PrologueTolerance
亨德裡克·威廉·房龍/HendrikWillemVanLoon
HappilylivedMankindinthepeacefulValleyofIgnorance.
Tothenorth,tothesouth,tothewestandtotheeaststretchedtheridgesoftheHillsEverlasting.
AlittlestreamofKnowledgetrickledslowlythroughadeepworngully.
ItcameoutoftheMountainsofthePast.
ItlostitselfintheMarshesoftheFuture.
Itwasnotmuch,asriversgo.Butitwasenoughforthehumbleneedsofthevillagers.
Intheevening,whentheyhadwateredtheircattleandhadf?illedtheircasks,theywerecontenttositdowntoenjoylife.
TheOldMenwhoknewwerebroughtforthfromtheshadycornerswheretheyhadspenttheirday,ponderingoverthemysteriouspagesofanoldbook.
Theymumbledstrangewordstotheirgrandchildren,whowouldhavepreferredtoplaywiththeprettypebbles,broughtdownfromdistantlands.
Oftenthesewordswerenotveryclear.
Buttheywerewritathousandyearsagobyaforgottenrace.Hencetheywereholy.
ForintheValleyofIgnorance,whateverwasoldwasvenerable.Andthosewhodaredtogainsaythewisdomofthefatherswereshunnedbyalldecentpeople.
Andsotheykepttheirpeace.
Fearwaseverwiththem.Whatiftheyshouldberefusedthecommonshareoftheproductsofthegarden?
Vaguestoriestherewere,whisperedatnightamongthenarrowstreetsofthelittletown,vaguestoriesofmenandwomenwhohaddaredtoaskquestions.
Theyhadgoneforth,andneveragainhadtheybeenseen.
Afewhadtriedtoscalethehighwallsoftherockyrangethathidthesun.
Theirwhitenedboneslayatthefootofthecliffs.
Theyearscameandtheyearswentby.
HappilylivedMankindinthepeacefulValleyofIgnorance.
Outofthedarknesscreptaman.
Thenailsofhishandsweretorn.
Hisfeetwerecoveredwithrags,redwiththebloodoflongmarches.
Hestumbledtothedoorofthenearesthutandknocked.
Thenhefainted.Bythelightofafrightenedcandle,hewascarriedtoacot.
Inthemorningthroughoutthevillageitwasknown:「Hehascomeback.」
Theneighborsstoodaroundandshooktheirheads.Theyhadalwaysknownthatthiswastobetheend.
Defeatandsurrenderawaitedthosewhodaredtostrollawayfromthefootofthemountains.
AndinonecornerofthevillagetheOldMenshooktheirheadsandwhisperedburningwords.
Theydidnotmeantobecruel,buttheLawwastheLaw.BitterlythismanhadsinnedagainstthewishesofThoseWhoKnew.
Assoonashiswoundswerehealedhemustbebroughttotrial.
Theymeanttobelenient.
Theyrememberedthestrange,burningeyesofhismother.Theyrecalledthetragedyofhisfather,lostinthedesertthesethirtyyearsago.
TheLaw,however,wastheLaw;andtheLawmustbeobeyed.
TheMenWhoKnewwouldseetothat.
TheycarriedthewanderertotheMarketPlace,andthepeoplestoodaroundinrespectfulsilence.
HewasstillweakfromhungerandthirstandtheEldersbadehimsitdown.
Herefused.
Theyorderedhimtobesilent.
Buthespoke.
UpontheOldMenheturnedhisbackandhiseyessoughtthosewhobutashorttimebeforehadbeenhiscomrades.
「Listentome,」heimplored.「Listentomeandberejoiced.Ihavecomebackfrombeyondthemountains.Myfeethavetrodafreshsoil.Myhandshavefeltthetouchofotherraces.Myeyeshaveseenwondroussights.
「WhenIwasachild,myworldwasthegardenofmyfather.
「Tothewestandtotheeast,tothesouthandtothenorthlaytherangesfromtheBeginningofTime.
「WhenIaskedwhattheywerehiding,therewasahushandahastyshakingofheads.WhenIinsisted,IwastakentotherocksandshownthebleachedbonesofthosewhohaddaredtodefytheGods.
「WhenIcriedoutandsaid,『Itisalie!TheGodslovethosewhoarebrave!theMenWhoKnewcameandreadtomefromtheirsacredbooks.TheLaw,theyexplained,hadordainedallthingsofHeavenandEarth.TheValleywasourstohaveandtohold.Theanimalsandthef?lowers,thefruitandthef?isheswereours,todoourbidding.ButthemountainswereoftheGods.WhatlaybeyondwastoremainunknownuntiltheEndofTime.
「Sotheyspoke,andtheylied.Theyliedtome,evenastheyhaveliedtoyou.
「Therearepasturesinthosehills.Meadowstoo,asrichasany.Andmenandwomenofourownf?leshandblood.Andcitiesresplendentwiththegloriesofathousandyearsoflabor.
「Ihavefoundtheroadtoabetterhome.Ihaveseenthepromiseofahappierlife.FollowmeandIshallleadyouthither.ForthesmileoftheGodsisthesamethereashereandeverywhere.」
Hestoppedandtherewentupagreatcryofhorror.
「Blasphemy!」criedtheOldMen.「Blasphemyandsacrilege!Af?itpunishmentforhiscrime!Hehaslosthisreason.HedarestoscoffattheLawasitwaswrittendownathousandyearsago.Hedeservestodie!」
Andtheytookupheavystones.
Andtheykilledhim.
Andhisbodytheythrewatthefootofthecliffs,thatitmightliethereasawarningtoallwhoquestionedthewisdomoftheancestors.
Thenithappenedashorttimelaterthattherewasagreatdrought.ThelittleBrookofKnowledgerandry.Thecattlediedofthirst.Theharvestperishedinthef?ields,andtherewashungerintheValleyofIgnorance.
TheOldMenWhoKnew,however,werenotdisheartened.Everythingwouldallcomerightintheend,theyprophesied,forsoitwaswritintheirmostHolyChapters.
Besides,theythemselvesneededbutlittlefood.Theyweresoveryold.
Wintercame.
Thevillagewasdeserted.
Morethanhalfofthepopulacediedfromsheerwant.
Theonlyhopeforthosewhosurvivedlaybeyondthemountains.
ButtheLawsaid「No!」
AndtheLawmustbeobeyed.
Onenighttherewasarebellion.
Despairgavecouragetothosewhomfearhadforcedintosilence.
FeeblytheOldMenprotested.