小说园

第36章 论公民的不服从 1（第1页）

vilDisobedience

亨利·大卫·梭罗

HenryDavidThoreau

亨利·大卫·梭罗（1817—1862），杂文家、诗人、自然主义者、改革家和哲学家。生于马萨诸塞州的康科德，毕业于哈佛大学，曾担任中学校长。1846年7月，梭罗居住在瓦尔登湖边时，当地的警官找到他，让他支付投票税，尽管数年来他已经行使了这项权利，但是梭罗拒绝支付税款。当夜，警官把他关在康科德的监狱里。第二天，梭罗的姨母帮他缴清税款，他便获释了。不过，他表明了他的观点：他不能向一个容许奴隶制存在并且侵略他国（墨西哥）的政府交税。他于1849年发表了下面这篇演说稿，为自己的行为进行辩护。当时，这篇文章没有引起什么反响。但是到了19世纪末，这篇文章却成为公认的经典之作，并赢得国际性的声誉。列夫·托尔斯泰、圣雄甘地、马丁·路德·金等人都对它推崇备至。

AceintheHole

Understandthesenewwordsbeforeyoureadthisarticle。

1。systematicallyadv。有组织地；有计划地；有条不紊地

2。inexedientadj。不妥当的；不适当的；不明智的

3。sanctionn。批准，认可

4。monarchyn。君主统治，君主制度；君主国

Iheartilyaccetthemotto，“Thatgovernmentisbestwhichgovernsleast”，andIshouldliketoseeitactedutomoreraidlyandsystematically。Carriedout，itfinallyamountstothis，whichalsoIbelieve，“Thatgovernmentisbestwhichgovernsnotatall”，andwhenmenarerearedforit，thatwillbethekindofgovernmentwhichthewillhave。Governmentisatbestbutanexedient；butmostgovernmentsareusually，andallgovernmentsaresometimes，inexedient。Theobjectionswhichhavebeenbroughtagainstastandingarmy，andtheyaremanyandweighty，anddeservetorevail，mayalsoatlastbebroughtagainstastandinggovernment。Thestandingarmyisonlyanarmofthestandinggovernment。Thegovernmentitself，whichisonlythemodewhichtheeolehavechosentoexecutetheirwill，isequallyliabletobeabusedandervertedbeforetheeolecanactthroughit。WitnesstheresentMexicanwar，theworkofcomarativelyafewindividualsusingthestandinggovernmentastheirtool；forintheoutset，theeolewouldnothaveconsentedtothismeasure。

ThisAmericangovernment—whatisitbutatradition，thougharecentone，endeavoringtotransmititselfunimairedtoosterity，buteachinstantlosingsomeofitsintegrity？Ithasnotthevitalityandforceofasinglelivingman；forasinglemancanbendittohiswill。Itisasortofwoodenguntotheeolethemselves。Butitisnotthelessnecessaryforthis；fortheeolemusthavesomecomlicatedmachineryorother，andhearitsdin，tosatisfythatideaofgovernmentwhichtheyhave。Governmentsshowthushowsuccessfullymencanbeimoseduon，evenimoseonthemselves，fortheirownadvantage。Itisexcellent，wemustallallow。Yetthisgovernmentneverofitselffurtheredanyenterrise，butbythealacritywithwhichitgotoutofitsway。Itdoesnotkeethecountryfree。ItdoesnotsettletheWest。Itdoesnoteducate。ThecharacterinherentintheAmericaneolehasdoneallthathasbeenaccomlished；anditwouldhavedonesomewhatmore，ifthegovernmenthadnotsometimesgotinitsway。Forgovernmentisanexedient，bywhichmenwouldfainsucceedinlettingoneanotheralone；and，ashasbeensaid，whenitismostexedient，thegovernedaremostletalonebyit。Tradeandcommerce，iftheywerenotmadeofIndianRubber，wouldnevermanagetobounceoverobstacleswhichlegislatorsarecontinuallyuttingintheirway；andifoneweretojudgethesemenwhollybytheeffectsoftheiractionsandnotartlybytheirintentions，theywoulddeservetobeclassedandunishedwiththosemischieviousersonswhoutobstructionsontherailroads。

But，toseakracticallyandasacitizen，unlikethosewhocallthemselvesnoovernmentmen，Iaskfor，notatonenogovernment，butatonceabettergovernment。Leteverymanmakeknownwhatkindofgovernmentwouldcommandhisresect，andthatwillbeonestetowardobtainingit。

Afterall，theracticalreasonwhy，whentheowerisonceinthehandsoftheeole，amajorityareermitted，andforalongeriodcontinue，toruleisnotbecausetheyaremostlikelytobeintheright，norbecausethisseemsfairesttotheminority，butbecausetheyarehysicallythestrongest。Butagovernmentinwhichthemajorityruleinallcasescannotbebasedonjustice，evenasfarasmenunderstandit。Cantherenotbeagovernmentinwhichthemajoritiesdonotvirtuallydeciderightandwrong，butconscience？—Inwhichmajoritiesdecideonlythosequestionstowhichtheruleofexediencyisalicable？Mustthecitizeneverforamoment，orintheleastdegree，resignhisconsciencetothelegislator？Whyhaseverymanaconsciencethen？Ithinkthatweshouldbemenfirst，andsubjectsafterward。Itisnotdesirabletocultivatearesectforthelaw，somuchasfortheright。TheonlyobligationwhichIhavearighttoassumeistodoatanytimewhatIthinkright。