英語美文：論人的天性

　　摘要:天性常常是隱而不露的，有時(shí)可以壓伏，而很少能完全熄滅的。壓力之于天性，使它在壓力減退之時(shí)更烈于前;但是習(xí)慣卻真能變化氣質(zhì)，約束天性。

　　of Nature in Men

　　Nature is often hidden; sometimes overcome; seldom extinguished. Force maketh nature moreviolent in me return: doctrine and discourse maketh nature less importune: but custom onlydoth alter and subdue nature. He that seeketh victory over his nature, let him not set himselftoo great, nor too small tasks: for the first will make him dejected by often failings; and thesecond will make him a small proceeder, though by often prevailings.

　　論人的天性

　　天性常常是隱而不露的，有時(shí)可以壓伏，而很少能完全熄滅的。壓力之于天性，使它在壓力減退之時(shí)更烈于前;但是習(xí)慣卻真能變化氣質(zhì)，約束天性。凡是想征服自己底天性的人，不要給自己設(shè)下過大或過小的工作;因?yàn)檫^大的工作將因?yàn)槌３Ｊ〉脑识顾倚?而過小的工作，雖然能使他常常成功，但是將使他成為一個(gè)進(jìn)步甚小的人。

　　And at the first, let him practise with helps, as swimmers do with bladders, or rushes: but aftera time, let him practise with disadvantages, as dancers do with thick shoes. For it breeds greatperfection, if the practice be harder then the use. Where nature is mighty, and therefore thevictory hard, the degrees had need be; first to stay and arrest nature in time; like to him, thatwould say over the four and twenty letters, when he was angry: then to go less in quantity; asif one should, in forbearing wine, come from drinking healths, to a draught at a meal: andlastly, to discontinue altogether. But if a man have the fortitude, and resolution, toenfranchise himself at once, that is the best; optimus ille animi vindex, laedentia pectus vmculaqui rupit, dedoluitque semel.

　　還有，在起始的時(shí)候他應(yīng)當(dāng)用些幫忙的事務(wù)來練習(xí)，就好象學(xué)游泳的人用浮胞和葦筏一樣;但是過了些時(shí)候以后，他應(yīng)當(dāng)與困難相搏以為練習(xí)，就好象舞蹈家之穿著厚鞋練習(xí)一樣。因?yàn)?，假如練?xí)比實(shí)用還難，那么其結(jié)果就更為完美了。凡是天性甚強(qiáng)，因之不容易克服的地方，其克服的工夫就必須如此方可：第一，在時(shí)間方面要阻止天性，不要放縱，就好象有的人在生氣的時(shí)候默誦24個(gè)字母底名字以抑怒氣的一樣;這段工夫做到了，然后在量底方面應(yīng)該減少，就好象要戒酒的人，從引觴互祝減到每餐一飲一樣;最后，才可以完全戒絕，但是假如一個(gè)人有那種毅力和決心，能夠一舉而解放自己，那是最好的：最能堅(jiān)持靈魂底自由的人，就是那掙斷磨胸的鎖鏈，一舉而永免受罪的人。

　　Neither is the ancient rule amiss, to bend nature as a wand, to a contrary extreme, wherebyto set it right: understanding it, where the contrary extreme is no vice.

　　還有古人底遺訓(xùn)說應(yīng)當(dāng)把天性屈到相反的另一極端去，好象一根桿杖似的，以便它再反過來的時(shí)候可以適中，這句話也是不錯(cuò)的;不過我們須要明白，此處所謂的另一極端當(dāng)然要不是惡德才行。

　　Let not a man force a habit upon himself, with perpetual continuance, but with someintermission. For both the pause reinforceth the new onset; and if a man that is not perfectbe ever in practice, he shall as well practise his errors, as his abilities; and induce one habit ofboth: and there is no means to help this, but by seasonable intermissions.

　　一個(gè)人不可強(qiáng)給自己加上一種不斷的繼續(xù)的習(xí)慣，而應(yīng)當(dāng)稍有間歇。因?yàn)橐粍t這種休息或間歇可以援助新的嘗試;二則，假如一個(gè)德行不完全的人永遠(yuǎn)繼續(xù)練習(xí)的話，他不僅練習(xí)了他底優(yōu)點(diǎn)，連謬誤也一定要練習(xí)了，并且使優(yōu)點(diǎn)與謬誤將同具一種習(xí)慣。這種情形，沒有別的補(bǔ)救之策，除了用合時(shí)的間歇和休止。

　　But let not a man trust his victory over his nature too far, for nature will lay buried a great time,and yet revive, upon the occasion or temptation. Like as it was with Aesop's damsel, turnedfrom a cat to a woman; who sat very demurely, at the board's end, till a mouse ran before her.Therefore let a man either avoid the occasion altogether, or put himself often to it, that he maybe little moved with it A man's nature is best perceived in privateness, for there is noaffectation; in passion, for that puttefh a man out of his precepts; and in a new case orexperiment, for there custom leaveth him.

　　但是一個(gè)人也不可過于相信他對(duì)于自己底天性底勝利，因?yàn)樘煨阅軌蜷L(zhǎng)期潛伏著，而到有了機(jī)會(huì)或誘惑的時(shí)候復(fù)活起來。就好象《伊索寓言》中的貓變的女子一樣，她坐在餐桌底一頭，坐得端端正正地，可是有一只小鼠在她面前跑過的時(shí)候，她就不如此了。因此一個(gè)人應(yīng)當(dāng)或者完全躲避這種機(jī)會(huì)，或者常常與這種機(jī)會(huì)接觸，以便少被牽動(dòng)。人底天性在私生活里最易看出，因?yàn)樵谀欠N生活里是沒有虛飾的;在熱情里也最易看出，因?yàn)闊崆槭谷税哑饺盏慕逃?xùn)忘了;在一種新的事情或嘗試之中也最易看出，因?yàn)樵谶@種情形里是無慣例可援的。

　　They are happy men, whose natures sort with their vocations; otherwise they may say, multumincola fuit aruma mea, when they converse in those things, they do not affect In studies,whatsoever a man commandeth upon himself, let him set hours for it: but whatsoever isagreeable to his nature, let him take no care for any set times: for his thoughts will fly to it ofthemselves; so as the spaces of other business, or studies, will suffice. A man's nature runseither to herbs, or weeds; therefore let him seasonably water the one, and destroy the other.

　　凡是天性與職業(yè)適合的人是有福的人;反之，那些從事于他們本不想做的事業(yè)的人，他們可以說：“我底靈魂曾久與天性不合之事物周旋”。在學(xué)問方面，一個(gè)人對(duì)于與他底天性不合而勉強(qiáng)去學(xué)的學(xué)科，應(yīng)當(dāng)有固定的時(shí)間;但是凡是與天性相合的學(xué)科，那就不必有什么規(guī)定的時(shí)間;因?yàn)樗姿枷霑?huì)自己作主，飛到那方面去的;只要?jiǎng)e的事情或?qū)W科所剩下來的時(shí)間足夠研究這些學(xué)問就行。一個(gè)人底天性不長(zhǎng)成藥草，就長(zhǎng)成莠草;所以他應(yīng)當(dāng)以時(shí)灌溉前者而芟除后者。