On the Linguistic Feature of Francis Bacon’s Essay

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1、试论培根论说文的语言特色On the Linguistic Feature of Francis Bacons EssayContentsAbstract.1Key words.2I Introduction.31 Life and Political Career.4 2 Literary Works.6II. What is the Linguistic Feature? .7 III The General Idea on Francis Bacons Essays.8. Analyze Bacons Essays Literary Style91 Speech Sounds, Into

2、nation in Bacons Essays.92 His Vocabulary Use. 113 The Sentence Structures Change in Bacons Essay12a. The long sentence and the short sentence12 b. The periodic sentence and the loose sentence.134 The Figurative Language Used in Bacons Essays.13VI. Conclusion . .14References. 14On the Linguistic Fea

3、ture of Francis Bacons Essay摘 要: 历史上确有垂之不朽之书，培根的这本人生随笔必在其列。四百年来，它已被译成几乎所有的人类语言，其格言足以永为垂范。弗兰西斯.培根是莎士比亚同时代的人，（甚至有一种见解说莎士比亚的剧作是培根化名作品）。他是一位政治家，但他的政治事业并不成功。培根之所以能名垂青史，主要是因为他是一位伟大的哲学家、科学家、思想家。他是今代英国史最重要的代表人物之一，也是近代人类思想史上具有里程碑意义的杰出人物之一。与文艺复兴时代的那些光辉人物一样，培根也具有多方面的才能。历史上的所谓伟大人物，其实就是开创或建树了一种新传统的人物。伟大的政治家革新了人类

4、的社会制度；而伟大的思想家则革新了人类的价值体系和思维模式，培根正是这样一位人物。尽管少数崇拜培根的，宣称莎士比亚和培根是同一个人，但这并不能证明莎翁的大作是培根所写。尽管如此，培根爵爷在英国文学史上的地位与其对英国后世散文风格的影响是不可小虚见 的。其实，就算培根只写一本论人生也足已使其列在17世纪英国名人堂之中。当我们翻阅他的其它作品时，如他的史著、书信、尤其是其主攻方向哲学和科学方面的著作，我们更应该将其放在英国名人之列。培根散文风格行文精美，看似简单但决不失深奥。事实上，用平衡的音节、自然的比喻、对称的安排去达到一种易懂、清晰的效果比起用平白的字眼、平常的想法和直白的句字来说要费事的多

5、。关键词: 语言特色 文体 语音 比喻 句型Abstract: If there are the masterpieces that will live forever, the Essays of Francis Bacon would be among them .In the past four hundreds years, the Essays have been translated into almost all the languages of human being. The mottoes among his Essays are good enough to be fin

6、e examples forever. Francis Bacon and Shakespeare lived in the same age (even there is a view that the comedy of Shakespeare were the writings of Bacon ).He was a statesman ,but he didnt success in politics .The reason why Bacon can be crowned with eternal glory was that he was a great philosopher s

7、cientist thinker .He was one of the most important representative figure in the thought history of Britain ,also an outstanding person who had the milestone meaning in the modern history of the human being .The same as the other glorious persons of the Renaissance age ,Francis Bacon also possessed v

8、arious talents .What was called great figure of the history ,in fact, were those who innovated or set up a new tradition .The great statesmen improved the socialist system ,the great thinker innovated the value system and thinking model .Bacon was the very kind of figure . Despite the fanatical clai

9、ms (and very un-Baconian credulity) of a few admirers, it is a virtual certainty that Bacon did not write the works traditionally attributed to William Shakespeare. Even so, the Lord Chancellors high place in the history of English literature as well as his influential role in the development of Eng

10、lish prose style remain well-established and secure. Indeed even if Bacon had produced nothing else but his masterful Essays (first published in 1597 and then revised and expanded in 1612 and 1625), he would still rate among the top echelon of 17th-century English authors. And so when we take into a

11、ccount his other writings, e.g., his histories, letters, and especially his major philosophical and scientific works, we must surely place him in the first rank of English literatures great men of letters and among its finest masters (alongside names like Johnson, Mill, Carlyle, and Ruskin) of non-f

12、iction prose.Bacons style, though elegant, is by no means as simple as it seems or as it is often described. In fact it is actually a fairly complex affair that achieves its air of ease and clarity more through its balanced cadences, natural metaphors, and carefully arranged symmetries than through

