Schopenhauer说过这样的话：要估定人的伟大，则精神上的大和体格上的大，那法则完全相反。后者距离愈远即愈小，前者却见得愈大。 正因为近则愈小，而且愈看见缺点和创伤，所以他就和我们一样，不是神道，不是妖怪，不是异兽。他仍然是人，不过如此。但也惟其如此，所以他是伟大的人。 战士战死了的时候，苍蝇们所首先发见的是他的缺点和伤痕，嘬着，营营地叫着，以为得意，以为比死了的战士更英雄。但是战士已经战死了，不再来挥去他们。于是乎苍蝇们即更其营营地叫，自以为倒是不朽的声音，因为它们的完全，远在战士之上。 的确的，谁也没有发见过苍蝇们的缺点和创伤。 然而，有缺点的战士终竟是战士，完美的苍蝇也终竟不过是苍蝇。 去罢，苍蝇们！虽然生着翅子，还能营营，总不会超过战士的。你们这些虫豸们！
三月二十一日。
Fighters
and Flies Lu Xun
Schopenhauer has said
that, in estimating men’s greatness, the laws governing spiritual stature and
physical size are the reverse of each other. For the further they are from us,
the smaller men’s bodies and the greater their spirit appear. Because a man seems
less of a hero at close quarters, where his blemishes and wounds stand out
clearly, he appears like one of us, not a god, a supernatural being or a
creature of a strange new species. He is simply a man. But this precisely is
where his greatness lies. When a fighter has
fallen in battle, the first thing flies notice is his blemishes and wounds.
They suck them, humming, very pleased to think that they are greater heroes
than the fallen warrior. And since the fighter is dead and does not drive them
away, the flies buzz even more loudly, and imagine they are making immortal
music, since they are so much whole and perfect than he is. True, no one pays any
attention to the blemishes and wounds of flies. Yet the fighter for
all his blemishes is a fighter, while the most whole and perfect flies are only
flies. Buzz off, flies! You
may have wings and you may be able to hum, but you will never surpass a
fighter, you insects!
（杨宪益、戴乃迭 译） |
