《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29节


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    butistherenotanotherofmoreimportance鈥斺�攖hatwhichconcernsthehealthofthesoul?amisosureofhavingneglectednomeansofpreservingthatduringtheyearwhichisnowending?havei;asoneofgodssoldiersuponearth;keptmycourageandmyarmsefficient?shallibereadyforthegreatreviewofsoulswhichmustpassbeforehimwhoisinthedarkvalleyofjehoshaphat?

    darestthouexaminethyself;omysoul!andseehowoftenthouhasterred?

    first;thouhasterredthroughpride!forihavenotdulyvaluedthelowly。ihavedrunktoodeeplyoftheintoxicatingwinesofgenius;andhavefoundnorelishinpurewater。ihavedisdainedthosewordswhichhadnootherbeautythantheirsincerity;ihaveceasedtolovemensolelybecausetheyaremen鈥斺�攊havelovedthemfortheirendowments;ihavecontractedtheworldwithinthenarrowpassofapantheon;andmysympathyhasbeenawakenedbyadmirationonly。thevulgarcrowd;whichioughttohavefollowedwithafriendlyeyebecauseitisposedofmybrothersinhopeorgrief;ihaveletpassbywithasmuchindifferenceasifitwereaflockofsheep。iamindignantwithhimwhorollsinrichesanddespisesthemanpoorinworldlywealth;andyet;vainofmytriflingknowledge;idespisehimwhoispoorinmind鈥斺�攊scornthepovertyofintellectasothersdothatofdress;itakecreditforagiftwhichididnotbestowonmyself;andturnthefavoroffortuneintoaweaponwithwhichtoattackothers。

    ah!if;intheworstdaysofrevolutions;ignorancehasrevoltedandraisedacryofhatredagainstgenius;thefaultisnotaloneintheenviousmaliceofignorance;butesinpart;too;fromthecontemptuousprideofknowledge。

    alas!ihavetoopletelyforgottenthefableofthetwosonsofthemagicianofbagdad。

    oneofthem;struckbyanirrevocabledecreeofdestiny;wasbornblind;whiletheotherenjoyedallthedelightsofsight。thelatter;proudofhisownadvantages;laughedathisbrothersblindness;anddisdainedhimasapanion。onemorningtheblindboywishedtogooutwithhim。

    〃towhatpurpose;〃saidhe;〃sincethegodshaveputnothinginmonbetweenus?formecreationisastage;whereathousandcharmingscenesandwonderfulactorsappearinsuccession;foryouitisonlyanobscureabyss;atthebottomofwhichyouheartheconfusedmurmurofaninvisibleworldntinuethenaloneinyourdarkness;andleavethepleasuresoflighttothoseuponwhomtheday…starshines。〃

    withthesewordshewentaway;andhisbrother;leftalone;begantocrybitterly。hisfather;whoheardhim;immediatelyrantohim;andtriedtoconsolehimbypromisingtogivehimwhateverhedesired。

    〃canyougivemesight?〃askedthechild。

    〃fatedoesnotpermitit;〃saidthemagician。

    〃then;〃criedtheblindboy;eagerly;〃iaskyoutoputoutthesun!〃

    whoknowswhethermypridehasnotprovokedthesamewishonthepartofsomeoneofmybrotherswhodoesnotsee?

    buthowmuchoftenerhaveierredthroughlevityandwantofthought!

    howmanyresolutionshaveitakenatrandom!howmanyjudgmentshaveipronouncedforthesakeofawitticism!howmanymischiefshaveinotdonewithoutanysenseofmyresponsibility!thegreaterpartofmenharmoneanotherforthesakeofdoingsomething。welaughatthehonorofone;andpromisethereputationofanother;likeanidlemanwhosauntersalongahedgerow;breakingtheyoungbranchesanddestroyingthemostbeautifulflowers。

    and;nevertheless;itisbythisverythoughtlessnessthatthefameofsomemeniscreated。itrisesgradually;likeoneofthosemysteriousmoundsinbarbarouscountries;towhichastoneisaddedbyeverypasserby;eachonebringssomethingatrandom;andaddsitashepasses;withoutbeingablehimselftoseewhetherheisraisingapedestaloragibbet。whowilldarelookbehindhim;toseehisrashjudgmentshelduptheretoview?

