Mark Forsyth: What's a snollygoster? A short lesson in political speak

Translator: Morton Bast Reviewer: Thu-Huong Ha

譯者: Yuguo Zhang 審譯者: Gina Wang

One of my favorite words in the whole of the Oxford English Dictionary

全牛津英語字典中

我最喜歡的單字是 snollygoster

is "snollygoster,"

just because it sounds so good.

不僅因為它聽起來很棒

而且它的意思是

And what snollygoster means is "a dishonest politician."

“一位不誠實的政客”

Although there was a 19th-century newspaper editor

不過，有一位19世紀的報紙編輯

給了最好的定義，他說：

who defined it rather better when he said,

"A snollygoster is a fellow who seeks office

“snollygoster 是一個為了謀求高位的人

regardless of party, platform or principle,

不擇政黨、場合或原則

為了贏得該職位

and who, when he wins,

gets there by the sheer force of monumental talknophical assumnancy."

他會竭盡全力

用三寸不爛之舌以達到目的"

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

Now, I have no idea what "talknophical" is.

我完全不懂“talknophical”是什麼意思

Something to do with words, I assume.

我想大概是和言語詞彙有關

但言語詞彙卻是政治運作的核心

But it's very important that words are at the center of politics,

所有政客都明白 他們必須試著控制言論

and all politicians know they have to try and control language.

It wasn't until, for example, 1771

舉例來說，一直到1771年

that the British Parliament allowed newspapers to report

英國國會才准許報紙刊出

the exact words that were said in the debating chamber.

政客在議會所說的逐字稿

And this was actually all down to the bravery

事實上，這全是因為一位勇敢的人

他非凡的名字叫 Brass Crosby

of a guy with the extraordinary name of Brass Crosby,

who took on Parliament.

他對抗國會

And he was thrown into the Tower of London

然後被丟進倫敦塔裡

遭到囚禁

and imprisoned,

但是他還是很勇敢

but he was brave enough,

在國會挺身而出

he was brave enough to take them on, and in the end,

最終，因倫敦廣大的民眾支持而贏得勝利

he had such popular support in London that he won.

僅僅幾年後

And it was only a few years later

that we have the first recorded use of the phrase "as bold as brass."

出現這片語最早的使用記錄

“as bold as brass” （像Brass一樣的勇敢）

很多人認為這片語的來源與金屬有關

Most people think that's down to the metal.

不是的，它是出自於

It's not; it's down to a campaigner for the freedom of the press.

一位捍衛新聞自由的勇士

But to really show you how words and politics interact,

不過它真正顯示出

言語和政治如何互動

我想來說說過去的美國

I want to take you back to the United States of America,

just after they'd achieved independence.

在它才剛獨立的時候

And they had to face the question

他們須面對一個問題

要如何稱呼他們的領袖喬治·華盛頓

of what to call George Washington, their leader.

They didn't know.

他們不知道

What do you call the leader of a republican country?

應該怎麼尊稱一位共和國的領袖

And this was debated in Congress for ages and ages.

國會為了這問題爭論許久

And there were all sorts of suggestions on the table,

檯面上有許多的建議

有些貌似可行

which might have made it.

I mean, some people wanted him to be called

有些人想稱他為

「首席行政官華盛頓」

"Chief Magistrate Washington,"

and other people, "His Highness, George Washington,"

而另一些人想稱他為「喬治·華盛頓殿下」

and other people,

還有人稱他「保障美國人民自由的保衛者華盛頓」

"Protector of the Liberties

of the People of the United States of America Washington."

Not that catchy.

不怎麼響亮

Some people just wanted to call him king --

一些人只想稱他為「國王」

他們認為這稱號過去用過並經得起考驗

it was tried and tested.

They weren't even being monarchical,

他們甚至並不想延續君主獨裁制

他們的想法是 國王是可以透過選舉產生的

they had the idea that you could be elected king for a fixed term.

有一定的任期

And, you know, it could have worked.

這樣大概可行

And everybody got insanely bored,

為此每個人都感到非常地厭煩，事實上

because this debate went on for three weeks.

這場辯論持續了3個禮拜

I read a diary of this poor senator who just keeps coming back,

我讀過當時一位可憐議員的日記

裡面不斷的寫著「還是這個議題」

"Still on this subject."

導致延宕和和厭倦的原因是

And the reason for the delay and the boredom

was that the House of Representatives were against the Senate.

眾議院是反對參議院的

眾議院不想讓華盛頓

The House of Representatives didn't want Washington to get drunk on power.

沉醉於權力

They didn't want to call him "king," in case that gave him ideas,

他們不想稱他為國王

以防他或他的繼任者會自認為國王

or his successor ideas.

他們想給他一個最謙卑、最微不足道

So they wanted to give him the humblest, meagerest,

most pathetic title that they could think of.

最為可悲的頭銜

而這個頭銜叫 President (總統)

And that title ...

was "President."

(Laughter)

"President." They didn't invent the title.

