伯里克利的演说词.docx
伯里克利的演说词 “伯里克利葬礼演说辞”介绍 anintroductiontopericles’funeraloration thucydidesdidnotbelongtothegenerationsofempirebuilders.hewasbornjustafterthem,andhispersonalmemorywentnofurtherbackthanthepeaceof445.sohesharedtheideasoftheagewithhisoldercontemporaries,butinalessinstinctivefashion.likethem,heknewthathewas livingingreattimes.but,morethoughtfulthanthey,hedesiredtorecordthem;forheknew,astheyknewiftheyeverlayawakethinking,thatthisglorycouldnotlastandthatposteritywouldbegladtoreadofit.buthelittlesuspectedhowbrieftheblossomwouldbe,orthat,inhisownshortlifetime,hewouldyetseeautumnandmidwinter. yetitwasinmidwinter,whenthelongwallshadbeendismantledandtheacropolishad housedaspartangarrison,thathewrotehiseulogyofthecityinthe(whatcouldbemoreappropriate。)ofaspeechoverhernobledead.itisnot,ofcourse,thespeechwhichpericles delivered,oreven,asthespeakerhints,thekindofspeechusuallygivenonsuchoccasions.thereistoolittleinitaboutnobleancestors,andtoomuchaboutthepresentday.butthereisnoreasontodoubtthatthucudideshadheardhisherospeak,mostprobablymorethanonce,overthecity’sfallensoldiers,andcouldrecallinafteryearsamonghismostsacredrecollections,“thecadenceofhisvoice,themovementofhishand,”andthesolemnhushofthevastaudience,brokenonlyby“thesobbingofsomemotherofthedead.”wemayfeelwithconfidencethathehasgivenus,withtheaddedcolourofhisownexperience,notmerelytheinnerthoughtbutmuchofthelanguageofpericles.sothatherewecanlisten,asinallfineworksofinterpretation,totwogreatspiritsatonce;andwhenwehavelearnttouseourearswecansometimeshearthemboth,pericles’voicecomingthrough,alittlefaintandthinafterthelapseofyears,abovethedeeptonesofthehistorian.thespeechiswritten,ifeverwritingwas,“notininkbutinblood.”forwiththucydides,moreperhapsthanwithanyothergreatwriter,thereisnotawordbuttells.“youmustreadandmarkhimlinebylinetillyoucanreadbetweenthelinesasclearlyasinthem.therearefewthinkerswithsomanyideasbroodinginthebackground.”allgreatartislikeaghostseekingtoexpressmorethanitcanutterandbeckoningtoregionsbeyond.thisisastrueinhistory,whichdealswithnations,asinpoetryoranymorepersonalart.thatiswhythefuneralspeech,writtenofasmallprovincialcityintheuntriedyouthoftheworld,willalwaysfindanechowhenevermenandnationsarelivingtruetothemselves,whetherinthetrenchesofmukdenorinthecemeteryofgettysburg.periclesand abrahamlincolnwerenotverymuchalike.butcommonneedsbegetacommonlanguage;andgreatstatesmen,likegreatpoets,speaktooneanotherfrompeaktopeak. “伯里克利葬礼演说辞”介绍 修昔底德并不属于帝国缔造者那几代人。他生得恰比他们要晚,其个人记忆不会回溯到445年和约之前。因而,他与更年长的同代人共同拥有着那个时代的理想,但在方式上却不如前辈们那样本能。与他们相似的是,他知道自己生活在伟大的时代。然而,比他们更深思熟虑的是,他想记录他们的业绩;因为他知道这种辉煌不会持久,而他的前辈们如果在清醒时思考也会知道这一点,而后代们会乐于阅读对这个辉煌时代的记载。但他几乎未曾料到,帝国的辉煌竟会如此地昙花一现,或者说,在自己的短促生涯中,竟会亲眼目睹到帝国的“秋日”和“隆冬”。 然而,就在这“隆冬”时节,当长城被拆毁,雅典卫城被斯巴达驻军戍守时,他以悼念其城市的高贵死者的演说辞方式(还有什么更恰如其分的方式呢。)撰写城市的颂歌。当然,这不是伯里克利发表的演说,甚至,如演讲者所暗示的,也非此种场合通常要发表的那种演说。演讲中有关其高贵祖先的描述微乎其微,而有关当代的内容却十分丰富。然而没有理由怀疑,修昔底德曾亲耳聆听过他心目中的英雄为悼念城市的阵亡将士所做的演讲,很可能不只一次,而且多年后还能从其最珍视的记忆中回想起“他那抑扬顿挫的声调和手势”,以及广大听众所保持的那种庄严肃穆的气氛,只是间或被“死者母亲的抽泣声”所打断。我们相信能体察到,除了凭其自身的阅历所添加的润色外,他不