第十三章（第2/15页）

“但你不是曾经以保守派无政府主义者自居吗？”她的问题有些幼稚。他反驳道。“你到底搞没搞清我的意思？”“我是说，人们大可以为所欲为，想所欲想，做所欲做，但这只局限于私生活方面，前提是他们能够保证生活和机制在形式上的完整性。”康妮默行数步。然后，她执拗地说：“这理论听起来是说，鸡蛋大可以臭掉，前提是它的壳保持完整。但坏掉的鸡蛋会自己爆掉。”“人怎么能跟鸡蛋划等号。”他说。“甚至不是天使的蛋，我亲爱的小传道士。”在这个明媚的清晨，他的情绪极佳。百灵鸟在园林上空啾唧啭鸣，远处山谷中的煤矿无声地升腾起蒸气。一切情境宛若旧日时光，大战爆发前的时光。康妮无心再去争辩。但她也再无兴致陪克利福德去林中徜徉。于是，她赌着气，走在轮椅旁边。

"No," he said. "There will be no more strikes, it. The thing is properly managed." "Why not?" "Because strikes will be made as good as impossible." "But will the men let you?" she asked.

“不。”他说。“如果一切尽在掌握，就不再会有罢工出现。”“为什么？”“因为罢工将变得难上加难。”“但矿工们会任由你摆布吗？”她问。

"We shan't ask them. We shall do it while they aren't looking: for their own good, to save the industry.” "For your own good too," she said.

“我们不会征求他们的意见。我们只会在他们还没留意时，就搞定一切，这也是为了他们着想，为了拯救煤矿业。”“也是为了你自己的利益。”她说。

"Naturally! For the good of everybody. But for their good even more than mine. I can live without the pits. They can't. They'll starve if there are no pits. I've got other provision.” They looked up the shallow valley at the mine, and beyond it, at the black-lidded houses of Tevershall crawling like some serpent up the hill. From the old brown church the bells were ringing: Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!

“那是当然！为了所有人的利益。但他们得到的好处甚至比我还多。即使失去煤矿，我依然能够生存。他们却不能。没有煤矿，他们统统都要挨饿。而我还有别的经济来源。”他们来到浅谷顶端，遥望着煤矿，还有远处那长蛇般蜿蜒曲折的农舍。那些黑色顶棚的房子属于特弗沙尔村。褐色的老教堂传来钟声，告诉所有人周日的降临。

"But will the men let you dictate terms?" She said. "My dear, they will have to: if one does it gently.” "But mightn't there be a mutual understanding?” "Absolutely: when they realize that the industry comes before the individual.” "But must you own the industry?" She said.

“但他们会任由你发号施令吗？”她问。“亲爱的，如果采取怀柔政策，他们只能乖乖就范。”“难道就没有相互谅解的途径吗？”“当然有，前提是他们认识到产业的利益远远高于个人得失。”“但你非得占有煤矿吗？”她问。

"I don't. But to the extent I do own it, yes, most decidedly. The ownership of property has now become a religious question: as it has been since Jesus and St. Francis. The point is NOT: take all thou hast and give to the poor, but use all thou hast to encourage the industry and give work to the poor. It's the only way to feed all the mouths and clothe all the bodies. Giving away all we have to the poor spells starvation for the poor just as much as for us. And universal starvation is no high aim. Even general poverty is no lovely thing. Poverty is ugly.” "But the disparity?" "That is fate. Why is the star Jupiter bigger than the star Neptune? You can't start altering the make-up of things!” "But when this envy and jealousy and discontent has once started," she began.

“并非如此。但既然已经拥有，那么，自然要继续下去。产权如今已经上升成为宗教问题，自从耶稣基督和圣方济洛（注：1506-1552，西班牙传教士，耶稣会创始人之一）时代就是如此。问题的关键并非将你所拥有尽数施舍给穷苦大众，而是利用你所拥有的，推动产业的发展，给劳苦大众创造就业机会。这才是实现人人有饭吃，人人有衣穿的唯一途径。将我们所拥有的全部施舍给穷人，只会导致世人共同受饿的结果。人人挨饿并非崇高的目标。人人受穷也并非美妙的事情。贫穷即是丑陋。”“可贫富不均又怎样解决？”“这是命运使然。木星为何比海王星大呢？你无法改变宿命！”“但嫉妒和不满一旦出现。”她反唇相讥。

"Do, your best to stop it. Somebody's got to be boss of the show.” "But who is boss of the show?" she asked.

“尽全力阻止这种事情。总要有人当家做主。”“可由谁来扮演这一角色呢？”她问。