约翰·洛克的教育思想(中英对照)-16: 勇敢顽强

FOOLHARDINESS | Cowardice and courage are so nearly related to the fore-mentioned tempers, that it may not be amiss here to take notice of them. Fear is a passion, that, if rightly governed, has its use. And though self-love seldom fails to keep it watchful and high enough in us, yet there may be an excess on the daring side; foolhardiness and insensibility of danger being as little reasonable, as trembling and shrinking at the approach of every little evil. Fear was given us as a monitor to quicken our industry, and keep us upon our guard against the approaches of evil; and therefore to have no apprehension of mischief at hand, not to make a just estimate of the danger, but heedlessly to run into it, be the hazard what it will, without considering of what use or consequence it may be, is not the resolution of a rational creature, but brutish fury. Those who have children of this temper, have nothing to do but a little to awaken their reason, which self-preservation will quickly dispose them to hearken to, unless (which is usually the case) some other passion hurries them on headlong, without sense, and without consideration. A dislike of evil is so natural to mankind, that nobody, I think, can be without fear of it: fear being nothing but an uneasiness under the apprehension of that coming upon us which we dislike. And therefore, whenever any one runs into danger, we may say it is under the conduct of ignorance, or the command of some more imperious passion, nobody being so much an enemy to himself, as to come within the reach of evil out of free choice, and court danger for danger's sake. If it be therefore pride, vain-glory, or rage, that silences a child's fear, or makes him not hearken to its advice, those are by fit means to be abated, that a little consideration may allay his heat, and make him bethink himself whether this attempt be worth the venture. But this being a fault that children are not so often guilty of, I shall not be more particular in its cure. Weakness of spirit is the more common defect, and therefore will require the greater care.

蛮勇 |  懦弱与勇敢和前面提到的性格很有关系，所以这里提到它们是适宜的。恐惧是一种情绪，如果管理得当，也是有用的。虽然自爱使我们留心，保持高度警惕，但也许会过于大胆；蛮勇与不在乎危险，就如同在每一个小小的坏事前面战栗畏缩一样不大合理。恐惧是我们的预警器，让我们很快反应，使我们防备邪恶的靠近；所以不了解即将来临的祸害，不能恰当估计危险，只是冒失地冲过去，不管什么危险，不考虑用处或后果，这不是理性动物的解决办法，而是野性的狂暴。那些家里有有这样脾气的小孩的家长，没有任何办法，只有唤醒小孩的理智，自保心理会很快让他们听从理智，除非 (经常是如此)一些别的情绪使他们不合常理地、不加考虑地轻率冒进。不喜欢邪恶是人之常情，我认为没有人不惧怕邪恶：恐惧只是担心会遇到我们不喜欢事情的一种不安心情。所以每当有人愿意冒险，我们会说那要么是由于无知，要么是由于受一些强烈情感支配的缘故，没有人会与自己为敌，自愿靠近邪恶，为冒险而冒险。所以，假如骄傲、虚荣或愤怒抑制了小孩的恐惧，或者使他不听恐惧感的警告，那些情绪应该用合适的方法去削弱，稍稍考虑一下也许可以使他冷静，让他自己想想这是否值得冒险。但是这不是小孩常犯的错误，我不必更详述它的解决方法。精神脆弱是更常见的毛病，因此需要更加小心。

FORTITUDE | Fortitude is the guard and support of the other virtues; and without courage a man will scarce keep steady to his duty, and fill up the character of a truly worthy man.

坚韧 | 坚韧是其他美德的保障与支柱；没有勇气一个人很难坚守他的职责，很难具有一个真正杰出人物的品格。

COURAGE | Courage, that makes us bear up against dangers that we fear and evils that we feel, is of great use in an estate, as ours is in this life, exposed to assaults on all hands; and therefore it is very advisable to get children into this armour as early as we can. Natural temper, I confess, does here a great deal: but even where that is defective, and the heart is in itself weak and timorous, it may, by a right management, be brought to a better resolution. What is to be done to prevent breaking children's spirits by frightful apprehensions instilled into them when young, or bemoaning themselves under every little suffering, I have already taken notice. How to harden their tempers, and raise their courage, if we find them too much subject to fear, is farther to be considered.

