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P.T. 巴纳姆:奋斗与胜利·补录 595

P.T. 巴纳姆《奋斗与胜利》· Struggles and Triumphs · 领导

It was evident that here was an opportunity to turn all doubts into hard cash by simply bringing the two dwarf Dromios together, and showing them on the same platform. I therefore induced Tom Thumb to bring his Western engagements to a close, and to appear for four weeks, beginning with August 11, 1862, in my Museum. Announcements headed “The Two Dromios,” and “Two Smallest Men, and Greatest Curiosities Living,” as I expected, drew large crowds to see them, and many came especially to solve their doubts with regard to the genuineness of the “Nutt.” But here I was considerably nonplussed, for astonishing as it may seem, the doubts of many of the visitors were confirmed! The sharp people who were determined “not to be humbugged, anyhow,” still declared that Commodore Nutt was General Tom Thumb, and that the little fellow whom I was trying to pass off as Tom Thumb, was no more like the General than he was like the man in the Moon. It is very amusing to see how people will sometimes deceive themselves by being too incredulous.

出处: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/50115
定位:Additional excerpt 595 · 核对日期:2026-10-19 · 核验:短摘录

白话

巴纳姆让汤姆拇指和纳特同台演出,宣传为“两个德罗米奥”和“两个最小的人”,吸引大量观众来验证纳特是否真实。但出乎意料,许多怀疑者反而更确信纳特就是汤姆拇指,认为另一个才是假的。巴纳姆觉得人们因过度怀疑而自我欺骗,十分有趣。这揭示了先入为主的观念如何影响判断,甚至让人无视相反证据。

上下文

巴纳姆安排汤姆拇指和纳特同台,本想消除观众对纳特真实性的怀疑,结果适得其反。

今日一问

你是否有过因为过度怀疑而误判的经历?

公版传记;原文逐字取自 Project Gutenberg,仅摘录段落并附全书链接。

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