约翰·洛克的教育思想(中英对照)-18: 好奇心

CURIOSITY | Curiosity in children (which I had occasion just to mention, § 108) is but an appetite after knowledge, and therefore ought to be encouraged in them, not only as a good sign, but as the great instrument nature has provided, to remove that ignorance they were born with, and which without this busy inquisitiveness will make them dull and useless creatures. The ways to encourage it, and keep it active and busy, are, I suppose, these following:

好奇 | 小孩的好奇心 (我在第一百零八节曾提到过)只是对知识的一种欲望，所以应该加以鼓励，不仅作为好的迹象，而且作为"自然"提供的重要工具来消除他们生来的无知，免得他们不好奇求知就成为呆滞无用的动物。鼓励好奇心，并让它保持活跃，我认为有下列方法：

1. Not to check or discountenance any inquiries he shall make, nor suffer them to be laughed at; but to answer all his questions, and explain the matters he desires to know, so as to make them as much intelligible to him, as suits the capacity of his age and knowledge. But confound not his understanding with explications or notions that are above it, or with the variety or number of things that are not to his present purpose. Mark what it is his mind aims at in the question, and not what words he expresses it in: and when you have informed and satisfied him in that, you shall see how his thoughts will enlarge themselves, and how by fit answers he may be led on farther than perhaps you could imagine. For knowledge is grateful to the understanding, as light to the eyes: children are pleased and delighted with it exceedingly, especially if they see that their inquiries are regarded, and that their desire of knowing is encouraged and commended. And I doubt not but one great reason, why many children abandon themselves wholly to silly sports, and trifle away all their time insipidly, is, because they have found their curiosity baulked, and their inquiries neglected. But had they been treated with more kindness and respect, and their questions answered, as they should, to their satisfaction, I doubt not but they would have taken more pleasure in learning, and improving their knowledge, wherein there would be still newness and variety, which is what they are delighted with, than in returning over and over to the same play and play-things.

1. 不要抑制或为难他的任何问题，也不要嘲笑它们；但要回答他的所有问题，向他解释他想要知道的事情，照着适合他年龄与知识的限度尽量让他理解明白。不过不要用超出他理解力之外的阐述或概念，也不要讲与他现在目的无关的种种事情，以免使他糊涂困惑。注意他问问题的目的是什么，而不是他表达问题的言语；一旦你让他知晓和满足于你告诉他的信息，你会发现他的思绪怎样自己扩展，合适的答复怎样引导他到达超出你想象的地步。因为知识为理解所欣赏，就如同光线为眼睛所欣赏一样；孩子极其喜欢知识，特别是他们看到他们的疑问受人注意，他们求知欲得到鼓励与赞扬。许多小孩之所以自我放弃去玩无聊的运动游戏，把他们所有的时间乏味无趣地消磨掉，我相信一个重要的原因是他们的好奇心受到阻碍，他们的疑问被人忽视。但凡他们受到更多友善与尊重的对待，他们的问题得到应有的满意回答，我相信他们会从学习与增加知识中得到更多的快乐，因为其中总有他们喜爱的新鲜与变化，就不会一再回到同样的游戏与玩具去了。

2. To this serious answering their questions, and informing their understandings in what they desire, as if it were a matter that needed it, should be added some peculiar ways of commendation. Let others, whom they esteem, be told before their faces of the knowledge they have in such and such things; and since we are all, even from our cradles, vain and proud creatures, let their vanity be flattered with things that will do them good; and let their pride set them on work on something which may turn to their advantage. Upon this ground you shall find, that there cannot be a greater spur to the attaining what you would have the elder learn and know himself, than to set him upon teaching it his younger brothers and sisters.

2. 除了认真回答他们的问题和告诉他们想要了解的事情，需要的话还应当加上一些特别的赞扬方式。可以当着他们的面，告诉他们敬重的人，说他们懂得某件事情；因为我们都从小就是自负骄傲的动物，所以要让他们的虚荣心在对他们有好处的事情上得到夸赞；让他们的自满促使他们做对他们有益的事情。因此你会发现，没有比让年长的孩子教他的弟弟妹妹更能促使他自己去掌握他应该学习领会的知识。

3. As children's inquiries are not to be slighted, so also great care is to be taken, that they never receive deceitful and illuding answers. They easily perceive when they are slighted or deceived, and quickly learn the trick of neglect, dissimulation, and falsehood, which they observe others to make use of. We are not to intrench upon truth in any conversation, but least of all with children; since, if we play false with them, we not only deceive their expectation, and hinder their knowledge, but corrupt their innocence, and teach them the worst of vices. They are travellers newly arrived in a strange country, of which they know nothing: we should therefore make conscience not to mislead them. And though their questions seem sometimes not very material, yet they should be seriously answered; for however they may appear to us (to whom they are long since known) inquiries not worth the making, they are of moment to those who are wholly ignorant. Children are strangers to all we are acquainted with; and all the things they meet with are at first unknown to them, as they once were to us; and happy are they who meet with civil people, that will comply with their ignorance, and help them to get out of it.

