英語世界文摘:Thoughts on America

ByJeffrey Sheehan[1]

文/沈本漢

I have always felt a kinship with China. I was born just before the establishment of the People’s Republic of China, so I have lived my life at the same age as the PRC. I love China and the Chinese; I have visited China more than 100 times although I have been resoundingly defeated by the Chinese language, despite endless efforts to learn it. Every time I visit China and the more I learn about China, the more I realize how superficial my understanding is and will always be. But as we have learned from Google, “Be together, not the same.”

我一直覺得和中國有一種親密聯(lián)系。我出生于中華人民共和國成立之際，因此和共和國同歲。我熱愛中國和中國人民，曾到中國一百多次，還曾努力學(xué)習(xí)漢語，不過總以失敗告終。每次我來中國，都會(huì)對(duì)中國多一分了解，了解越多，就越覺得自己對(duì)中國的理解僅限皮毛，或許將來依然如此。不過，這也正如我們向谷歌學(xué)到的精神：“和而不同?！?

I have heard from many Chinese friends with questions and concerns about the presidential election that took place in the United States on November 8th. In the spirit of friendship, I decided to write this open WeChat letter to my friends, and they are welcome to forward it if they think that it may help to spread understanding and dispel concerns.

11月8日的美國總統(tǒng)大選，許多中國朋友有的質(zhì)疑，有的擔(dān)心。基于友好的精神，我決定在微信平臺(tái)寫下這封公開信，呈給我的朋友們，如果你們覺得這封信有助于增進(jìn)理解、消除疑慮，歡迎轉(zhuǎn)發(fā)。

There is a form of discussion known as the “dialectic.” It has been used by philosophers and politicians from Aristotle to Mao Zedong. In the dialectic, there is a “thesis”, which is challenged by an “antithesis.” The result of the ensuing discussion is a “synthesis”, which is not the same as the thesis or the antithesis. Neither the thesis nor the antithesis is “right” or “wrong”. It is simply a matter of finding a new path that allows the polity to move forward.

有一種討論問題的方法叫“辯證法”。從亞里士多德到毛澤東，從哲學(xué)家到政治家，他們都廣泛應(yīng)用辯證法。在辯證法中，有一個(gè)正面論點(diǎn)，有一個(gè)對(duì)立論點(diǎn)，隨后討論的最終結(jié)果就是“對(duì)立統(tǒng)一”，這種對(duì)立統(tǒng)一既不同于正面論點(diǎn)，也不同于對(duì)立論點(diǎn)。兩個(gè)論點(diǎn)無所謂對(duì)錯(cuò)，它只不過是在為政體的進(jìn)步探索一條新途徑。

This is what is happening in the United States right now. In some societies this process requires a revolution; in the United States, our political system assures that the process is peaceful. It is loud, and many people are angry, but this, too, is allowed within the system. The first amendment to our constitution guarantees this right. When people protest, we do not feel threatened. Our government does not feel threatened. It is a normal component of the dialectic that goes on all the time.

這正是美國當(dāng)下現(xiàn)實(shí)的寫照。在某些社會(huì)，這個(gè)過程需要一次革命；而在美國，我們的政治體系可以確保和平過渡。確實(shí)有些喧囂，許多人也很憤怒，然而這也是體系所允許的。憲法第一修正案確保了這項(xiàng)權(quán)利。有人游行，我們并沒有感受到威脅；政府也沒有。這是辯證法中的正常因素，一直存在。

Mr. Trump is a thoroughly reprehensible person. He has neither morals, nor ethics nor compassion. I did not vote for him. A great majority of Americans did not vote for him. Only 26% of the population eligible to vote actually cast ballots for him. Do not think that he speaks for all of us. But he does represent an “antithesis” to how our society is organized and governed. His election means that a dialectic will ensue, in which he and his philosophy will be modified before there is a “synthesis”. Jimmy Carter, who was President of the United States from 1977 to 1981, was famously quoted as saying that his greatest frustration consisted in his inability to bring about change in the way the country was run. He said he spent 3% of his time coming up with new ideas and 97% of his time trying to convince other people to implement them. Mr. Trump will experience the same frustration.

特朗普該受到徹底譴責(zé)，他沒有道德，沒有底線，也沒有同情心。我沒有投他的票，大部分美國人也沒有。事實(shí)上，在有資格投票的人中僅有26%為他投票。不要以為他的聲音就是我們所有人的聲音。但他的確代表了今天美國社會(huì)組織管理體制的對(duì)立面。他的當(dāng)選意味著辯證法將持續(xù)，在實(shí)現(xiàn)對(duì)立統(tǒng)一之前，他和他的理念都會(huì)加以調(diào)整。吉米·卡特在1977年至1981年擔(dān)任美國總統(tǒng)，因?yàn)樗麩o力改變當(dāng)時(shí)的國家狀況，總有人引用他的話來說明：無能導(dǎo)致挫敗。他說，他提出新觀點(diǎn)只需要3%的時(shí)間，但說服人們實(shí)施卻要97%的時(shí)間。特朗普先生將會(huì)重蹈覆轍。

But things will–and should–change. Bernie Sanders, a Senator from the State of Vermont who ran for President this year but who lost in the primaries to Mrs. Clinton, expressed many of the same ideas that Mr. Trump expressed. Of course, Senator Sanders is a decent person with humane values, and the way he expressed these ideas was quite different from Mr. Trump. But these two men, on diametrically opposite sides of the political spectrum, are arguing for many of the same changes in our society. These changes will come about–imperfectly, of course–but our society will emerge from this trauma as a stronger and better country. Probably not in the next four years, but eventually.

