培根美文赏析-Of Parents And Children 论 家 庭

THE joys of parents are secret; and so are their griefs and fears.  They cannot utter the one; nor they will not utter the other.  Children sweeten labors¹; but they make misfortunes more bitter. They increase the cares of life; but they mitigate² the remembrance of death.  The perpetuity by generation is common to beasts; but memory, merit, and noble works, are proper to men.  And surely a man shall see the noblest works and foundations have proceeded from childless men; which have sought to express the images of their minds, where those of their bodies have failed.  So the care of posterity³ is most in them, that have no posterity. They that are the first raisers of their houses, are most indulgent towards their children; beholding⁴ them as the continuance, not only of their kind, but of their work; and so both children and creatures.
 
The difference in affection, of parents towards their several children, is many times unequal; and sometimes unworthy; especially in the mothers; as Solomon saith, A wise son rejoiceth the father, but an ungracious son shames the mother.  A man shall see, where there is a house full of children, one or two of the eldest⁵ respected, and the youngest made wantons; but in the midst, some that are as it were forgotten, who many times, nevertheless, prove the best.  The illiberality⁶ of parents, in allowance towards their children, is an harmful error; makes them base; acquaints them with shifts; makes them sort with mean company; and makes them surfeit⁷ more when they come to plenty.  And therefore the proof is best, when men keep their authority towards the children, but not heir purse.  Men have a foolish manner (both parents and schoolmasters and servants) in creating and breeding an emulation⁸ between brothers, during childhood, which many times sorteth to discord⁹ when they are men, and disturbeth families.

The Italians make little difference between children, and nephews or near kinsfolks; but so they be of the lump, they care not though they pass not through their own body.  And, to say truth, in nature it is much a like matter; insomuch that we see a nephew sometimes resembleth an uncle, or a kinsman¹⁰, more than his own parent; as the blood happens.  Let parents choose betimes, the vocations¹¹ and courses they mean their children should take; for then they are most flexible; and let them not too much apply themselves to the disposition¹² of their children, as thinking they will take best to that, which they have most mind to.  It is true, that if the affection or aptness of the children be extraordinary, then it is good not to cross it; but generally the precept¹³ is good, optimum elige, suave¹⁴ et facile illud faciet consuetudo.  Younger brothers are commonly fortunate, but seldom or never where the elder are disinherite
 在子女面前 ，父母要善于隐藏他们的一切快乐、烦恼与恐惧。他们的快乐无须说
，而他们的烦恼与恐惧则不能说 。子女使他们的劳苦变甜，但也使他们的不幸更苦
。子女增加了他们的负担 ，但却减轻了他们对死的恐惧。

 一切生物都能通过生殖留下后代
，但只有人类能通过后代下美名 、事业和德行 。然而，为什么有的没有留下后代者却留下了 流芳百世的功业？因为他们虽然未能复制一种肉体 ，却全力以赴地复制了一种精神
。因此这种无后继的人其实倒是最关心后事的人。创业者对子女期望最大，因为子女被他们看作不但是族类的继承者
，又是所创事业的一部分 。

 作为父母，特别是母亲 ，对子女常常会有不合理的偏爱。所罗 门曾告诫人们：“智慧之子使父亲快乐
，愚昧之子使母亲蒙羞
。”在家庭中，最大或最小的孩子都可能得到优遇。唯有居中的子女容易受到忘却 ，但他们却往往是最有出息的 。

  在子女小时不应对他们过于苛吝
。否则会使他们变得卑贱
，甚至投机取巧，以至堕入下流 ，即使后来有了财富时也不会正当利用。聪明的父母对子女在管理上是严格的
，而在用钱上不妨略宽松，这常常是有好效果的 。

   作为成年人，绝不应在一家的兄弟之间挑动竞争
，以至积隙成仇，使兄弟间直到成年 ，依然不和
。意大利风俗对子女和侄 一视同仁
，亲密无间。这是很可取的 。因为这种风俗很合于自然的血统关系
。许多侄子不是更像他的一位叔
、伯，而不象父亲吗？

   在子女还小时 ，父母就应当考虑他们将来的职业方向并加以培养
，因为这时他们最易塑造。但在这一点上要注意，并不是孩子小时候所喜欢的 ，也就是他们终生所愿从事的 。如果孩子确有某种超群的天才
，那当然应该扶植发展
。但就一般情况说，下面这句格言是很有用的：“长期的训练会通过适应化难为易。 ”还应当注意 ，子女中那种得不到遗产继承权的幼子
，常常会通过自身的奋斗获得好的发展 。而坐享其成者，却很少能成大业.
 

