胡適留學日記卷十二一六、論教女兒之道

卷十二一六、論教女兒之道

　　（一月廿七日）

　　You wondered "What an Oriental must really and honestly think in his innermost heart—of some American young ladies" (with regard to their unconventionalities) ? …

　　It seems to me the whole matter is a question of consistency. One must choose either absolutism or 1iberalism, either treating woman as a puppet or as a free human being. One must either lock her up in a beautiful chamber, or one must set her really free.

　　Now, the American treatment of woman as I understand it, is supposed to be based on the principle that woman is a free and rational being. Can you trust her? Have you confidence in her ability to act freely and rationally, though at times unconventionally, when she is left in freedom? If you have no such trust in her, then the logical and proper thing will be to lock her up in her own chamber and never to allow her to go out of your sight. That is consistency. But if you have such confidence in her, then 1et her be really free. Let her do what she herself considers proper and reasonable to do. That's also consistency.

　　There is no middle ground between freedom and slavery….

　　And why should we care about what "the other people" think of us? Are we not just as good (if not better) judges of ourselves as they? And is not conventionality after all a man-made thing? Is not an intelligent man or woman greater than conventionality? The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath! Hoe very true! …

　　To Mrs. H. S. W. Jan. 27, 1916

　　〔中譯〕

　　汝曾驚歎，「不知一位東方人，在其內心深處，對於一些年輕之美國女士，會想些什麼」（關於她們之反習俗）？……

　　以吾觀之，全部之癥結在於言行一致。要麼選擇絕對主義，要麼選擇自由主義；或是將婦女視為一玩偶，或是將婦女看作一自由人。也可將她鎖於深閨，也可將她完全解放。

　　目前，據吾理解，美國人對待婦女基於此原則：即認為，婦女乃一自由人，乃一理性人。汝會相信她嗎？當她自由時，偶爾會做出反習俗之舉動，即使如此，汝還會相信她嗎？相信她具有自由地、理智地處理之能力嗎？倘若汝不相信她，那麼，合乎邏輯的、恰當的辦法，便是將其鎖於深閨，不讓其越雷池半步。此即言行一致。然而，倘若汝相信她，那麼，就要讓她獲得真正的自由，讓她做她自以為合適、能勝任之事情。此亦即言行一致。

　　在自由和奴役之間，沒有空隙，沒有中間道路。……

　　我們為什麼要在意「別人」對我們之看法呢？如何準確地評價我們自己（如果不是更行的話），我們不是和他人一樣能行嗎？習俗不也是人造之物嗎？難道習俗要比一個理智之男人或女人更偉大嗎？安息日是為人而設，不是人為安息日而設！這可是千真萬確的事情呀！

　　致H. S. W. 太太

　　1916年1月27日

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