Live Not By Lies（Alexander Solzhenitsyn）

http://www.ruanyifeng.com/blog/2009/07/live_not_by_lies.html

Live Not By Lies
活著，幷且不撒謊

作者：[俄羅斯]亞歷山大•索爾仁尼琴Alexander Solzhenitsyn
譯者：阮一峰
原載1974年2月18日《華盛頓郵報》，A26版

At one time we dared not even to whisper. Now we write and read samizdat, and sometimes when we gather in the smoking room at the Science Institute we complain frankly to one another: What kind of tricks are they playing on us, and where are they dragging us? gratuitous boasting of cosmic achievements while there is poverty and destruction at home. Propping up remote, uncivilized regimes. Fanning up civil war. And we recklessly fostered Mao Tse-tung at our expense-- and it will be we who are sent to war against him, and will have to go. Is there any way out? And they put on trial anybody they want and they put sane people in asylums--always they, and we are powerless.
有一段時間，我們不敢說話，只是偷偷地通過地下出版物交流思想。我們偶爾會聚在科學院的吸烟室，互相抱怨："政府到底在玩什麽把戲？到底想把我們怎樣？"周圍是鋪天蓋地的對全宇宙最高成就的吹噓，而現實中的貧窮和墮落却隨處可見。這個政府還扶植那些落後國家的傀儡政府，煽動內戰。我們還傻乎乎地出錢，把毛澤東培育起來。最終，還是我們這些人被送上戰場，去與他作戰，他們逼著你去。我們有出路嗎？他們想審判誰，就審判誰。他們把正常人關進瘋人院。他們掌握一切，我們無能爲力。

Things have almost reached rock bottom. A universal spiritual death has already touched us all, and physical death will soon flare up and consume us both and our children--but as before we still smile in a cowardly way and mumble without tounges tied. But what can we do to stop it? We haven't the strength?
情况已經糟到不能再糟了。一場全面性的精神死亡，正降臨到我們所有人頭上。肉體的死亡很快也會來臨，我們和我們的子孫都無路可逃。但是我們一如既往，還在怯弱地裝出笑容，毫不費力地表示順從。我們能够阻止這一切嗎？我們真的沒有力量嗎？

We have been so hopelessly dehumanized that for today's modest ration of food we are willing to abandon all our principles, our souls, and all the efforts of our predecessors and all opportunities for our descendants--but just don't disturb our fragile existence. We lack staunchness, pride and enthusiasm. We don't even fear universal nuclear death, and we don't fear a third world war. We have already taken refuge in the crevices. We just fear acts of civil courage.
爲了得到自己那份吃不飽的口糧，我們無可救藥地就把人性拋弃了，把我們所有的原則、我們的靈魂、前人的所有抗爭、後人的所有機會都拋弃了，只爲了讓自己能够可憐地生存下去。我們缺乏忠誠、自豪感和熱忱。我們不害怕核武器，也不害怕第三次世界大戰，我們已經是廢墟中的難民了。我們只害怕作爲一個公民， 做出有勇氣的行爲。

We fear only to lag behind the herd and to take a step alone-and suddenly find ourselves without white bread, without heating gas and without a Moscow registration.
我們害怕落在人群的後面，走出自己獨立的一步。我們害怕一夜之間就失去了麵包、失去了暖氣、失去了莫斯科的戶口。

We have been indoctrinated in political courses, and in just the same way was fostered the idea to live comfortably, and all will be well for the rest of our lives. You can't escape your environment and social conditions. Everyday life defines consciousness. What does it have to do with us? We can't do anything about it?
我們一直在各種政治學習中被洗腦，一直被教導要活得順從，你想要好好活著就要聽話。個人無法逃脫他的時代和社會。每天的生活都在考驗一個人的良知。他們想把我們怎麽樣？我們真的無能無力嗎？

But we can--everything. But we lie to ourselves for assurance. And it is not they who are to blame for everything-we ourselves, only we. One can object: But actually toy can think anything you like. Gags have been stuffed into our mouths. Nobody wants to listen to us and nobody asks us. How can we force them to listen? It is impossible to change their minds.
不，我們可以的，可以做到每件事。但是爲了不自找麻煩，我們寧願對自己撒謊。該被譴責的人，不是他們，而是我們自己。但是，你能够做到反對，即使一個傀儡也能自由思想。我們的嘴被封住了，沒人想聽我們的意見，也沒人來問我們。我們怎樣才能强迫他們傾聽我們的聲音？改變他們的心意是不可能的。

