卡尔纳提克的毁灭

Edmund Burke，1730—1797，one of the most able and brilliant of England's essayists，orators，and statesmen，was born in Dublin，and was the son of an able lawyer.He graduated at Trinity College，Dublin，in 1748.As a student，he was distinguished for ability and industry.From 1750 to 1766 he was in London writing for periodicals，publishing books，or serving as private secretary.His work on “The Sublime and Beautiful”appeared in 1756.From 1766 to 1794 he was a member of Parliament，representing at different times different constituencies.On the first day of his appearance in the House of Commons he made a successful speech.“In the three principal questions which excited his interest，and called forth the most splendid displays of his eloquence—the contest with the American Colonies，the impeachment of Warren Hastings，and the French Revolution—we see displayed a philanthropy the most pure，illustrated by a genius the most resplendent.”Mr.Burke's foresight，uprightness，integrity，learning，magnanimity，and eloquence made him one of the most conspicuous men of his time；and his writings stand among the noblest contributions to English literature.

When at length Hyder Ali found that he had to do with men who either would sign no convention，or whom no treaty and no signature could bind，and who were the determined enemies of human intercourse itself，he decreed to make the country possessed by these incorrigible and predestinated criminals a memorable example to mankind.He resolved，in the gloomy recesses of a mind capacious of such things，to leave the whole Carnatic an everlasting monument of vengeance，and to put perpetual desolation as a barrier between him and those against whom the faith which holds the moral elements of the world together was no protection.

He became at length so confident of his force，so collected in his might，that he made no secret whatsoever of his dreadful resolution.Having terminated his disputes with every enemy and every rival，who buried their mutual animosities in their common detestation against the creditors of the Nabob of Arcot，he drew from every quarter whatever a savage ferocity could add to his new rudiments in the arts of destruction；and compounding all the materials of fury，havoc，and desolation into one black cloud，he hung for a while on the declivities of the mountains.Whilst the authors of all these evils were idly and stupidly gazing on this menacing meteor which blackened all their horizon，it suddenly burst，and poured down the whole of its contents upon the plains of the Carnatic.

Then ensued a scene of woe，the like of which no eye had seen，no heart conceived，and which no tongue can adequately tell.All the horrors of war before known or heard of，were mercy to that new havoc.A storm of universal fire blasted every field，consumed every house，destroyed every temple.The miserable inhabitants，flying from their flaming villages，in part were slaughtered；others，without regard to sex，to age，to the respect of rank，or sacredness of function，—fathers torn from children，husbands from wives，enveloped in a whirlwind of cavalry，and，amidst the goading spears of drivers，and the trampling of pursuing horses，—were swept into captivity，in an unknown and hostile land.

Those who were able to evade this tempest，fled to the walled cities；but escaping from fire，sword，and exile，they fell into the jaws of famine.

The alms of the settlement of Madras，in this dreadful exigency，were certainly liberal，and all was done by charity that private charity could do；but it was a people in beggary；it was a nation which stretched out its hands for food.

For months together these creatures of sufferance，whose very excess and luxury in their most plenteous days had fallen short of the allowance of our austerest fasts，silent，patient，resigned，without sedition or disturbance，almost without complaint，perished by a hundred a day in the streets of Madras；every day seventy at least laid their bodies in the streets，or on the glacis of Tanjore，and expired of famine in the granary of India.

I was going to wake your justice toward this unhappy part of our fellow-citizens，by bringing before you some of the circumstances of this plague of hunger.Of all the calamities which beset and waylay the life of man，this comes the nearest to our heart，and is that wherein the proudest of us all feels himself to be nothing more than he is.

But I find myself unable to manage it with decorum.These details are of a species of horror so nauseous and disgusting；they are so degrading to the sufferers and to the hearers；they are so humiliating to human nature itself，that，on better thoughts，I find it more advisable to throw a pall over this hideous object，and to leave it to your general conceptions.

For eighteen months，without intermission，this destruction raged from the gates of Madras to the gates of Tanjore；and so completely did these masters in their art，Hyder Ali，and his more ferocious son，absolve themselves of their impious vow，that when the British armies traversed，as they did，the Carnatic，for hundreds of miles in all directions，through the whole line of their march they did not see one man—not one woman—not one child—not one four-footed beast of any description whatever！One dead，uniform silence reigned over the whole region.

With the inconsiderable exceptions of the narrow vicinage of some few forts，I wish to be understood as speaking literally；—I mean to produce to you more than three witnesses，who will support this assertion in its full extent.That hurricane of war passed through every part of the central provinces of the Carnatic.Six or seven districts to the north and to the south （and these not wholly untouched）escaped the general ravage.

