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lavengro-第48部分

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sat down in right earnest; comparing every line in the one version 

with the corresponding one in the other; and I passed entire nights 

in this manner; till I was almost blind; and the task was tedious 

enough at first; but I quailed not; and soon began to make 

progress:  and at first I had a misgiving that the old book might 

not prove a Danish book; but was soon reassured by reading many 

words in the Bible which I remembered to have seen in the book; and 

then I went on right merrily; and I found that the language which I 

was studying was by no means a difficult one; and in less than a 

month I deemed myself able to read the book。



Anon; I took the book from the closet; and proceeded to make myself 

master of its contents; I had some difficulty; for the language of 

the book; though in the main the same as the language of the Bible; 

differed from it in some points; being apparently a more ancient 

dialect; by degrees; however; I overcame this difficulty; and I 

understood the contents of the book; and well did they correspond 

with all those ideas in which I had indulged connected with the 

Danes。  For the book was a book of ballads; about the deeds of 

knights and champions; and men of huge stature; ballads which from 

time immemorial had been sung in the North; and which some two 

centuries before the time of which I am speaking had been collected 

by one Anders Vedel; who lived with a certain Tycho Brahe; and 

assisted him in making observations upon the heavenly bodies; at a 

place called Uranias Castle; on the little island of Hveen; in the 

Cattegat。







CHAPTER XXIII







The two individuals … The long pipe … The Germans … Werther … The 

female Quaker … Suicide … Gibbon … Jesus of Bethlehem … Fill your 

glass … Shakespeare … English at Minden … Melancholy Swayne Vonved 

… The fifth dinner … Strange doctrines … Are you happy? … Improve 

yourself in German。



IT might be some six months after the events last recorded; that 

two individuals were seated together in a certain room; in a 

certain street of the old town which I have so frequently had 

occasion to mention in the preceding pages; one of them was an 

elderly; and the other a very young man; and they sat on either 

side of a fireplace; beside a table on which were fruit and wine; 

the room was a small one; and in its furniture exhibited nothing 

remarkable。  Over the mantelpiece; however; hung a small picture 

with naked figures in the foreground; and with much foliage behind。  

It might not have struck every beholder; for it looked old and 

smoke…dried; but a connoisseur; on inspecting it closely; would 

have pronounced it to be a judgment of Paris; and a masterpiece of 

the Flemish school。



The forehead of the elder individual was high; and perhaps appeared 

more so than it really was; from the hair being carefully brushed 

back; as if for the purpose of displaying to the best advantage 

that part of the cranium; his eyes were large and full; and of a 

light brown; and might have been called heavy and dull; had they 

not been occasionally lighted up by a sudden gleam … not so 

brilliant however as that which at every inhalation shone from the 

bowl of the long clay pipe which he was smoking; but which; from a 

certain sucking sound which about this time began to be heard from 

the bottom; appeared to be giving notice that it would soon require 

replenishment from a certain canister; which; together with a 

lighted taper; stood upon the table beside him。



'You do not smoke?' said he; at length; laying down his pipe; and 

directing his glance to his companion。



Now there was at least one thing singular connected with this last; 

namely; the colour of his hair; which; notwithstanding his extreme 

youth; appeared to be rapidly becoming gray。  He had very long 

limbs; and was apparently tall of stature; in which he differed 

from his elderly companion; who must have been somewhat below the 

usual height。



'No; I can't smoke;' said the youth; in reply to the observation of 

the other; 'I have often tried; but could never succeed to my 

satisfaction。'



'Is it possible to become a good German without smoking?' said the 

senior; half speaking to himself。



'I daresay not;' said the youth; 'but I shan't break my heart on 

that account。'



'As for breaking your heart; of course you would never think of 

such a thing; he is a fool who breaks his heart on any account; but 

it is good to be a German; the Germans are the most philosophic 

people in the world; and the greatest smokers:  now I trace their 

philosophy to their smoking。'



'I have heard say their philosophy is all smoke … is that your 

opinion?'



'Why; no; but smoking has a sedative effect upon the nerves; and 

enables a man to bear the sorrows of this life (of which every one 

has his share) not only decently; but dignifiedly。  Suicide is not 

a national habit in Germany as it is in England。'



'But that poor creature; Werther; who committed suicide; was a 

German。'



'Werther is a fictitious character; and by no means a felicitous 

one; I am no admirer either of Werther or his author。  But I should 

say that; if there ever was a Werther in Germany; he did not smoke。  

Werther; as you very justly observe; was a poor creature。'



'And a very sinful one; I have heard my parents say that suicide is 

a great crime。'



'Broadly; and without qualification; to say that suicide is a 

crime; is speaking somewhat unphilosophically。  No doubt suicide; 

under many circumstances; is a crime; a very heinous one。  When the 

father of a family; for example; to escape from certain 

difficulties; commits suicide; he commits a crime; there are those 

around him who look to him for support; by the law of nature; and 

he has no right to withdraw himself from those who have a claim 

upon his exertions; he is a person who decamps with other people's 

goods as well as his own。  Indeed; there can be no crime which is 

not founded upon the depriving others of something which belongs to 

them。  A man is hanged for setting fire to his house in a crowded 

city; for he burns at the same time or damages those of other 

people; but if a man who has a house on a heath sets fire to it; he 

is not hanged; for he has not damaged or endangered any other 

individual's property; and the principle of revenge; upon which all 

punishment is founded; has not been aroused。  Similar to such a 

case is that of the man who; without any family ties; commits 

suicide; for example; were I to do the thing this evening; who 

would have a right to call me to account?  I am alone in the world; 

have no family to support; and; so far from damaging any one; 

should even benefit my heir by my accelerated death。  However; I am 

no advocate for suicide under any circumstances; there is something 

undignified in it; unheroic; un…Germanic。  But if you must commit 

suicide … and there is
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