下载掌阅APP，畅读海量书库
立即打开
前 言
随着现代生活节奏的加快，读书日渐成为一种奢侈。文学典籍浩瀚如烟，然而我们却无暇品读那些历经岁月沉淀的经典。如何选择经典、如何阅读经典成为广大英语爱好者关注的一个问题，为此我们做了专门筛选，编写了这套英语美文口袋书。
本系列口袋书包括 情感篇、品行篇、文化篇、生活篇、自然篇 五本，每本的选材博采众长，不拘一格，内容不分国度，既从经典中探寻历史的足迹，又从时文里汲取时代的营养；既捕捉名人风采，又抒发生活感悟；既有温情故事，又不乏珠玑论辩。“名人风采”既收录来自不同文化背景、不同生活经历的名人故事，又穿插古今中外著名政治家慷慨激昂的演说，让读者尽情领略大家风范；“生活感悟”既抒发对生命的渴望，又流露出对死亡的敬畏，还有对生死之间人生价值、意义的不懈探寻，看似令人啼笑皆非的生活小插曲中却蕴含着生活的真谛；“温情故事”娓娓道来，或关乎亲情，或关乎爱情，或关乎友情，读罢令人会心一笑的同时又发人深思；“珠玑论辩”以独特的视角、凝练的笔触从生活中的细微小事出发，窥探人性的本质，见解独到又耐人寻味。
具体到每篇文章中，其基本结构由内容导读、英文正文、中文译文、词汇速记、美句欣赏几个栏目构成。“ 内容导读 ”部分言简意赅，既有对作者详尽的背景介绍，又有对文章的品读与解析，有助于读者更好地理解全文；“ 英文正文 ”表达原汁原味，将读者带入到最真实的英文语境中，与智者为伍，与善者同行；“ 中文译文 ”皆出自大家之手，文笔优美流畅，表达精练准确；“ 词汇速记 ”从音形义出发，为读者扫除单词障碍，扩充词汇量；“ 美句欣赏 ”从文化和语言两个维度出发，对亮点句型句式加以标注，以提高读者英文鉴赏水平，丰富写作素材。
本套书在选材上既立足经典又不乏时代特色，全套书共收录经典美文一百三十余篇，让广大英语爱好者在重温经典的同时又能够了解英语国家当代生活的不同层面。
除此之外，本套丛书谋篇适中、字数适宜，且方便携带，以求在校学生和上班族随时可以翻阅。正是出于这样一个目的，这套丛书英文名定为“ Infinity in the Palm ”。该短语借自英国诗人威廉·布莱克（William Blake）的《沙粒》（“A Grain of Sand”）一诗：“从一粒沙子看到一个世界，∕从一朵野花看到一个天堂；∕把握在你手心里的就是无限，∕永恒也就消融于一个辰光。”（To see a world in a grain of sand, /And a heaven in a wild flower, / Hold infinity in the palm of your hand, / And eternity in an hour.）这套丛书所涵盖的内容在灿烂的文明星空里，不过如尘粒一般微不足道；不过，微小处能见大文章，手心里的这套书亦能到达无限。
编者
于中国人民大学
Francis Bacon
所谓“腹有诗书气自华”，读书是我们塑造品性的最好方式。但为何读书？阅读何书？如何读书？回答了这三个问题，我们定会将人生走成一片美丽高贵的风景。培根（1561—1626）的这篇随笔便用凝练隽永的文笔呈现了他的答案，告诉我们“凡有所学，皆成性格”。
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 judgment and disposition of business. For expert men can execute,and perhaps judge of particulars, one by one; but the general counsels, and the 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 ; to make judgment wholly by their rules, is the humor 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.
Crafty men condemn studies, simple men admire them, and wise men use them; for they teach not their own use; but that 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 extracts made of them by others; but that would be only in the less important arguments, and the meaner sort of books; else distilled books are like common distilled waters, flashy things.
Reading maketh a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man. And therefore, if a man write little, he had need have a great memory; if he confer little, he had need have a present wit: and if he read little, he had need have much cunning, to seem to know that he doth not.
Histories make men wise; poets witty; the mathematics subtle; natural philosophy deep; moral grave; logic and rhetoric able to contend. Abeunt studia in mores.
Nay, there is no stand or impediment in the wit but may be wrought out by fit studies; like as diseases of the body may 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 demonstrations, 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 cymini sectores. 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 the mind may have a special receipt.
弗朗西斯·培根
读书足以怡情，足以博彩，足以长才。其怡情也，最见于独处幽居之时；其博彩也，最见于高谈阔论之中；其长 才也，最见于处世判事之际。 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，则舍好学深思者莫属。
读书费时过多易惰，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，盖天生才干犹如自然花草，读书然后知如何修剪移接，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，然书并不以用处告人，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读者，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，有只需读其部分者，有只需大体涉猎者，少数则需全读，读时需全神贯注，孜孜不倦。书亦可请人代读，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。
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特强，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。
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。如智力不集中，可令读数学，盖演题需全神贯注，稍有分散即须重演；如不能辨异，可令读经院哲学，盖是辈皆吹毛求疵之人；如不善求同，不善以一物阐证另一物，可令读律师之案卷。如此头脑中凡有缺陷，皆有特效可医。
（王佐良 译）
ornament n .装饰；装饰物
marshal v. 安排；排列
sloth n .懒惰
affectation n .装模作样
confute v .驳斥
deputy n .代理人
confer v .商议；磋商
impediment n .妨碍
①Studies 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 judgment and disposition of business. 怡情、博彩、长才，三词道尽了读书给我们带来的妙处。如果独处、待人、处世都受益于读书，人生还剩什么在它的施惠范围之外呢？
②Histories make men wise; poets witty; the mathematics subtle; natural philosophy deep; moral grave; logic and rhetoric able to contend. Abeunt studia in mores. 不同的知识是一扇扇通往不同世界的大门，推开之后便是各异的风景，也会让身处其中的我们拥有独特的品格。