历史英雄名人演讲 第75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 capitalism.

　　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 promulgated. Our production is ridiculous. We are producing eighty horsepower motor cars when many more houses should be built. We are producing most extravagant 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 perfectly 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 fore, 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 civilized world who agrees with the existing system of the distribution of wealth. It has been reduced to a blank absurdity.

　　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 Mediterranean   

adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的

参考例句：

• The houses are Mediterranean in character.这些房子都属地中海风格。
• Gibraltar is the key to the Mediterranean.直布罗陀是地中海的要冲。

2 turmoil   

n.骚乱，混乱，动乱

参考例句：

• His mind was in such a turmoil that he couldn't get to sleep.内心的纷扰使他无法入睡。
• The robbery put the village in a turmoil.抢劫使全村陷入混乱。

3 withered   

adj. 枯萎的，干瘪的，（人身体的部分器官）因病萎缩的或未发育良好的 动词wither的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• The grass had withered in the warm sun. 这些草在温暖的阳光下枯死了。
• The leaves of this tree have become dry and withered. 这棵树下的叶子干枯了。

4 cohesive   

adj.有粘着力的；有结合力的；凝聚性的

参考例句：

• She sealed the parcel with cohesive tape.她用粘胶带把包裹封起来。
• The author skillfully fuses these fragments into a cohesive whole.作者将这些片断巧妙地结合成一个连贯的整体。

5 vicissitudes   

n.变迁，世事变化；变迁兴衰( vicissitude的名词复数 )；盛衰兴废

参考例句：

• He experienced several great social vicissitudes in his life. 他一生中经历了几次大的社会变迁。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• A man used to vicissitudes is not easily dejected. 饱经沧桑，不易沮丧。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 doctrines   

n.教条( doctrine的名词复数 )；教义；学说；（政府政策的）正式声明

参考例句：

• To modern eyes, such doctrines appear harsh, even cruel. 从现代的角度看，这样的教义显得苛刻，甚至残酷。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• His doctrines have seduced many into error. 他的学说把许多人诱入歧途。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》