經(jīng)典英語散文:論善(培根)

I TAKE goodness in this sense, the affecting of the weal of men, which is that the Grecians call philanthropia; and the word humanity (as it is used) is a little too light to express it. Goodness I call the habit, and goodness of nature, the inclination. This of all virtues, and dignities of the mind, is the greatest; being the character of the Deity: and without it, man is a busy, mischievous, wretched thing; no better than a kind of vermin. Goodness answers to the theological virtue, charity, and admits no excess, but error. The desire of power in excess, caused the angels to fall; the desire of knowledge in excess, caused man to fall: but in charity there is no excess; neither can angel, nor man, come in dan ger by it. The inclination to goodness, is imprinted deeply in the nature of man; insomuch, that if it issue not towards men, it willtake unto other living creatures; as it is seen in the Turks, a cruel people, who nevertheless are kind to beasts, and give alms, to dogs and birds; insomuch, as Busbechius reporteth, a Christian boy, in Constantinople, had like to have been stoned, for gagging in a waggishness a long-billed fowl.Errors indeed in this virtue of goodness, or charity, may be committed. The Italians have an ungracious proverb, Tanto buon che val niente: so good, that he is good for nothing. And one of he doctors of Italy, Nicholas Machiavel, had the confidence to put in writing, almost in plain terms, That the Christian faith, had given up good men, in prey to those that are tyrannical and unjust. Which he spake, because indeed there was never law, or sect, or opinion, did so much magnify goodness, as the Christian religion doth. Therefore, to avoid the scandal and the danger both, it is good, to take knowledge of the errors of an habit so excellent. Seek the good of other men, but be not in bondage to their faces or fancies; for that is but facility, or softness; which taketh an honest mind prisoner. Neither give thou AEsop's cock a gem, who would be better pleased, and happier, if he had had a barley-corn. The example of God, teacheth the lesson truly: He sendeth his rain, and maketh his sun to shine, upon the just and unjust; but he doth not rain wealth, nor shine honor and virtues, upon men equally. Common benefits, are to be communicate with all; but peculiar benefits, with choice. And beware how in making the portraiture, thou breakest the pattern. For divinity, maketh the love of ourselves the pattern; the love of our neighbors, but the portraiture.Sell all thou hast, and give it to the poor, and follow me: but, sell not all thou hast, except thou come and follow me; that is, except thou have a vocation, wherein thou mayest do as much good,with little means as with great; for otherwise, infeeding the streams, thou driest the fountain. Neither is there only a habit of goodness, directed by right reason; but there is in some men, even in nature, a disposition towards it; as on the other side, there is a natural malignity. For there be, that in their nature do not affect the good of others. The lighter sort of malignity, turneth but to a crassness, or frowardness, or aptness to oppose, or difficulties, or the like; but the deeper sort, to envy and mere mischief. Such men, in other men's calamities, are, as it were, in season, and are ever on the loading part: not so good as the dogs, that licked Lazarus' sores; but like flies, that are still buzzing upon any thing that is raw; misanthropi, that make it their practice, to bring men to the bough, and yet never a tree for the purpose in their gardens, as Timon had. Such dispositions, are the very errors of human nature; and yet they are the fittest timber, to make great politics of; like to knee timber, that is good for ships, that are ordained to be tossed; but not for building houses, that shall stand firm. The parts and signs of goodness, are many. If a man be gracious and courteous to strangers, it shows he is a citizen of the world, and that his heart is no island, cut off from other lands, but a continent, that joins to them. If he be compassionate towards the afflictions of others, it shows that his heart is like the noble tree, that is wounded itself, when it gives the balm. If he easily pardons, and remits offences, it shows that his mind is planted above injuries; so that he cannot be shot. If he be thankful for small benefits, it shows that he weighs men's minds, and not their trash. But above all, if he have St. Paul's perfection, that he would wish to be anathema from Christ, for the salvation of his brethren, it shows much of a divine nature, and a kind of conformity with Christ himself.