勇气 |  勇气能让我们敢于面对我们害怕的危险与我们感到的邪恶，对于象我们这样一生到处受敌的有产阶层非常有用；所以我们能尽早地使孩子以勇气护身是很明智的。我承认天性在此作用很大：但是即使天性有缺陷，心肠软弱胆怯，通过正确处理，它也可能变得更坚定。我已经提到要做什么来防止小孩年幼时因恐惧不安而精神崩溃，或者受一点点苦就唉声叹气。接下来要考虑的是，假如我们发现他们过于受恐惧控制时，怎样使他们性格坚强，并且增加他们的勇气。

True fortitude, I take to be the quiet possession of a man's self, and an undisturbed doing his duty, whatever evil besets, or danger lies in his way. This there are so few men attain to, that we are not to expect it from children. But yet something may be done; and a wise conduct, by insensible degrees, may carry them farther than one expects.

我认为真正的坚韧是，一个人不管受怎样的不幸所困扰，不管自己的前途有多危险，他总是能够静静地掌控自己，不受干扰地履行自己的职责。很少有人能达到这种境界，因此我们并不期望小孩能做到。但是有些事情还是可以做的；智慧的引导，可以渐渐地把他们带到远超预期的程度。

The neglect of this great care of them, whilst they are young, is the reason, perhaps, why there are so few that have this virtue, in its full latitude, when they are men. I should not say this in a nation so naturally brave as ours is, did I think, that true fortitude required nothing but courage in the field and a contempt of life in the face of an enemy. This, I confess, is not the least part of it, nor can be denied, the laurels and honours always justly due to the valour of those who venture their lives for their country. But yet this is not all: dangers attack us in other places besides the field of battle; and though death be the king of terrors, yet pain, disgrace, and poverty, have frightful looks, able to discompose most men, whom they seem ready to seize on; and there are those who contemn some of these, and yet are heartily frighted with the other. True fortitude is prepared for dangers of all kinds, and unmoved, whatsoever evil it be that threatens. I do not mean unmoved with any fear at all. Where danger shows itself, apprehension cannot, without stupidity, be wanting. Where danger is, sense of danger should be; and so much fear as should keep us awake, and excite our attention, industry, and vigour; but not disturb the calm use of our reason, nor hinder the execution of what that dictates.

小孩年轻的时候我们没有在这方面对他们用心，也许是他们成人后很少会充分具有这种美德的原因。假如我认为真正的坚韧只是战场上的勇敢和面对敌人时不怕牺牲，我就不会在我们这样一个天性勇敢的国家里讲这些了。我承认，这并不是坚韧的美德中不重要的部分，也不可否认，桂冠和荣誉应该永远属于那些为国牺牲的勇士。但是这还不是坚韧的全部内容：除了战场，我们还会遇到别的地方来的危险；虽然死亡是一切恐怖中最令人恐惧的，但是痛苦、羞辱与贫穷看上去也很吓人，会使被其所困的大多数人慌乱不安；而有些人不惧怕这其中某些事情，但是对别的事情却胆战心惊。真正的坚韧是对各种各样的危险都有所准备，不管受到什么灾祸的威胁都毫不动摇。我并不是说一点都不感到恐惧。当危险来临，如果不是愚蠢的，总会感到不安的。哪里有危险，就该意识到危险在哪里；这样恐惧会使我们警醒，激起我们的注意、努力与活力；但是不应干扰我们冷静地运用理智，也不该妨碍我们执行理智指引的路线。
 