3. 正如孩子的问询不容忽视，同样要倍加小心，不让他们收到不实与诓骗的回答。他们很轻易地察觉他们被忽视或被欺骗，他们很快会照着别人的样子学会疏忽、虚伪和撒谎等等伎俩。我们在交往中不能违反事实，特别是与小孩交往中更不能违反；因为如果我们与他们弄虚作假，我们不但辜负他们的期望，妨碍他们的理解，而且败坏他们的纯洁，教给他们最坏的恶习。他们就像刚到一个陌生国度的旅行者，他们对其一无所知；因此我们要有良心，不要误导他们。虽然他们的问题有时不切实际，也应当严肃地回答；因为无论它们在我们看来不值一问(我们对这些问题早已知晓)，对那些完全不懂的人还是值得的。小孩对我们熟知的一切感到陌生；他们遇到的所有事情对他们最初都是未知的，就如我们刚遇到一样；他们若遇到彬彬有礼的人能够容忍他们的无知，并且帮助他们克服这无知，他们一定是很高兴的。

If you or I now should be set down in Japan, with all our prudence and knowledge about us, a conceit whereof makes us perhaps so apt to slight the thoughts and inquiries of children; should we, I say, be set down in Japan, we should, no doubt, (if we would inform ourselves of what is there to be known,) ask a thousand questions, which to a supercilious or inconsiderate Japanese, would seem very idle and impertinent; though to us they would be very material, and of importance to be resolved; and we should be glad to find a man so complaisant and courteous, as to satisfy our demands, and instruct our ignorance.

假如你我踏足日本，带着我们所有的精明与知识，也是使我们轻视孩子的想法和疑问的一种自负；我说，假如我们到了日本，(如果我们想了解当地的情形)我们无疑会问上千的问题，而这些问题对一个高傲或不体谅别人的日本人来说，是很没意思、很冒昧的；对我们却是很实际、很重要而需要解决的；倘若我们能找到一个很殷勤、很有礼貌的人来满足我们的要求，教导消除我们的无知，我们一定会很高兴。

When any new thing comes in their way, children usually ask the common question of a stranger: What is it? Whereby they ordinarily mean nothing but the name; and therefore to tell them how it is called, is usually the proper answer to that demand. And the next question usually is, What is it for? And to this it should be answered truly and directly. The use of the thing should be told, and the way explained, how it serves to such a purpose, as far as their capacities can comprehend it. And so of any other circumstances they shall ask about it; not turning them going, till you have given them all the satisfaction they are capable of; and so leading them by your answers into farther questions. And perhaps to a grown man, such conversation will not be altogether so idle and insignificant as we are apt to imagine. The native and untaught suggestions of inquisitive children do often offer things, that may set a considering man's thoughts on work. And I think there is frequently more to be learned from the unexpected questions of a child, than the discourses of men, who talk in a road, according to the notions they have borrowed, and the prejudices of their education.

当小孩遇到新的东西，他们惯常用陌生人的口吻问：它是什么？他们通常的意思是它的名称；所以告诉他们那叫什么，一般就算是正确的回答。他们接下来的问题通常是，它有什么用处？对此应该真实而直接地答复。在他们能够理解的范围内，应该告诉他们这东西的用途，以及怎样使用它。当他们问到关于它的其他详情，也应如此办理；你要在他们能理解的范围内给出满意的答案，在此之前不要把他们打发走；这样他们能从你的回答中引申出新的问题。对于一个成年人，这样的交谈也许不象我们想象的那样无聊与没有意义。好问的孩子天真的、没有教导过的意见，可能会让一个认真的人陷入思考。我认为常常能从小孩出乎意料的问题中学到比成人谈话中更多的东西，因为成人说话是根据他们获得的观念与他们教育上的偏见。

4. Perhaps it may not sometimes be amiss to excite their curiosity, by bringing strange and new things in their way, on purpose to engage their enquiry, and give them occasion to inform themselves about them; and if by chance their curiosity leads them to ask what they should not know, it is a great deal better to tell them plainly, that it is a thing that belongs not to them to know, than to pop them off with a falsehood, or a frivolous answer.

4. 有时我们可以带给他们一些新奇的东西，有意引发他们的疑问，让他们有机会自己去了解，以激发他们的好奇心；万一他们的好奇心导致他们问一些他们不该知道的问题，最好是明白地告诉他们那是他们不该知道的事情，而不是用假话或敷衍的回答来搪塞他们。

 

摘自Some Thoughts Concerning Education (English-Chinese Edition)(ISBN-10: 1537479857)