OnHisSeventiethBirthday
喬治·蕭伯納/GeorgeBernardShaw
喬治·蕭伯納（1856—1950），愛爾蘭作家、戲劇家和政論家，出身於都柏林一個公務員之家，曾當過抄寫員、會計，赴倫敦後開始從事創作。1925年獲諾貝爾文學獎，他的主要作品有《巴巴拉上校》《蘋果車》《聖女貞德》等。
AceintheHole
Understandthesenewwordsbeforeyoureadthisarticle.
1.constitutionaladj.憲法規定的，合乎憲法的；憲法的；體質上的，生來的
2.compromisen.妥協，折中方法
3.capitalismn．資本主義(制度)；資本(或財富)的擁有；資本(私人佔有和生產盈利)的支配地位
4.promulgatev.宣揚(某事物)；傳播；公佈，頒布(法令、新法律等)
5.absurdityn.極端無理性，悖理；荒謬；謬論；荒謬的行為
Oflateyearsthepublichavebeentryingtotacklemeineverywaytheypossiblycan,andfailingtomakeanythingofittheyhaveturnedtotreatingmeasagreatman.Thisisadreadfulfatetoovertakeanybody.Therehasbeenadistinctattempttodoitagainnow,andforthatreasonIabsolutelydeclinetosayanythingaboutthecelebrationofmyseventiethbirthday.ButwhentheLaborParty,myoldfriendstheLaborParty,invitedmehere,IknewthatIshouldbeallright.
Now,however,wehavebuiltupaConstitutionalParty.Wehavebuiltituponasocialisticbasis.Myfriend,Mr.SidneyWebb,Mr.MacdonaldandmyselfsaiddefinitelyatthebeginningthatwhatwehadgottodowastomaketheSocialistPartyaconstitutionalpartytowhichanyrespectableGod-fearingmancouldbelongwithouttheslightestcompromiseofhisrespectability.WegotridofallthosetraditionsthatiswhyGovernmentsinthepresentdayaremoreafraidofusthantheywereofanyoftheRadicalpeople.
Ourpositionisaperfectlysimpleoneandwehavethegreatadvantageofunderstandingourposition.Weopposesocialismtocapitalism.
Accordingtothecapitalists,therewillbeaguaranteetotheworldthateverymaninthecountrywouldgetajob.Theydidn』tcontenditwouldbeawell-paidjob,becauseifitwaswellpaidamanwouldsaveupenoughoneweektostopworkingthenextweek,andtheyweredeterminedtokeepamanworkingthewholetimeonabaresubsistencewage—and,ontheotherhand,divideanaccumulationofcapital.
Theysaidcapitalismnotonlysecuredthisfortheworkingman,but,byinsuringfabulouswealthinthehandsofasmallclassofpeople,theywouldsavemoneywhethertheylikeditornotandwouldhavetoinvestit.Thatiscapitalism,andthisGovernmentisalwaysinterferingwithcapitalism.Insteadofgivingamanajoborlettinghimstarvetheyaregivinghimdolesaftermakingsurehehaspaidforthemfirst.Theyaregivingcapitalistssubsidiesandmakingallsortsofregulationsthatarebreakinguptheirownsystem.Allthetimetheyaredoingit,andwearetellingthemitisbreakingup,theydon』tunderstand.
Wesayincriticismofcapitalism:Yoursystemhasneverkeptitspromisesforonesingledaysinceitwaspromulgated.Ourproductionisridiculous.Weareproducingeightyhorsepowermotorcarswhenmanymorehousesshouldbebuilt.Weareproducingmostextravagantluxurieswhilechildrenstarve.Youhavestoodproductiononitshead.Insteadofbeginningwiththethingsthenationneedsmost,youarebeginningatjusttheoppositeend.Wesaydistributionhasbecomesoglaringlyridiculousthatthereareonlytwopeopleoutoftheforty-sevenmillionpeopleinthiscountrywhoapproveofthepresentsystemofdistributiononeistheDukeofNorthumberlandandtheotherisLordBanbury.
Weareopposedtothattheory.Socialism,whichisperfectlyclearandunmistakable,saysthethingyouhavegottotakecareofisyourdistribution.Wehavetobeginwiththat,andprivateproperty,ifitstandsinthewayofgooddistribution,hasgottogo.
Amanwhoholdspublicpropertymustholditonthepub1icconditiononwhich,forinstance,Icarrymywalkingstick.IamnotallowedtodowhatIlikewithit.Imustnotknockyouontheheadwithit.Wesaythatifdistributiongoeswrong,everythingelsegoeswrong—religion,morals,government.Andwesay,therefore(thisisthewholemeaningofoursocialism),wemustbeginwithdistributionandtakeallthenecessarysteps.