沒事多讀讀經典：10種方式讀名著提升自己
The other day I came across some disturbing statistics on reading. According to a Jenkins Group survey, 42% of college graduates will never read another book. Since most people read bestsellers printed in the past 10 years, it follows that virtually no one is reading the classics. Although it’s unfortunate that the intellectual heritage of humanity is being forgotten we can use this to our benefit. By reading the classics to improve your mind you can give yourself an advantage. These examples illustrate 10 ways reading the classics will help you succeed.
某天我發現了一些讓人十分困惑的數據。根據Jenkins出版集團的調查，42%的人在大學畢業後再也沒有讀過書。由於現在大部分人都會選擇近十年的暢銷書進行閱讀，越來越少的人會選擇經典著作。不得不遺憾的說，我們人類智慧遺產正在逐漸被遺忘。讀經典對你自己大有好處，可以幫助提升你的思想境界，下面就是讀名著幫助你提升的10種方式。
1. Bigger Vocabulary
擴大詞彙量
When reading the classics you’ll come across many words that are no longer commonly used. Why learn words most people don’t use? To set yourself apart. Having a bigger vocabulary is like having a tool box with more tools. A larger arsenal of words enables you to express yourself more eloquently. You’ll be able to communicate with precision and create a perception of higher intelligence that will give you an advantage in work and social situations.
讀經典著作時常常會遇到現在不太常用的單詞。爲什麼要學那些別人已經不用的詞彙了呢？可以讓你脫穎而出。詞彙量大就像是你的工具箱裏有了更多的工具，與此同時你還能更加準確的去表達自己。在工作和社交中，表達精確，談吐智慧能給你大大加分。
2. Improved Writing Ability
提高閱讀能力
Reading the classics is the easiest way to improve your writing. While reading you unconsciously absorb the grammar and style of the author. Why not learn from the best? Great authors have a tendency to take over your mind. After reading, I’ve observed that my thoughts begin to mirror the writer’s style. This influence carries over to writing, helping form clear, rhythmic sentences.
閱讀經典是提高寫作水平最簡單的方法。閱讀的時候，你會不自覺的吸收作者的語法和風格。爲什麼不向最好的人學習呢？偉大的作家可以影響你。每次讀完，我都覺得自己的想法開始模仿作者的寫作風格，這種影響會讓你寫出優美韻律的句子。
3. Improved Speaking Ability
提高語言表達能力
Becoming a better speaker accompanies becoming a better writer because both are caused by becoming a better thinker. Studying works of genius will teach you to express yourself with clarity and style. By improving your command of the English language, you’ll become more persuasive, sound more intelligent, and enjoy an advantage over less articulate people.
要想能說會道，你首先要能寫。因爲其前提都是成爲有思想的人。閱讀那些天才的著作，你就能知道如何簡潔的表達自己。隨着英語水平的提高，你就會更有說服力，聽起來更富於智慧，還能比那些口語表達不流利的人們獲得更多優勢。
4. Fresh Ideas
新想法
Isn’t it ironic that the best source for new ideas are writers who’ve been dead for centuries? I’ve derived some of my best ideas directly from the classics. Everyone you know is reading the same popular blogs and bestselling books. Observing the same ideas as everyone else leads to generic and repetitive thinking. No wonder it’s difficult to sound original! By looking to the classics for inspiration you can enhance your creativity and find fresh subject matter.
從那些死了幾世紀的作家那裏獲得新想法是不是有點諷刺？但不得不說我的一些絕妙的點子都是從經典之中獲得的。你身邊的每個人也許都在讀同樣的博客或暢銷書，每個人的想法都差不多，毫無新意和建樹。難怪現在找不到原創的東西了！讀名著，你不僅能開拓創造力還能找到一些新鮮的話題。
5. Historical Perspective
歷史角度
There are only a few enlightened people with a lucid mind and style and with good taste within a century. What has been preserved of their work belongs among the most precious possessions of mankind. Nothing is more needed than to overcome the modernist’s snobbishness.
