（1）存在主义是一种人道主义（I）
Existentialism Is a Humanism
存在主义是一种人道主义
Jean Paul Sartre（让·保罗·萨特，1905一1980）
My purpo here is to offer a defence of existentialism against veral reproaches that have been laid against it.
在这里，我的目的是要对存在主义所受到的一些指责，提出答辩。
First, it has been reproached as an invitation to people to dwell in quietism of despair. For if every way to a solution is barred, one would have to regard any action in this world as entirely ineffective, and one would arrive finally at a contemplative philosophy. Moreover, since contemplation is a luxury, this would be only another bourgeois philosophy. This is, especially, the reproach made by the Communists.
首先，存在主义曾被指责为诱导人们安于一种绝望的无为主义。因为如果每一条解决事物之道被阻断了，那么我们就不得不视在这世界上的任何行为都是徒劳无益的，我们最后就会走到一种瞑想的哲学里去。而更甚的是，由于瞑想是一种奢侈，因此我们的学说就不过是另一种布尔乔亚的哲学而已。在这方面，是特别受到共产主义者的指责。
From another quarter we are reproached for having underlined all that is ignominious in the human situation, for depicting what is mean, sordid or ba to the neglect of certain things that posss charm and beauty and belong to the brighter side of human nature: for example, according to the Catholic critic, Mlle. Mercier, we forget how an infant smiles.
在另一方面，我们被指责为偏重了人类处境中黯淡的一面，只看到下贱，卑鄙和低劣，而忽略了人性光明面中某些仁慈而美好的事物。例如根据天主教的批评者默契尔小姐所说，我们忘记了婴儿是怎样微笑的。
Both from this side and from the other we are also reproached for leaving out of account the solidarity of mankind and considering man in isolation. And this, say the Communists,
is becau we ba our doctrine upon pure subjectivity – upon the Cartesian “I think”: which is the moment in which solitary man attains to himlf; a position from which it is impossible to regain solidarity with other men who exist outside of the lf. The ego cannot reach them through the cogito.
从这两方面，我们又被指责为无见于人类的协和一致，而认为人是处于孤立之中。共产主义者说我们之所以如此，主要是因为我们的学说纯粹建筑在主观性上——建筑在笛卡尔所谓“我思”这个观念之上：这是孤立的人面对他们的时刻，这是一个无法和其他存在于自我之外的人取得协和一致的地位。自我不能透过思维而与他们相通。
From the Christian side, we are reproached as people who deny the reality and riousness of human affairs. For since we ignore the commandments of God and all values prescribed as eternal, nothing remains but what is strictly voluntary. Everyone can do what he likes, and will be incapable, from such a point of view, of condemning either the point of view or the action of anyone el.
从基督教这一面，我们则被指责为否定了人事的真实和严肃。因为我们忽视了上帝的诫言
和他规定的所有的永恒价值，那就除了自由意愿之外，别无所有了。每一个人都可以为所欲为，从这一个观点来看，就不能谴责他人的观点和行为了。
It is to the various reproaches that I shall endeavour to reply today; that is why I have entitled this brief exposition “Existentialism is a Humanism.” Many may be surprid at the mention of humanism in this connection, but we shall try to e in what n we understand it. In any ca, we can begin by saying that existentialism, in our n of the word, is a doctrine that does render human life possible; a doctrine, also, which affirms that every truth and every action imply both an environmental and a human subjectivity.
今天，我将尽量来答复这些不同的指责。这也就是我为什么把这短文题为“存在主义是一种人道主义”的理由。许多人对于我在这里提到“人道主义”一词，可能会感到惊讶，但是我将试图寻出我们所了解的意义。无论如何，我们一开始就可以说，我们所意指的存在主义，乃是使人生成为可能的一种学说；这种学说并宣称任何真理和行为都包含着环境和人的主观性。
The esntial charge laid against us is, of cour, that of over-emphasis upon the evil sid
e of human life. I have lately been told of a lady who, whenever she lets slip a vulgar expression in a moment of nervousness, excus herlf by exclaiming, “I believe I am becoming an existentialist.” So it appears that ugliness is being identified with existentialism. That is why some people say we are “naturalistic,” and if we are, it is strange to e how much we scandali and horrify them, for no one ems to be much frightened or humiliated nowadays by what is properly called naturalism. Tho who can quite well keep down a novel by Zola such as La Terre are sickened as soon as they read an existentialist novel. Tho who appeal to the wisdom of the people – which is a sad wisdom – find ours sadder still. And yet, what could be more disillusioned幻想破灭的than such sayings as “Charity begins at home” or “Promote a rogue and he’ll sue you for damage, knock him down and he’ll do you homage”?
对于我们最基本的攻击，当然是说我们过份强调了人生的罪恶面。最近有人告诉我一个故事，说有一位太太，无论在什么时候，只要她神经过敏地说了一句粗俗的话，就自我解嘲地叫道：“我想我要变成一个存在主义者了。”由此可以看出，丑恶被视为存在主义的同义词了。这也就是为什么有些人说我们是“自然主义的”，假使我们是自然主义者的话，这倒
奇怪了，因为今天我们却比名符其实的自然主义者更使他们感到震惊和畏惧。那些可以安然读完一本象左拉的《大地》那样的小说的人，却无法忍受存在主义者的小说。那些诉诸于大众智慧的人——那是一种悲哀的智慧——发现我们的更为悲哀。然而，又有什么话比说“仁爱始于家庭”或者“升擢歹徒，他会反咬；将他击倒，他则崇拜”更会使人感到嗒然若丧呢？
We all know how many common sayings can be quoted to this effect, and they all mean much the same – that you must not oppo the powers that be; that you must not fight against superior force; must not meddle管闲事in matters that are above your station. Or that any action not in accordance with some tradition is mere romanticism; or that any undertaking which has not the support of proven experience is foredoomed to frustration; and that since experience has shown men to be invariably inclined to evil, there must be firm rules to restrain them, otherwi we shall have anarchy. It is, however, the people who are forever mouthing the dismal proverbs and, whenever they are told of some more or less repulsive action, say “How like human nature!” – it is the very people, always harping唠叨 upon realism, who complain that existentialism is too gloomy a view
of things. Indeed their excessive protests make me suspect that what is annoying them is not so much our pessimism, but, much more likely, our optimism. For at bottom, what is alarming in the doctrine that I am about to try to explain to you is – is it not? – that it confronts man with a possibility of choice. To verify this, let us review the whole question upon the strictly philosophic level. What, then, is this that we call existentialism?
