雙語故事:知識就是力量,法國就是培根?大綱
When I was young my father said to me:
"Knowledge is cis Bacon"
I understood it as "Knowledge is power, France is Bacon".
For more than a decade I wondered over the meaning of the second part and what was the surreal linkage between the two? If I said the quote to someone, "Knowledge is power, France is Bacon" they nodded knowingly. Or someone might say, "Knowledge is power" and I'd finish the quote "France is Bacon" and they wouldn't look at me like I'd said something very odd but thoughtfully agree. I did ask a teacher what did "Knowledge is power, France is bacon" meant and got a full 10 minute explanation of the Knowledge is power bit but nothing on "France is bacon". When I prompted further explanation by saying "France is Bacon?" in a questioning tone I just got a "yes". at 12 I didn't have the confidence to press it further. I just accepted it as something I'd never understand.
It wasn't until years later I saw it written down that the penny dropped.
小時候，爸爸對我說：“知識就是力量。——弗朗西斯·培根”
然而，年幼的我對於陌生的人名缺乏認識，便想當然地將這句話聽成了："知識就是力量。法國就是培根。”
之後的十多年裏，這句名言的後半部分一直在困擾着我：它是什麼意思？爲什麼能和前半句列在一起？知識與力量、法國與培根之間，難道冥冥之中有着什麼難以言喻的聯繫嗎？
我無法理解。可是，每當我向大人們提起“知識就是力量，法國就是培根”這句話，他們卻只是贊同地點點頭。
或者是當有人說了句“知識就是力量”時，我會緊跟着接上一句“法國就是培根”……可從沒有人用怪異的眼光看着我、認爲我說了奇怪的事，而只是若有所思地表示同意。
我還專門去問過一個老師，“知識就是力量，法國就是培根。”這句話是什麼意思，然而得到的答覆卻是整整10分鐘關於“知識就是力量”的解釋，壓根沒有觸及一點兒“法國就是培根”的內容。當我怯生生地用疑問的語氣提醒老師，“法國就是培根？”他只是說了句“沒錯。”只有12歲的我沒有勇氣和自信再追問下去。我絕望了。從那一刻起，我知道自己永遠不可能理解這句謎一般的話語背後的奇特意義，我放棄了追尋，僅僅將它當作是可以掛在嘴邊、卻不去思考其意味的一個謎。
直到多年之後在書籍中偶爾見到這句話，我才意識到發生了什麼。那一瞬間，童年崩壞……
