Thucydides, Pericles' Funeral Oration 在陣亡將士葬禮上的講話

過去在此發表過演說的許多人，都稱頌我們在葬禮上致辭這一習慣。他們認為，在國葬時對陣亡將士致辭是一種榮譽的表示。在我看來，他們在行動中所體現的榮譽，已經通過行動充分體現出了自身的光榮，正如你們在這次國葬典禮中所見的一樣。我認為，這許多勇士的聲譽和英雄氣概不致因旁人的說法而受損，不致因他人的言辭而增一分或減一分。發言者很難做到恰如其分，更難讓聽者信以為真。一方面，熟知死者事蹟的人會覺得演講者未將事蹟和盤托出；另一方面，那些不熟悉死者的人，會在聽到那些己所不能及的功績時，因嫉妒而認為演講者誇大其詞。人只能在一定程度內才能容忍對他人的讚美，界限就是他們相信那些列舉的事蹟，自己也能做到。一旦超出這個界限，他們就會嫉妒和懷疑。但是，既然我們的祖先已經建立了這樣的傳統，那麼，我便有義務遵守，盡我所能來滿足你們的期望和想法。

我首先要提到我們的先祖們：在這樣的場合，首先稱頌他們的光榮，不僅公平，而且理所應當。我們的祖輩世世代代生活於此，憑藉自身的勇敢無畏守護著這塊土地，將自由傳承到現在。倘若說我們祖先值得歌頌，那麼我們的父輩們更值得我們歌頌。因為他們除了繼承土地之外，還用鮮血和汗水擴展了這個帝國，傳給我們這一代。今天集合於此的我們，絕大多數正值盛年，我們幾乎在所有方面都擴張了帝國的勢力。我們從各個方面加強了祖國的實力，無論在平時還是戰時，帝國皆能自給自足。關於我們用以取得現有優勢的軍事成就，關於我們以及父輩英勇地擊退希臘或希臘以外敵人的入侵的事蹟，聽眾早已熟知，在此我就不再詳述了。我要說的是我們是如何取得今日的輝煌的，我們是在何種政體下發展壯大，我們的民族習慣是怎樣的。我在解答了這些問題之後，再來歌頌陣亡將士。因為我認為在目前情況下，這樣不僅妥帖，而且，對全體與會人員而言，無論他是公民還是外鄉人，也會大有裨益。

我們的政治制度沒有照搬任何鄰邦，與此相反，我們的政治制度卻成為其他城邦效仿的模本。本邦制度之所以被稱為民主制，是因為城邦是由多數而非少數人管理。在解決私人爭端時，法律面前人人都享有同等的正義；想要擔任公職，要看一個人的才能，而不是社會地位，階級地位和財政情況都不會阻礙個人實現價值。任何人，只要他對城邦有所貢獻，絕不會掣肘於個人的貧窮境遇。我們在政治生活中享有自由，我們在日常生活中也是如此。我們的街坊鄰居做他自己喜好的事情的時候，我們不會因此而憤怒，也不會因此而時常給他們臉色看，儘管擺臉不會對他們造成實際的傷害。我們在私人關係上寬鬆自在，但作為公民，我們遵紀守法。我們尊重權威，敬畏法律。我們尤其遵從那些保護受傷害者的法律，不論這些法律是成文的，還是雖不成文，但一旦違反就是公認恥辱的法則，我們都會遵守。

另外，我們安排了種種娛樂活動，幫助人們在勞動後恢復精神。全年，我們都會舉行各種競技會和祭祀活動。我們的居所華麗雅緻，每天都賞心悅目，趕走心中的憂鬱。我們的城邦如此偉大，吸引全世界的產品在我們的港口薈萃雲集。因此，對雅典公民們而言，享受其他地方的產品，就如同享受本地的產品一樣自然。

