二二、记新闻两则
(二月六日)
今日(二月六日)报载两事,可记也:
一为美国海军费案之通过。全案共需美金一四一,一八九,七八六元。
一为卡匿奇(andrewcarnegie)及洛克非老(rockefeller,j.d.sr.)二人同日受美政府所委实业界关系调査部(commissiononindustrialrelations)之质问。二人皆世界巨富,施财如土。积年以来,卡氏共散财324,657,399元,洛氏共散财250,000,000元,可谓豪矣。受质问之时,卡氏意气自如,庄谐杂出,倾倒一堂。其论积财,有足观者,记其最精警一语如下:
“thedayisnotfardistant,”saidmr.camegie,“whenthemanwhodiesleavingbehindhimmillionsofavailablewealth,whichwerefreeforhimtoadministerduringlife,willpassawayunwept,unhonored.andunsung,nomattertowhatuseheleavesthedrosswhichhecannottakewithhim.ofsuchasthesethepublicverdictwillthenbe:‘themanwhodiesthusrichdiesdisgraced.’”
〔中译〕“这一天不会太远,”卡匿奇先生说,“一个人死后还留下万贯家财,那么他死时将无人哀悼,无人纪念。这些生不带来死不带去的财富,不管他身后如何处置,终究只是一团废物。人们自会有一句话来裁决他:‘作为富翁而死是毫无价值的。’”
洛氏则奄奄无生气,体弱故也。洛氏吾未之见,卡氏去年在此演说吾尝见之,其人短小精灵,望之不似陶朱之流也。
二三、裴伦论文字之力量
(二月)
butwordsarethings,andasmalldropofink,
fallinglikedewuponathiught,produces
thatwhichmakesthousands,perhapsmillions,think.
-byron,donjuan,cantoⅢ,st.88.
〔中译〕语言是看得见的东西,一滴墨水
像露珠滴在思想之上,
它使无数人展开了思维的翅膀。
--裴伦:《唐璜》
二四、与普耳君一段文字因缘
(二月)
前记自纽约归,车中读一文论“不争之道德”(本卷第一一则,五二七页),归后作长书投之作者普耳君(frederickj.pohl),表吾之同意。其人得之,甚感吾意,今日答一长书,遂订交焉。
吾书之大旨如下(录原书一节):
whattheworldneedstoday,itseemstome,isacompletedethronementoftheunduesupremacyoftheself.themoralityofourageistoomuchself-centered.theideaofself-preservationhasscarcelyeverbeenchallenged,andconsequentlymanyexpediencieshavebeendoneinthenameofself-preservation,nay,manycrimeshavebeencommittedinitsname!toremedythisinveterateevil,wemustextendourpresentconceptionofmeumtoitswidesthorizonpossible,wemustoverthrowthesuperstitionthatself-preservationisthehighestduty.wemusttaketheattitudeofnon-resistance,notastheexpedientattitude,butastherightattitude,notoutofnecessity,butatourownvolition.thesalvationoftheworld,ibelieve,mustbesoughtinsomesuchlongforgottentruthsasthis...(feb2)
〔中译〕在我看来,当今世界迫切的需要就是彻底废除过分的自我至上。当今的道德过于推崇自我中心。自我保存的思想很少遭到批评,自然许多出于私利的考虑都借着自我保存的名义得以进行,而且许多罪恶也以它的名义而发生!为了改正这个积习已久的错误,我们应尽力拓展现时这个自我观念,推翻自我保存的迷信,不应以它为最高的本能,而应采取不争主义的态度,不应抱谋私利的态度,而应采取正义的态度。这种不应是被迫的,而应是自觉自愿的。我以为世界的拯救应从那些久已被人忘却的真理中去寻找……
(二月二日)
普君答书曰:
yourletterofappreciationofmycommunicationtothenewrepublicgavemethegreatestpleasure.morethanthatitgavemeencouragementwhen1wassorelyinneedofit.thecertaintythattherewasatleastonereaderwithsufficientclarityofvisiontoseethetruthmademebelievethattherewereothersalso.ithankyoumostsincerelyforwritingwhatyoudid.
ifoundonlytwosympathizersbeforeisentthecommunication,andsinceitappeared,evenmembersofmyfamilyhavetoldmethattheyweresorrytohavemeputmyselfonrecordasbelievingsuchnonsense.ihaveanarticleofsomelengthwhichihavebeenvainlytryingtohavepublished,andihadalmostreachedtheconclusionthatitwasnolongerworthwhiletryingtoplaceitwhenyourlettercameandgavemenewenthusiasm.
