摘要
弗朗西斯•培根的散文《论读书》用词古雅，简洁明快，堪称现代英语论说文的典范之一，纷纷受到各时期翻译家的亲睐，其中译本有十余种。本文选取培根散文《论读书》的三种译本，即水天同译本，王佐良译本和曹明伦译本，以翻译美学为理论基础，从音韵美，节奏美，意象美，意境美等方面对译本进行对比分析，通过指出三个译本在语音、措辞、句法、语篇类型中的异同，本文试图提高对散文翻译特征的理解和探讨美学理论在散文翻译中的应用，借鉴欣赏译文精彩之处，批判性吸收译本精髓，以期提高散文翻译的质量，望对今后的翻译实践有所帮助。

关键字：《论读书》；中译本；翻译美学；散文翻译

Abstract
Francis Bacon’s essay “Of Studies” is one of the masterpieces of the modern English argumentative prose, whose wording is of classic beauty and in elegant taste. “Of Studies” is well adored by translators in different times, and it has more than ten Chinese translations. This thesis compares three of them, i.e. Shui Tiantong’s, Wang Zuoliang’s and Cao Minglun’s translation, from the aspects of phonological beauty, rhythm value, image value and artistic conception value on the basis of translation aesthetics. By pointing out the differences and similarities in phonology, lexical choice, sentence structure and types of texts among them, this paper aims to have a better understanding on the features of the prose translation, probing into the application of aesthetics theory in the field of prose translation, with a view to improve the quality of the prose translation and the afterwards translation practice through critical appreciation and absorption of the essence of the translations.

Key words: “Of Studies”; Chinese translation; translation aesthetics; prose translation

1. Introduction
1.1 Francis Bacon, Essays and its translations in China
Francis Bacon(1561－1626) was the founder of English materialist philosophy. He was born into the family of Sir Nicholas Bacon, keeper of the Privy Seal to Queen Elizabeth. He won the favor of the Queen when he was young. He went to Cambridge at twelve and took up law after graduating at sixteen. He soon became one of the most successful lawyers of the time. At twenty-three he became a member of the House of Commons and his judgment and eloquence made him famous. When James I came to England, Bacon obtained one important office after another until he became Lord Chancellor and was made a peer (nobleman) in 1618. He was an admirable judge, but in the course of rising he had made enemies who charged him with bribery. He was convicted deprived of his office, fined and banished from London in 1621. Five years later, he died in disgrace.