COWARDICE | The first step to get this noble and manly steadiness, is, what I have above mentioned, carefully to keep children from frights of all kinds, when they are young. Let not any fearful apprehensions be talked into them, nor terrible objects surprise them. This often so shatters and discomposes the spirits, that they never recover it again; but during their whole life, upon the first suggestion or appearance of any terrifying idea, are scattered and confounded; the body is enervated, and the mind disturbed, and the man scarce himself, or capable of any composed or rational action. Whether this be from an habitual motion of the animal spirits, introduced by the first strong impression, or from the alteration of the constitution by some more unaccountable way, this is certain, that so it is. Instances of such, who in a weak timorous mind have born, all their whole lives through, the effects of a fright when they were young, are everywhere to be seen; and therefore as much as may be to be prevented.

懦弱 | 要达到这种高贵和阳刚的坚毅性，第一步就是照我前面所说的，在孩子小的时候，小心地不让他们受到任何惊吓。不要告诉他们任何可怕的忧虑，也不要让恐怖的东西吓着他们。这常常会扰乱与击垮他们的精神，使他们再也不能恢复；使他们在一生中，只要听到或想到任何恐怖的念头，就会惊慌失措，全身无力，心神不宁，逃避做出任何镇定或理性的行为。这不知道是因为最初的强烈印象引起血气方面的习惯动作，还是由于不可知的因素导致体格的改变，只有一点是确定的，那就是实际情况是如此。这种生来胆小，小时候受过惊吓而一生都担惊受怕的人到处可见，所以要尽力预防避免。

The next thing is, by gentle degrees, to accustom children to those things they are too much afraid of. But here great caution is to be used, that you do not make too much haste, nor attempt this cure too early, for fear lest you increase the mischief instead of remedying it. Little ones in arms may be easily kept out of the way of terrifying objects, and till they can talk and understand what is said to them, are scarce capable of that reasoning and discourse, which should be used to let them know there is no harm in those frightful objects, which we would make them familiar with, and do, to that purpose, by gentle degrees, bring nearer and nearer to them. And therefore it is seldom there is need of any application to them of this kind, till after they can run about and talk. But yet, if it should happen, that infants should have taken offense at any thing which cannot be easily kept out of their way, and that they show marks of terror as often as it comes in sight; all the allays of fright, by diverting their thoughts, or mixing pleasant and agreeable appearances with it, must be used, till it be grown familiar and inoffensive to them.

下一步是让小孩逐渐习惯那些他们非常惧怕的事情。但是这里你不能操之过急，免得毛病不仅没有治好，反而加重了。不让在怀抱中的小孩碰到可怕的东西很容易，在他们会说话与明白话语之前，他们是不会理解与明了，那些可怕的东西对他们是无害的，我们会让他们渐渐地熟悉那些东西。所以我们没有必要在他们会走会说之前运用这种方法。但是如果婴儿对某些不可避免的事情不满，而且常常看到它就害怕；那么就应尽力减轻恐惧，要么转移他们的心思，要么将可怖的东西加上愉快的外观，直到他们对其逐渐熟悉、不再感到受冒犯。

I think we may observe, that when children are first born, all objects of sight, that do not hurt the eyes, are indifferent to them; and they are no more afraid of a blackamoor, or a lion, than of their nurse, or a cat. What is it then, that afterwards, in certain mixtures of shape and colour, comes to affright them? Nothing but the apprehensions of harm, that accompany those things. Did a child suck every day a new nurse, I make account it would be no more affrighted with the change of faces at six months old, than at sixty. The reason then, why it will not come to a stranger, is because, having been accustomed to receive its food and kind usage only from one or two that are about it, the child apprehends, by coming into the arms of a stranger, the being taken from what delights and feeds it, and every moment supplies its wants, which it often feels, and therefore fears when the nurse is away.

