有闲阶级论·摘录 159 · 托斯丹·凡勃伦

It is true, since conspicuous consumption has gained more and more on conspicuous leisure as a means of repute, the acquisition of the dead languages is no longer so imperative a requirement as it once was, and its talismanic virtue as a voucher of scholarship has suffered a concomitant impairment. But while this is true, it is also true that the classics have scarcely lost in absolute value as a voucher of scholastic respectability, since for this purpose it is only necessary that the scholar should be able to put in evidence some learning which is conventionally recognized as evidence of wasted time; and the classics lend themselves with great facility to this use. Indeed, there can be little doubt that it is their utility as evidence of wasted time and effort, and hence of the pecuniary strength necessary in order to afford this waste, that has secured to the classics their position of prerogative in the scheme of higher learning, and has led to their being esteemed the most honorific of all learning. They serve the decorative ends of leisure-class learning better than any other body of knowledge, and hence they are an effective means of reputability.

出处： https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/833
定位：Excerpt 159 · 核对日期：2026-10-19 · 核验：短摘录

白话

凡勃伦说，随着炫耀性消费比炫耀性有闲更受看重，学古典语言不再像过去那样是硬性要求，其“护身符”效力有所减弱。但古典学在证明学术体面方面的绝对价值几乎没降，因为只要展示出被公认“浪费过时间”的学问就行，而古典学最方便充当这种证据。实际上，正是因为它能证明浪费了时间和金钱，才在高等教育中占据特权地位，被视为最荣耀的学问。它最适合有闲阶级教育的装饰目的，因此是有效的声望手段。

上下文

凡勃伦分析古典学在高等教育中的特权地位，认为其根源在于能证明浪费。

今日一问

如果一门学问不能证明你“浪费”过时间，你还会觉得它体面吗？

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

健康 · 神农（旧题）《神农本草经》

亭歷味辛寒。主治癥瘕積聚結氣，飲食寒熱，破堅逐邪，通利水道。一名大室，一名大適。生平澤及田野。

亭历（即葶苈）味辛性寒，主要治疗癥瘕积聚、结气、饮食寒热，能破坚逐邪、通利水道。它又叫大室、大适，生长在平泽和田野中。葶苈子苦辛大寒，善泻肺行水，古人用它来消除痰饮和水肿。今天常用于痰多喘咳、水肿胀满等症，但因其攻泻力强，体虚者慎用。若你有咳嗽痰多或水肿，应在医生指导下使用，不可长期自行服用。

事业 · 姜尚（旧题）《六韬》

事之而不窮者謀也。人君無以三寶借人，借人則君失其威。」文王曰：「敢問三寶？」太公曰：「大農，大工，大商，謂之三寶。農一其鄉則穀足，工一其鄉則器足，商一其鄉則貨足。三寶各安其處，民乃不慮。無亂其鄉，無亂其族。臣無富於君，都無大於國。六守長，則君昌。三寶全，則國安。」文王問太公曰：「守土奈何？」太公曰：「無疏其親，無怠其眾，撫其左右，御其四旁。無借人國柄。借人國柄，則失其權。無掘壑而附丘，無舍本而治末。日中必彗，操刀必割，執斧必伐。日中不…

核心是：君主必须把经济命脉和权柄握在自己手里，尤其不能把“三宝”借给他人。三宝指大农、大工、大商：农民聚在一乡，粮食就足；工匠聚在一乡，器具就足；商人聚在一乡，货物就足。三宝各安其位，百姓就不忧虑。不要扰乱乡族秩序，不让臣子富过君主、都邑大过国都。六守长久，君主就昌盛；三宝保全，国家就安定。守土方面：不要疏远亲族，不要怠慢民众，安抚左右，控制四方；不把国柄借人，借了就失权。不要挖沟去垫高土丘、舍本逐末。正午要晒物，拿刀要割，执斧要砍；错过时机，贼人就来。细流不堵会成江河，小火不救会成大火，两片叶子不摘将来要用斧头。所以君主必须从事于富。

事业 · 亨利·福特《我的生活与工作》

The point to keep in mind is that, though we won the military contest, the world has not yet quite succeeded in winning a complete victory over the promoters of war. We ought not to forget that wars are a purely…

福特提醒，虽然我们赢了军事竞赛，但世界还没有完全战胜战争的推动者。我们不该忘记，战争完全是人为制造的邪恶，按一定技术制造。发动战争的运动和其他任何运动一样有明确路线。首先，对人民做工作，用巧妙故事激起人民对目标国家的怀疑。让这个国家怀疑，让那个国家怀疑。只需要几个聪明没良心的代理人，和一个利益与战争受益者绑定的媒体。然后“公然行为”很快出现。一旦把两国仇恨煽到合适程度，制造“公然行为”根本不难。

本文本为公版；底本与原文链接见上。版权

← 返回原文库

白话

上下文

今日一问

同主题延伸

你的邮箱