Remember Of Love

《培根散文随笔集》是一部经典。我在《最经典的散文》，第一篇就看到了这本书中的《论爱情》,文章不长，所以准备记忆一番。

先不妨看看中文版，我选择的是何新的翻译版本：

论爱情　　

爱情在舞台上，要比在人生中更有欣赏价值。因为在舞台上爱情既是喜剧也是悲剧的素材，而在人生中爱情常常招致不幸。它有时像那位诱惑人的魔女①，有时又像那位复仇的女神②。　　

你可以看到，一切真正伟大的人物（无论是古人今人，只要是其英名永铭于人类记忆中的），没有一个因爱情而发狂的人。这说明伟大的精神和伟大的事业可以摒除过度的激情。然而罗马的安东尼和克劳底亚是例外③，前者本性就好色荒淫，然而后者却是一个严肃明哲的人。这说明爱情不仅会占领没有城府的胸怀，有时也能闯入壁垒森严的心灵——假如守御不严的话。　　

埃辟克拉斯④曾说过一句笨话：“人生不过是一座大舞台。”似乎一个本该秉承天意、追求高尚目标的人，却应一事不做而只拜在一个小小的偶像面前，成为自己感官的奴隶——虽然还不是口腹之欲的奴隶（那简直与禽兽无异了），即娱目色相的奴隶。而上帝赐人以眼睛本来是有更高尚的用途的。　　

过度的爱情必然会夸张对象的性质和价值。例如，只有在爱情中才总是需要那种浮夸诌媚的词令；而在其他场合，同样的词令只能招人耻笑。古人有一句名言：“最大的奉承，人总是留给自己。”——只有对情人的奉承要算例外。因为甚至最骄傲的人，也甘愿在情人面前自轻自贱。所以古人说得好：“人在爱情中不会聪明。”情人的这种弱点不仅在外人眼中是明显的，就是在被爱者的眼中也会很明显——除非她（他）也在爱他（她）。所以，爱情的代价就是如此，不能得到回爱，就会得到一种深藏于心的轻蔑，这是一条永真的定律。由此中可见，人们应当十分警惕这感情。因它它不但会使人丧失其他，而且可以使人丧失自已本身。　　

至于其他方面的损失，古诗人荷马早告诉我们，那追求海伦的巴立斯王子竟拒绝了天后朱诺（财富女神）和密纳发（智慧女神）的礼物。这就是说，溺身于情的人是甘愿放弃财富和智慧的⑤。　　

当人心最软弱的时候，爱情最容易入侵，那就是当人春风得意、忘乎所以和处境窘困孤独凄零的时候，虽然在后一情境中不易得到爱情。人在这样的时候最急于跳入爱情的火焰中。由此可见，“爱情”实在是“愚蠢”的儿子。但有一些人即使心中有了爱，仍能约束它，使它不妨碍重大的事业。因为爱情一旦干扰事业，就会阻碍人坚定地奔向既定的目标。　　

我不懂是什么缘故，使许多军人更容易堕入情网，也许这正像他们嗜爱饮酒一样，是因为危险的生活需要欢乐的补偿。　　

人心中可能潜伏有一种博爱倾向，若不集中于某个专一的对象，就必然施之于更广泛的公众，使他成为仁善的人，像有的僧侣那样。　　

夫妻的爱，使人类繁衍。朋友的爱，致人以完善。但那荒淫纵欲的爱，却只会使人堕落毁灭！　　

①古希腊神话，传说地中海有魔女，歌喉动听，诱使过往船只陷入险境。　　

②原文为“Furies“，传说中的地狱之神。　　

③安东尼，恺撒部将。后因迷恋女色而战败被杀。克劳底亚，古罗马执政官，亦因好色而被杀。　　

④埃辟克拉斯（前342～270年），古罗马哲学家。　　

⑤古希腊神话，传说天后朱诺，智慧之神密纳发和美神维纳斯，为争夺金苹果，请特洛伊王子评判。三神各许一愿，密纳发许以智慧，维纳斯许以美女海伦，天后许以财富。结果王子把金苹果给了维纳斯。　　

这篇文章给我印象最深的一句话：“所以，爱情的代价就是如此，不能得到回爱，就会得到一种深藏于心的轻蔑，这是一条永真的定律。”这句话说的真是诛心，对于单相思的人是莫大的打击啊！

从这篇文章，我还想到了如下三点：

1，情感的体验来自于生活，而不是文字，哪怕一个人背诵论述爱情的书籍，熟知爱情的理论，也不一定深得爱情三昧。

2，对文字的记忆与对情境的记忆是有差别的，记忆术的一大窍门就是充分发挥情境记忆的力量，想象自己亲身经历某个场景，在那个场景中见到了文字中描述的事物，场景，听到了相关的对话，甚至是自己参与。

3，记忆作用的有限性：

记忆毕竟带不来真实的体验；

而某种技能也不能通过记忆对技能的描述而掌握；

记忆的道理也往往显得僵硬与苍白，最好结合实例来理解。

好，回到这篇文章的记忆：

Of Love

The stage is more beholding to love, than the life of man.For as to the stage, love is ever matter of comedies, and now and then of tragedies; but in life it doth much mischief; sometimes like a siren, sometimes like a fury.

You may observe, that amongst all the great and worthy persons (whereof the memory remaineth, either ancient or recent) there is not one, that hath been transported to the mad degree of love: which shows that great spirits, and great business, do keep out this weak passion. You must except, nevertheless, Marcus Antonius, the half partner of the empire of Rome,and Appius Claudius, the decemvir and lawgiver; whereof the former was indeed a voluptuous man, and inordinate; but the latter was an austere and wise man: and therefore it seems (though rarely) that love can find entrance, not only into an open heart, but also into a heart well fortified, if watch be not well kept.

