世界上最优美的散文--人生短篇-第3章
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class a certain quantity of inert knowledge。 you take a textbook and make them learn it。 so far； so good。 the child then k nows how to solve a quadratic equation。 but what is the point of teaching a chil d to solve a quadratic equation。 there is a traditional answer to this question。 it runs thus： the mind is an instrument； you first sharpen it； and then use it； the acquisition of the power of solving a quadratic equation is part of the pro cess of sharpening the mind。 now there is just enough truth in this answer to ha ve made it live through the ages。 but for all its halftruth； it embodies a rad ical error which bids fair to stifle the genius of the modern world。 i do not kn ow who was first responsible for this analogy of the mind to a dead instrument。 for aught i know； it may have been one of the seven wise men of greece； or a com mittee of the whole lot of them。 whoever was the originator； there can be no dou bt of the authority which it has acquired by the continuous approval bestowed up on it by eminent persons。but whatever its weight of authority； whatever the high approval which it can quote； i have no hesitation in denouncing it as one of th e most fatal； erroneous； and dangerous conceptions ever introduced into the theo ry of education。 the mind is never passive； it is a perpetual activity； delicate ； receptive； responsive to stimulus。you cannot postpone its life until you have sharpened it。 whatever interest attaches to your subjectmatter must be evoked hele and now； whatever powers you are strengthening in the pupil； must be exe rcised here and now； whatever possibilities of mental life your teaching should impart； must be exhibited here and now。that is the golden rule of education； and a very difficult rule to follow。
the difficulty is just this： the apprehension of general ideas； intellectual habits of mind； and pleasurable interest in mental achievement can be evoked by no form of words； however acomurately adjusted。 all practical teachers know that education is a patient process of the mastery of details； minute by minute； hou r by hour； day by day。there is no royal roads to learning through an airy path o f brilliant generalizations。there is a proverb about the difficulty of seeing th e wood because of the trees。 that difficulty is exatly the point which i am enfo rcing。 the problem of education is to make the pupil see the wood by means of th e trees。
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again； there is not one course of study which merely gives general culture； and another which gives special knowledge。 the subjects pursued for the sake of a general education are special subjects specially studied； and； on the other ha nd； one of the ways of encouraging general mental activity is to foster a specia l devotion。 you may not divide the seamless coat of learning。 what education has to impart is an intimate sense for the power of ideas； for the beauty of ideas； and for the structure of ideas together with a particular body of knowledge whi ch has peculiar reference to the life of the being possessing it。
the appreciation of the structure of ideas is that side of a cultured mind w hich can only grow under the influence of a special study。 i mean that eye for t he whole chessboard； for the bearing of one set of ideas on another。nothing bu t a special study can give any appreciation for the exact formulation of general ideas； for their relations when formulated； for their service in the comprehens ion of life。 a mind so disciplined should be both more abstract and more concret e。 it has been trained in the comprehension of abstract thought and in the analy sis of facts。
莎士比亚的仙岛
乔治。吉辛
乔治。吉辛（1857—1903），英国小说家与散文作者。出身寒苦，1880年后开始靠教书 为生，同时为出版家编校稿件和撰写小说。自此时起一生所著小说不下十六七部，此外尚有 散文游记与评论多种。
