Intelligent Reading 聪明的读书方法

阿诺德·本纳特(Arnold Bennett)

In your reading you must have in view some definite aim — some aim other than the wish to derive pleasure. I conceive that to give pleasure is the highest end of any work of art, because the pleasure procured from any art is tonic . But the maximum of pleasure can only be obtained by regular effort, and regular effort implies the organization of that effort. Open-air walking is a glorious exercise; it is the walking itself which is glorious. Nevertheless, when setting out for walking exercise, the sane man generally has a subsidiary aim in view. He says to himself either that he will reach a given point, or that he will progress at a given speed for a given distance, or that he will remain on his feet for a given time. He organizes his effort, partly in order that he may combine some other advantage with the advantage of walking, but principally in order to be sure that the effort shall be an adequate effort. The same with reading. Your paramount aim in poring over literature is to enjoy, but you will not fully achieve that aim unless you have also a subsidiary aim. Your subsidiary aim may be aesthetic, moral, political, religious, scientific, erudite ; you may devote yourself to a man, a topic, an epoch, a nation, a branch of literature, an idea — you have the widest latitude in the choice of an objective; but a definite objective you must have.

- procure [prəˈkjʊə] v. (通过努力而)获得

- tonic [ˈtɒnɪk] a. 令人振奋的，强有力的

- paramount [ˈpærəmaʊnt] a. 首要的，更重要的

pore over 全神贯注于

- erudite [ˈeruːdaɪt] a. 博学的，有学问的

读书时，你要有某种特定的目标——除了希望从读书中获得快乐之外。我想给人以快乐的享受是任何艺术品的最高目标，因为从艺术中获得的快乐是令人振奋的。但是快乐的最高境界只能通过恒常的努力才能达到，而恒常的努力意味着把那种努力组织好。户外步行是一项极好的锻炼，步行本身就非常有益。然而，当步行外出锻炼的时候，心智健全者通常还有一个辅助性目标在考虑之中。他对自己说他要到达某个地点，或者他要以某种速度走完某段距离，或者他要连续走上一定时间。他组织安排好自己努力想做的事，部分是因为他想起别的好处同散步的好处结合起来，他主要为了确保自己的努力是恰到好处的。读书也一样。专心阅读文学作品的主要目标是欣赏，但为了达到此目标，还必须有辅助性的目标。你的辅助性目标可以是美学上的，道德上的，政治上的，宗教上的，科学上的和博学多识方面的；你可以专门研究一个人，一个课题，一个时代，一个国家，一个文学分支，一种观念——你选择目标的范围很广，但必须有特定的目标。