第45章 民国三年(1914)十二月十二日至四年(1915)二月十四日(7)
thewarfeversweepsmensoeasily!...thereisneedformentocarryonafightnotforpro-germanoranti-germansympathybutforanti-warsentiment.deeperthanthat,itisant-use-of-physicaforce.thatneedsadvocacy,or-whatyoupointedoutastheheartofthewholematter-anti-self-preservation.thebelgianpoetmaeterlincksaysthat‘self-preservationistheprofoundestofallourinstincts’.surelyhethoughtverysuperficially.-ofcoursewemayagreewithhimthatself-preservationistheprofoundestinstinct,butmanymenhaveinallagesfoundmanyclaimsmoreinsistentthanthatofself-preser-vation.self-preservationisnottheprofoundestmotiveofhumanaction.menwilldieforduty,honor,love,etc,evenforrevenge.theindividualmustbewillingtosacrificelifefordutyandhonor.mustnotthestatealso?donotclaimsofdutyandhonorandtheidealofthebrotherhoodofstatesappealtogovemmentsaswellastoindividuals?theydo,buttheirappealhaseithernotbeenrecognizedorthewaytoanswertheirappealhasnotbeenlollowed.theideaofself-preservationmustbechallenged!
inyourletteryousay“wemusttaketheattitudeofnon-resistance,notastheexpedientattitude,butastherightattitude”.ihavecarriedoutthisthoughtinmyarticlewhichihavecalled“effectiveresistancetowar”.idonotbelievein“non-resistance”.at1eastidon’tliketheterm.it’sflabbyandweak.ilikebettertheterm“effectiveresistance”.resistancebymeansofphysicalforceistheleasfeffectivemeansofresistance.ordinarilytheworldthinksthatamanwhousessomeformofforceotherthanphysicalwithwhichtoresist,ismerelyanon-resister.mostoftheworldthinksonlywithmaterialorphysicalconceptions.spiritualresistance,theresistanceofforgivingone’senemies,of“turningtheothercheek”,etc,isthemostpositiveandeffectivekindofresistance....
〔中译〕你的来信赞赏我在《新共和》上发表的文章,使我极为高兴。在我需要支持之时,你给了我莫大的鼓励。这说明至少还有一个读者能以清晰的眼光看清这个道理,这使我相信还会有其他人也能接受。对于你信中所表示的诚意我极为感谢。
在我寄出这篇文章之前我仅找到了两个同情者。文章发表之后,甚至连我的家人也对我说他们不敢苟同我所发表的谬论。我还有一篇更为详细的文章,我一直试图将其发表。正当我几乎就要放弃这个努力,认为它没有发表价值之时,我收到了你的信,它给了我新的热情。
战争的狂热消灭人类是何等的容易!……人类有必要进行一场战争,这场战争不是为了满足亲德或是反德的情绪,而是为了反战的情绪。在更深刻的意义上,是反对使用有形的力量,只需要倡导,或者正如你所指出的,整个问题的关键在于反对自我保存。比利时诗人梅特林克说过:“自我保存乃人类最基本的本能。”他这种想法过于肤浅。当然我们可以同意他的说法。但是不少人在各个时代里都发现还有许多权利比自我保存更起作用,自我保存不是人类最基本的冲动。人会为了责任、荣誉、爱情,甚至复仇等而牺牲自己的生命。个人可以为责任和荣誉心甘情愿地去死,难道一个政府就做不到吗?既然责任感、荣誉感以及国与国之间的兄弟情谊能感召个人,难道就不能感召政府吗?他们确实发出了感召,只不过还没有被对方所认识,或者还没有反响罢了。自我保护主义必须受到挑战!
52书库推荐浏览: 胡适