我想我们会发现，小孩刚出生时看到的任何东西，只要不伤眼睛，对他们都是没有区别的；他们不会觉得黑人或狮子比他们的保姆或猫可怕。那么为什么他们后来会惧怕某些形状和颜色的组合呢？没有别的，只是忧惧那些事情会带来的伤害。假如一个婴孩每天换一个乳母吃奶，我断定他六个月大时不会比六十岁时更怕生面孔。小孩不愿意接近陌生人的原因是他习惯从左右一两个人那里接受食物与爱护，他担心在陌生人的怀里得不到快乐与饱足，不能使他随时得到他常常感到需要的东西，因此当保姆不在时他就感到害怕。

TIMOROUSNESS | The only thing we naturally are afraid of, is pain, or loss of pleasure. And because these are not annexed to any shape, colour, or size of visible objects, we are frighted with none of them, till either we have felt pain from them, or have notions put into us, that they will do us harm. The pleasant brightness and lustre of flame and fire so delights children, that at first they always desire to be handling of it: but when constant experience has convinced them, by the exquisite pain it has put them to, how cruel and unmerciful it is, they are afraid to touch it, and carefully avoid it. This being the ground of fear, it is not hard to find whence it arises, and how it is to be cured in all mistaken objects of terror. And when the mind is confirmed against them, and has got a mastery over itself and its usual fears in lighter occasions, it is in good preparation to meet more real dangers. Your child shrieks, and runs away at the sight of a frog, let another catch it, and lay it down at a good distance from him: at first accustom him to look upon it; when he can do that, then to come nearer to it, and see it leap without emotion; then to touch it lightly, when it is held fast in another's hand; and so on, till he can come to handle it as confidently as a butterfly, or a sparrow. By the same way any other vain terrors may be removed, if care be taken that you go not too fast, and push not the child on to a new degree of assurance, till he be thoroughly confirmed in the former. And thus the young soldier is to be trained on to the warfare of life; wherein care is to be taken, that more things be not represented as dangerous than really are so; and then, that whatever you observe him to be more frighted at than he should, you be sure to toll him on to by insensible degrees, till he at last, quitting his fears, masters the difficulty, and comes off with applause. Successes of this kind, often repeated, will make him find, that evils are not always so certain, or so great, as our fears represent them; and that the way to avoid them is not to run away, or be discomposed, dejected, and deterred by fear, where either our credit or duty requires us to go on.

胆怯 |  我们天生惧怕的事情只有痛苦，或失去快乐。因为这些和可见物品的形状、颜色或大小没有关联，在它们没有我们让感到痛苦，或有人告诉我们那会伤害我们之前，我们不会惧怕它们的。火焰可爱的明亮光彩使小孩如此高兴，最初他们总爱去玩弄它；但是它总给他们带来强烈的痛苦，这不断体验使他们明白火焰是怎样的残酷无情，他们就会害怕去触碰它，也会小心地躲避它。这就是恐惧的基础，这样不难发现它产生的根源，以及怎样矫正一切错误的惧怕。当心理坚强，在不严重的情形下能够控制自己与自己通常的恐惧，它就为对付真正的危险做好了准备。你的孩子看到青蛙就尖叫着跑开了，你要叫人捉住它，放在离他有一定距离的地方：先让他习惯去看它；看惯后让他走近它，不动声色地看它跳跃；然后让人用手按住它，叫他轻轻触摸它；这样直到他能自信地把玩它，就象把玩蝴蝶或麻雀一样。通过同样的方法，其它任何无谓的恐惧都可以去除，只要你小心不要操之过急，在他还没有完全克服前一个恐惧之前，不要把小孩推向新的信心高度。由此年轻的战士得到训练去应付人生的战斗；其中要注意，除了真正的危险不可把更多的事情当作危险；而且一旦你注意到他过度惊慌，你一定要不知不觉地诱导他，直到他不再害怕，克服困难，并且获得成功。这样常常不断的成功会使他明白，灾难并不总是如我们害怕的那样确切无疑、那样巨大；防止它们的方法不是逃避，也不是为恐惧而慌乱不安、灰心沮丧与踌躇不前，而是为我们的名誉或责任而前行。

