1Men fear death as children fear to go in the dark;人畏惧死亡，就像孩子害怕走入黑暗；明喻修辞：将人对死亡的恐惧比作孩子对黑暗的恐惧。句法结构：主句"Men fear death" + 比较状语从句"as children fear to go in the dark"
2and as that natural fear in children is increased with tales, so is the other.正如孩子的那种天然恐惧会因故事而增加，死亡恐惧也是如此。类比结构："as...so..."引导的平行比较句。词汇："natural fear"指天生的、本能的恐惧
3Certainly, the contemplation of death, as the wages of sin, and passage to another world, is holy and religious;确实，将死亡视为罪的工价和通往另一个世界的通道来沉思，是神圣且虔诚的；神学概念："wages of sin"出自《罗马书》6:23。句法：主语"contemplation"带有两个同位语"as the wages..."和"and passage..."
4but the fear of it, as a tribute due unto nature, is weak.但将其视为对自然应尽的贡品而恐惧，则是软弱的。比喻修辞："tribute due unto nature"将死亡比作向自然缴纳的贡品。词汇："due"表示"应得的、应付的"
5Yet in religious meditations there is sometimes mixture of vanity and of superstition.然而在宗教冥想中，有时也掺杂着虚妄和迷信。批判性观点：培根指出宗教思考中可能存在的缺陷。词汇："vanity"指空虚无益的思想，"superstition"指盲目的迷信
6You shall read in some of the friars' books of mortification, that a man should think with himself, what the pain is, if he have but his finger's end pressed or tortured;你会在一些修士的苦修书籍中读到，人应当自省：如果只是指尖被压或受刑，痛苦是怎样的；历史背景：指天主教苦修文献。句法：复杂宾语从句结构，包含条件状语从句"if he have..."
7and thereby imagine what the pains of death are, when the whole body is corrupted and dissolved;从而想象当全身腐烂分解时，死亡的痛苦又是怎样的；生理描述："corrupted and dissolved"描述尸体腐烂过程。时态：现在时表示普遍真理
8when many times death passeth with less pain than the torture of a limb, for the most vital parts are not the quickest of sense.然而很多时候死亡经历的痛苦少于肢体的折磨，因为最重要的器官并非感觉最敏锐的。生理学观察：培根指出致命器官（如大脑、心脏）的痛觉并不敏感。词汇："vital parts"指维持生命的关键器官
9And by him that spake only as a philosopher and natural man, it was well said, "Pompa mortis magis terret, quam mors ipsa."那位仅以哲学家和自然人身份发言的人说得很好："死亡的排场比死亡本身更可怕。"拉丁引文：出自塞内卡。语法：比较级结构"magis...quam..."。词汇："pompa"指仪式、排场，"terret"意为"使害怕"
10Groans and convulsions, and a discolored face, and friends weeping, and blacks and obsequies, and the like, show death terrible.呻吟与抽搐、变色的面容、朋友的哭泣、黑衣与葬礼等等，使死亡显得可怕。排比修辞：一连串名词短语列举死亡的可怖景象。词汇："blacks"指丧服，"obsequies"指葬礼仪式
11It is worthy the observing, that there is no passion in the mind of man so weak, but it mates and masters the fear of death;值得注意的是，人心中的情感无论多么微弱，都能抗衡并战胜对死亡的恐惧；双重否定："no...so weak, but..."结构表示"没有...如此微弱以至于不能..."。词汇："mates"此处意为"对抗、匹敌"
12and therefore death is no such terrible enemy when a man hath so many attendants about him that can win the combat of him.因此，当一个人有这么多能赢得这场战斗的随从时，死亡就不是那么可怕的敌人了。军事隐喻：将死亡比作敌人，情感比作随从。句法：时间状语从句"when..."中包含定语从句"that can..."
13Revenge triumphs over death; love slights it; honor aspireth to it; grief flieth to it; fear preoccupateth it;复仇战胜死亡；爱情蔑视死亡；荣誉渴望死亡；悲伤奔赴死亡；恐惧抢先死亡；平行结构：五个简短主谓宾句子排比，展示不同情感对死亡的态度。词汇："preoccupateth"为古英语，意为"先占、抢先"
14nay, we read, after Otho the emperor had slain himself, pity (which is the tenderest of affections) provoked many to die out of mere compassion to their sovereign, and as the truest sort of followers.不仅如此，我们读到，在皇帝奥托自杀后，怜悯（最温柔的情感）促使许多人纯粹出于对君主的同情而死去，作为最忠实的追随者。历史例证：引用罗马皇帝奥托自杀后随从殉葬的故事。语法：括号插入语提供补充说明，"which"引导非限制性定语从句
15Nay, Seneca adds niceness and satiety: "Cogita quamdiu eadem feceris; mori velle, non tantum fortis, aut miser, sed etiam fastidiosus potest."不仅如此，塞内加还添加了讲究和厌倦："想想你重复做同样事情多久了；想死，不仅是勇敢者或不幸者，连挑剔者也能做到。"哲学观点：斯多葛学派塞内加认为对生活的厌倦也能使人不惧死亡。拉丁语法："non tantum...sed etiam"表示"不仅...而且..."
