評論
打印
9.The Redistribution of Income
9.收入再分配
Our position is a perfect1y simple one and we have the great advantage of understanding our position. We oppose socialism to capitalism.
我們的立場是非常簡單明確的，我們的極大優勢在于理解自己的立場。我們用社會主義來反對資本主義。
We say in criticism of capitalism: Your system has never kept its promises for one single day since it was promulgated. Our production is ridiculous. We are producing eighty horsepower motor cars when many more houses should be built. We are producing most extravagant luxuries while children starve. You have stood production on its head. Instead of beginning with the things the nation needs most, you are beginning at just the opposite end. We say distribution has become so glaringly ridiculous that there are only two people out of the 47,000,000 people in this country who approve of the present system of distribution——one is the Duke of Northumberland and the other is Lord Banbury.
我們在批許資本主義時說：你們的制度自公布以來，從未有哪一天信守過自己的諾言。我們的生產是荒唐的。需要建造更多的房屋時，我們卻在生產80馬力的汽車。孩子們正在挨餓時，我們卻在生產最豪華的奢侈品。你們把生產顛倒了。你們不先生產國民最需要的東西，卻反其道而行之。我們說分配已經變得絕頂荒謬，以致在我國四千七百萬人口中，只有兩個人贊成現行的分配制度——一個是諾森伯蘭公爵，另一個是班伯里勛爵。
We are opposed to that theory. Socialism, which is perfectly clear and unmistakable, says the thing you have got to take care of is your distribution. We have to begin with that, and private property, if it stands in the way of good distribution, has got to go.
我們反對那種理論。明白無誤的社會主義理論指出，你們必須注意的問題是你們的分配。我們必須由此著手，而如果私有財產妨礙公正的分配，就必須予以廢除。
A man who holds public property must hold it on the public condition on which, for instance, I carry my walking stick. I am not allowed to do what I like with it. I must not knock you on the head with it. We say that if distribution goes wrong, everything else goes wrong-religion, morals---government. And we say, therefore (this is the whole meaning of our socialism), we must begin with distribution and take al1 the necessary steps.
掌握公共財產的人必須受到社會的制約，比如，我帶著手杖也要受社會制約。我不能拿著它隨心所欲。我不能拿它敲諸位的腦袋。我們說如采分配出了問題，一切都會出問題，包括宗教、道德、政府等等。因此，我們說（這是我們的社會主義的全部意義），我們必須從分配著手，采取一切必妥的步驟。
I think we are keeping it in our minds because our business is to take care of the distribution of wealth in the world and I tell you, as I have told you be fore, that I don't think there are two men, or perhaps one man, in our 47,000,000 who approves of the existing distribution of wealth. I will go even further and say that you will not find a single person in the whole of the civilized world who agrees with the existing system of the distribution of wealth. It has been reduced to a blank absurdity.
我想我們都能銘記這一點，因為我們的任務就是要注意世界是財富的分配問題。我剛才對你們說過，現在還要對你們說，我認為在我國四千七百萬人口中，不會有兩個人，也許不會有一個人贊成現行的財富分配制度。我甚至要進一步說，你們在整個文明世界也找不出一個贊同現行財富分配制度的人。這種分配制度已經墮落為極其荒謬的東西了。
I think the day will come when we will be ab1e to make the distinction between us and the capita1ists. We must get certain leading ideas before the peop1e. We shou1d announce that we are not going in for what was the old-fashioned idea of redistribution, but the redistribution of income. Let it always be a question of income.
我認為，總有一天我們將能夠把自己同資本主義者區別開來。我們必須把某些指導思想公布于眾。我們必須宣布，我們所為之努力的不是陳舊的再分自己觀念，而是收入再分配。我們要讓再分自己始終成為一個收入問題。