13、the use of plain words, commonplace ideas, and straightforward syntax.Key words: Linguistic feature style speech sounds trope sentence styleOn the Linguistic Feature of Francis Bacons EssayI IntroductionFrancis Bacon was born January, 22, 1561, the second child of Sir Nicholas Bacon (Lord Keeper of

14、the Seal) and his second wife Lady Anne Coke Bacon, daughter of Sir Anthony Coke, tutor to Edward VI and one of the leading humanists of the age. He was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge (15735) and at Grays Inn in London (1576). From 1577 to 1578 the young Bacon accompanied Sir Amias Paulet, t

15、he English ambassador, on his mission in Paris; but he returned when his father died. Bacons small inheritance brought him into financial difficulties and since his maternal uncle, Lord Burghley, did not help him to get a lucrative post as a government official, he embarked on a political career in

16、the House of Commons. In 1581 he entered the Commons as a member for Cornwall, and he remained a Member of Parliament for thirty-seven years. In 1582 he became a barrister and was installed as a reader at Grays Inn. His involvement in high politics started in 1584, when he wrote his first political

17、memorandum, A Letter of Advice to Queen Elizabeth. Right from the beginning of his adult life, Bacon aimed at a revision of natural philosophy and following his fathers example also tried to secure high political office. Very early on he tried to formulate outlines for a new system of the sciences,

18、emphasizing empirical methods and laying the foundation for an applied science (scientia operativa). This twofold task, however, proved to be too ambitious to be realized in practice.Bacons ideas concerning a reform of the sciences did not meet with much sympathy from Queen Elizabeth or from Lord Bu

19、rghley. Small expectations on this front led him to become a successful lawyer and Parliamentarian. From 1584 to 1617 (the year he entered the House of Lords) he was an active member in the Commons. When he lost Elizabeths favor over the subsidy affair of 1593, Bacon turned to the Earl of Essex as a

20、 patron. He served Essex as political advisor, but distanced himself from him when Essexs failure in the Irish campaign became evident and when his rebellion against the Queen finally brought him to the executioners block. When in 1603 the Scottish king James VI succeeded the great Queen as James I

21、of England, Bacons time had come at last. He was knighted in 1603, married a young and rich heiress in 1606, was appointed Solicitor General in 1607 and Attorney General in 1613. He reached the peak of his splendid career from 1616 onwards: he became a member of the Privy Council in 1616, was appoin

22、ted Lord Keeper of the Great Seal the following year thus achieving the same position as his father and was granted the title of Lord Chancellor and created Baron of Verulam in 1618. In the same year, 1621, when Bacon was created Viscount of St. Albans, he was impeached by Parliament for corruption

23、in his office as a judge. His fall was contrived by his adversaries in Parliament and by the court faction, for which he was the suitable scapegoat to save the Duke of Buckingham not only from public anger but also from open aggression (Mathews, 1999). He lost all his offices and his seat in Parliam

24、ent, but retained his titles and his personal property. Bacon devoted the last five years of his life entirely to his philosophical work. He tried to go ahead with his huge project, the Instauratio Magna Scientiarum; but the task was too big for him to accomplish in just a couple of years. Though he

25、 was able to finish important parts of the Instauratio, the proverb, often quoted in his works, proved true for himself: Vita brevis, ars longa. He died in April 1626 of pneumonia after experiments with ice.Francis Bacon was a famous English essayist, lawyer, philosopher and statesman who had a majo

26、r influence on the philosophy of science. He was born in London in 1561 and died in 1626. At 12 years of age, he entered Trinity College, Cambridge. At age 15, he entered Grays Inn to pursue a career in law. Bacon was first elected to Parliament in 1584. His opposition to royal tax measures would pr

27、obably have brought an end to his political advancement, but he had the support of the earl of Essex, whose prosecution for treason he later managed. Knighted (1603) after the succession of James I, Bacon became solicitor-general (1609), attorney-general (1613), lord keeper of the great seal (1617),

28、 and lord chancellor (1618); he was also created Baron Verulam (1618), and Viscount St. Albans (1621). Bacon retained Jamess favor by steadfast defense of royal prerogative, but in 1621 he was found guilty of accepting bribes and was removed from his offices. Retiring to Gorhambury, he devoted himse

29、lf to writing and scientific work. Philosophically, Bacon sought to purge the mind of what he called idols, or tendencies to error. These came from human nature (idols of the tribe), from individual temperament and experience (idols of the cave), from language (idols of the market place), and from f

