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，何樂不爲?

　　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.

關於神、寧可毫無意見，也比有意見而這種意見是與神不稱的好。因爲前者是不信而後者是侮辱也，迷信則的確是侮辱神明的。關於這一點普盧塔克說得很好。他說：“我寧願人家說從沒有過普盧塔克這麼一個人，而不願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.

就如詩人們關於塞特恩的所言一樣。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，而在人底心裏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，因爲無神論使人謹慎自謀，因爲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。迷信底主人公是民衆;在一切迷信之中，有智的人是隨從着愚人的，並且理論是跟着一種顛倒的次序，拿來適應行爲的。在串特會議中——在該會議中經院派的學者們是很佔優勢的——有些高級教士曾有如下的意味甚深的話。他們說經院派中人有如天文學家。天文學家假設離心圈、本輪、及此類的軌道諸說以解釋天文上的現象，雖然他們知道是沒有這種東西的;同樣，經院派的學者們構造了許多奧妙複雜的原理和定律以解釋教會底行爲。

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：悅人耳目諸官的禮儀;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;高級僧侶爲私人底野心或財富而設的計謀;過於愛重個人底“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，這是一定要產生雜亂的狂想的;最後，還有野蠻的時代，尤其是與災禍有關的時代。迷信若無遮掩則是一種殘缺醜惡的東西;譬如一隻猿猴，因爲它太象人了所以更加醜惡;所以迷信的類似宗教之處也使其更爲醜惡。又，有如好肉腐化而成小蛆一般，良好的儀式及規律也可以腐化而成爲許多瑣細的儀節。

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.

有時人們以爲他們若對於以往的迷信離得最遠那就是最好的行爲，在這種時候就有了一種反迷信的迷信;因此應當留心不要(象滌除體內積毒而施術不善時所發生的情形一樣)把好的同壞的一齊去掉了;這種事情當一般民衆來做改革家的時候是會做出來的。