《乌合之众·第三编·不同群体的分类与描述·议会集会》第18节
The danger must indeed be most inevitable, since even England itself, which assuredly offers the most popular type of the parliamentary regime, the type in which the representative is most independent of his elector, has been unable to escape it. Herbert Spencer has shown, in a work already old, that the increase of apparent liberty must needs be followed by the decrease of real liberty. Returning to this contention in his recent book, "The Individual versus the State," he thus expresses himself with regard to the English Parliament:-- "Legislation since this period has followed the course, I pointed out. Rapidly multiplying dictatorial measures have continually tended to restrict individual liberties, and this in two ways. Regulations have been established every year in greater number, imposing a constraint on the citizen in matters in which his acts were formerly completely free, and forcing him to accomplish acts which he was formerly at liberty to accomplish or not to accomplish at will. At the same time heavier and heavier public, and especially local, burdens have still further restricted his liberty by diminishing the portion of his profits he can spend as he chooses, and by augmenting the portion which is taken from him to be spent according to the good pleasure of the public authorities."
注释摘要
勒庞在这一段里探讨了他眼中议会制政体无法摆脱的根本困境，并以被他视为议会制典范的英国为证。他的论证逻辑是这样的：前文已经指出，议会集会受制于选民的压力和领袖的暗示，容易导致公共开支无度膨胀。现在他进一步断言，这种危险几乎无可避免，因为就连英国——在勒庞看来，那里的代议士对选民保持着最大的独立性——也未能幸免。为了支撑这个论断，他引用了赫伯特·斯宾塞的观察。…