在馬克思、恩格斯雕像前的沉思

□ 文 圖/田建民

位于德國首都柏林市中心施普雷河?xùn)|岸的馬克思—恩格斯廣場上矗立著一座雕塑，映入眼簾的是兩張熟悉的臉龐，他們分別是端坐的馬克思和站其左邊的恩格斯，他們神情嚴(yán)肅地凝眸遠(yuǎn)望，仿佛思索著當(dāng)今世界天翻地覆的變化。我佇立在偉人塑像前，久久沉思，浮想聯(lián)翩。

雕塑前方，是印有174幅描述國際工人運(yùn)動史場景的8面高大的金屬墻，上面不僅有全世界民族解放和共產(chǎn)主義運(yùn)動的歷史照片，還有中國抗日運(yùn)動的歷史鏡頭。盡管這些照片已被歷史的雨水沖淡色彩，但依稀可見其思想、精神和戰(zhàn)爭博弈融合其中的珍貴畫面。

1977年，東德政府聘請雕塑家路德維?！ざ鞲駹柟刂谱黢R克思、恩格斯雕塑，并于1986年豎立于此?，F(xiàn)在這座雕塑已經(jīng)成為這里一處旅游名勝，看著廣場上熙熙攘攘的游客接連不斷地坐在馬克思銅像的膝蓋上與之合影，以至于銅像的膝蓋都被磨出了原本的黃銅色。

據(jù)德國朋友講述，當(dāng)今的德國人不僅讀馬克思、恩格斯著作，而且還成立專門的研究組織，力求全面深刻地理解其含義，繼而自覺地完成社會的自我完善和改造，營造公平和諧的社會環(huán)境。例如，《資本論》揭示了資本家榨取工人的剩余價值理論，他們不消滅資本家，而是從制度層面上來加以限制和調(diào)節(jié)，稅收、福利、罰款等便成了最有利的手段。國家總理和最低收入者差距不得超過21倍；收入愈高，稅率愈高；甚至開好車和開普通車犯法懲罰也是不一樣的。

馬恩廣場上，馬克思和恩格斯雕像。

“一個幽靈，共產(chǎn)主義的幽靈，在歐洲游蕩。舊歐洲的一切勢力，教皇和沙皇，梅特涅和基佐，法國的激進(jìn)黨人和德國的警察，都為驅(qū)除這個幽靈而結(jié)成了神圣同盟?！睔v史悠久，時光荏苒，無論世界風(fēng)云如何變幻，社會發(fā)展如何日新月異，《共產(chǎn)黨宣言》的開篇語仍然在耳邊回蕩。今天的德國，可以讓這兩位資本主義的“掘墓人”的塑像繼續(xù)站在這里，足以說明德國人的大度和遠(yuǎn)見，同時也證明了一個尊重所有精神財富和歷史遺產(chǎn)的民族是強(qiáng)大的、有前途的真理。

施普雷河的河水依舊緩緩地流淌，卡爾·李卜克內(nèi)西街像往常一樣熱鬧，而兩位偉人那恒久的眼神和姿勢，在寧靜之中更顯深邃偉岸和肅穆。

Contemplation in front of Statues of Marx and Engels

□ Article＆photo / Tian Jianmin Translator/Qu Dandan

Statues of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels lie on the Marx-Engels-Forum, on the eastern bank of the Spree River in the center of Berlin (the capital of Germany). Marx (sitting) and Engels (standing) strain their eyes to look at the distance seriously as if they are thinking about this ever-changing world. Standing in front of statues, I am lost in thought and reverie.

In front of Marx and Engels’s statues, there are 8 tall metal walls printed with 174 pictures about history of international workers' movements,including historical photographs of national liberation and communist movements worldwide, and pictures about the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. Although these photos have faded with the evolving history, they still remain precious thoughts, spirits and military thinking of Chinese soldiers.

In 1977, the sculptor Ludwig Engelhardt was appointed by the German Democratic Republic Authorities to carve statues for Marx and Engels. In 1896, Marx and Engels’s statues appeared on the Marx-Engels-Forum. The statues are now a tourist attraction, and a steady stream of people would sit on Marx's knee to have their photos taken. Over time, the color of this statue’s kneels faded, revealing its original brass color.

According to some German friends, today's Germans still read Marx and Engels' works. Moreover,there are also some specialized organizations aimed to comprehensively and profoundly understand meanings and connotations of Marx and Engels’s works to strenuously accomplish the selfimprovement and transformation of society, and create a fair and harmonious environment for society.Das Kapital proposes Theories of Surplus Value about how capitalists exploit workers. Marx and Engels don’t advocate replacement of capitalists, but believe that capitalists’ incomes and exploitation of workers should be limited and regulated by systems and policies. Taxation, welfare, fines, etc. are the most advantageous means of restricting capitalists.The income gap between the Prime Minister and earners with the lowest incomes must be within 21 times. The higher incomes people have, the higher tax they should pay. Even punishments for people with expensive cars and those with inexpensive cars are different.

“A spectre is haunting Europe--the spectre of communism. All the powers of old Europe have entered into a holy alliance to exorcise this spectre∶Pope and Tsar, Metternich and Guizot, French Radicals and German police-spies.” As time flies,no matter how the world changes and how the society develops, the introduction of The Communist Manifesto still reverberate in our ears. After German reunification in 1990, the future of Marx and Engels’statues became the subject of public controversy.Today, statues of these two “gravediggers” of capitalism still remain on the Marx-Engels-Forum,which fully illustrates inclusiveness and foresight of Germans and proves that a nation that respects all spiritual wealth and historical heritage is powerful and promising.

The Spree River still flows in tranquility, and Karl-Liebknecht-Stra?e is still buzzing as usual. When everything around the Marx-Engels-Forum becomes quiet, Marx and Engels’s unchanging looks are more determined, and their figures are even stronger and taller.