34.谈财富培根（著）周国华（译)
2009-08-28 08:58阅读：
34. OF RICHES
I cannot call riches better
than the baggage of virtue.
The Roman word is better,
impedimenta. For as the baggage
is to an army, so is
riches to virtue. It cannot
be spared, nor left behind,
but it hindereth the march;
yea, and the care of it,
sometimes loseth or disturbeth
the victory. Of great riches
there is no real use,
except it be in the
distribution; the rest is but
conceit. So saith Salomon,
Where much is, there
are many consume it; and
what hath the owner, but
the sight
of it with his eyes?
The personal fruition in
any man, cannot reach to
feel great riches: there is
a custody of them; or a
power of dole, and donative
of them; or a fame of
them; but no solid use to
the owner. Do you not see
what feigned prices, are set
upon little stones and rarities?
and what works of ostentation
are undertaken, because there
might seem to be some use
of great riches? But then
you will say, they may be
of use, to buy men out
of dangers or troubles. As
Salomon saith, Riches are
as a strong hold, in the
imagination of the rich
man. But this is
excellently expressed, that it
is in imagination, and not
always in fact. For certainly
great riches, have sold more
men, than they have bought
out. Seek not proud riches,
but such as thou mayest
get justly, use soberly,
distribute cheerfully, and leave
contentedly. Yet have no
abstract nor friarly contempt of
them. But distinguish, as Cicero
saith well of Rabirius
Posthumus, In studio rei
amplificandapparebat,
non avariti prdam,
sed instrumentum bonitati
quri.
Harken also to Salomon,
and beware of hasty gathering
of riches; Qui festinat
ad divitias, non erit
insons. The poets feign,
that when Plutus (which is
Riches) is sent from Jupiter,
he limps and goes slowly;
but when he is sent from
Pluto, he runs, and is
swift of foot. Meaning that
riches gotten by good means,
and just labor, pace slowly;
but when they come by the
death of others (as by
the course of inheritance,
testaments, and the like), they
come tumbling upon a man.
But it mought be applied
likewise to Pluto, taking him
for the devil. For when
riches come from the devil
(as by fraud and oppression,
and unjust means), they come
upon speed. The ways to
enrich are many, and most
of them foul. Parsimony is
one of the best, and yet
is not innocent; for it
withholdeth men from works of
liberality and charity. The
improvement of the ground, is
the most natural obtaining of
riches; for it is our
great mother's blessing, the
earth's; but it is slow.
And yet where men of
great wealth do stoop to
husbandry, it multiplieth riches
exceedingly. I knew a nobleman
in England, that had the
greatest audits of any man
in my time; a great
grazier, a great sheep-master, a
great timber man, a great
collier, a great corn-master, a
great lead-man, and so of
iron, and a number of the
like points of husbandry. So
as the earth seemed a sea
to him, in respect of the
perpetual importation. It was
truly observed by one, that
himself came very hardly, to
a little riches, and very
easily, to great riches. For
when a man's stock is
come to that, that he can
expect the prime of markets,
and overcome those bargains,
which for their greatness are
few men's money, and be
partner in the industries of
younger men, he cannot but
increase mainly. The gains of
ordinary trades and vocations
are honest; and furthered by
two things chiefly: by
diligence, and by a good
name, for good and fair
dealing. But the gains of
bargains, are of a more
doubtful nature; when men shall
wait upon others' necessity,
broke by servants and
instruments to draw them on,
put off others cunningly, that
would be better chapmen, and
the like practices, which are
crafty and naught. As for
the chopping of bargains, when
a man buys not to hold
but to sell over again,
that commonly grindeth double,
both upon the seller, and
upon the buyer. Sharings do
greatly enrich, if the hands
be well chosen, that are
trusted. Usury is the certainest
means of gain, though one
of the worst; as that
whereby a man doth eat
his bread, in sudore
vltus
alieni; and besides,
doth plough upon Sundays. But
yet certain though it be,
it hath flaws; for that
the scriveners and brokers do
value unsound men, to serve
their own turn. The fortune
in being the first, in an
invention or in a privilege,
doth cause sometimes a wonderful
overgrowth in riches; as it
was with the with the
first sugar man, in the
Canaries. Therefore if a man
can play the true logician,
to have as well judgment,
as invention, he may do
great matters; especially if the
times be fit. He that
resteth upon gains certain,
shall hardly grow to great
riches; and he that puts
all upon adventures, doth
oftentimes break and come to
poverty: it is good, therefore,
to guard adventures with
certainties, that may uphold
losses. Monopolies, and coemption
of wares for re-sale, where
they are not restrained, are
great means to enrich;
especially if the party have
intelligence, what things are
like to come into request,
and so store himself beforehand.
