错误之处
自从前总理推荐了本书之后，这书已经铺天盖地冒出了至少七八个版本了。商务的这个版本可能是最常见，也最容易找到的版本。我在其他好几个地方看到有人问这个版本的翻译好坏问题。遗憾地说，这个翻译对理解这本书有根本性的偏差，在序言中即可看出，译者们自己就对这本书理解错了。
这里不举那些我认为翻译得不好的地方，比方说其中的一些专有名词的奇怪翻译，还有一些术语和措辞我认为不恰当的地方，诸如把sympathy和compassionate不加任何区分地翻译成“同情”的地方就不说了。只举明确地是错译的地方。
这也并非是勘误表，我只是随机地列一些。不客气地说，如果仔细追究的话，几乎每页都可以找到错误或者不当的地方。
p12. 他们渴望由于连他们自己也认为不值得称赞的什么东西而受到称赞，并为一些美德受到冷遇而感到羞愧，这些美德他们有时也会偷偷地实行，并对它们怀有某种程度的真诚的敬意。
They desire to be praised for what they themselves do not think praise–worthy, and are ashamed of unfashionable virtues which they sometimes practise in secret, and for which they have secretly some degree of real veneration.
纠正：羞于一些不再流行的美德。
p123.
在忘恩负义的人的眼里，恰如想行善而未成功的人的优点似乎会因失败而缩小一样，企图作恶而未成功的人的缺点同样也会缩小。
As the merit of an unsuccessful attempt to do good seems thus, in the eyes of ungrateful mankind, to be diminished by the miscarriage, so does likewise the demerit of an unsuccessful attempt to do evil.
纠正，在不知感激的人类眼里。此处是全称，并非特指某些人类。
p132. 如果仁慈的感情在几乎成为罪过之前就付诸行动，那似乎应该得到最高度的赞扬。相反，狠毒的感情化为行动几乎不会过分迟缓或多加考虑。
The benevolent affections seem to deserve most praise, when they do not wait till it becomes almost a crime for them not to exert themselves. The malevolent, on the contrary, can scarce be too tardy, too slow, or deliberate.
纠正，这句中文意思翻译得非常不通。直译为：这种仁慈的感情当得到最高的奖赏，如果不是等到非得表达他们不可（不表达几乎成为一种犯罪）
p187. 我们道德情感的合宜性决不那么容易因宽容而又不公平的旁观者近在眼前，中立而又公正的旁观者远在天边而被损坏。
The propriety of our moral sentiments is never so apt to be corrupted, as when the indulgent and partial spectator is at hand, while the indifferent and impartial one is at a great distance.
纠正，这句话的意思，不幸完全翻译反了。以至于让下面的一大段完全不能理解。当为：
没有什么比宽容而又不公平的旁观者近在眼前，中立而又公正的旁观者远在天边而更能让我们道德情感的合宜性遭到损坏的了。
p196. 并且真正感受到懊丧和悔恨的刺痛在开始烦扰和折磨自己，这是他以前预见不到的。
and actually feels, what he had only foreseen very imperfectly before, the stings of remorse and repentance begin to agitate and torment him.
纠正：这是他以前只是不那么清楚地感觉到的。
p197. 这一章的名字翻译得不对，
论道德的一般准则的影响和权威，以及它们被公正地看作造物主的法则
Of the influence and authority of the general Rules of Morality, and that they are justly regarded as the Laws of the Deity
Rules of Morality和Laws of the Deity相对，所以应该是，论一般的道德准则
p267. 这种我们天天听到人们在谈论的事情已经司空见惯。人们也似乎认为，这是为那种本身是最不义和最无理性的行为进行的一种十足的辩解。
Such a thing, we hear men every day saying, is commonly done, and they seem to think this a sufficient apology for what, in itself, is the most unjust and unreasonable conduct.
纠正，这种事情，我们每天都听到有人说，就是寻常的做法。而且他们认为这已经足够给那些最不义和最无理性的行为做辩护了。
紧接着的下面一段，为什么把obvious reason翻译成浅显的理由？紧接着是一个排版的错误，把“社会”排成了“死会”。
p282. 可以看到，调节天性在其它各方面所作所为的那同一种至高无上的智慧，在这一方面也指导着它所给予的那种次序；这一智慧的强弱，常常同我们的善行的必要性的大小或有用性的大小成比例。
The same unerring wisdom, it will be found, which regulates every other part of her conduct, directs, in this respect too, the order of her recommendations; which are always stronger or weaker in proportion as our beneficence is more or less necessary, or can be more or less useful.
纠正，这一智慧的强弱，实际上是指recommendations的。这句话我就不翻译了。
p302, 他将尽可能使自己的政治计划适应于人们根深蒂固的习惯和偏见；并且，将尽可能消除也许来自人们不愿服从的那些法规的要求的不便之处。
He will accommodate, as well as he can, his public arrangements to the confirmed habits and prejudices of the people; and will remedy as well as he can, the inconveniencies which may flow from the want of those regulations which the people are averse to submit to.
纠正，消除那些因为人们不愿服从，从而缺乏管理所带来的不便之处。
p302，相反，在政府中掌权的人，容易自以为非常聪明，并且常常对自己所想象的政治计划的那种虚构的完美迷恋不已
The man of system, on the contrary, is apt to be very wise in his own conceit; and is often so enamoured with the supposed beauty of his own ideal plan of government, that he cannot suffer the smallest deviation from any part of it.
纠正，man of system, 老式说我也不知道怎么准确翻译才好。这里联系下文可知道是，那些迷恋系统的人，怎么也不是“在政府中掌权的人。”
p314, 其出色的运用以具有那种勇气为必需条件，正如死亡通常要通过某种检测来确定一样。
The proper exercise of it supposes that courage, as death is commonly the certain consequence of detection.
