《乌合之众·第三编·不同群体的分类与描述·议会集会》第8节
It is all to the interest of the leaders to indulge in the most improbable exaggerations. The speaker of whom I have just cited a sentence was able to affirm, without arousing violent protestations, that bankers and priests had subsidised the throwers of bombs, and that the directors of the great financial companies deserve the same punishment as anarchists. Affirmations of this kind are always effective with crowds. The affirmation is never too violent, the declamation never too threatening. Nothing intimidates the audience more than this sort of eloquence. Those present are afraid that if they protest they will be put down as traitors or accomplices. As I have said, this peculiar style of eloquence has ever been of sovereign effect in all assemblies. In times of crisis its power is still further accentuated. The speeches of the great orators of the assemblies of the French Revolution are very interesting reading from this point of view. At every instant they thought themselves obliged to pause in order to denounce crime and exalt virtue, after which they would burst forth into imprecations against tyrants, and swear to live free men or perish. Those present rose to their feet, applauded furiously, and then, calmed, took their seats again.
注释摘要
在这段文字里，勒庞试图论证议会集会中领袖操控群体的一个关键机制：越是毫无根据的极端夸张，对领袖越有利。他用的例子直接取自十九世纪末法国议会里的实际言论——那位未点名的演说者公然宣称银行家和神父资助了投掷炸弹的人，大金融公司的董事应当与无政府主义者同罪。勒庞指出，这类指控没有激起强烈抗议，因为听众被震慑住了，他们害怕一旦站出来反对，自己就会被指为叛徒或同谋。…