'Industrious, filthy, obtuse people': Albert Einstein's travel diaries reveal the scientist's shocking racism and xenophobia as they are published for the first time in English

“勤奋、肮脏、愚钝的人”：阿尔伯特·爱因斯坦的旅行日记首次以英文公开发表，揭示了这位科学家令人震惊的种族主义和仇外心理。

Albert Einstein's private diaries reveal the iconic scientist's racist attitudes on a trip to Asia in the 1920s.

阿尔伯特·爱因斯坦的私人日记揭示了这位偶像科学家在20世纪20年代亚洲之行中流露出的种族主义态度。

In the autumn of 1922, Albert Einstein, along with his then-wife, Elsa, embarked on a five-and-a-half-month voyage to the Far East and Middle East, regions that the renowned physicist had never visited before.

1922年秋天，阿尔伯特·爱因斯坦和他当时的妻子埃尔莎开始了为期五个半月的远东及中东之旅，这位著名物理学家之前从未去过这个地区。

Einstein's lengthy itinerary consisted of stops in Hong Kong and Singapore, two brief stays in China, a six-week whirlwind lecture tour of Japan and a twelve-day tour of Palestine.

在这趟漫长的行程中，爱因斯坦在香港和新加坡作了停留，在短暂逗留了2天，在日本进行了为期六周的旋风演讲，在巴勒斯坦进行为期12天的访问。

The diaries have been published first time as a standalone volume in English by Princeton University Press, including facsimiles of the diary pages.

这些日记是普林斯顿大学出版社首次以纯英文出版的，还附上了日记的影印件。

Einstein, who once described racism as 'a disease of white people', describes the Chinese as 'industrious, filthy, obtuse people', The Guardian reported.

据英国《卫报》报道，曾将种族主义描述为“白人的疾病”的爱因斯坦，形容人是“勤劳、肮脏、愚钝”的。

'Chinese don't sit on benches while eating but squat like Europeans do when they relieve themselves out in the leafy woods.

“人在吃东西的时候并不坐在长凳上，而是像欧洲人在茂密的森林里放松自己时那样蹲坐着。”

'All this occurs quietly and demurely. Even the children are spiritless and look obtuse.'

“这里的一切都是安静、拘谨的。连孩子们也没精打采，看起来笨头笨脑的。”

He also writes of the 'abundance of offspring' and the 'fecundity' of the Chinese.

他还记述了人“儿孙众多”和他们的“生育力”。

'It would be a pity if these Chinese supplant all other races. For the likes of us the mere thought is unspeakably dreary.'

“如果这些人取代了所有其他种族，那将是一件憾事。对我们这样的人来说，光是这样想想就让人感到说不出的郁闷。”

He says of the Chinese 'even those reduced to working like horses never give the impression of conscious suffering. A peculiar herd-like nation…often more like automatons than people.'

他说，人“即使是那些沦为苦工的人，也不会让人觉得他正在受罪。这是一个奇特的群居民族……更像机器人而非人类。”

In Colombo, in what was then called Ceylon and now Sri Lanka, Einstein says the locals 'live in great filth and considerable stench at ground level' adding that they 'do little, and need little. The simple economic cycle of life'.

在当时被称为锡兰的斯里兰卡首都科伦坡，爱因斯坦说当地居民“生活的环境非常肮脏，地上臭气熏天”，他还说，他们“不怎么干活，需要的也很少。他们过着简单的生活。”

He does appear to have more favourable impression of the Japanese who he says are 'unostentatious, decent, altogether very appealing'.

他似乎对日本人的印象好得多，他说日本人“低调、体面、总体上让人很感兴趣”。

The Travel Diaries of Albert Einstein have been edited by Ze'ev Rosenkranz, senior editor and assistant director of the Einstein Papers Project at the California Institute of Technology.

爱因斯坦的旅行日记是由加州理工学院爱因斯坦论文项目的高级编辑兼助理主任罗森克兰兹编辑的。

'I think a lot of comments strike us as pretty unpleasant - what he says about the Chinese in particular,' he told The Guardian.

他在接受《卫报》采访时说，‘我认为很多评论令人不悦，尤其是他对人的评价。’

'They're kind of in contrast to the public image of the great humanitarian icon. I think it's quite a shock to read those and contrast them with his more public statements. They're more off guard, he didn't intend them for publication.'

‘这些评价与这位伟大的人道主义偶像的公众形象形成了鲜明对比。我认为读这些评论会让人感到震惊，并与他的公开声明形成反差。他们猝不及防，他并没有打算出版这些书。’

The diaries have only previously been published in German as part of the 15-volume Collected Papers of Albert Einstein.