1 labors
v.努力争取(for)( labor的第三人称单数 )；苦干；详细分析；（指引擎）缓慢而困难地运转
参考例句：
He was tiresome in contending for the value of his own labors. 他老为他自己劳动的价值而争强斗胜 ，令人生厌。 来自辞典例句 Farm labors used to hire themselves out for the summer. 农业劳动者夏季常去当雇工 。 来自辞典例句

2 mitigate
vt.（使）减轻，（使）缓和
参考例句：
The government is trying to mitigate the effects of inflation.政府正试图缓和通货膨胀的影响。 Governments should endeavour to mitigate distress.政府应努力缓解贫困问题 。

3 posterity
n.后裔 ，子孙，后代
参考例句：
Few of his works will go down to posterity.他的作品没有几件会流传到后世 。 The names of those who died are recorded for posterity on a tablet at the back of the church.死者姓名都刻在教堂后面的一块石匾上以便后人铭记。

4 beholding
v.看 ，注视( behold的现在分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟
参考例句：
Beholding, besides love, the end of love,/Hearing oblivion beyond memory! 我看见了爱 ，还看到了爱的结局，／听到了记忆外层的哪一片寂寥！ 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 文学 Hence people who began by beholding him ended by perusing him. 所以人们从随便看一看他开始的 ，都要以仔细捉摸他而终结 。 来自辞典例句

5 eldest
adj.最年长的 ，最年老的
参考例句：
The King's eldest son is the heir to the throne.国王的长子是王位的继承人 。 The castle and the land are entailed on the eldest son.城堡和土地限定由长子继承。

6 illiberality
n.吝啬，小气
参考例句：
Sometimes I even call top is an illiberality. 有时我甚至称得上是吝啬 。 来自互联网

7 surfeit
v.使饮食过度；n.(食物)过量 ，过度
参考例句：
The voters are pretty sick of such a surfeit of primary sloganeering.选民们对于初选时没完没了地空喊口号的现象感到发腻了 。 A surfeit of food makes one sick.饮食过量使人生病。

8 emulation
n.竞争；仿效
参考例句：
The young man worked hard in emulation of his famous father.这位年轻人努力工作 ，要迎头赶上他出名的父亲 。 His spirit of assiduous study is worthy of emulation.他刻苦钻研的精神，值得效法 。

9 discord
n.不和 ，意见不合 ，争论，（音乐）不和谐
参考例句：
These two answers are in discord.这两个答案不一样。 The discord of his music was hard on the ear.他演奏的不和谐音很刺耳 。

10 kinsman
n.男亲属
参考例句：
Tracing back our genealogies,I found he was a kinsman of mine.转弯抹角算起来他算是我的一个亲戚。 A near friend is better than a far dwelling kinsman.近友胜过远亲 。

11 vocations
n.（认为特别适合自己的）职业( vocation的名词复数 )；使命；神召；（认为某种工作或生活方式特别适合自己的）信心
参考例句：
The term profession originally denoted a limited number of vocations. 专业这个术语起初表示数量有限的职业。 来自辞典例句 I understood that Love encompassed all vocations, that Love was everything "." 我明白爱含有一切圣召 ，爱就是一切 。 来自互联网

12 disposition
n.性情，性格；意向 ，倾向；排列，部署
参考例句：
He has made a good disposition of his property.他已对财产作了妥善处理 。 He has a cheerful disposition.他性情开朗。

13 precept
n.戒律；格言
参考例句：
It occurs to me that example is always more efficacious than precept.我想到身教重于言教 。 The son had well profited by the precept and example of the father.老太爷的言传身教早已使他儿子获益无穷 。

14 suave
adj.温和的；柔和的；文雅的
参考例句：
He is a suave,cool and cultured man.他是个世故、冷静 、有教养的人。 I had difficulty answering his suave questions.我难以回答他的一些彬彬有礼的提问 。