你們不配、没有資格聲稱要為之奮鬥的那兩個字“民主”,, 你們不配。

你們不配、没有資格聲稱要為之奮鬥的那兩個字“民主”,, 你們不配。

By Michele Li-Fay 老安試譯

米歇爾·李菲(Michele Li-Fay) 英國一位美食家及攝影家

https://www.instagram.com/p/B2UVcvNDYBv/

An Open Letter To The Protesters and Their Supporters

致抗議者及其支持者的公開信

Another weekend, another round of escalating violence.

又一個週末，又一輪暴力升級。

You all take to the streets every night, spreading chaos, confusion and fear, claiming to be fighting for democracy and freedom, but instead you have proven to the world you don't even know what it means.

你們每天晚上都走上街頭，散佈動亂、混亂和恐懼，聲稱要為民主和自由而戰，但你們卻向世界證明了，你們不知道民主和自由是什麼。

Democracy is not just a vote; it is so much more than that.

民主不僅僅是一種投票制度，它還遠遠不止如此。

It is an attitude, a mindset, a way of behaving in a civilised society.

這是一種態度，一種觀念模式，思維倾向、心態，一種文明社會的行為方式。

Democracy is understanding that society is filled with people with different views. There are many who will agree with you, but many more who probably will not. That's OK. A wise man once told me that different opinions make the world a little more interesting, a little more diverse. It prompts conversations, discussions, debates, even arguments. It stops us from becoming boring and complacent. It forces us to open our eyes, minds and hearts, but more importantly to understand the fact that different socioeconomic factors result in different realities and points of view. As long as the opinions and actions are lawful, valid, backed with real reason, logic and truth, and not with conspiracy theories and fake news, it isn't a wrong opinion. It is merely a different one.

民主就是基於認識到社會上充滿了不同觀點的人。雖然有很多人會同意你的觀點，但更多的人可能不會同意。沒關係。一位智者曾告訴我不同的觀點使世界變得更有趣，更多樣化。它引發了對話、討論、辯論甚至爭論。它阻止我們變得無聊和自滿。它迫使我們打開我們的眼睛，頭腦和心靈，但更重要的是，要讓我們認識到一個事實，不同的社會“經濟因素”導致不同的現實體驗和觀點。只要你認為這些意見和行為是合法的、有價值的，基於事實的、合乎邏輯的和真實的，而不是基於陰謀論的和假新聞的，這樣，這些觀點都不屬於錯誤。這只不過是不同意見而已。

Democracy is respecting opposing opinions, and realising you don't always win. I voted to Remain in the Brexit vote. Many of my friends and loved ones voted Remain as well. However, we lost. We were shocked, outraged maybe. We couldn't believe we weren't the majority, when we were so confident we were. And I also know some who voted to Leave which resulted in our loss as Remainders. I have not cut out those who voted against my beliefs. I have never once belittled or berated them, nor do I think less of them. Because while I may not agree with them, or even agree with their reasons, I respect their decision to vote that way. Because in their eyes, it's for the right reasons, and it's their reason, not mine or for me to judge.

民主就是尊重對立的意見，意識到你並不總是贏。 在“脫歐”公投中，我投票在“留歐”的一派。我的許多朋友和親人也投了“留歐”的票。然而，我們輸了。我們是震驚，也許是憤怒。我們如此自信的時候，我們無法相信我們竟不是大多數。我也認識一些投票決定脫歐的人，這導致了我們成為失敗的“留歐者”。我沒有割切那些投票反對我信仰的朋友。我從來沒有輕視或斥責他們，也沒有輕視他們，或者不喜歡他們。因為雖然我可能不同意他們、甚至不同意他們所持的理由，但我尊重他們這樣投票的決定。因為在他們眼裏，這是正確的理由，這是他們的理由，不是我的，也不是我所判斷的。

Democracy is accepting defeat, but not giving up and striving to better the situation. Protests happened when it was announced the UK was leaving the EU, but no riots. There was plenty of anger, disappointment and frustration, many slogans, banners and chants, but there were no petrol bombs, hateful graffiti or attacks on law enforcement. Then once the dust settled and reality sank in, people got on with their lives and their jobs, and tried (and are still trying) to make the best of the situation, to reach the best resolution possible, even if it wasn't what they voted for to begin with. We didn't sit back and protest and sulk until our "demands" were met. Because we know a vote means options, which means one side must lose, even if it is your own.