30、alse philosophies (idols of the theater). Of earlier philosophers, he particularly criticized Aristotle. Bacon planned a large work, the Instauratio Magna (Great Restoration), setting forth his concepts for the restoration of humankind to mastery over nature but only completed only two parts. Althou

31、gh Bacon was not a great scientist, he gave impetus to the development of modern inductive science. In the 18th century, Voltaire and Diderot considered him the father of modern science. Bacons works include his Essays (1597-1625) and The New Atlantis (1627). On a more personal note, he was apparent

32、ly erotically attracted to young male Welsh servants. This information appeared in writings but his contemporaries but did not appear in modern biographies until recently.1 Life and Political Career Bacon was educated at home at the family estate at Gorhambury in Herfordshire. In 1573, at the age of

33、 just twelve, he entered Trinity College, Cambridge, where the stodgy Scholastic curriculum triggered his lifelong opposition to Aristotelianism (though not to the works of Aristotle himself).In 1576 Bacon began reading law at Grays Inn. Yet only a year later he interrupted his studies in order to t

34、ake a position in the diplomatic service in France as an assistant to the ambassador. In 1579, while he was still in France, his father died, leaving him (as the second son of a second marriage and the youngest of six heirs) virtually without support. With no position, no land, no income, and no imm

35、ediate prospects, he returned to England and resumed the study of law.Bacon completed his law degree in 1582, and in 1588 he was named lecturer in legal studies at Grays Inn. In the meantime, he was elected to Parliament in 1584 as a member for Melcombe in Dorsetshire. He would remain in Parliament

36、as a representative for various constituencies for the next 36 years.In 1593 his blunt criticism of a new tax levy resulted in an unfortunate setback to his career expectations, the Queen taking personal offense at his opposition. Any hopes he had of becoming Attorney General or Solicitor General du

37、ring her reign were dashed, though Elizabeth eventually relented to the extent of appointing Bacon her Extraordinary Counsel in 1596.It was around this time that Bacon entered the service of Robert Devereux, the Earl of Essex, a dashing courtier, soldier, plotter of intrigue, and sometime favorite o

38、f the Queen. No doubt Bacon viewed Essex as a rising star and a figure who could provide a much-needed boost to his own sagging career. Unfortunately, it was not long before Essexs own fortunes plummeted following a series of military and political blunders culminating in a disastrous coup attempt.

39、When the coup plot failed, Devereux was arrested, tried, and eventually executed, with Bacon, in his capacity as Queens Counsel, playing a vital role in the prosecution of the case.In 1603, James I succeeded Elizabeth, and Bacons prospects for advancement dramatically improved. After being knighted

40、by the king, he swiftly ascended the ladder of state and from 1604-1618 filled a succession of high-profile advisory positions:1604 Appointed Kings Counsel.1607 Named Solicitor General.1608 Appointed Clerk of the Star Chamber.1613 Appointed Attorney General.1616 Made a member of the Privy Council.16

41、17 Appointed Lord Keeper of the Royal Seal (his fathers former office).1618 Made Lord Chancellor. As Lord Chancellor, Bacon wielded a degree of power and influence that he could only have imagined as a young lawyer seeking preferment. Yet it was at this point, while he stood at the very pinnacle of

42、success, that he suffered his great Fall. In 1621 he was arrested and charged with bribery. After pleading guilty, he was heavily fined and sentenced to a prison term in the Tower of London. Although the fine was later waived and Bacon spent only four days in the Tower, he was never allowed to sit i

43、n Parliament or hold political office again.The entire episode was a terrible disgrace for Bacon personally and a stigma that would cling to and injure his reputation for years to come. As various chroniclers of the case have pointed out, the accepting of gifts from suppliants in a law suit was a co

44、mmon practice in Bacons day, and it is also true that Bacon ended up judging against the two petitioners who had offered the fateful bribes. Yet the damage was done, and Bacon to his credit accepted the judgment against him without excuse. According to his own Essayes, or Counsels, he should have kn

45、own and done better. (In this respect it is worth noting that during his forced retirement, Bacon revised and republished the Essayes, injecting an even greater degree of shrewdness into a collection already notable for its worldliness and keen political sense.) Macaulay in a lengthy essay declared

46、Bacon a great intellect but (borrowing a phrase from Bacons own letters) a “most dishonest man,” and more than one writer has characterized him as cold, calculating, and arrogant. Yet whatever his flaws, even his enemies conceded that during his trial he accepted his punishment nobly, and moved on.B

