政治理論 - 尼可羅·馬基維利：英語精讀講義

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

我們常常對許多政客的狡猾和不誠實感到震驚，

but we shouldn't be.

但我們不應如此。

In moods like this,

在有這種情緒時，

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

我們需要重溫並閱讀尼可羅·馬基維利的著作，

a late 15th century political adviser and political theorist

這位15世紀晚期的政治顧問和政治理論家

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

他主張，我們不應該認為政客是不道德的

and simply bad for lying and dissembling and maneuvering. 用詞

或者因為他們說謊、掩飾和耍手腕就簡單地認為他們很壞。

A good politician,

一個好的政客，

in Machiavelli's remarkable view,

在馬基維利非凡的觀點中，

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

並不是一個友好、誠實和善良的人。

It's someone,

而是這樣的人，

however occasionally dark and underhand they might be, 文法

無論他們有時多麼陰暗和不擇手段，

who knows how to defend, enrich,

他們懂得如何去保衛、豐富國家，

and bring honor to the state, 片語搭配

並為國家帶來榮譽，

which is also an extremely important goal.

這也是一個極其重要的目標。

Being nice may well be a virtue in general, 文法

友善在總體上可能是一種美德，

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

但公民最需要統治者具備的是效能，

which may well call upon some darker arts. 講解

這很可能需要運用一些更陰暗的手段。

Once we understand this basic requirement, 文法

一旦我們理解了這個基本要求，

we stand to be less disappointed and clearer 文法

我們就不會那麼失望，並且更加清楚

about what we want from our politicians.

我們希望從政客那裡得到什麼。

Niccolò Machiavelli was born in Florence in 1469.

尼可羅·馬基維利1469年出生於佛羅倫斯。

His father was a lawyer,

他的父親是一名律師，

and so Machiavelli received an extensive formal education 片語搭配

因此馬基維利接受了廣泛的正規教育，

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

並獲得了他的第一份工作——擔任佛羅倫斯市的書記官。

But soon after his appointment,

但在他上任後不久，

Florence exploded politically and expelled the Medici family, 講解

佛羅倫斯在政治上爆發了動亂，驅逐了麥地奇家族，

who'd ruled it for 60 years,

該家族已統治了這裡60年，

and suffered decades of political instability and turmoil.

此後這座城市經歷了數十年政治不穩定和動盪。

As a consequence, 表達脈絡

結果，

Machiavelli experienced a series of career reversals. 片語搭配

馬基維利經歷了一系列職業生涯的波折。

Over just a few decades,

在短短幾十年裡，

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

他從一名重要的外交官變成了一位半成功的將軍，

to an enemy of the state, 用詞

再淪為國家的敵人，

tortured and then exiled when the Medici returned to power.

當麥地奇家族重新掌權時，他遭到折磨並被流放。

Although Machiavelli was rather a failed politician, 文法

雖然馬基維利在某種程度上是個失敗的政客，

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

但他能作為一位真正的偉人而被人們銘記，

because of two works he wrote,

是因為他寫了兩部著作：

The Prince and The Discourses. 文化背景

《君王論》和《李維史論》。

In them,

在這些著作中，

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

他關注了過去乃至現在政治的一個核心問題，

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

即幾乎不可能既是一個好政客，

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

又是一個傳統基督教意義上的好人。

Machiavelli proposed that the overwhelming responsibility of a good prince

馬基維利提出，一個好君主的壓倒性責任

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

是保衛國家免受外部和內部威脅，

to stable governance. 用詞

以維持穩定的統治。

This means he must know how to fight,

這意味著他必須懂得如何戰鬥，

but more importantly,

但更重要的是，

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

他必須懂得如何建立聲譽以及管理身邊的人。

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

人們既不應認為他軟弱可欺、容易違抗，

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

也不應覺得他殘忍到令社會厭惡。

He should seem unapproachably strict,

他應該看起來嚴厲得難以接近，

but reasonable.

但又合乎情理。

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

當馬基維利思考君主究竟是

to be loved or feared,

被愛戴更好，還是被畏懼更好時，

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

他寫道，雖然理論上對一位領導者來說，

to be both loved and obeyed,

既被愛戴又被服從是很棒的，

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

但君主總是寧願選擇令人恐懼，

for this is ultimately what keeps people in check. 慣用語

因為這最終才能使人們受到控制。

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

馬基維利同時代的基督教徒曾建議，君主應該是仁慈、

peaceful, generous, and tolerant.

和平、慷慨和寬容的。

They thought that being a good politician was,

他們認為成為一個好政客，

in short, the same as being a good Christian.

簡而言之，就等同於成為一個好的基督徒。

But Machiavelli argues differently.

但馬基維利提出了不同的觀點。

He asked his readers to dwell on the incompatibility 講解

他要求讀者細想基督教倫理與良好統治之間

between Christian ethics and good governance,

的不相容性，

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

並特別提到了吉羅拉莫·薩佛納羅拉的例子。

Savonarola was a Dominican friar, 文化背景

薩佛納羅拉是一位道明會修士，

a fervent, idealistic Christian

一位狂熱且理想主義的基督徒，

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

他曾在1494年短暫成為佛羅倫斯的統治者。

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

他上台時承諾要在佛羅倫斯建立地上的「上帝之城」。

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

他曾佈道反對麥地奇政府的過度放縱和暴政，

and even managed for a few months to lead Florence

甚至在幾個月內成功地領導了佛羅倫斯

as a peaceful, democratic, and relatively honest state.

