第四章 论语》辜译本的浪漫主义内容的表述
一、 阶级社会——反对群氓崇拜
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国家以家庭为单位,上推至国家则是君臣父子的各安其位,社会各阶层 尊重贤者,而后服从贤者的管理,才能够保证社会的和谐。
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那么没教养(指没受道德教养)的人,正如辜鸿铭在《群氓崇拜 教》中论述的:“欧洲各国民众从小便受‘人性本恶’的教育,无论何 时有权,他们都会滥用之。更有甚者,一旦他们获得足够的权力能够去 抢夺和谋害其邻居时,他们就要去掠夺和谋害。”(黄兴涛,1996,
135)民众的自私怯弱,是导致战争的根源。
他还说:“这场战争真正的第一个根源(源头)……而且为当今世 界一切纷乱 、 恐怖和苦难的根源 — —是群氓崇拜……”( 黄兴涛,
1996,143)辜鸿铭反对的是欧美的群氓崇拜。群氓(或指普通民众,或 指小人)因为缺乏道德责任感或道德修养,如果统治者因忌惮他们的人 数众多,而妥协让他们参与政治,则只会把国家导向战争。
阿诺德曾在《文化与无政府状态》中将英国社会阶级作了一个与众 不同的区分。他将老派贵族称为野蛮人,将中产阶级和工商业资本家称 为菲力士人,将工人阶级称作群氓。他认为这三者都是文化的敌人。兹 引一段孔子叙述其时代制度的评论以说之:
Confucius remarked, “In the normal state of the government of an empire, the initiative and final decision in matters of religion, education, and declaration of war form the supreme prerogative of the emperor. During abnormal conditions in the government of the empire, that prerogative passes into the hands of the princes of the empire: in which case it is seldom that ten generations pass before they lose it. Should that prerogative pass into the hands of
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the nobility of the empire, it has rarely happened that they have retained it for five generations. When subordinate officers have the power of government in their hands they generally lose their authority in the course of three generations.
“When there are order and justice in the government of a country, the supreme power of government will not be in the hands of the nobility or of a ruling class. When there are justice and order in the government of a country, the common people will not meddle with the government.”(Chapter 16.2)
辜鸿铭在文后加上注释时解释说孔子认为第一种情况,在欧洲称为“寡 头政治”,第二种则称为“民主政治”。根据此段内容,此两种情况,
都绝非一个稳定的国家政府应有的正常状态。而中国古代的统治阶级或 贵族,可对应为罗斯金先生所说的英国乡绅或地主,译文如下:
Confucius meant by the first what is called in Europe “an oligarchy,” and by the second “democracy”: both of which, according to the passage here, can never be the true normal permanent state of government in a country. The ruling class or nobility in ancient China corresponds to what Mr. RUSKIN called squires or country gentlemen of England. (Chapter 16.2)
辜鸿铭反对以“自由、民主、平等”为口号的人,他抨击那些人“以匪 待百姓,以犯人待学生,以奴才待下属。”(黄兴涛,1996,440)正如
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“现代美国的‘平等’概念,意味着把人的头或脑抹平(抹杀智愚之 别)”(黄兴涛,1996,151),故真正的民主与平等不在美国,这是他 反对“群氓崇拜”及资本阶级的深刻表述。