再來看我們的軍事政策，也與敵人的有所不同。我們的城邦對全世界開放，也不制定法律阻止外人探訪或學習，儘管他們可能會從我們的自由開放中得利。我們所依賴的不是製度和政策，而是公民的民族精神。至於教育制度，我們的對手從孩提時代就接受殘酷的訓練，以培養其男子氣概，而在雅典，我們生活得隨心所欲，但也隨時準備對付各種可能的危險，並不遜分毫。以下的事實可以證實這一點：當斯巴達人入侵我們的領土時，他們不是單獨前來，而是糾集所有同盟者一同進攻。而我們雅典公民們在進攻鄰邦領土時，卻只依靠自己的力量。雖然我們在異鄉作戰，他們則是為保衛家鄉而戰，但我們還是常常輕易擊敗他們。敵人沒有和我們的全部軍事力量交過手，因為我們的關注點在海軍，以及派遣公民去陸地上完成各項任務。因此，敵人與我們的一支軍隊交戰的時候，如果他們獲勝的話，就誇耀說他們打敗了我們的全軍；如果他們戰敗了，他們就說是敗於眾人之手。我們寧願用輕鬆的心情而不是艱苦的訓練來應付危險。我們的勇氣源於天性，而不是來自法律的脅迫。我們具有兩重優勢，我們不必花費時間來訓練自己去忍受那些尚未來臨的痛苦，但當痛苦降臨時，我們的表現和那些受過訓練的人一樣無畏。

當然，我們的城邦值得讚美的優點遠不止這些。我們追求美好，卻沒有流於奢侈，我們追求智慧，卻沒有因此而過於柔弱。我們利用財富，而不誇耀財富。我們不以貧窮為恥，真正的恥辱是為了避免貧窮而不擇手段。我們的公職人員，在參與政務的同時也關注私人事務；我們的普通公民，雖長年累月地忙於勞作，但仍對公共事務有公正的裁判。和其他任何民族都不同，我們雅典公民們認為，一個不關心公共事務的人不僅僅是只顧自己的人，而且是個無用的人。我們雅典公民們即使不是發起者，也可以對所有的問題進行裁判。我們不把討論當作行動的絆腳石，而是把它視作任何明智之舉不可或缺的首要前提。另外，我們將大膽冒險和深思熟慮有效融合在一起，並發揮到極致；雖然，決定往往是無知愚昧和舉棋不定的產物。但是，真正勇敢的人無疑應屬於那種人，他們最了解災患和幸福的不同，而且在危險面前從不退縮。我們的慷慨大方同樣與眾不同。我們結交朋友是予人好處，而非從他人那裡漁利。幫助他人使我們成為更有價值的人，因此友誼更為可靠，我們繼續表示友善，使受惠於我們的人永遠心存感激。但是，如果受惠者在感情上缺乏同樣的熱忱，他們的回報就好像在償還一筆債務，而非慷慨的贈與。只有雅典公民們，他們在施惠別人時不畏後果，不計得失，而是出於一種慷慨大度的信念。

一言以蔽之，我們的城邦是全希臘的學校。我認為世界上只有像雅典公民們才能自我獨立，在各個方面表現得溫文爾雅且多才多藝。這些並不是在此等場合空自吹噓，而是實事求是，我們城邦的實力便是靠這些品質獲得的，在現有的國家中，只有雅典在遇到考驗時，能證明自己比傳揚的名聲更偉大；只有在雅典，入侵的敵人不以戰敗為恥辱；受其統治的屬民不會質疑統治者是否夠格。現代乃至後世也將稱頌我們。世人已經目睹我們的偉大，而且我們也已留下強有力的證據。我們並不需要一個荷馬(3)為我們唱讚歌，也不需要任何人的歌頌，因為他們的歌頌只能使我們陶醉一時，而他們對於事實的印象僅是滄海一粟。我們的冒險精神讓我們征服海陸，所到之處，我們對敵人造成了痛苦，對朋友施加了恩惠，都為後世留下了不朽的紀念。這就是雅典，這裡的人兒抱著絕不失去她的誓言，慷慨而戰，高貴赴死。因此，他們中的每一位倖存者，都應為此承受痛苦。

