The controversial origins of the Encyclopedia - Addison Anderson

譯者: Gentian Pan 審譯者: Max Chern

Denis Diderot left a dungeon outside Paris on November 3, 1749.

德尼·狄德羅 在1749年11月3日 離開了巴黎城外的地牢。

He'd had his writing burned in public before,

他曾經將自己的寫作公開燒毀，

but this time, he'd gotten locked up under royal order

但這次則是皇家 下敕令將他關入地牢，

for an essay about a philosopher's death bed rejection of God.

肇因於一篇有關一位哲學家 在死前不接受「神」的文章。

To free himself, Denis promised never to write things like that again.

為了重獲自由，德尼 承諾 從此不再撰寫那樣的文章。

So he got back to work on something a little like that,

於是他回到工作崗位 從事類似的工作，

only way worse,

只是比原來更槽，

and much bigger.

事情鬧得更大。

In 1745, publisher André le Breton had hired Diderot

1745 年出版商 安德烈·布勒東 聘僱 狄德羅

to adapt the English cyclopedia,

修改英語版本的百科全書，

or a universal dictionary of arts and sciences

它可以當作藝術和科學的通用典輯，

for French subscribers.

發行給法國訂戶。

A broke writer, Diderot survived by translating,

一個一文不名的作家 狄德羅 終於可以翻譯、

tutoring,

輔導、

and authoring sermons for priests,

和撰寫神父的傳道文維生、

and a pornographic novel once.

還曾經創作一次春宮小說。

Le Breton paired him with co-editor Jean le Rond d'Alembert,

勒布勒東 將他與 達冷柏 組合為共同主編。

a math genius found on a church doorstep as a baby.

這位數學天才 達冷柏 曾是被丟棄在教堂門口嬰兒。

Technical dictionaries, like the cyclopedia, weren't new,

技術書典─像百科全書─ 並非新的書籍類，

but no one had attempted one publication covering all knowledge,

但從來沒有人試圖以一次出版 涵蓋所有知識，

so they did.

所以他們這樣做了。

The two men organized the French Enlightenment's brightest stars

這兩個男人聚集了 法國啟蒙時期最知名的學者

to produce the first encyclopedia,

創作出第一部百科全書，

or rational dictionary of the arts, sciences, and crafts.

也可說結合藝術、科學、工藝 -- 的理性主義的書典。

Assembling every essential fact and principle in, as it turned out,

蒐集了重要事實、法則， 最後完成了

over 70,000 entries,

7 萬多個條目，

20,000,000 words

2000 萬個字，

in 35 volumes of text and illustrations

共 35 卷，且圖文並茂。

created over three decades of researching,

這是歷經三十年的研究、

writing,

寫作、

arguging,

辯論、

smuggling,

走私、

backstabbing,

遭人暗算、

law-breaking,

違法、

and alphabetizing.

和按字母排序。

To organize the work,

為了編排此作品，

Diderot adapted Francis Bacon's "Classification of Knowledge"

狄德羅 修改了 弗朗西斯·培根 的 「知識分類」

into a three-part system based on the mind's approaches to reality:

根據心智處理現實方法， 分為三部分：

memory,

記憶、

reason,

分析、

and imagination.

和想像力。

He also emphasized the importance of commerce,

他強調了商業、

technology,

技術，

and crafts,

和工藝的重要性；

poking around shops to study the tools and techniques of Parisian laborers.

為此，他四處到商店研究 巴黎勞工的工具和技術。

To spotlight a few of the nearly 150 philosoph contributers,

我們來表彰150多位哲學撰稿者 中的幾位：

Jean Jacques Rousseau, Diderot's close friend,

狄德羅的密友：讓-雅克·盧梭，

wrote much of the music section in three months,

花了三個月寫了很多音樂相關章節，

and was never reimbursed for copy fees.

也從來沒領取稿費。

His entry on political economy holds ideas he'd later develop further

他的「政治經濟」條目上抱持的理念，

in "The Social Contract."

後來在「社會契約論」進一步展現。

D'Alembert wrote the famous preliminary discourse,

達冷柏 寫下了最早期的著名論述，

a key statement of the French Enlightenment,

乃為法國啟蒙運動ㄧ段重要言論，

championing independent investigative reasoning

擁護「獨立的研究推理」

as the path to progress.