HARDINESS | But since the great foundation of fear in children is pain, the way to harden and fortify children against fear and danger is to accustom them to suffer pain. This, it is possible, will be thought, by kind parents, a very unnatural thing towards their children; and by most, unreasonable, to endeavour to reconcile any one to the sense of pain, by bringing it upon him. It will be said, it may perhaps give the child an aversion for him that makes him suffer; but can never recommend to him suffering itself. This is a strange method. You will not have children whipped and punished for their faults, but you would have them tormented for doing well, or for tormenting's sake. I doubt not but such objections as these will be made, and I shall be thought inconsistent with myself, or fantastical in proposing it. I confess, it is a thing to be managed with great discretion, and therefore it falls not out amiss, that it will not be received or relished, but by those who consider well, and look into the reason of things. I would not have children much beaten for their faults, because I would not have them think bodily pain the greatest punishment; and I would have them, when they do well, be sometimes put in pain, for the same reason, that they might be accustomed to bear it without looking on it as the greatest evil. How much education may reconcile young people to pain and sufferance, the examples of Sparta do sufficiently show: and they who have once brought themselves not to think bodily pain the greatest of evils, or that which they ought to stand most in fear of, have made no small advance towards virtue. But I am not so foolish to propose the Lacedaemonian discipline in our age or constitution. But yet I do say, that inuring children gently to suffer some degrees of pain without shrinking, is a way to gain firmness to their minds, and lay a foundation for courage and resolution in the future part of their lives.

顽强 |  但是因为小孩恐惧的重要基础是痛苦，使他们坚定顽强对付恐惧与危险的方法是让他们习惯忍受痛苦。这也许会被慈爱的父母认为是一种不自然的方式对待他们的小孩；为让人不怕痛苦而把痛苦带给他们，大多数人会认为这是不合理的。人们会说这可能使小孩厌恶那让他受痛苦的人，但却不能让他自己愿意受痛苦。这是一个奇怪的方法。你不愿小孩为他们的过失而挨打受罚，但你却因为他们做得好、或是为磨难的缘故而折磨他们。我毫不怀疑会有这样的反对意见，我也会被人认为是自相矛盾地或虚幻空想地提倡这种作法。我承认这件事要做得很慎重小心，所以才不致出错，而且只有那些考虑周全、探究事情根由的人才会接受欣赏它。我不让小孩因为他们的过失多受鞭打，是因为我不想让他们把肉体的痛苦看作最大的惩罚；我主张他们顺利的时候要不时受一点痛苦，也是为同样的理由，就是让他们习惯忍受痛苦，不把它看作最大的祸害。教育怎样使年轻人甘心忍受痛苦与磨难，斯巴达(Sparta)给我们展示了很好的榜样；那些不把肉体痛苦看作最大灾祸或最令人恐惧东西的人，在德行上有不小的进步。但我不会在我们这个时代或政体中愚蠢地提倡斯巴达人(Lacedaemonian)的磨炼。我却还是要说，温和地让小孩习惯于遭受一定程度的痛苦不畏缩，这是一种使他们心理坚强，并且为他们将来生活奠定勇敢与果断的基础的方法。

Not to bemoan them, or permit them to bemoan themselves, on every little pain they suffer, is the first step to be made. But of this I have spoken elsewhere.