It would be natural to vote them out of office-but there are not elections in our country. In the West people know about strikes and protest demonstrations-but we are too oppressed, and it is a horrible prospect for us: How can one suddenly renounce a job and take to the streets? Yet the other fatal paths probed during the past century by our bitter Russian history are, nevertheless, not for us, and truly we don't need them.
在選舉中，不把票投給他們是很自然的想法。但是我們的國家沒有選舉。在西方，人們可以罷工和上街抗議，但是在我們這裏，這些是被鎮壓的。對我們來說，有些事情哪怕只是想一想，都很恐怖，要是一個人突然辭去工作，走上街頭，會怎樣？上個世紀，在俄羅斯苦難的歷史中，人們嘗試過其他更激進的道路，但是這些道路對我們不合適，我們真的不需要這些方法。

Now that the axes have done their work, when everything which was sown has sprouted anew, we can see that the young and presumptuous people who thought they would make out country just and happy through terror, bloody rebellion and civil war were themselves misled. No thanks, fathers of education! Now we know that infamous methods breed infamous results. Let our hands be clean!
靠斧頭辦事的年代已經過去了，現在的一切與以前完全不同了，只有那些少不更事和自以爲是的人，才會以爲通過恐怖主義可以達到目的。流血的暴動和內戰都已經行不通了。如果有人還要教導我們這樣做，我們只能說謝謝。現在我們知道，壞的方法只會導致壞的結果。請讓我們保持清白！

The circle--is it closed? And is there really no way out? And is there only one thing left for us to do, to wait without taking action? Maybe something will happen by itself? It will never happen as long as we daily acknowledge, extol, and strengthen--and do not sever ourselves from--the most perceptible of its aspects: Lies.
出口是不是已經關上了？真的沒有其他路出去嗎？我們是不是只能眼睜睜地坐著不動？幻想美好的結果會自然而然地發生？只要我們日復一日地選擇接受謊言、贊美謊言、加强謊言（而不是與它决裂），那麽就不會有不一樣的事情發生，生活就不會有任何不同。

When violence intrudes into peaceful life, its face glows with self-confidence, as if it were carrying a banner and shouting: ``I am violence. Run away, make way for me--I will crush you.'' But violence quickly grows old. And it has lost confidence in itself, and in order to maintain a respectable face it summons falsehood as its ally--since violence lays its ponderous paw not every day and not on every shoulder. It demands from us only obedience to lies and daily participation in lies--all loyalty lies in that.
起初，暴政剛剛出現的時候，它的臉上洋溢著自信，好像揮舞著旗幟，高喊："我是暴政。滾開，爲我讓路。我將捏死你們。"但是，暴政很快就會衰老，對自己失去自信，爲了維持臉面，它只好找到謊言作爲同盟，因爲它無力將可怕的爪牙每時每刻放在每個人的肩頭。它要求我們服從謊言，要求我們永久性成爲謊言的 一份子。這就是它所要求的全部忠誠。

And the simplest and most accessible key to our self-neglected liberation lies right here: Personal non-participation in lies. Though lies conceal everything, though lies embrace everything, but not with any help from me.
要想找回我們自暴自弃的自由，最簡單、最容易的方法就是，你作爲個人絕不參與謊言。雖然謊言遮天蔽日，無處不在，但是休想從我這裏得到支持。

This opens a breach in the imaginary encirclement caused by our inaction. It is the easiest thing to do for us, but the most devastating for the lies. Because when people renounce lies it simply cuts short their existence. Like an infection, they can exist only in a living organism.
只要我們不合作，鐵筒一般的包圍圈就有一個缺口。這是我們能做到的最簡單的事情，但是對于謊言，却是最具有毀滅性。因爲只要人們不說謊，謊言就無法存在。它就像一種傳染病，只活在那些願意說謊的人身上。

We do not exhort ourselves. We have not sufficiently matured to march into the squares and shout the truth our loud or to express aloud what we think. It's not necessary.
我們幷不做出激烈的舉動。情况還沒有成熟到，可以允許我們走上廣場，大聲喊出真相，或者大聲表達我們的心聲的地步。這樣做是不必要的。

It's dangerous. But let us refuse to say that which we do not think.
雖然有危險，但是讓我們拒絕說出我們不認同的話。

This is our path, the easiest and most accessible one, which takes into account out inherent cowardice, already well rooted. And it is much easier--it's dangerous even to say this--than the sort of civil disobedience which Gandhi advocated.
這就是我們的道路，最爲簡單易行，只需要我們重新審視內在的、已經植根于我們天性之中的怯弱就行了。它比甘地提倡的不合作主義，還要容易做到得多，雖然這樣說幷不可取。