是為進步之道。

Louis de Jaucourt wrote a quarter of the encyclopedia,

若古爵士撰寫百科的四分之一，

18,000 articles,

1萬 8千篇，

5,000,000 words,

500 萬字，

unpaid.

分文未取。

Louis once spent 20 years writing a book on anatomy,

若古爵士 曾經花了 20 年 寫了一本解剖學的書，

shipped it to Amsterdam to be published uncensored,

船運到阿姆斯特丹， 打算不受審查而出版，

and the ship sank.

但船隻沉沒。

Voltaire contributed entries,

伏爾泰 貢獻條目遍及多項：

among them history,

有歷史、

elegance,

「典雅」(法國舉止特質)、

and fire.

和「火」元素。

Diderot's entries sometimes exhibit slight bias.

狄德羅 的條目有時略顯偏頗。

In "political authority," he dismantled the divine right of kings.

在「政治權威」議題上， 他廢除了國王的神聖權利。

Under "citizen,"

在「公民」議題上，

he argued a state was strongest without great disparity in wealth.

他主張最強的國家 不應有貧富懸殊的現象。

Not surprising from the guy who wrote poetry about mankind strangling its kings

難怪他會寫出這樣的詩歌－

描述「人類用祭司的腸子 勒死了國王」。

with the entrails of a priest.

So Diderot's masterpiece wasn't a hit with the king or highest priest.

所以 狄德羅 的大作 並未獲得國王和最高祭司的喜愛。

Upon release of the first two volumes,

前兩卷發行時，

Louie XV banned the whole thing but enjoyed his own copy.

路易十五 下令查禁， 但自己卻私藏副本。

Pope Clement XIII ordered it burned.

教皇 克萊門特十三 也下令焚毀。

It was "dangerous,"

這是「危險的」、

"reprehensible,"

「應受譴責的」、

as well as "written in French,"

「用法語寫的」、

and in "the most seductive style."

使用「最聳動的風格」。

He declared readers excommunicated

他宣布將讀者逐出教會，

and wanted Diderot arrested on sight.

下令通緝 狄德羅。

But Diderot kept a step ahead of being shut down,

但 狄德羅 在被限制前 早就領先一步，

smuggling proofs outside France for publication,

將「樣稿」走私到法國境外出版，

and getting help from allies in the French Regime,

並在法國政權下，獲得盟友的幫助，

including the King's mistress, Madame de Pompadour,

其中包括國王的情婦 龐巴度夫人，

and the royal librarian and censor, Malesherbes,

和皇家圖書館兼審查員 馬勒澤布，

who tipped Diderot off to impending raids,

在查抄之前通風報信給 狄德羅，

and even hid Diderot's papers at his dad's house.

甚至將 狄德羅 的文章 藏在他父親的房子裡。

Still, he faced years of difficulty.

但是，他仍然面對了多年的難關。

D'Alembert dropped out.

達冷柏 選擇退出。

Rousseau broke off his friendship over a line in a play.

盧梭 為了戲劇上的某段台詞 斷絕了他的友誼關係。

Worse yet, his publisher secretly edited some proofs

更糟糕的是，他的出版商 暗地裡改寫他的樣稿，

to read less radically.

使它讀起來不那麼激進。

The uncensored pages reappeared in Russia in 1933,

1933年，未經審查的樣稿 在俄羅斯重現，

long after Diderot had considered the work finished

這已是 狄德羅 認定作品完成

and died at lunch.

死在午餐的許多年後了。

The encyclopedia he left behind is many things:

他的百科全書留下很多東西：

a cornerstone of the Enlightenment,

「啟蒙運動」的基石、

a testament to France's crisis of authority,

法國權威危機的證據、

evidence of popular opinions migration from pulpit and pew

民意從講道壇和教徒席，轉移到 咖啡店、沙龍、和新聞媒體的證據。

to cafe, salon, and press.

It even has recipes.

它甚至有食譜。

It's also irrepressibly human,

這也有不可遏制的人性，

as you can tell from Diderot's entry about a plant named aguaxima.

你從 狄德羅 的條目中 有關「野棉花」，就可知道了。

Read it yourself, preferably out loud in a French accent.

自己去讀讀看，最好大聲地讀出聲， 要帶法國口音哦！

翻譯：Gentian Pan