Pierian spring．
—Alexander Pope
wrest v强夺 conquest n赢得之物
glorious adj光荣的 dang'rous诗歌中dangerous的缩写
prerogative n特权;优先(=privilege)
multiple n倍数
end n目的 attainment n成就(=achievement)
the Pierian spring诗的泉源;灵感(Pierian是诗神缪斯女神the Muses诞生之地)
中译 论知识
A
王国和州省均可从统治者的手中夺取……而知识王国那熠熠生辉的权杖，一旦获得，就永不会丢失，反之，还会以其自身力量的积累而倍增。追求知识的目标一旦达到，目标又会成为一种手段，用已掌握的知识去争取新知识。
——丹尼尔·韦伯斯特
B
学识片面，为害匪浅;
痛饮琼浆玉液，方知诗泉多甜。
——亚历山大·蒲柏
原来如此！
A段介绍了美国政治家Daniel Webster的“知识论”，该篇的要义是“What knowledge gains it never loses．”(知识得后永不失)。不单如此，知识是唯一永远不会被别人抢走的东西，而且知识也是世上唯一愈用愈多的东西。
B段选自Pope的诗作Essay on Criticism(《批评论》)，其要旨为“A little learning is a dangerous thing．”(学识片面，为害匪浅)，此句已成为英文谚语。
笔者在下面介绍一些有关学识的英谚，供读者参阅;这些谚语有的是从正面看，有的则从反面看知识，甚为有趣:
Knowledge is power．(源自Francis Bacon的话)
知识就是力量。
Wisdom in the mind is better than money in the hand．
胸中有知识胜过手中有金钱。
Zeal without knowledge is fire without light．
只有热情而无知识，犹如有火而不发光。
Learn weeping and you shall gain laughing．
学习时艰苦，学成时快乐。
下面的谚语是从反面看知识:
Ignorance is bliss．
无知便是福。
Learning in the breast of a bad man is as a sword in the hand of a madman．
坏人拥有知识，犹如疯子手握利刃。
Much science，much sorrow．
科学知识愈多，带来之灾难愈大。
下面一则谚语是从正反两面看知识:
Learning makes a good man better and an ill man worse．
知识使好人更好，使坏人更坏。
增值英语
①Although kingdoms…may be wrested from the hands…
句式 wreststhfromsb/wreststhfrom the hands ofsb(从某人手中夺取某物):
Nobody can wrest fromus the knowledge we have acquired．
无人可以把我们学到的知识夺去。
②it is the prerogative of the empire of knowledge
prerogative是个正式用语，义:“权利”、“特权”(=privilege/special right)。
She exercises her parental prerogativeto discipline her child．
她行使父母的特权教导她的孩子。
③it increases by the multiple of…
同义词为increase by leaps and bounds|multiply(v)|
increase by geometrical progression
The earnings of that company last year increased by multiples．
该公司去年盈利以倍数计增加。
Within days the number of rats multiplies．不过数天，老鼠的数目倍增。
④all its ends become means
end是“目标”;means指“手段，方法，工具”。
注意 means既是单数，又是复数，但不能与数词连用，如:by all means(以某种方法);by anymeans(用一切手段)。
It is wrong to believe that war is a meansto achieve peace．如把战争看作是达成和平的手段，那是错误的。
The mass transit railway is a meansof transport．集体运输铁
路是一种交通工具。
All possible meanshave been tried but there is still no solution．所有的可行方法都已试过，但仍然无法解决。