约翰·洛克的教育思想(中英对照)-17: 人道精神

CRUELTY | One thing I have frequently observed in children, that, when they have got possession of any poor creature, they are apt to use it ill: they often torment and treat very roughly young birds, butterflies, and such other poor animals which fall into their hands, and that with a seeming kind of pleasure. This I think should be watched in them, and if they incline to any such cruelty, they should be taught the contrary usage. For the custom of tormenting and killing of beasts will, by degrees, harden their minds even towards men; and they who delight in the suffering and destruction of inferior creatures, will not be apt to be very compassionate or benign to those of their own kind. Our practice takes notice of this, in the exclusion of butchers from juries of life and death. Children should from the beginning be bred up in an abhorrence of killing or tormenting any living creature, and be taught not to spoil or destroy any thing unless it be for the preservation or advantage of some other that is nobler. And truly, if the preservation of all mankind, as much as in him lies, were every one's persuasion, as indeed it is every one’s duty, and the true principle to regulate our religion, politics, and morality by, the world would be much quieter, and better natured than it is. But to return to our present business; I cannot but commend both the kindness and prudence of a mother I knew, who was wont always to indulge her daughters, when any of them desired dogs, squirrels, birds, or any such things, as young girls use to be delighted with: but then, when they had them, they must be sure to keep them well, and look diligently after them, that they wanted nothing, or were not ill used. For if they were negligent in their care of them, it was counted a great fault, which often forfeited their possession, or at least they failed not to be rebuked for it; whereby they were early taught diligence and good nature. And indeed I think people should be accustomed, from their cradles, to be tender to all sensible creatures, and to spoil or waste nothing at all.

残忍 |  我在小孩中间经常观察到一件事情，就是他们掌握任何可怜的小动物，他们总倾向于虐待它；他们常常折磨与粗暴地对待落到他们手中的幼鸟、蝴蝶、以及其它可怜的动物，并且以此取乐。我认为应该注意他们这种情况，如果他们有任何残忍的倾向，就应该教他们相反的作法。因为折磨与杀害动物的习惯会使他们对人的心肠逐渐变硬；那些虐待与摧残弱小动物的人，是不会很同情或善待他们的同类的。我们的司法实践注意到这一点，因此不让屠夫做决定生死的陪审员。小孩应该一开始就被教导对折磨或杀害任何生物深恶痛绝，教育他们不要糟蹋或毁害任何东西，除非是为保护或有益于其它一些更高尚的事情。假如保全整个人类，能成为每个人的信仰，如同成为每个人的职责，以及调节我们的宗教、政治与道德的真正原则，这个世界就会更安静、更和睦。但是回到我们现在的话题；我认识一个做母亲的人，我不能不赞许她的和善与睿智，当她的女儿想要小狗、松鼠、小鸟、或任何诸如此类的东西，就象年轻女孩通常喜欢的，她总是惯于满足她们的愿望；不过当她们得到后，她们必须好好对待它们，细心照料它们，使它们不致缺乏任何东西或受到虐待。因为一旦她们照顾不周，那会被认为重大过失，常常使她们的宠物被没收，或者至少让她们因此受训斥；因此她们很早就学会勤勉用心与温和善良。我认为人们应该真正从小养成习惯，温柔地对待一切有知觉的动物，不要糟蹋浪费任何东西。

This delight they take in doing of mischief, whereby I mean spoiling of any thing to no purpose, but more especially the pleasure they take to put any thing in pain, that is capable of it; I cannot persuade my self to be any other than a foreign and introduced disposition, an habit borrowed from custom and conversation. People teach children to strike, and laugh when they hurt or see harm come to others: and they have the examples of most about them, to confirm them in it. All the entertainment and talk of history is nothing almost but fighting and killing: and the honour and renown that is bestowed on conquerors (who for the most part are but the great butchers of mankind) farther mislead growing youth, who by this means come to think slaughter the laudable business of mankind, and the most heroic of virtues. By these steps unnatural cruelty is planted in us; and what humanity abhors, custom reconciles and recommends to us, by laying it in the way to honour. Thus, by fashion and opinion, that comes to be a pleasure, which in itself neither is, nor can be any. This ought carefully to be watched, and early remedied; so as to settle and cherish the contrary and more natural temper of benignity and compassion in the room of it; but still by the same gentle methods which are to be applied to the other two faults before mentioned. It may not perhaps be unreasonable here to add this farther caution, viz., That the mischiefs or harms that come by play, inadvertency, or ignorance, and were not known to be harms, or designed for mischief's sake, though they may perhaps be sometimes of considerable damage, yet are not at all, or but very gently, to be taken notice of. For this, I think, I cannot too often inculcate, that whatever miscarriage a child is guilty of, and whatever be the consequence of it, the thing to be regarded in taking notice of it, is only what root it springs from, and what habit it is like to establish: and to that the correction ought to be directed, and the child not to suffer any punishment for any harm which may have come by his play or inadvertency. The faults to be amended lie in the mind; and if they are such as either age will cure, or no ill habits will follow from, the present action, whatever displeasing circumstances it may have, is to be passed by without any animadversion.

