گزینه هایی از سخنان طنزگونه جرج برنارد شاو

by George Bernard Shaw, لیلی امیری شایسته (Translator)

همراه با متن انگلیسی
گردآوری و برگردان: لیلی امیری شایسته

88 pages, Unknown Binding

Published January 1, 1389

About the author

George Bernard Shaw stands as one of the most prolific and influential intellectuals of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, a man whose literary output was matched only by his fervent commitment to social reform. Rising from a modest background in Dublin to become a global icon of letters, Shaw redefined the purpose of the stage, transforming it from a place of mere entertainment into a forum for rigorous intellectual debate and moral inquiry. His unique "Shavian" style—characterized by sharp-witted dialogue, paradoxical reasoning, and a relentless assault on Victorian hypocrisy—ensured that his voice resonated far beyond the footlights. As a playwright, critic, and philosopher, he remains a singular figure in history, being one of only two individuals to have been honored with both a Nobel Prize in Literature and an Academy Award. This rare crossover of high-art recognition and mainstream cinematic success speaks to his versatility and the enduring relevance of his narratives. His dramatic work, which includes over sixty plays, often tackled the most pressing issues of his day, from the rigid structures of the British class system to the complexities of gender roles and the ethical dilemmas of capitalism. In masterpieces like Pygmalion, he used the science of phonetics to demonstrate the artificiality of class distinctions, a theme that would later reach millions through the musical adaptation My Fair Lady. In Man and Superman, he delved into the philosophical concepts of the "Life Force" and the evolution of the human spirit, while Major Barbara forced audiences to confront the uncomfortable relationship between religious idealism and the industrial military complex. Beyond his theatrical achievements, Shaw was a foundational force in political thought, serving as a leading light of the Fabian Society. His advocacy for gradual socialist reform, rather than violent revolution, helped shape the trajectory of modern British politics and social welfare. He was instrumental in the creation of the London School of Economics, an institution that continues to influence global policy and economic theory. Shaw was also a formidable critic, whose reviews of music and drama set new standards for the profession, characterized by an uncompromising honesty and a deep knowledge of the arts. His personal lifestyle was as distinctive as his writing; a committed vegetarian, teetotaler, and non-smoker, he lived with a disciplined focus that allowed him to remain productive well into his ninth decade. He was a man of contradictions, often engaging in provocative public discourse that challenged the status quo, even when his views sparked intense controversy. His fascination with the "Superman" archetype and his occasional support for authoritarian figures reflected a complex, often elitist worldview that sought the betterment of humanity through radical intellectual evolution. Despite these complexities, his core mission was always rooted in a profound humanitarianism and a desire to expose the delusions that prevented society from progressing. He believed that the power of the written word could strip away the masks of respectability that hid social injustice, and his plays continue to be staged worldwide because the human foibles he satirized remain as prevalent today as they were during his lifetime. By blending humor with gravity and intellect with accessibility, Shaw created a body of work that serves as both a mirror and a compass for modern civilization. His legacy is not just in the scripts he left behind, but in the very way we think about the intersection of art, politics, and the individual’s responsibility to the collective good. He remains the quintessential public intellectual, a man who never feared to speak his mind or to demand that the world become a more rational and equitable place.

Reviews

[Agir(آگِر) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm an atheist and I thank God for it.
من یک کافرم و بدین جهت از پروردگار سپاسگزارم

The fact that a believer is happier than a skeptic is no more to the point than the fact that a drunken man is happier than a sober one. The happiness of credulity is a cheap and dangerous quality of happiness.
این حقیقت که یک انسان معتقد، خوش بخت تر از یک فرد شکاک و بدبین است مانند این حقیقت است که بگوییم یک فرد مست، خوش بخت تر از یک فرد هوشیار است. خوشبختی ناشی از خوش باوری، بی ارزش و خطرناک است

Liberty means responsibility. That is why most men dread it.
آزادی یعنی مسئولیت. از این رو بیشتر افراد از آن هراس دارند

Two percent of the people think, three percent of the people think the think, and ninety-five percent of the people would rather die than think.
دو درصد مردم اهل تفکرند، سه درصد مردم تصور می کنند که اهل تفکرند، نود و پنج درصد مردم حاضرند بمیرند اما فکر نکنند

