英语演讲篇文章Theodore Roosevelt Th.docx

英语演讲篇文章Theodore Roosevelt Th.docx

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英语演讲篇文章TheodoreRooseveltTh

Theodore（"Teddy"Roosevelt:

"TheManwiththeMuck-rake"

delivered14April1906

OveracenturyagoWashingtonlaidthecorner-stoneoftheCapitolinwhatwasthenlittlemorethanatractofwoodedwildernessherebesidethePotomac.Wenowfinditnecessarytoprovidegreatadditionalbuildingsforthebusinessofthegovernment.ThisgrowthintheneedforthehousingofthegovernmentisbutaproofandexampleofthewayinwhichthenationhasgrownandthesphereofactionoftheNationalGovernmenthasgrown.Wenow

administertheaffairsofanationinwhichtheextraordinarygrowthofpopulationhasbeenoutstrippedbythegrowthofwealthandthegrowthincomplexinterests.

Thematerialproblemsthatfaceusto-dayarenotsuchastheywereinWashington’stime,buttheunderlyingfactsofhumannaturearethesamenowastheywerethen.UnderalteredexternalformwewarwiththesametendenciestowardevilthatwereevidentinWashington’stime,andarehelpedbythesametendenciesforgood.

ItisaboutsomeofthesethatIwishtosayawordto-day.InBunyan’s“Pilgrim’sProgress”youmayrecallthedescriptionoftheManwiththeMuck-rake,themanwhocouldlooknowaybutdownward,withthemuck-rakeinhishand;whowasofferedacelestialcrownforhis

muck-rake,butwhowouldneitherlookupnorregardthecrownhewasoffered,butcontinuedtoraketohimselfthefilthofthefloor.

In“Pilgrim’sProgress”theManwiththeMuck-rakeissetforthastheexampleofhimwhosevisionisfixedoncarnalinsteadofonspiritualthings.Yethealsotypifiesthemanwhointhislifeconsistentlyrefusestoseeaughtthatislofty,andfixeshiseyeswithsolemnintentnessonlyonthatwhichisvileanddebasing.Now,itisverynecessarythatweshouldnotflinchfromseeingwhatisvileanddebasing.Thereisfilthontheflooranditmustbescrapedupwiththe

muck-rake;andtherearetimesandplaceswherethisserviceisthemostneededofalltheservicesthatcanbeperformed.Butthemanwhoneverdoesanythingelse,whoneverthinksorspeaksorwrites,saveofhisfeatswiththemuck-rake,speedilybecomes,notahelptosociety,notanincitementtogood,butoneofthemostpotentforcesforevil.

Thereare,inthebodypolitic,economicandsocial,manyandgraveevils,andthereisurgentnecessityforthesternestwaruponthem.Thereshouldberelentlessexposureofandattackuponeveryevilmanwhetherpoliticianorbusinessman,everyevilpractice,whetherinpolitics,inbusiness,orinsociallife.Ihailasabenefactoreverywriterorspeaker,everymanwho,ontheplatform,orinbook,magazine,ornewspaper,withmercilessseveritymakessuchattack,providedalwaysthatheinhisturnremembersthattheattackisofuseonlyifitisabsolutelytruthful.Theliarisnowhitbetterthanthethief,andifhismendacitytakestheformofslander,hemaybeworsethanmostthieves.Itputsapremiumuponknaveryuntruthfullytoattackanhonestman,orevenwithhystericalexaggerationtoassailabadmanwithuntruth.An

epidemicofindiscriminateassaultuponcharacterdoesnotgood,butverygreatharm.Thesoulofeveryscoundrelisgladdenedwheneveranhonestmanisassailed,orevenwhenascoundrelisuntruthfullyassailed.

Now,itiseasytotwistoutofshapewhatIhavejustsaid,easytoaffecttomisunderstandit,and,ifitisslurredoverinrepetition,notdifficultreallytomisunderstandit.Somepersonsaresincerelyincapableofunderstandingthattodenouncemud-slingingdoesnotmeantheendorsementofwhitewashing;andboththeinterestedindividualswhoneedwhitewashing,andthoseotherswhopracticemud-slinging,liketoencouragesuchconfusionofideas.Oneofthechiefcountsagainstthosewhomakeindiscriminateassaultuponmeninbusinessormeninpubliclife,isthattheyinviteareactionwhichissuretotellpowerfullyinfavorofthe

unscrupulousscoundrelwhoreallyoughttobeattacked,whooughttobeexposed,whoought,ifpossible,tobeputinthepenitentiary.IfAristidesispraisedovermuchasjust,peoplegettiredofhearingit;andovercensureoftheunjustfinallyandfromsimilarreasonsresultsintheirfavor.

Anyexcessisalmostsuretoinviteareaction;and,unfortunately,thereaction,insteadof

takingtheformofpunishmentofthoseguiltyoftheexcess,isveryapttotaketheformeitherofpunishmentoftheunoffendingorofgivingimmunity,andevenstrength,tooffenders.Theefforttomakefinancialorpoliticalprofitoutofthedestructionofcharactercanonlyresultinpubliccalamity.Grossandrecklessassaultsoncharacter,whetheronthestumporin

newspaper,magazine,orbook,createamorbidandviciouspublicsentiment,andatthesametimeactasaprofounddeterrenttoablemenofnormalsensitivenessandtendtopreventthemfromenteringthepublicserviceatanyprice.