Riches gotten by service, though
it be of the best rise,
yet when they are gotten
by flattery, feeding humors, and
other servile conditions, they
may be placed amongst the
worst. As for fishing for
testaments and executorships (as
Tacitus saith of Seneca,
testamenta et orbos
tamquam indagine capi) it
is yet worse; by how much
men submit themselves to meaner
persons, than in service.
Believe not much, them that
seem to despise riches for
they despise them, that despair
of them; and none worse,
when they come to them.
Be not penny-wise; riches have
wings, and sometimes they fly
away of themselves, sometimes
they must be set flying,
to bring in more. Men
leave their riches, either to
their kindred, or to the
public; and moderate portions,
prosper best in both. A
great state left to an
heir, is as a lure to
all the birds of prey
round about, to seize on
him, if he be not the
better stablished in years and
judgment. Likewise glorious gifts
and foundations, are like
sacrifices without salt;
and but the painted
sepulchres of alms, which soon
will putrefy, and corrupt
inwardly. Therefore measure not
thine advancements, by quantity,
but frame them by measure:
and defer not charities till
death; for, certainly, if a
man weigh it rightly, he
that doth so, is rather
liberal of another man's, than
of his own.
34. 谈财富
依吾之见，财富之于美德，有如累赘。罗马之词“impedimenda”（累赘、重负之意）更善。财富之于美德，犹如辎重之于行军，其不可弃，亦不可滞后。然而，于其之顾，亦可致困生功败。大财多无实用，除却施舍捐赠，尽为虚幻浮思。因此，所罗门曰：“其财愈广，费其财者愈众。而财主之得，唯有双目睹视之快。”世间大富者，皆难尽享其财，其可贮藏保存，或散济捐赠，或沽名钓誉，然而绝无实用。漫天虚价而购粟豆之石、罕见玩物之事，世人不见乎？且，豪华奢靡之行何益？皆因此等作为似可彰显其富？然汝或言：“钱财之用可成灾消难解。”谨如所罗门所言：“财富犹如固堡强关，存于富者幻思。”此已尽达，其存于幻思，难可实行。此因，大财多贾祸患，少为消灾。钱财之求若为炫耀之故，实不当取，而必取之以道，用之以度，散之以乐，馈之以愿。且忌不切实务，而校僧侣于财之鄙。而应善加辨别，一如西塞罗于庇瑞亚斯·波斯丢玛斯之善言：“其求财之意，弗为贪婪之欲，而为行善之器。”宜取所罗门之言：“欲成暴富者必乏其德！”慎取速聚之财。于此诗人做喻：“普路托斯（其为财神）受命于朱庇特([罗马神话]统治诸神主宰一切的主神，相当于希腊神话中的Zeus)之时，其行缓慢，而为普路托派遣之际，其行疾快。其意为，财富如若取以正道，得于诚劳，其速必缓！而若得于他人之亡（一如利于遗产承继之类），其可滚如浪至。然若视普路托为邪恶，亦颇恰切。此因，若财从恶来（如凭欺骗蒙诈、压迫盘剥，及不义之策），其至迅疾。致富之途万千，然而多为不良。溺于节俭可为致富之上策，然亦难称清白。此因，其阻慷慨之为，慈善之舍。精耕细作，增于田产，乃为求财上善之径。此因，其为地母恩赐，然而其速颇慢。然若富者务于农稼，其财可成倍增。吾识一英格兰绅贵，其之财产乃吾时至丰：广占草原、群养牲畜、阔揽林木、豪居煤、粮、铅、铁诸矿，钱财之进绵绵不断，土地于其，犹如浩瀚之海。此亦可察，小财难得，大财易聚。此因，如若某人之积可居货待价，凭借其力可成他人之所难成，且能与年少之人结伙共营，必获大财。
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