林肯与劲敌幕僚

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发表于 2013-6-13 14:12:56 | 只看该作者 |只看大图回帖奖励

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　　《林肯与劲敌幕僚》超越了任何一本林肯的个人传记，作者讲述了一个关于林肯和他生活的整个时代、以及他如何以高尚的人格力量和高超的政治智慧，化对手为良伴、化宿敌为铮友的耐人寻味、堪称经典的故事。除了林肯之外，作者耗费了几乎与之相同的篇幅，分别叙述了林肯内阁中最重要的四位政治家——国务卿苏厄德、财政部长蔡斯、检察总长贝茨以及后来入阁的陆军部长斯坦顿的生平和从政经历，以及他们如何在林肯高尚人格的感召下，从林肯的竞争对手转变成为林肯内阁最得力的干将。作者把林肯的生平、性格和殉难，放在同时代最杰出的政治家群体中去对比、描摹和刻画，使林肯在强劲的竞争对手面前，显得更加崇高、丰满而富有立体感。这是迄今为止，所有的林肯传记中无人尝试过的写法。

作者简介
　　作者：(美国)多丽丝科恩斯古德温　译者：尤以丁

传记, 林肯, 历史, 美国, 政治, 人物, 美国史, 外国文学

最新书评共 3 条

Jason 　　我们在读历史人物传记的时候，经常感觉的是人物的高大、传奇、和不可思议的成就。Goodwin的这本书引人入胜地描写了一个立体化的林肯。　　我们可以看到在面对生活的窘迫、亲人的离世、强大的敌人、重要的历史关头等情况下，林肯周围实实在在的环境变化、人物观点、决策的过程等等。所以读这本书时，代入感很强。　　在一个个纠结的历史关头，正方和反方的力量同等强大，林肯是怎么选择朋友？怎么选择政治立场？怎么处理与敌人的关系？　　另外，以史鉴今。有人生活在文明社会，有人生活在原始丛林。详情发表于 2013-7-21 13:39