Some men see thing as they are and say, Why? I dream things that never were, and say, Why not?
برخی افراد چیزها را آنگونه که هستند می بینند و می گویند چرا؟ اما من در رویای چیرهایی هستم که هرگز وجود نداشته و می گویم چرا نه؟

The only man I know who behaves sensibly is my tailor; he takes my measurements anew each time he sees me. The rest go on with their old measurements and expect me to fit them.
تنها کسی که عاقلانه رفتار می کند خیاطم است. هربار که مرا می بیند، اندازه هایم را از نو می گیرد، حال آنکه بقیه مرا با همان مقیاس های پیشین می سنجند و از من انتظار دارند که مطابق همان ها رفتار کنم

Reasonable people adapt themselves to the world. Unreasonable people attempt to adapt the world to themselves. All progress, therefore, depends on unreasonable people.
افراد منطقی خود را با جهان هماهنگ می کنند، حال آنکه افراد غیر منطقی سعی در انطباق جهان با خود دارند، بدین ترتیب تمامی پیشرفت ها وابسته به افراد غیر منطقی است

When I was a young man I observed that nine out of ten things I did were failures. I didn't want to be a failure, so I did ten times more work.
در جوانی دریافتم که از هر ده کاری که انجام می دادم نه تای آن با شکست روبرو می شد. از آن جایی که نمی خواستم فرد شکست خورده ای باشم کارم را ده برابر افزایش دادم

If women were as fastidious as men, morally or physically, there would be an end of the race.
اگر زن ها از جنبه اخلاقی و فیزیکی به اندازه ی مردان مشکل پسند بودند، دیگر نسلی باقی نمی ماند

Parentage is a very important profession, but no test of fitness for it is ever imposed in the interest of the children.
پدر یا مادر بودن حرفه ی بسیار مهمی است اما هرگز آزمونی جهت شایستگی افراد برای این حرفه اعمال نشده که به نفع کودکان باشد

No question is so difficult to answer as that which the answer is obvious.
پاسخ گویی به هیچ پرسشی دشوارتر از پرسشی که پاسخش بدیهی است، نمی باشد

I don't know if there are men on the moon, but if there are they must be using the earth as their lunatic asylum.
نمی دانم انسانهایی در ماه زندگی می کنند یا خیر، اما اگر این چنین باشد، حتما از زمین به عنوان تیمارستان استفاده می کنند

There is nothing so bad or so good that you will not find an Englishman doing it; but you will never find an Englishman in the wrong. He does everything on principle. He fights you on patriotic principles; he robs you on business principles; he enslaves you on imperial principles.
گرچه همواره شاهد آن هستی که از یک انگلیسی کاری بسیار بد یا بسیار خوب سر می زند، اما هرگز نمی بینی که مرتکب خطایی گردد. او بر طبق اصول عمل می کند: بر پایه ی اصول میهن پرستی با شما می جنگد، بر اساس اصول تجاری جیب شما را می زند و بر پایه ی اصول پادشاهی، از شما برده می سازد

In the arts of life man invents nothing; but in the arts of death he outdoes Nature herself, and produces by chemistry and machinery all the slaughter of plague, pestilence, and famine.
انسان در هنرکده زندگی چیزی را نمی آفریند، اما در هنرکده ی مرگ از طبیعت پیشی می گیرد و با بهره گیری از شیمی و ماشین آلات موجب کشتار مردم از طریق بیماری های مهلک، طاعون و قحطی می گردد

When a man wants to murder a tiger he calls it sport; when a tiger want to murder him he calls it ferocity.
وقتی انسان می خواهد ببری را بکشد، نامش را ورزش می گذارد، اما هنگامی که ببری می خواهد انسانی را بکشد، آنرا درنده خویی می نامند

Death is for many of us the gate of hell; but we are inside on the way out, not outside on the way in.
مرگ برای بسیاری از ما دروازه ی جهنم است، با این تفسیر که درونش هستیم و می خواهیم از این دروازه خارج شویم، نه اینکه بیرون آن هستیم و می خواهیم به آن وارد شویم