亂碼賞文（4）

來自專欄亂碼賞文

Obviously historiography cannot be a science. It can only be an industry, an art, and a philosophy—an industry by ferreting out the facts, an art by establishing a meaningful order in the chaos of materials, a philosophy by seeking perspective and enlightenment. "The present is the past rolled up for action, and the past is the present unrolled for understanding" —or so we believe and hope. In philosophy we try to see the part in the light of the whole; in the "philosophy of history" we try to see this moment in the light of the past. We know that in both cases this is a counsel of perfection; total perspective is an optical illusion. We do not know the whole of mans history; there were probably many civilizations before the Sumerian or the Egyptian; we have just begun to dig! We must operate with partial knowledge, and be provisionally content with probabilities; in history, as in science and politics, relativity rules, and all formulas should be suspect. "History smiles at all attempts to force its flow into theoretical patterns or logical grooves; it plays havoc with our generalizations, breaks all our rules; history is baroque." Perhaps, within these limits, we can learn enough from history to bear reality patiently, and to respect one anothers delusions.

——Will and Ariel Durant, The Lessons of History

參考翻譯

顯而易見，歷史編纂不能算是一門科學。它只能算是一個行業、一門藝術和一種哲學——一個搜集史實的行業、一門通過將混亂的材料有意義地排列起來的藝術、一種尋求預見性觀點和啟蒙作用的哲學。「當下乃為成事而拾掇的往昔，往昔尤為解惑而展開之當下。」——這大約是我們所相信的和所期望的。就哲學而言，我們試圖通過整體來了解部分。就「歷史哲學」而言，我們又試圖通過過去來了解現在。我們知道，這兩種情況都是不可能實現的理想，總體性視野不過是一種錯覺。我們並不知道人類的全部歷史，在蘇美爾人或埃及人之前，很可能就已經存在過許許多多的文明。我們只不過是剛剛開始進行發掘！我們必須從局部知識入手，而且必須暫時接受所有的可能性。就歷史而言，和科學與政治學一樣，相對性至上，一切公式皆應受到質疑。「歷史嘲笑一切試圖強迫將其納入理論範式和邏輯規範的舉動；歷史是對我們概括化的大反動，它打破了全部的規則；歷史是個怪胎。」或許，因為有這些限制，我們才能從歷史中學到足夠多的東西，去耐心地承受現實，並尊重彼此間的歧見。

（譯文摘自《歷史的教育》[美] 威爾·杜蘭特，[美] 阿里爾·杜蘭特 著，倪玉平，張閌 譯，馮克利，晏紹祥 校）

辭彙列表

ferret out: to discover information by searching for it in a determined way (MEDAL)

unroll: To emerge, be revealed or become apparent; to unfold. (Wiktionary)

a counsel of perfection: advice that is ideal but not feasible (http://thefreedictionary.com)

perspective: A view, vista or outlook. (Wiktionary)

provisional: Temporary, but with the intention of eventually becoming permanent or being replaced by a permanent equivalent. (Wiktionary)

亂碼賞析

薄薄一本小冊子，杜蘭特夫婦道盡了他們畢生讀史治史寫史的思考與智慧。《歷史的教訓》不談歷史，只談「教訓」。（想讀歷史，請參照《世界文明史》。）教訓是主觀的，但主觀才有價值。有些教訓會顛覆你的常識，但更會讓你感嘆杜蘭特夫婦思想之深邃視野之寬廣。短短十三章，他們從歷史講到了地球、宗教、道德、種族、衰退與增長。今日賞文選自第一章《猶豫》（Hesitation）：歷史有沒有意義？杜蘭特夫婦的答案是：歷史是巴洛克。短短一小段無法囊括杜蘭特夫婦對人類歷史的宏觀整體思考，但足以讓我們看到他們身上閃耀著的智慧光芒。

1

Obviously historiography cannot be a science. It can only be an industry, an art, and a philosophy—an industry by ferreting out the facts, an art by establishing a meaningful order in the chaos of materials, a philosophy by seeking perspective and enlightenment.

