07 Defense for American Rights
为美利坚的权利辩护
导读
本文选自作者1775年3月在英国议会所作的著名演说“The Speech for Conciliation with the Colonies”中的一小部分。伯克的演说是英语演说文学中的重要篇章，同时也是卓越的散文作品。他的演说气势宏阔，雄健有力，语句明晰，层次严密，富于逻辑魅力与音响节奏上的感染作用。
America, gentlemen say, is a noble object. It is an object well worth fighting for. Certainly it is, if fighting a people be the best way of gaining them. Gentlemen in this respect will be led to their choice of means by their complexions and their habits. Those who understand the military art will of course have some predilection for it. Those who wield the thunder of the state may have more confidence in the efficacy of arms. But I confess, possibly for want of this knowledge, my opinion is much more in favor of prudent management than of force; considering force not only as an odious, but a feeble in strument for preserving a people so numerous, so ac tive, so grow ing, so spirited as this, in a profitable and subordinate connection with us.
First, Sir, permit me to observe that the use of force alone is but Temporary. It may subdue for a mo ment, but it does not remove the necessity of subduing again; and a nation is not governed which is perpetually to be conquered.
My next objection is its Uncertainty. Terror is not al ways the effect of force, and an armament is not a vic tory. If you do not succeed, you are without resource;for, conciliation failing, force remains;but, force fail ing, no further hope of reconciliation is left. Power and authority are sometimes bought by kindness, but they can never be begged as alms by an impoverished and defeated violence.
A further objection to force is, that you Impair the object by your very endeavors to preserve it. The thing you fought for is not the thing which you recover, but depreciated, sunk, wasted, and consumed in the contest. Nothing less will content me than Whole Ameri ca. I do not choose to consume its strength along with our own, because in all parts it is the British strength that I consume. I do not choose to be caught by a for eign enemy at the end of this exhausting conflict;and still less in the midst of it. I may escape;but I can make no insurance against such an event. Let me add, that I do not choose wholly to break the American spirit; be cause it is the spirit that has made the country.
Lastly, we have no sort of Experience in favor of force as an instrument in the rule of our colonies. Their growth and their utility have been owing to methods alto gether different. Our ancient indulgence has been said to be pursued to a fault. It may be so. But we know, if feeling is evidence, that our indulgence was more toler able than our attempt to use force.
These, Sir, are my reasons for not entertaining that high opinion of untried force by which many gentlemen, for whose sentiments in other particulars I have great respect, seem to be so greatly captivated. But there is still behind a third consideration concerning this object which serves to determine my opinion on the sort of poli cy which ought to be pursued in the management of America, even more than its population and its commerce—I mean its Temper and Character.
