The English Character

No Englishman believes in working from book learning. He suspects all theories, philosophical or other. He suspects everything new, and dislikes it, unless he can be compelled by the force of circumstances to see that this new thing has advantages over the old. Race-experience is what he invariably depends upon, whenever he can, whether in India, in Egypt, or in Australia. His statesmen do not consult historical precedents in order to decide what to do: they first learn the facts as they are; then they depend upon their own common sense, not at all upon their university learning or upon philosophical theories. And in the case of the English nation, it must be acknowledged that this instinctive method has been eminently successful.

英国人谁都不相信照搬书本会办好事情。他们怀疑一切理论，不管是哲学理论还是其他高论一概不予相信。他们总是对一切新鲜事物持怀疑态度，并深恶痛绝，除非迫于形势，他们才认识到新的事物确有优点胜过旧的。不管是身在印度、埃及或澳大利亚，只要可能，他们总是始终不渝地依靠他们自己的民族经验。为了作出决策，英国的政治家们并不参阅历史的先例，而是首先如实地弄清事实的真相；然后凭籍自己的常识，丝毫不依赖大学的知识或哲学高论。就英国民族而论，必须承认这种本能的处世方法一向是极为成功的。

The last people from whom praise can be expected, even for what is worthy of all praise, are the English. A new friendship, a new ideal, a reform, a noble action, a wonderful poem, an exquisite painting -- any of these things will be admired and praised by every other people in Europe long before you can get Englishmen to praise. The Englishman all this time is studying, considering, trying to find fault. Why should he try to find fault? So that he will not make any mistakes at a later day. He has inherited the terrible caution of his ancestors in regard to mistakes. It must be granted that his caution has saved him from a number of very serious mistakes that other nations have made. It must also be acknowledged that he exercises a fair amount of moderation in the opposite direction -- his modern Englishman; he has learned caution of another kind, which his ancestors taught him. “Power should be used with moderation; for whoever finds himself among valiant men will discover that no man is peerless.” And this is a very important thing for the strong man to know -- that however strong, he cannot be the strongest; his match will be found when occasion demands it. Not only Scandinavian but English rulers have often discovered this fact to their cost.

即令是值得举世赞扬的事迹，也难望博得英国人的赏识。新的友谊，新的理想、改革，高尚的行为，令人叫绝的诗人，精美的绘画——不论哪一种，欧洲其他民族交口称赞很久之后，才能获得英国人的垂青。因为英国人一直在研究，深思熟虑，不遗余力地挑剔备至。为什么要吹毛求疵呢？其目的就在于日后不会犯其他民族所犯的史不绝书的严重失误。还得承认，另一方面，现代的英国人运用适度的节制；他已学会另一种谨慎的态度，这是祖先传授给他的。“力量应该有节制地使用，国为不论谁居于强者之林，都会发觉谁也不是盖世无双的。”不论多么强，都不会是天下无敌的——这是强者应了解的最重要的一点。时机一到，就会碰到对手。不仅斯堪底纳维亚的统治者，而且英国的统治者都是吃尽了苦头，才发觉这个事实的。

The judgment of the Englishman by all other. European peoples is that he is most suspicious, the most reserved, the most unreceptive, the most unfriendly, and the most domineering of all western peoples. Ask a Frenchman, an Italian, a German, a Spaniard, even an American, what he thinks about Englishmen; and every one of them will tell you the very same thing. This is precisely what the character of men would become who had lived for thousands of years in the conditions of northern society. But you would find upon the other hand that nearly all nations would speak highly of certain other English qualities- energy, courage, honor, justice (between themselves). They would say that although no man is so difficult to make friends with, the friendship of an Englishman once gained is more strong and true than any other. And as the battle of life continues, and must continue for thousands of years to come, it must be acknowledged that the English character is especially well fitted for the struggle. Its reserves, its cautions, its doubts, its suspicions, its brutality -- these have been for it in the past, and are still in the present, the best social armor and panoply of war. It is not a lovable or an amiable character; it is not even kindly. The Englishman of the best type is much more inclined to be just than he is to be kind, for kindness is an emotional impulse, and the Englishman is on his guard against every kind of emotional impulse. But with all this, the character is a grand one, and its success has been the best proof of its value.

欧洲所有其他民族对英国人众口一词的评价是：在所有西方民族中，英国人是最多疑，最沉没寡言，最不易接受新思想，最不友好，最冷漠，而又最盛气凌人的民族。只要问一下法国人，意大利人，德国人，西班牙人，甚至是美国人，对英国人的看法，他们那答复都是那同样的评价。这恰恰是数千年来长期生活在北方社会情况下所形成的性格。但在另一方面你会发现几乎所有的民族无不高度赞美英国人在某些其他方面的品质——精力充沛，勇敢，讲求荣誉，和公正（在英国人自己之间的）。人们会说，虽然没有人象英国人那样难以结交。可是一旦获得英国人的友谊，就比任何人的友谊更为牢靠，更为真挚。既然生存之战仍在继续，而且必定要持续数千年之久，我们得承认英国人的性格特别适合与生存斗争。沉默寡言，慎重，宁存疑不轻信，粗犷——这些从古至今一向是生存斗争之战最好的武器。这不是令人喜爱的性格，也不是友好的性格，连亲切二字都谈不上。最典型的英国人愿意公道，而不愿仁慈，因为仁慈只不过是感情的冲动而已。而英国人总是事事都提防感情用事。然而综观全局，英国人这种性格是一种崇高的性格。它的成功是检验其价值的最佳证明。（参考译文）

2014ec 英国人的民族个性