評論
打印
At this time of writing (1973) both the cynical or frivolous majority, which imagines itself to be outside politics, and the stubbornly divided minority, only agreeing in being myopic and entirely self-interested, exist in England.
在我撰寫本文之時，英國既存在著那種自以為是超出于政治之外的、憤世嫉俗或舉止輕狂的多數派，又存在著那種各執己見、四分五裂，只在目光短淺、自私自利兩方面有共同語言的少數派。
But I believe there must also still exist, if only on a hidden level, what remains of a characteristically English sense of community, decent fellow-feeling, fairness. (It isn't fair, children still cry.)
但我相信，這里也必然存在著英國人特有的社會群體感、高尚的同胞之情和正義之感，盡管隱藏得很深。(孩子們仍喊叫著"這不公平"。)
In spite of the 'Admass' atmosphere, inflation, the all-round grab, all this must yet exist even now, for there are deep roots here.
盡管到處彌漫著商業廣告氣氛，存在著通貨膨脹和猖狂的剝削行為，這些東西即使是今日也一定依然存在，因為它們深深植根于英國。
But those roots must be needing nourishment.
但那些根一定正急需營養。
Englishness cannot be fed with the east wind of a narrow rationality, the latest figures of profit and loss, a constant appeal to self-interest.
要給英國人特性提供營養，卻不能靠狹隘的理性思維的東風，最近的盈虧數字或對私利的不斷呼喚。
Politicians are always making such appeals, whereas statesmen, when they can be found, prefer to take themselves and their hearers out of the stock exchanges, shareholders' meetings, counting-houses.
政客們總是發出這樣的呼喚，而政治家--如果還能找到政治家的話--則寧愿將自己和聽眾帶出股票交易所、股東會議及帳房之類的場所。
They offer men the chance of behaving better and not as usual.
他們提供機會，使人們努力向上，而不是保持原樣。
They create an atmosphere in which the familiar greed and envy and resentment begin to seem small and contemptible.
他們創造出一種良好的社會風氣，使得貪婪、嫉妒和怨恨這些常見的行為顯得渺小、可鄙。
