【双语】辜鸿铭论中国式的人性

题记：中国人的精神是什么？中国式的人性又是什么？自称“四洋”（生在南洋，学在西洋，婚在东洋，仕在北洋）的辜老夫子在《中国人的精神》中有精彩论述。他说真正的中国人是有孩童般的精神世界的成熟理智的人。你达到这个标准了吗？倒退了，还是进步了？是获得了成熟理智，丢掉了孩童般天真，还是永葆孩童的呆傻萌，永远是遭人鄙视的笑柄？

有兴趣的可以读一下这本书，也可以研究一下这位传奇人物。

Now the first thing, I think, which will strike you in the old Chinese type of humanity is that there is nothing wild, savage or ferocious in him.

我以为，在古老的中国式人性中最先打动你们的一点是，真正的中国人从不野蛮、不残忍，也不凶恶。

In fact, the one word, it seems to me, which will sum up the impression which the Chinese type of humanity makes upon you is the English word “gentle". By gentleness I do not mean softness of nature or weak submissiveness.

事实上，以我之见，如果用一个英文单词概括中国式人性给你的印象，那就是“gentle”，即“温顺”之意。我所说的“温顺”并不意味着天性软弱或者软弱顺从。

"The docility of the Chineseis not the docility of a broken-hearted, emasculated people."

“中国人的温顺，不是伤心而柔弱的人的那种温顺。”

But by the word "gentle" I mean absence of hardness, harshness, rouhness, or violence, in fact of anything which jars upon you.

其实，我所指的“温顺”是不猛烈、不苛刻、不粗野或暴虐，没有任何刺激你的东西。

There is in the true Chinese type of humanity an air, so to speak, of a quiet, sober, chastened mellowness, such as you find in a piece of well-tempered metal.

在真正的中国式人性中，可以说，有着从容、冷静、练达的特点，就像你评价一块经过优良锻造的金属。

Indeed the very physical and moral imperfections of a real Chinaman are, if not redeemed, at least softened by this quality of gentleness in him.

甚至于一个真正的中国人在身体上或者道德上的不完整，即使无法挽回，也至少会被他温顺的品格所弥补。

The real Chinaman may be coarse, but there is no grossness in his coarseness. The real Chinaman may be ugly, but there is no hideousness in his ugliness. The real Chinaman may be vulgar, butthere is no aggressiveness, no blatancy in his vulgarity. The real Chinaman maybe cunning, but there is no absurdity in his stupidity if his cunning. In fact what I want to say is, that even in the faults and blemishes of body, mind and character of the real Chinaman, there is nothing which revolts you. It’s seldom that you will find a real Chinaman of the old school, even of the lowest type, who is positively repulsive.

真正的中国人也许是粗糙的，但粗糙中没有粗劣。真正的中国人也许是丑陋的，但丑陋中没有丑恶。真正的中国人也许是庸俗的，但庸俗中没有侵略和喧哗。真正的中国人也许是愚蠢的，但愚蠢中没有荒谬。真正的中国人也许是狡猾的，但狡猾中没有狠毒。我实际上想说的是，即使真正的中国人在身体、心灵和性格有缺点，也不会让你厌恶。你会发现，一个真正的旧式中国人很少令人厌恶，甚至最低等的阶层也是如此。

What is the real Chinaman? The real Chinaman, we see now, is a man who lives the life of a man of adult reason with the heart of a child. In short the real Chinaman is a person with the head of a grown-up man and the heart of a child. The Chinese spirit, therefore, is a spirit of perpetual youth, the spirit of national immortality.

真正的中国人，我们现在了解了，就是一个有孩童般的精神世界的成熟理智的人。简而言之，真正的中国人是有着孩童般的精神和成熟头脑的人。因此，中国人的精神是一种永葆青春的精神，是不朽的民族精神。

推荐阅读

篇篇有干货，天天有惊喜

长按二维码关注我们

微信@我：563730218