Our path is to talk away from the gangrenous boundary. If we did not paste together the dead bones and scales of ideology, if we did not sew together the rotting rags, we would be astonished how quickly the lies would be rendered helpless and subside.
我們的道路，就是不說那些已經爛掉的東西。只要我們不把已經死亡的意識形態的骨骸重新拼起來，只要我們不把爛麻袋重新縫起來，我們就會看到，謊言枯萎和崩潰的速度是多麽驚人。

That which should be naked would then really appear naked before the whole world.
讓那些原來就該暴露的東西，赤裸裸地暴露在全世界面前。

So in our timidity, let each of us make a choice: Whether consciously, to remain a servant of falsehood--of course, it is not out of inclination, but to feed one's family, that one raises his children in the spirit of lies--or to shrug off the lies and become an honest man worthy of respect both by one's children and contemporaries.
雖然我們每個人都是膽怯的，但是讓我們做出一個選擇。要麽你自覺地作爲一個謊言的僕人（當然，這幷非由于你贊成謊言，而是由于你要養家，你不得不在謊言之中把孩子們養大），要麽你就脫掉謊言的外套，變成一個忠實于自己的人，得到你的孩子和同時代人的尊重。

And from that day onward he:
從今以後，你

* Will not henceforth write, sign, or print in any way a single phrase which in his opinion distorts the truth.
* 不以任何方式書寫、簽署、發表任何一句在你看來不是真話的句子。
* Will utter such a phrase neither in private conversation not in the presence of many people, neither on his own behalf not at the prompting of someone else, either in the role of agitator, teacher, educator, not in a theatrical role.
* 不在私下或公開場合，以宣傳、指導、教授、文藝演出的形式，自己說出或鼓動他人說出，任何一句在你看來不是真話的句子。
* Will not depict, foster or broadcast a single idea which he can only see is false or a distortion of the truth whether it be in painting, sculpture, photography, technical science, or music.
* 不描述、培育、傳播任何一個你認爲是謊言或是歪曲真相的思想，不管它的形式是繪畫、雕塑、攝影、科技、或者音樂。

* Will not cite out of context, either orally or written, a single quotation so as to please someone, to feather his own nest, to achieve success in his work, if he does not share completely the idea which is quoted, or if it does not accurately reflect the matter at issue.
* 不以口頭或書面的形式，不爲了個人利益或個人成功，引用任何一句取悅他人的話，除非你完全認同你所要引用的話，或者它確實準確反映了實情。
* Will not allow himself to be compelled to attend demonstrations or meetings if they are contrary to his desire or will, will neither take into hand not raise into the air a poster or slogan which he does not completely accept.
* 不參加任何違背你心意的集會或游行，也不舉手贊同任何一個你不完全接受標語或口號。
* Will not raise his hand to vote for a proposal with which he does not sincerely sympathize, will vote neither openly nor secretly for a person whom he considers unworthy or of doubtful abilities.
* 不舉手爲任何一個你不真心支持的提議背書，不公開或秘密投票給任何一個你覺得不值得或懷疑其能力的人。

* Will not allow himself to be dragged to a meeting where there can be expected a forced or distorted discussion of a question.
* 不同意被拉去參加任何一場可能强奸民意或歪曲事實的討論會。
* Will immediately talk out of a meeting, session, lecture, performance or film showing if he hears a speaker tell lies, or purvey ideological nonsense or shameless propaganda.
* 如果聽到任何一個發言者公然說謊，或者傳播意識形態垃圾和無耻的洗腦宣傳，你應當立即退出該會議、講座、演出、或者電影放映場合。
* Will not subscribe to or buy a newspaper or magazine in which information is distorted and primary facts are concealed.
* 不訂閱或購買任何歪曲事實或者隱瞞真相的報紙或雜志。

Of course we have not listed all of the possible and necessary deviations from falsehood. But a person who purifies himself will easily distinguish other instances with his purified outlook.
當然，我們不可能羅列全所有可能的和現實中的謊言的變種。但是，一個純潔地活著的人，應該可以很容易的看出什麽是真的，什麽是假的。

No, it will not be the same for everybody at first. Some, at first, will lose their jobs. For young people who want to live with truth, this will, in the beginning, complicate their young lives very much, because the required recitations are stuffed with lies, and it is necessary to make a choice.
如果你這樣選擇，那麽從一開始，你的生活就將發生巨變。對于某些人來說，他們很快就會失去工作。對于那些想尋找真相的年輕人，他們的青春歲月很快就將變得非常坎坷，因爲要求背誦的內容中充滿了謊言，你不得不做出選擇。

