《乌合之众·第三编·不同群体的分类与描述·所谓犯罪群体》第4节
"They have the expansive sympathy and prompt sensibility of the Parisian working man. At the Abbaye, one of the federates, learning that the prisoners had been left without water for twenty-six hours, was bent on putting the gaoler to death, and would have done so but for the prayers of the prisoners themselves. When a prisoner is acquitted (by the improvised tribunal) every one, guards and slaughterers included, embraces him with transports of joy and applauds frantically," after which the wholesale massacre is recommenced. During its progress a pleasant gaiety never ceases to reign. There is dancing and singing around the corpses, and benches are arranged "for the ladies," delighted to witness the killing of aristocrats. The exhibition continues, moreover, of a special description of justice. A slaughterer at the Abbaye having complained that the ladies placed at a little distance saw badly, and that only a few of those present had the pleasure of striking the aristocrats, the justice of the observation is admitted, and it is decided that the victims shall be made to pass slowly between two rows of slaughterers, who shall be under the obligation to strike with the back of the sword only so as to prolong the agony. At the prison de la Force the victims are stripped stark naked and literally "carved" for half an hour, after which, when every one has had a good view, they are finished off by a blow that lays bare their entrails.
注释摘要
勒庞在这一段里想证明的，是群体在强烈暗示支配下能够同时容纳看似完全矛盾的情感状态。九月屠杀的参与者们并非毫无人性的冷血怪物，恰恰相反，他们在某些时刻表现出极大的同情心——听说囚犯二十六小时没喝水，立刻要处死狱卒，只是囚犯本人的哀求才救下了那人的命。而被临时法庭宣告无罪的囚犯，会得到刽子手和看守们狂喜的拥抱与欢呼。然而这种温情一旦结束，大屠杀照常继续，毫无过…