顯而易見，歷史編纂不能算是一門科學。它只能算是一個行業、一門藝術和一種哲學——一個搜集史實的行業、一門通過將混亂的材料有意義地排列起來的藝術、一種尋求預見性觀點和啟蒙作用的哲學。

好文字什麼樣？好文字如絲綢般光滑，淌過你的大腦。

杜蘭特夫婦用了什麼技巧？

1. 先常識，再反常識：假想 「historiography is/can be a science」 是常識；先攻擊常識，說 it cannot be science，再提出反常識，說 it can only be an industry, an art, and a philosophy.
   從常識到反常識，是作文常見的開篇套路。

2. 排比只有三組：排比，3-5組為佳。低於3，沒有排比之美；大於5，人腦記不住。
   我自己寫文也愛使用這種結構。比如，我在《英語口語之「溝通的藝術」》中寫到，「真實的世界有真善美，也有金錢、利益、勾心鬥角」。（請允許我推廣一下自己寫的文章（笑）。）

3. 排比選詞精妙：industry, art, philosophy， 讀來押韻；「行業」、「藝術」、「哲學」，意義由淺及深。

4. 從抽象到具體：先告訴你它是行業、藝術、哲學，再用 by 和破折號告訴你它是什麼行業，什麼藝術，什麼哲學。（「抽象vs.具體」是抽象級別非常高的知識，建議閱讀：《知識有好壞，表達有「抽象與具體」》。）

2

"The present is the past rolled up for action, and the past is the present unrolled for understanding" —or so we believe and hope.

「當下乃為成事而拾掇的往昔，往昔尤為解惑而展開之當下。」——這大約是我們所相信的和所期望的。

好文字什麼樣？即便你從未學過修辭之術，即便你沒有讀書破萬卷，當你遇見它，你依然敢斷定，它就是美的！

這句話就是這樣。

為什麼我們會下意識認為它是美的？

因為它看上去就是美的：and 前後，字數相等、結構相同、意義對稱；這句話，美在對偶。

因為它聽上去就是美的：present, past 互成頭韻，rolled, unrolled 互成尾韻；這句話，美在音律。

因為它理解起來就是美的：現在和過去究竟是什麼關係？杜蘭特夫婦把 roll 這個詞玩到了極致，拿 roll up 和 unroll 這對意義相反的詞將「現在」和「過去」進行對比，刻畫它們之間的關係，道出「歷史」的意義。這句話，美在內涵。

In philosophy we try to see the part in the light of the whole; in the "philosophy of history" we try to see this moment in the light of the past.

就哲學而言，我們試圖通過整體來了解部分。就「歷史哲學」而言，我們又試圖通過過去來了解現在。

如果上一句給你的衝擊還不夠，那就再來一句吧！

這句話，依然美在對偶，美在音律，美在內涵。只不過這句話不再是對比，而是類比：從哲學到「歷史哲學」，杜蘭特夫婦沒有用一個礙眼的連接詞，便完成了文章的推進。

寫作新手好用連接詞，以防讀者走失；寫作高手刻意避免元話語，深怕破壞讀者賞景的興緻。

3

We know that in both cases this is a counsel of perfection; total perspective is an optical illusion. We do not know the whole of mans history; there were probably many civilizations before the Sumerian or the Egyptian; we have just begun to dig!

我們知道，這兩種情況都是不可能實現的理想，總體性視野不過是一種錯覺。我們並不知道人類的全部歷史，在蘇美爾人或埃及人之前，很可能就已經存在過許許多多的文明。我們只不過是剛剛開始進行發掘！

這一段里押韻也不少：perfection, illusion；Sumerian, Egyptian。

counsels of perfection 源於《馬太福音》。在基督教，counsels of perfection 有三：清貧、貞潔、順從。

The three evangelical counsels or counsels of perfection in Christianity are chastity, poverty (or perfect charity), and obedience. As Jesus of Nazareth stated in the Canonical gospels, they are counsels for those who desire to become "perfect". (Wikipedia)

此處，a counsel of perfection 指「不切實際的理想」。

也是，我們又不是上帝，怎麼會知道一切？全景視野不僅是錯覺，更是奢望。我們不知道的事實在是太多了。我們才「剛剛開始」挖掘而已。

4

We must operate with partial knowledge, and be provisionally content with probabilities; in history, as in science and politics, relativity rules, and all formulas should be suspect. "History smiles at all attempts to force its flow into theoretical patterns or logical grooves; it plays havoc with our generalizations, breaks all our rules; history is baroque."