一個世紀裏也許只會出幾個睿智有品位的人，這些智慧都毫無保留的反映在他們的作品裏，成爲了人類最寶貴的財富之一。克服現代的固執，刻不容緩。6. Educational Entertainment
教育的樂趣
Reading great books is fun. The key is getting past the initial vocabulary barrier. It’s actually less difficult than you think. Even challenging authors use a limited vocabulary. After the initial learning curve, you’ll find the classics as readable as modern books and infinitely more stimulating. Classics have endured because of entertainment value. There’s a reason filmmakers keep remaking old books — they have the best content.
讀一本好書樂趣無窮，關鍵在於克服詞彙障礙。這其實沒有你想象中那麼難。再牛的作家也只會選擇那些常用的詞彙進行表達。過了最初的學習彎路之後，你就會發現讀這些經典和讀現代書沒有什麼太大的區別，甚至更加有意思。經典之所以成爲經典就是其內在的觀賞價值。這就是爲什麼電影人對經典再現樂此不疲——這是永恆的經典。
7. Sophistication
深度
If you’d like to excel in conversation, knowledge of the classics is essential. These are books that keep coming up. They’re a part of human history that isn’t going to disappear in 10 years like 99% of books on the bestsellers list. By reading the classics you gain a deeper appreciation of ideas generally taken for granted. Plus quoting Aristotle or Voltaire is a great way to win an argument.
如果你想學到交流的技巧，對名著的瞭解必不可少。這些都是永不過時的書籍，也是人類歷史的一部分，不僅在十年內不會消失，99%還會一直保持在暢銷榜上。讀名著你就能更深層次的去了解一些常識的由來，多讀讀亞里士多德和伏爾泰的書還能叫你怎麼辯論。
8. More Efficient Reading
更加有效的閱讀
I just finished reading The Road by Cormac MacCarthy. It’s so good that it won the Pulitzer Prize. Afterwards I read the first few chapters of Lolita. I was shocked by Lolita’s superiority. Truly great books don’t come around every year. Why not make the most of your reading time by finding the best of the best?
我剛剛讀完美國小說家科馬克·麥卡錫的作品《路》，非常棒的一本書，難怪能獲得普利策獎。之後我又讀了《洛麗塔》的前幾章，這部優秀的作品完全讓我震驚了。真正好的書不會每年都出來。爲什麼不充分利用閱讀時間，讀那些精華中的精華呢？
9. Develop a Distinct Voice
發出不同聲音
If you’re a writer/blogger, ignoring the classics is a mistake. This has nothing to do with subject matter. Regardless of what you write about, you need to be persuasive and develop a distinct voice. The best way to learn is from the masters. Spending some time with the classics will give you an edge.
如果你是個作家或博主，忽視名著可真是大錯特錯。這和你要寫的主題完全無關，不管你寫什麼，你都需要具有說服力和特別的視角。最好的辦法就是和大師學習，花點時間閱讀名著能讓你有所突破。
10. Learn Timeless Ideas
學習經典的想法
We like to believe, in our modern arrogance, that technology has changed everything. In truth, it feels the same to be alive today as it did a thousand years ago. The lessons of the classics carry as much weight as ever. They contain information that is directly applicable to your life. Don’t believe me? Try reading Ben Franklin’s Autobiography without learning something. Reading the classics develops an understanding of the human condition and a deeper appreciation of modern problems. The aim is to combine the wisdom of the past with the innovation of the future.
我們都認爲，在現代社會下，科技改變了一切。實際上，一千年以前的人也是這麼想的。經典的意義和價值一直都沒有變過。這裏面富含了很多適用於現在的人生哲理。不信我的話？試試讀讀《本·富蘭克林自傳》吧，你肯定會有所收穫。讀名著能加深你對人類現狀的理解，更能明白現代社會這些問題所在，最主要的是要把過去的精華和未來改革聯繫起來。