的確，我如此大費周章討論我們城邦的特性，那是因為我要向你們說明，在這場戰鬥中，我們的利益與那些人全然不同，他們沒有此等福分可失；我想用清晰的實證來向你們證明我的歌頌。現在，歌頌陣亡將士最重要的部分，我已經說完了。因為我已經讚頌了雅典，讚頌了興我城邦的這些人的豪雄氣概，也讚美了類似他們的人的英雄主義，你們會發現，像他們一樣的希臘人鳳毛麟角，他們的聲望無愧于功績。在我看來，他們的獻身證明了自身的英雄氣概，這是他們初次表現品質也好，還是最後的證明也罷。公正地講，他們為捍衛祖國而戰的英勇行為，應當抵消他們在其他方面的不足，他們的優點彌補了他們的缺點，他們作為一個公民的貢獻超過他們個人所造成的過失。在這些人中間，富人沒有因為想要繼續享受其財富而變得怯懦，窮人也沒有因為將來會獲得的自由和富裕而苟且偷生。他們想要的不是個人的幸福，而是要嚴懲敵人。在他們看來，這是最光榮的冒險。他們立場堅定，臨危不懼，把自身利益置之度外，堅信能夠擊潰敵人，並守望這份信念。成敗不可測，在真正的戰鬥中，他們勇往直前，相信自我。因此，他們寧願在抵抗中犧牲，也不願在屈服中偷生。他們沒有做有損榮譽的事，他們在危難面前堅守陣地。頃刻間，他們到達了命運的頂峰，不是恐懼的頂峰而是光榮的頂峰，然後，就與世長辭了。

他們的慨然赴死無愧于“希臘人”三個字。你們這些倖存者雖然可以祈求一個更為幸福的命運，但是在戰場上，你們必須有堅定的決心。保家衛國不是單從理論上而言，雖然演說者可以就此說出非常精彩的演說詞，但你們不能滿足於只從字面上理解這些優勢。你們自己應當了解雅典的力量，並且每天都要矚目於她的偉大，直到對她的熱愛盈溢了你們的心頭。然後，當你們認識到她的偉大之處時，你們定會反省和深思，這些人之所以能贏得這一切，是由於他們的勇敢無畏，他們的責任感，他們在行動中體現的那種強烈的榮譽感。在冒險征程中，任何個人的失敗都不會讓他們覺得是城邦使他們喪失勇氣，他們反而會把他們認為最光榮的東西奉獻出來。他們每個人都把生命奉獻出來，這使他們獲得了萬古長青的讚譽。至於墳墓，那不只是安葬他們遺骸的地方，而且是存放他們榮譽的最崇高的聖地，它將永遠銘刻於人心，人們一有機會就會在這裡緬懷他們的豐功偉績。英雄們把整個大地作為他們的墳墓，甚至在遠離家鄉的土地上，他們的墓誌銘不是銘刻於記功碑上，而是銘記在人民心中。你們應以這些人為榜樣，幸福是自由的成果，而自由是勇敢的成果，不要低估戰爭的危險。那些不幸的人並不比幸福的人更加敢於犧牲自己，他們沒有希望，他們保全生命結果也許是苦難，對他們來說，任何失敗都將導致最可怕的後果。可以肯定，對於一個自尊的人而言，懦弱引起的墮落，比之充滿愛國激情全力以赴戰死沙場，不知要悲慘多少倍！

因此，我不會對死者的父母表示哀悼，他們有很多也在場，我會加以安慰。他們知道，人生旅程中充滿了車載斗量的機遇。但是，像他們這樣光榮犧牲，並讓你們哀痛，這的確是幸運的。對他們而言，生命與幸福相伴到最後。我知道，這一點很難說得通，當你們看到健在之人快樂的時候，也許會勾起對過去美好的回憶。人不會因為未曾經歷過的美好而悲傷，卻會因為失去曾經擁有過的東西而心痛。然而，你們中間那些適齡的人仍要生兒育女，完成逝者的未竟之願。新生的子女不僅可以使你們忘卻已逝之人，還可以充實城邦的力量，護衛國土的安全；因為一個公正或公平的政體，絕不能指望那些不曾面對一個父親的抉擇、利益和恐懼的人，正如他的後輩一樣。那些已過盛年的公民，一定要為你們有幸享受了生命中最美好的時光而慶幸，你們的餘年不長，死者的美名會使你們振奮。唯有對榮譽的熱愛是永恆的，鼓舞一顆年老無助之心的是榮譽，而不是某些人所說的財富。

