《乌合之众·第一编·群体的心理·群体信念呈现的宗教形态》第1节
We have shown that crowds do not reason, that they accept or reject ideas as a whole, that they tolerate neither discussion nor contradiction, and that the suggestions brought to bear on them invade the entire field of their understanding and tend at once to transform themselves into acts. We have shown that crowds suitably influenced are ready to sacrifice themselves for the ideal with which they have been inspired. We have also seen that they only entertain violent and extreme sentiments, that in their case sympathy quickly becomes adoration, and antipathy almost as soon as it is aroused is transformed into hatred. These general indications furnish us already with a presentiment of the nature of the convictions of crowds. When these convictions are closely examined, whether at epochs marked by fervent religious faith, or by great political upheavals such as those of the last century, it is apparent that they always assume a peculiar form which I cannot better define than by giving it the name of a religious sentiment. This sentiment has very simple characteristics, such as worship of a being supposed superior, fear of the power with which the being is credited, blind submission to its commands, inability to discuss its dogmas, the desire to spread them, and a tendency to consider as enemies all by whom they are not accepted. Whether such a sentiment apply to an invisible God, to a wooden or stone idol, to a hero or to a political conception, provided that it presents the preceding characteristics, its essence always remains religious. The supernatural and the miraculous are found to be present to the same extent. Crowds unconsciously accord a mysterious power to the political formula or the victorious leader that for the moment arouses their enthusiasm.
注释摘要
勒庞这一段的核心意图，是要从群体心理的一般性质里，推出一条贯穿性的结论：群体的信念，不论表面内容如何，最终总带上一副宗教情感的面孔。他在本节开头做了简洁而有力的铺垫，把前文讨论过的几个特征拉在一起——群体不做精细推理，只把观念当作整体来接受或拒绝；他们不容讨论与反驳；暗示一旦进入他们的意识，就会立刻转变为行动。接着他又重复了一个在他看来已经确立的命题：群体…