We can see this more clearly, perhaps, if we suppose it to be the case of any other dignified6 and clearly distinguishable profession. Suppose a Bishop7 called upon me. My great modesty8 and my rather distant reverence9 for the higher clergy10 might lead me certainly to a strong suspicion that any Bishop who called on me was a bogus Bishop. But if I wished to test his genuineness I should not dream of attempting to do so by examining the shape of his apron11 or the way his gaiters were done up. I have not the remotest idea of the way his gaiters ought to be done up. A very vague approximation to an apron would probably take me in; and if he behaved like an approximately Christian12 gentleman he would be safe enough from my detection. But suppose the Bishop, the moment he entered the room, fell on his knees on the mat, clasped his hands, and poured out a flood of passionate13 and somewhat hysterical14 extempore prayer, I should say at once and without the smallest hesitation15, "Whatever else this man is, he is not an elderly and wealthy cleric of the Church of England. They don't do such things." Or suppose a man came to me pretending to be a qualified16 doctor, and flourished a stethoscope, or what he said was a stethoscope. I am glad to say that I have not even the remotest notion of what a stethoscope looks like; so that if he flourished a musical-box or a coffee-mill it would be all one to me. But I do think that I am not exaggerating my own sagacity if I say that I should begin to suspect the doctor if on entering my room he flung his legs and arms about, crying wildly, "Health! Health! priceless gift of Nature! I possess it! I overflow17 with it! I yearn18 to impart it! Oh, the sacred rapture19 of imparting health!" In that case I should suspect him of being rather in a position to receive than to offer medical superintendence.
Now, it is no exaggeration at all to say that any one who has ever known any soldiers (I can only answer for English and Irish and Scotch20 soldiers) would find it just as easy to believe that a real Bishop would grovel21 on the carpet in a religious ecstasy22, or that a real doctor would dance about the drawing-room to show the invigorating effects of his own medicine, as to believe that a soldier, when asked for his authority, would point to a lot of shining weapons and declare symbolically23 that might was right. Of course, a real soldier would go rather red in the face and huskily repeat the proper formula, whatever it was, as that he came in the King's name.
Soldiers have many faults, but they have one redeeming24 merit; they are never worshippers of force. Soldiers more than any other men are taught severely25 and systematically26 that might is not right. The fact is obvious. The might is in the hundred men who obey. The right (or what is held to be right) is in the one man who commands them. They learn to obey symbols, arbitrary things, stripes on an arm, buttons on a coat, a title, a flag. These may be artificial things; they may be unreasonable27 things; they may, if you will, be wicked things; but they are weak things. They are not Force, and they do not look like Force. They are parts of an idea: of the idea of discipline; if you will, of the idea of tyranny; but still an idea. No soldier could possibly say that his own bayonets were his authority. No soldier could possibly say that he came in the name of his own bayonets. It would be as absurd as if a postman said that he came inside his bag. I do not, as I have said, underrate the evils that really do arise from militarism and the military ethic28. It tends to give people wooden faces and sometimes wooden heads. It tends moreover (both through its specialisation and through its constant obedience) to a certain loss of real independence and strength of character. This has almost always been found when people made the mistake of turning the soldier into a statesman, under the mistaken impression that he was a strong man. The Duke of Wellington, for instance, was a strong soldier and therefore a weak statesman. But the soldier is always, by the nature of things, loyal to something. And as long as one is loyal to something one can never be a worshipper of mere29 force. For mere force, violence in the abstract, is the enemy of anything we love. To love anything is to see it at once under lowering skies of danger. Loyalty30 implies loyalty in misfortune; and when a soldier has accepted any nation's uniform he has already accepted its defeat.
Nevertheless, it does appear to be possible in Germany for a man to point to fixed31 bayonets and say, "These are my authority," and yet to convince ordinarily sane32 men that he is a soldier. If this is so, it does really seem to point to some habit of high-faultin' in the German nation, such as that of which I spoke33 previously34. It almost looks as if the advisers35, and even the officials, of the German Army had become infected in some degree with the false and feeble doctrine36 that might is right. As this doctrine is invariably preached by physical weaklings like Nietzsche it is a very serious thing even to entertain the supposition that it is affecting men who have really to do military work It would be the end of German soldiers to be affected37 by German philosophy. Energetic people use energy as a means, but only very tired people ever use energy as a reason. Athletes go in for games, because athletes desire glory. Invalids38 go in for calisthenics; for invalids (alone of all human beings) desire strength. So long as the German Army points to its heraldic eagle and says, "I come in the name of this fierce but fabulous39 animal," the German Army will be all right. If ever it says, "I come in the name of bayonets," the bayonets will break like glass, for only the weak exhibit strength without an aim.
