Writing to Defame - Zhou Zuoren

作品原文

周作人 《论骂人文章》

骂人的文章可以分作两大类，正如晋惠帝所问的蛤蟆叫，一是为官的，一是为私的。为私的一类里又可以说有两个分派，甲是消极的，曰报复的骂，乙是积极的，曰进取的骂，是也。本来还有一种回骂，即抵抗的骂，不过我没有把他放进去，因为这里所谓骂人必须是主动的，若被动的便不能算。报复的骂虽说是消极，却还不是被动，盖其被欺侮是一件事，被欺侮了没有办法却另用骂的方法来求满足又是别一件事，正如阿Q被人打了一顿，姑且说打我的是王八旦，这口气也就平了。中国有一位名人说过，只看报上登出一大篇冤单，便可以知道这人一定是吃了亏，（却并不一定是他理直或是人好，）再没有力量挣扎了，这样哭骂一阵，就此沉静下去。这样的报复实在是很可怜的，要说是报复还不及流氓的捅小刀予为能实践，可是我们要知道天下不少外强中干的人，忍气呢觉得不甘心，去拼命又有点怕，结果只有这样做，仿佛像佛典上所戒的非法出精，不足为训却又未始不是也难怪的事也。进取的骂似乎比较的难懂，因为这个名词是我所新造的，虽然这件事并非新起头，而且流行得也很广远，比起报复的骂来恐怕还要多上几倍也未可知。这种骂法有人称作爬梯子，或曰借头。其办法甚是简单，只要挑选社会上稍有声名的一二人，狗血喷头的痛骂一番，骂得对不对完全不成问题，只要使人家知道某人这样的被我所骂了就好。假如某人身高五尺，我既然站在他的头顶上，那么自然应该更高，至少也总是在五尺以上了。某人不理本也无妨，若是他回说了一句话，那更证明了我骂的有力量。总之都是于自己有利的。所以这样骂法行得很普遍，因为利多害少，青年人想钻上文坛或思想界去最容易采用，只消找一个人做梯子，几步爬上他的头去，人家看去（或者自己觉得）确是站得很高了，虽然也不免有缺点，这样的做法与冒认阔人是自己的爹根本上很相像，只是软硬不同，实在也是有点可怜的。还有一层，找人要找得好，必须找着在文坛或思想界上身材高的才行，矮子已经要不得了，万一不小心扯到一个水平线下的，他的头就是同地面一样平的，如今却想站在他的头上去出风头，不但毫无效果，而且还白费气力，这真成了偷鸡弗着折把米了。进取的骂人家虽然大抵都是很聪明的，但是这种失败也很难免，可见江湖诀之还不是万全也。

英文译文

Writing to Defame
Zhou Zuoren

Abusive writings falls into two broad categories, of just the same kind as Emperor Hui of Jin’s question about the croaking of frogs elicited: for official purposes and for private purposes. The private category can be further divided into two streams, namely (a) negative, that is vengeful abuse, and (b) positive, that is enterprising abuse. In fact there is another kind of abuse, which is counter-abuse, done in self-defence, but I have not included that, because in my definition “abuse” has to represent an initiative: passive abuse does not count. Vengeful abuse may be negative, but still it is not passive, for to suffer humiliation is one thing; to use abuse as a means to seek satisfaction when one is otherwise the helpless victim of humiliation is another thing again, as may be seen in the case of Ah Q, who when given a thrashing, fell back on saying that the person who beat him was a dirty rotter, and thereby managed to simmer down.

As a famous Chinese gent has remarked, from the simple fact that somebody publishes a lengthy plaint in a newspaper you can deduce that the person in question has without doubt been worsted (though it does not follow, mind you, that he is in the right or the innocent party) and, not having the strength to carry on the struggle, will straightway lapse into silence after this tearful tirade. This kind of vengeance is really very sad: as a form of vengeance is not nearly as effective as the short sharp stab of the ruffian’s knife, but we have to acknowledge that many apparently tough but actually soft-centred people who are not willing to swallow a bitter pill but on the other hand shrink from do-or-die contest have resort to this practice. Like the irregular ejaculation proscribed by the Buddhist scriptures, it is not to be taken as an example to follow, but on the other hand is scarcely anything really unpardonable

“Enterprising abuse” might at first sight be more perplexing, because the term is of my own coinage, although the thing itself is by no means new, and in fact is very widespread: it might well be several times more common than vengeful abuse, for all I can tell. This form of abuse has been called by some “ladder climbing,” by others “head borrowing.” The method is extremely simple: it just requires the selection of one or two people with some standing in society and the heaping of virulent abuse on their head; whether the abuse is deserved or not is entirely beside the point, it suffices simply that people should know that such-and-such a person has been upbraided in such a way by me. Supposing that a certain person is five feet tall, if I stand on his head, then naturally I should be taller, at the very least I would have to be five feet plus.

Now if the person in question takes no notice, I am actually none the worst for it; if he makes a riposte, then that is proof more positive that my attack struck home: either way one has gained an advantage. As the risks are small and the gains many, this form of abuse is quite commonplace. For any youth who wishes to break into the literary or intellectual world, the method could not be simpler: just find someone to be your ladder, and take the few steps needed to climb onto his head. In other people’s eyes (or in your own perception) you will indeed stand tall, although inevitably there are drawbacks: this practice is basically the same as claiming some rich man as your father, the difference is only in the degree of brazenness. It is, let’s face it, really rather pathetic. Another thing is, you have to choose your target well, you have to find someone of stature in the literary or intellectual world for it to work. A dwarf would be undesirable enough, but if you were to carelessly light upon someone who was below par, whose head was only level with the ground, and thought to achieve celebrity by standing on his head, it would not only be entirely ineffective, but also a waste of effort: it would truly amount to “failing to steal the chicken, and losing your bait into the bargain.” Although those who take up “enterprising abuse” are mostly very clever, such reverses are nevertheless hard to avoid, which shows that underhand tricks don’t prove winners every time.