文/Thomas L. Friedman
Who Can Win America's Politics of Humiliation?
拜登想贏 需安撫川粉受辱的心
About four years ago, without asking anybody, I changed my job description. It used to be "New York Times foreign affairs columnist." Instead, I started calling myself the "New York Times humiliation and dignity columnist." I even included it on my business card.
約莫四年前,我沒問過任何人就把自己的職稱改了,原本是「紐約時報外交事務專欄作家」,我開始改稱自己為「紐約時報羞辱與尊嚴問題專欄作家」,甚至還在名片印上新職稱。
It had become so obvious to me that so much of what I'd been doing since I became a journalist in 1978 was reporting or opining about people, leaders, refugees, terrorists and nation-states acting out on their feelings of humiliation and questing for dignity — the two most powerful human emotions.
有件事對我來說顯而易見,那就是打從1978年成為記者以來,我的工作內容有極大部分是在報導或評論人們、領袖、難民、恐怖分子和民族國家因為感覺受辱而尋求尊嚴的舉動。受辱和尊嚴是人類力量最強的兩種情緒。
I raise this now because the success of Joe Biden's campaign against Donald Trump may ride on his ability to speak to the sense of humiliation and quest for dignity of many Trump supporters, which Hillary Clinton failed to do.
我現在提起這件事是因為,美國民主黨候選人拜登與現任總統川普競選能否勝出,或許正取決於他是否有能耐撫慰 眾多川普支持者受辱和追求尊嚴的心,而2016年民主黨候選人希拉蕊.柯林頓就沒做到。
It has been obvious ever since Trump first ran for president that many of his core supporters actually hate the people who hate Trump, more than they care about Trump or any particular action he takes, no matter how awful.
從川普第一次競選總統以來,有件事一直很清楚:他的許多核心支持者其實討厭那些恨川普的人,勝過在意川普和他任何特定行為,不論這行為有多糟。
The media feed Trump's supporters a daily diet of how outrageous this or that Trump action is — but none of it diminishes their support. Because many Trump supporters are not attracted to his policies. They're attracted to his attitude — his willingness and evident delight in skewering the people they hate and who they feel look down on them.
媒體每天把川普東一個、西一個可憎的行為餵給他的支持者,卻無一足以減損他們對川普的支持,因為許多支持者看上的不是川普的政策,而是他的態度:有意願也顯然樂於痛批支持者厭惡且覺得瞧不起他們的人。
Humiliation, in my view, is the most underestimated force in politics and international relations. The poverty of dignity explains so much more behavior than the poverty of money.
在我看來,受辱感是政治和國際關係中最被低估的力量。「缺乏尊嚴」能解釋的行為,遠比「缺乏金錢」來得多。
People will absorb hardship, hunger and pain. They will be grateful for jobs, cars and benefits. But if you make people feel humiliated, they will respond with a ferocity unlike any other emotion, or just refuse to lift a finger for you. As Nelson Mandela once observed, "There is nobody more dangerous than one who has been humiliated."
人們願意承受困境、飢餓和痛苦,願意對工作機會、汽車和救濟金心存感激,但如果你讓人們覺得受辱,他們會以比任何情緒都猛烈的方式回應,或者乾脆懶得幫你,就像南非故總統曼德拉所說的,「沒有任何人比一個受到羞辱的人更危險」。
By contrast, if you show people respect, if you affirm their dignity, it is amazing what they will let you say to them or ask of them. Sometimes it just takes listening to them, but deep listening — not just waiting for them to stop talking. Because listening is the ultimate sign of respect. What you say when you listen speaks more than any words.
相反地,如果你示人以尊重,如果你堅立他們的尊嚴,他們能容許你對他們說的話或要求他們做的事,會令你詫異。有時候只要聽他們說就夠了,不過得用心傾聽,而不是只等他們停下來,因為傾聽標誌著最極致的尊重。你傾聽時所表達的心意,超過任何話語。
When it comes to politics, a lot of people don't listen through their ears. They listen through their gut, and Biden, more than any other Democratic leader today, has the ability to connect there.
說到政治,很多人不是用耳朵來聽,而是憑感覺,而拜登有能力對人們的感覺喊話,勝過當下民主黨所有其他領袖。
Trump's goal in this campaign is to separate Biden from Biden voters by making it as difficult as possible for Biden voters to vote. Biden's goal should be to separate Trump from Trump voters by showing that he respects them and their fears — even if he does not respect Trump.
川普這次競選著力的目標,是藉由盡可能增加拜登支持者投票的困難,把拜登與其支持者隔開。拜登的目標應該是向川普的支持者表達,儘管他並不尊重川普,卻尊重他們和他們的恐懼,藉此把川普與他的支持者隔開。