Passage 4 O f Studies by Francis Bacon
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 judgement and disposition of business.For expertmen can execute，and perhaps judge of particulars，one by one；but the general counsels，and 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；tomake judgementwholly by their rules is the humour of a scholar.They perfect nature，and are perfected by experience；for natural abilities are like natural plants，that need pruning by study；and studies themselves do give forth directions too much at large，except they be bounded in by experience.
Craftymen condemn studies，simple men admire them，and wise men use them；for they reach not their own use；but that there 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 extractsmade of them by others；but thatwould be only in less important arguments，and the meaner sort of books；else distilled books are like common distilled waters，flashy things.
Readingmaketh a full man；conference a ready man；and writing an exactman.And therefore if aman write little，he had need have a greatmemory；if he confer little，he had need have a presentwit；and if he read little，he had need havemuch cunning，to seem to know that he does not.
Histories make men wise；poets witty；the mathematics subtle；natural philosophy deep；moral grave，logic and rhetoric able to contend.Abeunt studia inmores.Nay，there is no stand or impediment in thewitbutmay bewroughtoutby fitstudies；like as diseasesof the bodymay 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 demonstration，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 cyminisectores.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 themind may have a special receipt.
弗朗西斯·培根简介：
弗朗西斯·培根是英国文艺复兴时期的散文家、思想家、哲学家、科学家。其著作《培根随笔》主要收录了一些议论性短文，涉及政治、经济、宗教、爱情、婚姻、友谊、艺术、教育、伦理等方方面面，其中的《论读书》《论真理》《论嫉妒》《论死亡》语言简洁，文笔优美，说理透彻，警句迭出，蕴含着培根的思想精华，是他在文学方面的代表作，在世界文学史上占据了重要地位，被翻译成多种文字出版。
注释：
1.maketh=makes是古英语。
2.“Abeunt studia inmores.”是拉丁语，英语为“Studies pass into the character.”，意思是：凡有所学，皆成性格。
3.the Schoolmen=Scholasticism经验哲学。(https://www.daowen.com)
4.cyminisectores=hair-splitters吹毛求疵者。
参考译文：
论读书
——弗兰西斯·培根
读书足以怡情，足以博采，足以长才。其怡情也，最见于独处幽居之时；其博采也，最见于高谈阔论之中；其长才也，最见于处事判事之际。
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，则非好学深思者莫属。
读书费事过多易惰，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，改天生才干犹如自然花草，读书然后知如何修建移接；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，然书并不以用处示人，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，少数则需咀嚼消化。换言之，有只需读其部分之书，有只需大体涉猎之书，少数书籍则须全读，读时须全神贯注，孜孜不倦。部分书籍亦可请人代读，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。
读书使人充实，讨论使人机智，笔记使人准确。因此不常做笔记者须记忆超人，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。而且，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。如有智力不集中者，可使其读数学，因演题须全神贯注，稍有分神即须重演；如有不能辨异者，可使其读经院哲学，因该学派皆吹毛求疵者；如有不善求同，不善以一物阐证另一物者，可使其读律师之宗卷。如此，头脑凡有缺陷者，皆有特药可以。