It is a poor saying of Epicurus, Satis magnum alter alteri theatrum sumus; as if man, made for the contemplation of heaven, and all noble objects, should do nothing but kneel before a little idol, and make himself a subject, though not of the mouth (as beasts are), yet of the eye; which was given him for higher purposes.

It is a strange thing, to note the excess of this passion,and how it braves the nature, and value of things, by this; that the speaking in a perpetual hyperbole, is comely in nothing but in love. Neither is it merely in the phrase; for whereas it hath been well said, that the arch-flatterer, with whom all the petty flatterers have intelligence, is a man's self; certainly the lover is more. For there was never proud man thought so absurdly well of himself, as the lover doth of the person loved; and therefore it was well said,

That it is impossible to love, and to be wise.Neither doth this weakness appear to others only, and not to the party loved;but to the loved most of all, except the love be reciproque. For it is a true rule, that love is ever rewarded, either with the reciproque, or with an inward and secret contempt.

By how much the more, men ought to beware of this passion,which loseth not only other things, but itself! As for the other losses, the poet's relation doth well figure them: that he that preferred Helena, quitted the gifts of Juno and Pallas. For whosoever esteemeth too much of amorous affection, quitteth both riches and wisdom.

This passion hath his floods, in very times of weakness;which are great prosperity, and great adversity; though this latter hath been less observed: both which times kindle love, and make it more fervent, and therefore show it to be the child of folly. They do best, who if they can not but admit love, yet make it keep quarters; and sever it wholly from their serious affairs, and actions, of life; for if it check once with business, it troubleth men's fortunes, and maketh men, that they can no ways be true to their own ends.

I know not how, but martial men are given to love: I think,it is but as they are given to wine; for perils commonly ask to be paid inpleasures.

There is in man's nature, a secret inclination and motion,towards love of others, which if it be not spent upon some one or a few, doth naturally spread itself towards many, and maketh men become humane and charitable; as it is seen sometime in friars.

Nuptial love maketh mankind; friendly love perfecteth it;but wanton love corrupteth, and embaseth it.

英文文章的记忆有几个难度：

1，陌生单词

2，句子组织

3，文章逻辑

背诵文章的好处，在我看来主要在于让第二点变得更简单，可以帮助我们熟悉句子的组织方式。如果只是想记忆单词，在我看来直接背单词比阅读文章效率更高，尤其是将待学的单词集中在一起背诵。但背诵完单词的第二个拦路虎，就是由单词组成句子这个更高层次上，如何完成句子的组织。我们一不小心就会犯语法错误，变成了Chinglish.

记忆术在记忆单词上的应用虽然有人质疑，但不能阻止记忆术爱好者深入地实践探索。他们取得的成果也非常多，譬如形象记忆法，场景记忆法，归类记忆法，文章歌曲记忆法，拆分转化法等等。

但在英语句子组织上，如何应用记忆法？就我所知，研究的还很不深入，至少我没看到成形的成果。这个在中文信息的记忆中同样是一个难点，尽管我们可以将句子中的关键词或者提示词找出来，然后用自己的语言组织成句子，但如果要求只字不差或者应对第二外语，这就觉得有些捉襟见肘。

现在我了解到的相关经验，主要还在于揭示背诵的好处， 如果能熟背一些文章，譬如《新概念英语》，那么就不用用头脑去分析语法，自然就能避免语法错误。但如何更快捷，准确地记忆句子的组织结构呢？方法就不那么明确了。我能想到的研究路径：

1，掌握基本的句型，然后将这些句型作为熟悉的桩子，类比新记忆的句子，实现以熟记新。而这基本的句型似乎还是靠重复来巩固了，就有些类似记忆数字的编码一般。也许句型是继单词，短语之后另一个结构单位，还很难再细分。

2，对比法学习，就是之前我介绍如何背诵新概念英语文章的时候，提到的程序，先记忆中文内容，然后依据中文内容练习用英文表达，再对照着修改，调整，慢慢也就对句型越来越熟悉，越来越表达地地道。

3，记忆宫殿的应用，记忆宫殿似乎更适合记忆关键词或者形象词，或者是整句话表达的意象，但如何在这个意象与精确表达之间建立联系，说实在话，我也不太清楚。

最后再说说文章的记忆，如果一定要分成三步，我倾向于：

1，从大到小的原则，还是先划分层次，理解文章整体逻辑

2，找关键句，表达每一个层次的内容

3，提取关键词，放置在构建的记忆宫殿中。

像论爱情这篇文章，我觉得关键句有如下几句：

1，The stage is more beholding to love, than the life of man.

2，great spirits, and great business, do keep out this weak passion.

3， love can find entrance, not only into an open heart, but also into a heart well fortified, if watch be not well kept.

4， That it is impossible to love, and to be wise.

5，For it is a true rule, that love is ever rewarded, either with the reciproque, or with an inward and secret contempt.

6，men ought to beware of this passion,which loseth not only other things, but itself!

7，This passion hath his floods, in very times of weakness;which are great prosperity, and great adversity;

8，martial men are given to love:

9，if it be not spent upon some one or a few, doth naturally spread itself towards many, and maketh men become humane and charitable

10，Nuptial love maketh mankind; friendly love perfecteth it;but wanton love corrupteth, and embaseth it.

       最后这个见解，将爱分为夫妻之爱，朋友之爱，情欲之爱，与心理学家对完美爱情的三个组成成分：承诺，亲密与激情不谋而和。

        祝各位都拥有完美的爱情！都在爱情中拥有丰富深刻的体验，那必将使我们成长！