纠正，死亡通常就是被发觉之后的必然下场。
这里不举那些我认为翻译得不好的地方，比方说其中的一些专有名词的奇怪翻译，还有一些术语和措辞我认为不恰当的地方，诸如把sympathy和compassionate不加任何区分地翻译成“同情”的地方就不说了。只举明确地是错译的地方。
这也并非是勘误表，我只是随机地列一些。不客气地说，如果仔细追究的话，几乎每页都可以找到错误或者不当的地方。
p12. 他们渴望由于连他们自己也认为不值得称赞的什么东西而受到称赞，并为一些美德受到冷遇而感到羞愧，这些美德他们有时也会偷偷地实行，并对它们怀有某种程度的真诚的敬意。
They desire to be praised for what they themselves do not think praise–worthy, and are ashamed of unfashionable virtues which they sometimes practise in secret, and for which they have secretly some degree of real veneration.
纠正：羞于一些不再流行的美德。
p123.
在忘恩负义的人的眼里，恰如想行善而未成功的人的优点似乎会因失败而缩小一样，企图作恶而未成功的人的缺点同样也会缩小。
As the merit of an unsuccessful attempt to do good seems thus, in the eyes of ungrateful mankind, to be diminished by the miscarriage, so does likewise the demerit of an unsuccessful attempt to do evil.
纠正，在不知感激的人类眼里。此处是全称，并非特指某些人类。
p132. 如果仁慈的感情在几乎成为罪过之前就付诸行动，那似乎应该得到最高度的赞扬。相反，狠毒的感情化为行动几乎不会过分迟缓或多加考虑。
The benevolent affections seem to deserve most praise, when they do not wait till it becomes almost a crime for them not to exert themselves. The malevolent, on the contrary, can scarce be too tardy, too slow, or deliberate.
纠正，这句中文意思翻译得非常不通。直译为：这种仁慈的感情当得到最高的奖赏，如果不是等到非得表达他们不可（不表达几乎成为一种犯罪）
p187. 我们道德情感的合宜性决不那么容易因宽容而又不公平的旁观者近在眼前，中立而又公正的旁观者远在天边而被损坏。
The propriety of our moral sentiments is never so apt to be corrupted, as when the indulgent and partial spectator is at hand, while the indifferent and impartial one is at a great distance.
纠正，这句话的意思，不幸完全翻译反了。以至于让下面的一大段完全不能理解。当为：
没有什么比宽容而又不公平的旁观者近在眼前，中立而又公正的旁观者远在天边而更能让我们道德情感的合宜性遭到损坏的了。
p196. 并且真正感受到懊丧和悔恨的刺痛在开始烦扰和折磨自己，这是他以前预见不到的。
and actually feels, what he had only foreseen very imperfectly before, the stings of remorse and repentance begin to agitate and torment him.
纠正：这是他以前只是不那么清楚地感觉到的。
p197. 这一章的名字翻译得不对，
论道德的一般准则的影响和权威，以及它们被公正地看作造物主的法则
Of the influence and authority of the general Rules of Morality, and that they are justly regarded as the Laws of the Deity
Rules of Morality和Laws of the Deity相对，所以应该是，论一般的道德准则
p267. 这种我们天天听到人们在谈论的事情已经司空见惯。人们也似乎认为，这是为那种本身是最不义和最无理性的行为进行的一种十足的辩解。
Such a thing, we hear men every day saying, is commonly done, and they seem to think this a sufficient apology for what, in itself, is the most unjust and unreasonable conduct.
纠正，这种事情，我们每天都听到有人说，就是寻常的做法。而且他们认为这已经足够给那些最不义和最无理性的行为做辩护了。
紧接着的下面一段，为什么把obvious reason翻译成浅显的理由？紧接着是一个排版的错误，把“社会”排成了“死会”。
p282. 可以看到，调节天性在其它各方面所作所为的那同一种至高无上的智慧，在这一方面也指导着它所给予的那种次序；这一智慧的强弱，常常同我们的善行的必要性的大小或有用性的大小成比例。
The same unerring wisdom, it will be found, which regulates every other part of her conduct, directs, in this respect too, the order of her recommendations; which are always stronger or weaker in proportion as our beneficence is more or less necessary, or can be more or less useful.
纠正，这一智慧的强弱，实际上是指recommendations的。这句话我就不翻译了。
p302, 他将尽可能使自己的政治计划适应于人们根深蒂固的习惯和偏见；并且，将尽可能消除也许来自人们不愿服从的那些法规的要求的不便之处。
He will accommodate, as well as he can, his public arrangements to the confirmed habits and prejudices of the people; and will remedy as well as he can, the inconveniencies which may flow from the want of those regulations which the people are averse to submit to.
纠正，消除那些因为人们不愿服从，从而缺乏管理所带来的不便之处。
p302，相反，在政府中掌权的人，容易自以为非常聪明，并且常常对自己所想象的政治计划的那种虚构的完美迷恋不已
The man of system, on the contrary, is apt to be very wise in his own conceit; and is often so enamoured with the supposed beauty of his own ideal plan of government, that he cannot suffer the smallest deviation from any part of it.
纠正，man of system, 老式说我也不知道怎么准确翻译才好。这里联系下文可知道是，那些迷恋系统的人，怎么也不是“在政府中掌权的人。”
p314, 其出色的运用以具有那种勇气为必需条件，正如死亡通常要通过某种检测来确定一样。
The proper exercise of it supposes that courage, as death is commonly the certain consequence of detection.
纠正，死亡通常就是被发觉之后的必然下场。
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