主题：闲谈“民主”与“共和”两词的翻译问题【原创】 -- 神州遗少

神州兄说“DEMOCRACY”“REPUBLIC”两个词的在古代意思一样。

苏格拉底、柏拉图、亚里斯多德从来没有把DEMOCRACY和REPUBLIC替代使用，说明这两个词含义有区别。

亚里斯多德反感“DEMOCRACY”政体，认为它和独裁政府一样残暴，会堕落为多数人的暴政，而推崇“REPUBLIC”

在《政治学》一书中＜Politics, Bk III, xi3-5; 1287a; Pgs 263-265.＞ 亚里斯多德把 republic 定义为一个法治政体

l"...it is preferable for the law to rule rather than any one of the citizens, and according to this same principle, even if it be better for certain men to govern, they must be appointed as guardians of the laws and in subordination to them;... the law shall govern seems to recommend that God and reason alone shall govern..."

在同一本《政治学》书中＜Politics, Bk V. iv 6; 1305a 30-35; pg 401.＞ 亚里斯多德把这样描述民主 a democracy puts the people above the law: "men ambitious of office by acting as popular leaders bring things to the point of the people's being sovereign even over the laws."

如神兄所言，“Republic” 一词由res (thing) and publica (public)组成;它字面基本指“公共事务”，在拉丁语境里和希腊语中“ politea”相似，而不是和DEMO相似, 都指社会和国家问题, 我猜测DEMO可能含一些非褒意的内容，常影射草民。而PUBLIC多中性，指组成社会的不同阶层, 有些区别。

在现代意义上，DEMOCRACY和REPUBLIC也不一样，比如美国严格讲是个REPUBLIC，而不是DEMOCRACY。参议院里有的州不足一百万人有两个代表如WYOMING，而加州一千多万人口在参院也只有两票。SOME PEOPLE ARE MORE EQUAL THAN THE OTHERS。