培根散文隨筆集中英對照,，通過閱讀文學(xué)名著學(xué)語言,，是掌握英語的絕佳方法。既可接觸原汁原味的英語,，又能享受文學(xué)之美,，一舉兩得，何樂不為,？
對于喜歡閱讀名著的讀者，這是一個(gè)最好的時(shí)代,，因?yàn)橛谐汕先f的書可以選擇,；這又是一個(gè)不好的時(shí)代，因?yàn)樵诤品钡木磬?，很難找到適合自己的好書,。而培根的散文隨筆，濃縮的不僅僅是文學(xué),，還是智慧,。相信對閱讀和寫作都有很好的幫助。

48 Of Followers & Friends  論隨從和朋友

Costly followers are not to be liked; lest while a man maketh his train longer, he
make his wings shorter. I reckon to be costly, not them alone, which charge the purse, but which are wearisome and importune in suits. Ordinary followers ought to challenge no higher conditions, than countenance, recommendation, and protection from wrongs.
代價(jià)過高的從者是不可以喜歡的,，怕的是一個(gè)人把自己底裙裾弄得很長而把羽翼削短了,。所謂代價(jià)過高的從者不僅是那些消費(fèi)錢財(cái)?shù)娜耍切^請屢求而不知厭的人也算在內(nèi),。普通一般的從者其所求于主人者不應(yīng)當(dāng)超出主人底善意相待,，善言先容，以及保護(hù)安全,，使不受欺凌,。

Factious followers are worse to be liked, which follow not upon affection to him,
with whom they range themselves, but upon discontentment conceived against some other: whereupon commonly ensueth that ill intelligence, that we many times see between great personages. Likewise glorious followers, who make themselves as trumpets, of the commendation of those they follow, are full of inconvenience; for they taint business through want of secrecy; and they export honour from a man, and make him a return in envy.
為主人者更不可喜歡那些好黨同伐異的從者，因?yàn)檫@些人之來歸并不是因?yàn)閻勰?，而是因?yàn)閷τ趧e人心懷不忿,，所以我們常見的大人物之間的那些誤會多半是由此而來的,。類此，好夸張的從者,，那些到處張揚(yáng)主人底名聲的人,，也是有很多的不利的；他們泄露機(jī)密,，破壞事業(yè),，并且減少主人底美名，反使他失去一般人底歡心,。

There is a kind of followers likewise, which are dangerous, being indeed espials; which enquire the secrets of the house, and bear tales of them to others.
還有一種也是很險(xiǎn)惡的從者,，這般人實(shí)際上是一種偵探；他們常常探詢主人家中的事務(wù)并且把這些事務(wù)報(bào)告給別人,。

Yet such men, many times, are in great favour; for they are officious, and commonly exchange tales. The following by certain estates of men, answerable to that which a great person himself professeth (as of soldiers to him that hath been employed in me wars, and the like), hath ever been a thing civil, and well taken even in monarchies; so it be without too much pomp or popularity. But the most honourable kind of following, is to be followed as one that apprehendeth, to advance virtue and desert, in all sorts of persons.
然而這種人往往很受寵幸,，因?yàn)樗麄兪呛芤笄诘模叶喟胧窃敢饨粨Q故事的,。一位大人物如果有與他自己所從事的事業(yè)有相符的身分的從者（例如,，一位曾經(jīng)戰(zhàn)事的人而有許多武人為其從者，這一類的事）,，那是向來被認(rèn)為合適的事,，即在君主國中，也是不受什么猜忌的,；只要不過于聲勢煊赫或過于得一般人民底愛戴就是了,。但是那最高尚的一種隨從，就是因?yàn)橹魅吮蝗苏J(rèn)為是一個(gè)懂得如何使各種人都能進(jìn)德展才的人因而隨從著的,。

And yet, where there is no eminent odds in sufficiency, it is better to take with me more passable, than with the more able. And besides, to speak truth, in base times, active men are of more use, than virtuous. It is true that in government, it is good to use men of one rank equally: for to countenance some extraordinarily, is to make them insolent, and the rest discontent; because they may claim a due. But contrariwise in favour, to use men with much difference and election, is good; for it makelh the persons preferred more thankful, and the rest more officious; because all is of favour. It is good discretion, not to make too much of any man, at the first; because one cannot hold out that proportion.
然而,，遇到在才德上沒有什么出眾的人的時(shí)候，任用比較平凡的人是比任用比較有才的人好一點(diǎn)的,?？墒牵f真話,，在卑污的時(shí)代中,，有才干的人是比有德之人較為有用的。在政治常務(wù)上用人應(yīng)求其資格一般者,，這是真的,；因?yàn)椋缬衅聘裼萌酥e,，則被用的人不免囂張,，而其余的人也要怨憤；因?yàn)樗麄円韵嗤馁Y格可以希冀一種相同的待遇也。反之,，在寵幸一方面,，則由不同的地位經(jīng)選擇而用人是可以的；因?yàn)檫@種辦法可使被用之人感恩更深,，而其余的人更為殷勤,，因?yàn)樯w之望全在得寵也。對于任何人,，在起初的時(shí)候不要過于重視,，這是一種很妥當(dāng)?shù)霓k法，因?yàn)槿绻黄痤^就對某人非常重視,，則以后對他的待遇將難以為繼也,。

To be governed (as we call it) by one, is not safe: for it shows softness, and gives a freedom to scandal and disreputation: for those that would not censure, or speak ill of a man immediately, will talk more boldly of those that are so great with them, and thereby wound their honour. Yet to be distracted with many is worse; for it makes men to be of the last impression, and full of change. To take advice of some few friends is ever honourable; for lookers-on, many times, see more than gamesters; and the vale best discovered! the hill. There is little friendship in the world, and least of all between equals, which was wont to be magnified. That that is, is between superior and inferior, whose fortunes may comprehend, the one the other.
只受一個(gè)人底“支配”（如我們通常所謂）是不安全的；因?yàn)檫@種情形表現(xiàn)你底軟弱,，而使丑聞惡名易于傳播,；因?yàn)槟切┰谥魅嗣媲安荒苤G諍或進(jìn)言的人在主人背后將更樂于批評那些得寵的人，這樣一來主人底榮譽(yù)也要受損失了,。然而受多人底影響是更壞的,；因?yàn)檫@種情形使為主人者聽從最后的一個(gè)進(jìn)言者底話，而自己毫無定見,，多所變更。采納少數(shù)友朋底忠告永遠(yuǎn)是名譽(yù)的,；因?yàn)榕杂^者常比當(dāng)局者看得清楚,，而峽谷更可以顯高山也。古人喜夸的那種友誼,，世間是很少的，尤其在地位平等之人之間更少,。世間所有的友誼都是在上位者與下屬之間的,，因?yàn)檫@二者底榮辱休戚是包括在一起的。