英国文学英文论文.doc

_ Term PaperBritish Literature Thesis： A Brief Analysis of Bacons Of Study College： The College of the Foreign Languages Major： English Name： Bao Junxiao Class Number: 0611 Lecturer： Jiang Yujiao Time： 2015-01 Scores: ContentsAbstract31. Introduction42. Background53. Current situation of study in the UK54. Structure of Of Studies64.1 The functions of study64.2 The methods of study74.2.1 Experience74.2.2 Application/obersavation74.2.3 Attitudes towards different books84.2.4 Studies without reading84.2.5 Selaction of books94.3 The benefits of reading95. Conclusion10Work Cited11Brief Analysis of Bacons Of StudyBao JunxiaoAbstract: Of studies is a prose written by Francis Bacon 400 years ago to explore studies bacon wrote 400 years. It is also a well-known masterpiece which is famous for its directness, terseness and forcefulness. Its focus rests on the importance of studying knowledge in terms of its practical application towards the individual. This paper aims to make an analysis of this masterpiece from structure and topic.Key words: study, knowledge1. IntroductionOne can not extend the length of his life, no matter how rich he is, no matter how strong he is. However, the width and thickness of life can be unlimitedly expanded and extended. The best way to realize it is to study. So how to gain eternal life in learning has been a hot topic which we must face. Knowledge is power comes from Francis Bacon. It is universally acknowledged that Francis Bacon(1561-1626) is a celebrated politician, philosopher and master of language in Great Britain. He devoted his latter half life to creative writing. Marx called him the true ancestor of British materialism and modern experimental science. He put forward some advanced ideas in many areas such as logic, aesthetics, pedagogy and so on.Bacons Essays is an epoch-making masterpiece in the world which affected a gReat number of people. It is equipped with all kinds of literary features of that time, such as tropes of rhetoric, sagacious thoughts, meaningful fun, particularly famous for its brevity, compactness and powerfulness. Of studies is one important part of Bacons Essays. It is an ever-lasting monument in English literature history, beginning with the functions of study and analysing its unusual significance for humans life. In addition, it tells the truth that defferent methods of reading lead to different consequence and at the same time different attitudes people hold towards reading have a great influence on the effect of learning.2. Background Bacon is one of the founders of modern materialism philosophy who established British philosophy of experience. He started the modern experimental philosophy and is regarded as the true ancestor of modern experimental science. His theory “knowledge is power” not only influenced the society at that time but also has realistic and important meaning in the social development after four hundred years.The enlightenment occurred in the middle of the 17th century and the 18th century in Europe and the United States. It was an ideological and cultural movement which mainly fought against the feudal and the church. Because of the unique political tradition, rational religious reform, the Puritan movement, advanced science and early bourgeois revolution, the UK become the birthplace of the Enlightenment in Europe.Deeply influenced by the scientific revolution, the British Enlightenment was equipped with not only the reason and faith in progress existing in the enlightenment thoughts of the whole Europe and the United States, but also characteristics of its own ideas. The enlightenment changed peoples way of thinking and attached great importance to the scientific researches on observation and experiment methods. It formed the unique way of thinking: empirical rationalism. Francis Bacon was the embracer of this kind of principle. Knowledge was the core of enlightenment and revolution. It produced new ideas, advanced science, furthered social progress and speeded up all-round development. Bacon wrote of studies to announce the most significant way to gain knowledge-Study.3. Current situation of study in the UKBritish people are known as first reader in Europe. According to UNESCO statistics about publications, Britains newly published books in 2005 were more than 200 thousand, while Americas 170 thousand and Chinas over 130 thousand. This also confirms that the British people love reading and have good reading habits from another side.So how good habits are formed? Some people think that it relates to their aristocratic features and the humanistic feelings, but more importantly, it results from peoples identification with the view of Bacon: studies serve for delight, for ornament, and for ability.Reading culture is fostered from childhood. Generally, British children begin to read from preschool. Parents will take their children to bookstores and encourage them to pick books they like. Even when a family goes out by train or by plane, parents and children can be seen holding books. British primary and secondary schools also advocate their students to cultivate good habit of reading at a young age. On “world reading day every year, there will be a variety of promotional activities at schools. These activities are not only to improve the skills of reading, but also to provide children with a place of