政治理论：让-雅克·卢梭：英语精读讲义

Modern life is deeply attracted to the idea of progress. 短語搭配

现代生活深受进步观念的吸引。

In the 18th century,

在18世纪，

as European societies became ever richer and more technological,

随着欧洲社会变得越来越富裕、技术越来越发达，

the conventional view was that mankind was firmly set on a positive trajectory 習語

传统的观点认为，人类正坚定地走在一条积极的发展轨迹上，

from savagery and ignorance towards prosperity and civilization.

从野蛮和无知走向繁荣与文明。

But there was at least one 18th century philosopher who violently disagreed

但至少有一位18世纪的哲学家对此强烈反对，

and who continues to have very provocative things to say to our own era.

并且他仍然对我们这个时代有着非常发人深省的见解。

Jean-Jacques Rousseau was born to an educated watchmaker in Geneva in 1712.

让-雅克·卢梭1712年出生于日内瓦，父亲是一位受过教育的钟表匠。

When he was 10,

当他10岁时，

his father got into a legal dispute 短語搭配

他的父亲卷入了一场法律纠纷，

and the family was forced to flee Geneva. 語法

全家被迫逃离日内瓦。

From that point on, 表達脈絡

从那时起，

Rousseau's life was marked by deep instability and isolation. 短語搭配

卢梭的生活就充满了深深的动荡和孤独。

As a young man,

年轻时，

Rousseau went to Paris

卢梭去了巴黎，

and there was exposed to the opulence and luxury 短語搭配

在那里接触到了旧制度时期巴黎

that was the order of the day in ancien régime Paris. 講解

司空见惯的浮华与奢靡。

It was a far cry from his birthplace of Geneva, 習語

这与他的出生地日内瓦相去甚远，

a city that was sober and deeply opposed to luxury goods.

日内瓦是一座质朴且极度反对奢侈品的城市。

Then one day in 1749,

后来在1749年的某一天，

he read a copy of a newspaper,

他读到了一份报纸，

the Mercure de France,

即《法国水星报》，

that contained an advert for an essay

里面有一则征文广告，

on the subject of whether recent advances in the arts and sciences

主题是探讨近期艺术与科学的进步

had contributed to what was called the purification of morals.

是否有助于所谓的道德纯洁化。

In other words, 表達脈絡

换言之，

was the world getting better?

这个世界变得更好了吗？

Rousseau experienced something of an epiphany. 短語搭配

卢梭经历了一种类似顿悟的感觉。

It struck him that civilization and progress had not in fact improved people. 語法

他突然意识到，文明和进步实际上并没有让人们变得更好。

Instead,

相反，

they had exacted a terrible,

它们施加了一种可怕的、

destructive influence on the morality of human beings

破坏性的影响，作用于人类的道德上，

who had once been good.

而这些人类曾经是善良的。

Rousseau took this insight

卢梭抓住了这一洞见，

and turned it into the central thesis 短語動詞

并将其变成了他的核心论点，

of what became his celebrated Discourse on the Arts and Sciences.

这就是后来他著名的《论科学与艺术》。

His argument was simple.

他的论点很简单。

Individuals had once been good and happy,

个人曾经是善良而快乐的，

but as people had emerged from their pre-social state and joined society,

但当人们走出前社会状态并加入社会后，

they had become plagued by vice and sin. 習語

他们就陷入了罪恶和堕落之中。

In this work

在这部著作

and in its twin,

及其姊妹篇

the Discourse on the Origins and Foundations of Inequality,

《论人类不平等的起源和基础》中，

Rousseau went on to sketch 語法

卢梭继续描绘了

what it would have been like at the beginning of history, 語法

历史初期的模样，

an idyllic period that he called the state of nature. 文化背景

那是一个他称之为“自然状态”的田园诗般的时期。

A long time ago,

很久以前，

when men and women lived in forests

当男人和女人住在森林里，

and had never entered a shop or read a newspaper,

从未进过商店或读过报纸时，

the philosopher pictured people more easily understanding their own minds

这位哲学家想象人们更容易理解自己的内心，

and so being drawn towards essential features of a satisfied life,

从而被令人满意的生活的基本特征所吸引，

a love of family,

比如对家人的爱，

a respect for nature,

对自然的尊重，

an awe at the beauty of the universe,

对宇宙之美的敬畏，

a curiosity about others,

对他人的好奇心，

and a taste for music and simple entertainments.

以及对音乐和简单娱乐的喜爱。

The state of nature was moral and guided by spontaneous

自然状态是合乎道德的，其主导是自发的

pity, empathy for others and their suffering.

