The Impotence of truth 1

真理的无能
From The Other Side of Psychoanalysis
精神分析学的另一面
By Jacques Lacan
雅克、拉岡

We are at that time of the year when final examinations happen. I am going to try to
lighten things up a bit.

我们现在正面临期末考要举行的时候。我想要减轻一点你们的课业的压力。

Fortunately, it’s drawing to a close, ca se tire , as we say, I would even be inclined to

leave it at that, if I didn’t have to give you, all the same, two little complements that
are intended to bring out the essential of what I hope to have got across this year—
two little points for the future, which may give you a glimpse, by drawing you a bit
closer to it, of the way in which there are perhaps notions that are fairly new, and that
have, in every case, this mark that I am always emphasizing, which those who find
themselves working with me at a more practical level can confirm, of operating on a
level with an experience.

幸运地，随着期末考的结束，我的讲课也将告一段落。但是，我依舊还有两小点
補充，打算用来显示今年我希望要传达给你们的东西，两小点有关未来的展望，
让你们可以更加仔细地瞥见这个可能是崭新的观念，要如何地运作。我总是一再
强调的这个观念，那些曾经跟我一起实习精神分析经验的人，能够在他们的个
案中予以证实。

It is not impossible that this will be of use elsewhere, at the level of something that is
taking place now, without, for the moment, our knowing quite what. Naturally, when
things happen, one never quite knows at the time they are happening what they are,
especially when one covers them over with the news. But ultimately something is
happening in the university.

这並不是不可能，这个观念在别的地方也是会有用，因为它现在正在流传，只
是我们不知道详细情形。当然，当事情发生的时候，我们当时並不完全知道，事
情正在发生的真实状况，特别是当我们是根据新闻得知它们。但是，追根究底来
说，大学正在发生状况。
In various places people are surprised. What’s eating them, these students, the little
dears, our favorites, the darlings of civilization? What’s up with them? Those who are
saying this are playing the fool, this is what they are paid to do.

在各个地方，人们都大吃一惊。这些学生，这些宝贝、这些我们的最爱、文明的天
之骄子，到底是什麽在毁灭他们？他们到底怎麽了？那些正在这样侃侃而谈的
人，其实是正在装模作样，因为他们领了薪水，不得不装模作样。

It should nevertheless be possible that something of what I am elaborating about the

relationship between the analyst’s discourse and the master’s discourse should show
people a way to enable them, in some way, to explain themselves to one another and
to understand one another.

可是，这应该是可能的，我对於精神分析学的真理论述与主人的真理论述之间
的关系，所建构的理论，应该能够给人们指示一条道路，让他们能够用某个方
法来互相解释，互相了解。

What is happening at the moment is that everyone is competing with everyone else in
an attempt to minimize the seriousness of failed, suppressed little demonstrations,
increasingly confining them to a street, a corner. To explain it, to make it understood
at the very moment at which I say I could do it, I would like you to understand this,
which is that to the extent to which I managed to do this, to the extent to which I
succeeded in getting you to understand something, you could be certain that to that
extent I would have made a big mistake. For it is ultimately limited to this.

目前正在发生的情况是，每个人都在跟每个其他人競争，企图要将本身捍格於
现实的压制，以致於无法证明的理论，所产生的严重后果，减少到最低程度，
因此，每个人都将证明的领域局限於街角一隅。为了解释这一点，为了让大家了
解我说现在我就能够證明，我希望你们了解这一点，我能够成功地做到，我能
够成功地让你们了解到某件事情。你们能够確定，假如我真的走到那个地步，我
本来是会犯一个严重错误。因为追根究底，这是我们理论的限制。

Today I would like to spell out, as simply as I can, the relationship between what is
happening and the things I have been daring to manipulate for a while, which, by
virtue of this fact, gives a kind of guarantee that this discourse hangs together. I have
dared manipulate them in a way which is, ultimately, completely wild.

今天，我想要盡可能简单地说明，目前正在发生的事情，跟我一直大胆在研究
的东西，彼此有什麽关系。憑藉这个事实，我才能够保证我的这个真理论述能够
自圆其说。我大胆地研究这个问题，可说契而不舍到奮不顾身的程度。

I have not hesitated to speak about the real, and not for some time, since it is even
where I took the first step in this teaching. Then, years later, this little formula
emerged, the impossible is the real. Heavens knows that no one abused it at first. Then
I happened to trot out some reference to truth, which is more common. There are
nevertheless some very important observations to make, and I think I am under an
obligation to make a number of them today, before leaving all that within the reach of
innocents to use without rhyme or reason, which is really par for the course,
sometimes, in my entourage.

我毫不犹豫地谈论到真实界，而且自始至终地谈论，因为那是我从事精神分析
学的教学的第一个步骤。然后，数年後，这个小小的公式就出现了：真实界是不
可能实现。上天晓得，起初没有人敢随便去引用它。然後，我因缘际会顯示一些
较为通俗的真理的论述。可是，还有一些非常重要的观察需要再充实。我想今天
我有这个义务要将它们呈现出来，以免让那些经常参加我的讲座的人，他们有
时还像是我的随从，以免他们始终弄不清楚地陷在迷雾中。

雄伯译
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