在马克思、恩格斯雕像前的沉思

□ 文 图/田建民

位于德国首都柏林市中心施普雷河东岸的马克思—恩格斯广场上矗立着一座雕塑，映入眼帘的是两张熟悉的脸庞，他们分别是端坐的马克思和站其左边的恩格斯，他们神情严肃地凝眸远望，仿佛思索着当今世界天翻地覆的变化。我伫立在伟人塑像前，久久沉思，浮想联翩。

雕塑前方，是印有174幅描述国际工人运动史场景的8面高大的金属墙，上面不仅有全世界民族解放和共产主义运动的历史照片，还有中国抗日运动的历史镜头。尽管这些照片已被历史的雨水冲淡色彩，但依稀可见其思想、精神和战争博弈融合其中的珍贵画面。

1977年，东德政府聘请雕塑家路德维希·恩格尔哈特制作马克思、恩格斯雕塑，并于1986年竖立于此。现在这座雕塑已经成为这里一处旅游名胜，看着广场上熙熙攘攘的游客接连不断地坐在马克思铜像的膝盖上与之合影，以至于铜像的膝盖都被磨出了原本的黄铜色。

据德国朋友讲述，当今的德国人不仅读马克思、恩格斯著作，而且还成立专门的研究组织，力求全面深刻地理解其含义，继而自觉地完成社会的自我完善和改造，营造公平和谐的社会环境。例如，《资本论》揭示了资本家榨取工人的剩余价值理论，他们不消灭资本家，而是从制度层面上来加以限制和调节，税收、福利、罚款等便成了最有利的手段。国家总理和最低收入者差距不得超过21倍；收入愈高，税率愈高；甚至开好车和开普通车犯法惩罚也是不一样的。

马恩广场上，马克思和恩格斯雕像。

“一个幽灵，共产主义的幽灵，在欧洲游荡。旧欧洲的一切势力，教皇和沙皇，梅特涅和基佐，法国的激进党人和德国的警察，都为驱除这个幽灵而结成了神圣同盟。”历史悠久，时光荏苒，无论世界风云如何变幻，社会发展如何日新月异，《共产党宣言》的开篇语仍然在耳边回荡。今天的德国，可以让这两位资本主义的“掘墓人”的塑像继续站在这里，足以说明德国人的大度和远见，同时也证明了一个尊重所有精神财富和历史遗产的民族是强大的、有前途的真理。

施普雷河的河水依旧缓缓地流淌，卡尔·李卜克内西街像往常一样热闹，而两位伟人那恒久的眼神和姿势，在宁静之中更显深邃伟岸和肃穆。

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-Straße 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.