精選哲理英語散文閱讀

英語散文的發展歷程十分曲折,散文大家風格多變,兼之中英語言個性殊異,若要成功地把英語散文大家的作品翻譯到中文,既須瞭解英語散文發展的概況,又須注意保證氣韻邏輯通暢,文氣沛然,才能傳神譯出,曲盡其妙,令漢語讀者獲得相同或相近的審美感受。下面本站小編爲大家帶來精選哲理英語散文閱讀，希望大家喜歡!

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

天性常常是隱而不露的，有時可以壓伏，而很少能完全熄滅的。壓力之於天性，使它在壓力減退之時更烈於前;但是習慣卻真能變化氣質，約束天性。凡是想征服自己底天性的人，不要給自己設下過大或過小的工作;因爲過大的工作將因爲常常失敗的原故而使他灰心;而過小的工作，雖然能使他常常成功，但是將使他成爲一個進步甚小的人。

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 pectusvmcula qui rupit, dedoluitque semel.

還有，在起始的時候他應當用些幫忙的事務來練習，就好象學游泳的人用浮胞和葦筏一樣;但是過了些時候以後，他應當與困難相搏以爲練習，就好象舞蹈家之穿着厚鞋練習一樣。因爲，假如練習比實用還難，那麼其結果就更爲完美了。凡是天性甚強，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，在時間方面要阻止天性，不要放縱，就好象有的人在生氣的時候默誦24個字母底名字以抑怒氣的一樣;這段工夫做到了，然後在量底方面應該減少，就好象要戒酒的人，從引觴互祝減到每餐一飲一樣;最後，纔可以完全戒絕，但是假如一個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.

還有古人底遺訓說應當把天性屈到相反的另一極端去，好象一根杆杖似的，以便它再反過來的時候可以適中，這句話也是不錯的;不過我們須要明白，此處所謂的另一極端當然要不是惡德才行。

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.

一個人不可強給自己加上一種不斷的繼續的習慣，而應當稍有間歇。因爲一則這種休息或間歇可以援助新的嘗試;二則，假如一個德行不完全的人永遠繼續練習的話，他不僅練習了他底優點，連謬誤也一定要練習了，並且使優點與謬誤將同具一種習慣。這種情形，沒有別的補救之策，除了用合時的間歇和休止。

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

但是一個人也不可過於相信他對於自己底天性底勝利，因爲天性能夠長期潛伏着，而到有了機會或誘惑的時候復活起來。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，可是有一隻小鼠在她面前跑過的時候，她就不如此了。因此一個人應當或者完全躲避這種機會，或者常常與這種機會接觸，以便少被牽動。人底天性在私生活裏最易看出，因爲在那種生活裏是沒有虛飾的;在熱情裏也最易看出，因爲熱情使人把平日的教訓忘了;在一種新的事情或嘗試之中也最易看出，因爲在這種情形裏是無慣例可援的。

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.

凡是天性與職業適合的人是有福的人;反之，那些從事於他們本不想做的事業的人，他們可以說：“我底靈魂曾久與天性不合之事物周旋”。在學問方面，一個人對於與他底天性不合而勉強去學的學科，應當有固定的時間;但是凡是與天性相合的學科，那就不必有什麼規定的時間;因爲他底思想會自己作主，飛到那方面去的;只要別的事情或學科所剩下來的時間足夠研究這些學問就行。一個人底天性不長成藥草，就長成莠草;所以他應當以時灌溉前者而芟除後者。

It cannot be denied, but outward accidents conduce much to fortune, favour, opportunity,death of others, occasion fitting virtue. But chiefly, tile mould of a man's fortune is in his ownhands.(Faber quisque fortunae suae; saith the poet )

一方面，幸運與偶然性有關一例如長相漂亮、機緣湊巧等;但另一方面，人之能否幸運又決定於自身。正如古代詩人所說：“人是自身幸福的設計師。

And the most frequent of external causes is, that the folly of one man is the fortune ofanother. For no man prospers so suddenly, as by others' errors. Serpens nisi serpentermcomederit non fit draco. Overt and apparent virtues bring forth praise; but there be secret andhidden virtues, that bring forth fortune; certain deliveries of a man's self, which have noname. The Spanish name, desemboltura, partly expresseth them: when there be not stonds,nor resdveness in a man's nature; but that the wheels of his mind keep way with the wheels ofhis fortune. For so Livy (after he had described Cato Major, in these words; in ilh viro, tanturnrobur corporis et animi fiit, ut quocwique loco natus esset ,fortunarus sibi facturs videretur)falleth upon that, that he had versatile ingenium Therefore, if a man look sharply, andattentively, he shall see fortune: for though she be blind, yet she is not invisible.