Jason 　　不知道中文版怎么样，我看的英文版。非常好看。看完全书，震惊于：　　1、林肯天才的演讲和说服能力。他的话往往一语打动人心，直指关键。如：A house divided against itself can not stand. 　　2、林肯超高的情商，对其他人的立场和情感异于常人的敏锐。这与上一条是对应的。　　3、上任之前，林肯是IL州一个不太出名的律师，最少不是全国知名。上任时，时局已经是风雨飘摇，美国国内因黑奴问题分裂严重，林肯作为废奴派，受到南方势力的死亡威胁，必须要化妆才能进入华盛顿。甚至很多人怀疑他能不能活到就职典礼。　　4、林肯接任的是一个极其分裂的政治格局，南方四省率先脱离联邦。在以北方势力为主的的联邦中，激进派、中间派、摇摆的边境州等均势如水火。为此，林肯组建了一个几乎是互为敌人，甚至好几个鄙视林肯本人的内阁。在任中，林肯表现出超乎寻常的自信和融和各派政治力量的能力。可以说，没有这种政治妥协，美国现在就是北方联邦国和南方联邦国了。在此过程中，林肯容忍各派和各个内阁成员的意见，利用他们的政治野心将各派融和在一起，通过超高的情商让众人团结在一起。　　5、林肯的政治诉求境界是非常高的，高于其竞争对手。他虽然也是废奴派，但并没有从道德高点上斥责拥奴派。为了保持联邦完整，他认为，战争的目的是to prove popular government is not an absurdness,以及self-government of people will not fail.这个观点的提出简直一览众山小。　　6、林肯本人一生十分坎坷。他自幼丧母，父亲不识字，可以说在野地里长大。在杂货铺工作时自学取得律师资格。年轻时恋人去世让他迷茫了一年多。他应该有四个孩子，当律师时死了一个，妻子陷入忧郁和烦燥状态。入主白宫后，又死了一个，妻子又长期陷入忧郁状态。最后自已在第二任总统任上被刺杀。　　如果没有美国南北战争的胜利，美国会分裂为两个国家，南方的奴隶主为了庞大的经济利益会进一步向北方侵略。新墨西哥诸州就是富人侵略墨西哥后拿下的。这样，人民自治政府的伟大社会实践不知要延后多少年，也没有现如今作为世界社会治理结构典范的美国。　　一句话：God bless American people, but give a curse to Abraham Lincoln. 　　另外，书中说到的其他的一些当时美国政府首脑的人物的性格、优缺点、政治智慧等都很有意思。比如Chase, Secretary of Treasury是个很有能力的激进派，但过于自信并在政治上十分自私的人；Stanton, Secretary of War 是全国知名的大律师，曾经在Ohio当众羞辱过林肯，他十分有能力，对自己和同僚都十分严苛，为了完成一个出其不意的宏大调兵计划，他半夜把所有内阁成员叫到自己办公室开会，五天五夜呆在办公室，差不多直接决定了一个关键性战役的胜利；Seward, Secretary of State，十分有政治智慧，他劝林肯延后一个针对全国的总统签发的废奴宣言，直到取得某场局部战役的胜利后。这个建议让林肯非常吃惊也十分佩服。　　想起来今年2月份我去林肯纪念堂的时候，那种感觉，与M纪念堂的区别。真是，世界好奇妙。。。。　　现在贴一些林肯经典的谈话：　　1.关于如何说服一个人：　　It is an old and a true maxim that a 'drop of honey catches more flies than a gallon of gall.' So with men. 一滴蜜要比一堆苦水抓更多的苍蝇　　　　"If you would win a man to your cause, first convince him that you are his sincere friend. Therein is a drop of honey that catches his heart which, say what he will, is the great highroad to his reason, and which, when once gained, you will find but little trouble in convincing his judgment of the justice of your cause, if indeed that cause really be a just one. 　　　　"On the contrary, assume to dictate to his judgement, or to command his action, or to mark him as one to be shunned and despised, and he will retreat within himself, close all the avenues to his head and his heart; and though your cause be naked truth itself, transformed to the heaviest lance, harder than steel, and sharper than steel can be made; and though you throw it with more than Herculean force and precision, you shall no more be able to pierce him than to penetrate the shell of a tortoise with a rye straw. 对那些像乌龟一样把自己保护起来的人，你只需要一根干草棍往对的地方捅一下。　　　　"Such is man, and so must he be understood by those who would lead him, even to his best interest." 你需要知道他的最高利益是什么。　　2.林肯深刻了解公众观念和情绪对政治的重要性，在1858年与Douglas 法官辩论时：　　at Ottawa, Illinois, on August 21, 1858, Lincoln accused Douglas of trying to arouse national sentiment in favor of slavery. "Let us consider," he said, "what Judge Douglas is doing every day to that end. 　　　　"In the first place, let us see what influence he is exerting on public sentiment. In this and like communities, public sentiment is everything. With public sentiment, nothing can fail; without it nothing can succeed. Consequently, he who moulds public sentiment goes deeper than he who enacts statutes or pronounces decisions. He makes statutes and decisions possible or impossible to be executed. This must be borne in mind, as also the additional fact that Judge Douglas is a man of vast influence, so great that it is enough for many men to profess to believe anything, when they once find out that Judge Douglas professes to believe it." 公众情绪代表一却，有了它，万事可行，没有他，诸事俱废。　　3.为了争取南方民众对废奴事业的理解，1854年，他在Peoria, Illinois演讲时说：　　"Before proceeding, let me say I think I have no prejudice against the Southern people. They are just what we would be in their situation. If slavery did not now exist amongst them, they would not introduce it. If it did now exist amongst us, we should not instantly give it up. 　　　　This I believe of the masses north and south. Doubtless, there are individuals, on both sides, who would not hold slaves under any circumstances; and others who would gladly introduce slavery anew, if it were out of existence. We know that some Southern men do free their slaves, go north, and become tiptop abolitionists; while some Northern ones go south, and become most cruel slavemasters. 　　　　