第52章 《宽容》序言 (1)（1 / 2）

rologueTolerance

亨德里克·威廉·房龙/HendrikWilleVanLoon

HappilylivedMankdthepeacefulValleyofIgnorance.

Tothenorth，tothesouth，tothewestandtotheeaststretchedtheridgesoftheHillsEverstg.

AlittlestreaofKnowledgetrickledslowlythroughadeepwully.

ItcaoutoftheMountasofthePast.

ItlostitselftheMarshesoftheFuture.

Itwasnotuch，asriversgo.Butitwasenoughforthehubleneedsofthevilgers.

Intheeveng，whentheyhadwateredtheircattleandhadf？illedtheircasks，theywereositdowntoenjoylife.

TheOldMenwhoknewwerebroughtforthfrotheshadyrnerswheretheyhadspenttheirday，povertheysteriopagesofanoldbook.

Theyubledstrangewordstotheirgrandchildren，whowouldhavepreferredtopywiththeprettypebbles，broughtdownfrodistantnds.

Oftenthesewordswerenotveryclear.

Buttheywerewritathoandyearsagobyafottenrace.Heheywereholy.

FortheValleyofIgnorance，whateverwasoldwasvenerable.Andthosewhodaredtogasaythewisdoofthefatherswereshunnedbyalldetpeople.

Andsotheykepttheirpeace.

Fearwaseverwiththe.Whatiftheyshouldberefedtheonshareoftheproductsofthegarden？

Vaguestoriestherewere，whisperedatnightaongthenarrowstreetsofthelittletown，vaguestoriesofnandwonwhohaddaredtoaskquestions.

Theyhadgoneforth，andneveragahadtheybeenseen.

Afewhadtriedtoscalethehighwallsoftherockyrahathidthesun.

Theirwhitenedbonesyatthefootofthecliffs.

Theyearsdtheyearswentby.

HappilylivedMankdthepeacefulValleyofIgnorance.

Outofthedarknesscreptaan.

Thenailsofhishandsweretorn.

Hisfeetwereveredwithrags，redwiththebloodoflongarches.

Hestubledtothedoorofthehutandknocked.

Theed.Bythelightofafrighteneddle，hewascarriedtoat.

Ihroughoutthevilgeitwasknown：“Hehaseback.”

Theneighborsstoodaroundandshooktheirheads.Theyhadalwaysknownthatthiswastobetheend.

Defeatandsurrenderawaitedthosewhodaredtostrollawayfrothefootoftheountas.

AndonernerofthevilgetheOldMenshooktheirheadsandwhisperedburngwords.

Theydidnotantobecruel，buttheLawwastheLaw.BitterlythisanhadsnedagastthewishesofThoseWhoKnew.

Assoonashiswoundswerehealedhetbebroughttotrial.

Theyanttobele.