培根散文隨筆美文：Of Superstition論迷信

　　培根散文隨筆集中英對照，通過閱讀文學名著學語言，是掌握英語的絕佳方法。既可接觸原汁原味的英語，又能享受文學之美，一舉兩得，何樂不為?

　　17 Of Superstition 論迷信

　　It were better to have no opinion of God at all, than such an opinion, as is unworthy of him: for the one is unbelief, the other is contumely:and certainly superstition is the reproach of the deity. Plutarch saith well to that purpose: Surely (saith he) I had rather, a great deal, men should say, there was no such man at all as Plutarch; than that they should say, that there was one Plutarch, that would eat his children, as soon as they were born, as the poets speak of Saturn.

　　關(guān)于神、寧可毫無意見，也比有意見而這種意見是與神不稱的好。因為前者是不信而后者是侮辱也，迷信則的確是侮辱神明的。關(guān)于這一點普盧塔克說得很好。他說：“我寧愿人家說從沒有過普盧塔克這么一個人，而不愿人家說從前有一個普盧塔克，他底兒女一生下來他就要把他們吃了。”

　　And, as the contumely is greater towards God, so the danger is greater towards men. Atheism leaves a man to sense; to philosophy; to natural piety;

　　to laws; to reputation; all which may be guides to an outward moral virtue, though religion were not; but superstition dismounts all these, and erecteth an absolute monarchy in the minds of men.

　　就如詩人們關(guān)于塞特恩的所言一樣。這種對神的侮辱越大則其對人的危險也越大。無神論把人類交給理性，交給哲學，交給天然的親子之情，交給法律，交給好名之心;所有這些東西，雖沒有宗教底存在，也可以引導人類使有一種外表上的道德;但是迷信卻卸除這一切，而在人底心里樹立一種絕對的君主專制。

　　Therefore atheism did never perturb states; for it makes men wary of themselves, as looking no further: and we see the times inclined to atheism (as the time of Augustus Caesar) were civil times. But superstition halh been the conclusion of many states; and bringeth in a new primum mobile, that ravisheth all the spheres of government The master of superstition is the people; and in all superstition, wise men follow fools; and arguments are fitted to practice, in a reversed order. It was gravely said, by some of the prelates, in the Council of Trent, where the doctrine of the schoolmen bare great sway; that the schoolmen were like astronomers, which did feign eccentrics and epicycles, and such engines of orbs, to save me phenomena; though they knew, there were no such things: and, in like manner, that the schoolmen had framed a number of subtle and intricate axioms, and theorems, to save the practice of the Church.

　　因此，無神論從沒有擾亂過國家，因為無神論使人謹慎自謀，因為人們除了自己底福利而外沒有別的顧慮也：所以我們看見那些傾向無神論的時代(如奧古斯塔斯大帝之世)都是太平時代。但是迷信曾經(jīng)擾亂過許多國家，它帶來了一個新的第九重天，這第九重天是要把政府底諸天都強引得離開常軌的。迷信底主人公是民眾;在一切迷信之中，有智的人是隨從著愚人的，并且理論是跟著一種顛倒的次序，拿來適應(yīng)行為的。在串特會議中——在該會議中經(jīng)院派的學者們是很占優(yōu)勢的——有些高級教士曾有如下的意味甚深的話。他們說經(jīng)院派中人有如天文學家。天文學家假設(shè)離心圈、本輪、及此類的軌道諸說以解釋天文上的現(xiàn)象，雖然他們知道是沒有這種東西的;同樣，經(jīng)院派的學者們構(gòu)造了許多奧妙復雜的原理和定律以解釋教會底行為。

　　The causes of superstition are: pleasing and sensual rites and ceremonies; excess of outward and pharisaical holiness; over-great reverence of traditions, which cannot but load the Church; the stratagems of prelates for then-own ambition and lucre; the favouring too much of good intentions, which openeth the gate to conceits and novelties; the taking an aim at divine matters by human, which cannot but breed mixture of imaginations; and lastly, barbarous times, especially joined with calamities and disasters. Superstition, without a veil, is a deformed thing; for, as it addeth deformity to an ape, to be so like a man; so the similitude of superstition to religion, makes it the more deformed. And as wholesome meat corrupteth to little worms, so good forms and orders corrupt into a number of petty observances.

　　迷信底原因是：悅?cè)硕恐T官的禮儀;過度的注重外觀與法利賽式的虔誠;對傳習的過度尊崇，這種傳習是一定要給教會加以壓迫的;高級僧侶為私人底野心或財富而設(shè)的計謀;過于愛重個人底“良好用意”，而這種用意是足以引起自專及標新立異的;以人間的事理而測度神明，這是一定要產(chǎn)生雜亂的狂想的;最后，還有野蠻的時代，尤其是與災(zāi)禍有關(guān)的時代。迷信若無遮掩則是一種殘缺丑惡的東西;譬如一只猿猴，因為它太象人了所以更加丑惡;所以迷信的類似宗教之處也使其更為丑惡。又，有如好肉腐化而成小蛆一般，良好的儀式及規(guī)律也可以腐化而成為許多瑣細的儀節(jié)。

　　There is a superstition, in avoiding superstition; when men think to do best, if they go furthest from the superstition formerly received: therefore, care would be had, that (as it fareth in ill purgings) the good be not taken away with the bad; which commonly is done, when (he people is the reformer.

　　有時人們以為他們?nèi)魧τ谝酝拿孕烹x得最遠那就是最好的行為，在這種時候就有了一種反迷信的迷信;因此應(yīng)當留心不要(象滌除體內(nèi)積毒而施術(shù)不善時所發(fā)生的情形一樣)把好的同壞的一齊去掉了;這種事情當一般民眾來做改革家的時候是會做出來的。