At the same time, as I said before, do not let us forged our own faults. Do not let us forget them any the more easily because they are the opposite to the German faults. Modern England is too prone40 to present the spectacle of a person who is enormously delighted because he has not got the contrary disadvantages to his own. The Englishman is always saying "My house is not damp" at the moment when his house is on fire. The Englishman is always saying, "I have thrown off all traces of anæmia" in the middle of a fit of apoplexy. Let us always remember that if an Englishman wants to swindle English people, he does not dress up in the uniform of a soldier. If an Englishman wants to swindle English people he would as soon think of dressing41 up in the uniform of a messenger boy. Everything in England is done unofficially, casually42, by conversations and cliques43. The one Parliament that really does rule England is a secret Parliament; the debates of which must not be published—the Cabinet. The debates of the Commons are sometimes important; but only the debates in the Lobby, never the debates in the House. Journalists do control public opinion; but it is not controlled by the arguments they publish—it is controlled by the arguments between the editor and sub-editor, which they do not publish. This casualness is our English vice44. It is at once casual and secret. Our public life is conducted privately45. Hence it follows that if an English swindler wished to impress us, the last thing he would think of doing would be to put on a uniform. He would put on a polite slouching air and a careless, expensive suit of clothes; he would stroll up to the Mayor, be so awfully46 sorry to disturb him, find he had forgotten his card-case, mention, as if he were ashamed of it, that he was the Duke of Mercia, and carry the whole thing through with the air of a man who could get two hundred witnesses and two thousand retainers, but who was too tired to call any of them. And if he did it very well I strongly suspect that he would be as successful as the indefensible Captain at Koepenick.
Our tendency for many centuries past has been, not so much towards creating an aristocracy (which may or may not be a good thing in itself), as towards substituting an aristocracy for everything else. In England we have an aristocracy instead of a religion. The nobility are to the English poor what the saints and the fairies are to the Irish poor, what the large devil with a black face was to the Scotch poor—the poetry of life. In the same way in England we have an aristocracy instead of a Government. We rely on a certain good humour and education in the upper class to interpret to us our contradictory47 Constitution. No educated man born of woman will be quite so absurd as the system that he has to administer. In short, we do not get good laws to restrain bad people. We get good people to restrain bad laws. And last of all we in England have an aristocracy instead of an Army. We have an Army of which the officers are proud of their families and ashamed of their uniforms. If I were a king of any country whatever, and one of my officers were ashamed of my uniform, I should be ashamed of my officer. Beware, then, of the really well-bred and apologetic gentleman whose clothes are at once quiet and fashionable, whose manner is at once diffident and frank. Beware how you admit him into your domestic secrets, for he may be a bogus Earl. Or, worse still, a real one.
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1
theatrical
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| adj.剧场的，演戏的；做戏似的，做作的 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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buckled
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| a. 有带扣的 | |
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uncommonly
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| adv. 稀罕(极，非常) | |
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villains
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| n.恶棍( villain的名词复数 )；罪犯；（小说、戏剧等中的）反面人物；淘气鬼 | |
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dignified
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| a.可敬的，高贵的 | |
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bishop
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| n.主教，（国际象棋）象 | |
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modesty
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| n.谦逊，虚心，端庄，稳重，羞怯，朴素 | |
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reverence
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| n.敬畏，尊敬，尊严；Reverence:对某些基督教神职人员的尊称；v.尊敬，敬畏，崇敬 | |
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clergy
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| n.[总称]牧师，神职人员 | |
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apron
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| n.围裙；工作裙 | |
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Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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passionate
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的 | |
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hysterical
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| adj.情绪异常激动的，歇斯底里般的 | |
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hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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qualified
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| adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的 | |
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overflow
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| v.(使)外溢，(使)溢出；溢出，流出，漫出 | |
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yearn
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| v.想念；怀念；渴望 | |
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rapture
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| n.狂喜；全神贯注；着迷；v.使狂喜 | |
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scotch
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| n.伤口，刻痕；苏格兰威士忌酒；v.粉碎，消灭，阻止；adj.苏格兰(人)的 | |
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grovel
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| vi.卑躬屈膝，奴颜婢膝 | |
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ecstasy
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| n.狂喜，心醉神怡，入迷 | |
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symbolically
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| ad.象征地，象征性地 | |
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redeeming
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| 补偿的，弥补的 | |
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severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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systematically
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| adv.有系统地 | |
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unreasonable
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| adj.不讲道理的，不合情理的，过度的 | |
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ethic
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| n.道德标准，行为准则 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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loyalty
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| n.忠诚，忠心 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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sane
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| adj.心智健全的，神志清醒的，明智的，稳健的 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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advisers
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| 顾问，劝告者( adviser的名词复数 )； （指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授 | |
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doctrine
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| n.教义；主义；学说 | |
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affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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invalids
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| 病人，残疾者( invalid的名词复数 ) | |
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fabulous
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| adj.极好的；极为巨大的；寓言中的，传说中的 | |
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prone
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| adj.(to)易于…的，很可能…的；俯卧的 | |
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dressing
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| n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料 | |
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casually
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| adv.漠不关心地，无动于衷地，不负责任地 | |
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cliques
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| n.小集团，小圈子，派系( clique的名词复数 ) | |
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44
vice
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| n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的 | |
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45
privately
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| adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地 | |
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46
awfully
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| adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地 | |
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47
contradictory
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| adj.反驳的，反对的，抗辩的；n.正反对，矛盾对立 | |
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