《屋顶间的哲学家_梭维斯特》

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屋顶间的哲学家_梭维斯特- 第17节


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    everythingihadseenseemedtoaccusethecivilizationofwhichwearesoproud!ihadwanderedintoalittleby…street;withwhichiwasnotacquainted;andifoundmyselfsuddenlyinthemiddleofthosedreadfulabodeswherethepoorareborn;tolanguishanddie。ilookedatthosedecayingwalls;whichtimehascoveredwithafoulleprosy;thosewindows;fromwhichdirtyragshangouttodry;thosefetidgutters;whichcoilalongthefrontsofthehouseslikevenomousreptiles!

    ifeltoppressedwithgrief;andhastenedon。

    alittlefartheroniwasstoppedbythehearseofahospital;adeadman;naileddowninhisdealcoffin;wasgoingtohislastabode;withoutfuneralpomporceremony;andwithoutfollowers。therewasnothereeventhatlastfriendoftheoutcast鈥斺�攖hedog;whichapainterhasintroducedasthesoleattendantatthepaupersburial!hewhomtheywerepreparingtomittotheearthwasgoingtothetomb;ashehadlived;alone;doubtlessnoonewouldbeawareofhisend。inthisbattleofsociety;whatsignifiesasoldiertheless?

    butwhat;then;isthishumansociety;ifoneofitsmemberscanthusdisappearlikealeafcarriedawaybythewind?

    thehospitalwasnearabarrack;attheentranceofwhicholdmen;women;andchildrenwerequarrellingfortheremainsofthecoarsebreadwhichthesoldiershadgiventhemincharity!thus;beingslikeourselvesdailywaitindestitutiononourpassiontillwegivethemleavetolive!wholetroopsofoutcasts;inadditiontothetrialsimposedonallgodschildren;havetoendurethepangsofcold;hunger;andhumiliation。unhappyhumanmonwealth!wheremanisinaworseconditionthanthebeeinitshive;ortheantinitssubterraneancity!

    ah!whatthenavailsourreason?whatistheuseofsomanyhighfaculties;ifweareneitherthewisernorthehappierforthem?whichofuswouldnotexchangehislifeoflaborandtroublewiththatofthebirdsoftheair;towhomthewholeworldisalifeofjoy?

    howwelliunderstandtheplaintofmao;inthepopulartalesofthefoyerbretonwho;whendyingofhungerandthirst;says;ashelooksatthebullfinchesriflingthefruit…trees:

    〃alas!thosebirdsarehappierthanchristians;theyhavenoneedofinns;orbutchers;orbakers;orgardeners。godsheavenbelongstothem;andearthspreadsacontinualfeastbeforethem!thetinyfliesaretheirgame;ripegrasstheircornfields;andhipsandhawstheirstoreoffruit。theyhavetherightoftakingeverywhere;withoutpayingoraskingleave:thusesitthatthelittlebirdsarehappy;andsingallthelivelongday!〃

    butthelifeofmaninanaturalstateislikethatofthebirds;heequallyenjoysnature。〃theearthspreadsacontinualfeastbeforehim。〃

    what;then;hashegainedbythatselfishandimperfectassociationwhichformsanation?woulditnotbebetterforeveryonetoturnagaintothefertilebosomofnature;andlivethereuponherbountyinpeaceandliberty?

    august20th;fouroclocka。m鈥斺�攖hedawncastsaredglowonmybed…curtains;thebreezebringsinthefragranceofthegardensbelow。hereiamagainleaningonmyelbowsbythewindows;inhalingthefreshnessandgladnessofthisfirstwakeningoftheday。

    myeyealwayspassesovertheroofsfilledwithflowers;warbling;andsunlight;withthesamepleasure;butto…dayitstopsattheendofabuttresswhichseparatesourhousefromthenext。

    thestormshavestrippedthetopofitsplastercovering;anddustcarriedbythewindhascollectedinthecrevices;and;beingfixedtherebytherain;hasformedasortofaerialterrace;wheresomegreengrasshassprungup。amongitrisesastalkofwheat;whichto…dayissurmountedbyasicklyearthatdroopsitsyellowhead。

    thispoorstraycropontheroofs;theharvestofwhichwillfalltotheneighboringsparrows;hascarriedmythoughtstotherichcropswhicharenowfallingbeneaththesickle;ithasrecalledtomethebeautifulwalksitookasachildthroughmynativeprovince;whenthethreshing…floorsatthefarmhousesresoundedfromeverypartwiththesoundofaflail;andwhenthecarts;loadedwithgoldensheaves;cameinbyalltheroads。

    istillrememberthesongsofthemaidens;thecheerfulnessoftheoldmen;theopen…heartedmerrimentofthelaborers。therewas;atthattime;somethingintheirlooksbothofprideandfeeling。thelattercamefromthankfulnesstogod;theformerfromthesightoftheharvest;therewardoftheirlabor。theyfeltindistinctlythegrandeurandtheholinessoftheirpartinthegeneralworkoftheworld;theylookedwithprideupontheirmountainsofcorn…sheaves;andtheyseemedtosay;nexttogod;itiswewhofeedtheworld!

