爱情与婚姻英文散文翻译（论结婚和独身双语散文阅读）

再送上一篇短小却经典的散文《论结婚和独身》，虽然过去了几个世纪，但现在读来依旧可以有所启迪。

Of Marriage and Single Life

HE THAT hath wife and children hath given hostages to fortune; for they are impediments to great enterprises, either of virtue or mischief. Certainly the best works, and of greatest merit for the public, have proceeded from the unmarried or childless men; which both in affection and means, have married and endowed the public. Yet it were great reason that those that have children, should have greatest care of future times; unto which they know they must transmit their dearest pledges.

有妻子儿女者已向命运出具抵押品，无论善恶，妻子儿女都于伟业有碍。唯无妻室或无子女者方能献身公众，筑丰功伟绩，因其已将爱情和财产俱献于公众矣。有子女者最关心将来，因其明白必得将至亲骨肉托付于之。

Some there are, who though they lead a single life, yet their thoughts do end with themselves, and account future times impertinences. Nay, there are some other, that account wife and children, but as bills of charges. Nay more, there are some foolish rich covetous men, that take a pride, in having no children, because they may be thought so much the richer. For perhaps they have heard some talk, Such an one is a great rich man, and another except to it, Yea, but he hath a great charge of children; as if it were an abatement to his riches. But the most ordinary cause of a single life, is liberty, especially in certain self-pleasing and humorous minds, which are so sensible of every restraint, as they will go near to think their girdles and garters, to be bonds and shackles.

有独身者只虑及自身，视将来与己无关。有人则视妻子儿女为经济负担。更有富人愚蠢而贪婪，竟以无儿女为荣，因其以为如此更为富裕。这种人或曾听闻有人曰此人大富，又有人曰奈何有子女拖累，似乎子女与其财富有损。然独身原因以好自由最为常见，尤其自诩任性之人不耐束缚，几乎视腰带、袜带亦为桎梏。

Unmarried men are best friends, best masters, best servants; but not always best subjects; for they are light to run away; and almost all fugitives, are of that condition.

独身生活适合教会中人，因其善行必先注满一家之池，然之后已无余泽注满遗地，难惠及众人矣。独身与否与法官和地方行政官无甚关系，因若其溜须拍马、贪污腐败，则其一仆之害五倍于妻。至于士兵，余见将帅常以妻儿子女鼓舞之，土耳其人鄙视婚姻，因此其士兵更为可鄙。

A single life doth well with churchmen; for charity will hardly water the ground, where it must first fill a pool. It is indifferent for judges and magistrates; for if they be facile and corrupt, you shall have a servant, five times worse than a wife. For soldiers, I find the generals commonly in their hortatives, put men in mind of their wives and children; and I think the despising of marriage amongst the Turks, maketh the vulgar soldier more base.

未婚者因其易逃，因此虽为友、为主、为仆，皆为上佳之选，然为人臣则不然，君不见几乎所有逃犯皆为未婚者。

Certainly wife and children are a kind of discipline of humanity; and single men, though they may be many times more charitable, because their means are less exhaust, yet, on the other side, they are more cruel and hardhearted (good to make severe inquisitors), because their tenderness is not so oft called upon. Grave natures, led by custom, and therefore constant, are commonly loving husbands, as was said of Ulysses, vetulam suam praetulit immortalitati.（He preferred his wife to immortality.）

诚然妻子儿女为人之约束，较之已婚者，独身者资财少损，似更颇慷慨，然因其柔肠少触，残酷更甚，于严厉审判者而言，极为适宜。庄重之人，循规蹈矩，矢志不渝，为夫常笃爱妻子，如人言，尤利西斯爱老妻胜过长生。

Chaste women are often proud and froward, as presuming upon the merit of their chastity. It is one of the best bonds, both of chastity and obedience, in the wife, if she think her husband wise; which she will never do, if she find him jealous. Wives are young mens mistresses; companions for middle age; and old mens nurses. So as a man may have a quarrel to marry, when he will.

But yet he was reputed one of the wise men, that made answer to the question, when a man should marry, - A young man not yet, an elder man not at all. It is often seen that bad husbands, have very good wives; whether it be, that it raiseth the price of their husbands kindness, when it comes; or that the wives take a pride in their patience. But this never fails, if the bad husbands were of their own choosing, against their friends consent; for then they will be sure to make good their own folly.

贞洁之妇，自制贞洁，为人常骄傲不逊。若妻子以为丈夫睿智，则其贞洁顺从皆可受缚。若妻子发现丈夫善妒，则其贞洁顺从再无保障。妻者，青年之情人，中年之伴侣，老年之护士也。于是，若想结婚，何时均可。然有人问何时当婚，曾有一人答曰：年轻未到时，老年不必矣，此亦为智者。常见恶夫配良妻，是否因恶夫偶尔为善，更彰显其难能可贵，亦或是此类妻子以其忍耐为傲。诚然若其恶夫乃不顾朋友反对而择之，则必得弥补一己之失策也。

弗朗西斯·培根

（1561一1626）

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Francis Bacon was an English philosopher, statesman, scientist, jurist, orator, and author. After his death, he remained extremely influential through his works, especially as philosophical advocate and practitioner of the scientific method during the scientific revolution.

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