弗朗西斯培根《论财富》（中英文互译）

弗朗西斯·培根（FrancisBacon，1561—1626），第一代圣阿尔本子爵（1stViscountStAlban），英国文艺复兴时期的散文家、唯物主义哲学家、实验科学和近代归纳法的创始人，为科学研究程序进行逻辑组织化的先驱。OfRiches论财富

ByFrancisBacon

ICANNOTcallrichesbetterthanthebaggageofvirtue.TheRomanwordisbetter,impedimenta.Forasthebaggageistoanarmy,soisrichestovirtue.Itcannotbespared,norleftbehind,butithindereththemarch;yea,andthecareofit,sometimeslosethordisturbeththevictory.Ofgreatrichesthereisnorealuse,exceptitbeinthedistribution;therestisbutconceit.SosaithSolomon,Wheremuchis,therearemanytoconsumeit;andwhathaththeowner,butthesightofitwithhiseyes?Thepersonalfruitioninanyman,cannotreachtofeelgreatriches:thereisacustodyofthem;orapowerofdole,anddonativeofthem;orafameofthem;butnosolidusetotheowner.Doyounotseewhatfeignedprices,aresetuponlittlestonesandrarities?andwhatworksofostentationareundertaken,becausetheremightseemtobesomeuseofgreatriches?Butthenyouwillsay,theymaybeofuse,tobuymenoutofdangersortroubles.AsSolomonsaith,Richesareasastronghold,intheimaginationoftherichman.Butthisisexcellentlyexpressed,thatitisinimagination,andnotalwaysinfact.Forcertainlygreatriches,havesoldmoremen,thantheyhaveboughtout.Seeknotproudriches,butsuchasthoumayestgetjustly,usesoberly,distributecheerfully,andleavecontentedly.Yethavenoabstractnorfriarlycontemptofthem.Butdistinguish,asCicerosaithwellofRabiriusPosthumus,Instudioreiamplificandaeapparebat,nonavaritiaepraedam,sedinstrumentumbonitatiquaeri.HarkenalsotoSolomon,andbewareofhastygatheringofriches;Quifestinataddivitias,noneritinsons.笔者认为财富不过是德行的包袱。包袱一词用拉丁字眼impedimenta更好，因为财富之于德行，不啻辎重之于军队。辎重不可缺少，亦不可滞后，但它每每有碍行军，有时为顾辎重甚至会贻误战机或妨碍胜利。巨额财富无什么真正的用处，除修斋布施之外，其他用途均属幻想。因此所罗门有言：财物越多，食者越众；除了饱饱眼福，财主得何益呢？任何人的个人享用都不可能达到非要巨额钱财的地步，有巨额钱财者只是保管着钱财，或拥有施舍捐赠的权利，或享有富豪的名声，但钱财于他们并无实用的用处。君不见有人为几粒石子或罕见之物开出天价？君不见有人为使巨额财富显得有用而着手某些铺张的工程？不过读者也许会说，钱财可以替人消灾化难，正如所罗门之言：钱财在富人心里就像一座城堡。然此言正好道破天机，那城堡是在心里，而绝非在现实之中；因为不可否认，钱财替人招灾致祸的时候远远多于替人消灾化难的时候。别为炫耀而追求财富，只挣你取之有道、用之有度、施之有乐且遗之有慰的钱财。但也别像修道士那样不食人间烟火，对金钱全然不屑一顾。只是挣钱要分清有道无道，就像西赛罗当年替波斯图穆斯辩护时所说：他追求财富增加显然不是为满足其贪婪之心，而是为了得到行善的资力。还应听从所罗门的教诲，别急欲发财，“急欲发财者将失去其清白”。Thepoetsfeign,thatwhenPlutus(whichisRiches)issentfromJupiter,helimpsandgoesslowly;butwhenheissentfromPluto,heruns,andisswiftoffoot.Meaningthatrichesgottenbygoodmeans,andjustlabor,paceslowly;butwhentheycomebythedeathofothers(asbythecourseofinheritance,testaments,andthelike),theycometumblinguponaman.ButitmoughtbeappliedlikewisetoPluto,takinghimforthedevil.Forwhenrichescomefromthedevil(asbyfraudandoppression,andunjustmeans),theycomeuponspeed.Thewaystoenricharemany,andmostofthemfoul.Parsimonyisoneofthebest,andyetisnotinnocent;foritwithholdethmenfromworksofliberalityandcharity.Theimprovementoftheground,isthemostnaturalobtainingofriches;foritisourgreatmother’sblessing,theearth’s;butitisslow.Andyetwheremenofgreatwealthdostooptohusbandry,itmultipliethrichesexceedingly.IknewanoblemaninEngland,thathadthegreatestauditsofanymaninmytime;agreatgrazier,agreatsheep-master,agreattimberman,agreatcollier,agreatcorn-master,agreatlead-man,andsoofiron,andanumberofthelikepointsofhusbandry.Soastheearthseemedaseatohim,inrespectoftheperpetualimportation.在诗人的虚构中，财神普路图斯受天帝朱庇特派遣时总是磨磨蹭蹭，而受冥王普路托差遣时却跑得飞快。这段虚构的寓意是，靠诚实和汗水致富通常很慢，但靠他人的死亡发财（如继承遗产之类）则快如钱财从天而降。但若把普路托视为魔鬼，这种虚构也恰如其分；因为当财富来自魔鬼时（如靠欺诈、压迫和其他不公正的手段获取财富），的确来得很快。致富的途径千条万条，可多半都是邪路歪道；其中吝啬最为清白，但也并非清白无瑕，因为它阻止世人乐善好施。利用土地致富是最合理的生财之道，因土地提供的财富乃大地之母的恩赐，只是走这条路致富较慢。但已有万贯家财者若肯屈尊经营土地，其家财定会成倍增加。笔者曾识一位英格兰贵族，他当时需审计的账目为全国之最，因为他拥有大片的麦田、林场、牧场和羊群，还拥有巨大的煤矿、铅矿、铁矿和诸如此类的产业，所以大地于他就像是一片财源滚滚且永不枯竭的海洋。