今天我读了《暴风雨》……在我因生于英国而自豪的理由中，有一个就是我能以我的母 语来阅读莎士比亚的著作。我曾设想，如果我对于他是相识不能相见，声音在远处只是依稀 可辨，又要经过冥思苦想才能明白他的话语的真正含义，那我一定会饮誉受挫；若有所失了 。我一向自以为能读荷马，并且深信自己有欣赏荷马的能力，但是我曾梦想过荷马已把他的 全部音乐知识传授于我。对我来说，他的言语如同古希腊当时漫步于海滨的人们一样深沉。 我深知，经过岁月的洗涤；最终我能获得的只不过是一点微弱的回声罢了。我深知；这个回声 会变得更加脆弱；若不是因为它和青春的记忆相连；闪烁着世界古代全盛时期的容光，愿每块 土地都能愉悦它的诗人。因为诗人就是这块土地，体现着她的伟大与芳馨；是人们为之生死 的不可言传的遗产。当我合拢书卷的时候，一种爱慕与崇敬的感情深深地支配着我。我的满 腔热诚都给予了这位伟人的法术，还是倾倒在被他撒下魅力的仙岛上了呢。我不清楚。在我 的意识中我已不能将它们分开。崇高的声音唤起了爱慕与崇敬的情感，莎士比亚与英吉利已 经成为一体。
shakespeare's island
george gissing
today i have read the tempest …among the many reasons which make me glad to have been born in england； one of the first is that i read shakespeare in my mother tongue。 if i try to imagine myself as ono who cannot know him face to fac e； who hears him only speaking from afar； and that in acoments which only through the labouring intelligence can touch the living soul； there comes upon me a sen se of chill discouragement； of dreary deprivation。 i am wont to think that i can read homer； and； assuredly； if any man enjoys him； it is i； but can i for a mom ent dream that homer yields me all his music； that his word is to me as to him w ho walked by the hellenic shore when hellas lived。 i know that there reaches me across the vast of time no more than a faint and broken echo；i know that it woul d be fainter still； but for its blending with those memories of youth which are as a glimmer of the world's primeval glory。 let every land have joy of its poet； for the poet is the land itself； all its greatness and its sweetness； all that incommunicable heritage for which men live and die。 as i close the book； love an d reverence possess me。 whether does my full heart turn to the great enchanter； or to the island upon which he has laid his spell。 i know not。 i cannot think of them apart。 in the love and reverence awakened by that voice of voices；shakespe are and england are but one。
适合的才是最好的
威廉。赫兹里特
词汇的严格意义不在词汇本身，而在词汇的应用。一个单词可能音节嘹亮，字母很多， 单就它的学术价值和新奇感来说，可能是令人叹赏的，然而把它放在具体的语境中，也可能 毫无意义。不是依靠词汇的华丽和夸张；而是对作者主题的贴切适用；才能表达作者的写作意 图。正如在建筑中，不必在意材料的大小和光泽，只要它们用在那里砌合得完整严实；就能 牢固地支撑拱门。又或是在建筑物中，木楔和钉子的支撑作用有时竟与大件木料同等重要， 它的作用远远胜过那些徒有其表、不切实用的装饰部件。我讨厌那些白占地方的东西，讨厌 满载一大堆空纸盒的车招摇过市，也讨厌堆砌那些大而无实际内容的词汇。一个人写文章， 只要他不是故意用重重锦绣帐幔、多余伪装完全遮掩自己的写作意图，他总会从熟悉的日常 用语中想出一二十种说法，这种语言更接近他所要表达的情感，最后，他就会因为不知道挑 选哪一种说法能更好地表达自己而发愁！这样看来，考拜特先生所谓的第一印象就是最好的 说法未必可靠。这样出现的字眼也许很好，可是经过一次次推敲，就会发现更好的字眼。这 种字眼，也许来源于自然的暗示，但经过对主题清新活泼的观念思维，会自然而然地想到。
suit is best
william hazlitt
the proper force of words lies not in the words themselves； but in their app lication。 a word may be a fine sounding word； of an unusual length； and very imp osing from its learning and novelty； and yet in the connection in which it is in troduced may be quite pointless and irrelevant； it is not pomp or pretension； bu t the adaptation of the expression to the idea； that clenches a writer's meaning ： as it is not the size or glossiness of the materials； but their being fitted e ach to its place； that gives strength to the arch； or as the pegs and nails are as necessary to the support of the building as the larger timbers； and more so t han the mere showy； unsubstantial ornaments。 i hate anything that ocomupies more space than it is worth。 i hate to see a load of bandboxes go along the street； a nd i hate to see a parcel of big words without anything in them。 a person who de ws not deliberately dimples of all his thoughts alike in cumbrous draperies and flimsy disguises may strike out twenty varieties of familiar everyday language； each coming somewhat nearer to the feeling he wants to convey； and at last not h it upon that particular and only one which may be said to be identical with the exact impression in his mind。 this would seem to show that mr。 cobalt is hardly right in saying that the first word that ocomurs is always the best。 it may be a very good one； and yet a better may present itself on reflection or from time to time。 it may be suggested naturally； however； and spontaneously； from a fresh a nd lively conception of the subject。
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书 友
塞缪尔。斯迈尔斯
塞缪尔。斯迈尔斯（1812—1904），英国传记作家与青少年道德修养书籍作者。他所写的 《品格的力量》、《自励》等书都是人们争相传颂的经典。
与什么书为伴；就像与什么人为伴一样；都能体现一个人的品格。有以人为伴的；也有以 书为伴的。无论是书友或朋友，我们都应该慎重选择；与佳为伴。
好书犹如知己。不管过去；现在，还是将来；它都始终如一。它是最有耐心、最令人愉快 的伴侣。困难之际；它也不离不弃。
