精选哲理英语散文阅读

英语散文的发展历程十分曲折,散文大家风格多变,兼之中英语言个性殊异,若要成功地把英语散文大家的作品翻译到中文,既须了解英语散文发展的概况,又须注意保证气韵逻辑通畅,文气沛然,才能传神译出,曲尽其妙,令汉语读者获得相同或相近的审美感受。下面本站小编为大家带来精选哲理英语散文阅读，希望大家喜欢!

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.

天性常常是隐而不露的，有时可以压伏，而很少能完全熄灭的。压力之于天性，使它在压力减退之时更烈于前;但是习惯却真能变化气质，约束天性。凡是想征服自己底天性的人，不要给自己设下过大或过小的工作;因为过大的工作将因为常常失败的原故而使他灰心;而过小的工作，虽然能使他常常成功，但是将使他成为一个进步甚小的人。

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.

还有，在起始的时候他应当用些帮忙的事务来练习，就好象学游泳的人用浮胞和苇筏一样;但是过了些时候以后，他应当与困难相搏以为练习，就好象舞蹈家之穿着厚鞋练习一样。因为，假如练习比实用还难，那么其结果就更为完美了。凡是天性甚强，因之不容易克服的地方，其克服的工夫就必须如此方可：第一，在时间方面要阻止天性，不要放纵，就好象有的人在生气的时候默诵24个字母底名字以抑怒气的一样;这段工夫做到了，然后在量底方面应该减少，就好象要戒酒的人，从引觞互祝减到每餐一饮一样;最后，才可以完全戒绝，但是假如一个人有那种毅力和决心，能够一举而解放自己，那是最好的：最能坚持灵魂底自由的人，就是那挣断磨胸的锁链，一举而永免受罪的人。

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.

还有古人底遗训说应当把天性屈到相反的另一极端去，好象一根杆杖似的，以便它再反过来的时候可以适中，这句话也是不错的;不过我们须要明白，此处所谓的另一极端当然要不是恶德才行。

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.

一个人不可强给自己加上一种不断的继续的习惯，而应当稍有间歇。因为一则这种休息或间歇可以援助新的尝试;二则，假如一个德行不完全的人永远继续练习的话，他不仅练习了他底优点，连谬误也一定要练习了，并且使优点与谬误将同具一种习惯。这种情形，没有别的补救之策，除了用合时的间歇和休止。

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.

但是一个人也不可过于相信他对于自己底天性底胜利，因为天性能够长期潜伏着，而到有了机会或诱惑的时候复活起来。就好象《伊索寓言》中的猫变的女子一样，她坐在餐桌底一头，坐得端端正正地，可是有一只小鼠在她面前跑过的时候，她就不如此了。因此一个人应当或者完全躲避这种机会，或者常常与这种机会接触，以便少被牵动。人底天性在私生活里最易看出，因为在那种生活里是没有虚饰的;在热情里也最易看出，因为热情使人把平日的教训忘了;在一种新的事情或尝试之中也最易看出，因为在这种情形里是无惯例可援的。

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.

凡是天性与职业适合的人是有福的人;反之，那些从事于他们本不想做的事业的人，他们可以说：“我底灵魂曾久与天性不合之事物周旋”。在学问方面，一个人对于与他底天性不合而勉强去学的学科，应当有固定的时间;但是凡是与天性相合的学科，那就不必有什么规定的时间;因为他底思想会自己作主，飞到那方面去的;只要别的事情或学科所剩下来的时间足够研究这些学问就行。一个人底天性不长成药草，就长成莠草;所以他应当以时灌溉前者而芟除后者。

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，幸运与偶然性有关一例如长相漂亮、机缘凑巧等;但另一方面，人之能否幸运又决定于自身。正如古代诗人所说：“人是自身幸福的设计师。

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.

有的时候，一个人的愚蠢恰是另一个人的幸运，一方的错误恰好促成了另一方的成功。正如谚语所说：“蛇吃蛇，能成龙。”炫耀于外表的才干徒然令人赞羡，而深藏未露的才干则能带来幸运。这需要一种难以言传的自制力。西班牙人把这叫做“潜能”。一个人具有优良的素质，能在必要时发挥这种素质从而推动幸运的车轮转动，这就叫“潜能”。历史学家李维曾这样形容老加图说：“他的精神与体力都是那样优美博大，因此无论他出身于什么家庭，都一定可以为自己开辟出一条道路。”因为加图具有多方面的才能。这话说明，只要对一个人深入观察，是可以发现对他是否可以期望幸运的。因为幸运之神虽然是盲目的，却并非无形的。

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.

幸运的机会好像银河，他们作为个体是不显眼的，但作为整体却光辉灿烂。同样，一个人若具备许多细小的优良素质，最终都可能成为带来幸运的机会。

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.

意大利人在谈论精明的人时，除了夸赞他别的优点，有时会说表面上带一点“傻气”。是的，有一点傻气，但并不是呆气，再没有比这对人的更幸运的了。然而迷信愚妄的人是不会幸运的。他们把思考权交付给了他人，就不会走自己的路了。意外的幸运会使人冒失、狂妄，然而经过磨练的幸运却使人成为伟器。幸运是令人尊敬的，至少这是为了他的两个女儿一一位叫自信，位叫名誉。他们都是幸运所产生的。前者产生于人良身的心中，后者产生于他人的心中。

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，为避免招人嫉恨，很少对自己的幸运进行夸耀，他们把一切归功于“神”。事实上，也只有伟大人物才能得到神的护佑。凯撒对大风浪中的水手说：“镇静，有凯撒坐在你的船上!”而苏拉则不敢自称为“伟大”，只称自己为“有幸的”。从历史可以看到，凡把成功完全归于自己的人，常常得到不幸的终局。

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，雅典人泰摩索斯总把他在政治上的成就说成：“这决非幸运所赐，而是因为本人高明。”结果他以后再做什么事却很少成功了。世间确有一些人，他们的幸运，流畅得有如荷马的诗句。例如普鲁塔克就曾把泰摩列昂的好运气与阿盖西劳斯和埃帕米农达的运气相对比但这种幸运成功的果实，最终也还要到他们的德性中去找原因呵!