培根　《學(xué)術(shù)的演進(jìn)》

弗朗西斯·培根（1561—1626）

弗朗西斯·培根（1561—1626）是英國(guó)文藝復(fù)興時(shí)期的一個(gè)杰出人才。他既是科學(xué)哲學(xué)家，又是散文家，還是杰出的律師。他21歲就被選為下院議員，官至大理院院長(zhǎng)，封為勛爵。在英國(guó)文學(xué)史中，他是文學(xué)家中官位最顯赫的人物。他又是出色的法官，在他65年的生涯中有45年從事法律工作。他對(duì)英國(guó)的科學(xué)、文化和文學(xué)的發(fā)展作出了舉足輕重的貢獻(xiàn)，卻又因受賄被議會(huì)彈劾去職。他是一個(gè)優(yōu)點(diǎn)和缺點(diǎn)都突出的人物，一個(gè)充滿(mǎn)著矛盾的人物。英國(guó)著名詩(shī)人蒲柏稱(chēng)培根為“最聰明、最出色、最卑鄙的人。”所謂“卑鄙”，是因?yàn)樗芰速V。馬克思稱(chēng)他是“英國(guó)唯物主義的真正始祖”。本·瓊森為他的口才所傾倒。在評(píng)論培根的演說(shuō)時(shí)，他說(shuō)道：“若論說(shuō)話(huà)干凈，準(zhǔn)確，有分量，最不空洞，最沒(méi)有廢話(huà)，誰(shuí)也比不過(guò)他?！睆洜栴D、伏爾泰、歌德等文學(xué)巨子對(duì)他都贊許備至。

他的貢獻(xiàn)主要在兩個(gè)方面：科學(xué)和文學(xué)。作為自然科學(xué)的哲學(xué)家，他與中世紀(jì)的經(jīng)院派決裂，首次把自然科學(xué)分門(mén)別類(lèi)，并用新的歸納法向傳統(tǒng)的權(quán)威挑戰(zhàn)，為現(xiàn)代實(shí)驗(yàn)科學(xué)開(kāi)道。他所寫(xiě)的《學(xué)術(shù)的演進(jìn)》（The Advancement of Learning，1605）和《新工具》（Novum Organum, 1620）對(duì)科學(xué)作出了貢獻(xiàn)?！秾W(xué)術(shù)的演進(jìn)》指明了科學(xué)的正確思想方法和研究方法?！缎鹿ぞ摺穭t痛斥“偶像”，亦即虛妄或錯(cuò)誤的思想習(xí)慣，提出了歸納法這一嶄新的研究方法。

培根又是一個(gè)杰出的散文家。他的《隨筆》（The Essays）以其絕妙的散文為英國(guó)乃至世界的散文樹(shù)立了楷模。他有科學(xué)家的準(zhǔn)確性和邏輯性，律師和法官的雄辯，語(yǔ)言大師的清晰、生動(dòng)的語(yǔ)言。他把這些優(yōu)點(diǎn)融合在他的散文中，就形成了他特有的文體風(fēng)格。他的文章氣勢(shì)宏偉雄渾，語(yǔ)言生動(dòng)簡(jiǎn)約。他的多數(shù)作品都是用拉丁文寫(xiě)的，即便是原先用英語(yǔ)寫(xiě)的作品，他也譯成了拉丁文，因?yàn)樗J(rèn)為拉丁文將會(huì)成為永存不朽的語(yǔ)言。

隨筆是文藝復(fù)興時(shí)期新涌現(xiàn)的一種文學(xué)形式。雖然1580年法國(guó)人蒙田（Montaigne）比培根早17年首次推出這一散文形式，但是培根的隨筆卻別具一格。蒙田的隨筆悠然從容如流水，培根的隨筆則莊嚴(yán)睿智，極富哲理，頗似古羅馬哲學(xué)家、戲劇家塞內(nèi)加（Seneca）的風(fēng)格。培根是英國(guó)隨筆的首創(chuàng)者，英國(guó)18世紀(jì)初的散文家如約瑟夫·艾迪生（Joseph Addison）和理查德·斯梯爾（Richard Steele）等都效仿他的隨筆風(fēng)格。

他寫(xiě)的《隨筆》初版時(shí)僅有短文10篇，經(jīng)過(guò)1612年、1625年兩次增補(bǔ)，最后收錄短文58篇。這些文章的題材廣泛，或談處世之道，或議成功之秘訣，或說(shuō)讀書(shū)、婚姻、娛樂(lè)。無(wú)論是談讀書(shū)、美或高位，或探討哲理，或議論人生，妙句警語(yǔ)處處可見(jiàn)，且文章短小精悍，甚多卓識(shí)，讀來(lái)讓人為之傾倒。他論述起來(lái)雄辯滔滔，卻又反對(duì)舞文弄墨，更不因詞害意。