But there are no loopholes for anybody who wants to be honest. On any given day any one of us will be confronted with at least one of the above-mentioned choices even in the most secure of the technical sciences. Either truth or falsehood: Toward spiritual independence or toward spiritual servitude.
對于所有那些想要誠實生活的人，是沒有第三條路的。任何一天，我們中的任何一個人，都面臨著至少一種上述選擇，即使是在最沒有意識形態色彩的科技領域也是如此。要麽選擇真相，要麽選擇謊言，要麽選擇精神的獨立，要麽選擇精神的奴役。

And he who is not sufficiently courageous even to defend his soul- don't let him be proud of his ``progressive'' views,and don't let him boast that he is an academician or a people's artist, a merited figure, or a general--let him say to himself: I am in the herd, and a coward. It's all the same to me as long as I'm fed and warm.
任何一個膽小到不敢捍衛自己靈魂的人，就不配說自己有"進步的"觀點，就不配自稱爲學者、藝術家、將軍、或者其他尊稱。他只能對自己說:"我是一個聽話的人，我是一個懦夫。只要能够吃飽穿暖，讓我說什麽做什麽都可以。"

Even this path, which is the most modest of all paths of resistance, will not be easy for us. But it is much easier than self-immolation or a hunger strike: The flames will not envelope your body, your eyeballs, will not burst from the heat, and brown bread and clean water will always be available to your family.
即使這樣一種反抗是所有反抗中最輕微的，也是很不容易做到的。但是，它還是比自我犧牲或者絕食要容易得多，你的身體和你的眼睛不會受到傷害，你家不會被斷暖氣，也不會被切斷麵包和清潔的飲用水的供應。

A great people of Europe, the Czhechoslovaks, whom we betrayed and deceived: Haven't they shown us how a vulnerable breast can stand up even against tanks if there is a worthy heart within it?
捷克斯洛伐克人民是歐洲偉大的人民，我們背叛和欺騙了他們。他們向我們證明了，只要有一顆勇敢的心，即使最柔弱的軀體，也是能够站起來對抗坦克的。（譯注：此處指1968年的布拉克之春。）

You say it will not be easy? But it will be easiest of all possible resources. It will not be an easy choice for a body, but it is only one for a soul. No, it is not an easy path. But there are already people, even dozens of them, who over the years have maintained all these points and live by the truth.
你說這樣做很困難？但它是所有可能的方法中最容易的一種。對于你的肉體，這不是一個容易的選擇；但是對于你的靈魂，這是唯一的選擇。已經有這樣的人，數量甚至已經達到了幾十個，他們已經堅持上面的標準許多年，只說真話而活著。

So you will not be the first to take this path, but will join those who have already taken it. This path will be easier and shorter for all of us if we take it by mutual efforts and in close rank. If there are thousands of us, they will not be able to do anything with us. If there are tens of thousands of us, then we would not even recognize our country.
所以，你不是第一個采用這種方法的人，你將成爲已經這樣做的人們中的一員。如果我們共同努力，密切合作，這條道路將變得更容易和更短一些，對我們所 有人都是如此。如果這樣的人達到了幾千個，他們就對我們無計可施。如果這樣的人達到了幾萬個，那麽我們將發現我們的國家變得完全不一樣了。

If we are too frightened, then we should stop complaining that someone is suffocating us. We ourselves are doing it. let us then bow down even more, let us wait, and our brothers the biologists will help to bring nearer the day when they are able to read our thoughts are worthless and hopeless.
如果我們被嚇破了膽，那麽我們就不要再抱怨，別人在壓迫我們，是我們自己在這樣做。我們只好彎下腰等著，讓生物學家把我們的猴子兄弟變得更進化一些，等到那一天，它們可以讀懂我們的思想是多麽的沒有價值和沒有希望。

And if we get cold feet, even taking this step, then we are worthless and hopeless, and the scorn of Pushkin should be directed to us:
如果我們臨陣退縮，連不參與撒謊都不敢做，那麽我們就是沒有價值和沒有希望的。普希金的諷刺用在我們頭上正合適：

``Why should cattle have the gifts of freedom?
"爲什麽要給畜牲自由？"
``Their heritage from generation to generation is the belled yoke and the lash.''
"它們一代代的命運就是套上枷鎖，接受鞭撻。"