政坛巨人李光耀的英语名言录

【No news is good news】

“I have always thought it strange that a country figures prominently in the world press mainly when it is in trouble…Nobody in the rest of the world heard much about Singapore until it was captured by the Japanese in 1942 or again until there were riots in 1955 and 1956 in the course of one of which two members of your fraternity were killed. I have come to believe that, so far as the foreign press is concerned, no news is good news.”
　　“我总是觉得此事很奇怪：一个国家有麻烦时，就会受到国际媒体注目......1942年日本占领新加坡之前，或1955年和1956年新加坡发生暴动期间导致两名记者遇害之前，世上没有多少人听过新加坡这个地方。後来我开始明白，当涉及外国媒体时，没有消息就是好消息。”──李光耀於1959年9月16日於外国记者协会发言

【谁最伟大？】

“I would say the greatest was Deng Xiaoping. At his age, to admit that he was wrong, that all these ideas, Marxism, Leninism, Maoism, they are just not working and have to be abandoned, you need a great man to do that…”
　　“我觉得最伟大的是邓小平。以他这个年纪，要承认自己的错误，承认马克斯丶列宁丶毛泽东思想不可行而必须放弃，只有伟人才能做到。”──《李光耀对话录》（Conversations with Lee Kuan Yew ）汤姆．普雷特（Tom Plate）著

【On Deng Xiaoping (again)】

Deng Xiao Ping is a great man because he changed China froma broken-backed state, which would have imploded like the Soviet Union, into what it is today, on the way to becoming the world's largest economy.
　　“邓小平是个伟人。中国原是一个破败的国家，本可能像苏联那样崩溃，但他一手改变了中国的命运，让这个国家变成今天的面貌，并逐步成为全球最大经济体。”──《新加坡赖以生存的硬道理》

【On Xi Jinping】

“I would put him in Nelson Mandela's class of persons. A person with enormous emotional stability who does not allow his personal misfortunes or sufferings to affect his judgement. In other words, he is impressive.”
　　“我认为习近平能够与纳尔逊．曼德拉（NelsonMandela）相提并论：一个情绪极为稳定丶不受自身苦难影响判断的人──换言之，是个了不起的人物。”──《时代杂志》（2007年11月19日）

【On Americans】

“The Americans are great missionaries. They have an irrepressible urge to convert others.”
　　“美国人是了不起的传教士，他们有一股难以压抑的冲动，要别人改变信仰。”──《李光耀才智名人名言录》（1992年）

【On thegreatest US President that he'veseen】

“But for the misfortune of Watergate, I would say Richard Nixon. He had a realistic view of the world. He was a great analyst, realistic, but also a tactician to get things done. But this need with wanting to know everything and to make sure he got re-elected became obsessive.”
　　“如果没有水门事件，我认为是理查·尼克森（Richard Nixon）。他的世界观很务实，分析力很强，实事求是，还精於谋略，把事情办好。但他凡事过问的性格，加上极希望连任，令他为人变得过於执着。”──《李光耀对话录》（Conversations with Lee Kuan Yew ）

【On the worst US President】

“my name is Jimmy Carter, I'm a peanut farmer, I'm running for president. The next thing you know, he was the president!”- Tom Plate's Conversations with Lee Kuan Yew
　　“我的名字是吉米·卡特（Jimmy Carter），我是种花生的，现在竞选总统。然後，他就当了总统！”──《李光耀对话录》（Conversations with Lee Kuan Yew ）

【On George W. Bush】

“I would not put him (George W Bush) the second worst. Iwould say Bush Jr. had melancholy advisers…Bush Jr. knew he didn't have much experience. It is virtue to know yourself”.- Tom Plate's Conversations with Lee Kuan Yew
　　“我不认为他是第二差的总统。我觉得小布什的顾问分析事物过於悲观……布什自知经验不足，了解自己是一种美德。”──《李光耀对话录》（Conversations with Lee Kuan Yew ）

