政治理论 - 尼科洛·马基雅维利：英语精读讲义

We're often appalled by how sly and dishonest many politicians are, 短語搭配

我们常常对许多政客的狡猾和不诚实感到震惊，

but we shouldn't be.

但我们不应如此。

In moods like this,

在有这种情绪时，

we need to remember and read the works of Niccolò Machiavelli,

我们需要重温并阅读尼可罗·马基雅维利的著作，

a late 15th century political adviser and political theorist

这位15世纪晚期的政治顾问和政治理论家

who argued that we shouldn't think that politicians are immoral

他主张，我们不应该认为政客是不道德的

and simply bad for lying and dissembling and maneuvering. 用詞

或者因为他们说谎、掩饰和耍手腕就简单地认为他们很坏。

A good politician,

一个好的政客，

in Machiavelli's remarkable view,

在马基雅维利非凡的观点中，

isn't one who's friendly and honest and kind.

并不是一个友好、诚实和善良的人。

It's someone,

而是这样的人，

however occasionally dark and underhand they might be, 語法

无论他们有时多么阴暗和不择手段，

who knows how to defend, enrich,

他们懂得如何去保卫、丰富国家，

and bring honor to the state, 短語搭配

并为国家带来荣誉，

which is also an extremely important goal.

这也是一个极其重要的目标。

Being nice may well be a virtue in general, 語法

友善在总体上可能是一种美德，

but what citizens most need from their rulers is effectiveness, 語法

但公民最需要统治者具备的是效能，

which may well call upon some darker arts. 講解

这很可能需要运用一些更阴暗的手段。

Once we understand this basic requirement, 語法

一旦我们理解了这个基本要求，

we stand to be less disappointed and clearer 語法

我们就不会那么失望，并且更加清楚

about what we want from our politicians.

我们希望从政客那里得到什么。

Niccolò Machiavelli was born in Florence in 1469.

尼可罗·马基雅维利1469年出生于佛罗伦萨。

His father was a lawyer,

他的父亲是一名律师，

and so Machiavelli received an extensive formal education 短語搭配

因此马基雅维利接受了广泛的正规教育，

and got his first job as a secretary for the city of Florence.

并获得了他的第一份工作——担任佛罗伦萨市的书记官。

But soon after his appointment,

但在他上任后不久，

Florence exploded politically and expelled the Medici family, 講解

佛罗伦萨在政治上爆发了动乱，驱逐了美第奇家族，

who'd ruled it for 60 years,

该家族已统治了这里60年，

and suffered decades of political instability and turmoil.

此后这座城市经历了数十年政治不稳定和动荡。

As a consequence, 表達脈絡

结果，

Machiavelli experienced a series of career reversals. 短語搭配

马基雅维利经历了一系列职业生涯的波折。

Over just a few decades,

在短短几十年里，

he went from being an important diplomat to a semi-successful general, 語法

他从一名重要的外交官变成了一位半成功的将军，

to an enemy of the state, 用詞

再沦为国家的敌人，

tortured and then exiled when the Medici returned to power.

当美第奇家族重新掌权时，他遭到折磨并被流放。

Although Machiavelli was rather a failed politician, 語法

虽然马基雅维利在某种程度上是个失败的政客，

he can be remembered as a truly great man 短語搭配

但他能作为一位真正的伟人而被人们铭记，

because of two works he wrote,

是因为他写了两部著作：

The Prince and The Discourses. 文化背景

《君主论》和《论李维》。

In them,

在这些著作中，

he attends to a central problem of politics then as now, 講解

他关注了过去乃至现在政治的一个核心问题，

that it's almost impossible to be both a good politician 語法

即几乎不可能既是一个好政客，

and a good person in the traditional Christian sense. 文化背景

又是一个传统基督教意义上的好人。

Machiavelli proposed that the overwhelming responsibility of a good prince

马基雅维利提出，一个好君主的压倒性责任

is to defend the state from external and internal threats 短語搭配

是保卫国家免受外部和内部威胁，

to stable governance. 用詞

以维持稳定的统治。

This means he must know how to fight,

这意味着他必须懂得如何战斗，

but more importantly,

但更重要的是，

he must know about reputation and the management of those around him.

他必须懂得如何建立声誉以及管理身边的人。

People should neither think he is soft and easy to disobey, 語法

人们既不应认为他软弱可欺、容易违抗，

nor should they find him so cruel that he disgusts his society. 語法

也不应觉得他残忍到令社会厌恶。

He should seem unapproachably strict,

他应该看起来严厉得难以接近，

but reasonable.

