the four horsemen of the apocalypse-第32节

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Prussian　God　of　the　State　is　'the　old　German　God；'　the　lineal　descendant　of　the　ferocious　Germanic　mythology；　a　mixture　of　divinities　hungry　for　war。〃

In　the　silence　of　the　avenue；　the　Russian　evoked　the　ruddy　figures　of　the　implacable　gods；　that　were　going　to　awake　that　night　upon　hearing　the　hum　of　arms　and　smelling　the　acrid　odor　of　blood。　　Thor；　the　brutal　god　with　the　little　head；　was　stretching　his　biceps　and　clutching　the　hammer　that　crushed　cities。　　Wotan　was　sharpening　his　lance　which　had　the　lightning　for　its　handle；　the　thunder　for　its　blade。　　Odin；　the　one…eyed；　was　gaping　with　gluttony　on　the　mountain…tops；　awaiting　the　dead　warriors　that　would　crowd　around　his　throne。　　The　dishevelled　Valkyries；　fat　and　perspiring；　were　beginning　to　gallop　from　cloud　to　cloud；　hallooing　to　humanity　that　they　might　carry　off　the　corpses　doubled　like　saddle　bags；　over　the　haunches　of　their　flying　nags。

〃German　religiosity；〃　continued　the　Russian；　〃is　the　disavowal　of　Christianity。　　In　its　eyes；　men　are　no　longer　equal　before　God。　Their　God　is　interested　only　in　the　strong；　and　favors　them　with　his　support　so　that　they　may　dare　anything。　　Those　born　weak　must　either　submit　or　disappear。　　Neither　are　nations　equal；　but　are　divided　into　leaders　and　inferior　races　whose　destiny　is　to　be　sifted　out　and　absorbed　by　their　superiors。　　Since　God　has　thus　ordained；　it　is　unnecessary　to　state　that　the　grand　world…leader　is　Germany。〃

Argensola　here　interrupted　to　observe　that　German　pride　believed　itself　championed　not　only　by　God　but　by　science；　too。

〃I　know　that；〃　interposed　the　Russian　without　letting　him　finish　〃generalization；　inequality；　selection；　the　struggle　for　life；　and　all　that。　。　。　。　　The　Germans；　so　conceited　about　their　special　worth；　erect　upon　distant　ground　their　intellectual　monuments；　borrowing　of　the　foreigner　their　foundation　material　whenever　they　undertake　a　new　line　of　work。　　A　Frenchman　and　an　Englishman；　Gobineau　and　Chamberlain；　have　given　them　the　arguments　with　which　to　defend　the　superiority　of　their　race。　　With　the　rubbish　left　over　from　Darwin　and　Spencer；　their　old　Haeckel　has　built　up　his　doctrine　of　'Monism'　which；　applied　to　politics；　scientifically　consecrates　Prussian　pride　and　recognizes　its　right　to　rule　the　world　by　force。〃

〃No；　a　thousand　times　no！〃　he　exclaimed　after　a　brief　silence。　　〃The　struggle　for　existence　with　its　procession　of　cruelties　may　be　true　among　the　lower　species；　but　it　should　not　be　true　among　human　creatures。　　We　are　rational　beings　and　ought　to　free　ourselves　from　the　fatality　of　environment；　moulding　it　to　our　convenience。　　The　animal　does　not　know　law；　justice　or　compassion；　he　lives　enslaved　in　the　obscurity　of　his　instincts。　　We　think；　and　thought　signifies　liberty。　　Force　does　not　necessarily　have　to　be　cruel；　it　is　strongest　when　it　does　not　take　advantage　of　its　power；　and　is　kindly。　　All　have　a　right　to　the　life　into　which　they　are　born；　and　since　among　individuals　there　exist　the　haughty　and　the　humble；　the　mighty　and　the　weak；　so　should　exist　nations；　large　and　small；　old　and　young。　　The　end　of　our　existence　is　not　combat　nor　killing　in　order　that　others　may　afterwards　kill　us；　and；　perhaps；　be　killed　themselves。　　Civilized　peoples　ought　unanimously　to　adopt　the　idea　of　southern　Europe；　striving　for　the　most　peaceful　and　sweetest　form　of　life　possible。〃

A　cruel　smile　played　over　the　Russian's　beard。

〃But　there　exists　that　Kultur；　diametrically　opposed　to　civilization；　which　the　Germans　wish　to　palm　off　upon　us。　Civilization　is　refinement　of　spirit；　respect　of　one's　neighbor；　tolerance　of　foreign　opinion；　courtesy　of　manner。　　Kultur　is　the　action　of　a　State　that　organizes　and　assimilates　individuals　and　communities　in　order　to　utilize　them　for　its　own　ends；　and　these　ends　consist　mainly　in　placing　'The　State'　above　other　states；　overwhelming　them　with　their　grandeuror　what　is　the　same　thing　with　their　haughty　and　violent　pride。〃

By　this　time；　the　three　had　reached　the　place　de　l'Etoile。　　The　dark　outline　of　the　Arc　de　Triomphe　stood　forth　clearly　in　the　starry　expanse。　　The　avenues　extended　in　all　directions；　a　double　file　of　lights。　　Those　around　the　monument　illuminated　its　gigantic　bases　and　the　feet　of　the　sculptured　groups。　　Further　up；　the　vaulted　spaces　were　so　locked　in　shadow　that　they　had　the　black　density　of　ebony。

