2020年经济学人 共济会会所内幕(1)

Books and arts

文艺板块

Book review

书评

The Freemasons

共济会

Inside the Lodge¹

共济会会所内幕

The Craft: How the Freemasons Made the Modern World.

《The Craft：共济会如何创造现代世界。》

By John Dickie.

作者：约翰·迪基

Since they first came to prominence² in the alehouses of 18th-century London, the Freemasons have proved adept³ at self-promotion. From their blindfolded⁴ initiation⁵ ceremony, obscure rituals and symbols and infamous⁶ handshake, the organisation⁷ has grasped the powerful attraction of mystery as a recruiting tool. Today the secret society has around 6m members, most of them in America.

在18世纪的伦敦酒馆，共济会初露锋芒，自此，也证明了这个组织善于自我推销。共济会有着蒙着眼睛的入会仪式、晦涩的仪规和象征、以及声名远扬的握手礼，它抓住了具有强大吸引力的神秘感作为招募会员的工具。时至今日，这个神秘组织有大约600万会员，其中大部分是在美国。

Conspiracists have long speculated that these individuals are part of a secret “world order”, with ties to the Illuminati and satanic cults⁸. Debunking⁹ these theories is relatively¹⁰ easy, but in his new book John Dickie goes much further. Based on years of research into the archives of the Grand Lodges¹¹, he has produced a global history of the organisation, explaining how the brand spread far beyond Europe. “The Craft” is a fascinating tale of imperial trade, warfare¹² and scientific progress which presents the Masons as a response to the broader development of the modern world.

阴谋论者长期以来一直猜测共济会的会员们参与策划秘密“世界秩序”，而且与光明会和撒旦邪教有关联。揭穿这样的阴谋论相对容易，但是约翰·迪基在自己的新书中进行了更加深入的研究。基于多年对总会档案的研究，约翰撰写了共济会的全球历史，解释该组织是如何在欧洲以外的地方进行传播。《TheCraft》这本书讲述了帝国贸易、战争和科学技术的进步，情节引人入胜，书中将美生视为对现代社会更广泛发展的回应，娓娓道来。

In their simplest form the Freemasons are groups of (almost exclusively) men, who undertake to pursue a “beautiful system of morality” and self-improvement according to a symbolic¹³ code. Their society is united by pledges to defend rational, enlightenment values, and over the centuries has attracted many high-profile members, including Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Winston Churchill and Walt Disney.

简单来讲，共济会由一群男性组成（几乎完全是男性），他们致力于追求“美好的道德系统”，并根据一个象征性的准则进行自我完善。共济会的会员们为捍卫理性启蒙的价值观团结在一起，几个世纪以来，已经吸引了许多名士加入其中，包括沃尔夫冈·阿马迪斯·莫扎特、温斯顿·丘吉尔和沃尔特·迪斯尼。

1 lodge   

v.临时住宿，寄宿，寄存，容纳；n.传达室，小旅馆

参考例句：

• Is there anywhere that I can lodge in the village tonight?村里有我今晚过夜的地方吗？
• I shall lodge at the inn for two nights.我要在这家小店住两个晚上。

2 prominence   

n.突出；显著；杰出；重要

参考例句：

• He came to prominence during the World Cup in Italy.他在意大利的世界杯赛中声名鹊起。
• This young fashion designer is rising to prominence.这位年轻的时装设计师的声望越来越高。

3 adept   

adj.老练的，精通的

参考例句：

• When it comes to photography,I'm not an adept.要说照相，我不是内行。
• He was highly adept at avoiding trouble.他十分善于避开麻烦。

4 blindfolded   

v.（尤指用布）挡住（某人）的视线( blindfold的过去式 )；蒙住（某人）的眼睛；使不理解；蒙骗

参考例句：

• The hostages were tied up and blindfolded. 人质被捆绑起来并蒙上了眼睛。
• They were each blindfolded with big red handkerchiefs. 他们每个人的眼睛都被一块红色大手巾蒙住了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 initiation   

n.开始

参考例句：

• her initiation into the world of marketing 她的初次涉足营销界
• It was my initiation into the world of high fashion. 这是我初次涉足高级时装界。

6 infamous   

adj.声名狼藉的，臭名昭著的，邪恶的

参考例句：

• He was infamous for his anti-feminist attitudes.他因反对女性主义而声名狼藉。
• I was shocked by her infamous behaviour.她的无耻行径令我震惊。

7 organisation   

n.组织，安排，团体，有机休

参考例句：

• The method of his organisation work is worth commending.他的组织工作的方法值得称道。
• His application for membership of the organisation was rejected.他想要加入该组织的申请遭到了拒绝。

8 cults   

n.迷信( cult的名词复数 )；狂热的崇拜；（有极端宗教信仰的）异教团体

参考例句：

• Religious cults and priesthoods are sectarian by nature. 宗教崇拜和僧侣界天然就有派性。 来自辞典例句
• All these religions were flourishing side by side with many less prominent cults. 所有这些宗教和许多次要的教派一起，共同繁荣。 来自英汉非文学 - 历史

9 debunking   

v.揭穿真相，暴露( debunk的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The debunking of religion has been too successful. 对于宗教的揭露太成功了。 来自互联网

10 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

11 lodges   

v.存放( lodge的第三人称单数 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属

参考例句：

• But I forget, if I ever heard, where he lodges in Liverpool. 可是我记不得有没有听他说过他在利物浦的住址。 来自辞典例句
• My friend lodges in my uncle's house. 我朋友寄居在我叔叔家。 来自辞典例句

12 warfare   

n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突

参考例句：

• He addressed the audience on the subject of atomic warfare.他向听众演讲有关原子战争的问题。
• Their struggle consists mainly in peasant guerrilla warfare.他们的斗争主要是农民游击战。

13 symbolic   

adj.象征性的，符号的，象征主义的

参考例句：

• It is symbolic of the fighting spirit of modern womanhood.它象征着现代妇女的战斗精神。
• The Christian ceremony of baptism is a symbolic act.基督教的洗礼仪式是一种象征性的做法。