    whatawonderfulorderthereisinallhumanlabor!

    whilethehusbandmanfurrowshisland;andpreparesforeveryonehisdailybread;thetownartizan;faraway;weavesthestuffinwhichheistobeclothed;theminerseeksundergroundtheironforhisplow;thesoldierdefendshimagainsttheinvader;thejudgetakescarethatthelawprotectshisfields;thetax…ptrolleradjustshisprivateinterestswiththoseofthepublic;themerchantoccupieshimselfinexchanginghisproductswiththoseofdistantcountries;themenofscienceandofartaddeverydayafewhorsestothisidealteam;whichdrawsalongthematerialworld;assteamimpelsthegigantictrainsofourironroads!thusallunitetogether;allhelponeanother;thetoilofeachonebenefitshimselfandalltheworld;theworkhasbeenapportionedamongthedifferentmembersofthewholeofsocietybyatacitagreement。if;inthisapportionment;errorsaremitted;ifcertainindividualshavenotbeenemployedaccordingtotheircapacities;thosedefectsofdetaildiminishinthesublimeconceptionofthewhole。

    thepoorestmanincludedinthisassociationhashisplace;hiswork;hisreasonforbeingthere;eachissomethinginthewhole。

    thereisnothinglikethisformaninthestateofnature。ashedependsonlyuponhimself;itisnecessarythathebesufficientforeverything。

    allcreationishisproperty;buthefindsinitasmanyhindrancesashelps。hemustsurmounttheseobstacleswiththesinglestrengththatgodhasgivenhim;hecannotreckononanyotheraidthanchanceandopportunity。noonereaps;manufactures;fights;orthinksforhim;heisnothingtoanyone。heisaunitmultipliedbythecipherofhisownsinglepowers;whilethecivilizedmanisaunitmultipliedbythewholeofsociety。

    but;notwithstandingthis;theotherday;disgustedbythesightofsomevicesindetail;icursedthelatter;andalmostenviedthelifeofthesavage。

    oneoftheinfirmitiesofournatureisalwaystomistakefeelingforevidence;andtojudgeoftheseasonbyacloudorarayofsunshine。

    wasthemisery;thesightofwhichmademeregretasavagelife;reallytheeffectofcivilization?mustweaccusesocietyofhavingcreatedtheseevils;oracknowledge;onthecontrary;thatithasalleviatedthem?couldthewomenandchildren;whowerereceivingthecoarsebreadfromthesoldier;hopeinthedesertformorehelporpity?thatdeadman;whoseforsakenstateideplored;hadhenotfound;bythecaresofahospital;acoffinandthehumblegravewherehewasabouttorest?

    alone;andfarfrommen;hewouldhavediedlikethewildbeastinhisden;andwouldnowbeservingasfoodforvultures!thesebenefitsofhumansocietyareshared;then;bythemostdestitute。whoevereatsthebreadthatanotherhasreapedandkneaded;isunderanobligationtohisbrother;andcannotsayheoweshimnothinginreturn。thepoorestofushasreceivedfromsocietymuchmorethanhisownsinglestrengthwouldhavepermittedhimtowrestfromnature。

    butcannotsocietygiveusmore?whodoubtsit?errorshavebeenmittedinthisdistributionoftasksandworkers。timewilldiminishthenumberofthem;withnewlightsabetterdivisionwillarise;theelementsofsocietygoontowardperfection;likeeverythingelse。thedifficultyistoknowhowtoadaptourselvestotheslowstepoftime;whoseprogresscanneverbeforcedonwithoutdanger。

    august14th;sixoclocka。m鈥斺�攎ygarretwindowrisesupontherooflikeamassivewatch…tower。thecornersarecoveredbylargesheetsoflead;whichrunintothetiles;thesuccessiveactionofcoldandheathasmadethemrise;andsoacrevicehasbeenformedinanangleontherightside。thereasparrowhasbuilthernest。

    ihavefollowedtheprogressofthisaerialhabita
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