第 21 节
作者:翱翔1981      更新:2021-02-19 18:34      字数:9322
  with cerium or iridium; than on the sunlight colour and
  unalterable purity by which it attracts the admiration and
  answers the trust of mankind。
  It must be kept in mind; however; that I use the word
  〃demand〃 in a somewhat different sense from economists usually。
  They mean by it 〃the quantity of a thing sold。〃 I mean by it 〃the
  force of the buyer's capable intention to buy。〃 In good English;
  a person's 〃demand〃 signifies; not what he gets; but what he asks
  for。
  Economists also do not notice that objects are not valued by
  absolute bulk or weight; but by such bulk and weight as is
  necessary to bring them into use。 They say; for instance; that
  water bears no price in the market。 It is true that a cupful does
  not; but a lake does; just as a handful of dust does not; but an
  acre does。 And were it possible to make even the possession of
  the cupful or handful permanent; (i。e。 to find a place for them;)
  the earth and sea would be bought up for handfuls and cupfuls。
  21。 Compare George Herbert; The Church Porch; Staza 28。
  22。 〃O Zeus dipou penetai〃  Arist。 Plut。 582。 It would but
  weaken the grad words to lean on the preceding ones:  〃Oti tou
  Platon parecho Beltionas; andpas; kai tin gnomen; kai ten idean。〃
  23。 Zech。 v。 ii。
  24。 Labour which is entirely good of its kind; that is to say;
  effective; or efficient; the Greeks called 〃weighable;〃 or axios;
  translated usually 〃worthy;〃 and because thus substantial and
  true; they called its price time; the 〃honourable estimate〃 of it
  (honorarium): this word being founded on their conception of true
  labour as a divine thing; to be honoured with the kind of honour
  given to the gods; whereas the price of false labour; or of that
  which led away from life; was to be; not honour; but vengeance;
  for which they reserved another word; attributing the exaction of
  such price to a peculiar goddess; called Tisiphone; the 〃requiter
  (or quittance…taker) of death〃; a person versed in the highest
  branches of arithmetic; and punctual in her habits; with whom
  accounts current have been opened also in modern days。
  25。 The most accurately nugatory labour is; perhaps; that of
  which not enough is given to answer a purpose effectually; and
  which; therefore; has all to be done over again。 Also; labour
  which fails of effect through non…co…operation。 The cure of a
  little village near Bellinzona; to whom I had expressed wonder
  that the peasants allowed the Ticino to flood their fields; told
  me that they would not join to build an effectual embankment high
  up the valley; because everybody said 〃that would help his
  neighbours as much as himself。〃 So every proprietor built a bit
  of low embankment about his own field; and the Ticino; as soon as
  it had a mind; swept away and swallowed all up together。
  26。 Observe; I say;  rearing;〃 not 〃begetting。〃 The praise is in
  the seventh season; not in sporitos; nor in phutalia; but in
  opora。 It is strange that men always praise enthusiastically any
  person who; by a momentary exertion; saves a life; but praise
  very hesitatingly a person who; by exertion and self…denial
  prolonged through years; creates one。 We give the crown 〃ob civem
  servatum〃;  why not 〃ob civem natum?〃 Born; I mean; to the
  full; in soul as well as body。 England has oak enough; I think;
  for both chaplets。
  27。 When Mr Mill speaks of productive consumption; he only means
  consumption which results in increase of capital; or material
  wealth。 See I。 iii。 4; and I。 iii。 5。
  28。 So also in the vision of the women bearing the ephah; before
  quoted; 〃the wind was in their wings;〃 not wings 〃of a stork;〃 as
  in our version; but 〃miivi;〃 of a kite; in the Vulgate; or
  perhaps more accurately still in the Septuagint; 〃hoopoe;〃 a bird
  connected typically with the power of riches by many traditions;
  of which that of its petition for a crest of gold is perhaps the
  most interesting。 The 〃Birds〃 of Aristophanes; in which its part
  is principal; are full of them; note especially the
  〃fortification of the air with baked bricks; like Babylon;〃 I。
  550; and; again; compare the Plutus of Dante; who (to show the
