Should it be alleged in defence of national prejudice, that it is the natura

游客2023-12-11  21

问题     Should it be alleged in defence of national prejudice, that it is the natural and necessary growth of love to our country, and that therefore the former cannot be destroyed without hurting the latter, I answer, that this is a gross fallacy and delusion. That it is the growth of love to our country, I will allow; but that it is the natural and necessary growth of it, I absolutely deny. Superstition and enthusiasm too are the growth of religion; but who ever took it in his head to affirm that they are the necessary growth of this noble principle? They are, if you will, the bastard sprouts of this heavenly plant, but not its natural and genuine branches, and may safely enough be lopped off, without doing any harm to the parent stock: nay, perhaps, till once they are lopped off, this goodly tree can never flourish in perfect health and vigour.
    Is it not very possible that I may love my own country, without hating the natives of other countries? That I may exert the most heroic bravery, the most undaunted resolution, in defending its laws and liberty, without despising all the rest of the world as cowards and poltroons?

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答案     如果有人提出这么个理由来为民族偏见辩护,即这是由于对自己国家的爱的自然、必要的发展的原因,因此,要是铲除了前者,就会必然伤害到后者,那么,我要回答说,这完完全全是一个谬误和假象。如果说这是源于对自己国家的爱,这一点我同意,但若是说这是源于这种爱的自然、必要的发展的结果,那我绝对不能苟同。迷信和狂热同样都源于宗教。但只要认真想一想,谁敢肯定说它们是这种高尚道义的必然发展的结果吗?如果你一定要这么认为,那只能说它们是这棵圣树上长出来的劣枝,而不是原生的、真正的枝条。为了保证这棵树的安全,应把这些劣枝砍掉,而这不会对树干造成任何伤害。不仅如此,如果这些劣枝不除掉,这棵美丽的树就永远也不会茁壮成长,根深叶茂。
    难道没有可能说一个人既爱自己的祖国又不仇视别国的人民吗?难道没有可能一个人以最大的英雄气概、最无畏的决心捍卫自己祖国的法律和自由,同时又不把其他国家视为胆小鬼或懦夫,而蔑视他们吗?

解析     本篇节选自《民族偏见》(National Prejudice),作者奥利弗.哥尔德斯密斯(Oliver Goldsmith)是英国诗人、剧作家、小说家。原文语调轻松自然、亲切幽默;作者思维缜密。翻译时,需要注意再现原文的这些特点。
…this is a gross fallacy and delusion:  “fallacy”意为“谬论”;  “delusion”意为“错觉,谬见”。“gross”在此处作定语,表示“total;whole”,即“全部的;整个的”。比如:gross weight,profit(毛重、毛利)。又如:sb.’s gross income(某人的总收人)。此句可译为“这完完全全是一个谬误和假象。”
this noble principle:这种高尚道义。
the bastard sprouts of this heavenly plant:  “superstition and enthusiasm”比作“the bastard sprouts ofthis heavenly plant”,为文章带来了新鲜的趣味。
…be lopped off:  “lop sth.off”表示“to cut something off in one quick movement”,故译为“把……砍掉”。
…this goodly tree can never flourish in perfect health and vigour:  “vigour”表示“活力;精力”,对于树而言,就是枝繁叶茂,故此句译为“这颗美丽的树就永远也不会茁壮成长,根深叶茂。”
poltroons:懦夫。
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