No Englishman believes in working from book learning. He suspects all theories, philosophical or other. He suspects everything n

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问题 No Englishman believes in working from book learning. He suspects all theories, philosophical or other. He suspects everything new and dislike it, unless he can be compelled by the force of circumstances to see that this new thing has advantages over the old. Race-experience is what he invariably depends up upon, whenever he can, whether in India, in Egypt, or in Australia. His statesmen do not consult historical precedents in order to decide what to do; they first learn the facts as they are; then they depend upon their own common sense, not at all upon their university learning or upon philosophical theories. And in the case of the English nation, it must be acknowledged that this instinctive method has been eminently successful.
The last people from whom praise can be expected, even for what is worthy of all praise, are the English. A new friendship, a new ideal, a reform, a noble action, a wonderful poet, an exquisite painting—any of these things will be admired and praised by every other people in Europe long before you can get Englishmen to praise. The Englishman all this time is studying, considering, trying to find fault. Why should he try to find fault? So that he will not make any mistakes at a later day. He has inherited the terrible caution of his ancestors in regard to mistakes. It must be granted that his caution has saved him from a number of very serious mistakes that other nations have made. It must also be acknowledged that he exercises a fair amount of moderation in the opposite direction—this modem Englishman; he has learned caution of another kind, which his ancestors taught him. "Power should be used with moderation: for whoever finds himself among valiant men will discover that no man is peerless. " And this is a very important thing for the strong man to know-that however strong, he cannot be the strongest; his match will be found when occasion demands it. Not only Scandinavian but English rulers have often discovered this fact to their cost.

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答案 英国人谁都不相信照搬书本会办好事情。他们怀疑一切理论,不管是哲学理论还是其他高论一概不予相信。他们总是对一切新鲜事物持怀疑态度,并对之深恶痛绝,除非迫于形势,他们才认识到新的事物确有优点胜过旧事物。不管是身在印度、埃及或澳大利亚,只要可能,他们总是始终不渝地依靠他们自己的民族经验。为了做出决策,英国的政治家们并不参阅历史的先例,而是首先如实地弄清事实的真相;然后凭借自己的常识,丝毫不依赖大学的知识或哲学高论。就英国民族而论,必须承认这种本能的处世方法一向是极为成功的。 即使是值得举世赞扬的事迹,也难望博得英国人的赏识。新的友谊,新的理想、改革,高尚的行为,令人叫绝的诗人,精美的绘画——不论哪一种,欧洲其他民族交口称赞很久之后,才能获得英国人的垂青。因为英国人一直在研究,深思熟虑,不遗余力地挑剔。为什么要吹毛求疵呢?其目的在于避免日后犯错。他从祖先那里继承了这种极端的避免犯错的谨慎态度,但不得不承认的是这种态度确实让他们避免了其他民族所犯的史不绝书的失误。另一方面,我们还必须承认,现代的英国人运用反方向的适度节制,学会了另一种谨慎的态度,这也是祖先传授给他们的。“力量应该有节制地使用,因为不论谁居于强者之林,都会发觉谁也不是盖世无双的。”不论多么强,都不会是天下无敌的——这是强者应了解的最重要的一点。时机一到,就会碰到对手。不仅斯堪底纳维亚的统治者,而且英国的统治者,都是吃尽了苦头,才发觉这个事实的。

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