  influence of riches in destroying the reason) is the only one of
  the powers of the Inferno who cannot speak intelligibly and also
  the cowardliest; he is not merely quelled or restrained; but
  literally 〃collapses〃 at a word; the sudden and helpless
  operation of mercantile panic being all told in the brief
  metaphor; 〃as the sails; swollen with the wind; fall; when the
  mast breaks。〃
  29。 The value of raw material; which has; indeed; to be deducted
  from the price of the labour; is not contemplated in the passages
  referred to; Mr。 Mill having fallen into the mistake solely by
  pursuing the collateral results of the payment of wages to
  middlemen。 He says〃 The consumer does not; with his own funds;
  pay the weaver for his day's work。 〃Pardon me; the consumer of
  the velvet pays the weaver with his own funds as much as he pays
  the gardener。 He pays; probably; an intermediate ship…owner;
  velvet merchant; and shopman; pays carriage money; shop rent;
  damage money; time money; and care money; all these are above and
  beside the velvet price; (just as the wages of a head gardener
  would be above the grass price)。 but the velvet is as much
  produced by the consumer's capital; though he does not pay for it
  till six months after production; as the grass is produced by his
  capital; though he does not pay the man who mowed and rolled it
  on Monday; till Saturday afternoon。 I do not know if Mr。 Mill's
  conclusion;  〃the capital cannot be dispensed with; the
  purchasers can 〃 (p。 98); has yet been reduced to practice in the
  City on any large scale。
  30。 Which; observe; is the precise opposite of the one under
  examination。 The hardware theory required us to discharge our
  gardeners and engage manufacturers; the velvet theory requires us
  to discharge our manufacturers and engage gardeners。
  31。 It is one very awful form of the operation of wealth in
  Europe that it is entirely capitalists' wealth which supports
  unjust wars。 Just wars do not need so much money to support them;
  for most of the men who wage such; wage them gratis; but for an
  unjust war; men's bodies and souls have both to be bought; and
  the best tools of war for them besides; which makes such war
  costly to the maximum; not to speak of the cost of base fear; and
  angry suspicion; between nations which have not grace nor honesty
  enough in all their multitudes to buy an hour's peace of mind
  with: as; at present; France and England; purchasing of each
  other ten millions sterling worth of consternation annually; (a
  remarkably light crop; half thorns and half aspen leaves;
  sown; reaped; and granaried by the 〃science〃 of the modern
  political economist; teaching covetousness instead of truth。) And
  all unjust war being supportable; if not by pillage of the enemy;
  only by loans from capitalists; these loans are repaid by
  subsequent taxation of the people; who appear to have no will in
  the matter; the capitalists' will being the primary root of the
  war; but its real root is the covetousness of the whole nation;
  rendering it incapable of faith; frankness; or justice; and
  bringing about; therefore; in due time; his own separate loss and
  punishment to each person。
  32。 〃In all reasoning about prices; the proviso must be
  understood; 'supposing all parties to take care of their own
  interest。'〃  Mill; III。 i。 5。
  33。 James v。 4。 Observe; in these statements I am not talking up;
  nor countenancing one whit; the common socialist idea of division
  of property; division of property is its destruction; and with it
  the destruction of all hope; all industry; and all justice: it is
  simply chaos a chaos towards which the believers in modern
  political economy are fast tending; and from which I am striving
  to save them。 The rich man does not keep back meat from the poor
  by retaining his riches; but by basely using them。 Riches are a
  form of strength; and a strong man does not injure others by
  keeping his strength; but by using it injuriously。 The socialist;
  seeing a strong man oppress a weak one; cries out。  〃Break the
  strong man's arms。〃 but I say; 〃Teach him to use them to better
  purpose。〃 The fortitude and intelligence which acquire riches are
  intended; by the Giver of both; not to scatter; nor t