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屋顶间的哲学家_梭维斯特-第5部分

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deoftheirdaysofdutytotakerefugeunderaporch!thestormhascausedallthesetransformations。

    see;itincreases!thehardiestareobligedtoseekshelter。iseeeveryonerushingtowardtheshopinfrontofmywindow;whichabillannouncesistolet。itisforthefourthtimewithinafewmonths。

    ayearagoalltheskillofthejoinerandtheartofthepainterwereemployedinbeautifyingit;buttheirworksarealreadydestroyedbytheleavingofsomanytenants;thecornicesofthefrontaredisfiguredbymud;thearabesquesonthedoorwayarespoiledbybillsposteduponthemtoannouncethesaleoftheeffects。thesplendidshophaslostsomeofitsembellishmentswitheachchangeofthetenant。seeitnowempty;andleftopentothepassersby。howmuchdoesitsfateresemblethatofsomanywho;likeit;onlychangetheiroccupationtohastenthefastertoruin!

    iamstruckbythislastreflection:sincethemorningeverythingseemstospeaktome;andwiththesamewarningtone。everythingsays:〃takecare!becontentwithyourhappy;thoughhumblelot;happinesscanberetainedonlybyconstancy;donotforsakeyouroldpatronsfortheprotectionofthosewhoareunknown!〃

    aretheytheoutwardobjectswhichspeakthus;ordoesthewarningefromwithin?isitnotimyselfwhogivethislanguagetoallthatsurroundsme?theworldisbutaninstrument;towhichwegivesoundatwill。butwhatdoesitsignifyifitteachesuswisdom?thelowvoicethatspeaksinourbreastsisalwaysafriendlyvoice;forittellsuswhatweare;thatistosay;whatisourcapability。badconductresults;forthemostpart;frommistakingourcalling。therearesomanyfoolsandknaves;becausetherearesofewmenwhoknowthemselves。

    thequestionisnottodiscoverwhatwillsuitus;butforwhatwearesuited!

    whatshouldidoamongthesemanyexperiencedfinancialspeculators?iamonlyapoorsparrow;bornamongthehousetops;andshouldalwaysfeartheenemycrouchinginthedarkcorner;iamaprudentworkman;andshouldthinkofthebusinessofmyneighborswhososuddenlydisappeared;iamatimidobserver;andshouldcalltomindtheflowerssoslowlyraisedbytheoldsoldier;ortheshopbroughttoruinbyconstantchangeofmasters。awayfromme;yebanquets;overwhichhangstheswordofdamocles!iamacountrymouse。givememynutsandhollowtree;andiasknothingbesides鈥斺�攅xceptsecurity。

    andwhythisinsatiablecravingforriches?doesamandrinkmorewhenhedrinksfromalargeglass?whenceesthatuniversaldreadofmediocrity;thefruitfulmotherofpeaceandliberty?ah!thereistheevilwhich;aboveeveryother;itshouldbetheaimofbothpublicandprivateeducationtoanticipate!ifthatweregotridof;whattreasonswouldbespared;whatbasenessavoided;whatachainofexcessandcrimewouldbeforeverbroken!weawardthepalmtocharity;andtoself…sacrifice;but;aboveall;letusawardittomoderation;foritisthegreatsocialvirtue。evenwhenitdoesnotcreatetheothers;itstandsinsteadofthem。

    sixoclock鈥斺�攊havewrittenaletterofthankstothepromotersofthenewspeculation;andhavedeclinedtheiroffer!thisdecisionhasrestoredmypeaceofmind。istoppedsinging;likethecobbler;aslongasientertainedthehopeofriches:itisgone;andhappinessiseback!

    obelovedandgentlepoverty!pardonmeforhavingforamomentwishedtoflyfromthee;asiwouldfromwant。stayhereforeverwiththycharmingsisters;pity;patience;sobriety;andsolitude;beyemyqueensandmyinstructors;teachmethesterndutiesoflife;removefarfrommyabodetheweaknessofheartandgiddinessofheadwhichfollowprosperity。holypoverty!teachmetoendurewithoutplaining;toimpartwithoutgrudging;toseektheendoflifehigherthaninpleasure;fartheroffthaninpower。thougivestthebodystrength;thoumakestthemindmorefirm;and;thankstothee;thislife;towhichtherichattachthemselvesastoarock;beesabarkofwhichdeathmaycutthecablewithoutawakeningallourfearsntinuetosustainme;othouwhomchristhathcalledblessed!