但又合乎情理。

When Machiavelli turned to the question of whether it was better for a prince 語法

当马基雅维利思考君主究竟应该

to be loved or feared,

被爱戴还是被畏惧时，

he wrote that while it would theoretically be wonderful for a leader

他写道，虽然理论上对一位领导者来说，

to be both loved and obeyed,

既被爱戴又被服从是很棒的，

a prince should always err on the side of inspiring terror, 習語

但君主总是宁愿选择令人恐惧，

for this is ultimately what keeps people in check. 習語

因为这最终才能使人们受到控制。

Machiavelli's Christian contemporaries had suggested that princes should be merciful,

马基雅维利同时代的基督教徒曾建议，君主应该是仁慈、

peaceful, generous, and tolerant.

和平、慷慨和宽容的。

They thought that being a good politician was,

他们认为成为一个好政客，

in short, the same as being a good Christian.

简而言之，就等同于成为一个好的基督徒。

But Machiavelli argues differently.

但马基雅维利提出了不同的观点。

He asked his readers to dwell on the incompatibility 講解

他要求读者细想基督教伦理与良好统治之间

between Christian ethics and good governance,

的不相容性，

and particularly referred to the case of Girolamo Savonarola. 短語搭配

并特别提到了吉罗拉莫·萨沃纳罗拉的例子。

Savonarola was a Dominican friar, 文化背景

萨沃纳罗拉是一位多明我会修士，

a fervent, idealistic Christian

一位狂热且理想主义的基督徒，

who'd briefly come to be the ruler of Florence in 1494. 短語搭配

他曾在1494年短暂成为佛罗伦萨的统治者。

He'd come to power promising to build the City of God on Earth in Florence. 講解

他上台时承诺要在佛罗伦萨建立地上的“上帝之城”。

He'd preached against the excesses and tyranny of the Medici government 短語搭配

他曾布道反对美第奇政府的过度放纵和暴政，

and even managed for a few months to lead Florence

甚至在几个月内成功地领导了佛罗伦萨

as a peaceful, democratic, and relatively honest state.

使其成为一个和平、民主、相对诚实的国家。

However,

然而，

Savonarola's success could not last because,

萨沃纳罗拉的成功无法持久，因为，

in Machiavelli's view,

在马基雅维利看来，

it was based on the weakness

它是建立在

that always attends being good in the Christian sense. 用詞

做基督教意义上的好人总是伴随的弱点之上的。

It was not long before his regime became a threat to the corrupt Pope Alexander, 語法

没过多久，他的政权就对腐败的教皇亚历山大构成了威胁，

whose henchmen captured and tortured Savonarola, 用詞

教皇的爪牙抓住了萨沃纳罗拉并对他严刑拷打，

hung him in the center of Florence,

将他绞死在佛罗伦萨市中心，

and burnt the body before the eyes of a now vengeful citizenry.

并在如今已心生报复的市民眼前烧毁了他的尸体。

This, in Machiavelli's eyes, 短語搭配

在马基雅维利眼中，这

is what tends to happen to the nice guys in politics.

往往就是政治中的好人会遭遇的下场。

Rather than follow this unfortunate Christian example, 語法

马基雅维利建议领导者不要遵循这个不幸的基督教例子，

Machiavelli suggested that a leader would do well 短語搭配

而是最好

to make judicious use of what he called virtù, virtue. 短語搭配

明智地利用他所谓的“virtù”（美德/能力）。

Machiavelli's concept of virtù for politicians 文化背景

马基雅维利针对政客的“virtù”概念

involves wisdom, strategy, strength, bravery,

包括智慧、策略、力量、勇敢，

and when necessary, ruthlessness.

以及在必要时的冷酷无情。

In fact, at one point,

事实上，在某一处，

Machiavelli uses the deliciously paradoxical phrase criminal virtue 表達脈絡

马基雅维利使用了一个充满矛盾却极其精妙的词组“犯罪的美德”

to describe the necessary ability of leaders

来形容领导者必要的能耐：

to be cruel in the name of the state 短語搭配

以国家的名义表现出残忍，

and yet still good as leaders.

却依然作为优秀的领导者存在。

Machiavelli provided some criteria for what constitutes the right occasion 用詞

马基雅维利提供了一些标准，用于界定什么是

for a bit of criminal virtue.

施展一点“犯罪美德”的正确时机。

Any violence must be strictly necessary for the security of the state.

