Objectively Speaking

Objectively Speaking

翻譯：北京外國語大學北戴河外語培訓基地副校長 張寶丹

People in this world can be divided into two categories: those always working and those always making comments. The working ones never have time to idle away. Some may run a hotel, or do some business; some may open a factory or set up a school; others may be absorbed in scientific research, or devoted to military affairs or political issues. Right or wrong, successful or failed, they are always fully committed to their careers. Facing all kinds of risks(not because they neglect them, but mainly because they have the courage), and shouldering the responsibilities, they march forward, bravely and cautiously. They are risking their luck and their lives as well. They have neither time nor energy to comment on others. While attentively planning the future, they devote themselves wholly in hard work, leaving the embroidered stories and malicious gossips flying in the air. The commenting ones, however, usually work less, and even if they want to work sometimes, they simply are not capable enough. They are no better than anyone, but show admiration to nobody either. They blame either the heaven, or the earth, but never themselves. They dare not to take any risks, but they are also afraid of any hard work. They are gossip-mongers, making stories and spreading rumors, making you feel annoyed and upset. It's not because that you have hurt them, or disturbed them, or hindered them, but because you are working. If only you are working, he is there commenting. Everything is hard at the beginning. You have just started a new cause, needing encouragement and support, yet he is there pouring a jar of cold water or blowing a gust of chilly wind, making you worried or perplexed. But once you have succeeded, he is there again sharing your success without feeling a little ashamed of the discouragement he had given you.

Many people don't like using their mind but enjoy echoing the views of others. They often take it for granted that the working ones are wrong while the commenting ones are definitely right. However in all fairness, how can it be true? Not working itself is already wrong, and it is a blunder to hurt the hard working people.

From ancient time to the present, many great men have been commented on endlessly. Take the cases of Confucius, Emperor Qinshihuang, Empress Wu Zetian, Gengis Khan, Dr. Sun Yet-sun, Chairman Mao, Deng Xiaoping, etc.. Both positive and negative criticism have been made about them. They not only enjoyed compliments but also suffered slanders from all over the world.

When commenting on what's right and what's wrong, the commenting ones themselves don't really know what is wrong and what is right. They are simply demanding perfection. When criticizing the others' inability, they themselves are actually unable to do anything, but simply pretending that they know better. This can well be compared with the actors and spectators. A new program is always followed by large amounts of criticism from the spectators. But if a spectator is given a chance to perform, a disaster will surely happen. Diners are always commenting on the skills of the chefs while readers are always criticizing the writers. Another case in point is the forty-chapter sequel of A Dream of the Red Mansions , which were written by Gao E who did a nearly perfect job. Nevertheless there are always such people who claim to be the experts on the novel, criticizing the latter forty chapters as a wretched sequel to a fine work. What if we ask them to write the sequel? I'm afraid they can only make it worse. It's easier said than done.

Capable and wealthy people are always the focus of the society.

Capable people are usually marching ahead of others and may not be properly understood, hence causing various kinds of comments, more criticism but less support;

Capable people can easily succeed, thus causing both admiration and comments, more jealousy but less appreciation (only their good luck is recognized);

Capable people can be sought for help and attract the attention of the society, thus causing a lot of comments, more complaints but less gratitude (even though they didn't ask anyone for help, if only they were not able to help others in a satisfactory way, it's already their fault);

Capable people can also suffer setbacks (some even experience ups and downs many times), experiencing fully the warmth and coldness of the human world, more hurts but less helps.

Wealthy people are non the easier. No doubt there are cruel-hearted rich men, but it is also wrong to think that no wealthy people are kind-hearted. They are capable of devising and managing and they often need to take risks to get the chance. But who care about these?

Whenever a group are dining or entertaining, everyone will take it for granted that the rich should pay the bill instead of going Dutch. If the rich doesn't pay, then he'll definitely be regarded as a miser;

Among good friends and relatives, the rich should often help the poor, otherwise he will surely be blamed for his cruel-heartedness;

From the ancient times, people have been used to killing the rich to save the poor, without thinking about how the rich became rich and the poor stayed poor. The policy of “allowing some people to get rich” has balanced people's mind to some extent, but there is still a long way to go before we can get rid of “the hatred toward the wealthy”.

Capable people or rich people are just human, neither sages nor perfect men. They have their own faults, and they may also commit mistakes. But objectively speaking, some mistakes are forced on them, which are the expectations of the public. They are expected to do this or that, but when expectations become disappointments, they have to take the blaming. In fact, it's the public's fault to demand for perfection or counting on unrealistic expectations of the rich.

I encourage people to work, even though they may commit mistakes.

I advise those enjoying commenting to make some effort to do something for the others.

I hope people can make comments objectively instead of subjectively, without going to extremes, and not out of preference.

