On-National-Prejudices

OnNationalPrejudices论国家偏见byOliverGoldsmith作者：奥利弗哥德史密斯AsIamoneofthatsaunteringtribeofmortals,whospendthegreatestpartoftheirtimeintaverns,coffeehouses,andotherplacesofpublicresort,Ihavetherebyanopportunityofobservinganinfinitevarietyofcharacters,which,toapersonofacontemplativeturn,isamuchhigherentertainmentthanaviewofallthecuriositiesofartornature.Inoneofthese,mylaterambles,Iaccidentallyfellintothecompanyofhalfadozengentlemen,whowereengagedinawarmdisputeaboutsomepoliticalaffair;thedecisionofwhich,astheywereequallydividedintheirsentiments,theythoughtpropertorefertome,whichnaturallydrewmeinforashareoftheconversation.作为悠闲的芸芸众生中的一员，我大多数时间是在酒馆，咖啡厅或其它公共场所里打发的。正因此，我才有机会来观察形形色色的人物。这种娱乐方式对生性喜爱沉思的我而言，比欣赏艺术或自然界的奇妙更引人入胜。在最近一次闲逛中，我偶然碰见六位绅士，他们当时正在激烈地讨论政事，于是我便站在一边旁听。由于意见不一，且双方支持人数相同，他们认为理应咨询我的看法。自然而然，我也加入了此次谈话。Amongstamultiplicityofothertopics,wetookoccasiontotalkofadifferentcharactersoftheseveralnationsofEurope;whenoneofthegentlemen,cockinghishat,andassumingsuchanairofimportanceasifhehadpossessedallthemeritoftheEnglishnationinhisownperson,declaredthattheDutchwereaparcelofavariciouswretches;theFrenchasetofflatteringsycophants;thattheGermansweredrunkensots,andbeastlygluttons;andtheSpaniardsproud,haughty,andsurlytyrants;butthatinbravery,generosity,clemency,andineveryothervirtue,theEnglishexcelledalltheworld.在诸多话题中，我们乘机谈到了欧洲一些国家的不同特征；其中一位绅士，将帽子一歪，摆出一副郑重其事的架势，好像自己拥有英国人民所有的优点一般，声称荷兰人是一群贪婪的可怜人；法国人是一群奉承谄媚者；德国人是一群饕餮烂醉之徒；西班牙人是一群傲慢专横之流。然而，说到勇敢，慷慨，宽厚，或其它美德，英国人在世界上是可圈可点的。Thisverylearnedandjudiciousremarkwasreceivedwithageneralsmileofapprobationbyallthecompany--all,Imean,butyourhumbleservant;who,endeavoringtokeepmygravityaswellasIcould,Ireclinedmyheaduponmyarm,continuedforsometimesinapostureofaffectedthoughtfulness,asifIhadbeenmusingonsomethingelse,anddidnotseemtoattendtothesubjectofconversation;hopingbythesemeanstoavoidthedisagreeablenecessityofexplainingmyself,andtherebydeprivingthegentlemenofhisimaginaryhappiness.在场所有人对这句“博学睿智”的言辞报之一笑，并大为赞赏。然而，尊敬的英国，这里指的所有人是除了您卑微的仆人在下之外的。我极力保持庄重之态，双手托住头，一直假装摆出一副冥思的姿势，仿佛在思考别的事而未注意谈话的主题，希望借此可以避免发表看法，以免让自己蒙羞，也好让他们继续沉浸在自己想象的快乐之中。Butmypseudo-patriothadnomindtoletmeescapesoeasily.Notsatisfiedthathisopinionshouldpasswithoutcontradiction,hewasdeterminedtohaveitratifiedbythesuffrageofeveryoneinthecompany;forwhichpurposeaddressinghimselftomewithanairofinexpressibleconfidence,heaskedmeifIwasnotinthesamewayofthinking.AsIamneverforwardingivingmyopinion,especiallywhenIhavereasontobelievethatitwillnotbeagreeable;so,whenIamobligedtogiveit,Ialwaysholditforamaximtospeakmyrealsentiments.Ithereforetoldhimthat,formyownpart,Ishouldnothaveventuredtotalkinsuchaperemptorystrain,unlessIhadmadethetourofEurope,andexaminedthemannersoftheseseveralnationswithgreatcareandaccuracy:that,perhaps,amoreimpartialjudgewouldnotscrupletoaffirmthattheDutchweremorefrugalandindustrious,theFrenchmoretemperateandpolite,theGermansmorehardyandpatientoflabourandfatigue,andtheSpaniardsmorestaidandsedate,thantheEnglish;who,thoughundoubtedlybraveandgenerous,wereatthesametimerash,headstrong,andimpetuous;tooapttobeelatedwithprosperity,andtodespondinadversity.可惜我们这位伪爱国者却绝不轻易放过我。他想满意地看到自己的说法毫无争议，便决定以投票的方式让在场每一个人都表示赞同。为此，他竟带着一份无可言传的自信询问我是否认同他的看法。由于我从不直言个人看法，特别是在有理由相信它会引人不快之时，所以在不得不道出时，通常，我的格言便是说出自己真实的想法。于是我告诉他说，在我看来，如果我没有游历欧洲，没有认真仔细地研究过那些国家民众的行为举止，我就不应武断地做出如此绝对的结论。这样的话，也许得出的结论会更加公正，或许会毫不留情地证明荷兰人比英国人更勤俭节约，法国人比英国人更温文儒雅，德国人比英国人更加坚忍，更加能吃苦耐劳，西班牙人比英国人更加沉着冷静。然而，虽然英国人无疑是勇敢，慷慨的，他们有时候也会变得鲁莽，固执，冲动，在顺境中易于狂喜，在逆境中易于沮丧。IcouldeasilyperceivethatallofthecompanybegantoregardmewithajealouseyebeforeIhadfinishedmyanswer,whichIhadnosoonerdone,thanthepatrioticgentlemanobserved,withacontemptuoussneer,thathewasgreatlysurprisedhowsomepeoplecouldhavetheconsciencetoliveinacountrywhichtheydidnotlove,andtoenjoytheprotectionofagovernment,towhichintheirheartstheywereinveterateenemies.Findingthatbythismodestdeclarationofmysentiments,Ihadforfeitedthegoodopinionofmycompanions,andgiventhemoccasiontocallmypoliticalprinciplesinquestion,andwellknowingthatitwasinvaintoarguewithmenwhoweresoveryfullofthemselves,Ithrewdownmyreckoningandretiredtomyownlodgings,reflectingontheabsurdandridiculousnatureofnationalprejudiceandprepossession.我很快察觉到，在我还没发表完看法之前，所有人就开始以一种不友善的眼神望着我。我话还没说完，那位爱国绅士轻蔑地一笑，说道，“看到有些人竟有脸生活在一个自己不热爱的国家，享有政府的保护，而且在他们心目中还把对方当成宿敌，真是令人惊愕。”道出拙见后，我收回了先前对这几位绅士的好评，同时给他们机会质疑我的政治理念，我也不再和他们理论，心知与这些以自我为中心的人争论是徒劳的，于是便回到了自己的住所，思考那些荒诞不经的国家偏见。Amongallthefamoussayingsofantiquity,thereisnonethatdoesgreaterhonourtotheauthor,oraffordsgreaterpleasuretothereader(atleastifhebeapersonofagenerousandbenevolentheart)thanthatthephilosopher,who,beingaskedwhatcountrymanhewas,repliedthathewasacitizenoftheworld.Howfewtherearetobefoundinmoderntimeswhocansaythesame,orwhoseconductisconsistentwithsuchaprofession!WearenowbecomesomuchEnglishmen,Frenchmen,Dutchmen,Spaniards,orGermans,thatwearenolongercitizensoftheworld;somuchthenativesofoneparticularspot,ormembersofonepettysociety,thatwenolongerconsiderourselvesasthegeneralinhabitantsoftheglobe,ormembersofthatgrandsocietywhichcomprehendsthewholehumankind.在所有蜚声中外的古言中，这句使作者显得最睿