任何暴力都必须是出于国家安全所绝对必要的。

It must be done swiftly,

它必须迅速执行，

often at night,

最好是在夜间，

counseled Machiavelli,

马基雅维利建议道，

and it shouldn't be repeated too often,

而且不应该太过频繁地重复，

lest a reputation for mindless brutality builds up. 講解

以免积累起盲目残暴的名声。

Machiavelli gave the example of his contemporary,

马基雅维利举了他同时代人

Cesare Borgia,

切萨雷·波吉亚的例子，

whom he admired as someone who knew how to be tough,

他很钦佩他知道如何保持强硬，

but not too tough,

但又不过分强硬，

though we might question the criteria Machiavelli used. 語氣意圖

尽管我们可能会对马基雅维利使用的标准产生质疑。

When Cesare conquered the city of Cesena,

当切萨雷征服了切塞纳城时，

he ordered one of his mercenaries,

他命令他手下的一名雇佣兵，

Ramiro de Orco,

拉米罗·德·奥尔科，

to bring order to the region, 短語搭配

去给该地区带来秩序，

which Ramiro did through swift and brutal ways.

拉米罗通过迅速而残酷的方式做到了。

Men were beheaded in front of their wives and children,

男人们在妻子和孩子面前被斩首，

property was seized,

财产被没收，

traitors were castrated.

叛徒被阉割。

Cesare then turned on to Orco himself and had him sliced in half 語法

随后切萨雷却反过来对付奥尔科本人，将他腰斩

and placed in the public square,

并陈尸于公共广场，

just to remind the townspeople who the true boss was. 語法

只为提醒镇上的居民谁才是真正的老大。

But then, as Machiavelli approvingly noted, 表達脈絡

但随后，正如马基雅维利赞许地指出的那样，

that was enough bloodshed.

流的血已经够多了。

Cesare moved on to cut taxes, 短語動詞

切萨雷接着去减税，

imported some cheap grain,

进口了一些廉价粮食，

built a theater, and organized a series of beautiful festivals

建造了一座剧院，并组织了一系列盛大的节日庆典，

to keep people from dwelling on unfortunate memories. 語法

以防止人们沉浸在不幸的记忆中。

The Catholic Church banned Machiavelli's works for 200 years

天主教会将马基雅维利的著作列为禁书长达200年，

because of the force with which he had argued 語法

因为他极力主张

that being a good Christian was incompatible with being a good leader.

做一个好基督徒与做一个好领导者是不相容的。

But even for atheists and those of us who are not politicians,

但即使对于无神论者以及我们这些不是政客的人来说，

Machiavelli's insights are important.

马基雅维利的见解也很重要。

He writes that we cannot be good at or for all things, 用詞

他写道，我们不可能擅长所有事情，也不可能对所有事情都有益，

not only because of our limited abilities and resources, 語法

不仅因为我们的能力和资源有限，

but also because of conflicts within moral codes.

还因为道德准则内部存在冲突。

Some of the fields we choose,

我们选择的某些领域，

if not politics, then perhaps business or family life, 表達脈絡

如果不是政治，那也许是商业或家庭生活，

may require what we evasively called 表達脈絡

可能需要我们做出那些被我们委婉地称为

difficult decisions,

“艰难决定”的选择，

by which we really mean ethical trade-offs.

我们实际上指的是伦理上的权衡。

We may have to sacrifice neo-Christian visions of kindness

我们可能不得不牺牲新基督教般的善良愿景

for the sake of practical effectiveness. 短語搭配

以换取实际效能。

We may have to lie in order to keep a relationship afloat. 習語

为了维系一段关系，我们可能不得不撒谎。

We may have to ignore the feelings of certain employees

为了让企业维持下去，

to keep a business going. 短語搭配

我们可能不得不忽略某些员工的感受。

And that, insists Machiavelli,

马基雅维利坚持认为，

is the price of dealing with the world as it is 表達脈絡

这就是应对这个世界本来的面貌所需付出的代价，

and not as we feel it should be.

而不是应对我们觉得它应该有的面貌。

The world has continued to love and hate Machiavelli

世界继续对马基雅维利爱恨交织

in equal measure for insisting on focusing our attention 短語搭配

两者的程度均等，因为他坚持要将我们的注意力集中在

on the uncomfortable tension between two things we love

我们所热爱的两样事物之间那种令人不适的张力上

and always want to have together,

我们总是希望能同时拥有它们，

but perhaps can't,

但也许做不到，

effectiveness and niceness. 表達脈絡

这两样事物就是效能与友善。