使其成為一個和平、民主、相對誠實的國家。

However,

然而，

Savonarola's success could not last because,

薩佛納羅拉的成功無法持久，因為，

in Machiavelli's view,

在馬基維利看來，

it was based on the weakness

它是建立在

that always attends being good in the Christian sense. 用詞

做基督教意義上的好人總是伴隨的弱點之上的。

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

沒過多久，他的政權就對腐敗的教皇亞歷山大構成了威脅，

whose henchmen captured and tortured Savonarola, 用詞

教皇的爪牙抓住了薩佛納羅拉並對他嚴刑拷打，

hung him in the center of Florence,

將他絞死在佛羅倫斯市中心，

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

並在如今已心生報復的市民眼前燒毀了他的屍體。

This, in Machiavelli's eyes, 片語搭配

在馬基維利眼中，這

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

往往就是政治中的好人會遭遇的下場。

Rather than follow this unfortunate Christian example, 文法

馬基維利建議領導者不要遵循這個不幸的基督教例子，

Machiavelli suggested that a leader would do well 片語搭配

而是最好

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

明智地利用他所謂的「virtù」（美德/能力）。

Machiavelli's concept of virtù for politicians 文化背景

馬基維利針對政客的「virtù」概念

involves wisdom, strategy, strength, bravery,

包括智慧、策略、力量、勇敢，

and when necessary, ruthlessness.

以及在必要時的冷酷無情。

In fact, at one point,

事實上，在某一處，

Machiavelli uses the deliciously paradoxical phrase criminal virtue 表達脈絡

馬基維利使用了一個充滿矛盾卻極其精妙的詞組「犯罪的美德」

to describe the necessary ability of leaders

來形容領導者必要的能耐：

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

以國家的名義表現出殘忍，

and yet still good as leaders.

卻依然作為優秀的領導者存在。

Machiavelli provided some criteria for what constitutes the right occasion 用詞

馬基維利提供了一些標準，用於界定什麼是

for a bit of criminal virtue.

施展一點「犯罪美德」的正確時機。

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

任何暴力都必須是出於國家安全所絕對必要的。

It must be done swiftly,

它必須迅速執行，

often at night,

最好是在夜間，

counseled Machiavelli,

馬基維利建議道，

and it shouldn't be repeated too often,

而且不應該太過頻繁地重複，

lest a reputation for mindless brutality builds up. 講解

以免積累起盲目殘暴的名聲。

Machiavelli gave the example of his contemporary,

馬基維利舉了他同時代人

Cesare Borgia,

切薩雷·波吉亞的例子，

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

他很欽佩他知道如何保持強硬，

but not too tough,

但又不過分強硬，

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

儘管我們可能會對馬基維利使用的標準產生質疑。

When Cesare conquered the city of Cesena,

當切薩雷征服了切塞納城時，

he ordered one of his mercenaries,

他命令他手下的一名僱傭兵，

Ramiro de Orco,

拉米羅·德·奧爾科，

to bring order to the region, 片語搭配

去給該地區帶來秩序，

which Ramiro did through swift and brutal ways.

拉米羅透過迅速而殘酷的方式做到了。

Men were beheaded in front of their wives and children,

男人們在妻子和孩子面前被斬首，

property was seized,

財產被沒收，

traitors were castrated.

叛徒被閹割。

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

隨後切薩雷卻反過來對付奧爾科本人，將他腰斬

and placed in the public square,

並陳屍於公共廣場，

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

只為提醒鎮上的居民誰才是真正的老大。

But then, as Machiavelli approvingly noted, 表達脈絡

但隨後，正如馬基維利讚許地指出的那樣，

that was enough bloodshed.

流的血已經夠多了。

Cesare moved on to cut taxes, 片語動詞

切薩雷接著去減稅，

imported some cheap grain,

進口了一些廉價糧食，

built a theater, and organized a series of beautiful festivals

建造了一座劇院，並組織了一系列盛大的節日慶典，

to keep people from dwelling on unfortunate memories. 文法

以防止人們沉浸在不幸的記憶中。

The Catholic Church banned Machiavelli's works for 200 years

天主教會將馬基維利的著作列為禁書長達200年，

because of the force with which he had argued 文法

因為他極力主張

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

做一個好基督徒與做一個好領導者是不相容的。

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

但即使對於無神論者以及我們這些不是政客的人來說，

Machiavelli's insights are important.

馬基維利的見解也很重要。

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

他寫道，我們不可能在所有方面或對所有事物都是好的，

not only because of our limited abilities and resources, 文法

不僅因為我們的能力和資源有限，

but also because of conflicts within moral codes.

還因為道德準則內部存在衝突。

Some of the fields we choose,

我們選擇的某些領域，

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

如果不是政治，那也許是商業或家庭生活，

may require what we evasively called 表達脈絡

可能需要我們作出一些我們委婉稱為

difficult decisions,

「艱難決定」的決斷，

by which we really mean ethical trade-offs.

我們實際上指的是倫理上的權衡。

We may have to sacrifice neo-Christian visions of kindness

我們可能不得不犧牲新基督教般的善良願景

for the sake of practical effectiveness. 片語搭配

以換取實際效能。

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

為了維繫一段關係，我們可能不得不撒謊。

We may have to ignore the feelings of certain employees

為了讓企業維持下去，

to keep a business going. 片語搭配

我們可能不得不忽略某些員工的感受。

And that, insists Machiavelli,

馬基維利堅持認為，

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

這就是應對這個世界本來的面貌所需付出的代價，

and not as we feel it should be.

而不是應對我們覺得它應該有的面貌。

The world has continued to love and hate Machiavelli

世界繼續對馬基維利愛恨交織

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

兩者的程度均等，因為他堅持要將我們的注意力集中在

on the uncomfortable tension between two things we love

我們所熱愛的兩樣事物之間那種令人不適的張力上

and always want to have together,

我們總是希望能同時擁有它們，

but perhaps can't,

但也許做不到，

effectiveness and niceness. 表達脈絡

這兩樣事物就是效能與友善。