同情心，以及对他人及其苦难的共情。

So what was it about civilization 語法

那么，到底是什么文明因素

that Rousseau thought had corrupted people

让卢梭认为腐蚀了人们

and led to moral degeneracy?

并导致了道德败坏呢？

Rousseau claimed that the march towards civilization 習語

卢梭声称，迈向文明的进程

had awakened in people an unhealthy form of self-love,

唤醒了人们内心一种不健康的自爱形式，

amour-propre, he called it, 文化背景

他称之为“自尊”（amour-propre），

something that was artificial

这是一种做作的东西，

and centered around pride,

围绕着骄傲、

jealousy,

嫉妒

and vanity.

和虚荣。

Rousseau argued that this destructive form of self-love

卢梭认为，这种具有破坏性的自爱形式

had emerged as people had moved into cities

是在人们搬进城市、

and there had begun to compare themselves to others

开始与他人比较，

and created their identities solely by reference to their neighbors. 短語搭配

并且仅仅通过参照邻居来塑造自己的身份时出现的。

Civilized people had stopped thinking about what they wanted

文明人已经不再思考自己想要什么，

and they felt and merely imitated other people,

也不再思考自己的感受，而只是模仿别人，

entering into ruinous competitions for status and money

卷入为了地位和金钱的毁灭性竞争中，

and losing sight of their own sensations. 習語

却迷失了自己的感觉。

Rousseau is forever associated with the term noble savage 文化背景

卢梭永远与“高贵的野蛮人”这个词联系在一起，

because it was his work that described the innocence and morality of our ancestors

因为正是他的著作描述了我们祖先的纯真和道德，

and contrasted it with modern decadence.

并将其与现代的颓废进行了对比。

At the time Rousseau was writing,

在卢梭写作的那个时代，

European society was fascinated by the plight of the native North American tribes. 短語搭配

欧洲社会对北美原住民部落的困境十分着迷。

Reports of Indian society drawn up in the 16th century 短語動詞

16世纪关于印第安社会的报告

had once described the Indians as materially simple 講解

曾将印第安人描述为物质上简单

but psychologically very rich and interesting.

但心理上非常丰富和有趣。

Communities were small,

社区规模很小、

close-knit,

关系紧密、

egalitarian,

平等、

religious,

虔诚、

playful,

活泼

and martial.

且尚武。

However,

然而，

within a few decades of the arrival of the Europeans, 短語搭配

在欧洲人到来后的几十年里，

the status system of Indian society had been revolutionized

印第安社会的阶层体系被彻底改变了，

through contact with the technology and luxury of European industry.

这源于他们接触到了欧洲工业的技术和奢侈品。

Indians now longed for guns,

印第安人现在渴望枪支、

alcohol,

酒精、

beads,

珠子

and mirrors.

和镜子。

Rates of suicide and alcoholism had risen,

自杀和酗酒的比例上升了，

communities were fracturing,

社区正在破裂，

and factions were squabbling.

派系之间在争吵。

The modern world had ruined the lives of people

现代世界毁了那些

who had once lived happily in the state of nature.

曾经在自然状态下快乐生活的人们的生命。

Rousseau's interest in natural goodness

卢梭对自然善良的兴趣

made him very interested in the idea, 表達脈絡

使他对关于儿童的观念非常感兴趣，

though not quite the reality,

虽然并不完全是现实中的

of children.

儿童本身。

In 1762,

1762年，

he wrote Émile, or On Education,

他写了《爱弥儿：论教育》，

perhaps the most successful book ever written

这可能是关于如何抚养孩子

about how to raise children.

最成功的一本书。

Rousseau suggested that children were born naturally good

卢梭提出，孩子生来就是纯洁善良的，

and that the key to raising them 語法

因此抚养他们的关键

was therefore always to prevent their corruption by society.

永远是防止他们被社会腐蚀。

This idea was widely influential.

这一观点产生了广泛的影响。

Parents who had before this time

在此之前，父母们

seen their children as wicked

认为他们的孩子是邪恶的，

or at best as blank slates, 習語

或者充其量只是白板，

now viewed them as founts of wisdom 習語

现在则将他们视为智慧的源泉，

and tried to give them a childhood full of play

并试图给他们一个充满游戏的童年，

and visits to forests and lakes.

并且经常去森林和湖泊游玩。

Rousseau became the inventor of child-centered education. 用詞

卢梭成为了以儿童为中心的教育的发明者。

He was also a great proponent of breastfeeding,

他也是母乳喂养的伟大倡导者，

declaring,

他宣称：

"Let mothers deign to nurse their children 用詞

“让母亲们愿意亲自哺乳她们的孩子，

and morals will reform themselves.

道德自然就会自行修正。

Nature's sentiments will be awakened in every heart

大自然的情感将在每颗心中苏醒，

and the state will be repeopled."