我們必須從局部知識入手，而且必須暫時接受所有的可能性。就歷史而言，和科學與政治學一樣，相對性至上，一切公式皆應受到質疑。「歷史嘲笑一切試圖強迫將其納入理論範式和邏輯規範的舉動；歷史是對我們概括化的大反動，它打破了全部的規則；歷史是個怪胎。」

但無論如何挖掘，我們知道的永遠只是局部（partial knowledge）。因此，我們應接受甚至敬畏概率：一切皆有可能。

可人類卻偏偏喜歡歸納與歸因？

對此，歷史只會一笑置之（History smiles at all attempts to ...）。邏輯，在歷史面前經不起推敲；規律，將被歷史撕得粉碎。

歷史，是巴洛克。

baroque 源於葡萄牙語 barroco，意為「不規律的珍珠」。歷史是不規律的。

這一段里的 relativity 也不是相對論，而是「相對性」。

Relativism, roughly put, is the view that truth and falsity, right and wrong, standards of reasoning, and procedures of justification are products of differing conventions and frameworks of assessment and that their authority is confined to the context giving rise to them. (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)

Relativism is the idea that views are relative to differences in perception and consideration. There is no universal, objective truth according to relativism; rather each point of view has its own truth. (Wikipedia)

Perhaps, within these limits, we can learn enough from history to bear reality patiently, and to respect one anothers delusions.

或許，因為有這些限制，我們才能從歷史中學到足夠多的東西，去耐心地承受現實，並尊重彼此間的歧見。

只有放下身段，把自己縮小，我們才能從歷史中學到東西，才能平心靜氣地面對現實，包容自己，也寬恕他人。

或許，這就是歷史的意義。

知識清單

1. Will Durant

William James "Will" Durant (November 5, 1885 – November 7, 1981) was an American writer, historian, and philosopher. He is best known for The Story of Civilization, 11 volumes written in collaboration with his wife, Ariel Durant, and published between 1935 and 1975. He was earlier noted for The Story of Philosophy (1926), described as "a groundbreaking work that helped to popularize philosophy".

(Wikipedia)

2. The Lessons of History

The Lessons of History is a 1968 book by historians Will Durant and Ariel Durant.

The book provides a summary of periods and trends in history they had noted upon completion of their momentous eleven-volume The Story of Civilization. Will Durant stated that he and Ariel "made note of events and comments that might illuminate present affairs, future probabilities, the nature of man, and the conduct of states."

Thus, the book presents an overview of the themes and lessons observed from 5,000 years of world history, examined from 12 perspectives: geography, biology, race, character, morals, religion, economics, socialism, government, war, growth and decay, and progress.

(Wikipedia)

(http://Amazon.com)

3. "The present is the past rolled up for action, and the past is the present unrolled for understanding."

這句話摘自《世界文明史：宗教改革》。

4. "History smiles at all attempts to force its flow into theoretical patterns or logical grooves; it plays havoc with our generalizations, breaks all our rules; history is baroque."

這句話摘自《世界文明史：理性時代的開始》。

亂碼一下

後台回復「The Lessons of History」獲取本書下載鏈接。

下期預告

Youve been in love, of course! If not youve got it to come. Love is like the measles; we all have to go through it. Also like the measles, we take it only once. One never need be afraid of catching it a second time. The man who has had it can go into the most dangerous places and play the most foolhardy tricks with perfect safety. He can, to see the last of a friend, venture into the very jaws of the marriage ceremony itself. He can keep his head through the whirl of a ravishing waltz, and rest afterward in a dark conservatory, catching nothing more lasting than a cold.

No, we never sicken with love twice. Cupid spends no second arrow on the same heart. Loves handmaids are our life-long friends. Respect, and admiration, and affection, our doors may always be left open for, but their great celestial master, in his royal progress, pays but one visit and departs. Meteor-like, it blazes for a moment and lights with its glory the whole world beneath. Happy those who, hastening down again ere it dies out, can kindle their earthly altars at its flame. Love is too pure a light to burn long among the noisome gases that we breathe, but before it is choked out we may use it as a torch to ignite the cozy fire of affection.

——Jerome K. Jerome, The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow: On Being in Love

「I had never learned English—until I met LM.」

http://weixin.qq.com/r/skyEnJLER884rdb-9xmg (二維碼自動識別)

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