Michel de Montaigne
蒙田
作者簡介
蒙田（Michel de Montaigne，1533—1592），文藝複興時期最具影響力的法國作家之一，歐洲近代散文的創始人，代表作為晚年所寫的《蒙田隨筆》（Essays）。
在《蒙田隨筆》中，作者幾乎無所不談，日常生活、傳統習俗、人生哲理等都有涉及，他旁征博引了許多古希臘、古羅馬作家的論述。各章篇幅長短不一，文章結構隨意自然，文筆平易通暢，語言生動而充滿睿智。該書與《培根隨筆》（Bacon’s Essays）和《帕斯卡爾思想錄》（Pascal’s Pensées）一起，被譽為歐洲近代哲理散文三大經典。
本文即節選自《蒙田隨筆》。該書出版於1580年，本篇經威廉·哈茲利特（William Hazlitt）根據17世紀查爾斯·科頓（Charles Cotton）的經典英譯本修改而成。從文中可見，蒙田對讀書之樂深有體會，但又不為書所縛，能夠以理智的態度對待閱讀，他深邃辯證的思考值得愛書人細細領悟。
The [commerce of books] goes side by side with me in my whole course, and everywhere is assisting to me; it comforts me in my age and solitude; it eases me of a troublesome weight of idleness, and it delivers me at all hours from company that I dislike; and it blunts the point of griefs if they are not extreme, and have got an entire possession of my soul.
人生旅途中，我始終與書相伴而行。每當我需要幫助，書給我指引；當我年老孤寂，書給我寬慰；書讓我免於無所事事，隨時帶我遠離我厭惡的人群，緩解我未到極致的悲傷。書已占據我的全部靈魂。
To divert myself from a troublesome fancy’tis1 but to run to my books; they presently fix me to them, and drive the other out of my thoughts; and do not mutiny at seeing I have only recourse to them for want of other more real, natural, and lively conveniences; they always receive me with the same kindness. “He may well go a-foot,” say they, “who leads his horse in his hand.”
為逃離白日夢的煩擾，我奔向書的懷抱；書即刻吸引我的注意，將旁心雜念盡數驅散；我依賴書，隻為尋求更加真實、自然、鮮活之物；書也從不背叛，始終以善意相待。書中有雲：“揚鞭策馬者，亦有步行時。”
In the experience and practice of this sentence, which is a very true one, all the benefit I reap from books consists; and yet I make as little use of it almost as those who know it not; I enjoy it as a miser does his money, in knowing that I may enjoy it when I please; my mind is satisfied with this right of possession. I never travel without books, either in peace or war; and yet I sometimes pass over several days, and sometimes months, without looking at them; I will read by and by, say I to myself, or tomorrow, or when I please, and time meanwhile steals away without any inconvenience; for it is not to be imagined to what degree I please myself, and rest content in this consideration, that I have them by me, to divert myself with them when I am so disposed, and call to mind what an ease and assistance they are to my life. ’Tis the best viaticum I have yet found out for this human journey, and I very much pity those men of understanding who are unprovided with it. I rather accept of any sort of diversion, how light soever, in the feeling that this can never fail me.
此話乃真知灼見，一語道破書的種種益處，經得起細細體味，乃至實踐檢驗。不過，正如那些不知開卷有益之人一般，我對書遠未物盡其用。我愛書，正如守財奴愛錢；他們想到擁有金錢就心花怒放，我則想到擁有書籍就心滿意足。無論戰爭年代還是和平時期，我外出旅行必攜書同往；可有時一連幾天，甚至數月，我都無暇捧書；我告訴自己，回頭再看，明天再讀，或有了興致再說吧。然而，時間早在不知不覺中溜走。難以想象，書給了我多少歡樂。隻要有書相伴，我就樂在其中；想到書帶來的慰藉和幫助，我就心滿意足。書是我在人生旅途中發現的最佳食糧。在我看來，無書做伴之人實在可憐！書帶給我的每一種愉悅，無論多麼微不足道，我都欣然接受。因為我深知，書永遠不會令我失望。