Studies serve for delight, for ornament, and for ability.
读书足以怡情，足以傅彩，足以长才。
Their chief use for delight, is in privateness and retiring;
其怡情也，最见于独处幽居之时；
for ornament, is in discourse;
其傅彩也，最见于高谈阔论之中；
and for ability, is in the judgment and disposition of business.
其长才也，最见于处世判事之际。
For expert men can excute, and perhaps judge of particulars, one by one;
练达之士虽能分别处理细事或一一判别枝节，
but the general counsels, and the plots and marshalling of affairs, come best from those that are learned.
然纵观统筹，全局策划，则舍好学深思者莫属。
To spend too much time in studies is sloth;
读书费时过多易惰，
to use them too much for ornament, is affectation;
文采藻饰太盛则矫，
to make judgement wholly by their rules, is the humour of a scholar.
全凭条文断事乃学究故态。
They perfect nature, and are perfected by experience:
读书补天然之不足，经验又补读书之不足，
for natural abilities are like natural plants, that need proyning by study;
盖天生才干犹如自然花草，读书然后知如何修剪移接，
and studies themselves do give forth directions too much at large, except they be bounded in by experience.
而书中所示，如不以经验范之，则又大而无当。
Crafty men contemn studies, simple men admire them, and wise men use them;
有一技之长者鄙读书，无知者羡读书，唯明智之士用读书，
for they teach not their own use; but that is a wisdom without them, and above them, won by observation.
然书并不以用处告人，用书之智不在书中，而在书外，全凭观察得之。
Read not to contradict and confute;
读书时不可存心诘难读者，
nor to believe and take for granted;
不可尽信书上所言，
nor to find talk and discourse;
亦不可只为寻章摘句，
but to weigh and consider.
而应推敲细思。
Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested;
书有可浅尝者，有可吞食者，少数则须咀嚼消化。
that is, some books are to be read only in parts;
换言之，有只需读其部分者，
others to be read, but not curiously;
有只须大体涉猎者，
and some few to be read wholly, and with diligence and attention.
少数则须全读，读时须全神贯注，孜孜不倦。
Some books also may be read by deputy, and extracts made of them by others;
书亦可请人代读，取其所作摘要，
but that would be only in the less important arguments, and the meaner sort of books;
但只限题材较次或价值不高者，
else distilled books are, like common distilled waters, flashy things.
否则书经提炼犹如水经蒸馏，淡而无味。
Reading make a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man.
读书使人充实，讨论使人机智，笔记使人准确。
And therefore, if a man write little, he had need have a great memory;
因此不常做笔记者须记忆力特强，
if he confer little, he had need have a present wit;
不常讨论者须天生聪颖，
and if he read little, he had need have much cunning, to seem to know that he doth not.
不常读书者须欺世有术，始能无知而显有知。
Histories make men wise;
读史使人明智，
poets witty;
读诗使人灵秀，
the mathematics subtile;
数学使人周密，
natural philosophy deep;
科学使人深刻，
moral grave;
伦理学使人庄重，
logic and rhetoric able to contend.
逻辑修辞之学使人善辩；
Abeunt studia in morse.
凡有所学，皆成性格。
Nay there is no stand or impediment in the wit, but may be wrought out by fit studies:
人之才智但有滞碍，无不可读适当之书使之顺畅，
like as diseases of the body may have appropriate exercises.
一如身体百病，皆可借相宜之运动除之。
ornament [ˈɔːrnəmənt]
n. 装饰；装饰物
例：The building relies on clever design rather than on ornament for its impressive effect.
这幢大楼依靠其巧妙设计而非装饰给人留下了深刻的印象。
discourse [ˈdɪskɔːrs]
n. 对话；交流；演讲
例：He prefaced his speech with a discourse on the need of friendship.
他在演讲的开头谈到了友谊的必要性。
marshal [ˈmɑːrʃl]
v. 集中；统率；整顿
例：The company is marshalling its forces for a long court case.
这家公司正集中力量打一场旷日持久的官司。
contemn [kən'tem]
v. 侮辱；蔑视
例：We dread both to be contemptible and to be contemned.
我们既害怕被人轻视又害怕被人鄙视。
contradict [ˌkɑːntrəˈdɪkt]
v. 反驳；否定；有抵触
例：All evening her husband contradicted everything she said.
整个晚上她说什么丈夫都反驳。
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