弗朗西斯·培根/Francis Bacon

A man that is young in years,may be old in hours,if he have lost n o time.But that happened rarely.Generally,youth is like the first cog itations,not so wise as the second.For there is a youth in thoughts,as well as in ages.

And yet the invention of young men,is more lively than that of old;and imaginations stream into their minds better,and,as it were,more d ivinely.Natures that have much heat,and great and violent desires and perturbations,are not ripe for action,till they have passed the meridi an of their years;as it was with Julius Caesar and Septimius Severus...

Young men are fitter to invent,than to judge;fitter for execution,than for counsel;and fitter for new projects,than for settled business.For the experience of age,in things that fall within the compass of i t,directeth them;but in new things,abuseth them.

The errors of young men,are the ruin of business;but the errors of aged men,amount but to this,that more might have been done,or sooner.Young men,in the conduct and manage of actions,embrace more than they can hold;stir more than they can quiet;fly to the end,without conside ration of the means and degrees;pursue some few principles,which they have chanced upon absurdly care not to innovate,which draws unknown inc onveniences;use extreme remedies at first;and,that which doubleth all errors,will not acknowledge or retract them;like an unready horse,tha t will neither stop nor turn.Men of age object too much,consult too lo ng,adventure too little,repent too soon,and seldom drive business hom e to the full period,but content themselves with a mediocrity of succes s.Certainly it is good to compound employments of both;for that will b e good for the present,because the virtues of either age,may correct t he defects of both;and good for succession,that young men may be learn ers,while men in age are actors;and,lastly,good for extern accidents,because authority followeth old men,and favor and popularity,youth.But for the moral part,perhaps youth will have the pre-eminence,as age hath for the politic.

一个人假使不曾虚度生活，年岁不大也可以表现得成熟老练，只不过这种情况少有发生罢了。深思未必出自风霜，岁月同样可见年轻，可一般的青年毕竟谋划不过长辈，智慧也不及他们少年老成的同龄人。

但青年的创造性是更为丰富的，想象力也如涌泉一样奔放灵活，这似乎更得益于神助。天性刚烈、心怀热望、情绪敏感的人不历经中年，行事总是青涩，经撒和塞维拉斯即为例证。

青年擅长创造却缺乏判断，擅长行动却缺乏商讨，擅长革新却缺乏对经验的借鉴。日积月累的经验可以引导他们掌握旧事物，但也会遮盖他们看见新事物的视线。

青年人犯错往往毁坏大局，而老年人的错则是迈步太小或行动太缓。无论谋事还是操行，青年都骛远喜功，基调高，动幅大，好走极端，他们藐视前例，目空一切，革新的勇气绰绰有余，而欠方式和分寸上的考虑，结果反而招致意外的麻烦。他们有如不羁的野马，行事极端而不自知自救，一旦开蹄犯错，就泻至千里，不可复回。老年人呢？他们顾忌太多，议论过长，宁求安稳，不愿冒险，总是满足于平平成绩而不向往极致的辉煌。毫无疑问，最好是将两者特点结合。就现在来说，青年和老年可以互相取长补短。就发展来说，老年人是主事者，而青年可以学习取经。最后就社会来说，老年人以权威之姿指引方向，青年人则能振奋民心、鼓舞士气。但如果从政治上讲，老人的阅历是珍贵的，那么，青年人的纯真则在人性中熠熠闪光。