译文　TRANSLATION

爱德蒙·伯克（1730—1797）是英国最干练、最才情焕发的随笔作家、演讲家和政治家。他出生于都柏林，其父为一名优秀的律师。1748年，伯克毕业于都柏林三一学院。求学期间，伯克勤勉向学、学业优异。1750—1766年，伯克旅居伦敦，在报章杂志上发表了许多文章、出版了很多著述、并先后担任爱尔兰总督威廉·汉密尔顿和辉格党首相罗金汉侯爵的秘书。1756年，伯克发表《对我们有关崇高美与秀丽美概念来源的哲学探讨》这篇重要的美学理论文章。1766—1794年，他出任下议院议员。在不同时期，他不仅反对托利党政府，有时也批评自己的辉格党同仁。他第一次出席下议院时的演讲非常成功。“三个主要问题曾引起他的关注并经其雄辩深入讨论过——美洲殖民地独立、沃伦·黑斯廷斯案件及法国大革命——在他的文采里，我们看到最纯真的人道精神与最璀璨的天赋。”伯克先生以其远见卓识，以其刚直不阿，以其诚挚、洒脱与滔滔雄辩成为那个时代最引人注目的人物之一。他的著述跻身于英国文学中最高贵的作品之列。

终于，当海德·阿里觉察到他应对的是群要么不愿订约，要么不受条款、签名约束而蓄意背信弃义的人时，他决心令这为怙恶不悛的命定的罪犯所占据的邦国成为人类永远的镜鉴。在他阴郁的灵魂深处，他已决定要把卡尔纳提克化为复仇的纪念碑，让湮灭成为他与那群罔顾道德信仰的人们之间的永恒屏障。

他对自己的兵力和威权确信不疑，所以毫不掩饰他那令人毛骨悚然的决策。结束了与仇家对手的争论——那些人因对阿尔克特的欧洲债主们的同仇敌忾而消泯了彼此仇怨——他四方搜求野蛮、暴虐的方式以丰富自己的毁灭方案，愤怒、残忍、凄厉凝成一片浓重的乌云，笼罩着连绵的山冈。

这片乌云来势汹汹，令天地黯然。而当那群咎由自取者慵懒、迟钝地盯视着它时，它突然爆裂了，将所有污秽倾泻在卡纳提克的平原。

继之而起的苦难，其惨状没有哪双眼睛曾见识过，没有哪颗心灵能设想到，也没有哪种语言可以描绘其万一。与此相比，之前口耳相传的兵燹不过是小巫见大巫。遍地烽烟令田园荒芜，屋舍残破，庙宇凋敝。苦难的民众，当他们从火光熊熊的村落里逃出时，有的惨遭杀戮；有的则沦为奴隶，被裹挟到穷山恶水的他乡，父子离散、夫妇睽隔——总之，无论老幼、无分男女、无关尊卑、无涉圣俗，都在锋镝中辗转，皆在铁蹄下呻吟。

那些在这场暴风骤雨中拾得一命的人躲进了城里。但他们虽然逃过了兵火、刀剑与流离，却逃不过饥馑的折磨。

当然，在那危难之际，马德拉斯当局的救助是慷慨的，私人慈善机构亦竭尽所能。但无奈整个民族都在乞讨，举国上下皆为饿殍。

接下来的几个月里，这群人饱经磨难。昔日，他们曾在丰足中纵情享乐，但在这段饔飧不继的匮乏中，他们却只默然承受，每天数以百计地倒毙在马德拉斯街头，没有煽动性的言论，没有怨诉，也没有动荡。而在坦焦尔，每天则至少有七十人横尸路畔、堤边。坦焦尔，有着“印度粮仓”之誉的坦焦尔，那里的人们竟死于饥馑。

通过向诸位揭示瘟疫般的饥荒所造成的惨状，我意在唤醒诸位的公正之心，以直面我们的同胞所经受的苦难。在所有生灵涂炭的劫难中，这是最令我们感同身受的一例，设身处地，哪怕最傲慢的人也会体认一己的藐小。

而我自感难以得体地掌控这一情境。斑斑细节着实恐怖至极，令人目不忍视。无论对罹难者还是对听者而言，它们都是一种侮辱；它们令人性蒙羞。因而，再思之下，我觉得更为明智的是为这一幕人间惨剧覆上柩衣，任由诸君去想象。

连续十八个月，劫难，没有间断地，蹂躏着从马德拉斯到坦焦尔的每一寸土地。海德·阿里和他更为凶恶的儿子，全然背弃那并不虔敬的誓约而极尽残忍之能事，以至于英军再次行经卡纳提克时，方圆百里竟看不到一个男人，也看不到一个妇女和儿童，甚至连一头活着的牲畜也看不到。只有死一般的沉寂笼罩四野。

有几个要塞的近郊幸免于难，但较诸整个浩劫，这些只是无足轻重的例外。我希望诸君完全依照字面来理解我意欲表达的内容；我可以提供三名目击证人来充分支持我的这一论断。即，战争的飓风席卷了卡纳提克中部各省的每个角落，只有其北部和南部六七个地区（亦非全然无损）逃脱了这场浩劫。