【On Bill Clinton】

“Very clever man, very political, likeable fellow because he's got that outgoing personality… When he talks to you, you are the most important person in the world. But I think, it's generally true, he breaks the rules… Well, in his case, it's partly his character. I don't know. I mean, he had a difficult childhood and so on, so forth”.
　　“他很聪明，精於政治，且性格外向，很讨人欢喜……跟他说话，你会自觉是世上最重要的人。但我想，他经常犯规，这大致上也是事实……就他的情况来说，这部份是他性格所致。我不知道。我的意思是：他的童年很艰苦，诸如此类…….”──《李光耀对话录》（Conversations with Lee Kuan Yew ）

【On British politicians】

“In Britain, if you look at the First Class Honours list of Oxford or Cambridge and trace their careers, you will find that these people end up not in politics, but in banking, finance and the professions.”
　　“在英国，要是看看牛津或剑桥一等荣誉毕业生的事业历程，就会发现这些人最终没有从政，而是当上银行家丶金融家或专业人士。”

【On Lee Hsien Loong】

“If I were not the Prime Minister, he [Lee Hsien Loong]could have become Prime Minister several years earlier. It is against my interest to allow any family member, who's incapable, to be holding an important job because that would be a disaster for Singapore and my legacy.That cannot be allowed.
　　“如果我没当上总理，他可能早几年就坐上那个位置了。我不会让不够格的家庭成员担任要职，因为这对新加坡或我本人的历史功过来说，都是个灾难。绝不能允许有那样的事。”──《李光耀才智名人名言录》（2005年）

【On whetherhe was proud of his son being the PM】

“Yeah, but at the same time, I must be very careful that heis not going to smudge the record.. Well, he has got a tough time, but he has got more resources than I had when I started.”- Tom Plate's Conversations with Lee Kuan Yew
　　“是的。但我也非常小心，以免他犯错……他正面对一个艰难时期，但比起我掌政之初，他可以运用的资源丰富得多。”──《李光耀对话录》（Conversations with Lee Kuan Yew ）

关於治国

“I always tried to be correct, not politically correct.”- 2000 The Wit & Wisdom of Lee Kuan Yew
　　“我只做正确的事情，不管是否政治正确。”──《李光耀才智名人名言录》（2000年）

“What are our priorities? First, the welfare, the survival of the people. Then, democratic norms and processes which from time to time we have to suspend.”- 1986 National Day Rally
　　“我们先要处理的事是什麽？第一，福利和民生。其次是民主规范，以及须不时中止的民主进程。”──1986年国庆群众大会

Even from my sick bed, even if you are going to lower me into the grave and I feel something is going wrong, I will get up.- 1988 National Day Rally
　　哪怕我卧病在床丶哪怕我已经入土，要是我觉得新加坡有什麽不妥，我就会站起来。──1988年国庆群众大会

“My colleagues are not intimidated by me. Far from it. They speak their minds. Nothing has happened to them. But if we allow vicious, evil attacks to pass unchallenged － then the whole system must be undermined.”
　　“我的同僚并不怕我，一点都不。他们有话就直说，也没什麽后果。但如果我们任由他人恶意攻击，整个制度就将遭到破坏。”

“I have been accused of many things in my life, but not evenmy worst enemy has ever accused me of being afraid to speak my mind.”
　　“我平生受过各种指责，但连我最大的敌人都不敢说我怯於表达意见。”

“One-man-one-vote is a most difficult form of government..Results can be erratic.”
　　“一人一票是最难操作的政制形式……结果难以预料。”

【On hiscritics】

“Not all who oppose the PAP are communists; some arecommunists, some reactionaries, some opportunists and some merely confused.”
　　“并非所有反对人民行动党的人都是共产主义者。他们有些是共产主义者丶有些是反动分子丶有些是机会主义者，但有些只是糊涂蛋。”

【On interfering in S'poreans' private lives】

“I am often accused of interfering in the private lives of citizens. Yes, if I did not, had I not done that, we wouldn't be here today. And I say without the slightest remorse, that we wouldn't be here, we would not have made economic progress, if we had not intervened on very personal matters － who your neighbour is, how you live, the noise you make, how you spit, or what language you use. We decide what is right. Never mind what the people think.”

