少年维特之烦恼(英文版)-第11章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


that　every　universal　rule　must　have　its　exceptions。　But　he　is　so　exceedingly
accurate，　that　，　if　he　only　fancies　he　has　said　a　word　too　precipitate，
or　too　general，　or　only　half　true，　he　never　ceases　to　qualify　，　to
modify，　and　extenuate，　till　at　last　he　appears　to　have　said　nothing
at　all。　Upon　this　occasion，　Albert　was　deeply　immersed　in　his　subject
：　I　ceased　to　listen　to　him，　and　became　lost　in　reverie。　With　a　sudden
motion，　I　pointed　the　mouth　of　the　pistol　to　my　forehead　，　over　the
right　eye。　〃What　do　vou　mean？〃　cried　Albert，　turning　back　the　pistol。
〃It　is　not　loaded　，〃　said　I。　〃And　even　if　not，〃　he　answered　with　impatience，
〃what　can　you　mean？　I　cannot　cornprehend　how　a　man　can　be　so　mad　as　to
shoot　himself　，　and　the　bare　idea　of　it　shocks　me。〃

　　〃But　why　should　any　one　，〃　said　I，　〃in　speaking　of　an　action，　venture
to　pronounce　it　mad　or　wise　，　or　good　or　bad　？　What　is　the　meaning　of
all　this？　Have　you　carefully　studied　the　secret　motives　of　our　actions？
Do　you　understand　——　can　you　explain　the　causes　which　occasion　them　，
and　make　them　inevitable？　If　you　can　，　you　will　be　less　hasty　with　your
decision。〃

　　〃But　you　will　allow　，〃　said　Albert　；　〃that　some　actions　are　criminal，
let　them　spring　from　whatever　motives　they　may。〃　I　granted　it　，　and　shrugged
my　shoulders。

　　〃But　still，　my　good　friend　，〃　I　continued　，　〃there　are　some　exceptions
here　too。　Theft　is　a　crime；　but　the　man　who　mits　it　from　extreme　poverty，
with　no　design　but　to　save　his　family　from　perishing，　is　he　an　object
of　pity　，　or　of　punishment　？　Who　shall　throw　the　first　stone　at　a　husband，
who　，　in　the　heat　of　just　resentment　，　sacrifices　his　faithless　wife
and　her　perfidious　seducer？　or　at　the　young　maiden　，　who，　in　her　weak
hour　of　rapture　，　forgets　herself　in　the　impetuous　joys　of　love？　Even
our　laws，　cold　and　cruel　as　they　are　，　relent　in　such　cases　，　and　withhold
their　punishment。〃

　　〃That　is　quite　another　thing，〃　said　Albert　；　〃because　a　man　under
the　influence　of　violent　passion　loses　alI　power　of　reflection，　and　is
regarded　as　intoxicated　or　insane。〃

　　〃Oh　！　you　people　of　sound　understandings　，〃　I　replied　，　smiling，
〃are　ever　ready　to　exclaim　'Extravagance，　and　madness，　and　intoxication！
'　You　moral　men　are　so　calm　and　so　subdued！　You　abhor　the　drunken　man，
and　detest　the　extravagant；　you　pass　by，　like　the　Levite，　and　thank
God　，　like　the　Pharisee，　that　you　are　not　like　one　of　them。　I　have　been
more　than　once　intoxicated，　my　passions　have　always　bordered　on　extravagance
：　I　am　not　ashamed　to　confess　it　；　for　I　have　learned　，　by　my　own　experience，
that　all　extraordinary　men，　who　have　acplished　great　and　astonishing
actions　，　have　ever　been　decried　by　the　world　as　drunken　or　insane。　And
in　private　life　，　too，　is　it　not　intolerable　that　no　one　can　undertake
the　execution　of　a　noble　or　generous　deed　，　without　giving　rise　to　the
exclamation　that　the　doer　is　intoxicated　or　mad　？　Shame　upon　you　，　ye
sages　！〃

　　〃This　is　another　of　your　extravagant　humours，〃　said　Albert　：　〃you
always　exaggerate　a　case，　and　in　this　matter　you　are　undoubtedly　wrong
；　for　we　were　speaking　of　suicide，　which　you　pare　with　great　actions，
when　it　is　impossible　to　regard　it　as　anything　but　a　weakness。　It　is　much
easier　to　die　than　to　bear　a　life　of　misery　with　fortitude。〃

　　I　was　on　the　point　of　breaking　off　the　conversation　，　for　nothing
puts　me　so　pletely　out　of　patience　as　the　utterance　of　a　wretched　monplace
when　I　am　talking　from　my　inmost　heart。　However　，　I　posed　myself，
for　I　had　often　heard　the　same　observation　with　sufficient　vexation　；
and　I　answered　him，　therefore，　with　a　little　warmth　，　〃You　call　this
a　weakness——　beware　of　being　led　astray　by　appearances。　When　a　nation，
which　has　long　groaned　under　the　intolerable　yoke　of　a　tyrant　，　rises
at　last　and　throws　off　its　chains　，　do　you　call　that　weakness？　The　man
who　，　to　rescue　his　house　from　the　flames，　finds　his　physical　strength
redoubled　，　so　that　he　lifts　burdens　with　ease　，　which，　in　the　absence
of　excitement　，　he　could　scarcely　move　；　he　who　，　under　the　rage　of
an　insult　，　attacks　and　puts　to　flight　half　a　score　of　his　enemies　，
are　such　persons　to　be　called　weak？　My　good　friend　，　if　resistance　be
strength，　how　can　the　highest　degree　of　resistance　be　a　weakness　？〃