內(nèi)容提要

《學(xué)術(shù)的演進(jìn)》寫(xiě)于1605年。此時(shí)，培根與詹姆士一世的關(guān)系密切。他以此文獻(xiàn)給國(guó)王，目的是想以此喚起王室對(duì)科學(xué)發(fā)展的支持。此處摘錄該文中的一部分，主要是談詩(shī)。

培根首先對(duì)詩(shī)和歷史作了區(qū)分。他認(rèn)為詩(shī)享受極大的自由，因?yàn)樵?shī)不需要遵循任何自然法則；詩(shī)需要想象。歷史必須客觀地?cái)⑹鍪聦?shí)，而詩(shī)卻可以杜撰或虛構(gòu)人物、事件和行為，并且比歷史所敘述的人和事更生動(dòng)、更有力。詩(shī)能給讀者以高尚、道德和愉快，因此詩(shī)能起到純潔人的心靈的作用。

他把詩(shī)分為三類(lèi)。第一類(lèi)是敘述性的，這類(lèi)詩(shī)是對(duì)歷史的模仿。第二類(lèi)是描繪性的，它采用意象。第三類(lèi)是隱喻性的或寓言式的，如《伊索寓言》。這三類(lèi)詩(shī)又可分為神學(xué)詩(shī)和異教詩(shī)。他認(rèn)為詩(shī)是學(xué)術(shù)的第三部分，在表達(dá)感情、激情、墮落、習(xí)俗等方面優(yōu)于哲學(xué)，而在機(jī)智和雄辯方面也不比演說(shuō)遜色。

他認(rèn)為，歷史和詩(shī)分屬兩個(gè)不同的領(lǐng)域。詩(shī)反映主觀世界，而歷史則反映客觀世界。他說(shuō)：“詩(shī)能按人的愿望把事物的本質(zhì)呈現(xiàn)給讀者，而理性卻讓人遵循事物的本質(zhì)?！迸喔忮a德尼的觀點(diǎn)，認(rèn)為詩(shī)創(chuàng)造一個(gè)比現(xiàn)實(shí)世界更美好的世界，因?yàn)樵?shī)能表達(dá)人們的愿望，講述人們的經(jīng)歷，給人以道德教誨，讓人看到世界美好的一面。

Sir Francis Bacon?(1561—1626)

The Advancement of Learning

Poesy is a part of learning in measure of words for the most part restrained, but in all other points extremely licensed, and doth truly refer to the imagination, which, being not tied to the laws of matter, may at pleasure join that which nature hath severed, and sever that which nature hath joined, and so make unlawful matches and divorces of things: "Pictoribus atque poetis, etc." It is taken in two senses in respect of words or matter. In the first sense it is but a character of style, and belongeth to arts of speech, and is not pertinent for the present. In the latter, it is, as hath been said, one of the principal portions of learning, and is nothing else but feigned history, which may be styled as well in prose as in verse.

The use of this feigned history hath been to give some shadow of satisfaction to the mind of man in those points wherein the nature of things doth deny it, the world being in proportion inferior to the soul; by reason whereof there is agreeable to the spirit of man a more ample greatness, a more exact goodness, and a more absolute variety than can be found in the nature of things. Therefore, because the acts or events of true history have not that magnitude which satisfieth the mind of man, poesy feigneth acts and events greater and more heroical; because true history propoundeth the successes and issues of actions not so agreeable to the merits of virtue and vice, therefore poesy feigns them more just in retribution and more according to revealed providence; because true history representeth actions and events more ordinary and less interchanged, therefore poesy endueth them with more rareness and more unexpected and alternative variations: so as it appeareth that poesy serveth and confereth to magnanimity, morality, and to delectation. And therefore it was ever thought to have some participation of divineness, because it doth raise and erect the mind, by submitting the shows of things to the desires of the mind, whereas reason doth buckle and bow the mind unto the nature of things. And we see that by these insinuations and congruities with man's nature and pleasure, joined also with the agreement and consort it hath with music, it hath had access and estimation in rude times and barbarous regions, where other learning stood excluded.

