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托马斯·马尔萨斯:人口论·摘录 32

托马斯·马尔萨斯《人口论》· An Essay on the Principle of Population · 投资

One principal reason is that the histories of mankind that we possess are histories only of the higher classes. We have but few accounts that can be depended upon of the manners and customs of that part of mankind where these retrograde and progressive movements chiefly take place. A satisfactory history of this kind, on one people, and of one period, would require the constant and minute attention of an observing mind during a long life. Some of the objects of inquiry would be, in what proportion to the number of adults was the number of marriages, to what extent vicious customs prevailed in consequence of the restraints upon matrimony, what was the comparative mortality among the children of the most distressed part of the community and those who lived rather more at their ease, what were the variations in the real price of labour, and what were the observable differences in the state of the lower classes of society with respect to ease and happiness, at different times during a certain period.

出处: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/4239
定位:Excerpt 32 · 核对日期:2026-10-19 · 核验:短摘录

白话

我们读到的人类历史,大多只记录上层阶级,底层的生活习俗和人口波动很少被可靠地记下来。要写出一份令人满意的底层历史,需要一个人用一辈子持续、细致地观察。要查的问题包括:结婚人数占成年人的比例、婚姻受限后恶习有多普遍、最穷家庭的孩子和富裕家庭的孩子死亡率差多少、劳动的实际价格怎么变、底层在不同时期的境遇和幸福感有何不同。马尔萨斯想说明:没有这种底层数据,人口原理的起伏就难以验证。

上下文

马尔萨斯《人口论》第一版,批评当时历史记录偏向上层,呼吁系统收集底层人口与生活状况的数据。

今日一问

你了解自己所在社区底层人群的真实生活数据吗?如果没有,可以从哪里开始观察和记录?

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

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