　　Albert　looked　steadfastly　at　me　，　and　said　，　〃Pray　forgive　me　，
but　I　do　not　see　that　the　examples　you　have　adduced　bear　any　relation
to　the　question。〃　〃Very　likely，〃　I　answered；　〃for　I　have　often　been
told　that　my　style　of　illustration　borders　a　little　on　the　absurd。　But
let　us　see　if　we　cannot　place　the　matter　in　another　point　of　view　，　by
inquiring　what　can　be　a　man's　state　of　mind　who　resolves　to　free　himself
from　the　burden　of　life　，——　a　burden　often　so　pleasant　to　bear　，—
—　for　we　cannot　otherwise　reason　fairly　upon　the　subject。

　　〃Human　nature　，〃　I　continued　，　〃has　its　limits。　It　is　able　to　endure
a　certain　degree　of　joy　，　sorrow　，　and　pain　，　but　bees　annihilated
as　soon　as　this　measure　is　exceeded。　The　question　，　therefore，　is　，
not　whether　a　man　is　strong　or　weak　，　but　whether　he　is　able　to　endure
the　measure　of　his　sufferings。　The　suffering　may　be　moral　or　physical
；　and　in　my　opinion　it　is　just　as　absurd　to　call　a　man　a　coward　who　destroys
himself　，　as　to　call　a　man　a　coward　who　dies　of　a　malignant　fever。〃

　　〃Paradox，　all　paradox！〃　exclaimed　Albert。　〃Not　so　paradoxical　as
you　imagine　，〃　I　replied。　〃You　allow　that　we　designate　a　disease　as　mortal
when　nature　is　so　severely　attacked　，　and　her　strength　so　far　exhausted，
that　she　cannot　possibly　recover　her　former　condition　under　any　change
that　may　take　place。

　　〃Now，　my　good　friend　，　apply　this　to　the　mind　；　observe　a　man　in
his　natural　，　isolated　condition　；　consider　how　ideas　work，　and　how
impressions　fasten　on　him　，　till　at　length　a　violent　passion　seizes　him，
destroying　all　his　powers　of　calm　reflection，　and　utterly　ruining　him。

　　〃It　is　in　vain　that　a　man　of　sound　mind　and　cool　temper　understands
the　condition　of　such　a　wretched　being，　in　vain　he　counsels　him。　He　can
no　more　municate　his　own　wisdom　to　him　than　a　healthy　man　can　instil
his　strength　into　the　invalid　，　by　whose　bedside　he　is　seated。〃

　　Albert　thought　this　too　general。　I　reminded　him　of　a　girl　who　had
drowned　herself　a　short　time　previously　，　and　I　related　her　history。

　　She　was　a　good　creature　，　who　had　grown　up　in　the　narrow　sphere　of
household　industry　and　weekly　appointed　labour；　one　who　knew　no　pleasure
beyond　indulging　in　a　walk　on　Sundays　，　arrayed　in　her　best　attire　，
acpanied　by　her　friends，　or　perhaps　joining　in　the　dance　now　and　then
at　some　festival，　and　chatting　away　her　spare　hours　with　a　neighbour　，
discussing　the　scandal　or　the　quarrels　of　the　village　，　trifles　sufficient
to　occupy　her　heart。　At　length　the　warmth　of　her　nature　is　influenced
by　certain　new　and　unknown　wishes。　Inflamed　by　the　flatteries　of　men，
her　former　pleasures　bee　by　degrees　insipid，　till　at　length　she　meets
with　a　youth　to　whom　she　is　attracted　by　an　indescribable　feeling　；　upon
him　she　now　rests　all　her　hopes　；　she　forgets　the　world　around　her　；
she　sees，　hears，　desires　nothing　but　him，　and　him　only。　He　alone　occupies
all　her　thoughts。　Uncorrupted　by　the　idle　indulgence　of　an　enervating
vanity，　her　affection　moving　steadily　toward　its　object，　she　hopes　to
bee　his，　and　to　realise　，　in　an　everlasting　union　with　him　，　all
that　happiness　which　she　sought　，　all　that　bliss　for　which　she　longed。
His　repeated　promises　confirm　her　hopes　：　embraces　and　endearments　，
which　increase　the　ardour　of　her　desires，　overmaster　her　soul。　She　floats
in　a　dim，　delusive　anticipation　of　her　happiness　；　and　her　feelings
bee　excited　to　their　utmost　tension。　She　stretches　out　her　arms　finally
to　embrace　the　object　of　all　her　wishes　and　her　lover　forsakes　her。　Stunned
and　bewildered，　she　stands　upon　a　precipice。　All　is　darkness　around　her。
No　prospect　，　no　hope，　no　consolation　——　forsaken　by　him　in　whom　her
existence　was