Itwastrulyobservedbyone,thathimselfcameveryhardly,toalittleriches,andveryeasily,togreatriches.Forwhenaman’sstockiscometothat,thathecanexpecttheprimeofmarkets,andovercomethosebargains,whichfortheirgreatnessarefewmen’smoney,andbepartnerintheindustriesofyoungermen,hecannotbutincreasemainly.Thegainsofordinarytradesandvocationsarehonest;andfurtheredbytwothingschiefly:bydiligence,andbyagoodname,forgoodandfairdealing.Butthegainsofbargains,areofamoredoubtfulnature;whenmenshallwaituponothers’necessity,brokebyservantsandinstrumentstodrawthemon,putoffotherscunningly,thatwouldbebetterchapmen,andthelikepractices,whicharecraftyandnaught.Asforthechoppingofbargains,whenamanbuysnottoholdbuttoselloveragain,thatcommonlygrindethdouble,bothupontheseller,anduponthebuyer.Sharingsdogreatlyenrich,ifthehandsbewellchosen,thataretrusted.Usuryisthecertainestmeansofgain,thoughoneoftheworst;asthatwherebyamandotheathisbread,insudorevultusalieni;andbesides,dothploughuponSundays.Butyetcertainthoughitbe,ithathflaws;forthatthescrivenersandbrokersdovalueunsoundmen,toservetheirownturn.Thefortuneinbeingthefirst,inaninventionorinaprivilege,dothcausesometimesawonderfulovergrowthinriches;asitwaswiththefirstsugarman,intheCanaries.Thereforeifamancanplaythetruelogician,tohaveaswelljudgment,asinvention,hemaydogreatmatters;especiallyifthetimesbefit.Hethatrestethupongainscertain,shallhardlygrowtogreatriches;andhethatputsalluponadventures,dothoftentimesbreakandcometopoverty:itisgood,therefore,toguardadventureswithcertainties,thatmayupholdlosses.Monopolies,andcoemptionofwaresforre-sale,wheretheyarenotrestrained,aregreatmeanstoenrich;especiallyifthepartyhaveintelligence,whatthingsareliketocomeintorequest,andsostorehimselfbeforehand.Richesgottenbyservice,thoughitbeofthebestrise,yetwhentheyaregottenbyflattery,feedinghumors,andotherservileconditions,theymaybeplacedamongsttheworst.Asforfishingfortestamentsandexecutorships(asTacitussaithofSeneca,testamentaetorbostamquamindaginecapi),itisyetworse;byhowmuchmensubmitthemselvestomeanerpersons,thaninservice.有人说他挣小钱很难赚大钱却很容易，此话一点不假。因为一个人若像他那样拥有雄厚的资金，便可囤积居奇，恃强凌弱并与人合伙经营年轻人的行当，这样他非赚大钱不可。一般行当和职业挣的是老实钱，其挣钱手段主要有二：一是勤劳奋勉，二是童叟无欺。但靠讲盘议价而盈利，其公道就令人生疑；凡乘人急需而漫天要价，凡贿赂雇员和代理人而招揽生意，或是耍手腕排挤其他可能更公平的商人等等，都是奸诈卑劣之举。至于做投机买卖，即购物并非为自己所用，而是为了再高价出售，这对原卖主和二手顾客都可谓敲诈。如果选择的搭档可靠，合伙经营通常有大利可图。放债取息乃最可靠的发财之路，但也是最有害的邪路，因放债取息者不仅让别人流汗自己吃面包，而且还在安息日盈利。不过放债取息虽说可靠，但也并非没有风险，因公证人和中间人常常为了私利替没有偿还能力的人作信誉担保。若有幸率先获得某项发明或某项专利，有时候也可大发横财，如最先在加那利群岛建糖厂的那人。因此，一个人若能充当真正的逻辑学家，即善于发现又善于判断，那他就可以大捞一把，尤其是遇上走运得幸之时。靠固定收入生活者终归难成巨富，而倾其所有投机者又往往会倾家荡产；所以最好是有份固定收入作投机冒险的后盾，这样即使投机失败也有退路。在没有法律限制的地方，垄断商品并囤积待售乃发财之重要手段，在当事者能预见何种商品将供不应求，从而事先囤积时更是如此。出仕受禄固然最为风光，但若俸禄之获取是靠阿谀奉承、偷合苟容或其它奴颜婢膝的行径，那这种钱亦可列为最卑污之类。至于攫取遗嘱及遗嘱执行人身份（像塔西佗所说的塞内加那样用网捕捞遗嘱和遗孤监护权），这比前者更为卑污，因前者讨好的毕竟是公侯君王，而后者得讨好一些卑鄙小人。Believenotmuch,themthatseemtodespiseriches;fortheydespisethem,thatdespairofthem;andnoneworse,whentheycometothem.Benotpenny-wise;richeshavewings,andsometimestheyflyawayofthemselves,sometimestheymustbesetflying,tobringinmore.Menleavetheirriches,eithertotheirkindred,ortothepublic;andmoderateportions,prosperbestinboth.Agr