培根散文随笔美文：Of Superstition论迷信

　　培根散文随笔集中英对照，通过阅读文学名著学语言，是掌握英语的绝佳方法。既可接触原汁原味的英语，又能享受文学之美，一举两得，何乐不为?

　　17 Of Superstition 论迷信

　　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.

　　关于神、宁可毫无意见，也比有意见而这种意见是与神不称的好。因为前者是不信而后者是侮辱也，迷信则的确是侮辱神明的。关于这一点普卢塔克说得很好。他说：“我宁愿人家说从没有过普卢塔克这么一个人，而不愿人家说从前有一个普卢塔克，他底儿女一生下来他就要把他们吃了。”

　　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.

　　就如诗人们关于塞特恩的所言一样。这种对神的侮辱越大则其对人的危险也越大。无神论把人类交给理性，交给哲学，交给天然的亲子之情，交给法律，交给好名之心;所有这些东西，虽没有宗教底存在，也可以引导人类使有一种外表上的道德;但是迷信却卸除这一切，而在人底心里树立一种绝对的君主专制。

　　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，无神论从没有扰乱过国家，因为无神论使人谨慎自谋，因为人们除了自己底福利而外没有别的顾虑也：所以我们看见那些倾向无神论的时代(如奥古斯塔斯大帝之世)都是太平时代。但是迷信曾经扰乱过许多国家，它带来了一个新的第九重天，这第九重天是要把政府底诸天都强引得离开常轨的。迷信底主人公是民众;在一切迷信之中，有智的人是随从着愚人的，并且理论是跟着一种颠倒的次序，拿来适应行为的。在串特会议中——在该会议中经院派的学者们是很占优势的——有些高级教士曾有如下的意味甚深的话。他们说经院派中人有如天文学家。天文学家假设离心圈、本轮、及此类的轨道诸说以解释天文上的现象，虽然他们知道是没有这种东西的;同样，经院派的学者们构造了许多奥妙复杂的原理和定律以解释教会底行为。

　　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：悦人耳目诸官的礼仪;过度的注重外观与法利赛式的虔诚;对传习的过度尊崇，这种传习是一定要给教会加以压迫的;高级僧侣为私人底野心或财富而设的计谋;过于爱重个人底“良好用意”，而这种用意是足以引起自专及标新立异的;以人间的事理而测度神明，这是一定要产生杂乱的狂想的;最后，还有野蛮的时代，尤其是与灾祸有关的时代。迷信若无遮掩则是一种残缺丑恶的东西;譬如一只猿猴，因为它太象人了所以更加丑恶;所以迷信的类似宗教之处也使其更为丑恶。又，有如好肉腐化而成小蛆一般，良好的仪式及规律也可以腐化而成为许多琐细的仪节。

　　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.

　　有时人们以为他们若对于以往的迷信离得最远那就是最好的行为，在这种时候就有了一种反迷信的迷信;因此应当留心不要(象涤除体内积毒而施术不善时所发生的情形一样)把好的同坏的一齐去掉了;这种事情当一般民众来做改革家的时候是会做出来的。