【鱼论】英国人怒斥香港暴徒：你们不配有民主

你们不配、没有资格声称要为之奋斗的那两个字“民主”，你们不配。

By Michele Li-Fay 老安试译

米歇尔·李菲(Michele Li-Fay) 英国一位美食家及摄影家

https://www.instagram.com/p/B2UVcvNDYBv/

An Open Letter To The Protesters and Their Supporters

致抗议者及其支持者的公开信

Another weekend, another round of escalating violence.

又一个週末，又一轮暴力升级。

You all take to the streets every night, spreading chaos, confusion and fear, claiming to be fighting for democracy and freedom, but instead you have proven to the world you don't even know what it means.

你们每天晚上都走上街头，散佈动乱、溷乱和恐惧，声称要为民主和自由而战，但你们却向世界证明了，你们不知道民主和自由是什麽。

Democracy is not just a vote; it is so much more than that.

民主不仅仅是一种投票制度，它还远远不止如此。

It is an attitude, a mindset, a way of behaving in a civilised society.

这是一种态度，一种观念模式，思维倾向、心态，一种文明社会的行为方式。

Democracy is understanding that society is filled with people with different views. There are many who will agree with you, but many more who probably will not. That's OK. A wise man once told me that different opinions make the world a little more interesting, a little more diverse. It prompts conversations, discussions, debates, even arguments. It stops us from becoming boring and complacent. It forces us to open our eyes, minds and hearts, but more importantly to understand the fact that different socioeconomic factors result in different realities and points of view. As long as the opinions and actions are lawful, valid, backed with real reason, logic and truth, and not with conspiracy theories and fake news, it isn't a wrong opinion. It is merely a different one.

民主就是基于认识到社会上充满了不同观点的人。虽然有很多人会同意你的观点，但更多的人可能不会同意。没关係。一位智者曾告诉我不同的观点使世界变得更有趣，更多样化。它引发了对话、讨论、辩论甚至争论。它阻止我们变得无聊和自满。它迫使我们打开我们的眼睛，头脑和心灵，但更重要的是，要让我们认识到一个事实，不同的社会“经济因素”导致不同的现实体验和观点。只要你认为这些意见和行为是合法的、有价值的，基于事实的、合乎逻辑的和真实的，而不是基于阴谋论的和假新闻的，这样，这些观点都不属于错误。这只不过是不同意见而已。

Democracy is respecting opposing opinions, and realising you don't always win. I voted to Remain in the Brexit vote. Many of my friends and loved ones voted Remain as well. However, we lost. We were shocked, outraged maybe. We couldn't believe we weren't the majority, when we were so confident we were. And I also know some who voted to Leave which resulted in our loss as Remainders. I have not cut out those who voted against my beliefs. I have never once belittled or berated them, nor do I think less of them. Because while I may not agree with them, or even agree with their reasons, I respect their decision to vote that way. Because in their eyes, it's for the right reasons, and it's their reason, not mine or for me to judge.

民主就是尊重对立的意见，意识到你并不总是赢。 在“脱欧”公投中，我投票在“留欧”的一派。我的许多朋友和亲人也投了“留欧”的票。然而，我们输了。我们是震惊，也许是愤怒。我们如此自信的时候，我们无法相信我们竟不是大多数。我也认识一些投票决定脱欧的人，这导致了我们成为失败的“留欧者”。我没有割切那些投票反对我信仰的朋友。我从来没有轻视或斥责他们，也没有轻视他们，或者不喜欢他们。因为虽然我可能不同意他们、甚至不同意他们所持的理由，但我尊重他们这样投票的决定。因为在他们眼里，这是正确的理由，这是他们的理由，不是我的，也不是我所判断的。

Democracy is accepting defeat, but not giving up and striving to better the situation. Protests happened when it was announced the UK was leaving the EU, but no riots. There was plenty of anger, disappointment and frustration, many slogans, banners and chants, but there were no petrol bombs, hateful graffiti or attacks on law enforcement. Then once the dust settled and reality sank in, people got on with their lives and their jobs, and tried (and are still trying) to make the best of the situation, to reach the best resolution possible, even if it wasn't what they voted for to begin with. We didn't sit back and protest and sulk until our "demands" were met. Because we know a vote means options, which means one side must lose, even if it is your own.