有的時候，一個人的愚蠢恰是另一個人的幸運，一方的錯誤恰好促成了另一方的成功。正如諺語所說：“蛇吃蛇，能成龍。”炫耀於外表的才幹徒然令人讚羨，而深藏未露的才幹則能帶來幸運。這需要一種難以言傳的自制力。西班牙人把這叫做“潛能”。一個人具有優良的素質，能在必要時發揮這種素質從而推動幸運的車輪轉動，這就叫“潛能”。歷史學家李維曾這樣形容老加圖說：“他的精神與體力都是那樣優美博大，因此無論他出身於什麼家庭，都一定可以爲自己開闢出一條道路。”因爲加圖具有多方面的才能。這話說明，只要對一個人深入觀察，是可以發現對他是否可以期望幸運的。因爲幸運之神雖然是盲目的，卻並非無形的。

The way of fortune is like the Milken Way in the sky; which is a meeting or knot of a numberof small stars; not seen asunder, but giving light together. So are there a number of little, andscarce discerned virtues, or rather faculties and customs, that make men fortunate.

幸運的機會好像銀河，他們作爲個體是不顯眼的，但作爲整體卻光輝燦爛。同樣，一個人若具備許多細小的優良素質，最終都可能成爲帶來幸運的機會。

The Italians note some of them, such as a man would little think. When they speak of one thatcannot do amiss, they will throw in, into his other conditions, that he hath poco di motto. Andcertainly, there be not two more fortunate properties; than to have a little of the fool; and nottoo much of the honest. Therefore, extreme lovers of their country, or masters, were neverfortunate, neither can they be. For when a man placeth his thoughts without himself, he goethnot his own way. An hasty fortune maketh an enterpriser, and remover (the French hath itbetter, entrepreneur, or remuamt), but the exercised fortune maketh the able man. Fortuneis to be honoured, and respected, and it be but for her daughters, Confidence, and those two felicity hreedeth: the first within a man's self; the latter, in others towards him.

意大利人在談論精明的人時，除了誇讚他別的優點，有時會說表面上帶一點“傻氣”。是的，有一點傻氣，但並不是呆氣，再沒有比這對人的更幸運的了。然而迷信愚妄的人是不會幸運的。他們把思考權交付給了他人，就不會走自己的路了。意外的幸運會使人冒失、狂妄，然而經過磨練的幸運卻使人成爲偉器。幸運是令人尊敬的，至少這是爲了他的兩個女兒一一位叫自信，位叫名譽。他們都是幸運所產生的。前者產生於人良身的心中，後者產生於他人的心中。

All wise men, to decline me envy of their own virtues, use to ascribe them to providence andfortune; for so they may the better assume them: and besides, it is greatness in a man, to bethe care of me higher powers. So Caesar said to me pilot in the tempest, Caesarem portas,etfortunam ene. So Sulla chose the name of Felix, and not of Magnus. And it hath been noted,that those that ascribe openly too much to their own wisdom, and policy, end unfortunate. Itis written, that

古代的智者，爲避免招人嫉恨，很少對自己的幸運進行誇耀，他們把一切歸功於“神”。事實上，也只有偉大人物才能得到神的護佑。凱撒對大風浪中的水手說：“鎮靜，有凱撒坐在你的船上!”而蘇拉則不敢自稱爲“偉大”，只稱自己爲“有幸的”。從歷史可以看到，凡把成功完全歸於自己的人，常常得到不幸的終局。

Timotheus the Athenian, after he had, in the account he gave to the state of his government,often interlaced this speech, 'and in mis fortune had no part', never prospered in anything heundertook afterwards. Certainly, mere be, whose fortunes are like Homer's verses, that have aslide, and easiness, more than the verses of other poets: as Plutarch sailh of Timoleon'sfortune, in respect of that of Agesilaus, or Epaminondas. And that this should be, no doubt it ismuch in a man's self.

例如，雅典人泰摩索斯總把他在政治上的成就說成：“這決非幸運所賜，而是因爲本人高明。”結果他以後再做什麼事卻很少成功了。世間確有一些人，他們的幸運，流暢得有如荷馬的詩句。例如普魯塔克就曾把泰摩列昂的好運氣與阿蓋西勞斯和埃帕米農達的運氣相對比但這種幸運成功的果實，最終也還要到他們的德性中去找原因呵!