The Unhappy American Way 译文

TheUnhappyAmericanWayBertrandRussellItusedtobesaidthatEnglishpeopletaketheirpleasuressadly.Nodoubtthiswouldstillbetrueiftheyhadanypleasurestotake,butthepriceofalcoholandtobaccoinmycountryhasprovidedsufficientexternalcausesformelancholy.IhavesometimesthoughtthatthehabitoftakingpleasuressadlyhascrossedtheAtlantic,andIhavewonderedwhatitisthatmakessomanyEnglish-speakingpeoplesomberintheiroutlookinspiteofgoodhealthandagoodincome.人们常说英国人哪怕遇上乐事也还是落落寡欢。这一说法无疑是正确的—如果他们还有乐事可遇的话—可如今的酒价烟价，让我的同胞们有的是理由发愁。有时我觉着对乐事落落寡欢这种习惯已经飘洋过海到了美国，我还纳闷到底是什么使得英语国家人士态度消沉，尽管他们身体健康，收入颇丰。InthecourseofmytravelsinAmericaIhavebeenimpressedbyakindoffundamentalmalaisewhichseemstomeextremelycommonandwhichposesdifficultproblemsforthesocialreformer.Mostsocialreformershaveheldtheopinionthat,ifpovertywereabolishedandtherewerenomoreeconomicinsecurity,themillenniumwouldhavearrived.ButwhenIlookatthefacesofpeopleinopulentcars,whetherinyourcountryorinmine,Idonotseethatlookofradianthappinesswhichtheaforesaidsocialreformershadledmetoexpect.Inninecasesoutoften,Iseeinsteadalookofboredomanddiscontentandanalmostfranticlongingforsomethingthatmightticklethejadedpalate.在美国期间，给我留下深刻印象的是一种根深蒂固的抑郁；这种抑郁在我看来极为普遍，给社会改革家出了莫大的难题。多数社会改革家认为，一旦摆脱贫困，经济不复动荡，就能迎来黄金盛世。如此说来，那些开着豪华车的人脸上应该洋溢着幸福了，可恰恰相反，十有八九，我在这些人（不论是在我国还是贵国）脸上看到的是厌烦、不满、以及一种近乎疯狂的渴望，渴望有什么东西能刺激他们业已疲惫的兴味。Butitisnotonlytheveryrichwhosufferinthisway.Professionalmenveryfrequentlyfeelhopelesslythwarted.Thereissomethingthattheylongtodoorsomepublicobjectthattheylongtoworkfor.Butiftheyweretoindulgetheirwishesintheserespects,theyfearthattheywouldlosetheirlivelihood.Theirwivesareequallyunsatisfied,fortheirneighbor,MrsSo-and-So,hasgoneaheadmorequickly,hasabettercar,alargerapartmentandgranderfriends.不过这种烦恼并非富人所独有。职业人士也时常感到无可救药的沮丧。他们有自己想做的事情或愿意为公众事业出力；但他们若沉溺于这些事情，恐怕生计就成了问题。他们的妻子也会同样不快，因为那样他们的邻居某某太太就会遥遥领先，有更高级的车，更宽敞的住所和更体面的朋友。Lifeforalmosteverybodyisalongcompetitivestrugglewhereveryfewcanwintherace,andthosewhodonotwinareunhappy.Onsocialoccasionswhenitisderigueurtoseemcheerful,thenecessarydemeanorisstimulatedbyalcohol.Butthegaietydoesnotringtrueandanybodywhohasjustonedrinktoomanyisapttolapseintolachrymosemelancholy.几乎人人都把生活看作一场漫长而艰巨的竞争，胜出的不过寥寥几人，落败的则皆为不幸。在有些场合需要显得兴致高昂，人们就靠酒精来提升情绪。可这种兴致不是出于由衷，只要喝得略微过头，情绪又归于低落。