47、acon spent his remaining years working with renewed determination on his lifelong project: the reform of learning and the establishment of an intellectual community dedicated to the discovery of scientific knowledge for the “use and benefit of men.” The former Lord Chancellor died on 9 April, 1626,

48、supposedly of a cold or pneumonia contracted while testing his theory of the preservative and insulating properties of snow.2 Literary WorksDespite the fanatical claims (and very un-Baconian credulity) of a few admirers, it is a virtual certainty that Bacon did not write the works traditionally attr

49、ibuted to William Shakespeare. Even so, the Lord Chancellors high place in the history of English literature as well as his influential role in the development of English prose style remain well-established and secure. Indeed even if Bacon had produced nothing else but his masterful Essayes (first p

50、ublished in 1597 and then revised and expanded in 1612 and 1625), he would still rate among the top echelon of 17th-century English authors. And so when we take into account his other writings, e.g., his histories, letters, and especially his major philosophical and scientific works, we must surely

51、place him in the first rank of English literatures great men of letters and among its finest masters (alongside names like Johnson, Mill, Carlyle, and Ruskin) of non-fiction prose.Bacons style, though elegant, is by no means as simple as it seems or as it is often described. In fact it is actually a

52、 fairly complex affair that achieves its air of ease and clarity more through its balanced cadences, natural metaphors, and carefully arranged symmetries than through the use of plain words, commonplace ideas, and straightforward syntax. (In this connection it is noteworthy that in the revised versi

53、ons of the essays Bacon seems to have deliberately disrupted many of his earlier balanced effects to produce a style that is actually more jagged and, in effect, more challenging to the casual reader.) Furthermore, just as Bacons personal style and living habits were prone to extravagance and never

54、particularly austere, so in his writing he was never quite able to resist the occasional grand word, magniloquent phrase, or orotund effect. (As Dr. Johnson observed, “A dictionary of the English language might be compiled from Bacons works alone.”) Bishop Sprat in his 1667 History of the Royal Soci

55、ety honored Bacon and praised the society membership for supposedly eschewing fine words and fancy metaphors and adhering instead to a natural lucidity and “mathematical plainness.” To write in such a way, Sprat suggested, was to follow true, scientific, Baconian principles. And while Bacon himself

56、often expressed similar sentiments (praising blunt expression while condemning the seductions of figurative language), a reader would be hard pressed to find many examples of such spare technique in Bacons own writings. Of Bacons contemporary readers, at least one took exception to the view that his

57、 writing represented a perfect model of plain language and transparent meaning. After perusing the New Organon, King James (to whom Bacon had proudly dedicated the volume) reportedly pronounced the work “like the peace of God, which passeth all understanding.”II. What is the Linguistic Feature? Ther

58、e is a very close relationship between language and literature. The part of linguistic that studies the language of literature is termed literary stylistics. It focuses on the study of linguistic feature related to literary style -Our pursuit of style. The most elusive and fascinating phenomenon has

59、 been enchanted by the constant studies of generations of scholars.“Style” the phenomenon, has been recognized since the days of ancient rhetoric; “stylistic” the adjective has been with us since 1860. “Stylists” the field is perhaps the creation of bibliographers. (Dolores Burton). And when it come

60、s to style, we must refer to the phonological, grammatical and semantic feature of the language, which seem to distinguish literary from nonliterary usage. So if we want to analyze the linguistic feature of Bacons essays , we should begin with the style .The importance of Francis Bacon in the Englis

61、h literature history is more than that of his excellent essays , his accomplishment in the field of prose is more than that of his essays .Francis Bacon used his own clear , accurate and eloquent prose style to set up a new example .His language clearcut and accurate , concise and substantial , exac

62、t ordered and .straightforward , has a rich tune of confident rhythm and a authorative voice .His essays are full of balance , trope and intelligence .From the speech sounds and rhythm word and sentence this paper tries to figure out what is Francis Bacon essays linguistic feature and to understand

63、how the language used in the literary way.III The General Idea on Francis Bacons Essays. Bacons essays have its own appeal. First, short sentence have the advantages; short sentence makes concentration compact easy to understand, but every sentence, in his essays makes person to contemplate. For eve

64、ry sentence is like “epigram”, out of the ordinary: “Men fear death, as children fear to go in the dark”; “what is Truth? said jesting Pilate, and would not stay for an answer.”; “he that has wife and children has given hostages to fortune” “men in great place are three servants ; servant of the sovereign or state ; servants of fame ,and servants of business”Bacon had the confidence in scientist of 17th century .so his tone was subjective asse