我認(rèn)為善的定義就是有利于人類。這也就是古希臘人所謂“仁(Philanthropia)?；蛘?ldquo;人道精神”(humanity)，但意義還要深。

利人的品德人我認(rèn)為就是善。在性格中具有這種天然傾向的人，就是“仁者”。這是人類的一切精神和道德品格中最偉大的一種。因為它是屬于神的品格。如果人不具有這種品格，他就成為一種自私的、比禽獸好不了多少的東西。這種善的品格也許會犯錯誤，但卻永遠(yuǎn)不會過分。過分的權(quán)勢欲曾使得撒旦變成魔鬼。過分的求知欲也曾使人類的社先墮落。但唯有善的品格，無論對于神或人，都永遠(yuǎn)不會成為過分的東西。

向善的傾向可以說是人性所固有的。如果這種仁愛之心不施于人，也會施之于其他生物的。例如土耳其人是一個對人很殘忍的民族，但他們對狗和鳥等動物卻很仁慈。據(jù)伯斯貝斯的記述，有一個歐洲人在君士坦木丁堡，由于戲弄一只鳥，險些被當(dāng)人用石塊擊死。

但人性中這種仁善的傾向，有時也會犯錯誤。所以意大利有句嘲諷話：“他由于太仁慈，而成了一個窩囊廢。”馬基雅弗利曾寫道：“基督教的教義使人成為軟弱的羔羊，以供那些暴君享用。”他所以這樣說，是因為確實(shí)沒有任何其他法律、宗教或?qū)W說，比基督教更鼓勵人與人的愛了。但是為了不做濫施仁愛的傻子，我們就要注意，不要受有些人的假面具和私欲的欺弄，而變得太輕信和軟心腸。輕信和軟心腸其實(shí)常常是束縛老實(shí)人的枷鎖。比如我們就絕不應(yīng)該把一顆珍珠贈給伊索那只公雞——因為它本來只配得到一顆麥粒的。

《圣經(jīng)》中曾說：“天父使太陽照好人，也同樣照壞人。降雨給行善的，也給作惡的。”但上帝絕不把財富、榮譽(yù)和才能對人人平均分配。一般的福利應(yīng)該人人均沾。而特殊的榮耀就必須有所選擇。另外要小心，我們在做好事時，不要先毀了自己。神告訴我們：要像別人愛你那樣愛別人。——“去賣掉你所有的財產(chǎn)，贈給窮人，把財富積存在天上，然后跟我來”。但除非你已要跟神一道走，否則還是不要把你的一切都賣掉。

在人類中既有天然向善的傾向，也有天然向惡的傾向。那種虛榮、急躁、固執(zhí)的性格還不是最壞的，最惡的乃是嫉妒以至禍害他人。有一種人專靠落井下石，給別人制造災(zāi)禍來謀生——他們簡直還不如《圣經(jīng)》里那條以舔瘡為生的惡狗，而更像那種吸吮死尸汁液的蒼蠅。這種“憎厭人類者”(misanthropi)與雅典的泰門是正相反——雖然他們的園子里并沒有一棵能供他人使用的樹，卻不能做棟梁。因為船是注定要在海里顛簸的，而棟梁卻是必須能立定腳跟的。

善的天性有很多特征。如果一個人對外邦人也能溫和有禮，那么他就可以被稱作一個“世界的公民”——他的心與五洲四海是相通的。如果他對其他人的痛苦不幸有同情之心，那他的心必定十分美好，猶如那能流出汁液為人治傷痛的珍貴樹木。如果他能原諒寬容別人的冒犯，就證明他的心靈乃是超越了一切傷害的。如果他并不輕視別人對他的微不幫助，那就證他更重視的乃是人心而不是錢財。最后，如果一個人竟能像《圣經(jīng)》中的圣保羅那樣，肯為了兄弟們的得救甚至甘于忍受神的詛咒;那么他就必定超越了凡人，而且有真正基督徒的品格了。