約翰·洛克的教育思想(中英對照)-16: 勇敢頑強

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.

蠻勇 |  懦弱與勇敢和前麵提到的性格很有關係，所以這裏提到它們是適宜的。恐懼是一種情緒，如果管理得當，也是有用的。雖然自愛使我們留心，保持高度警惕，但也許會過於大膽；蠻勇與不在乎危險，就如同在每一個小小的壞事前麵戰栗畏縮一樣不大合理。恐懼是我們的預警器，讓我們很快反應，使我們防備邪惡的靠近；所以不了解即將來臨的禍害，不能恰當估計危險，隻是冒失地衝過去，不管什麽危險，不考慮用處或後果，這不是理性動物的解決辦法，而是野性的狂暴。那些家裏有有這樣脾氣的小孩的家長，沒有任何辦法，隻有喚醒小孩的理智，自保心理會很快讓他們聽從理智，除非 (經常是如此)一些別的情緒使他們不合常理地、不加考慮地輕率冒進。不喜歡邪惡是人之常情，我認為沒有人不懼怕邪惡：恐懼隻是擔心會遇到我們不喜歡事情的一種不安心情。所以每當有人願意冒險，我們會說那要麽是由於無知，要麽是由於受一些強烈情感支配的緣故，沒有人會與自己為敵，自願靠近邪惡，為冒險而冒險。所以，假如驕傲、虛榮或憤怒抑製了小孩的恐懼，或者使他不聽恐懼感的警告，那些情緒應該用合適的方法去削弱，稍稍考慮一下也許可以使他冷靜，讓他自己想想這是否值得冒險。但是這不是小孩常犯的錯誤，我不必更詳述它的解決方法。精神脆弱是更常見的毛病，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.

堅韌 | 堅韌是其他美德的保障與支柱；沒有勇氣一個人很難堅守他的職責，很難具有一個真正傑出人物的品格。

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.

勇氣 |  勇氣能讓我們敢於麵對我們害怕的危險與我們感到的邪惡，對於象我們這樣一生到處受敵的有產階層非常有用；所以我們能盡早地使孩子以勇氣護身是很明智的。我承認天性在此作用很大：但是即使天性有缺陷，心腸軟弱膽怯，通過正確處理，它也可能變得更堅定。我已經提到要做什麽來防止小孩年幼時因恐懼不安而精神崩潰，或者受一點點苦就唉聲歎氣。接下來要考慮的是，假如我們發現他們過於受恐懼控製時，怎樣使他們性格堅強，並且增加他們的勇氣。

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.

我認為真正的堅韌是，一個人不管受怎樣的不幸所困擾，不管自己的前途有多危險，他總是能夠靜靜地掌控自己，不受幹擾地履行自己的職責。很少有人能達到這種境界，因此我們並不期望小孩能做到。但是有些事情還是可以做的；智慧的引導，可以漸漸地把他們帶到遠超預期的程度。

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.

小孩年輕的時候我們沒有在這方麵對他們用心，也許是他們成人後很少會充分具有這種美德的原因。假如我認為真正的堅韌隻是戰場上的勇敢和麵對敵人時不怕犧牲，我就不會在我們這樣一個天性勇敢的國家裏講這些了。我承認，這並不是堅韌的美德中不重要的部分，也不可否認，桂冠和榮譽應該永遠屬於那些為國犧牲的勇士。但是這還不是堅韌的全部內容：除了戰場，我們還會遇到別的地方來的危險；雖然死亡是一切恐怖中最令人恐懼的，但是痛苦、羞辱與貧窮看上去也很嚇人，會使被其所困的大多數人慌亂不安；而有些人不懼怕這其中某些事情，但是對別的事情卻膽戰心驚。真正的堅韌是對各種各樣的危險都有所準備，不管受到什麽災禍的威脅都毫不動搖。我並不是說一點都不感到恐懼。當危險來臨，如果不是愚蠢的，總會感到不安的。哪裏有危險，就該意識到危險在哪裏；這樣恐懼會使我們警醒，激起我們的注意、努力與活力；但是不應幹擾我們冷靜地運用理智，也不該妨礙我們執行理智指引的路線。
 
