On National Prejudices
论国家偏见
by Oliver Goldsmith
作者：奥利弗哥德史密斯
As I am one of that sauntering tribe of mortals, who spend the greatest part of their time in taverns, coffee hous, and other places of public resort, I have thereby an opportunity of obrving an infinite variety of characters, which, to a person of a contemplative turn, is a much higher entertainment than a view of all the curiosities of art or nature. In one of the, my late rambles, I accidentally fell into the company of half a dozen gentlemen, who were engaged in a warm dispute about some political affair; the decision of which, as they were equally divided in their ntiments, they thought proper to refer to me, which naturally drew me in for a share of the conversation.
作为悠闲的芸芸众生中的一员，我大多数时间是在酒馆，咖啡厅或其它公共场所里打发的。
正因此，我才有机会来观察形形色色的人物。这种娱乐方式对生性喜爱沉思的我而言，比欣赏艺术或自然界的奇妙更引人入胜。在最近一次闲逛中，我偶然碰见六位绅士，他们当时正在激烈地讨论政事，于是我便站在一边旁听。由于意见不一，且双方支持人数相同，他们认为理应咨询我的看法。自然而然，我也加入了此次谈话。
Amongst a multiplicity of other topics, we took occasion to talk of a different characters of the veral nations of Europe; when one of the gentlemen, cocking his hat, and assuming such an air of importance as if he had possd all the merit of the English nation in his own person, declared that the Dutch were a parcel of avaricious wretches; the French a t of flattering sycophants; that the Germans were drunken sots, and beastly gluttons; and the Spaniards proud, haughty, and surly tyrants; but that in bravery, generosity, clemency, and in every other virtue, the English excelled all the world.
在诸多话题中，我们乘机谈到了欧洲一些国家的不同特征；其中一位绅士，将帽子一歪，摆出一副郑重其事的架势，好像自己拥有英国人民所有的优点一般，声称荷兰人是一群贪婪的可怜人；法国人是一群奉承谄媚者；德国人是一群饕餮烂醉之徒；西班牙人是一群傲
慢专横之流。然而，说到勇敢，慷慨，宽厚，或其它美德，英国人在世界上是可圈可点的。
This very learned and judicious remark was received with a general smile of approbation by all the company--all, I mean, but your humble rvant; who, endeavoring to keep my gravity as well as I could, I reclined my head upon my arm, continued for some times in a posture of affected thoughtfulness, as if I had been musing on something el, and did not em to attend to the subject of conversation; hoping by the means to avoid the disagreeable necessity of explaining mylf, and thereby depriving the gentlemen of his imaginary happiness.
在场所有人对这句“博学睿智”的言辞报之一笑，并大为赞赏。然而，尊敬的英国，这里指的所有人是除了您卑微的仆人在下之外的。我极力保持庄重之态，双手托住头，一直假装摆出一副冥思的姿势，仿佛在思考别的事而未注意谈话的主题，希望借此可以避免发表看法，以免让自己蒙羞，也好让他们继续沉浸在自己想象的快乐之中。
But my pudo-patriot had no mind to let me escape so easily. Not satisfied that his opini
on should pass without contradiction, he was determined to have it ratified by the suffrage of every one in the company; for which purpo addressing himlf to me with an air of inexpressible confidence, he asked me if I was not in the same way of thinking. As I am never forward in giving my opinion, especially when I have reason to believe that it will not be agreeable; so, when I am obliged to give it, I always hold it for a maxim to speak my real ntiments. I therefore told him that, for my own part, I should not have ventured to talk in such a peremptory strain, unless I had made the tour of Europe, and examined the manners of the veral nations with great care and accuracy: that, perhaps, a more impartial judge would not scruple to affirm that the Dutch were more frugal and industrious, the French more temperate and polite, the Germans more hardy and patient of labour and fatigue, and the Spaniards more staid and date, than the English; who, though undoubtedly brave and generous, were at the same time rash, headstrong, and impetuous; too apt to be elated with prosperity, and to despond in adversity.
可惜我们这位伪爱国者却绝不轻易放过我。他想满意地看到自己的说法毫无争议，便决定
以投票的方式让在场每一个人都表示赞同。为此，他竟带着一份无可言传的自信询问我是否认同他的看法。由于我从不直言个人看法，特别是在有理由相信它会引人不快之时，所以在不得不道出时，通常，我的格言便是说出自己真实的想法。于是我告诉他说，在我看来，如果我没有游历欧洲，没有认真仔细地研究过那些国家民众的行为举止，我就不应武断地做出如此绝对的结论。这样的话，也许得出的结论会更加公正，或许会毫不留情地证明荷兰人比英国人更勤俭节约，法国人比英国人更温文儒雅，德国人比英国人更加坚忍，更加能吃苦耐劳，西班牙人比英国人更加沉着冷静。然而，虽然英国人无疑是勇敢，慷慨的，他们有时候也会变得鲁莽，固执，冲动，在顺境中易于狂喜，在逆境中易于沮丧。
I could easily perceive that all of the company began to regard me with a jealous eye before I had finished my answer, which I had no sooner done, than the patriotic gentleman obrved, with a contemptuous sneer, that he was greatly surprid how some people could have the conscience to live in a country which they did not love, and to enjoy the protection of a government, to which in their hearts they were inveterate enemies. Finding that by this modest declaration of my ntiments, I had forfeited the good opinion of my companions, and given them occasion to call my political principles in
question, and well knowing that it was in vain to argue with men who were so very full of themlves, I threw down my reckoning and retired to my own lodgings, reflecting on the absurd and ridiculous nature of national prejudice and preposssion.
我很快察觉到，在我还没发表完看法之前，所有人就开始以一种不友善的眼神望着我。我话还没说完，那位爱国绅士轻蔑地一笑，说道，“看到有些人竟有脸生活在一个自己不热爱的国家，享有政府的保护，而且在他们心目中还把对方当成宿敌，真是令人惊愕。”道出拙见后，我收回了先前对这几位绅士的好评，同时给他们机会质疑我的政治理念，我也不再和他们理论，心知与这些以自我为中心的人争论是徒劳的，于是便回到了自己的住所，思考那些荒诞不经的国家偏见。
Among all the famous sayings of antiquity, there is none that does greater honour to the author, or affords greater pleasure to the reader (at least if he be a person of a generous and benevolent heart) than that the philosopher, who, being asked what "countryman he was," replied that he was a citizen of the world. How few there are to be found in modern times who can say the same, or who conduct is consistent with such a profession! We
are now become so much Englishmen, Frenchmen, Dutchmen, Spaniards, or Germans, that we are no longer citizens of the world; so much the natives of one particular spot, or members of one petty society, that we no longer consider ourlves as the general inhabitants of the globe, or members of that grand society which comprehends the whole human kind.