至於那些烈士的兒子和兄弟們，我知道有一場艱鉅的鬥爭擺在你們面前。人人都會頌揚逝者，即使你們功勳卓越，但你們仍會發覺很難超越，甚至難以接近逝者的榮譽。活著的人往往嫉妒那些與他們競爭的人，而對於那些退出競爭的逝者而言，他們總是心懷善意去尊敬。另一方面，現在你們中一些人已經成為寡婦，我要對你們說一些婦道美德，一切都包含在我這簡短告誡裡：你們的偉大光榮沒有遜色於女性所應有的自然特徵，婦女最偉大之處很少為男人們所談及，不論他們對此贊同還是反對。

現在，我的任務已然完成。我盡全力履行了職責，至少在表面上已經滿足了法律要求。今天參加葬禮的人們已經祭獻了死者，他們的子女將由城邦出錢撫養至成年。城邦拿出重金獎勵那些死者和他們的遺屬，就像給予勇氣競賽中優勝者花冠一樣。哪裡對於勇氣的獎賞最大，哪裡就可以找到最優秀的公民。

現在，你們對親友已經表達了哀悼，你們可以離開了。

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Most of those who have spoken here before me have commended the lawgiver who added this oration to our other funeral customs. It seemed to them a worthy thing that such an honor should be given at their burial to the dead who have fallen on the field of battle. But I should have preferred that, when men's deeds have been brave, they should be honored in deed only, and with such an honor as this public funeral, which you are now witnessing. Then the reputation of many would not have been imperiled on the eloquence or want of eloquence of one, and their virtues believed or not as he spoke well or ill. For it is difficult to say neither too little nor too much; and even moderation is apt not to give the impression of truthfulness. The friend of the dead who knows the facts is likely to think that the words of the speaker fall short of his knowledge and of his wishes; another who is not so well informed, when he hears of anything which surpasses his own powers, will be envious and will sus pect exaggeration. Mankind are tolerant of the praises of others so long as each hearer thinks that he can do as well or nearly as well himself, but, when the speaker rises above him, jealousy is aroused and he begins to be incredulous. However, since our ancestors have set the seal of their approval upon the practice, I must obey, and to the utmost of my power shall endeavor to satisfy the wishes and beliefs of all who hear me.

I will speak first of our ancestors, for it is right and seemly that now, when we are lamenting the dead, a tribute should be paid to their memory. There has never been a time when they did not inhabit this land, which by their valor they will have handed down from generation to generation, and we have received from them a free state. But if they were worthy of praise, still more were our fathers, who added to their inheritance, and after many a struggle transmitted to us their sons this great empire. And we ourselves assembled here today, who are still most of us in the vigor of life, have carried the work of improvement further, and have richly endowed our city with all things, so that she is sufficient for herself both in peace and war. Of the military exploits by which our various possessions were acquired, or of the energy with which we or our fathers drove back the tide of war, Hellenic or Barbarian, I will not speak; for the tale would be long and is familiar to you. But before I praise the dead, I should like to point out by what principles of action we rose ~ to power, and under what institutions and through what manner of life our empire became great. For I conceive that such thoughts are not unsuited to the occasion, and that this numerous assembly of citizens and strangers may profitably listen to them.

Our form of government does not enter into rivalry with the institutions of others. Our government does not copy our neighbors', but is an example to them. It is true that we are called a democracy, for the administration is in the hands of the many and not of the few. But while there exists equal justice to all and alike in their private disputes, the claim of excellence is also recognized; and when a citizen is in any way distinguished, he is preferred to the public service, not as a matter of privilege, but as the reward of merit. Neither is poverty an obstacle, but a man may benefit his country whatever the obscurity of his condition. There is no exclusiveness in our public life, and in our private business we are not suspicious of one another, nor angry with our neighbor if he does what he likes; we do not put on sour looks at him which, though harmless, are not pleasant. While we are thus unconstrained in our private business, a spirit of reverence pervades our public acts; we ar e prevented from doing wrong by respect for the authorities and for the laws, having a particular regard to those which are ordained for the protection of the injured as well as those unwritten laws which bring upon the transgressor of them the reprobation of the general sentiment.

