第一章论功利与诚实.docx

第一章论功利与诚实Chapter1OfProfitandHonesty谁都难免说傻话，可悲的是还说得很起劲。这事跟我无关。我的傻话都是漫不经心时傻里傻气说出来的。想说就说，随说随忘，亳不在乎。傻成怎样也就怎样对待，绝不贩卖。我对着白纸说话与对着人说话一样，求的是真。我们的制度，不论在公共还是私人领域，处处都不完美，但不能说它无用，无用就是它的作用。我们生来则由病态的品性黏合而成，野心、嫉妒、羡慕、报复、迷信、失望，与生俱来，难以改变，从野兽身上可以看到这些影子，包括残忍性在内。因此，我们看到别人受苦，内心不但不同情，还会产生一种说不出来的幸灾乐祸的快感。然而，谁消除了这些品质的种子，便也摧毁了人性的基本条件。同样，在我们的制度中，有一些必要的职能，不仅是恶劣的，还是罪恶的。这些罪恶不但有它们的位子，并且不断对我们产生影响，正如我们的健康要靠毒药维持。我经常看到一些法官通过舞弊、许愿或宽恕，使用哄吓、诈骗等手段来诱使罪人招供，我感到很气愤。我痛恨这种不讲信义的法律。同时，由于我很不乐意为了一位君王去背叛一个普通人，我也就不会为了一个普通人去背叛一位君王。我也曾几次参与君王之间的谈判，在分歧与不和中进行斡旋。我竭力避免因我而产生误解，因而把最强烈的意见和盘托出，而不似那些掩饰自己的心意，假装中立迎合别人的人。我是个稚嫩的谈判新手，幸运的是至今一切顺利。我开诚布公，因而与人初次交而我;/法官诱骗罪人招供:让那些先生们看到，我并不是在谋一己之利。Omanisfreefromspeakingfoo1ishthings;buttheworston,tis,Wiiciiaman1abourstop1aythefoo1:44Naeistemagnoconatumagnasnugasdixerit.”"Tru1yhe,withagreateffortwi11short1ysayamightytrif1e."Terence,Heaut.,actiii.,s.4.Thisdoesnotconcernme;mines1ipfrommewithas1itt1ecareastheyareof1itt1eva1ue,and,tisthebetterforthem.Iwou1dpresent1ypartwiththemforwhattheyareworth,andneitherbuynorse11them,butastheyweigh.Ispeakonpaper,asIdotothefirstpersonImeet;andthatthisistrue,observewhatfo11ows.Towhomoughtnottreacherytobehatefu1,whenTiberiusrefuseditinathingofsogreatimportancetohim?HehadwordsenthimfromGermanythatifhethoughtfit,theywou1dridhimofArminiusbypoison:thiswasthemostpotentenemytheRomanshad,whohaddefeatedthemsoignominious1yunderVarus,andwhoa1onepreventedtheiraggrandisementinthoseparts.Hereturnedanswer,ithatthepeop1eofRomewerewonttorevengethemse1vesoftheirenemiesbyopenways,andwiththeirswordsintheirhands,andnotc1andestine1yandbyfraud,whereinhequittedtheprofitab1eforthehonest.Youwi11te11methathewasabraggadocio;Ibe1ievesotoo:and,tisnogreatmirac1einmenofhisprofession.Buttheacknow1edgmentofvirtueisnot1essva1idinthemouthofhimwhohatesit,forasmuchastruthforcesitfromhim,andifhewi11notinward1yreceiveit,heat1eastputsitonforadecoration.Ouroutwardandinwardstructureisfu11ofimperfection;butthereisnothinguse1essinnature,noteveninuti1ityitse1f;nothinghasinsinuateditse1fintothisuniversethathasnotthereinsomefitandproperp1ace.Ourbeingiscementedwithsick1yqua1ities:ambition,jea1ousy,envy,revenge,superstition,anddespairhavesonatura1apossessioninus,thatitsimageisdiscernedinbeasts;nay,andcrue1ty,sounnatura1avice;foreveninthemidstofcompassionwefee1within,Iknownotwhattart-sweettiti11ationofi11-naturedp1easureinseeingotherssuffer;andthechi1drenfee1it:44Suavemarimagno,turbantibusaequoraventis,Eterramagnuma1teriusspectareIaborem:''',1tissweet,whenthewindsdisturbthewatersofthevastsea,towitnessfrom1andtheperi1ofotherpersons?1ucretius1ii.1.oftheseedsofwhichqua1ities,whoevershou1ddivestman,wou1ddestroythefundamenta1conditionsofhuman1ife.1ikewise,ina11governmentstherearenecessaryoffices,noton1yabject,butviciousa1so.Vicestherehe1ptomakeuptheseaminourpiecing,aspoisonsareusefu1fortheconservationofhea1th.Iftheybecomeexcusab1ebecausetheyareofusetous,andthatthecommonnecessitycoverstheirtruequa1ities,wearetoresignthisparttothestrongestandbo1destcitizens,whosacrificetheirhonourandconscience,asothersofo1dsacrificedtheir1ives,forthegoodoftheircountry:we,whoareweaker,takeuponuspartsboththataremoreeasyand1esshazardous.Thepub1icwea1requiresthatmenshou1dbetray,and1ie,andmassacre;1etus1eavethiscommissiontomenwhoaremoreobedientandmoresupp1e.Inearnest,Ihaveoftenbeentroub1edtoseejudges,byfraudandfa1sehopesoffavourorpardon,a11ureacrimina1toconfesshisfact,andthereintomakeuseofcozenageandimpudence.Itwou1dbecomejustice,andP1atohimse1f,whocountenancesthismannerofproceeding,tofurnishmewithothermeansmoresuitab1etomyown1iking:thisisama1iciouskindofjustice,andI1ookuponitasno1esswoundedbyitse1fthanbyothers.Isaidnot1ongsincetosomecompanyindiscourse,thatIshou1dhard1ybedrawntobetraymyprinceforaparticu1arman,whoshou1dbemuchashamedtobetrayanyparticu1armanformyprince;and1donoton1yhatedeceivingmyse1f,butthatanyoneshou1ddeceivethroughme;Iwi11neitheraffordmatternoroccasiontoanysuchthing.Inthe1itt1eIhavehadtomediatebetwixtourprincesBetweentheKingofNavarre1afterwardsHenryIV.,andtheDucdeGuise.SeeDeThou1DeVitaSua,iii.9.inthedivisionsandsubdivisionsbywhichweareatthistimetorntopieces,Ihavebeenverycarefu1thattheyshou1dneitherbedeceivedinmenordeceiveothersbyme.Peop1eofthatkindoftradingareveryreserved,andpretendtobethemostmoderateimaginab1eandnearesttotheopinionsofthosewithwhomtheyhavetodo;Iexposemyse1finmystiffopinion,andafteramethodthemostmyown;atendernegotiator,anovice,whohadratherfai1intheaffairthanbewantingtomyse1f.Andyetithasbeenhithertowithsogood1uck(forfortunehasdoubt1essthebestshareinit),thatfewthingshavepassedfromhandtohandwith1esssuspicionormorefavourandprivacy.Ihaveafreeandopenwaythateasi1yinsinuatesitse1fandobtainsbe1iefwiththosewithwhomIamtodea1atthefirstmeeting.Sincerityandpuretruth,inwhatagesoever,passforcurrent;andbesides,the1ibertyandfreedomofamanwhotreatswithoutanyinterestofhisownisneverhatefu1orsuspected,andhemayverywe11makeuseoftheanswerofHyperidestotheAthenians,whocomp1ainedofhisb1untwayofspeaking:ttMess