【英文读物】The Bertrams.docx
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1、【英文读物】The BertramsCHAPTER I. V VICTIS!This is undoubtedly the age of humanityas far, at least, as England is concerned. A man who beats his wife is shocking to us, and a colonel who cannot manage his soldiers without having them beaten is nearly equally so. We are not very fond of hanging; and some
2、of us go so far as to recoil under any circumstances from taking the blood of life. We perform our operations under chloroform; and it has even been suggested that those schoolmasters who insist on adhering in some sort to the doctrines of Solomon should perform their operations in the same guarded
3、manner. If the disgrace be absolutely necessary, let it be inflicted; but not the bodily pain.So far as regards the low externals of humanity, this is doubtless a humane age. Let men, women, and children have bread; let them have if possible no blows, or, at least, as few as may be; let them also be
4、 decently clothed; and let the pestilence be kept out of their way. In venturing to call these low, I have done so in no contemptuous spirit; they are comparatively low if the body be lower than the mind. The humanity of the age is doubtless suited to its material wants, and such wants are those whi
5、ch demand the promptest remedy. But in the inner feelings of men to men, and of one mans mind to another mans mind, is it not an age of extremest cruelty?There is sympathy for the hungry man; but there is no sympathy for the unsuccessful man who is not hungry. If a fellow mortal be ragged, humanity
6、will subscribe to mend his clothes; but humanity will subscribe nothing to mend his ragged hopes so long as his outside coat shall be whole and decent.To him that hath shall be given; and from him that hath not shall be taken even that which he hath. This is the special text that we delight to follo
7、w, and success is the god that we delight to worship. Ah! pity me. I have struggled and fallenstruggled so manfully, yet fallen so utterlyhelp me up this time that I may yet push forward once again! Who listens to such a plea as this? Fallen! do you want bread? Not bread, but a kind heart and a kind
8、 hand. My friend, I cannot stay by you; I myself am in a hurry; there is that fiend of a rival there even now gaining a step on me. I beg your pardon; but I will put my foot on your shoulderonly for one moment. Occupet extremum scabies.Yes. Let the devil take the hindmost; the three or four hindmost
9、 if you will; nay, all but those strong-running horses who can force themselves into noticeable places under the judges eye. This is the noble shibboleth with which the English youth are now spurred on to deeds ofwhat shall we say?money-making activity. Let every place in which a man can hold up his
10、 head be the reward of some antagonistic struggle, of some grand competitive examination. Let us get rid of the fault of past ages. With us, let the race be ever to the swift; the victory always to the strong. And let us always be racing, so that the swift and strong shall ever be known among us. Bu
11、t what, then, for those who are not swift, not strong? V? victis! Let them go to the wall. They can hew wood probably; or, at any rate, draw water.Were we to ask Lord Derby, or Lord Palmerston, or to consult the shade of Lord George Bentinckor to go to those greater authorities on the subject, Mr. S
12、cott, for instance, and the family of the Dayswe should, I believe, be informed that the race-horse requires a very peculiar condition. It is not to be obtained quickly, and, when obtained, will fit the beast for no other than that one purpose of running races. Crucifix was never good at going in a
13、cab; Ilione never took her noble owner down to the house of Parliament; nor has Toxopholite been useful in Leicestershire.But, nevertheless, let all our work be done by race-horses; all, at least, that shall be considered honourable. Let us have strength and speed. And how shall we know who are stro
14、ng and swift if we do not train our horses to run against each other? But this early racing will hardly produce that humanity of spirit of which we now deplore the want. The devil take the hindmost is the very essence of the young mans book of proverbs. The devil assuredly will take all the hindmost
15、. None but the very foremost can enter the present heaven of good things. Therefore, oh my brother, my friend, thou companion of my youth! may the devil take thee; thee quickly, since it needs must be thee or me.V? victisalas! for these hindmost ones; there are so many of them! The skim-milk will al
16、ways be so much more in quantity than the cream. With us at present cream is required for everything; nothing can be well done now unless it be done by cream of some sort. That milk has been skimmed; the cream has been taken away. No matter; skim it again. There shall be something yet which we will
17、call cream. Competitive examination will produce something that shall look to be strong; that shall be swift, if it be only for a start of twenty yards.This is the experiment of the present day. Wise men say that when nothing but cream is accepted, all mankind, all boykind rather, will prepare itsel
18、f for a skimming of some sort; and that the quantity of cream produced will be immense. It is only done as an instigation to education. Much may be said in opposition to this; but nothing shall be said here. It is merely of the cruelty of spirit that is thus engendered that we now speak. Success is
19、the only test of merit. Words have lost their old significance, and to deserve only is not meritorious. V? victis! there are so many of them!Thompson, says Johnson, the young poet, when he has at last succeeded in getting the bosomest of his friends alone into his chamber with him, have you happened
20、 to look at my Iphigenia yet?Thompson cant say that he has. He has been busy; has had so many water-parties; and then, somehow, he doesnt think that he is very partial to modern poetry on subjects of old mythology. Of course, however, he means to read itsome of these days.I wish you would, says John
21、son, tendering a copy of the thin volume. I really wish you would; and let me have your candid opinion. The press certainly have not noticed it much, and what they have said has been very luke-warm.I am sorry for that, says Thompson, looking grave.And I did my best with it too. You would hardly beli
22、eve how hard I worked at it. There is not a line that has not been weighed and written, perhaps, three times over. I do not think I am conceited; but I cannot but believe that there is something in it. The reviewers are so jealous! if a man has not a name, they will give him credit for nothing; and
23、it is so hard to begin.I am sure it is, says Thompson.I dont expect fame; and as for money, of course I dont think of that. But I should like to know that it had been read by one or two persons who could understand it. I have given to it the best of my time, the best of my labour. I cannot but think
24、 that there is something in it. Thus pleads the unsuccessful one for mercy.And thus answers to him the successful one, with no grain of mercy in his composition:My dear Johnson, my maxim is this, that in this world every man gets in the long run exactly what he deservesDid Milton get what he deserve
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