And we have not forgotten to provide for our weary spirits many relaxations from toil; we have regular games and sacrifices throughout the year; our homes are beautiful and elegant; and the delight which we daily feel in all these things helps to banish sorrow. Because of the greatness of our city the fruits of the whole earth flow in upon us; so that we enjoy the goods of other countries as freely as our own.

Then, again, our military training is in many respects superior to that of our adversaries. Our city is thrown open to the world, though and we never expel a foreigner and prevent him from seeing or learning anything of which the secret if revealed to an enemy might profit him. We rely not upon management or trickery, but upon our own hearts and hands. And in the matter of education, whereas they from early youth are always undergoing laborious exercises which are to make them brave, we live at ease, and yet are equally ready to face the perils which they face. And here is the proof: The Lacedaemonians come into Athenian territory not by themselves, but with their whole confederacy following; we go alone into a neighbor's country; and although our opponents are fighting for their homes and we on a foreign soil, we have seldom any difficulty in overcoming them. Our enemies have never yet felt our united strength, the care of a navy divides our attention, and on land we are obliged to se nd our own citizens everywhere. But they, if they meet and defeat a part of our army, are as proud as if they had routed us all, and when defeated they pretend to have been vanquished by us all.

If then we prefer to meet danger with a light heart but without laborious training, and with a courage which is gained by habit and not enforced by law, are we not greatly the better for it? Since we do not anticipate the pain, although, when the hour comes, we can be as brave as those who never allow themselves to rest; thus our city is equally admirable in peace and in war. For we are lovers of the beautiful in our tastes and our strength lies, in our opinion, not in deliberation and discussion, but that knowledge which is gained by discussion preparatory to action. For we have a peculiar power of thinking before we act, and of acting, too, whereas other men are courageous from ignorance but hesitate upon reflection. And they are surely to be esteemed the bravest spirits who, having the clearest sense both of the pains and pleasures of life, do not on that account shrink from danger. In doing good, again, we are unlike others; we make our friends by conferring, not by receiving favor s. Now he who confers a favor is the firmer friend, because he would rather by kindness keep alive the memory of an obligation; but the recipient is colder in his feelings, because he knows that in requiting another's generosity he will not be winning gratitude but only paying a debt. We alone do good to our neighbors not upon a calculation of interest, but in the confidence of freedom and in a frank and fearless spirit. To sum up: I say that Athens is the school of Hellas, and that the individual Athenian in his own person seems to have the power of adapting himself to the most varied forms of action with the utmost versatility and grace. This is no passing and idle word, but truth and fact; and the assertion is verified by the position to which these qualities have raised the state. For in the hour of trial Athens alone among her contemporaries is superior to the report of her. No enemy who comes against her is indignant at the reverses which he sustains at the hands of such a city; no subject complains that his masters are unworthy of him. And we shall assuredly not be without witnesses; there are mighty monuments of our power which will make us the wonder of this and of succeeding ages; we shall not need the praises of Homer or of any other panegyrist whose poetry may please for the moment, although his representation of the facts will not bear the light of day. For we have compelled every land and every sea to open a path for our valor, and have everywhere planted eternal memorials of our friendship and of our enmity. Such is the city for whose sake these men nobly fought and died; they could not bear the thought that she might be taken from them; and every one of us who survive should gladly toil on her behalf.

I have dwelt upon the greatness of Athens because I want to show you that we are contending for a higher prize than those who enjoy none of these privileges, and to establish by manifest proof the merit of these men whom I am now commemorating. Their loftiest praise has been already spoken. For in magnifying the city I have magnified them, and men like them whose virtues made her glorious. And of how few Hellenes 1 can it be said as of them, that their deeds when weighed in the balance have been found equal to their fame! I believe that a death such as theirs has been the true measure of a man's worth; it may be the first revelation of his virtues, but is at any rate their final seal. For even those who come short in other ways may justly plead the valor with which they have fought for their country; they have blotted out the evil with the good, and have benefited the state more by their public services than they have injured her by their private actions. None of these men were enervat ed by wealth or hesitated to resign the pleasures of life; none of them put off the evil day in the hope, natural to poverty, that a man, though poor, may one day become rich. But, deeming that the punishment of their enemies was sweeter than any of these things, and that they could fall in no nobler cause, they determined at the hazard of their lives to be honorably avenged, and to leave the rest. They resigned to hope their unknown chance of happiness; but in the face of death they resolved to rely upon themselves alone. And when the moment came they were minded to resist and suffer, rather than to fly and save their lives; they ran away from the word of dishonor, but on the battlefield their feet stood fast, and in an instant, at the height of their fortune, they passed away from the scene, not of their fear, but of their glory.