"When Southern people tell us they are no more responsible for the origin of slavery then we, I acknowledge the fact. When it is said that the institution exists, and that it is very difficult to get rid of it in any satisfactory way, I can understand and appreciate the saying. I surely will not blame them for not doing what I should not know how to do myself.'' 当南方人说，关于奴隶问题的起源，他们并不比北方人更有责任时，我承认这是事实。当人们说这个问题是既定存在，非常难以找到满意的方式摆脱它时，我理解并完全赞同。我不能在我自己都不知道如何做的问题上去责备他们什么都没做。　　4.在禁酒事业为什么为失败，他说：　　''It is so easy and so common to ascribe motives to men of these classes, other than those they profess to act upon. The preacher, it is said, advocates temperance because he is a fanatic, and desires a union of church and state; the lawyer, from his pride and vanity of hearing himself speak; and the hired agent, for his salary." 牧师是狂热者，他们宣传禁酒是因为需要一个布满教堂的联邦；律师在禁酒事业中，则热衷于他们的荣耀、地位、和自己的演讲；那些受雇的职员，仅为了自己的薪水。　　他说，这些人持续地批评售酒都和饮酒者的做法是"thundering tones of anathema and denunciation"，而正确的方法是："to employ the approach of 'erring man to an erring brother'" 用一个犯过错的人（的口吻）去说服他犯错的兄弟　　5.关于家庭　　Lincoln Memorial里的雕像宏大而严肃，但林肯其实是一个幽默感和爱心很强的的。他只是长得忧郁。关于小孩，林肯曾经说：It is my pleasure that my children are free -- happy and unrestrained by paternal tyrrany.他还说：Love is the chain whereby to lock a child to its parent. 当成功当选的消息传到IL州Springfield时，林肯揣着电报，跑回家去，边跑边喊：Mary,Mary, we are elected.Mary是他的妻子，注意这里用的'we'. 　　6.关于黑奴役问题的主要发言　　他引用独立宣言的all man created to be equal和self-government的精神，说："No man is good enough to govern another man, without that other's consent. I say this is the leading principle -- the sheet anchor of American republicanism." If the Negro was a man, which Lincoln claimed he most assuredly was, then it was "a total destruction of self-government". 　　他用“erring man to his erring brother"的方式向南方拥奴派喊话，以期软化他们的立场：”they(the sounther) are just what we would be in their situation. If slavery did not now exist amongst them, they would not introduce it. If it did now exist amongst us, we should not instantly give it up." 　　他从社会经济发展的角度解释废奴的必要性：Labor is prior to, and independent of, captital. The prudent, penniless beginner in the world, labor for wages awhile, saves a surplus with which to buy tools or land for himeself; then labors on his own acount another while, and at length hires another new beginner to help him. Clealy, this upward mobility, the possibility of self-realization so central to the idea of America, was closed to the slave unless and until he became a free man. 南方派声称奴隶是私有财产，受宪法保护。林肯则反驳称，labor 是先于和独立于capital的，劳力的向上流动性是社会经济发展的前提。　　7.关于情绪控制，他说：No man resolved to make the most of himself, can spare time for personal contention. Still less can he afford to take all the consequences,including the vitiating of his temper, and the loss of self-control. Yield larger things to which you can show no more than equal right; and yield lesser ones, though clearly you own. Better give your path to a dog, than be bitten by him in contesting for the right. Even killing the dog would not cure the bite. 最好给狗让条路，不然争抢时会被它咬。就算你把它杀了，也改变不了被狗咬过的事实。　　作者是电影《林肯》的编剧。真实的政治，惊心动魄的历史，天才的林肯。1863年在Gettysburg的著名演讲原文如下：　　Four score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. 　　Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived, and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives, that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. 　　But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate--we can not consecrate--we can not hallow--this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, now long remember, what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us, the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work for us, the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here, have, thus far, so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us--that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here gave the last full measure of devotion--that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain--that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom--and that, government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. 　　上述演讲结束后，九千名听众鸦雀无声。林肯回到坐位，说：讲砸了！人们很失望！。　　林肯忽略了他自己语言和理念的威力。“that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. ”在此后的很多年都被人拿出来引用回想。详情发表于 2013-7-23 18:01

when 　　全书80多万字，内容丰富，正是我想要的不同林肯遗忘的那种传记，和单纯规模宏大的历史事件相比，事件中的人更令人关注，也许和人的年龄有关，以前比较热血沸腾，着迷于大事件，现在更多的钦佩那些在很多条件都不满足的情况下，坚韧不拔完成自己使命的人。　　林肯在达到自己高尚目的的过程中使用的手段并不都是纯洁的，但不可否认的是，他一直怀有一颗高尚的心。详情发表于 2013-7-24 03:55

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