民主是接受失敗，不是放棄，而是更努力改善局面。當英國宣佈脫離歐盟時發生了抗議示威，但沒有發生騷亂。當然會有很多憤怒、失望、迷惑，也有很多口號、橫幅和謾罵，但沒有汽油彈、仇恨的塗鴉或對執法者的攻擊。然後，一旦塵埃落定，就返回現實，人們開始繼續他們的生活和工作，努力(而且仍在努力)使情況變得最好，盡可能達成最好的脫歐解決方案，即使這不是他們最初投票所贊成的。我們在我們的“要求”得到滿足之前，他們並沒有停下生活，抗議和惱怒。因為我們知道投票意味著選擇，這意味著一方必須輸，即使這是你自己那方的。

Most of all, democracy is self-betterment and self-reflection. Democracy requires education and a desire to seek the truth through all the hazy smokescreen of reality and life. It isn't churning out the party line, without understanding what it is you're even referring to. It requires real fact-checking and a dose of common sense, to understand that not everything--or unfortunately in this day and age, nothing at all--can be taken at face value. The Internet makes it very easy to spread unverified news and vicious rumours. People, politicians, even news publications, which are meant to be impartial, all have their own agendas and inherent bias, and it's down to the individual to exercise their brains to think of a situation's plausibility.

民主最重要的是，是自我完善和自我反省。民主需要經過教育和通過經歷現實的和穿過各種充滿朦朧的、煙霧瀰漫的生活的體驗、尋求真理的願望的考驗。它不是未經驗証的，滔滔不絕的、意識形態式的符合政黨路線的黨言團意。民主是需要真正的事實核查和符合一定程度的常識。要明白不是所有事物 - 或者不幸的是在今時今日，沒有任何東西 - 可以按表面知道實相。今天的互聯網非常容易傳播未經證實的新聞和惡毒的謠言。人，政治家，甚至是新聞傳媒，本應需要扯有不偏不倚處事，可惜他們每個人都有自己的議程和固執的偏見，他們更千方百計用盡腦汁去塗飾他們所做的一切，吹起來振振有詞。

Democracy is not intimidating and shouting at those who don't share the same opinion as you, and forcing them to agree with you or apologise, or else. It is not beating up men and women on the streets till their blood paints the pavement, just because they have come out to condemn your violence or sing a different tune. It is not destroying and defacing public property, causing hundreds of thousand dollars worth of collective damage, because that corporation or that shopkeeper has offended you. It is not violence, terrorism and bullying.

民主並不是對那些與你意見不一致的人進行恐嚇和大喊大叫、大吵大鬧，或是強迫他們一定要同意你的觀點，或要向你道歉，或者其他更惡劣的。民主不是在街上隨意毆打僅僅因為他們出來譴責你的暴力行為或跟你不同意見、觀點的男或女人，直到他們的鮮血塗地。民主並不是破壞和塗鴉公共財產，造成數以十萬計的財務損失。只因為那家機構或那個店主冒犯了你。民主絕不是暴力、恐怖主義和欺淩。

It is not destroying a politician's parents' grave, because he spoke out against you. It is not injuring police officers who are trying to keep the peace you insist on destroying. It is not striking first, then crying police brutality when you get your just deserts. It is not spreading fake news and conspiracy theories, and gobbling them up with no reflection or analysis.

民主不是因為他公開反對你，你就要去破壞這政客父母的墳墓。民主並不是傷殘那些試圖維護社會秩序，而相反你堅持要去破壞社會和平的前綫員警。民主並不是你先以暴力破壞在前，而你得到你的應得的制裁時，反過來污衊前綫員警暴力執法。民主不是在散佈假新聞和未有進行任何确認或分析的各種毀謗、抺黑。

It is not terrorising locals and tourists, adults and children alike, shutting down airports and stations, and bringing the economy to a halt. It is not brainwashing and influencing impressionable young minds that should be thinking about fun and dreams, not politics and protests. It is not destroying your home, a city you claim to love. It is not asking for liberation and freedom while holding the entire city hostage.

民主並不是隨意恐嚇、威脅、威嚇當地人和遊客、成人和兒童，關閉機場和車站，並使經濟停止。民主不是以洗腦和誤導、影響思想未成熟的青少年，讓他們感受行動的樂趣和如夢的虛幻，而不去考量政治及為什麼抗議。民主不是去摧毀你們的家、去破壞一個你們口口聲聲宣稱要愛的城市。民主並不是聲稱堅持自由的同時把整個城市作為人質。

You have reduced the concept of democracy to being just about universal suffrage, when it is so much more than that. You claim to selflessly sacrifice yourselves to fight for the future of all, but you are selfish. You are selfishly pushing your own agenda without care of how people really feel, what others really want. And with your violent actions and narrow one-track mind, you have shown what little understanding and respect for what democracy truly represents.

你們已經把民主的概念簡化為就是大槪等同普選的概念，而這個概念遠不止如此。你們聲稱無私犧牲自己為所有人的未來而戰，但實際上自私的是你們。你們是在自私地推進你們自以為是的議程，而漠不關心其他多數人的真實感受和別人真正想要的東西。以你們的暴力行為和狹隘的單軌思維，你們已經自己證明了自己缺乏理解和尊重民主真正代表的東西。

So bravo to you, as you proven through entirely your own actions and naivity that you don't deserve the one very thing you claim to be fighting for.

所以對你們來說， 你們很勇武啊，因為你們完全通過你自己的行動和無知證明了

你們不配、没有資格聲稱要為之奮鬥的那兩個字“民主”,, 你們不配。