为学之道（上） How to Study
【作者:Dr. J. A. Oschwald 欧使华教授 顾美芬译】剪下一方暖和--喻道小故事 2011.10.09
聆听朗读
I would like to propose four verbs serve as a guide for you as you begin a new year of study: Read, Mark, Learn and Inwardly Digest.
1.Read
Perhaps this seems so obvious that it is ridiculous for me to even mention it. If we are to study, then, of course we must read. And yet, I cannot emphasize strongly enough here, at the beginning, how important it is for you to read well and read widely.
How much do you read? Do you read what is assigned? Do you read more than is assigned? And what is the scope of your reading? When was the last time you read a work of literature? History ? A novel ? Philosophy ? Do you read books from diverse languages and cultures? When was the last time you read a book that was written before 1900?
One of my favorite essays on the value of reading was written by C. S. Lewis. He begins by pointing out how strange it is that students only want to read modern books. He learned from his own experience as a professor that, if a student wanted to learn something about Platonism, the last thing he would do is to read what Plato himself wrote. Thinking himself not qualified to read Plato on his own, he searches out books written by modern writers that attempt to explain Plato; but as Lewis notes, “The simplest student will be able to understand, if not all, yet a very great deal of what Plato said; but hardly anyone can understand some modern books on Platonism.”
A new book is still on its trial and the non-expert is not in a position to judge it. It is a good rule, after reading a new book, never to allow yourself another new one till you have read an old one in between. If that is too much for you, you should at least read one old one to every three new ones. Reading old books, Lewis points out, is the only way to escape the blind spots of our own age. Earlier writers had their blinds spots, too; but they are not the same as ours. As we learn from their mistakes, they can help point out our own.
2.Mark
The more we read, however, the more important it is for us to read carefully and with discernment. The word suggests more than simply paying careful attention to what we read. It also suggests reading with discernment.
How often do you read a book because you know that it is wrong? A good teacher not only needs to be able to proclaim the truth, he also needs to be able to see through the arguments of those who oppose the truth. He must be able to explain why they are wrong, exposing their fallacies and weaknesses, and denying them their ability to mislead the faithful.
To carefully “mark” what we read, however, to discern true from false, good from bad, important from trivial, we must have some foundation and your teacher will try to help you acquire it while you are here to study.
字汇
1. Platonism柏拉图主义
2. discernment洞察力
3. oppose反对
4. fallacies错误(复数)
5. trivial旁枝末节
在新学年的开始，我愿意提出四个动词作为「为学之道」的指引：读书、注意、学习与消化。
一、读书
这一点实在太明显了，我连提出来都有点可笑。我们为学，当然要读书了。然而在一开始，我就得特别强调没有什么比读得好、读得广更重要的了。
论到读书的价值，我最欣赏鲁益师所写的一篇文章，他一开始就指出学生只读现代作品是很奇怪的。身为教授，鲁益师的经验是，如果学生想知道柏拉图主义是什么，他一点不会想去读柏拉图的作品。学生认为自己不够资格，就去找解释柏拉图的现代作品，但就像鲁益师说的，「头脑最简单的学生也能明白柏拉图说的大部分东西，可是现代讲柏拉图主义的书，几乎没人看得懂。」
你读书的份量有多少？ 老师指定的书你读吗？ 还是读得比指定的多？ 你读书的范围呢？上一次读文学作品是什么时候？历史方面的呢？小说、哲学呢？ 你读不同语言不同文化的书吗？ 最近读过写于二十世纪前的书吗？
新书还在评估当中，不是专家很难判断好坏。读了一本新书之后，别准许自己又读新书，而要读一本古书，这是不错的原则。如果这样还太多，每读了三本新书之后，至少要读本古书。鲁益师指出，读古书是避免这世代盲点的唯一途径。早期作者也有他们的盲点，但与我们的是不同的，从他们的错误中学习，能指出我们的盲点。
二、注意
书读得越多，阅读所需要的谨慎与洞察力就越重要。「注意」这个词不仅是说对所读的东西要注意，也说到带着洞察力去阅读。
如果你知道一本书是错误的还会去读吗？好老师不仅能宣扬真理，也要能看穿违背真理者的狡辩。好老师能解释他们为什么错，揭露错误与缺点，拒绝他们误导忠实读者。
要能注意所阅读的，能分辨真假好坏，区分重要的或旁枝末节，我们得有一些根基，这也是老师在你为学期间能帮助你获得的。
思考与应用
1.除了圣经，你看过一百年前写的书吗？
2.你通常是照单全收，还是会「注意」所阅读的东西？
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