第59章：Of Fame 论谣言（中英对照）

培根散文随笔集中英对照，通过阅读文学名著学语言，是掌握英语的绝佳方法。既可接触原汁原味的英语，又能享受文学之美，一举两得，何乐不为？
对于喜欢阅读名著的读者，这是一个最好的时代，因为有成千上万的书可以选择；这又是一个不好的时代，因为在浩繁的卷帙中，很难找到适合自己的好书。而培根的散文随笔，浓缩的不仅仅是文学，还是智慧。相信对阅读和写作都有很好的帮助。
培根散文随笔集：of fame 论谣言汉译
the poets make fame a monster. they describe her in part finely and elegantly, and in part gravely and sententiously. they say, look how many feathers she hath, so many eyes she hath underneath; so many tongues; so many voices; she pricks up so many ears. this is a flourish. there follow excellent parables; as that, she gathereth strength in going; that she goeth upon the ground, and yet hideth her head in the clouds; that in the daytime she sitteth in a watch tower, and flieth most by night; that she mingleth things done, with things not done; and that she is a terror to great cities. but that which passeth all the rest is: they do recount that the earth, mother of the giants that made war against jupiter, and were by him destroyed, thereupon in an anger brought forth fame. for certain it is, that rebels, figured by the giants, and seditious fames and libels, are but brothers and sisters, masculine and feminine. but now, if a man can tame this monster, and bring her to feed at the hand, and govern her, and with her fly other ravening fowl and kill them, it is somewhat worth. but we are infected with the style of the poets. to speak now in a sad and serious manner: there is not, in all the politics, a place less handled and more worthy to be handled, than this of fame. we will therefore speak of these points: what are false fames; and what are true fames; and how they may be best discerned; how fames may be sown, and raised; how they may be spread, and multiplied; and how they may be checked, and laid dead. and other things concerning the nature of fame. fame is of that force, as there is scarcely any great action, wherein it hath not a great part; especially in the war. mucianus undid vitellius, by a fame that he scattered, that vitellius had in purpose to remove the legions of syria into germany, and the legions of germany into syria; whereupon the legions of syria were infinitely inflamed. julius caesar took pompey unprovided, and laid asleep his industry and preparations, by a fame that he cunningly gave out: caesar’s own soldiers loved him not, and being wearied with the wars, and laden with the spoils of gaul, would forsake him, as soon as he came into italy. livia settled all things for the succession of her son tiberius, by continual giving out, that her husband augustus was upon recovery and amendment, and it is an usual thing with the pashas, to conceal the death of the great turk from the janizaries and men of war, to save the sacking of constantinople and other towns, as their manner is. themistocles made xerxes, king of persia, post apace out of grecia, by giving out, that the grecians had a purpose to break his bridge of ships, which he had made athwart hellespont. there be a thousand such like examples; and the more they are, the less they need to be repeated; because a man meeteth with them everywhere. therefore let all wise governors have as great a watch and care over fames, as they have of the actions and designs themselves…

论谣言 曹明伦
诗人把谣言视为一种怪鸟，其记述谣言的文字往往既精致优雅，又简练庄重。他们说，瞧呀，谣言有多少羽毛，就有多少只眼睛、多少根舌头、多少种声音，而且她还竖起那么多耳朵。此即谓绚词丽句。其后尚有绝妙的比喻，诸如说谣言总在流传中积聚力量；说谣言在地上行走，却把头藏在云中；说谣言白天藏在瞭望塔，多在夜间飞驰；说谣言总把已行之事和未行之事混为一谈；还说谣言于通都大邑不啻为恐怖之缘由。不过最贴切的一种比喻是：谣言系大地女神该亚（即向天神朱庇特挑战并被其消灭的那些提坦巨神之母亲）因儿子们战败而在一怒之下所生。这种比喻甚妙，因为被喻为叛乱者的提坦神与煽动叛乱的流言蜚语一阳一阴，可谓兄妹。但眼下若有人能驯服这只怪鸟，将其收养，令其听命，并任其去追逐消灭其他鸷禽，这倒堪称可为之举。不过笔者也难免会沾染一些诗人风气。若以严肃认真的态度来加以谈论，可以说在所有政治话题中，最值得谈论而又最少被谈论的莫过于谣言这个话题。因此笔者将谈论一下几点：何谓假谣言，何谓真谣言，二者该如何辨别？谣言如何散播并扩散，如何煽动并蔓延，又该如何将其抑制并平息？以及其他有关谣言之性质的问题。谣言的影响力极大，几乎在所有重大事件（尤其是战争）中，谣言都起了一种重要作用。穆奇阿努斯使维特里乌斯失去帝位，凭的就是他散布的一则谣言：说维特里乌斯计划将驻叙利亚的军团调往日耳曼，而将驻日耳曼的军团调往叙利亚，结果驻叙利亚的军团被完全激怒了。凯撒对庞培攻其不备，使其懈怠的原因也是凯撒巧妙放出的一则谣言：说由于疲于征战，又负载从高卢获取的战利品，凯撒的军队对凯撒已不再拥戴，一到意大利就会把他抛弃。莉维亚能安排好一切，使儿子提比略继位，靠的也是不断放风，说她病重的丈夫奥古斯都正在恢复，即将痊愈；而这也是土耳其那些帕夏的惯用伎俩，他们往往对苏丹驾崩的消息秘而不宣，以免禁卫军和驻外军团依旧习劫掠君士坦丁堡和其他城镇。特米斯托克利令波斯王薛西斯一世仓皇撤离希腊，也是凭放出传闻，说希腊人准备摧毁他搭建的那座横跨达达尼尔海峡的舟桥。此类史例数以千计，多得没必要一一枚举，因为世人对此随处可见，随处可闻。鉴于此，所有明智的统治者对谣言均须密切关注，时时警励，就像他们亲自关注其行动计划一样……