民主是接受失败，不是放弃，而是更努力改善局面。当英国宣佈脱离欧盟时发生了抗议示威，但没有发生骚乱。当然会有很多愤怒、失望、迷惑，也有很多口号、横幅和谩骂，但没有汽油弹、仇恨的涂鸦或对执法者的攻击。然后，一旦尘埃落定，就返回现实，人们开始继续他们的生活和工作，努力(而且仍在努力)使情况变得最好，尽可能达成最好的脱欧解决方桉，即使这不是他们最初投票所赞成的。我们在我们的“要求”得到满足之前，他们并没有停下生活，抗议和恼怒。因为我们知道投票意味着选择，这意味着一方必须输，即使这是你自己那方的。

Most of all, democracy is self-betterment and self-reflection. Democracy requires education and a desire to seek the truth through all the hazy smokescreen of reality and life. It isn't churning out the party line, without understanding what it is you're even referring to. It requires real fact-checking and a dose of common sense, to understand that not everything--or unfortunately in this day and age, nothing at all--can be taken at face value. The Internet makes it very easy to spread unverified news and vicious rumours. People, politicians, even news publications, which are meant to be impartial, all have their own agendas and inherent bias, and it's down to the individual to exercise their brains to think of a situation's plausibility.

民主最重要的是，是自我完善和自我反省。民主需要经过教育和通过经历现实的和穿过各种充满朦胧的、烟雾瀰漫的生活的体验、寻求真理的愿望的考验。它不是未经验証的，滔滔不绝的、意识形态式的符合政党路线的党言团意。民主是需要真正的事实核查和符合一定程度的常识。要明白不是所有事物 - 或者不幸的是在今时今日，没有任何东西 - 可以按表面知道实相。今天的互联网非常容易传播未经证实的新闻和恶毒的谣言。人，政治家，甚至是新闻传媒，本应需要扯有不偏不倚处事，可惜他们每个人都有自己的议程和固执的偏见，他们更千方百计用尽脑汁去涂饰他们所做的一切，吹起来振振有词。

Democracy is not intimidating and shouting at those who don't share the same opinion as you, and forcing them to agree with you or apologise, or else. It is not beating up men and women on the streets till their blood paints the pavement, just because they have come out to condemn your violence or sing a different tune. It is not destroying and defacing public property, causing hundreds of thousand dollars worth of collective damage, because that corporation or that shopkeeper has offended you. It is not violence, terrorism and bullying.

民主并不是对那些与你意见不一致的人进行恐吓和大喊大叫、大吵大闹，或是强迫他们一定要同意你的观点，或要向你道歉，或者其他更恶劣的。民主不是在街上随意殴打仅仅因为他们出来谴责你的暴力行为或跟你不同意见、观点的男或女人，直到他们的鲜血涂地。民主并不是破坏和涂鸦公共财产，造成数以十万计的财务损失。只因为那家机构或那个店主冒犯了你。民主绝不是暴力、恐怖主义和欺凌。

It is not destroying a politician's parents' grave, because he spoke out against you. It is not injuring police officers who are trying to keep the peace you insist on destroying. It is not striking first, then crying police brutality when you get your just deserts. It is not spreading fake news and conspiracy theories, and gobbling them up with no reflection or analysis.

民主不是因为他公开反对你，你就要去破坏这政客父母的坟墓。民主并不是伤残那些试图维护社会秩序，而相反你坚持要去破坏社会和平的前綫员警。民主并不是你先以暴力破坏在前，而你得到你的应得的制裁时，反过来污衊前綫员警暴力执法。民主不是在散佈假新闻和未有进行任何确认或分析的各种毁谤、抺黑。

It is not terrorising locals and tourists, adults and children alike, shutting down airports and stations, and bringing the economy to a halt. It is not brainwashing and influencing impressionable young minds that should be thinking about fun and dreams, not politics and protests. It is not destroying your home, a city you claim to love. It is not asking for liberation and freedom while holding the entire city hostage.

民主并不是随意恐吓、威胁、威吓当地人和游客、成人和儿童，关闭机场和车站，并使经济停止。民主不是以洗脑和误导、影响思想未成熟的青少年，让他们感受行动的乐趣和如梦的虚幻，而不去考量政治及为什麽抗议。民主不是去摧毁你们的家、去破坏一个你们口口声声宣称要爱的城市。民主并不是声称坚持自由的同时把整个城市作为人质。

You have reduced the concept of democracy to being just about universal suffrage, when it is so much more than that. You claim to selflessly sacrifice yourselves to fight for the future of all, but you are selfish. You are selfishly pushing your own agenda without care of how people really feel, what others really want. And with your violent actions and narrow one-track mind, you have shown what little understanding and respect for what democracy truly represents.

你们已经把民主的概念简化为就是大槪等同普选的概念，而这个概念远不止如此。你们声称无私牺牲自己为所有人的未来而战，但实际上自私的是你们。你们是在自私地推进你们自以为是的议程，而漠不关心其他多数人的真实感受和别人真正想要的东西。以你们的暴力行为和狭隘的单轨思维，你们已经自己证明了自己缺乏理解和尊重民主真正代表的东西。

So bravo to you, as you proven through entirely your own actions and naivity that you don't deserve the one very thing you claim to be fighting for.

所以对你们来说， 你们很勇武啊，因为你们完全通过你自己的行动和无知证明了。

你们不配、没有资格声称要为之奋斗的那两个字“民主”,, 你们不配。