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屋顶间的哲学家_梭维斯特-第章

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;happy;andbeloved;webelieve;likeajax;weshallbeabletoescapeeverystorminspiteofthegods。butlaterinlife;whenthebackisbowed;whenhappinessprovesafadingflower;andtheaffectionsgrowchill…then;infearofthevoidandthedarkness;westretchoutourarms;likethechildovertakenbynight;andwecallforhelptohimwhoiseverywhere。

    iwasaskingthismorningwhythisgrowingconfusionalikeforsocietyandfortheindividual?invaindoeshumanreasonfromhourtohourlightsomenewtorchontheroadside:thenightcontinuestogroweverdarker!isitnotbecausewearecontenttowithdrawfartherandfartherfromgod;thesunofspirits?

    butwhatdothesehermitsreveriessignifytotheworld?theinwardturmoilsofmostmenarestifledbytheoutwardones;lifedoesnotgivethemtimetoquestionthemselves。havetheytimetoknowwhattheyare;andwhattheyshouldbe;whosewholethoughtsareinthenextleaseorthelastpriceofstock?heavenisveryhigh;andwisemenlookonlyattheearth。

    buti鈥斺�攑oorsavageamidallthiscivilization;whoseekneitherpowernorriches;andwhohavefoundinmyownthoughtsthehomeandshelterofmyspirit鈥斺�攊cangobackwithimpunitytotheserecollectionsofmychildhood;and;ifthisourgreatcitynolongerhonorsthenameofgodwithafestival;iwillstrivestilltokeepthefeasttohiminmyheart。



 CHAPTER VII

    thepriceofpowerandtheworthoffame

    sunday;july1st。

    yesterdaythemonthdedicatedtojuno(junius;june)bytheromansended。

    to…dayweenteronjuly。

    inancientromethislattermonthwascalledquintiles(thefifth);becausetheyear;whichwasthendividedintoonlytenparts;beganinmarch。whennumapompiliusdivideditintotwelvemonthsthisnameofquintileswaspreserved;aswellasthosethatfollowed鈥斺�攕exteles;september;october;november;december鈥斺�攁lthoughthesedesignationsdidnotaccordwiththenewlyarrangedorderofthemonths。atlast;afteratimethemonthquintiles;inwhichjuliuscaesarwasborn;wascalledjulius;whencewehavejuly。thusthisname;placedinthecalendar;isbeetheimperishablerecordofagreatman;itisanimmortalepitaphontimeshighway;engravedbytheadmirationofman。

    howmanysimilarinscriptionsarethere!seas;continents;mountains;stars;andmonuments;haveallinsuccessionservedthesamepurpose!wehaveturnedthewholeworldintoagoldenbook;likethatinwhichthestateofveniceusedtoenrollitsillustriousnamesanditsgreatdeeds。

    itseemsthatmankindfeelsanecessityforhonoringitselfinitselectones;andthatitraisesitselfinitsowneyesbychoosingheroesfromamongitsownrace。thehumanfamilylovetopreservethememory;oftheparvenusofglory;aswecherishthatofagreatancestor;orofabenefactor。

    infact;thetalentsgrantedtoasingleindividualdonotbenefithimselfalone;butaregiftstotheworld;everyonesharesthem;foreveryonesuffersorbenefitsbyhisactions。geniusisalighthouse;meanttogivelightfromafar;themanwhobearsitisbuttherockuponwhichthislighthouseisbuilt。

    ilovetodwelluponthesethoughts;theyexplaintomeinwhatconsistsouradmirationforglory。whengloryhasbenefitedmen;thatadmirationisgratitude;whenitisonlyremarkableinitself;itistheprideofrace;asmen;welovetoimmortalizethemostshiningexamplesofhumanity。

    whoknowswhetherwedonotobeythesameinstinctinsubmittingtothehandofpower?apartfromtherequirementsofagradationofranks;ortheconsequencesofaconquest;themultitudedelighttosurroundtheirchiefswithprivileges鈥斺�攚hetheritbethattheirvanitymakesthemthustoaggrandizeoneoftheirowncreations;orwhethertheytrytoconcealthehumiliationofsubjectionbyexaggeratingtheimportanceofthosewhorulethem。theywishtohonorthemselvesthroughtheirmaster;theyelevatehimontheirshouldersasonapedestal;theysurroundhimwithahalooflight;inorderthatsomeofitmaybereflecteduponthemselves。

    itisstillthefableofthedogwhocontentshimselfwiththechainandcollar;sothattheyareofgold。

