名篇背诵：Of Youth and Age 论青年与老年

Of Youth and Age 论青年与老年

弗朗西斯·培根(Francis Bacon)

A man that is young in years, may be old in hours, if he has lost no time. But that happens rarely. Generally, youth is like the first cogitations , not so wise as the second. For there is a youth in thoughts, as well as in ages.

And yet the invention of young men, is more lively than that of old; and imaginations stream into their minds better, and, as it were, more divinely. Natures that have much heat, and great and violent desires and perturbations , are not ripe for action, till they have passed the meridian of their years; as it was with Julius Caesar and Septimius Severus ...

Young men are fitter to invent, than to judge; fitter for execution, than for counsel; and fitter for new projects, than for settled business. For the experience of age, in things that fall within the compass of it, directs them; but in new things, abuses them.

The errors of young men, are the ruin of business; but the errors of aged men, amount but to this, that more might have been done, or sooner. Young men, in the conduct and manage of actions, embrace more than they can hold; stir more than they can quiet; fly to the end, without consideration of the means and degrees; pursue some few principles, which they have chanced upon absurdly; care not to innovate, which draws unknown inconveniences; use extreme remedies at first; and, that which doubles all errors, will not acknowledge or retract them; like an unready horse, that will neither stop nor turn. Men of age object too much, consult too long, adventure too little, repent too soon, and seldom drive business home to the full period, but content themselves with a mediocrity of success. Certainly it is good to compound employments of both; for that will be good for the present, because the virtues of either age, may correct the defects of both; and good for succession, that young men may be learners, while men in age are actors; and, lastly, good for extern accidents, because authority follows old men, and favor and popularity, youth. But for the moral part, perhaps youth will have the pre-eminence, as age has for the politic .

- cogitation [ˌkɒdʒɪˈteɪʃn] n. 深思熟虑

- perturbation [ˌpɜːtɜːˈbeɪʃn] n. 紊乱，不安

- meridian [məˈrɪdɪən] n. 壮年，盛年

Septimius Severus 古罗马皇帝

- mediocrity [ˌmiːdɪˈɒkrətɪ] n. 平凡，平庸的人

- politic [ˈpɒlɪtɪk] a. (人)精明的，有策略的

一个人假使不曾虚度光阴，年岁不大也可表现得成熟老练，只不过这种情况少有发生罢了。通常，青年谋划不过长者，智慧也不及他们少年老成的同龄人。因为深思未必出自风霜，岁月同样可见年轻。

但青年的创造力比老年人更为活跃，想象力也如泉涌一样奔放灵活，这可以说是上天所赐。天性刚烈、心怀热望、情绪敏感的人不历经中年，行事总是青涩，恺撒和塞维拉斯即为例证……

青年擅长创造却缺乏判断，擅长行动却缺乏商讨，擅长革新却缺乏对经验的借鉴。而老年人经验丰富，凭经验就能办成的事他们驾轻就熟，但对待新事物他们则会滥用经验，墨守成规。

青年人犯错往往毁坏大局，而老年人的错则是迈步太小或行动太缓。无论谋事还是操行，青年都骛远喜功，基调高，幅度大，好走极端；他们藐视前例，目空一切，革新的勇气绰绰有余，而欠方式和分寸上的考虑，结果反而招致意外的麻烦。他们有如不驯的野马，行事极端而不知自救，一旦开始犯错，就一泻千里，不知回头。老年人呢，他们顾忌太多，议论过长，宁求安稳，不愿冒险，总是满足于成绩平平而不向往极致的辉煌。毫无疑问，最好是将两者的特点结合。就现在来说，青年和老年可以互相取长补短。就发展来说，老年人是主事者，而青年人可以学习取经。最后就社会来说，老年人以权威之姿指引方向，青年人则能振奋民心、鼓舞士气。但如果从道德上讲，老年人的阅历是珍贵的，那么，青年人的纯真则在人性中熠熠闪光。

弗朗西斯·培根（Francis Bacon，1561年1月22日—1626年4月9日）是英国文艺复兴时期的重要人物，以其在哲学、科学和文学方面的贡献而闻名。他被誉为现代科学方法的奠基人之一，对实验与归纳法的发展产生了深远影响。

培根提出了一种新的科学方法，被称为“归纳法”。他认为科学研究应当通过观察和实验，从具体事实中得出一般规律，而不是依赖于传统权威或先验的推理。

他的著作《新工具》（Novum Organum）是这方面的代表性作品，通过批判亚里士多德的演绎法，倡导通过系统的实验和观察来获得知识。