20180621-Michael Chugani 褚簡寧：A white supremacist
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧：A white supremacist
2018-06-21
In my previous column I wrote about the racism of Winston Churchill, the British prime minister during the 1940s and 1950s. His belief in white supremacy was well-known and, therefore, not surprising. A white supremacist is a person who believes the white race is superior to other races and should have control over them. Although most people knew Churchill was a racist it was only last week that the shocking news came out that Albert Einstein was also a racist. The German-born physicist, who later became a US citizen, won the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics. Both Einstein and Churchill were born in the 1870s. But while Churchill was a known racist, Einstein was respected as a humanitarian icon.
A humanitarian is a person who cares about improving the lives of people. Einstein even said in a 1946 speech that racism was a disease of white people. But his private diaries, translated from German and published recently, showed he was racist. He wrote the diaries in the 1920s while traveling to places including China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, and Spain. His diaries revealed he was most racist towards Chinese people. He described Chinese as “industrious, obtuse, filthy people”. The word “industrious” means diligent and hard-working. The word “obtuse” means stupid or slow to understand. The word “filthy” means very dirty. He wrote about the fecundity of Chinese people and expressed concern that they could supplant all other races.
The word “fecundity” means the ability to produce a lot of babies. The word “supplant” means to take over or replace something. What Einstein meant was that it would be worrying if the Chinese race replaced all other races because of its ability to produce so many babies. He wrote in his diaries that Chinese people don’t sit on benches when they eat but squat in the way Europeans squat when they use the outdoors as a toilet. The word “squat” means to crouch with your knees bent and your heels almost touching your buttocks. What Einstein meant was that Chinese people ate in the same body position as Europeans who defecate outdoors when they can’t find a toilet.
＊ ＊ ＊
在上一篇專欄中我寫到，一九四○至五○年代的英國首相溫斯頓．邱吉爾種族歧視，他信奉白人優越主義（white supremacy）已是眾所周知，因此那並不太令人意外。A white supremacist就是相信白種人比其他人種優越，而且應該管治他們。雖然大部份人都知道邱吉爾是個種族主義者，但直至上星期有震驚的新聞出來，人們才曉得原來亞伯特．愛因斯坦也是個種族主義者。這名於德國出生、後來成為美國公民的物理學家，於一九二一年獲頒諾貝爾物理學獎。愛因斯坦和邱吉爾二人同樣生於一八七○年代，可是在邱吉爾成為知名的種族主義者時，愛因斯坦卻被推崇為人道主義者（humanitarian）的偶像。
A humanitarian就是人道主義者，關心如何去改善人們的生活。愛因斯坦甚至在一九四六年的一次演說中說過，種族主義是白人的病。他以德語撰寫的私人日記最近獲翻譯及出版，當中卻顯示他自己也是個種族主義者。他在一九二○年代周遊列國時寫日記，他遊歷的地方包括中國、香港、日本、新加坡和西班牙，其日記披露他對中國人最帶種族歧視。他形容中國人是“industrious, obtuse, filthy people”。“Industrious”就是勤奮和努力工作的，“obtuse”即是愚鈍的，“filthy”就是極之骯髒的。他寫到中國人的繁衍能力（fecundity）很強，對於中國人可會取代（supplant）其他種族表達關注。
“Fecundity”就是生許多孩子的繁殖力，“supplant”就是去取代某事。愛因斯坦的意思是，若中國人種因為生養眾多的繁殖力而取代了其他所有種族，則情況堪虞。他在日記中寫到，中國人吃東西時不會坐在長櫈上，而是像歐洲人在戶外如廁般蹲着（squat）。Squat就是屈膝蹲着，後腳跟差不多碰到臀部。愛因斯坦的意思是，中國人的吃相，跟歐洲人找不到廁所而要在戶外大解時的姿勢是一樣的。
中譯：七刻
中譯:七刻
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧
2018-06-21
In my previous column I wrote about the racism of Winston Churchill, the British prime minister during the 1940s and 1950s. His belief in white supremacy was well-known and, therefore, not surprising. A white supremacist is a person who believes the white race is superior to other races and should have control over them. Although most people knew Churchill was a racist it was only last week that the shocking news came out that Albert Einstein was also a racist. The German-born physicist, who later became a US citizen, won the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics. Both Einstein and Churchill were born in the 1870s. But while Churchill was a known racist, Einstein was respected as a humanitarian icon.
A humanitarian is a person who cares about improving the lives of people. Einstein even said in a 1946 speech that racism was a disease of white people. But his private diaries, translated from German and published recently, showed he was racist. He wrote the diaries in the 1920s while traveling to places including China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, and Spain. His diaries revealed he was most racist towards Chinese people. He described Chinese as “industrious, obtuse, filthy people”. The word “industrious” means diligent and hard-working. The word “obtuse” means stupid or slow to understand. The word “filthy” means very dirty. He wrote about the fecundity of Chinese people and expressed concern that they could supplant all other races.
The word “fecundity” means the ability to produce a lot of babies. The word “supplant” means to take over or replace something. What Einstein meant was that it would be worrying if the Chinese race replaced all other races because of its ability to produce so many babies. He wrote in his diaries that Chinese people don’t sit on benches when they eat but squat in the way Europeans squat when they use the outdoors as a toilet. The word “squat” means to crouch with your knees bent and your heels almost touching your buttocks. What Einstein meant was that Chinese people ate in the same body position as Europeans who defecate outdoors when they can’t find a toilet.
＊ ＊ ＊
在上一篇專欄中我寫到，一九四○至五○年代的英國首相溫斯頓．邱吉爾種族歧視，他信奉白人優越主義（white supremacy）已是眾所周知，因此那並不太令人意外。A white supremacist就是相信白種人比其他人種優越，而且應該管治他們。雖然大部份人都知道邱吉爾是個種族主義者，但直至上星期有震驚的新聞出來，人們才曉得原來亞伯特．愛因斯坦也是個種族主義者。這名於德國出生、後來成為美國公民的物理學家，於一九二一年獲頒諾貝爾物理學獎。愛因斯坦和邱吉爾二人同樣生於一八七○年代，可是在邱吉爾成為知名的種族主義者時，愛因斯坦卻被推崇為人道主義者（humanitarian）的偶像。
A humanitarian就是人道主義者，關心如何去改善人們的生活。愛因斯坦甚至在一九四六年的一次演說中說過，種族主義是白人的病。他以德語撰寫的私人日記最近獲翻譯及出版，當中卻顯示他自己也是個種族主義者。他在一九二○年代周遊列國時寫日記，他遊歷的地方包括中國、香港、日本、新加坡和西班牙，其日記披露他對中國人最帶種族歧視。他形容中國人是“industrious, obtuse, filthy people”。“Industrious”就是勤奮和努力工作的，“obtuse”即是愚鈍的，“filthy”就是極之骯髒的。他寫到中國人的繁衍能力（fecundity）很強，對於中國人可會取代（supplant）其他種族表達關注。
“Fecundity”就是生許多孩子的繁殖力，“supplant”就是去取代某事。愛因斯坦的意思是，若中國人種因為生養眾多的繁殖力而取代了其他所有種族，則情況堪虞。他在日記中寫到，中國人吃東西時不會坐在長櫈上，而是像歐洲人在戶外如廁般蹲着（squat）。Squat就是屈膝蹲着，後腳跟差不多碰到臀部。愛因斯坦的意思是，中國人的吃相，跟歐洲人找不到廁所而要在戶外大解時的姿勢是一樣的。
中譯：七刻
中譯:七刻
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧
留言
張貼留言