TheChineseCharacter中国人的性格.docx

TheChineseCharacter中国人的性格.docx

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TheChineseCharacter中国人的性格

TheChineseCharacter

byBertrandRussell

ThereisatheoryamongOccidentalsthattheChinamanisinscrutable,fullofsecretthoughts,andimpossibleforustounderstand.ItmaybethatagreaterexperienceofChinawouldhavebroughtmetosharethisopinion;butIcouldseenothingtosupportitduringthetimewhenIwasworkinginthatcountry.ItalkedtotheChineseasIshouldhavetalkedtoEnglishpeople,andtheyansweredmemuchasEnglishpeoplewouldhaveansweredaChinesewhomtheyconsiderededucatedandnotwhollyunintelligent.Idonotbelieveinthemythofthe"SubtleOriental":

IamconvincedthatinagameofmutualdeceptionanEnglishmanorAmericancanbeataChineseninetimesoutoften.ButasmanycomparativelypoorChinesehavedealingswithrichwhitemen,thegameisoftenplayedonlyononeside.Then,nodoubt,thewhitemanisdeceivedandswindled;butnotmorethanaChinesemandarinwouldbeinLondon.

OneofthemostremarkablethingsabouttheChineseistheirpowerofsecuringtheaffectionofforeigners.AlmostallEuropeanslikeChina,boththosewhocomeonlyastouristsandthosewholivethereformanyyears.InspiteoftheAnglo-JapaneseAlliance,IcanrecallhardlyasingleEnglishmanintheFarEastwholikedtheJapaneseaswellastheChinese.Thosewhohavelivedlongamongthemtendtoacquiretheiroutlookandtheirstandards.Newarrivalsarestruckbyobviousevils:

thebeggars,theterriblepoverty,theprevalenceofdisease,theanarchyandcorruptioninpolitics.EveryenergeticWesternerfeelsatfirstastrongdesiretoreformtheseevils,andofcoursetheyoughttobereformed.

ButtheChinese,eventhosewhoarethevictimsofpreventablemisfortunes,showavastpassiveindifferencetotheexcitementoftheforeigners;theywaitforittogooff,liketheeffervescenceofsoda-water.Andgraduallystrangehesitationscreepintothemindofthebewilderedtraveller;afteraperiodofindignation,hebeginstodoubtallthemaximshehashithertoacceptedwithoutquestion.Isitreallywisetobealwaysguardingagainstfuturemisfortune?

Isitprudenttoloseallenjoymentofthepresentthroughthinkingofthedisastersthatmaycomeatsomefuturedate?

Shouldourlivesbepassedinbuildingamansionthatweshallneverhaveleisuretoinhabit?

TheChineseanswerthesequestionsinthenegative,andthereforehavetoputupwithpoverty,disease,andanarchy.But,tocompensatefortheseevils,theyhaveretained,asindustrialnationshavenot,thecapacityforcivilizedenjoyment,forleisureandlaughter,forpleasureinsunshineandphilosophicaldiscourse.TheChinese,ofallclasses,aremorelaughter-lovingthananyotherracewithwhichIamacquainted;theyfindamusementineverything,andadisputecanalwaysbesoftenedbyajoke.

Irememberonehotdaywhenapartyofuswerecrossingthehillsinchairs--thewaywasroughandverysteep,theworkforthecooliesverysevere.Atthehighestpointofourjourney,westoppedfortenminutestoletthemenrest.Instantlytheyallsatinarow,broughtouttheirpipes,andbegantolaughamongthemselvesasiftheyhadnotacareintheworld.Inanycountrythathadlearnedthevirtueofforethought,theywouldhavedevotedthemomentstocomplainingoftheheat,inordertoincreasetheirtip.We,beingEuropeans,spentthetimeworryingwhethertheautomobilewouldbewaitingforusattherightplace.Well-to-doChinesewouldhavestartedadiscussionastowhethertheuniversemovesincyclesorprogressesbyarectilinearmotion;ortheymighthavesettoworktoconsiderwhetherthetrulyvirtuousmanshows_complete_self-abnegation,ormay,onoccasion,considerhisowninterest.

OnecomesacrosswhitemenoccasionallywhosufferunderthedelusionthatChinaisnotacivilizedcountry.Suchmenhavequiteforgottenwhatconstitutescivilization.ItistruethattherearenotramsinPeking,andthattheelectriclightispoor.Itistruethatthereareplacesfullofbeauty,whichEuropeansitchtomakehideousbydiggingupcoal.ItistruethattheeducatedChinamanisbetteratwritingpoetrythanatrememberingthesortoffactswhichcanbelookedupin_Whitaker'sAlmanac_.AEuropean,inrecommendingaplaceofresidence,willtellyouthatithasagoodtrainservice;thebestqualityhecanconceiveinanyplaceisthatitshouldbeeasytogetawayfrom.ButaChinamanwilltellyounothingaboutthetrains;ifyouask,hewilltellyouwrong.Whathetellsyouisthatthereisapalacebuiltbyanancientemperor,andaretreatinalakeforscholarswearyoftheworld,foundedbyafamouspoetoftheTangdynasty.ItisthisoutlookthatstrikestheWesternerasbarbaric.