OnefindsthissortofthingonlyamongEnglish-speakingpeople.AFrenchmanwhileheisabusingtheGovernmentisasgayasalark.SoisanItalianwhileheistellingyouhowhisneighborhasswindledhim.Mexicans,whentheyarenotactuallystarvingoractuallybeingmurdered,singanddanceandenjoysunshineandfoodanddrinkwithagustowhichisveryrarenorthoftheMexicanfrontier.WhenAndrewJacksonconqueredPensacolafromtheSpaniards,hiswifelookedoutofthewindowandsawthepopulationenjoyingitselfalthoughitwasSunday.Shepointedoutthescandaltoherhusband,whodecreedthatcheerfulnessmustceaseforthwith.Anditdid.这种情形只在英语国家人士身上出现。法国人痛骂政府时，如云雀一般快乐。意大利人对你讲述遭邻居欺骗的经历时也是如此。除非实在饿坏了或是被人谋害，墨西哥人会载歌载舞，尽情享受阳光，大吃大喝；这种情形在墨西哥以北的美国就极为少见了。当安德鲁杰克逊从西班牙人手中夺得彭沙科拉后，他的妻子向窗外望去，发现尽管当时是星期天，当地人民却在尽情享乐。她把这件丑事告诉丈夫，他便下令停止寻欢作乐。于是欢乐结束了。WhenItrytounderstandwhatitisthatpreventssomanyAmericansfrombeingashappyasonemightexpect,itseemstomethattherearetwocauses,ofwhichonegoesmuchdeeperthantheother.Theonethatgoesleastdeepisthenecessityforsubservienceinsomelargeorganization.Ifyouareanenergeticmanwithstrongviewsastotherightwayofdoingthejobwithwhichyouareconcerned,youfindyourselfinvariablyundertheordersofsomebigmanatthetopwhoiselderly,wearyandcynical.Wheneveryouhaveabrightidea,thebossputsastopperonit.Themoreenergeticyouareandthemorevisionyouhave,themoreyouwillsufferfromtheimpossibilityofdoinganyofthethingsthatyoufeeloughttobedone.Whenyougohomeandmoantoyourwife,shetellsyouthatyouareasillyfellowandthatifyoubecamethepropersortofyes-manyourincomewouldsoonbedoubled.Ifyoutrydivorceandremarriageitisveryunlikelythattherewillbeanychangeinthisrespect.Andsoyouarecondemnedtogastriculcersandprematureoldage.我试图了解是什么使美国人无法获得人们预料中的快乐，结果我想到两个原因，其中一个比另一个更为深刻。最浅显的原因是：在大型机构里必须表示服从。假使你精力充沛并对你关注的工作有独到的见解，你肯定要听命于某位顶头上司，而该上司年老力衰，尖酸刻薄/难以取悦。无论何时你提出一个出色的想法，你的上司总要使之落空。你越有活力和见解，就越为不能为可为之事而痛苦。你要是回家对妻子抱怨，她会说你是个傻瓜—假如你能学会唯上司之命是从，工资很快就会翻番。若是离婚再娶，多半还是于事无补。所以你注定要得胃溃疡，注定未老先衰。Itwasnotalwaysso.WhenDr.Johnsoncompiledhisdictionary,hecompileditashethoughtfit.WhenhefeltlikesayingthatoatsisfoodformeninScotlandandhorsesinEngland,hesaidso.Whenhedefinedafishing-rodasastickwithafishatoneendandafoolattheother,therewasnobodytopointouttohimthataremarkofthissortwoulddamagethesaleofhisgreatworkamongfishermen.Butif,inthepresentday,youare(letussay)acontributortoanencyclopedia,thereisaneditorialpolicywhichissolemn,wiseandprudent,whichallowsnoroomforjokes,noplaceforpersonalpreferencesandnotoleranceforidiosyncrasies.Everythinghastobeflattenedoutexceptwheretheprejudicesoftheeditorareconcerned.Totheseyoumustconform,howeverlittleyoumaysharethem.Andsoyouhavetobecontentwithdollarsinsteadofcreativesatisfaction.Andthedollars,alas,leaveyousad.这种情形也不是一成不变。约翰逊博士编字典就是觉得怎么合适就怎么编。他高兴说燕麦在苏格兰为人食，在英格兰为马食，就真的这么说了。他把钓鱼竿定义为一端是鱼一端是傻子的棍子时，也没人对他说这样的说法会降低字典在渔民中的销量。可要是在如今，你要是（比方说）参与一部百科全书的编纂工作，编纂的原则就会是力求庄重、明智与谨慎。不能开玩笑，不能有个人