President，不是他們創造的字眼 這個頭銜以前就存在

I mean, it existed before,

but it just meant somebody who presides over a meeting.

但它只指會議主持人

It was like the foreman of the jury.

類似陪審團主席

And it didn't have much more grandeur

與 foreman（工頭）或 overseer（監工）相比

它一點也沒有比較顯赫

than the term "foreman" or "overseer."

There were occasional presidents of little colonial councils

雖然這名稱會偶爾指某些小殖民地的行政官

and bits of government,

有一絲地區首領意味 但它真的是個不怎樣的頭銜

but it was really a nothing title.

這也是為什麼參議院反對這頭銜的原因

And that's why the Senate objected to it.

他們說，這太荒謬，你們不能稱他為主席

They said, "That's ridiculous! You can't call him 'President.'

這個人必須去簽條約和接見外國貴賓

This guy has to go and sign treaties and meet foreign dignitaries.

Who's going to take him seriously if he's got a silly little title

誰會認真對待他

如果他只有如此愚蠢的小頭銜：

美國總統 （President of the United States of America）

like 'President of the United States of America'?"

(Laughter)

And after three weeks of debate, in the end,

之後經過三週的辯論

the Senate did not cave in.

最後參議院也沒有屈服

Instead, they agreed to use the title "President" for now.

他們同意暫時先用 President 這稱號

但他們也極力澄清

But they also wanted it absolutely set down

他們不同意這個頭銜

that they didn't agree with it,

是出於對文明國家對意見和做法的尊重

from a decent respect for the opinions and practice of civilized nations,

whether under republican or monarchical forms of government,

無論此政府是行共和制或者君主制

whose custom it is to annex,

他的職權依照慣例

through the office of the Chief Magistrate,

同首席行政總理，是極具體面的尊稱

titles of respectability --

而不是該死的 President

not bloody "President."

還有在同外國交際時

And that, in the intercourse with foreign nations,

美國人們的尊嚴

the majesty of the people of the United States

may not be hazarded by an appearance of singularity --

不會被這怪異的頭銜所損害

i.e., we don't want to look like bloody weirdos.

意即：我們不想被看成一群該死的怪人

從這個故事裡我們學到三件有趣的事

Now, you can learn three interesting things from this.

首先，也是我最喜歡的

First of all -- and this is my favorite --

is that, so far as I've ever been able to find out,

到目前為止，在所有我能找到的資料裡

參議院從來沒有正式的認可過「總統」這個頭銜

the Senate has never formally endorsed the title of President.

Barack Obama, President Obama, is there on borrowed time,

歐巴馬「總統」一稱，到現在還是暫借的

just waiting for the Senate to spring into action.

還在等待參議院著手處理名稱一事

(Laughter)

The second thing you can learn

我們可以學到的第二件事是

當一個政府宣稱這只是一項臨時措施

is that, when a government says that this is a temporary measure --

（笑聲）--

(Laughter)

you can still be waiting 223 years later.

它會持續223年之久而不改變

但第三件事

But the third thing you can learn -- and this is the really important one,

非常重要

是我最想讓你們記住的要點

the point I want to leave you on --

就是「美國總統」這個頭銜

is that the title, "President of the United States of America,"

doesn't sound that humble at all these days, does it?

現在聽起來一點都不卑微，不是嗎？

Something to do with the slightly over 5,000

他有大約5000多枚

nuclear warheads he has at his disposal

核彈彈頭等著他發號施令

還有著全世界最大的經濟體

and the largest economy in the world

還有許多飛機艇艦，和其他的資源

and a fleet of drones and all that sort of stuff.

Reality and history have endowed that title with grandeur.

現實和歷史賦予了這個頭銜尊貴的含義

And so the Senate won in the end.

所以最終參議院仍然贏了

They got their title of respectability.

他們得到了想要的體面頭銜

And also, the Senate's other worry, the appearance of singularity --

而且，參議院擔心 這個頭銜聽起來很古怪

well, it was a singularity back then.

它也只有過去那時候很古怪而已

But now, do you know how many nations have a president?

但現在，你知道現在有多少個國家有「總統」嗎？

147個

A hundred and forty-seven.

All because they want to sound like the guy

這都是因為他們想讓自己聽起來

who's got the 5,000 nuclear warheads, etc.

像那個擁有5000多枚核彈的傢伙一樣

所以到最後，參議院勝利了

And so, in the end, the Senate won

眾議院輸了

and the House of Representatives lost ...

because nobody's going to feel that humble

因為沒有人會感到謙卑

當他們被告知

when they're told that they are now

他們現在是美國總統

the President of the United States of America.

And that's the important lesson I think you can take away,

這是很重要的一課

也是我想留給你們思考的要點

and the one I want to leave you with.

政客們該謹慎選擇用詞，並利用詞彙塑造

Politicians try to pick and use words to shape and control reality,

和控制現實，但是事實上

but in fact,

reality changes words far more than words can ever change reality.

現實改變詞彙遠遠超過

詞彙能改變現實

非常感謝大家

Thank you very much.