Of course there are cruel and treacherous people in England—one has only to look at the police courts—and examples of public infamy can be found, such as the Amritsar massacre. But one does not look at the police courts or the military mind to find the soul of any nation; and the more English people one meets the more convinced one becomes that the charges as a whole are untrue. Yet foreign critics often make them. Why? Partly because they are annoyed with certain genuine defects in the English character, and in their irritation throw in cruelty in order to make the problem simpler. Moral indignation is always agreeable, but nearly always misplaced. It is indulged in both by the English and by the critics of the English. They all find it great fun. The drawback is that while they are amusing themselves the world becomes neither wiser nor better.
當(dāng)然有些英國人是殘忍、狡詐的，你只需把目光轉(zhuǎn)向政壇便可見公共恥辱的實(shí)例，比如阿姆利則慘案。然而，沒有人從政壇或是軍隊(duì)中尋找民族精神，你結(jié)識的英國人越多，你就越相信這些指責(zé)從總體上說是虛假的。然而外國評論家經(jīng)常這樣指責(zé)英國人，原因何在？部分原因在于他們被英國人性格特點(diǎn)上的某些確實(shí)的弱點(diǎn)惹惱了，于是他們憤怒地將這些弱點(diǎn)統(tǒng)統(tǒng)歸結(jié)為殘忍，以便把問題簡單化。道德的憤慨是可以接受的，但卻是不妥當(dāng)?shù)摹Ｓ撕陀u論家均沉溺于此，他們都發(fā)現(xiàn)了許多樂趣。缺陷在于當(dāng)他們徜徉于其中時，世人絲毫沒有變得更精明或更愚蠢。
The main point of these notes is that the English character is incomplete. No national character is complete. We have to look for some qualities in one part of the world and others in another. But the English character is incomplete in a way that is particularly annoying to the foreign observer. It has bad surface —self complacent, unsympathetic, and reserved. There is plenty of emotion further down, but it never gets used. There is plenty of brain power, but it is more often used to confirm prejudices than to dispel them. With such an equipment the Englishman cannot be popular. Only I would repeat: there is little vice in him and no real coldness. It is the machinery that is wrong.
上述各點(diǎn)的關(guān)鍵之處在于英國人的性格是不完整的。任何一個民族的性格特點(diǎn)都是不完整的。我們必須在世界某個角落尋找某些特性，而到其他角落去尋找其他特性。然而，英國人性格不完整的方式使外國觀察者感到特別煩惱。英國人的性格有一個糟糕的表面一自滿、缺乏同情心、矜持。糟糕的表面下還有很多情感，卻從不為英國人所用。此外，英國人還有許多聰明才智，但它往往被應(yīng)用于樹立偏見而不是消除偏見。具有這些性格特點(diǎn)的英國人是不會受歡迎的。我只想重申：英國人本身并不邪惡，也并不冷漠，一切都是體制的錯。
I hope and believe myself that in the next twenty years we shall see a great change, and that the national character will alter into something that is less unique but more lovable. The supremacy of the middle classes is probably ending. What new element the working classes will introduce one cannot say, but at all events they will not have been educated at public schools. And whether these notes praise or blame the English character—that is only incidental. They are the notes of a student who is trying to get at the truth and would value the assistance of others. I believe myself that the truth is great and that it shall prevail. I have no faith in official caution and reticence. The cats are all out of their bags, and diplomacy cannot recall them. The nations must understand one another and quickly; and without the interposition of their governments, for the shrinkage of the globe is throwing them into one another's arms. To that understanding these notes are a feeble contribution—notes on the English character as it has struck novelist.
我希望并相信我們可以在未來的20年中目睹一個巨大變化，看到英國人的性格特點(diǎn)變得更普遍、更可愛。中產(chǎn)階級的不可一世也許會終結(jié)。我們無法確定工人階級會引入哪些新的因素，但是，無論如何他們將不會在公學(xué)體制下受教育。上述各點(diǎn)是贊揚(yáng)還是指責(zé)英國人的性格并不是一成不變的。它們是一個追求真知的學(xué)生的筆記，將珍視他人的協(xié)助。我相信真相的偉大并且認(rèn)為應(yīng)該將其推廣。我不相信官方的謹(jǐn)慎與緘默。秘密已經(jīng)公開，外交也無法將其挽回。各民族必須互相了解，而且要快，不要政府的插手與干預(yù)，因?yàn)槭澜缭诳s小，這使得他們不可避免地要進(jìn)行接觸。理解上述筆記只是一點(diǎn)微薄的貢獻(xiàn)——一個小說家對英國人性格的印象。
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