《乌合之众·第二编·群体的意见与信念·群体的领袖及其说服手段》第7节
When it is desired to show what may be done by mere strength of will, all that is necessary is to relate in detail the history of the difficulties that had to be surmounted in connection with the cutting of the Suez Canal. An ocular witness, Dr. Cazalis, has summed up in a few striking lines the entire story of this great work, recounted by its immortal author. "From day to day, episode by episode, he told the stupendous story of the canal. He told of all he had had to vanquish, of the impossible he had made possible, of all the opposition he encountered, of the coalition against him, and the disappointments, the reverses, the defeats which had been unavailing to discourage or depress him. He recalled how England had combatted him, attacking him without cessation, how Egypt and France had hesitated, how the French Consul had been foremost in his opposition to the early stages of the work, and the nature of the opposition he had met with, the attempt to force his workmen to desert from thirst by refusing them fresh water; how the Minister of Marine and the engineers, all responsible men of experienced and scientific training, had naturally all been hostile, were all certain on scientific grounds that disaster was at hand, had calculated its coming, foretelling it for such a day and hour as an eclipse is foretold."
注释摘要
这段文字是勒庞为"持久的意志力"提供的核心例证。他想证明的观点极其简单：在第二类领袖身上，恒久的意志力量比间歇的勇猛更有历史效力，它能让一个人克服一切看似不可能的反对。勒庞选择了雷赛布和他开凿苏伊士运河的工程来作为这个论断的终极展示。 他借用卡扎利斯医生的目击叙述，逐条列举了雷赛布面对过的反对力量：英国的持续攻击、埃及与法国的犹豫不决、法国领事的带头阻挠，…