Such was the end of these men; they were worthy of Athens, and the living need not desire to have a more heroic spirit, although they may pray for a less fatal issue. The value of such a spirit is not to be expressed in words. Any one can discourse to you for ever about the advantages of a brave defense, which you know already. But instead of listening to him I would have you day by day fix your eyes upon the greatness of Athens, until you become filled with the love of her; and when you are impressed by the spectacle of her glory, reflect that this empire has been acquired by men who knew their duty and had the courage to do it, who in the hour of conflict had the fear of dishonor always present to them, and who, if ever they failed in an enterprise, would not allow their virtues to be lost to their country, but freely gave their lives to her as the fairest offering which they could present at her feast. The sacrifice which they collectively made was individually repaid to them; for t hey received again each one for himself a praise which grows not old, and the noblest of all tombs, I speak not of that in which their remains are laid, but of that in which their glory survives, and is proclaimed always and on every fitting occasion both in word and deed. For the whole earth is the tomb of famous men; not only are they commemorated by columns and inscriptions in their own country, but in foreign lands there dwells also an unwritten memorial of them, graven not on stone but in the hearts of men. Make them your examples, and, esteeming courage to be freedom and freedom to be happiness, do not weigh too nicely the perils of war. The unfortunate who has no hope of a change for the better has less reason to throw away his life than the prosperous who, if he survive, is always liable to a change for the worse, and to whom any accidental fall makes the most serious difference. To a man of spirit, cowardice and disaster coming together are far more bitter than death striking him unperceived at a time when he is full of courage and animated by the general hope.

Wherefore I do not now pity the parents of the dead who stand here; I would rather comfort them. You know that your dead have passed away amid manifold vicissitudes; and that they may be deemed fortunate who have gained their utmost honor, whether an honorable death like theirs, or an honorable sorrow like yours, and whose share of happiness has been so ordered that the term of their happiness is likewise the term of their life. I know how hard it is to make you feel this, when the good fortune of others will too often remind you of the gladness which once lightened your hearts. And sorrow is felt at the want of those blessings, not which a man never knew, but which were a part of his life before they were taken from him. Some of you are of an age at which they may hope to have other children, and they ought to bear their sorrow better; not only will the children who may hereafter be born make them forget their own lost ones, but the city will be doubly a gainer. She will not be left d esolate, and she will be safer. For a man's counsel cannot have equal weight or worth, when he alone has no children to risk in the general danger. To those of you who have passed their prime, I say: "Congratulate yourselves that you have been happy during the greater part of your days; remember that your life of sorrow will not last long, and be comforted by the glory of those who are gone. For the love of honor alone is ever young, and not riches, as some say, but honor is the delight of men when they are old and useless.

To you who are the sons and brothers of the departed, I see that the struggle to emulate them will be an arduous one. For all men praise the dead, and, however preeminent your virtue may be, I do not say even to approach them, and avoid living their rivals and detractors, but when a man is out of the way, the honor and goodwill which he receives is unalloyed. And, if I am to speak of womanly virtues to those of you who will henceforth be widows, let me sum them up in one short admonition: To a woman not to show more weakness than is natural to her sex is a great glory, and not to be talked about for good or for evil among men.

I have paid the required tribute, in obedience to the law, making use of such fitting words as I had. The tribute of deeds has been paid in part; for the dead have them in deeds, and it remains only that their children should be maintained at the public charge until they are grown up: this is the solid prize with which, as with a garland, Athens crowns her sons living and dead, after a struggle like theirs. For where the rewards of virtue are greatest, there the noblest citizens are enlisted in the service of the state. And now, when you have duly lamented, every one his own dead, you may depart.