評論
打印
The compelling reason why, if liberty of opinion did not exist, we should have to invent it, why it will eventually have to be restored in all civilized countries where it is now suppressed, is that we must protect the right of our opponents to speak because we must hear what they have to say.
倘若并不存在輿論自由，我們何以非得無中生有，何以這種自由在現今受到壓制的所有文明國度中最終非得恢復，令人信服的理由就在于，因為我們必須聽到反對者非要說什么，所以我們才必須保護他們的權利。
We miss the whole point when we imagine that we tolerate the freedom of our political opponents as we tolerate a howling baby next door, as we put up with the blasts from our neighbor's radio because we are too peaceable to heave a brick through the window. If this were all there is to freedom of opinion, that we are too good natured or too timid to do anything about our opponents and our critics except to let them talk, it would be difficult to say whether we are tolerant because we are magnanimous or because we are lazy, because we have strong principles or because we lack serious convictions, whether we have the hospitality of an inquiring mind or the indifference of an empty mind. And so, if we truly wish to understand why freedom is necessary in a civilized society, we must begin by realizing that, because freedom of discussion improves our own opinions, the liberties of other men are our own vital necessity.
假如我們容忍政敵的自由就像容忍隔壁號啕大哭的嬰兒那樣，就像忍受鄰居收音機的轟鳴那樣，因為我們太講究太平而不會扔石頭砸破窗戶，那么我們就是不得要領。假如這就是言論自由的全部含義，也就是說我們太和善或太膽怯，只能束手無策地聽任我們的反對者和批評者發表言論，那么就難以說淸，我們寬容是由于我們大度還是懈怠，是由于抱著堅定的原則還是缺乏嚴肅的信念，是由于我們對探索的頭腦抱以善意還是對空洞的頭腦漠然置之。因此，如果我們真正希望理解一個文明社會中必然要有自由的道理，我們必須首先認識到，討論的自由改進了我們自己的見解，所以他人的自由權利乃是我們自身重要的需要。
We are much closer to the essence of the matter, not when we quote Voltaire, but when we go to the doctor and pay him to ask us the most embarrassing questions and to prescribe the most disagreeable diet. When we pay the doctor to exercise complete freedom of speech about the cause and cure of our stomachache, we do not look upon ourselves as tolerant and magnanimous, and worthy to be admired by ourselves. We have enough common sense to know that if we threaten to put the doctor in jail because we do not like the diagnosis and the prescription it will be unpleasant for the doctor, to be sure, but equally unpleasant for our own stomachache.
我們更加接近問題實質的時候并不是引述伏爾泰的話，而是我們求醫看病，付錢給他，請他問我們一些最令人尷尬的問題，并且請他開出最討厭的醫囑飲食。我們付錢請醫生行使充分的言論自由，讓他說明胃痛起因，對癥下藥，這時我們并不覺得自己寬容大度，值得自我欽佩。我們具有充分的常識，懂得要是因為不喜歡醫生的診斷和處方而以關進監獄相威逼，那么可以肯定，不僅醫生感到不快，而且對我們的胃痛也沒有好處。
