On Presenting a View
立 论①I dreamed that while preparing to write a composition in a primary school classroom I asked the teacher how to present a view.
我梦见自己正在小学校的讲堂上预备作文，向老师请教立论的方法②。That's a hard nut, said the teacher, giving me a sidelong glance over his glasses. "Let me tell you this story —"
“难！”③老师从眼镜圈外斜射出眼光来④，看着我，说。“我告诉你一件事⑤——"When a baby boy is born to a family, there is immense joy in the whole household. When he is one month old, they invite some people over for taking a look at him — customarily, of course, in expectation of some good wishes. One of the guests receives hearty thanks for saying, 'The child is destined to be rich.'"
“一家人家生了一个男孩⑥，合家⑦高兴透顶了。满月的时候，抱出来给客人看，——大概自然是想得一点好兆头⑧。One of the guests receives hearty thanks for saying, 'The child is destined to be rich.'
“一个说：‘这孩子将来要发财的⑨。’他于是得到一番感谢⑩。"Another is paid some compliments in return for saying, 'The child is destined to be an official.' Still another, however, is given a sound beating by the whole family for saying, 'The child will eventually die.'"
“一个说：‘这孩子将来要做官的。’他于是收回几句恭维。Still another, however, is given a sound beating by the whole family for saying, 'The child will eventually die.'
“一个说⑪：‘这孩子将来是要死的⑫。’他于是得到一顿大家合力的痛打。To call the child mortal is to state the inevitable while to say that the child will become very rich or a high official is probably a lie. Yet the former gets a thrashing while the latter is rewarded. You ...
“说要死的必然⑬，说富贵的许谎。但说谎的得好报，说必然的遭打。你……”I don't want to tell a lie, and neither do I want to be beaten. Then what should I do, sir?
“我愿意既不谎人，也不遭打⑭。那么，老师，我得怎么说呢？”Well, just say, 'Ai-ya, this child! Just look! Oh, my! Hah! Hehe! He, hehehehe!'
“那么，你得说：‘啊呀！这孩子呵！您瞧！多么……啊唷！哈哈！Hehe! he, hehehehe!’”《立论》是鲁迅1925年7月8日在北京写的一篇短文，1927年7月编入散文诗集《野草》。文章写“立论之难”，悲诉人生，感叹在现实生活中人们不敢说真话或有话难于直说，导致假话盛行。