Asaninstanceinpoint,ImaymentionthatoneseriousdifficultyencounteredingettingtherighttypeofmentodigthePanamaCanalisthecertaintythattheywillbeexposed,bothwithout,and,Iamsorrytosay,sometimeswithin,Congress,toutterlyrecklessassaultsontheircharacterandcapacity.

Attheriskofrepetitionletmesayagainthatmypleais,notforimmunitytobutforthemostunsparingexposureofthepoliticianwhobetrayshistrust,ofthebigbusinessmanwhomakesorspendshisfortuneinillegitimateorcorruptways.Thereshouldbearesoluteefforttohunteverysuchmanoutofthepositionhehasdisgraced.Exposethecrime,andhuntdownthecriminal;butrememberthateveninthecaseofcrime,ifitisattackedinsensational,lurid,anduntruthfulfashion,theattackmaydomoredamagetothepublicmindthanthecrimeitself.ItisbecauseIfeelthatthereshouldbenorestintheendlesswaragainsttheforcesofevilthatIaskthatthewarbeconductedwithsanityaswellaswithresolution.

Themenwiththemuck-rakesareoftenindispensabletothewell-beingofsociety;butonlyiftheyknowwhentostoprakingthemuck,andtolookupwardtothecelestialcrownabovethem,tothecrownofworthyendeavor.

Therearebeautifulthingsaboveandroundaboutthem;andiftheygraduallygrowtofeelthatthewholeworldisnothingbutmuck,theirpowerofusefulnessisgone.Ifthewholepictureispaintedblackthereremainsnohuewherebytosingleouttherascalsfordistinctionfromtheirfellows.Suchpaintingfinallyinducesakindofmoralcolor-blindness;andpeopleaffectedbyitcometotheconclusionthatnomanisreallyblack,andnomanisreallywhite,buttheyareallgray.Inotherwords,theyneitherbelieveinthetruthoftheattack,norinthehonestyofthemanwhoisattacked;theygrowassuspiciousoftheaccusationasoftheoffense;itbecomeswell-nighhopelesstostirthemeithertowrathagainstwrong-doingortoenthusiasmforwhatisright;andsuchamentalattitudeinthepublicgiveshopetoeveryknave,andisthedespairofhonestmen.

Toassailthegreatandadmittedevilsofourpoliticalandindustriallifewithsuchcrudeandsweepinggeneralizationsastoincludedecentmeninthegeneralcondemnationmeansthesearingofthepublicconscience.Thereresultsageneralattitudeeitherofcynicalbeliefinandindifferencetopubliccorruptionorelseofadistrustfulinabilitytodiscriminatebetweenthegoodandthebad.Eitherattitudeisfraughtwithuntolddamagetothecountryasawhole.Thefoolwhohasnotsensetodiscriminatebetweenwhatisgoodandwhatisbadiswell-nighasdangerousasthemanwhodoesdiscriminateandyetchoosesthebad.Thereisnothingmore

distressingtoeverygoodpatriot,toeverygoodAmerican,thanthehard,scoffingspiritwhichtreatstheallegationofdishonestyinapublicmanasacauseforlaughter.

Suchlaughterisworsethanthecracklingofthornsunderapot,foritdenotesnotmerelythevacantmind,buttheheartinwhichhighemotionshavebeenchokedbeforetheycouldgrowtofruition.

Thereisanyamountofgoodintheworld,andthereneverwasatimewhenloftierandmoredisinterestedworkforthebettermentofmankindwasbeingdonethannow.Theforcesthattendforevilaregreatandterrible,buttheforcesoftruthandloveandcourageandhonestyandgenerosityandsympathyarealsostrongerthaneverbefore.Itisafoolishandtimid,nolessthanawicked,thingtoblinkthefactthattheforcesofevilarestrong,butitisevenworsetofailtotakeintoaccountthestrengthoftheforcesthattellforgood.

Hystericalsensationalismistheverypoorestweaponwherewithtofightforlasting

righteousness.Themenwhowithsternsobrietyandtruthassailthemanyevilsofourtime,whetherinthepublicpressorinmagazines,orinbooks,aretheleadersandalliesofall

engagedintheworkforsocialandpoliticalbetterment.Butiftheygivegoodreasonfordistrustofwhattheysay,iftheychilltheardorofthosewhodemandtruthasaprimaryvirtue,theytherebybetraythegoodcause,andplayintothehandsoftheverymenagainstwhomtheyarenominallyatwar.

Inhis“EcclesiasticalPolity”thatfineoldElizabethandivine,BishopHooker,wrote:

“Hethatgoethabouttopersuadeamultitudethattheyarenotsowellgovernedastheyoughttobe,shallneverwantattentiveandfavorablehearers;becausetheyknowthemanifolddefectswhereuntoeverykindofregimenissubject,butthesecretletsanddifficulties,whichinpublicproceedingsareinnumerableandinevitable,theyhavenotordinarilythejudgmenttoconsider.”

Thistruthshouldbekeptconstantlyinmindbyeveryfreepeopledesiringtopreservethe

sanityandpoiseindispensabletothepermanentsuccessofself-government.Yet,ontheot