但事情將會(huì)改變，也應(yīng)該改變。伯尼·桑德斯是弗蒙特州參議員，今年他也參加了總統(tǒng)選舉，但初選敗給了克林頓夫人。他有許多觀點(diǎn)與特朗普先生并無差異。當(dāng)然，桑德斯議員為人正派，價(jià)值觀與大眾一致，他表達(dá)這些觀點(diǎn)的方式與特朗普先生截然不同。這兩個(gè)人站在完全對(duì)立的政治立場(chǎng)上，卻都在主張?jiān)S多相同的社會(huì)變革。改變終將到來——當(dāng)然，或許不那么完美——但是我們的國家會(huì)從這次痛苦的經(jīng)歷中崛起，變得更強(qiáng)大、更美好?；蛟S不是未來這四年，但終會(huì)崛起。

I am not going to support Mr. Trump. I will fight him and oppose him and do everything I can to make sure that nobody like him is ever elected again. And I hope that my children, and all the other young people who have been so disillusioned by this election, will become energized and take active roles in opposing this monster and returning America to a leader with good values.

我不會(huì)支持特朗普。我堅(jiān)決反對(duì)他，會(huì)跟他作斗爭，并盡一切力量確保不再有任何像他那樣的人當(dāng)選總統(tǒng)。我希望自己的孩子，以及所有因這次選舉而理想破滅的年輕人，都能夠振作起來，積極參與反對(duì)這個(gè)妖怪，讓美國回歸到一個(gè)賢良方正的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人手中。

In the meantime, I say to my friends in China, please do not be afraid of the United States. Your children are still welcome in our schools and universities, which will remain rock-strong communities characterized by tolerance, empathy and compassion. You are still welcome to do business in the United States. Mr. Trump has exaggerated fears of Latin Americans who enter the USA illegally. He also has a ridiculous ignorance of Islam which results in absurd policy proposals. But he has no fears about the Chinese people. He is mistakenly convinced that China is “stealing” jobs from Americans and that the Chinese government is manipulating its currency. But it is important to separate the hostilities that he expresses towards government policies from the warm welcome he offers to Chinese people. I would have to assume that he has many Chinese who have purchased real estate from him. Nobody has ever accused the Chinese of sneaking across the borders or of being terrorists.

同時(shí)，我想告訴在中國的朋友，不要擔(dān)心美國。我們的中小學(xué)和大學(xué)依然歡迎你們的孩子，這些校園秉持寬容、同情和關(guān)愛的理念，個(gè)個(gè)都是緊密團(tuán)結(jié)的社區(qū)。我們依然歡迎你們來美國經(jīng)商。對(duì)于非法入境的拉丁美洲人，特朗普先生危言聳聽。對(duì)于伊斯蘭教，他也愚昧無知，提出了荒唐的政治議案。但是他并不害怕中國人民。他誤以為中國正在“偷走”美國人的工作，還認(rèn)為中國政府在操控貨幣。但是一定要區(qū)分開他對(duì)政府政策表達(dá)出的敵意和對(duì)中國人民的熱烈歡迎，這至關(guān)重要。我必須要說明，有許多中國人就是從他那里購買的房產(chǎn)。沒有人指責(zé)中國人偷渡入境或是恐怖分子。

I know that the headlines are lurid, but remember that the media need to sell content, and the more sensational the news, the more money they make. It is not all true, and what is true is often exaggerated. The United States is undergoing a revolution, but it should be something to watch with interest in person rather than to observe in fear from a remote location. Please come visit, and bring your children. Americans are friendly people and they warmly welcome you.

我知道新聞?lì)^條總是觸目驚心，但請(qǐng)各位謹(jǐn)記，媒體是在兜售內(nèi)容，新聞越聳動(dòng)，獲利就越多。媒體說的并非都是真相，即使有真相，也常常被夸大。美國正在經(jīng)歷一場(chǎng)革命，與其帶著恐懼遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)觀望，不如饒有興趣地切身關(guān)注。請(qǐng)你們來，帶著孩子一起來，友善的美國人民熱烈歡迎你們的到來。

[1] Jeffrey Sheehan是賓夕法尼亞大學(xué)沃頓商學(xué)院前副院長。本文寫于2016年11月13日，新東方教育集團(tuán)董事長俞敏洪先生特向本刊推薦。