论谣言（水天同 译）
诗人们把谣言描写成了一个怪物。他们形容她的时候，其措辞一部分是美秀而文，一部分是严肃而深沉的。他们说，你看她有多少羽毛；羽毛之下有多少只眼睛；她有多少条舌头，多少种声音；她能竖起多少只耳朵来！
这是一种词藻。在这些话后面还有极好的譬喻；例如说谣言越走得远力量越大；说她底脚在地上走，可是头藏在云里：说她白天坐在一个了望楼中，而多在夜间飞行；说她把已做的事和未做的事混在一起；并且说她对于大城市是一种可怖之物；皆是也。但是这些说法中最胜过一切的说法是这个：诗人们说大地(即那些向久辟特作战而被灭的巨人们底母亲)为了巨人们被灭的原故一怒而生谣言。这个譬喻最好，因为叛逆之徒(即诗人们譬作巨人的)与招致叛乱的谣言和毁谤乃是兄妹，一阳一阴，这是很的确的。然而，假如一个人能够驯伏这个怪物，使她俯首帖耳就食于掌心，并利用她去攻击并杀戮别的鸷鸟，这件事是很有价值的。但是说这种话的人他们也受了诗人底作风底影响了。现在且以一种严肃的态度来谈一谈。在所有谈论政治的著作中没有一种题目是比谣言更少受人论及者，也没有一种题目是更比它值得讨论者。因为我们要讨论讨论下面的诸节。就是，何为假谣言；何为真谣言；其最好的辨别之道是什么；谣言如何可以下种，如何兴起；他们如何可以散布，如何增多；以及如何可以抑止并消灭他们。此外还有些关于谣言底性质的事情。
谣言的力量之大，差不多一切重大的事情——尤其是战争——没有一件它不在里面有重大的关系的。缪西阿努斯颠覆委泰利亚斯的时候，所用的方法就是散布一种流言，说委泰利亚斯有意把罗马在叙利亚的驻军调到日耳曼，把在日耳曼的驻军调到叙利亚；于是驻叙利亚的军队就非常愤怒，因而生变。久利亚斯?恺撒攻庞拜于不备，事前先使庞拜底勤勉之心与防备之务松懈。所用的方法也是由他自己很狡诈地放出一种流言，说恺撒自己底军队对他已经没有好感了，并且这些军队因为疲于征战而且从高尔满载而归的原故，只要恺撒一进意大利，他们就要弃他而去的。里维亚谋定她底儿子泰比瑞亚斯继承帝位底事，所用的也是谣言。她继续地总是放出消息说她底丈夫，奥古斯塔斯大帝，御体要复元或者病况转佳了。土耳其底总督们，常常把土耳其皇帝宴驾底消息不使那些亲卫兵和其他的军人得知，以免他们依着旧习把君士坦丁堡焚烧劫掠。塞米斯陶克立斯放出谣言，说希腊人要把波斯王热可塞斯所造的横跨赫勒斯滂的舟桥毁了，遂使热可塞斯急急忙忙地离开了希腊。象这样的例子可以成千，其数愈多则其值得重述之必要愈少；因为吾人处处都可以碰见这样的例子。因此一切贤智的统治者都应当留神注意谣言，就如同他们对真正的行动与计划本身的注意一样。