“我经常被指责干预新加坡人的私生活。对，但如果我不这样做，我们今天不会有这样的成就。我可以毫不懊悔地说，若我们从没介入国民的私人问题，你我今天不会有这样的成就，国家也无法取得现时的经济发展──你的邻居是谁？你如何生活？你制造的噪音、你怎样吐痰或你所用的语言，都是由国家决定对错。不要理会别人的想法。”

【On a typical S'porean】

“You know the Singaporean. He is a hard-working, industrious, rugged individual. Or we would not have made the grade. But let us also recognise that he is a champion grumbler.
　　“你们知道的。新加坡人努力工作丶勤奋且坚定，否则我们达不到眼下的成绩。但我们也须承认，新加坡人是牢骚大王。”

【On Americans' view of Singapore】

“They don't know where Singapore is, they are notinterested. They think of only Michael Fay, then maybe caning, chewing gum…strange odd place this Singapore”.
　　“美国人对新加坡不感兴趣，连新加坡在哪里都不清楚。美国人谈到新加坡，只知道迈克尔•费伊（MichaelFay）（译注：受鞭刑的美国青年），或鞭刑丶口香糖......认为新加坡是个怪地方。”

【S'pore as a nanny state】

If Singapore is a nanny state, then I am proud to have fostered one.
　　“若果真如此，我会很自豪地说：自己建立了一个这样的国家。”

【Of S'poreans and Dogs】

“If you can select a population and they're educated and they're properly brought up, then you don't have to use too much of the stick because they would already have been trained. It's like with dogs. You train it in a proper way from small. It will know that it's got to leave, go outside topee and to defecate. No, we are not that kind of society. We had to train adult dogs who even today deliberately urinate in the lifts.”
　　“如可以挑选国民，而这批国民是受过教育的丶从小就很有教养，这样管治时就不必太过严厉，因为他们受过训练。情况就跟狗一样。若小狗从小就以适当方式培训，就会知道要到外面撒尿大便。但新加坡不是这种社会。我们曾经努力训练一些成年狗，但它们还是会刻意在电梯里小便。”

【On governing】

“You've got to do one of two things when you've got to keep people happy: either, give them something that will satisfy them, better food, better clothes, better homes; or if you can't do that, then give them the vision of greatness to come”.
　　“要让人民快乐，有两件事情是可以做的，但必须做其中一件。一是给予人民感到满足的东西──好的食物丶好的衣服丶一个美好的家；如果你做不到，就给他们一个美好的憧憬。”

【On why Heaven does not need a Population White Paper】

“I wish I can meet my wife in the hereafter, but I don't think I will. I just cease to exist just as she has ceased to exist – otherwise the other world would be overpopulated.”
　　“我希望死后能与妻子重逢，但我不觉得能实现。我只会像她一样，不复存在──否则另一个世界的人口便会过多。”

【On love】

I don't believe in love at first sight. I think it's a grave mistake. You're attracted by physical characteristics and you will regret it.
　　“我不相信一见钟情。我认为那是大错特错。因为你只是被对方的外表吸引，最终定会后悔。”

【On saying no】

“You lose nothing by being polite. The answer is 'No', but please say it politely and give the reasons… Explain to me why 'No'. Don't change 'No' to 'Yes'. Don't be a fool. If there was a good reason why it is 'No', it must remain 'No', but the man must be told politely.”
　　“对人有礼，于己无损。说不时应有礼貌，并解释原因……告知对方你为何说不。但绝不能以'是'代替'不'，勿做愚人。有理由说不时，就必须坚持，但必须有礼地告知对方。”

【On life】

“Life is notjust eating, drinking, television and cinema…The human mind must be creative,must be self-generating; it cannot depend on just gadgets to amuse itself.”
　　“生命不只是吃、喝、看电视、看电影……人类必须具创意、必须有自发性，不可只依赖玩意儿自娱。”

【On eugenics】

“There are many sons of doctors who have married doctors. Those who married spouses who are not as bright are tearing their hair out because their children can't make it. I have lived long enough to see all this play out.”
　　“有很多医生的子女与医生成婚。那些伴侣稍逊的人现正为自己的子女不成器而懊恼。我平生看过不少这样的实证。”