他们从做恶作剧中取乐，我指的是无故糟蹋东西，特别是让任何有知觉的东西受痛苦来取乐；我认为那只是外来习得的性情，是习俗与社交中得来的习惯。人们教小孩去打人，看到他们受伤或伤着别人就哈哈大笑；他们周围也有很多这样的例子来加深这一点。历史上讲的多是争斗与杀戮，献给征服者 (他们绝大多数只是杀人的大屠夫)的荣誉与威名更加误导了成长中的年轻人，他们由此以为屠杀是值得赞美的人类行为，是最英雄的美德。这样一步步的，违背人性的残忍在我们心中扎下根来；人性所憎恶的事情，习俗通过把它作为取得荣誉的方式推荐给我们，让我们接受。于是，由于风尚和舆论，它成为了一种快乐，而它本身既不是快乐，也不能成为快乐。这应该小心地监察，及早地纠正；以便把与之相反的、更自然的仁爱与同情培养起来，将其取代；但是还是应该用矫正前面提到的两种过失的同样温和的方法。这里也许可以合理地加上这进一步的提醒，就是从游戏、不小心或无知带来的麻烦或伤害，只要不预知那是危害，不是为恶作剧的缘故，即使它们有时可能产生较大的损害，也可以完全不用介意，或只是稍加注意。对此，我不能不多加强调，就是无论小孩犯什么错误，无论后果是什么，应该注意的是产生错误的根源，以及可能养成的习惯；改正责罚应该着眼于那里，小孩不该因为游戏或不小心引起的伤害而受到任何惩罚。应该纠正的过失是在心里；假如过失能随着年纪增长而消除，或不会养成恶习，无论现在的行为如何令人不愉快，都不必加以任何谴责。

Another way to instil sentiments of humanity, and to keep them lively in young folks, will be, to accustom them to civility, in their language and deportment towards their inferiours, and the meaner sort of people, particularly servants. It is not unusual to observe the children, in gentlemen's families, treat the servants of the house with domineering words, names of contempt, and an imperious carriage; as if they were of another race, and species beneath them. Whether ill example, the advantage of fortune, or their natural vanity, inspire this haughtiness, it should be prevented, or weeded out; and a gentle, courteous, affable carriage towards the lower ranks of men, placed in the room of it. No part of their superiority will be hereby lost, but the distinction increased, and their authority strengthened, when love in inferiours is joined to outward respect, and an esteem of the person has a share in their submission; and domestics will pay a more ready and cheerful service, when they find themselves not spurned, because fortune has laid them below the level of others, at their master's feet. Children should not be suffered to lose the consideration of human nature in the shufflings of outward conditions: the more they have, the better-humoured they should be taught to be, and the more compassionate and gentle to those of their brethren, who are placed lower, and have scantier portions. If they are suffered from their cradles to treat men ill and rudely, because, by their father's title, they think they have a little power over them; at best it is ill-bred; and, if care be not taken, will, by degrees, nurse up their natural pride into an habitual contempt of those beneath them: and where will that probably end, but in oppression and cruelty?

另外一种方法使年轻人养成仁爱之心，并让其在他们之中持续，是使他们对待地位低的、卑下的人，特别是仆人，在言谈举止上习惯于以礼相待。绅士家庭中的小孩对家中的仆人常常用蛮横的语言、轻蔑的称呼、还有跋扈的姿态，这并不罕见；好像仆人是另一个种族，是比他们低下的一个物种。不管这是由坏的榜样、有钱人的优越、还是天生的自负引起的这种傲慢，都应该加以制止根除；应该以一种对下人温和、有礼、友善的态度来取代它。当小孩能够爱护下人，并在外表上尊重他们，使他们在服从中得到主人的看重，那小孩的优势不会就此丧失，反而显得更优秀，更有权威；而仆人不觉得因为命运将他们放在别人之下、放在主人脚下，所以他们被人蔑视，他们就会更情愿、更高兴地服事。小孩不应该因为外在条件的不一样而丧失对人的天性的考虑；他们越富有，越应该教他们更好的脾气，使他们更同情、更温和地对待他们那些地位更低、财产更少的同胞。假如他们从小就凭藉父亲的头衔而认为自己有权支配他人，因此恶意和粗鲁地待人，这顶多是教养不好；如果不当心，这会逐渐使他们本性的骄傲成为一种对下人的习惯性的轻视，结果怎不会导致压迫和残忍呢？

 

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