《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20节
It is necessary to bear in mind the astounding power exerted by fascination of this order to understand that marvellous return from the Isle of Elba, that lightning-like conquest of France by an isolated man confronted by all the organised forces of a great country that might have been supposed weary of his tyranny. He had merely to cast a look at the generals sent to lay hands on him, and who had sworn to accomplish their mission. All of them submitted without discussion. "Napoleon," writes the English General Wolseley, "lands in France almost alone, a fugitive from the small island of Elba which was his kingdom, and succeeded in a few weeks, without bloodshed, in upsetting all organised authority in France under its legitimate king; is it possible for the personal ascendency of a man to affirm itself in a more astonishing manner? But from the beginning to the end of this campaign, which was his last, how remarkable too is the ascendency he exercised over the Allies, obliging them to follow his initiative, and how near he came to crushing them!" His prestige outlived him and continued to grow. It is his prestige that made an emperor of his obscure nephew. How powerful is his memory still is seen in the resurrection of his legend in progress at the present day. Ill-treat men as you will, massacre them by millions, be the cause of invasion upon invasion, all is permitted you if you possess prestige in a sufficient degree and the talent necessary to uphold it.
注释摘要
这段文字是勒庞论述“名望”理论的最高潮。他要证明的核心论点极为大胆：个人名望（personal prestige）是一种近乎巫术的力量，足以让一个孤立无援的人压倒整个国家机器。他用的史例是拿破仑从厄尔巴岛返回巴黎的“百日王朝”开端——1815年，拿破仑从流放地逃脱，在法国南部登陆，路易十八派军队去逮捕他，而拿破仑只消走上前去、敞开衣襟说一句“你们当中谁想杀…