不見了的「無形之手」(嚴復《原富》N之三)

大家都知道「無形之手」只在The Wealth of Nations出現過一次，位置是全書中間，第四卷第二章：

By preferring the support of domestic to that of foreign industry, he intends only his own security; and by directing that industry in such a manner as its produce may be of the greatest value, he intends only his own gain, and he is in this, as in many other cases, led by an invisible hand to promote an end which was no part of his intention.

在嚴復的譯筆之下，以上一段大致成為：

彼之舍遠而事近者。求己財之勿失耳。彼之務厚而不為薄者。求所贏之日多耳。彼之所各恤者皆己私。而國莫之為。遂享其大利。

意思大致一樣，但「無形之手」的比喻不見了，invisible hand真的invisible了。

有此小刪減，當然是因為嚴復認為這比喻不重要。嚴復對經濟學頗有涉獵，不只懂得《原富》一書，至少也翻看過一下當時(十九世紀末)的最新著作。可以推斷當時經濟學界並不太注意「無形之手」，否則嚴復必會譯出。