《乌合之众·第三编·不同群体的分类与描述·议会集会》第3节
[27] The following reflection of an English parliamentarian of long experience doubtless applies to these opinions, fixed beforehand, and rendered unalterable by electioneering necessities: "During the fifty years that I have sat at Westminster, I have listened to thousands of speeches; but few of them have changed my opinion, not one of them has changed my vote." On general questions--the overthrow of a Cabinet, the imposition of a tax, &c.--there is no longer any fixity of opinion, and the suggestions of leaders can exert an influence, though not in quite the same way as in an ordinary crowd. Every party has its leaders, who possess occasionally an equal influence. The result is that the Deputy finds himself placed between two contrary suggestions, and is inevitably made to hesitate. This explains how it is that he is often seen to vote in contrary fashion in an interval of a quarter of an hour or to add to a law an article which nullifies it; for instance, to withdraw from employers of labour the right of choosing and dismissing their workmen, and then to very nearly annul this measure by an amendment. It is for the same reason that every Chamber that is returned has some very stable opinions, and other opinions that are very shifting. On the whole, the general questions being the more numerous, indecision is predominant in the Chamber--the indecision which results from the ever- present fear of the elector, the suggestion received from whom is always latent, and tends to counterbalance the influence of the leaders.
注释摘要
勒庞在这一段要证明的核心论点是，议会中议员的意见并非全是流动易变的，而是存在一种顽固的固定性，但这种固定性有着非常具体的来源和边界。他援引了一位在英国下议院任职五十年的资深议员的自白作为证据，这位议员坦言，他听过数千场演讲，很少有能改变他观点的，没有一场能改变他的投票。勒庞借此说明，在关涉地方利益或选区利益的具体问题上——比如关税保护、酿酒特许权这类牵扯到…