0916翻译：中国人失掉自信力了吗（鲁迅）
2017-03-01 06:00阅读：
0916翻译：中国人失掉自信力了吗（鲁迅）
Translation: Have Chinese Lost Their Self-Confidence? (Lu
Xun)
(translated by: alexcwlin; edited by: Adam Lam)
从公开的文字上看起来：两年以前，我们总自夸着“地大物博”，是事实；
In publications two years ago, we boasted our country
to be “vast in territory and rich in resources”, and that was the
truth.
不久就不再自夸了，只希望着国联，也是事实；
Soon we no longer blew our own trumpets and were
hoping for the helping hands of the League of Nations, and that was
also the
truth.
现在是既不夸自己，也不信国联，
Now we don’t brag about ourselves and no longer trust
the League of
Nations.
改为一味求神拜佛，怀古伤今了——
SPAN>
却也是事实。
Those are also the truth.
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于是有人慨叹曰：中国人失掉自信力了。
So someone sighs and says: “Chinese have lost their
self-confidence.”
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如果单据这一点现象而论，自信其实是早就失掉了的。
In basing an argument solely on the above-mentioned events,
actually self-confidence was lost long time
ago.
先前信“地”，信“物”，后来信“国联”，都没有相信过“自己”。
Previously we put our confidence in “territory”, in
“resources”, then in “the League of Nations”, and at no time during
that period that we have confidence in
“ourselves”.
假使这也算一种“信”，那也只能说中国人曾经有过“他信力”，
If there is a type of “confidence” among all these,
we could only say Chinese once had “confidence in
others”.
自从对国联失望之后，便把这他信力都失掉了。
Since the League of Nations let us
down, we also lost this bit of “confidence in others”.
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失掉了他信力，就会疑，
When the
“confidence in others” is gone, we would cast doubt on what we come
across.
一个转身，也许能够只相信了自己，倒是一条新生路，
In a turn of events, maybe all we could have
confidence in is our own selves, and that may be a practical way
out of our
predicaments.
但不幸的是逐渐玄虚起来了。
But unfortunately further development gets
unrealistic.
信“地”和“物”，还是切实的东西，
In placing our confidence with “territory” and
“resources”, we are still dealing with concrete
matters.
国联就渺茫，不过这还可以令人不久就省悟到依赖它的不可靠。
The League of Nations was unpredictable, yet we were
not taken aback when we realized it could not be counted
upon.
一到求神拜佛，可就玄虚之至了，
But when it comes to seeking divine intervention,
then it gets
unrealistic.
有益或是有害，一时就找不出分明的结果来，
Whether the approach is a curse or blessing, there is
no sure-fire way in finding out within a short
while.
它可以令人更长久的麻醉着自己。
Yet it could leave people complacent in their own
dream worlds.
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中国人现在是在发展着“自欺力”。
Nowadays Chinese are fostering
“self-deception”.
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“自欺”也并非现在的新东西，
“Self-deception” is not something
new.
现在只不过日见其明显，笼罩了一切罢了。
It’s just that it has become front-and-center and
prevalent
nowadays.
然而，在这笼罩之下，我们有并不失掉自信力的中国人在。
Yet in spite of its
ubiquitousness, Chinese with self-confidence still
exist.
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我们从古以来，就有埋头苦干的人，有拼命硬干的人，有为民请命的人，有舍身求法的人，……
Since ancient times, we have people among us who have toiled
hard at work; some have ram through obstacles to get things done;
some others have pleaded to authority on the needs of ordinary
people; many others have pursued truths at all
costs.
虽是等于为帝王将相作家谱的所谓“正史”，也往往掩不住他们的光耀，
Even the official historical chronicles tracing the
achievements of emperors, generals and ministers cannot obscure
glitter of these peoples’
contributions.
这就是中国的脊梁。
Such people constitute the backbone of
China.
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这一类的人们，就是现在也何尝少呢？
There is no shortage of this type of people nowadays, isn’t
it?
他们有确信，不自欺；
They have convictions and no
self-deceptions.
他们在前仆后继的战斗，
In spite of casualties, they battle
on.
不过一面总在被摧残，被抹杀，消灭于黑暗中，不能为大家所知道罢了。
However, through devastation and obliteration they
have disappeared in darkness and escaped notice of the
public.
说中国人失掉了自信力，用以指一部分人则可，倘若加于全体，那简直是诬蔑。
Saying Chinese have lost their
self-confidence could apply to only some of the people, and
broad-brushing the entire nation with such an allegation is
downright
slander.
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要论中国人，必须不被搽在表面的自欺欺人的脂粉所诓骗，
To be able to render a fair assessment on Chinese, we must
not be deceived by the prevailing self-deceptive
labeling.
却看看他的筋骨和脊梁。
Instead, we must look inside at their muscles and
backbones.
自信力的有无，状元宰相的文章是不足为据的，
To judge whether they have self-confidence or not, we
cannot base our conclusion on authoritative
commentaries.
要自己去看地底下。
We must see for ourselves what they are made
of.
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九月二十五日。
September
25th.
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