16A man would die, though he were neither valiant nor miserable, only upon a weariness to do the same thing so oft over and over.一个人可能死去，即使他既不勇敢也不悲惨，仅仅因为厌倦如此频繁地重复做同一件事。心理分析：培根指出重复导致的倦怠感足以使人不惧死亡。语法：虚拟语气"though he were..."表示假设情况
17It is no less worthy to observe, how little alteration in good spirits the approaches of death make: for they appear to be the same men till the last instant.同样值得注意的是，死亡临近对高尚精神的影响多么微小：因为他们直到最后一刻都显得是同一个人。观察结论：培根注意到精神强大者在死亡面前保持不变。词汇："good spirits"指意志坚强、精神高尚的人
18Augustus Cæsar died in a compliment: "Livia, conjugii nostri memor, vive et vale."奥古斯都·凯撒死时还在说恭维话："莉维娅，记住我们的婚姻，活下去并告别吧。"历史典故：罗马皇帝奥古斯都临终对妻子莉维娅说的话。拉丁语法：祈使句结构，"memor"为形容词作表语
19Tiberius in dissimulation, as Tacitus saith of him, "Jam Tiberium vires et corpus, non dissimulatio, deserebant:"提比略死于掩饰，正如塔西佗所说："现在力量和身体，而非掩饰，正在抛弃提比略："历史评价：塔西佗对罗马皇帝提比略的著名评价。拉丁语法：否定词"non"强调对比，动词"deserebant"为未完成时表示持续状态
20Vespasian in a jest, sitting upon the stool, "Ut puto Deus fio;"韦斯帕芗死时开玩笑，坐在马桶上说："我想我正在变成神；"历史轶事：罗马皇帝韦斯帕芗临终幽默话。文化背景：罗马皇帝死后常被神化，"Deus fio"即反映这一传统
21Galba with a sentence, "Feri, si ex re sit populi Romani," holding forth his neck;加尔巴用一句话："如果这对罗马人民有益，就砍吧，"同时伸出脖子；历史场景：罗马皇帝加尔巴面对刺杀时的表现。句法：条件从句"si ex re sit..."使用虚拟语气表示假设
22Septimus Severus in dispatch, "Adeste, si quid mihi restat agendum,"塞普蒂米乌斯·塞维鲁死时急促地说："过来，如果我还有什么要做的，"历史记录：罗马皇帝塞维鲁临终话反映其务实性格。词汇："in dispatch"指匆忙、急促的状态
23and the like. Certainly, the Stoics bestowed too much cost upon death, and by their great preparations made it appear more fearful.等等。确实，斯多葛派在死亡上花费太多心思，他们的大量准备反而使它显得更可怕。哲学批评：培根评价斯多葛学派过度关注死亡反而增加恐惧。词汇："bestowed too much cost"比喻投入过多精力
24Better, saith he, "qui finem vitæ extremum inter munera ponit naturæ."他说得好，"将生命的终结视为自然的恩赐之一"。拉丁引文：出自某古典作家。语法：关系从句"qui...ponit"修饰主语。词汇："munera"指礼物、恩赐
25It is as natural to die as to be born; and to a little infant, perhaps, the one is as painful as the other.死亡与出生一样自然；对一个婴儿来说，也许两者同样痛苦。类比推理：将死亡与出生类比，弱化死亡的恐怖。句法：比较结构"as natural...as..."和"as painful as..."
26He that dies in an earnest pursuit, is like one that is wounded in hot blood, who, for the time, scarce feels the hurt;在热切追求中死去的人，就像热血沸腾时受伤的人，一时几乎感觉不到疼痛；军事比喻："wounded in hot blood"指战斗激情中受伤而不觉痛。语法：多重定语从句结构"one that is...who..."
27and therefore a mind fixed and bent upon somewhat that is good, doth avert the dolors of death;因此，专注于某种善事的心灵能够避免死亡的痛苦；心理观察：精神专注可以减轻肉体痛苦。词汇："fixed and bent upon"强调精神的高度集中
28but, above all, believe it, the sweetest canticle is "Nunc dimittis," when a man hath obtained worthy ends and expectations.但最重要的是，请相信，当一个人实现了有价值的目标和期望时，最甜美的颂歌就是"如今可离去"。宗教引用："Nunc dimittis"出自《路加福音》2:29，西面见证耶稣后说的感恩话。语法：插入语"believe it"增强说服力
29Death hath this also, that it openeth the gate to good fame, and extinguisheth envy: "Extinctus amabitur idem."死亡还有这一点：它打开了好名声的大门，并消除了嫉妒："同一个人死后会被爱戴。"拉丁引文：出自贺拉斯。语法：宾语从句"that it openeth..."说明"this"的具体内容。词汇："extinguisheth"为古英语，意为"熄灭、消除"