Upon　passing　under　the　Arch；　which　greatly　intensified　the　echo　of　their　footsteps；　they　came　to　a　standstill。　　The　night　breeze　had　a　wintry　chill　as　it　whistled　past；　and　the　curved　masses　seemed　melting　into　the　diffused　blue　of　space。　　Instinctively　the　three　turned　to　glance　back　at　the　Champs　Elysees。　　They　saw　only　a　river　of　shadow　on　which　were　floating　rosaries　of　red　stars　among　the　two　long；　black　scarfs　formed　by　the　buildings。　　But　they　were　so　well　acquainted　with　this　panorama　that　in　imagination　they　mentally　saw　the　majestic　sweep　of　the　avenue；　the　double　row　of　palaces；　the　place　de　la　Concorde　in　the　background　with　the　Egyptian　obelisk；　and　the　trees　of　the　Tuileries。

〃How　beautiful　it　is！〃　exclaimed　Tchernoff　who　was　seeing　something　beyond　the　shadows。　　〃An　entire　civilization；　loving　peace　and　pleasure；　has　passed　through　here。〃

A　memory　greatly　affected　the　Russian。　　Many　an　afternoon；　after　lunch；　he　had　met　in　this　very　spot　a　robust　man；　stocky；　with　reddish　beard　and　kindly　eyesa　man　who　looked　like　a　giant　who　had　just　stopped　growing。　　He　was　always　accompanied　by　a　dog。　　It　was　Jaures；　his　friend　Jaures；　who　before　going　to　the　senate　was　accustomed　to　taking　a　walk　toward　the　Arch　from　his　home　in　Passy。

〃He　liked　to　come　just　where　we　are　now！　　He　loved　to　look　at　the　avenues；　the　distant　gardens；　all　of　Paris　which　can　be　seen　from　this　height；　and　filled　with　admiration；　he　would　often　say　to　me；　'This　is　magnificentone　of　the　most　beautiful　perspectives　that　can　be　found　in　the　entire　world。'　。　。　。　　Poor　Jaures！〃

Through　association　of　ideas；　the　Russian　evoked　the　image　of　his　compatriot；　Michael　Bakounine；　another　revolutionist；　the　father　of　anarchy；　weeping　with　emotion　at　a　concert　after　hearing　the　symphony　with　Beethoven　chorals　directed　by　a　young　friend　of　his；　named　Richard　Wagner。　　〃When　our　revolution　comes；〃　he　cried；　clasping　the　hand　of　the　master；　〃whatever　else　may　perish；　this　must　be　saved　at　any　cost！〃

Tchernoff　roused　himself　from　his　reveries　to　look　around　him　and　say　with　sadness：

〃THEY　have　passed　through　here！〃

Every　time　that　he　walked　through　the　Arch；　the　same　vision　would　spring　up　in　his　mind。　　THEY　were　thousands　of　helmets　glistening　in　the　sun；　thousands　of　heavy　boots　lifted　with　mechanical　rigidity　at　the　same　time；　horns；　fifes；　drums　large　and　small；　clashing　against　the　majestic　silence　of　these　stonesthe　warlike　march　from　Lohengrin　sounding　in　the　deserted　avenues　before　the　closed　houses。

He；　who　was　a　foreigner；　always　felt　attracted　by　the　spell　exerted　by　venerable　buildings　guarding　the　glory　of　a　bygone　day。　　He　did　not　wish　to　know　who　had　erected　it。　　As　soon　as　its　pride　is　flattered；　mankind　tries　immediately　to　solidify　it。　　Then　Humanity　intervenes　with　a　broader　vision　that　changes　the　original　significance　of　the　work；　enlarges　it　and　strips　it　of　its　first　egotistical　import。　　The　Greek　statues；　models　of　the　highest　beauty；　had　been　originally　mere　images　of　the　temple；　donated　by　the　piety　of　the　devotees　of　those　times。　　Upon　evoking　Roman　grandeur；　everybody　sees　in　imagination　the　enormous　Coliseum；　circle　of　butcheries；　or　the　arches　erected　to　the　glory　of　the　inept　Caesars。　　The　representative　works　of　nations　have　two　significationsthe　interior　or　immediate　one　which　their　creators　gave　them；　and　the　exterior　or　universal　interest；　the　symbolic　value　which　the　centuries　have　given　them。

〃This　Arch；〃　continued　Tchernoff；　〃is　French　within；　with　its　names　of　battles　and　generals　open　to　criticism。　　On　the　outside；　it　is　the　monument　of　the　people　who　carried　through　the　greatest　revolution　for　liberty　ever　known。　　The　glorification　of　man　is　there　below　in　the　column　of　the　place　Vendome。　　Here　there　is　nothing　individual。　　Its　builders　erected　it　to　the　memory　of　la　Grande　Armee　and　that　Grand　Army　was　the　people　in　arms　who　spread　revolution　throughout　Europe。　　The　artists；　great　inventors；　foresaw　the　true　significance　of　this　work。　　The　warriors　of　Rude　who　are　chanting　the　Marseillaise　in　the　group　at　the　left　are　not　professional　soldiers；　they　are　armed　citizens；　marching　to　work　out　their　sublime　and　violent　mission。　　Their　nudity　makes　them　appear　to　me　like　sans…culottes　in　Grecian　helmets。　。　。　。　　Here　there　is　more　than　the　glory　and　egoism　of　a　great　nation。　　All　Europe　is　awake　to　new　life；　thanks　to　these　Crusaders　of　Liberty。　。　。　。　　The　nations　call　to　mind　certain　images。　　If　I　think　of　Greece；　I　see　the　columns　of　the　Parthenon；　Rome；　Mistress　of　the　World；　is　the　Coliseum　and　the　Arch　of　Trajan；　and　revolutionary　France　is　the　Arc　de　Triomphe。〃

The　Arch　was　even　more；　according　to　the　Russian。　　It　represented　a　great　historical　retaliation；　the　nations　of　the　South；　called　the　Latin　races；　replying；　after　many　centuries；　to　the　invasion　which　had　destroyed　the　Roman　jurisdictionthe　Medite