 CHAPTER IV

    letusloveoneanother

    april9th

    thefineeveningsareeback;thetreesbegintoputforththeirshoots;hyacinths;jonquils;violets;andlilacsperfumethebasketsoftheflower…girls鈥斺�攁lltheworldhavebeguntheirwalksagainonthequaysandboulevards。afterdinner;i;too;descendfrommyattictobreathetheeveningair。

    itisthehourwhenparisisseeninallitsbeauty。duringthedaytheplasterfrontsofthehouseswearytheeyebytheirmonotonouswhiteness;heavilyladencartsmakethestreetsshakeundertheirhugewheels;theeagercrowd;takenupbytheonefearoflosingamomentfrombusiness;crossandjostleoneanother;theaspectofthecityaltogetherhassomethingharsh;restless;andflurriedaboutit。but;assoonasthestarsappear;everythingischanged;theglareofthewhitehousesisquenchedinthegatheringshades;youhearnomoreanyrollingbutthatofthecarriagesontheirwaytosomepartyofpleasure;youseeonlytheloungerorthelight…heartedpassingby;workhasgivenplacetoleisure。

    noweachonemaybreatheafterthefierceracethroughthebusinessoftheday;andwhateverstrengthremainstohimhegivestopleasure!seetheballroomslightedup;thetheatresopen;theeating…shopsalongthewalkssetoutwithdainties;andthetwinklinglanternsofthenewspapercriers。decidedlyparishaslaidasidethepen;theruler;andtheapron;afterthedayspentinwork;itmusthavetheeveningforenjoyment;likethemastersofthebes;ithasputoffallseriousmattertilltomorrow。

    ilovetotakepartinthishappyhour;nottomixinthegeneralgayety;buttocontemplateit。iftheenjoymentsofothersembitterjealousminds;theystrengthenthehumblespirit;theyarethebeamsofsunshine;whichopenthetwobeautifulflowerscalledtrustandhope。

    althoughaloneinthemidstofthesmilingmultitude;idonotfeelmyselfisolatedfromit;foritsgayetyisreflecteduponme:itismyownkind;myownfamily;whoareenjoyinglife;anditakeabrothersshareintheirhappiness。weareallfellow…soldiersinthisearthlybattle;andwhatdoesitmatteronwhomthehonorsofthevictoryfall?

    iffortunepassesbywithoutseeingus;andpoursherfavorsonothers;letusconsoleourselves;likethefriendofparmenio;bysaying;〃those;too;arealexanders。〃

    whilemakingthesereflections;iwasgoingonaschancetookme。icrossedfromonepavementtoanother;iretracedmysteps;istoppedbeforetheshopsortoreadthehandbills。howmanythingstherearetolearninthestreetsofparis!whatamuseumitis!unknownfruits;foreignarms;furnitureofoldtimesorotherlands;animalsofallclimates;statuesofgreatmen;costumesofdistantnations!itistheworldseeninsamples!

    letusthenlookatthispeople;whoseknowledgeisgainedfromtheshop…windowsandthetradesmansdisplayofgoods。nothinghasbeentaughtthem;buttheyhavearudenotionofeverything。theyhaveseenpineapplesatchevets;apalm…treeinthejardindesplantes;sugar…canessellingonthepont…neuf。theredskins;exhibitedinthevalentinehall;havetaughtthemtomimicthedanceofthebison;andtosmokethecalumetofpeace;theyhaveseencarterslionsfed;theyknowtheprincipalnationalcostumescontainedinbabinscollection;goupilsdisplayofprintshasplacedthetiger…huntsofafricaandthesittingsoftheenglishparliamentbeforetheireyes;theyhavebeeacquaintedwithqueenvictoria;theemperorofaustria;andkossuth;attheoffice…dooroftheillustratednews。wecancertainlyinstructthem;butnotastonishthem;fornothingispletelynewtothem。youmaytaketheparisragamuffinthroughthefivequartersoftheworld;andateverywonderwithwhichyouthinktosurprisehim;hewillsettlethematterwiththatfavoriteandconclusiveanswerofhisclass鈥斺�敗╥know。〃