国家也将重新人丁兴旺。”

It was,

这，

he knew,

他自己也知道，

a bit of hyperbole, 用詞

有点夸张，

but it spurred a wave of breastfeeding 習語

但这激发了一股母乳喂养的浪潮，

even among the wealthy

甚至在那些

who had long disdained the practice.

长期鄙视这种做法的富人中也是如此。

Artists rushed to paint and honor

艺术家们纷纷作画并赞美

the new vogue for breastfeeding.

母乳喂养的新风尚。

Because Rousseau so closely valued human beings in their original state,

因为卢梭如此重视人类原始状态下的价值，

it followed that in the novels he wrote, 表達脈絡

所以在他写的小说中，

Rousseau also constantly celebrated intense feelings

卢梭也总是赞美强烈的情感，

rather than great deeds or social events.

而不是丰功伟绩或社会事件。

In his novel,

在他的小说

Julie,

《新爱洛漪丝》中，

written in 1761,

这本书写于1761年，

Rousseau depicted the excitement and anguish of an upper-class woman

卢梭描绘了一位上流社会女性的激动与痛苦，

caught in a love triangle 習語

她陷入了一段三角恋，

between her sensitive tutor

一边是她敏感的家庭教师，

and her boring but socially sanctioned aristocratic match. 用詞

另一边是无趣但被社会认可的贵族婚姻对象。

Rousseau's contemporaries might have seen Julie as unwise

卢梭的同代人可能会认为朱莉不明智，

and her feelings as a passing fancy, 習語

她的感情不过是转瞬即逝的幻想，

but Rousseau painted her love 習語

但卢梭却描绘了她的爱情，

in a higher light.

使其显得更高尚。

He urged us to see its grandeur,

他敦促我们看到它的宏伟、

depth,

深度

and honor.

和荣誉。

In his writings about his own life,

在描写自己生活的著作中，

Rousseau was similarly romantic

卢梭同样浪漫，

or what one might unkindly call self-absorbed. 語氣意圖

或者用不太客气的话说，是自我陶醉。

In his famous Confessions,

在他著名的《忏悔录》中，

one of the first ever autobiographies,

这也是有史以来最早的自传之一，

Rousseau spent pages exploring his inner life,

卢梭花了大量篇幅探索他的内心生活，

how frustrating he found shopping,

比如他觉得购物有多么令人沮丧，

the surprising feeling of tenderness for his ex's new partner,

对前任的新伴侣产生的令人惊讶的温柔感，

or the joys of gardening.

或者是园艺的乐趣。

To him,

对他来说，

these weren't trivial or self-absorbed topics,

这些并不是琐碎或自我陶醉的话题，

they were part of an important task,

它们是一项重要任务的一部分，

to show what living is like on the inside. 習語

那就是展示内心的生活是怎样的。

"I have conceived of a new genre of service to render to man,"

“我想出了为人类服务的一种新体裁，”

he boasted,

他吹嘘道，

"to offer them the faithful image of one amongst them

“向他们提供他们当中某一个人的真实形象，

in order for them to learn to know themselves." 語法

以便他们学会认识自己。”

Rousseau died in 1778,

卢梭于1778年去世，

aged 66.

享年66岁。

His reputation has continued to grow.

他的名声持续增长。

He was from beyond the grave 習語

在他死后，

one of the heroes of the French Revolution

他成为了法国大革命的英雄之一，

and he became an icon

他也成为了一个偶像，

to a great many artists and writers

受到许多艺术家和作家的崇敬，

of the 19th century.

这些艺术家和作家生活在19世纪。

Rousseau can be considered as one of the founding figures

卢梭可以被认为是

of what we now know as the Romantic Movement, 講解

我们现在所知的浪漫主义运动的奠基人之一，

an ideology responsible for valuing the primitive over the civilized, 語法

这种意识形态主张原始胜于文明，

the child over the adult,

儿童胜于成人，

the passionate lover over the calmly loyal spouse.

充满激情的爱人胜于平静忠诚的配偶。

The modern world,

现代世界，

despite its addiction to status, 講解

尽管它沉迷于地位、

machinery,

机械

and capitalist values,

和资本主义价值观，

in many ways

但在许多方面

continues to be profoundly romantic in its heart.

它的内心仍然是极度浪漫的。

It's astonishing that so much of what we take to be 語法

令人惊讶的是，那么多我们认为是

commonsense or just natural

常识或仅仅是自然的东西

can directly be traced back 短語搭配

都可以直接追溯到

to the work of one not always wise 表達脈絡

这位并非总是明智

but always highly intriguing and provocative thinker.

但却总是非常迷人且引人深思的思想家的作品中。