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 | 要達到這種高貴和陽剛的堅毅性，第一步就是照我前麵所說的，在孩子小的時候，小心地不讓他們受到任何驚嚇。不要告訴他們任何可怕的憂慮，也不要讓恐怖的東西嚇著他們。這常常會擾亂與擊垮他們的精神，使他們再也不能恢複；使他們在一生中，隻要聽到或想到任何恐怖的念頭，就會驚慌失措，全身無力，心神不寧，逃避做出任何鎮定或理性的行為。這不知道是因為最初的強烈印象引起血氣方麵的習慣動作，還是由於不可知的因素導致體格的改變，隻有一點是確定的，那就是實際情況是如此。這種生來膽小，小時候受過驚嚇而一生都擔驚受怕的人到處可見，所以要盡力預防避免。

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.

下一步是讓小孩逐漸習慣那些他們非常懼怕的事情。但是這裏你不能操之過急，免得毛病不僅沒有治好，反而加重了。不讓在懷抱中的小孩碰到可怕的東西很容易，在他們會說話與明白話語之前，他們是不會理解與明了，那些可怕的東西對他們是無害的，我們會讓他們漸漸地熟悉那些東西。所以我們沒有必要在他們會走會說之前運用這種方法。但是如果嬰兒對某些不可避免的事情不滿，而且常常看到它就害怕；那麽就應盡力減輕恐懼，要麽轉移他們的心思，要麽將可怖的東西加上愉快的外觀，直到他們對其逐漸熟悉、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.

我想我們會發現，小孩剛出生時看到的任何東西，隻要不傷眼睛，對他們都是沒有區別的；他們不會覺得黑人或獅子比他們的保姆或貓可怕。那麽為什麽他們後來會懼怕某些形狀和顏色的組合呢？沒有別的，隻是憂懼那些事情會帶來的傷害。假如一個嬰孩每天換一個乳母吃奶，我斷定他六個月大時不會比六十歲時更怕生麵孔。小孩不願意接近陌生人的原因是他習慣從左右一兩個人那裏接受食物與愛護，他擔心在陌生人的懷裏得不到快樂與飽足，不能使他隨時得到他常常感到需要的東西，因此當保姆不在時他就感到害怕。

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.

膽怯 |  我們天生懼怕的事情隻有痛苦，或失去快樂。因為這些和可見物品的形狀、顏色或大小沒有關聯，在它們沒有我們讓感到痛苦，或有人告訴我們那會傷害我們之前，我們不會懼怕它們的。火焰可愛的明亮光彩使小孩如此高興，最初他們總愛去玩弄它；但是它總給他們帶來強烈的痛苦，這不斷體驗使他們明白火焰是怎樣的殘酷無情，他們就會害怕去觸碰它，也會小心地躲避它。這就是恐懼的基礎，這樣不難發現它產生的根源，以及怎樣矯正一切錯誤的懼怕。當心理堅強，在不嚴重的情形下能夠控製自己與自己通常的恐懼，它就為對付真正的危險做好了準備。你的孩子看到青蛙就尖叫著跑開了，你要叫人捉住它，放在離他有一定距離的地方：先讓他習慣去看它；看慣後讓他走近它，不動聲色地看它跳躍；然後讓人用手按住它，叫他輕輕觸摸它；這樣直到他能自信地把玩它，就象把玩蝴蝶或麻雀一樣。通過同樣的方法，其它任何無謂的恐懼都可以去除，隻要你小心不要操之過急，在他還沒有完全克服前一個恐懼之前，不要把小孩推向新的信心高度。由此年輕的戰士得到訓練去應付人生的戰鬥；其中要注意，除了真正的危險不可把更多的事情當作危險；而且一旦你注意到他過度驚慌，你一定要不知不覺地誘導他，直到他不再害怕，克服困難，並且獲得成功。這樣常常不斷的成功會使他明白，災難並不總是如我們害怕的那樣確切無疑、那樣巨大；防止它們的方法不是逃避，也不是為恐懼而慌亂不安、灰心沮喪與躊躇不前，而是為我們的名譽或責任而前行。

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.