先生们讲了，美利坚乃是一个崇高的目标，是一个十分值得用武力来夺取的目标。当然是的，如果攻打一个民族便是赢得这个民族的最好方法，人们对于手段的选择，自不免要受其习性的影响。熟谙韬略的人当然会偏好这类做法，而掌握国柄的人也往往过于迷信武力。但我却老实表明（但我觉得），也许是由于缺乏这类知识的缘故吧，我的意见却只赞成审慎处理，而不赞成采用武力；因为考虑到，想要使一个人口这么众多、性格这么活跃、增长这么迅猛，而又这么心旺气盛的民族继续处于一种对我们来说既极有利又颇依附的关系之中，武力只能是一种不仅可厌而且无效的手段（基于这个民族人民的特质，他们人口众多、思维活跃、增长迅猛，而且心旺气盛，并且，他们还要依附于我们，在这种条件下，武力只能是一种可厌又无效的手段）。
首先，先生们，容我指出，单纯凭恃武力只能是暂时的。一时的征服很有可能，但不能消除再举征服的必要；而一个民族如果有待于连连讨伐，便不能认为已被征服。
我的第二个反对理由便是这事的不稳定性。武力未必一定能造成恐惧，而武备也不等于胜利。一朝失败，即将一筹莫展；因为和议失败了，尚有武力可凭；但武力失败了，进一步的和议便再没有希望。权力与威信有时或可凭借仁爱而赚得，但决不可能为穷蹙失利的淫威所乞得。
反对武力的再一个理由便是，你的一切力挽其失的做法却偏偏会使你达不到目的。你所奋力以争的东西将不是你所能夺回的东西，一切都会在一场搏斗之中贬损失落殆尽，糜费消耗殆尽。而我所能满意的乃是全部的美利坚，而不是稍少一点。我不希望看到它的财力物力同我们的一起耗尽，因为归根到底，我们所消耗的仍不外是英国的国力。我不希望在一场困战之后进而被俘，当然更加不愿不到战争结束就已这样。也许我能逃脱；但我对这事却并无把握。再有一点，我也不希望把这种美利坚的精神全部击垮；因为这片土地能有今天也正凭的是这点精神。
最后，以武力为强制手段，这在我们殖民地的统治上尚少类似的经验可凭。这些地域的发展及其利用乃是得自一些全然不同的方法。我们旧日的宽容政策曾被人认为推行到了有害的地步。也许是的。但是我们却觉得，如果感觉也算依据的话，我们过去的宽容政策倒比我们的黩武做法更好接受一些。
这些，先生们（先生们，这些），便是我之所以不想抱持轻用武力那类高调的一些理由，而这种论调在不少人的心目当中（对于这些先生在其他方面的见地，我本不乏敬意）似乎仍颇具魔力。但在这一切背后，还另有我的第三种考虑，这种考虑，在帮助形成我个人对治理美洲所应遵循的政策这事的见解上，甚至比它的人口商业等等，更具有决定意义——我这里指的是该地的脾气与性格。
Cloze
完形填空
Pessen does present a 1 of examples, together with some refreshingly intelligible statistics, to establish the existence of an inordinately wealthy class. 2 active in commerce or the profes sions, most of the wealthy were not self-made, but had inherited family fortunes. In no sense mercurial, these great fortunes survived the financial panics that destroyed lesser ones. 3, in several cities the wealthiest one percent constantly increased its share 4 by 1850 it owned half of the community's wealth. Although these observations are true, Pessen overestimates their importance by concluding from them 5 the undoubted progress toward inequality in the late eighteenth century continued in the Jacksonian period and that the United States was a class-ridden, plutocratic society even 6 industrialization.
Key
1. quantity 2. Though 3. Indeed 4. until 5. that 6. before
Translation Practices
翻译练习
(1) Textual Translation（篇章翻译）
先生们讲了，美利坚乃是一个崇高的目标，是一个十分值得用武力来夺取的目标。当然是的，如果攻打一个民族便是赢得这个民族的最好方法，人们对于手段的选择，自不免要受其习性的影响。熟谙韬略的人当然会偏好这类做法，而掌握国柄的人也往往过于迷信武力。但我却老实表明，也许是由于缺乏这类知识的缘故吧，我的意见却只赞成审慎处理，而不赞成采用武力；因为考虑到，想要使一个人口这么众多、性格这么活跃、增长这么迅猛，而又这么心旺气盛的民族继续处于一种对我们来说既极有利又颇依附的关系之中，武力只能是一种不仅可厌而且无效的手段。
(2) Sentence Translation（句子翻译）
① 子曰：“吾自卫反鲁，然后乐正，雅颂各得其所。”
② 子在川上曰：“逝者如斯夫，不舍昼夜。”
③ 食不语，寝不言。
参考译文
(1) America, gentlemen say, is a noble object. It is an object well worth fighting for. Certainly it is, if fighting a people be the best way of gaining them. Gentlemen in this respect will be led to their choice of means by their complexions and their habits. Those who understand the military art will of course have some predilection for it. Those who wield the thunder of the state may have more confidence in the efficacy of arms. But I confess, possibly for want of this knowledge, my opinion is much more in favor of prudent management than of force; considering force not only as an odious, but a feeble in strument for preserving a people so numerous, so ac tive, so growing, so spirited as this, in a profitable and subordinate connection with us.
(2) ① Confucius said, “Since coming back to Lu from Wei, I've already made music well sorted out and Ya and Song have also been properly arranged.”
② Confucius said on a river side, “Time elapses like the river running forward night and day.”
③ Confucius didn't speak during eating or sleeping.