    thisservilevanityisnotlessnaturalorlessmonthanthevanityofdominion。whoeverfeelshimselfincapableofmand;atleastdesirestoobeyapowerfulchief。serfshavebeenknowntoconsiderthemselvesdishonoredwhentheybecamethepropertyofamerecountafterhavingbeenthatofaprince;andsaint…simonmentionsavaletwhowouldonlywaituponmarquises。

    july7th;sevenoclockp。m鈥斺�攊havejustnowbeenuptheboulevards;itwastheoperanight;andtherewasacrowdofcarriagesintheruelepelletier。thefoot…passengerswhowerestoppedatacrossingrecognizedthepersonsinsomeoftheseaswewentby;andmentionedtheirnames;theywerethoseofcelebratedorpowerfulmen;thesuccessfulonesoftheday。

    nearmetherewasamanlookingonwithhollowcheeksandeagereyes;whosethinblackcoatwasthreadbare。hefollowedwithenviouslooksthesepossessorsoftheprivilegesofpoweroroffame;andireadonhislips;whichcurledwithabittersmile;allthatpassedinhismind。

    〃lookatthem;theluckyfellows!〃thoughthe;〃allthepleasuresofwealth;alltheenjoymentsofpride;aretheirs。theirnamesarerenowned;alltheirwishesfulfilled;theyarethesovereignsoftheworld;eitherbytheirintellectortheirpower;andwhilei;poorandunknown;toilpainfullyalongtheroadbelow;theywingtheirwayoverthemountain…topsgildedbythebroadsunshineofprosperity。〃

    ihaveehomeindeepthought。isittruethattherearetheseinequalities;idonotsayinthefortunes;butinthehappinessofmen?

    dogeniusandauthorityreallywearlifeasacrown;whilethegreaterpartofmankindreceiveitasayoke?isthedifferenceofrankbutadifferentuseofmensdispositionsandtalents;orarealinequalityintheirdestinies?asolemnquestion;asitregardstheverificationofgodsimpartiality。

    july8th;noon鈥斺�攊wentthismorningtocalluponafriendfromthesameprovinceasmyself;whoisthefirstusher…in…waitingtooneofourministers。itookhimsomelettersfromhisfamily;leftforhimbyatravellerjustefrombrittany。hewishedmetostay。

    〃to…day;〃saidhe;〃theministergivesnoaudience:hetakesadayofrestwithhisfamily。hisyoungersistersarearrived;hewilltakethemthismorningtost。cloud;andintheeveninghehasinvitedhisfriendstoaprivateball。ishallbedismisseddirectlyfortherestoftheday。wecandinetogether;readthenewswhileyouarewaitingforme。〃

    isatdownatatablecoveredwithnewspapers;allofwhichilookedoverbyturns。mostofthemcontainedseverecriticismsonthelastpoliticalactsoftheminister;someofthemaddedsuspicionsastothehonoroftheministerhimself。

    justasihadfinishedreading;asecretarycameforthemtotakethemtohismaster。

    hewasthenabouttoreadtheseaccusations;tosuffersilentlytheabuseofallthosetongueswhichwereholdinghimuptoindignationortoscorn!liketheromanvictorinhistriumph;hehadtoenduretheinsultsofhimwhofollowedhiscar;relatingtothecrowdhisfollies;hisignorance;orhisvices。

    but;amongthearrowsshotathimfromeveryside;wouldnoonebefoundpoisoned?wouldnotonereachsomespotinhisheartwherethewoundwouldbeincurable?whatistheworthofalifeexposedtotheattacksofenvioushatredorfuriousconviction?thechristiansyieldedonlythefragmentsoftheirfleshtothebeastsoftheamphitheatres;themaninpowergivesuphispeace;hisaffections;hishonor;tothecruelbitesofthepen。

    whileiwasmusinguponthesedangersofgreatness;theusherenteredhastily。importantnewshadbeenreceived:theministerisjustsummonedtothecouncil;hewillnotbeabletotakehissisterstost。cloud。

    isaw;throughthewindows;theyoungladies;whowerewaitingatthedoor;sorrowfullygoupstairsagain;whiletheirbrotherwentofftothecouncil。thecarriage;whichshouldhavegonefilledwithsomuchfamilyhappiness;isjustoutofsight;carryingonlythecaresofastatesmaninit。

    theushercamebackdiscontentedanddisappointed。themoreorlessoflibertywhichheisallowedtoenjoy;ishisbarometerofthepoliticalatmosphere。ifhegetsleave;allgoeswell;ifheiskeptathispost;thecountryisindanger。hisopiniononpublica
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