TheChinese,fromthehighesttothelowest,haveanimperturbablequietdignity,whichisusuallynotdestroyedevenbyaEuropeaneducation.Theyarenotself-assertive,eitherindividuallyornationally;theirprideistooprofoundforself-assertion.TheyadmitChina'smilitaryweaknessincomparisonwithforeignPowers,buttheydonotconsiderefficiencyinhomicidethemostimportantqualityinamanoranation.Ithinkthat,atbottom,theyalmostallbelievethatChinaisthegreatestnationintheworld,andhasthefinestcivilization.AWesternercannotbeexpectedtoacceptthisview,becauseitisbasedontraditionsutterlydifferentfromhisown.Butgraduallyonecomestofeelthatitis,atanyrate,notanabsurdview;thatitis,infact,thelogicaloutcomeofaself-consistentstandardofvalues.ThetypicalWesternerwishestobethecauseofasmanychangesaspossibleinhisenvironment;thetypicalChinamanwishestoenjoyasmuchandasdelicatelyaspossible.ThisdifferenceisatthebottomofmostofthecontrastbetweenChinaandtheEnglish-speakingworld.

WeintheWestmakeafetishof"progress,"whichistheethicalcamouflageofthedesiretobethecauseofchanges.Ifweareasked,forinstance,whethermachineryhasreallyimprovedtheworld,thequestionstrikesusasfoolish:

ithasbroughtgreatchangesandthereforegreat"progress."Whatwebelievetobealoveofprogressisreally,inninecasesoutoften,aloveofpower,anenjoymentofthefeelingthatbyourfiatwecanmakethingsdifferent.Forthesakeofthispleasure,ayoungAmericanwillworksohardthat,bythetimehehasacquiredhismillions,hehasbecomeavictimofdyspepsia,compelledtoliveontoastandwater,andtobeamerespectatorofthefeaststhatheofferstohisguests.Butheconsoleshimselfwiththethoughtthathecancontrolpolitics,andprovokeorpreventwarsasmaysuithisinvestments.ItisthistemperamentthatmakesWesternnations"progressive."

Thereare,ofcourse,ambitiousmeninChina,buttheyarelesscommonthanamongourselves.Andtheirambitiontakesadifferentform--notabetterform,butoneproducedbythepreferenceofenjoymenttopower.ItisanaturalresultofthispreferencethatavariceisawidespreadfailingoftheChinese.Moneybringsthemeansofenjoyment,thereforemoneyispassionatelydesired.Withus,moneyisdesiredchieflyasameanstopower;politicians,whocanacquirepowerwithoutmuchmoney,areoftencontenttoremainpoor.InChina,the_tuchuns_（militarygovernors）,whohavetherealpower,almostalwaysuseitforthesolepurposeofamassingafortune.TheirobjectistoescapetoJapanatasuitablemoment;withsufficientplundertoenablethemtoenjoylifequietlyfortherestoftheirdays.Thefactthatinescapingtheylosepowerdoesnottroublethemintheleast.Itis,ofcourse,obviousthatsuchpoliticians,whospreaddevastationonlyintheprovincescommittedtotheircare,arefarlessharmfultotheworldthanourown,whoruinwholecontinentsinordertowinanelectioncampaign.

ThecorruptionandanarchyinChinesepoliticsdomuchlessharmthanonewouldbeinclinedtoexpect.ButforthepredatorydesiresoftheGreatPowers--especiallyJapan--theharmwouldbemuchlessthanisdonebyourown"efficient"Governments.Nine-tenthsoftheactivitiesofamodernGovernmentareharmful;thereforetheworsetheyareperformed,thebetter.InChina,wheretheGovernmentislazy,corrupt,andstupid,thereisadegreeofindividuallibertywhichhasbeenwhollylostintherestoftheworld.

Thelawsarejustasbadaselsewhere;occasionally,underforeignpressure,amanisimprisonedforBolshevistpropaganda,justashemightbeinEnglandorAmerica.Butthisisquiteexceptional;asarule,inpractice,thereisverylittleinterferencewithfreespeechandafreePress.[96]Theindividualdoesnotfeelobligedtofollowtheherd,ashehasinEuropesince1914,andinAmericasince1917.Menstillthinkforthemselves,andarenotafraidtoannouncetheconclusionsatwhichtheyarrive.IndividualismhasperishedintheWest,butinChinaitsurvives,forgoodaswellasforevil.Self-respectandpersonaldignityarepossibleforeverycoolieinChina,toadegreewhichis,amongourselves,possibleonlyforafewleadingfinanciers.

Thebusinessof"savingface,"whichoftenstrikesforeignersinChinaasludicrous,isonlythecarrying-outofrespectforpersonaldignityinthesphereofsocialmanners.Everybodyhas"face,"eventhehumblestbeggar;therearehumiliationsthatyoumustnotinflictuponhim,ifyouarenottooutragetheChineseethicalcode.IfyouspeaktoaChinamaninawaythattransgressesthecode,hewilllaugh,becauseyourwordsmustbetakenasspokeninjestiftheyarenottoconstituteanoffence.

OnceIthoughtthatthestudentstowhomIwaslecturingwerenotasindustriousastheymightbe,andItoldthemsoinjustthesamewordsthatIshouldhaveusedtoEnglishstudentsinthesamecircumstan