这些日记之前只是作为爱因斯坦15卷论文选集的一部分用德语出版过。

英国每日邮报读者的评论：

来源：http://www.santaihu.com/45285.html

外文：http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5838903/Albert-Einsteins-travel-diaries-reveal-scientists-shocking-racism-tour-Asia.html

Herbert Herbertson, Adelaide, Australia, 9 hours ago

Einstein - probably the most over rated person in history. Nicola Tesla achieved so much more yet is almost forgotten.

爱因斯坦——可能是历史上最被高估的人。尼古拉·特斯拉的成就远超爱因斯坦，但几乎已被人遗忘。

Liberty1972, Internet, United States, 9 hours ago

Ghandi also said a lot of things that wouldn't be considered "good politics" today, but he became more tolerant as he aged. Einstein lived another 30 years after he wrote that stuff in his diary, and he probably changed as well.

甘地也说过很多在今天看来“政治不正确”的话，但随着年龄的增长，他变得越来越宽容了。爱因斯坦在他的日记中写下这些东西后，又多活了30年，他可能也有所改变了。

anglolithceltjock, salford, United Kingdom, 10 hours ago

It's all relative, at least that's my theory

这都是相对的，至少这是我的理论

Troobloo, Perth, Australia, 10 hours ago

Palestine didn't exst then.

巴勒斯坦那时候并不存在。

Emma_star, By the bay, Australia, 10 hours ago

I mean how far back are we going to go to find things to be offended by? What's the statute of limitations on this?

我的意思是，我们多久之前才发现被冒犯了?诉讼时效是多久?

HAC, LEEDS, United Kingdom, 11 hours ago

Didn't see the point of reading this! He's been dead how long?

没看出这篇文章有什么意义!他都死了多久了?

Paul118, Belfast, Ireland, 11 hours ago

Einstein also thought the universe had no begng. How'd that turn out?

爱因斯坦还认为宇宙没有起源呢。结果呢?

snotcricket, Dubai, UAE, 11 hours ago

If I remember correctly, Einstein was a scientist, not a social worker. He should be judged by his contributions in the field of science, not by how far his attitudes diverge from today's intensely judgemental and self-righteous dogma.

如果我没记错的话，爱因斯坦是个科学家，而不是社会工作者。人们应该以他在科学领域的贡献来评判他，而不是看他的态度与当今充满批判和自以为是的教条有多大差异。

antonyuk30, Meggies, United Kingdom, 11 hours ago

Yet again the people of today are passing judgement on something that was written almost a hundred years ago. Einstein's diaries were personal to him and no one else. Nobody has the right to judge him for his personal thoughts from the 1920's, the world was different then.

今天人们又一次对写于近百年前的东西评头论足了。爱因斯坦的日记是他写给自己看的，不是写给别人看的。没有人有权用他20世纪20年代的个人思想来评判他，当时的世界跟现在完全不同。

Lady Evensong, Lackawaxen, United States Minor Outlying Islands, 12 hours ago

Read up on it before you make judgements. You could not imagine the atrocities.

在你做出判断之前请仔细阅读一下。你无法想象这些暴行。

Victor Mason, Chelmsford, United Kingdom, 13 hours ago

Einstein got it, he understood how the world works and was unencumbered by having to worry whether or not someone's feelings were bruised. A clear, honest observation for the time.

爱因斯坦看明白了，他知道世界是如何运转的，他不担心别人的感情会不会受伤。这是一种清楚、坦诚的观察。

SteveB195, Bradford, United Kingdom, 13 hours ago

Well is he wrong? The biggest genius making a remark that he observed on his travels, who are to condemn him!

好吧，他错了吗?最伟大的天才对他在旅行中的见闻发表了一句评论，谁有资格来谴责他!

Paul118, Belfast, Ireland, 11 hours ago

Einstein the "biggest genius"? He was an amateur compared to Newton.

爱因斯坦是“最伟大的天才”?与牛顿相比，他也就是个业余爱好者。

Myosotis, Cardiff, United Kingdom, 13 hours ago

Perhaps he just reported the situations as he saw them.

也许他只是记录了他的所见所闻。

DontModerateMeBro, In the Red zone, United States, 13 hours ago

One of the smartest men to ever walk the Earth. I'll take his realistic assessment over "feels" any day.

他是地球上最聪明的人之一。我愿意接受他对“感觉”的现实评价。

paulwbafc73, Brisbane , Australia, 14 hours ago

Those comments are also common in the class system of that time period.

