林语堂《吾国与吾民》自序(中英文互译).docVIP

林语堂《吾国与吾民》自序（中英文互译） 林语堂（1895 “ 1976），福建龙溪（今漳州）人，原名和乐，后改玉堂又改语堂，中国现代著名作家、学者、翻译家、浯言学家。早年留学美国、德国获哈佛大学文学硕士、莱比锡大学语言学博士，回国后在清华大学、北京大学、厦门大学任教1954年赴新加坡筹建南洋大学，任校长曾任联合国教科文组织美术与文学主任、国际笔会副会长等职。林语堂于1940 年和1950年先后两度获得诺贝尔文学奖提名。曾创办《论语》《人间世》 《宇宙风》等刊物，作品包括小说《京华烟云》《啼笑皆非》、散文和杂文文集《人生的盛宴》《生活的艺术》及译著《东坡诗文选》《浮生六记》 等。 Preface My Country and My People 《吾国与吾民》自序 In this bookl have tried on，to communicate my opltmons which I have arrived at after some long and painful thoughts and reading and introspection. l have not tried to enter into arguments or prove my different theses, but I will stand justified or condemned by this book, as Confucius once said Of his Spring and Autumn Annals. China卜t00 big a country, and her national life has t00 many facets for her not to be open to the most diverse and contradictory interpretations. And I shall always be able to assist with very convenient material anyone who wishes to hold opposite theses. But truth is truth and will overcome clever human opinions. It is given to man only at rare moments to perceive the truth, and it is these moments of perception that will survive, and not individual opinions. Therefore, the most formidable marshaling of evidence can often lead one to conclusions which are mere learned nonsense. For the presentation of such perceptions, one needs a simpler, which is really a subtler, style. For truth can never be proved; it can only be hinted at. It is also inevitable that I should offend many writers about China, especially my own countrymen and great patriots. These great patriots have nothing to do with them, for their god is not my god and their patriotism is not my patriotism. Perhaps I too love my own country, but I take care to conceal it before them, for one may wear the cloak of patriotism to tatters, and in these tatters be paraded through the city streets to death, in China or the rest of the world. I am able to confess because, unlike these patriots, I am not ashamed of my country, And I can lay bare her troubles because