    sometimeagoiwaswalkingalongtheedgeofthegreenmoundonwhichthemontmartretelegraphstands。belowme;alongoneofthezigzagpathswhichwindupthehill;amanandagirlwereingup;andarrestedmyattention。themanworeashaggycoat;whichgavehimsomeresemblancetoawildbeast;andheheldathickstickinhishand;withwhichhedescribedvariousstrangefiguresintheair。hespokeveryloud;andinavoicewhichseemedtomeconvulsedwithpassion。heraisedhiseyeseverynowandthenwithanexpressionofsavageharshness;anditappearedtomethathewasreproachingandthreateningthegirl;andthatshewaslisteningtohimwithasubmissivenesswhichtouchedmyheart。

    twoorthreetimessheventuredafewwords;doubtlessintheattempttojustifyherself;butthemaninthegreatcoatbeganagainimmediatelywithhisloudandangryvoice;hissavagelooks;andhisthreateningevolutionsintheair。ifollowedhimwithmyeyes;vainlyendeavoringtocatchawordashepassed;untilhedisappearedbehindthehill。

    ihadevidentlyjustseenoneofthosedomestictyrantswhosesullentempersareexcitedbythepatienceoftheirvictims;andwho;thoughtheyhavethepowertobeethebeneficentgodsofafamily;chooserathertobetheirtormentors。

    icursedtheunknownsavageinmyheart;andifeltindignantthatthesecrimesagainstthesacredpeaceofhomecouldnotbepunishedastheydeserve;wheniheardhisvoiceapproachingnearer。hehadturnedthepath;andsoonappearedbeforemeatthetopoftheslope。

    thefirstglance;andhisfirstwords;explainedeverythingtome:inplaceofwhatihadtakenforthefurioustonesandterriblelooksofanangryman;andtheattitudeofafrightenedvictim;ihadbeforemeonlyanhonestcitizen;whosquintedandstuttered;butwhowasexplainingthemanagementofsilkwormstohisattentivedaughter。

    iturnedhomeward;smilingatmymistake;butbeforeireachedmyfaubourgisawacrowdrunning;iheardcallsforhelp;andeveryfingerpointedinthesamedirectiontoadistantcolumnofflame。

    amanufactoryhadtakenfire;andeverybodywasrushingforwardtoassistinextinguishingit。

    ihesitated。nightwasingon;ifelttired;afavoritebookwasawaitingme;ithoughttherewouldbenowantofhelp;andiwentonmyway。

    justbeforeihaderredfromwantofconsideration;nowitwasfromselfishnessandcowardice。

    butwhat!haveinotonathousandotheroccasionsforgottenthedutieswhichbindustoourfellowmen?isthisthefirsttimeihaveavoidedpayingsocietywhatioweit?haveinotalwaysbehavedtomypanionswithinjustice;andlikethelion?haveinotclaimedsuccessivelyeveryshare?ifanyoneissoill…advisedastoaskmetoreturnsomelittleportion;igetprovoked;iamangry;itrytoescapefromitbyeverymeans。howmanytimes;whenihaveperceivedabeggarsittinghuddledupattheendofthestreet;haveinotgoneoutofmyway;forfearthatpassionwouldimpoverishmebyforcingmetobecharitable!howoftenhaveidoubtedthemisfortunesofothers;thatimightwithjusticehardenmyheartagainstthem。

    withwhatsatisfactionhaveisometimesverifiedthevicesofthepoorman;inordertoshowthathismiseryisthepunishmenthedeserves!

    oh!letusnotgofarther鈥斺�攍etusnotgofarther!iinterruptedthedoctorsexamination;buthowmuchsadderisthisone!wepitythediseasesofthebody;weshudderatthoseofthesoul。

    iwashappilydisturbedinmyreveriebymyneighbor;theoldsoldier。

    nowithinkofit;iseemalwaystohaveseen;duringmyfever;thefigureofthisgoodoldman;sometimesleaningagainstmybed;andsometimessittingathistable;surroundedbyhissheetsofpasteboard。

    hehasjusteinwithhisglue…pot;hisquireofgreenpaper;andhisgreatscissors。icalledhimbyhisname;heutteredajoyfulexclamation;andcamenearme。

    〃well!sothebulletisfoundagain!〃criedhe;takingmytwohandsintothemaimedonewhichwaslefthim;〃ithasnotbeenwithouttrouble;icantellyou;thecampaignhasbeenlongenoughtowintwoclaspsin。

    ihaveseennofewfellowswiththefeverbatterwindmillsduringmyhospitaldays:atleipsic;ihadaneighborwhofanciedachimneywasonfireinhisstomach;andwhowasalwayscallingforthefire…engines;butthethirddayitallwentoutofitself。butwithyouithaslastedtwenty…eightdays鈥斺�攁slongasoneofthelittlecorporalscampaigns。〃

    〃iamnotmistakenthen;youwerenearme?〃

    〃well!ihadonlytocrossthepassage。thislefthandhasnotmadeyouabadnur
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