那些评论在那个时代非常常见。

My Pointless Views, Portsmouth, United Kingdom, 14 hours ago

Too many people keep judging the past by the standards of today. It just doesn't work and it isn't fair, so why do they do it, other than for sensationalism and to further their own career !

太多的人以今天的标准来评判过去。这是行不通的，也是不公平的，所以他们为什么要这么做，除了哗众取宠和促进自己的事业还有什么!

Trevki, London, United Kingdom, 14 hours ago

Speak as you find....in those days you could. Now people only think it.

看到什么说什么....以前大家是可以畅所欲言的。现在的人只能想想。

Take Responsibility, New York, United States, 15 hours ago

He found their living conditions filthy. Does this make him racist? He found them obtuse. He's the smartest man ever to have lived. By his standards, everyone is obtuse. Does this make him racist? People need to have a pint and calm down.

他发现他们的生活条件很恶劣。这就让他变成种族主义者了吗?他发现他们愚钝。他是有史以来最聪明的人。按照他的标准，每个人都是愚钝的。这就让他成为种族主义者了吗?人们需要喝一品脱酒，冷静冷静。

Express14, Right here. Right now., Ireland, 15 hours ago

Totally different world then. And totally different mindset.

当时是完全不同的世界。也是完全不同的思维模式。

LateToTheGame, Johannesburg, South Africa, 15 hours ago

Japan has had a love affair with the west for a long time, probably why they got off lightly. Must have seen a lot of people pretending to be western.

日本与西方有过很长一段蜜月期，这可能是他们为何能轻松脱身的原因。肯定有很多人假装自己是西方人。

Lily Jameson, Key Biscayne, United States, 15 hours ago

Agreed! That's why I haven't eaten in a Chinese restaurant in about 20 years.

同意!这就是为什么我已经有20年没在中餐馆吃过饭的原因了。

willi23, London, United Kingdom, 15 hours ago

Einstein was a famous fraudster and plagiarist who refused to give credit to people who had discovered scientific concepts long before he ever copied them. Awful man!

爱因斯坦是一个著名的骗子和剽窃者，他拒绝承认那些在他抄袭之前就有了科学发现的人。可怕的男人!

Some_Person, London, United Kingdom, 16 hours ago

Wow, a guy who died in the 1930s does not speak with all the PC euphemisms that started being introduced in the 1990s

哇，一个死于20世纪30年代的家伙，没有按照90年代开始要求的政治正确的标准来委婉地说话。

Janet, Boston, 16 hours ago

OK, now let's hear from the travel diary of a Chinese big-wig who visited Britain. Bet he's an abominable bigot who deserve to be roundly condemned!!!

好了，现在让我们来听一段出访英国的大人物的旅行日记。我打赌他是个可恶的偏执狂，应该受到严厉的谴责!!

Now run along, Great Southern Land, Australia, 16 hours ago

Under China's oppressive regime, automatons is actually a very accurate description: conform, or face the consequence.

在，高-压统治下，机器人的说法实际上是一种非常准确的描述:顺从，或接受后果。

LAW, Somerset, 16 hours ago

I travelled through Alexandria, once. It was the dirtiest, most disgusting placeI've ever visited. Am I entitled to my opinion, or am I being 'racist'?

我曾经去过亚历山大。那是我去过的最肮脏、最恶心的地方。我有资格发表自己的观点吗? 还是说我也是个“种族主义者”?

MrsAaronRodgers, Englewood CO, United States, 16 hours ago

He was a person of his time. Doesn't make it right, but unfortunately that's the way scientists were then. Him being Jewish, he certainly should have known better, but if we're going to character assassinate every historical figure by judging them via our own Modern mores, we're not gonna have any historical figures left.

他是那个时代的人。但不幸的是，当时的科学家们就是这么做的。他是犹太人，他当然应该知道得更清楚，但是如果我们要通过我们自己的现代习俗来评判每一个历史人物，我们就不会有任何历史人物了。

mike, aylesbury, United Kingdom, 1 day ago

When do we start taking statues down and removing his name from association with relativity ?

我们什么时候开始拆除他的雕像，把他的名字从相对论中抹去?

Jimmyo, Milwaukee, United States, 23 hours ago

It was merely an observation of his. He was not there long, so he was not able to undstand their culture. I don't see this as a big deal. The same may have been said about Americans during the depression.

这不过是他的观察罢了。他在那里待的时间不长，所以他无法理解他们的文化。我不觉得这有什么大不了的。他对大萧条时期的美国人可能也会说一样的话。