communication.Finally it is worth mentioning that the maintenance and policy of society support the strong reading atmosphere. There are strict rules to protect the copyright of publications in Britain. And several libraries are setting up for people to learn. Of the respect for and protection for study, libraries become the idealistic source of many revolutionists, thinkers, poets and writers like Marx, Lenin and George Bernard Shaw. “To provide the best environment for readers equally is the intention pursued by the many British libraries.4. Structure of Of Studies4.1 The functions of study“Studies serve for delight, for ornament, and for ability. The delight lies in privations and retiring. The beauty lies in discourse; and the ability lies in the judgment and disposition of business”Studies have three functions: delight people; beautify people; and strengthen peoples ability. Nowadays, with the development of technology, many kinds of intelligentized and modernized things appear, and we have less and less time to read books. In most of their free time, people play or chat with telephone. Whats more, the young are facing heavy pressure, so it is a way to surf the internet, chat, play games. In the short term, it is good method to release pressure; in the long term, it does harm to ones growth.Actually, reading for two hours every night can greatly influence ones growth. Reading is a preserving process which changed from quantity to quality. When your accumulation of knowledge reaches a certain degree, they will be internalized to your own things, and then you realize the functions of study. we will not be unfamiliar with the idiom “厚积薄发. It comes from the old saying 君子厚积而薄发, meaning that one will be promising after a long time of accumulation. There is no doubt that the process of study is the process of accumulation. Some knowledge may be seldom used or even never be used, but as soon as they are used, we are handy with facility, like a duck into water. Otherwise, we can only be stretched, struggle with panic, and plaint alone Itiswhenyouareusingwhatyouhavelearnedfrombooksthatyouwishyouhadreadmorebooksthanyou have.4.2 The methods of study4.2.1 Experience “To spend too much time in studies is sloth; to use them too much for ornament, is affectation; to make judgment wholly by their rules, is the humor of a scholar. They perfect nature, and are perfected by experience: for natural abilities are like natural plants, which need pruning by study; and studies themselves do give forth directions too much at large, except they be bounded in by experience.”But study shouldnt be judged only by experience; also, knowledge can not be divorced from reality and exists alone. Experience and knowledge should supplement and complement each other. In Bacons view, these two aspects are indispensable knowledge accumulation to life. 4.2.2 Application/ Obersavation “Crafty men contemn studies, simple men admire them, and wise men use them; for they teach not their own use; but that is a wisdom without them, and above them, won by observation.”Attitudes towards studies decide how much to gain. It has become a common phenomenon that studies are not for progress but supposed to nitpick the authors to show their talents. Thats undoubtedly a kind of philistines. With such a kind of attitude towards study, how can you benefit from it? So Bacon warned us: “Crafty men contemn studies, simple men admire them, and wise men use them; for they teach not their own use; but that is a wisdom without them, and above them, won by observation.”Here Bacon mentioned the application of knowledge. People should study for applying knowledge, rather than study for study, or it would be a waste of time. A nerd regards study as a task while a wise man studies to improve his ability. For examples, stereotypedwriting in ancient, fixed template of English compositions and graduation thesis nowadays are all phenomena which show the failed Internalization of new knowledge. The situation that English compositions need templates is owing to the unsuccessful grasp of English-oriented thinking. In such a situation, students can neither make up an article with learned words and grammar, nor express their thoughts, beliefs and emotions in English. A wise man shall be good at drawing inferences about other cases from one instance and solving the same problems in different ways. That is the highest level of study. But how to realize the application of knowledge? Through observation.4.2.3 Attitudes towards different books “Read not to contradict and confute; nor to believe and take for granted; nor to find talk and discourse; but to weigh and consider.”Francis Bacon thinks that when people are reading, do not disagree hostilely and do not accept wholly without questioning. People should not focus on the words and sentences only, but consider wise thoughts back and forth as well.Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested; that is, some books are to be read only in parts; others to be read, but not curiously; and some few to be read wholly, and with diligence and attention.Some books also may be read by deputy, and extracts made of them by others; but that would be only in the less important arguments, and the meaner sort of books; else distilled books are, like common distilled waters, flashy things.Then Bacon raises three methods of reading. First, read some books in the way that people test the taste of foodread bits here and there. Second, read some books with little attention or without thorough understanding. Third, read some books carefully and slowly and then think about and understand the meaning or the important points of them.4.2.4 Studies without readingThe methods of studies, of course, cover the selection and appreciation of books these two aspects. However, to some extent, there is another method- “studies without reading”. That means, due to various reasons, the readers do not directly read the content of the book, but understand the basic idea and content by reading articles or notes of others. Thats method the modern usually take. There are a variety of reasons for “studies without reading”. First, the original works cannot be obtained. Readers read others notes or comments to cater to the wishes. Second, readers have too limited time to finish the whole books. So they have to seek a shortcut to understand the main idea.4.2.5 Selection of booksHowever, for numerous students in pursuit of knowledge, it is necessary to makeoverallplansandtakeallfactorsintoconsideration,or you will get into the mire of the conformity. About this, Bacon said: “Some books also may be read by deputy, and extracts made of them by others; but that would be only in the less important arguments, and the meaner sort of books; else distilled books are, like common distilled waters, flashy things.”There was such a scenario in the film Lenin in 1918 of Former Soviet Union: in order to avoid the chase of agents, Lenin hid in his friends house. In the evening, his friend Vassili brought some books to him. Lenin divided those book into two categories and then told Vassili what kind of books can be a pillow and what kind of books should be support. Books that can be pillows are worth reading carefully and thinking deeply while books that should be support are mediocre ones with pompous style and superficial thoughts. It is coincident with Bacons opinions on studies: “Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested; that is, some books are to be read only in parts; others to be read, but not curiously; and some few to be read wholly, and with diligence and attention.”Nowadays, there are a lot ofshampassed away asthegenuine on book market. Some are not worth tasting. So it is very necessary to choose the suitable books to read.4.3 The benefits of reading“Reading makea full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man. And therefore, if a man write little, he had needed have a great memory; if he confer little, he had need have a present wit; and if he read little, he had need have much cunning, to seem to know that he doth not.”Gorky said: books are the ladder of humans progress. Books can improve cultural quality, extend ideologicallevel and develop potential wisdom. Reading can enrich your mental activities; can improve the state of spirit; can help to debate with scholars. Lu Xun once said, books of reading must be mixed. Therefore he advocated looking though the books to supervise and urge scholars to expand their horizons, deepen their knowledge structure. Following the predecessors saying 读万卷书行万里路, we should pay more attention to considerable thoughts. Just like Bacon said: “History make men wise; poets witty; the mathematics subtle; natural philosophy deep; moral grave; logic and rhetoric able to contend.” Peoples cognition is a coordination process of thinking, memory, perception, emotion, analysis ability. If a person is given priority to image memory, then image thinking dominates his mind; if one is given priority to symbols memory, then his mind is dominated by logical thinking. Learning maths can help us to enhance our logical ability; reading a large number of legal cases can help us to improve our reasoning ability; reading books on ethics can help us to enhance our moral accomplishment; reading books on psychology can help us to develop and coordinate psychological functions. So, we say knowledge can rebuild the characters.“Nay there is no stand or impediment in the wit, but may be wrought out by fit studies: like as diseases of the body may have appropriate exercises. Bowling is good for the stone and reins; shooting for the lungs and breast; gentle walking for the stomach; riding for the head; and the like.So if a mans wit be wandering, let him study the mathematics; for in demonstrations, if his wit be called away never so little, he must begin again. If his wit be not apt to distinguish or find differences, let him study the schoolmen; for they are cymene sectors. If he be not apt to beat over matters, and to call up one thing to prove and illustrate another, let him study the lawyers cases. So every defect of the mind may have a special receipt.”People would not only suffer on the body, but on spirit as well. For mental defects, we should also suit the remedy to the case to improve the ability of self-cognition. 5. ConclusionOf studies is just a short article of Bacons Essays, in which every sentence was given profound significance and his wisdom. There is no extraggeration that Francis Bacon came up with a totally new idea that has enlightened the whole human beings. Hegel once commented on him: although his works are full of the most beautiful and clever speeches, it takes little rational efforts to understand the