首先，不要当小孩受一点点痛苦就哀怜他们，也不要让他们哀怜自己。这我已经在别的地方说过了。

The next thing is, sometimes designedly to put them in pain: but care must be taken that this be done when the child is in good humour, and satisfied of the goodwill and kindness of him that hurts him, at the time that he does it. There must no marks of anger or displeasure on the one side, nor compassion or repenting on the other, go along with it; and it must be sure to be no more than the child can bear, without repining or taking it amiss, or for a punishment. Managed by these degrees, and with such circumstances, I have seen a child run away laughing, with good smart blows of a wand on his back, who would have cried for an unkind word, and have been very sensible of the chastisement of a cold look from the same person. Satisfy a child by a constant course of your care and kindness, that you perfectly love him, and he may by degrees be accustomed to bear very painful and rough usage from you, without flinching or complaining: and this we see children do every day in playing one with another. The softer you find your child is, the more you are to seek occasions at fit times thus to harden him. The great art in this is to begin with what is but very little painful, and to proceed by insensible degrees, when you are playing and in good humour with him, and speaking well of him: and when you have once got him to think himself made amends for his suffering, by the praise given him for his courage; when he can take a pride in giving such marks of his manliness, and can prefer the reputation of being brave and stout, to the avoiding a little pain, or the shrinking under it; you need not despair in time, and by the assistance of his growing reason, to master his timorousness, and mend the weakness of his constitution. As he grows bigger, he is to be set upon bolder attempts than his natural temper carries him to; and whenever he is observed to flinch from what one has reason to think he would come off well in, if he had but courage to undertake, that he should be assisted in at first, and by degrees shamed to, till at last practice has given more assurance, and with it a mastery, which must be rewarded with great praise, and the good opinion of others, for his performance. When by these steps he has got resolution enough not to be deterred from what he ought to do, by the apprehension of danger; when fear does not, in sudden or hazardous occurrences, discompose his mind, set his body a trembling, and make him unfit for action, or run away from it, he has then the courage of a rational creature: and such an hardiness we should endeavour by custom and use to bring children to, as proper occasions come in our way.

接下来是要他们不时故意受些痛苦；但是必须注意要在小孩情绪好，并且确信那些伤害他的人是善良和怀有好意的时候去实行。实行的时候，一方面不要有任何愤怒或不愉快的痕迹，另一方面不要表示同情或后悔；而且一定要保证这痛苦不超出小孩能忍受的程度，不要让他怨恨或误会，也不要被他当作惩罚。我曾经看到一个小孩在这样的情形下受到这种程度的对待，他的背上被人重重打了几下，他却笑着跑开了，而他原来是会为一句坏话就哭泣，对别人的冷眼非常敏感。你要用你一贯的关怀和慈爱使小孩确信你对他完全的爱，他就会渐渐习惯忍受你对他很痛苦与粗暴的待遇，不会畏缩或抱怨：我们知道小孩在游戏的时候天天都是这样做的。你发现你的小孩越软弱，你越要在适当的时间找更多的机会锻炼他、使他坚强。这中间一个重要的技巧是要从非常微小的痛苦开始，然后不知不觉地推进加强，而且是要在你与他玩得高兴、并称赞他的时候；一旦你使他明白他所受的痛苦从他勇气所受的赞扬得到补偿；一旦他为自己的男子气概感到自豪，宁愿选择勇敢顽强的名声，而不愿逃避或畏惧小小的痛苦；随着他的理智逐渐增长，最终你就不怕不能克服他的懦弱、不怕不能改进他的脆弱本性。当他长得更大，应该让他去尝试他的天性所不敢做的大胆的事情；如果他有勇气能做好的事情，他却畏缩不敢去做，开始要帮助他，再逐渐用羞耻心促进他，直到最终练习产生更大的信心，由此他能做得很熟练，这应该得到大大的赞扬，以及别人的好评。当通过这些步骤他能足够坚定，不因忧惧危险而回避他应该做的事情；当突然地或危险地产生的恐惧，不再使他心里慌乱、身体发抖、不能动弹，或不再跑开逃避，他就具有了一个理性动物应该具备的勇气；这种顽强是我们在适当时机应该竭力通过习惯与应用让小孩获得的。

摘自Some Thoughts Concerning Education (English-Chinese Edition)(ISBN-10: 1537479857)