I also hope that the hard-working people do not care too much about what the others say, even what the others criticize. You should believe that public opinions will finally decide what's right and what's wrong. What we need is just time.

Translated by Zhang Baodan

June 25, 2004

北京外國語大學北戴河外語培訓基地校長 宋遠利

世界上總有一些人在做事，總有一些人在說事。做事的人不閒著，或者包個飯店，或者搞個買賣，或者辦個工廠，或者建個學校，或者專心科研，或者從軍從政。也許對，也許錯；也許成功，也許失敗，但很投入。他們擔著天下的風險（並非都是忽略，大多還是敢於面對），扛著雙肩的責任，奮然前行，又戰戰兢兢，常常是在賭運、也賭命。他們沒有時間去說別人的事，也沒有精力去理會別人的事。他們抬頭看路，埋頭做事，任由別人的飛短流長。

說事的人，常常是不大做事。或者也曾經想做事，但做不來。他們可能誰都不如，但又誰都不服。怨天怨地，不怨自己。他們不敢擔任何的風險，又不肯出少許的力氣。一件事，他們能從頭說到尾。先是烏鴉叫，後來喜鵲噪，一會一變臉，令你心煩鬧。

並不是你傷害了他，並不是你干擾了他，並不是你阻礙了他。但只要你在做事，他就會來說事。萬事開頭難。當你剛剛起步，正需要鼓勵與支援的時候，他會一盆涼水，一股陰風，讓你渾身不舒服。而一旦你業有所成，他又會滿面春風地來分一瓢羹，好象不曾給過你那片下雨的烏雲。

世上有許多人不喜歡動腦，卻習慣於人云亦云。他們常以為錯在做事的人，理在說事的人。但平心而論，怎麼會這樣呢？不做事，本身就是錯。再打擊做事的人，不是錯上加錯嘛！

從古至今，許多能人，偉人，都被無休無止地評論著。如孔夫子、秦始皇、武則天、成吉思汗、孫中山、毛澤東、鄧小平等，說是的有，說非的也有。也堪稱譽滿天下，謗滿天下。

說人是非，並非明白是非，不過是求全責備而已。說人不行，未必自己真行，不過裝腔作勢而已。就如演員與觀眾，每個節目出來，都會有一大堆褒貶。但真讓觀眾上臺，可能又演不成了。食客總是在評論廚師的手藝，讀者總是在評論作者的長短。再如《紅樓夢》的後四十回，乃高鄂所續寫。公平地說，幾近天衣無縫。但就有那麼些人，甚至打著紅學家的招牌，一定要說後四十回怎麼不行，怎麼狗尾續貂。真不行嗎？就讓這幾位“紅學家”寫寫看，他們恐怕連鼠尾都拿不出來。侃山容易，搬山難啊。

能人、富人，永遠都是社會的焦點。

能人可能超前，為世人所不理解，會引起議論紛紛，支援的少，攻擊的多。

能人可能成功，引起世人的羨慕，也會引起眾多評論，佩服的少，嫉妒的多。（只承認你的運氣和僥倖）

能人可能被求助，受到世人的關注，從而導致事後的品評，感謝的少，抱怨的多。（你沒有求人，但別人求你的事沒辦或沒辦好，都是你的錯。）

能人也會遭遇挫折，（有人甚至三起三落）感受人心的冷暖，洞知世態的炎涼，幫扶的少，推牆的多。

富人也不輕鬆。固然也有為富不仁者，但也不能說所有的富者都不仁。他們還有經營能力和運作手段，並且常常要充滿冒險地去把握先機。但誰管這些？

一群人吃飯或遊樂，大家一定會認為要富者買單，而不是 AA 制。如果你不買，那就是吝嗇。

在親朋好友的圈子裡如果有富者，那就必須經常賙濟他人，否則就會被指責無情無義。

自古就有“殺富濟貧”，不管富是怎麼富，貧是怎麼貧。允許一部分人先富起來的政策，讓人們的心態好多了。但仇富觀念的消除，還要漫長的歷程。

能人、富人都是人，既不神聖，也非完人。他們都有自身的毛病，也會犯各種錯誤。但平心而論，還有一種錯誤是別人強加的，那就是眾人的期望。期望他們這樣，期望他們那樣，期望變成了失望，就成了他們的錯。對他們求全責備也好，對他們非份希求也好，其實都不應算作他們的錯。

我主張鼓勵做事的人，哪怕他們真的有錯。

我奉勸說事的人，自己也努力去做些可做的事。

我希望人們能平心而論天下事，不要偏激，不要摻雜個人的恩怨，不要取捨於個人的得失。我更希望做事的人，不要太在意別人一時怎麼說、甚至怎麼罵。要相信，是非自有公論，只是個時間問題。

宋遠利

2003/5/12