The division of poesy which is aptest in the propriety thereof (besides those divisions which are common unto it with history, as feigned chronicles, feigned lives, and the appendices of history, as feigned epistles, feigned orations, and the rest) is into poesy narrative, representative, and allusive. The narrative is a mere imitation of history with the excesses before remembered, choosing for subject commonly wars and love, rarely state, and sometimes pleasure or mirth. Representative is as a visible history, and is an image of actions as if they were present, as history is of actions in nature as they are, that is past; allusive, or parabolical, is a narration applied only to express some special purpose or conceit: which latter kind of parabolical wisdom was much more in use in the ancient times, as by the fables of Aesop, and the brief sentences of the seven, and the use of hieroglyphics may appear. And the cause was for that it was then of necessity to express any point of reason which was more sharp or subtle than the vulgar in that manner, because men in those times wanted both variety of examples and subtlety of conceit: and as hieroglyphics were before letters, so parables were before arguments: and nevertheless now and at all times they do retain much life and vigor, because reason cannot be so sensible, nor examples so fit.

But there remaineth yet another use of poesy parabolical opposite to that which we last mentioned; for that tendeth to demonstrate and illustrate that which is taught or delivered, and this other to retire and obscure it: that is, when the secrets and mysteries of religion, policy, or philosophy, are involved in fables or parables. Of this in divine poesy we see the use is authorized. In heathen poesy we see the exposition of fables doth fall out sometimes with great felicity, as in the fable that the giants being overthrown in their way against the gods, the earth their mother in revenge thereof brought forth fame:

Illam terra parens ira irritata deorem,

Extremam, ut perhibent, Caeo Enceladoque sororem

Progenuit:

expounded that when princes and monarchs have suppressed actual and open rebels, then the malignity of people, which is the mother of rebellion, doth bring forth libels and slanders, and taxations of the states, which is of the same kind with rebellion, but more feminine: so in the fable that the rest of the gods having conspired to bind Jupiter, Pallas called Briareus with his hundred hands to his aid, expounded that monarchies need not fear any curbing of their absoluteness by mighty subjects, as long as by wisdom they keep the hearts of the people, who will be sure to come in on their side: so in the fable that Achilles was brought up under Chyron the centaur, who was part a man and part a beast, expounded ingenuously, but corruptly, by Machiavelli that it belongeth to the education and discipline of princes to know as well how to play the part of the lion in violence and the fox in guile, as of the man in virtue and justice. Nevertheless in many the like encounters, I do rather think that the fable was first and the exposition devised than that the moral was first and thereupon the fable framed. For I find it was an ancient vanity in Chrysippus that troubled himself with great contention to fasten the assertions of the Stoics upon the fictions of the ancient poets: but yet that all the fables and fictions of the poets were but pleasure and not figure, I interpose no opinion. Surely of those poets which are now extant, even Homer himself (notwithstanding he was made a kind of scripture by the later schools of the Grecians) yet I should without any difficulty pronounce, that his fables had no such inwardness in his own meaning: but what they might have, upon a more original tradition, is not easy to affirm, for he was not the inventor of many of them. In this third part of learning which is poesy, I can report no deficience. For being as a plant that cometh of the lust of the earth, without a formal seed, it hath sprung up and spread abroad, more than any other kind: but to ascribe unto it that which is due for the expressing of affections, passions, corruptions and customs, we are beholding to poets more than to the philosophers' works, and for wit and eloquence not much less than to orators' harangues.

1. “Pictoribus atque poetis, etc.”：英譯文為：“To painters and poets, etc.”，引自賀拉斯（Horace）的《詩(shī)藝》（Art of Poetry）。

2. the seven：公元前6世紀(jì)希臘的7位賢人（seven sages or Seven Wise Men of Greece：Thales【泰利斯】，Solon【梭倫】，Bias【拜厄斯】，Pittacus【皮特克斯】，Periander【佩里安德】，Chilon【芝隆】and Cleobolus【克里奧波勒斯】）。

3. Illam ...Progenuit.：英譯文為“Angered by the Gods, Mother Earth, it is said, gave birth to the last one, sister to Caeus and Enceladus.”引自《埃涅阿斯紀(jì)》。

4. Jupiter, Pallas called Briareus...：Jupiter（朱庇特），羅馬諸神中最高的神，即希臘神話(huà)中的宙斯（Zeus）。Pallas（帕拉斯），希臘神話(huà)中智慧女神雅典娜（Athena）的朋友。雅典娜無(wú)意中殺死了帕拉斯。為了紀(jì)念帕拉斯，她把自己的名字改為Pallas Athena。Briareus（布里阿柔斯），亦作Briareos，希臘神話(huà)中的百手巨人。

5. Chyron the centaur：希臘神話(huà)中的半人半馬怪。

6. Machiavelli：馬基雅弗利（Niccolò Machiavelli，1469—1527），文藝復(fù)興時(shí)期意大利政治哲學(xué)家。他主張為了國(guó)家的利益，政府可以采用各種不正當(dāng)?shù)氖侄?。他的《君主論》一?shū)最為有名。

7. Chrysippus：克律西帕斯，公元前3世紀(jì)希臘禁欲主義哲學(xué)家。