July 18, 2015 How Should One Read a Book? 如何讀書?

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by 王瓊玉

2015-07-18 20:51:54, 回應(0), 人氣(995)

July 18, 2015

A Treasury of English Famous Essays

英美散文菁華

陳榮吉編譯

2. How Should One Read a Book? 如何讀書?

Virginia Woolf, 1882 – 1941, English authoress.

In the first place, I want to emphasize the note of interrogation at the end of my title. Even if I could answer the question for myself, the answer would apply only to me and not to you. The only advice, indeed, that one person can give another about reading is to take no advice, to follow your own instincts, to use your own reason, to come to your own conclusions. If this is agreed between us, then I feel at liberty to put forward a few ideas and suggestions because you will not allow them to fetter that independence which is the most important quality that a reader can possess.

After all, what laws can be laid down about books? The battle of Waterloo was certainly fought on a certain day; but is Hamlet a better play than Lear? Nobody can say. Each must decide that question of himself. To admit authorities, however heavily furred and gowned, into our libraries and let them tell us how to read, what to read, what value to place upon what we read, is to destroy the spirit of freedom which is the breath of those sanctuaries. Everywhere else we may be bound by laws and conventions – there we have none. But to enjoy freedom, if the platitude is pardonable, we have of course to control ourselves. We must not squander our powers, helplessly and ignorantly, squirting half the house in order to water a single rose-bush.

首先，我要強調一下在標題之後的問號;即使我能替自己回答這個問題，答案也只適合我而不適合你｡事實上，一個人能給於他人有關讀書的唯一忠告，就是不必聽從忠告，要憑自己的直覺，用自己的理由，想出自己的結論｡如果我們都同意這一點的話，那麼我才會放心地提出一些觀點和建議，因為你不會讓它們束縛了身為讀者所具有的最大特質–自主性｡

畢竟，有甚麼法則可以用來規範書本呢?[滑鐵盧之役]發生在哪一天無庸置疑的；然而[哈姆雷特]這齣戲是否比[李爾王]來得好呢?誰也說不上來，每個人必須自己決定此一問題｡允許專家權威，無論他是如何峨冠博帶，進入我們的書房，告訴我們怎麼讀書、讀甚麼書、如何評論我們讀過的書，無異扼殺了書房聖地賴以維繫的自由精神｡也許在別的地方我們都要受到規範和習俗的束縛-在書房則是例外｡可是，請容我舊調重彈，要享有自由我們當然要能夠自制，我們不要茫然無知地浪費精力，只為了澆一叢玫瑰，就把半棟房子給噴溼了｡