历史英雄名人演讲 第112期:萧伯纳在70寿辰宴会上的讲话:收入再分配

 　　9.The Redistribution of Income

　　9.收入再分配

　　Our position is a perfect1y simple one and we have the great advantage of understanding our position. We oppose socialism to capitalism¹.

　　我们的立场是非常简单明确的，我们的极大优势在于理解自己的立场。我们用社会主义来反对资本主义。

　　We say in criticism of capitalism: Your system has never kept its promises for one single day since it was promulgated². Our production is ridiculous. We are producing eighty horsepower motor cars when many more houses should be built. We are producing most extravagant³ luxuries while children starve. You have stood production on its head. Instead of beginning with the things the nation needs most, you are beginning at just the opposite end. We say distribution has become so glaringly ridiculous that there are only two people out of the 47,000,000 people in this country who approve of the present system of distribution——one is the Duke of Northumberland and the other is Lord Banbury.

　　我们在批许资本主义时说：你们的制度自公布以来，从未有哪一天信守过自己的诺言。我们的生产是荒唐的。需要建造更多的房屋时，我们却在生产80马力的汽车。孩子们正在挨饿时，我们却在生产最豪华的奢侈品。你们把生产颠倒了。你们不先生产国民最需要的东西，却反其道而行之。我们说分配已经变得绝顶荒谬，以致在我国四千七百万人口中，只有两个人赞成现行的分配制度——一个是诺森伯兰公爵，另一个是班伯里勋爵。

　　We are opposed to that theory. Socialism, which is perfectly⁴ clear and unmistakable, says the thing you have got to take care of is your distribution. We have to begin with that, and private property, if it stands in the way of good distribution, has got to go.

　　我们反对那种理论。明白无误的社会主义理论指出，你们必须注意的问题是你们的分配。我们必须由此着手，而如果私有财产妨碍公正的分配，就必须予以废除。

　　A man who holds public property must hold it on the public condition on which, for instance, I carry my walking stick. I am not allowed to do what I like with it. I must not knock you on the head with it. We say that if distribution goes wrong, everything else goes wrong-religion, morals---government. And we say, therefore (this is the whole meaning of our socialism), we must begin with distribution and take al1 the necessary steps.

　　掌握公共财产的人必须受到社会的制约，比如，我带着手杖也要受社会制约。我不能拿着它随心所欲。我不能拿它敲诸位的脑袋。我们说如采分配出了问题，一切都会出问题，包括宗教、道德、政府等等。因此，我们说（这是我们的社会主义的全部意义），我们必须从分配着手，采取一切必妥的步骤。

　　I think we are keeping it in our minds because our business is to take care of the distribution of wealth in the world and I tell you, as I have told you be fore⁵, that I don't think there are two men, or perhaps one man, in our 47,000,000 who approves of the existing distribution of wealth. I will go even further and say that you will not find a single person in the whole of the civilized⁶ world who agrees with the existing system of the distribution of wealth. It has been reduced to a blank absurdity⁷.

　　我想我们都能铭记这一点，因为我们的任务就是要注意世界是财富的分配问题。我刚才对你们说过，现在还要对你们说，我认为在我国四千七百万人口中，不会有两个人，也许不会有一个人赞成现行的财富分配制度。我甚至要进一步说，你们在整个文明世界也找不出一个赞同现行财富分配制度的人。这种分配制度已经堕落为极其荒谬的东西了。

　　I think the day will come when we will be ab1e to make the distinction between us and the capita1ists. We must get certain leading ideas before the peop1e. We shou1d announce that we are not going in for what was the old-fashioned idea of redistribution, but the redistribution of income. Let it always be a question of income.

　　我认为，总有一天我们将能够把自己同资本主义者区别开来。我们必须把某些指导思想公布于众。我们必须宣布，我们所为之努力的不是陈旧的再分自己观念，而是收入再分配。我们要让再分自己始终成为一个收入问题。

1 capitalism   

n.资本主义

参考例句：

• The essence of his argument is that capitalism cannot succeed.他的论点的核心是资本主义不能成功。
• Capitalism began to develop in Russia in the 19th century.十九世纪资本主义在俄国开始发展。

2 promulgated   

v.宣扬（某事物）( promulgate的过去式和过去分词 )；传播；公布；颁布（法令、新法律等）

参考例句：

• Hence China has promulgated more than 30 relevant laws, statutes and regulations. 中国为此颁布的法律、法规和规章多达３０余项。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• The shipping industry promulgated a voluntary code. 航运业对自律守则进行了宣传。 来自辞典例句

3 extravagant   

adj.奢侈的；过分的；(言行等)放肆的

参考例句：

• They tried to please him with fulsome compliments and extravagant gifts.他们想用溢美之词和奢华的礼品来取悦他。
• He is extravagant in behaviour.他行为放肆。

4 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

5 fore   

adv.在前面；adj.先前的；在前部的；n.前部

参考例句：

• Your seat is in the fore part of the aircraft.你的座位在飞机的前部。
• I have the gift of fore knowledge.我能够未卜先知。

6 civilized   

a.有教养的，文雅的

参考例句：

• Racism is abhorrent to a civilized society. 文明社会憎恶种族主义。
• rising crime in our so-called civilized societies 在我们所谓文明社会中日益增多的犯罪行为

7 absurdity   

n.荒谬，愚蠢；谬论

参考例句：

• The proposal borders upon the absurdity.这提议近乎荒谬。
• The absurdity of the situation made everyone laugh.情况的荒谬可笑使每个人都笑了。