    butthisvarietyofexhibitions;whichmakesparisthefairoftheworld;doesnotoffermerelyameansofinstructiontohimwhowalksthroughit;itisacontinualspurforrousingtheimagination;afirststepoftheladderalwayssetupbeforeusinavision。whenweseethem;howmanyvoyagesdowetakeinimagination;whatadventuresdowedreamof;whatpicturesdowesketch!ineverlookatthatshopnearthechinesebaths;withitstapestryhangingsoffloridajessamine;andfilledwithmagnolias;withoutseeingtheforestgladesofthenewworld;describedbytheauthorofatala;openingthemselvesoutbeforeme。

    then;whenthisstudyofthingsandthisdiscourseofreasonbegintotireyou;lookaroundyou!whatcontrastsoffiguresandfacesyouseeinthecrowd!whatavastfieldfortheexerciseofmeditation!ahalf…seenglance;orafewwordscaughtasthespeakerpassesby;openathousandvistastoyourimagination。youwishtoprehendwhattheseimperfectdisclosuresmean;and;astheantiquaryendeavorstodecipherthemutilatedinscriptiononsomeoldmonument;youbuildupahistoryonagestureoronaword!thesearethestirringsportsofthemind;whichfindsinfictionarelieffromthewearisomedullnessoftheactual。

    alas!asiwasjustnowpassingbythecarriage…entranceofagreathouse;inoticedasadsubjectforoneofthesehistories。amanwassittinginthedarkestcorner;withhisheadbare;andholdingouthishatforthecharityofthosewhopassed。histhreadbarecoathadthatlookofneatnesswhichmarksthatdestitutionhasbeenmetbyalongstruggle。hehadcarefullybuttonedituptohidethewantofashirt。

    hisfacewashalfhidunderhisgrayhair;andhiseyeswereclosed;asifhewishedtoescapethesightofhisownhumiliation;andheremainedmuteandmotionless。thosewhopassedhimtooknonoticeofthebeggar;whosatinsilenceanddarkness!theyhadbeensoluckyastoescapeplaintsandimportunities;andweregladtoturnawaytheireyestoo。

    suddenlythegreatgateturnedonitshinges;andaverylowcarriage;lightedwithsilverlampsanddrawnbytwoblackhorses;cameslowlyout;andtooktheroadtowardthefaubourgst。germain。icouldjustdistinguish;within;thesparklingdiamondsandtheflowersofaball…dress;theglareofthelampspassedlikeabloodystreakoverthepalefaceofthebeggar;andshowedhislookashiseyesopenedandfollowedtherichmansequipageuntilitdisappearedinthenight。

    idroppedasmallpieceofmoneyintothehathewasholdingout;andpassedonquickly。

    ihadjustfallenunexpectedlyuponthetwosaddestsecretsofthediseasewhichtroublestheagewelivein:theenvioushatredofhimwhosufferswant;andtheselfishforgetfulnessofhimwholivesinaffluence。

    alltheenjoymentofmywalkwasgone;ileftofflookingaboutme;andretiredintomyownheart。theanimatedandmovingsightinthestreetsgaveplacetoinwardmeditationuponallthepainfulproblemswhichhavebeenwrittenforthelastfourthousandyearsatthebottomofeachhumanstruggle;butwhicharepropoundedmoreclearlythaneverinourdays。

    iponderedontheuselessnessofsomanycontests;inwhichdefeatandvictoryonlydisplaceeachotherbyturns;andonthemistakenzealotswhohaverepeatedfromgenerationtogenerationthebloodyhistoryofcainandabel;and;saddenedwiththesemournfulreflections;iwalkedonaschancetookme;untilthesilenceallaroundinsensiblydrewmeoutfrommyownthoughts。

    ihadreachedoneoftheremotestreets;inwhichthosewhowouldliveinfortandwithoutostentation;andwholoveseriousreflection;delighttofindahome。therewerenoshopsalongthedimlylightedstreet;oneheardnosoundsbutofdistantcarriages;andofthestepsofsomeoftheinhabitantsreturningquietlyhome。

    iinstantlyrecognizedthestreet;thoughihadbeenthereonlyoncebefore。

    thatwastwoyearsago。iwaswalkingatthetimebythesideoftheseine;towhichthelightsonthequaysandbridgesgavetheaspectofalakesurroundedbyagarlandofstars;andihadreachedthelouvre;when
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