頑強 |  但是因為小孩恐懼的重要基礎是痛苦，使他們堅定頑強對付恐懼與危險的方法是讓他們習慣忍受痛苦。這也許會被慈愛的父母認為是一種不自然的方式對待他們的小孩；為讓人不怕痛苦而把痛苦帶給他們，大多數人會認為這是不合理的。人們會說這可能使小孩厭惡那讓他受痛苦的人，但卻不能讓他自己願意受痛苦。這是一個奇怪的方法。你不願小孩為他們的過失而挨打受罰，但你卻因為他們做得好、或是為磨難的緣故而折磨他們。我毫不懷疑會有這樣的反對意見，我也會被人認為是自相矛盾地或虛幻空想地提倡這種作法。我承認這件事要做得很慎重小心，所以才不致出錯，而且隻有那些考慮周全、探究事情根由的人才會接受欣賞它。我不讓小孩因為他們的過失多受鞭打，是因為我不想讓他們把肉體的痛苦看作最大的懲罰；我主張他們順利的時候要不時受一點痛苦，也是為同樣的理由，就是讓他們習慣忍受痛苦，不把它看作最大的禍害。教育怎樣使年輕人甘心忍受痛苦與磨難，斯巴達(Sparta)給我們展示了很好的榜樣；那些不把肉體痛苦看作最大災禍或最令人恐懼東西的人，在德行上有不小的進步。但我不會在我們這個時代或政體中愚蠢地提倡斯巴達人(Lacedaemonian)的磨煉。我卻還是要說，溫和地讓小孩習慣於遭受一定程度的痛苦不畏縮，這是一種使他們心理堅強，並且為他們將來生活奠定勇敢與果斷的基礎的方法。

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，不要當小孩受一點點痛苦就哀憐他們，也不要讓他們哀憐自己。這我已經在別的地方說過了。

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.

接下來是要他們不時故意受些痛苦；但是必須注意要在小孩情緒好，並且確信那些傷害他的人是善良和懷有好意的時候去實行。實行的時候，一方麵不要有任何憤怒或不愉快的痕跡，另一方麵不要表示同情或後悔；而且一定要保證這痛苦不超出小孩能忍受的程度，不要讓他怨恨或誤會，也不要被他當作懲罰。我曾經看到一個小孩在這樣的情形下受到這種程度的對待，他的背上被人重重打了幾下，他卻笑著跑開了，而他原來是會為一句壞話就哭泣，對別人的冷眼非常敏感。你要用你一貫的關懷和慈愛使小孩確信你對他完全的愛，他就會漸漸習慣忍受你對他很痛苦與粗暴的待遇，不會畏縮或抱怨：我們知道小孩在遊戲的時候天天都是這樣做的。你發現你的小孩越軟弱，你越要在適當的時間找更多的機會鍛煉他、使他堅強。這中間一個重要的技巧是要從非常微小的痛苦開始，然後不知不覺地推進加強，而且是要在你與他玩得高興、並稱讚他的時候；一旦你使他明白他所受的痛苦從他勇氣所受的讚揚得到補償；一旦他為自己的男子氣概感到自豪，寧願選擇勇敢頑強的名聲，而不願逃避或畏懼小小的痛苦；隨著他的理智逐漸增長，最終你就不怕不能克服他的懦弱、不怕不能改進他的脆弱本性。當他長得更大，應該讓他去嚐試他的天性所不敢做的大膽的事情；如果他有勇氣能做好的事情，他卻畏縮不敢去做，開始要幫助他，再逐漸用羞恥心促進他，直到最終練習產生更大的信心，由此他能做得很熟練，這應該得到大大的讚揚，以及別人的好評。當通過這些步驟他能足夠堅定，不因憂懼危險而回避他應該做的事情；當突然地或危險地產生的恐懼，不再使他心裏慌亂、身體發抖、不能動彈，或不再跑開逃避，他就具有了一個理性動物應該具備的勇氣；這種頑強是我們在適當時機應該竭力通過習慣與應用讓小孩獲得的。

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