我之节烈观“世道浇漓，人心日下，国将不国”这一类话，本是中国历来的叹声。不过时代不同，则所谓“日下”的事情，也有迁变：从前指的是甲事，现在叹的或是乙事。除了“进呈御览”的东西不敢妄说外，其余的文章议论里，一向就带这口吻。因为如此叹息，不但针砭世人，还可以从“日下”之中，除去自己。所以君子固然相对慨叹，连杀人放火嫖妓骗钱以及一切鬼混的人，也都乘作恶余暇，摇着头说道，“他们人心日下了。”世风人心这件事，不但鼓吹坏事，可以“日下”；即使未曾鼓吹，只是旁观，只是赏玩，只是叹息，也可以叫他“日下”。所以近一年来，居然也有几个不肯徒托空言的人，叹息一番之后，还要想法子来挽救。第一个是康有为，指手画脚的说“虚君共和”才好，陈独秀便斥他不兴；其次是一班灵学派的人，不知何以起了极古奥的思想，要请“孟圣矣乎”的鬼来画策；陈百年钱玄同刘半农又道他胡说。MYVIEWSONCHASTITY"Theworldisgoingtothedogs！Menaregrowingmoredegenerateeveryday！Thecountryisfacedwithruin！"：suchlamentshavebeenheardinChinasincetimeimmemorial.But"degeneracy"variesfromagetoage.Itusedtomeanonething，nowitmeansanother.Exceptinmemorialstothethroneandthelike，inwhichnoonedaresmakewildstatements，thisisthetoneofallwrittenandspokenpronouncements.Fornotonlyissuchcarpinggoodforpeople;itremovesthespeakerfromtheranksofthedegenerate.Thatgentlemensighwhentheymeetisonlynatural.Butnowevenmurderers，incendiaries，libertines，swindlersandotherscoundrelsshaketheirheadsintheintervalsbetweentheircrimesandmutter："Menaregrow-ingmoredegenerateeveryday！"Asfarasmoralitygoes，inciterstoevilarenottheonlydegenerates.Soarethosewhosimplycondoneit，delightinitordeploreit.Thatiswhysomementhisyearhaveactuallynotcontentedthemselveswithemptytalk，butafterexpress-ingtheirhorrorhavelookedroundforaremedy.ThefirstwasKangYu-wei.Stampingandsawingtheair，hedeclared"con-stitutionalmonarchy"thepanacea.HewasrefutedbyChenTu-hsiu，2whowasfollowedbythespiritualistswhosome-howorotherhitontheweirdideaofinvitingtheghostofMenciustodeviseapolicyforthem.However，ChertPai-nien，ChienHsuan-tungandLiuPan-hung3sweartheyaretalkingnonsense.这儿篇驳论，都是《新青年》里最可寒心的文章。时候已是二十世纪了；人类眼前，早已闪出曙光。假如《新青年》里，有一篇和别人辩地球方圆的文字，读者见了，怕一定要发怔。然而现今所辩，正和说地体不方相差无几。将时代和事实，对照起来，怎能不教人寒心而且害怕？近来虚君共和是不提了，灵学似乎还在那里捣鬼，此时却又有一群人，不能满足；仍然摇头说道，“人心日下”了。于是又想出一种挽救的方法；他们叫作“表彰节烈”！这类妙法，自从君政复古时代以来，上上下下，已经提倡多年；此刻不过是竖起旗帜的时候。文章议论里，也照例时常出现，都嚷道“表彰节烈”！要不说这件事，也不能将自己提拔，出于“人心日下”之中。ThosearticlesrefutingtheminNewYouthareenoughtomakeanyone'sbloodruncold.Thisisthetwentiethcentury，anddawnhasalreadybrokenonmankind.IfNewYouthweretocarryanarticledebatingwhethertheearthweresquareorround，readerswouldalmostcertainlysitup.Yettheirpresentargumentsareprettywellonaparwithcontendingthattheearthisnotsquare.Thatsuchadebateshouldcontinueto-dayisenoughtomakeanyone'sbloodruncold！Thoughconstitutionalmonarchyisnolongerdiscussed，thespiritualistsstillseemtobegoingstrong.Buttheyhavefailedtosatisfyanothergroup，whocontinuedtoshaketheirheadsandmutter："Menaregrowingmoredegenerateeveryday！"These，infact，havethoughtupadifferentremedy，whichtheycall"extollingchastity."Formanyyearsnow，eversincethefailureofthereform-istsandthecallforareturntothepast，deviceslikethishavebeengenerallyapproved：allwearedoingnowisraisingtheoldbanners.Moreover，instepwiththis，writersandpublicspeakerskeepsingingthepraisesofchastity.Thisistheironlywaytoriseabovethosewhoare"growingmoredegen-erateeveryday."……P2-5
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