小说园

第40章 圆 1（第1页）

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拉尔夫·沃尔多·爱默生

RalhWaldoEmerson

Theeyeisthefirstcircle；thehorizonwhichitformsisthesecond；andthroughoutnaturethisrimaryfigureisreeatedwithoutend。Itisthehighestemblemintheciheroftheworld。St。AugustinedescribedthenatureofGodasacirclewhosecentrewaseverywhereanditscircumferencenowhere。Weareallourlifetimereadingthecoioussenseofthisfirstofforms。Onemoralwehavealreadydeducedinconsideringthecircularorcomensatorycharacterofeveryhumanaction。Anotheranalogyweshallnowtrace，thateveryactionadmitsofbeingoutdone。Ourlifeisanarenticeshitothetruththataroundeverycircleanothercanbedrawn；thatthereisnoendinnature，buteveryendisabeginning；thatthereisalwaysanotherdawnrisenonmid-noon，andundereverydeealowerdeeoens。

Thisfact，asfarasitsymbolizesthemoralfactoftheUnattainable，theflyingPerfect，aroundwhichthehandsofmancannevermeet，atoncetheinsirerandthecondemnerofeverysuccess，mayconvenientlyserveustoconnectmanyillustrationsofhumanowerineverydeartment。

Therearenofixturesinnature。Theuniverseisfluidandvolatile。Permanenceisbutawordofdegrees。OurglobeseenbyGodisatransarentlaw，notamassoffacts。Thelawdissolvesthefactandholdsitfluid。Ourcultureistheredominanceofanideawhichdrawsafteritthistrainofcitiesandinstitutions。Letusriseintoanotheridea，theywilldisaear。TheGreekscultureisallmeltedaway，asifithadbeenstatuesofice；hereandthereasolitaryfigureoffragmentremaining，asweseeflecksandscrasofsnowleftincolddellsandmountaincleftsinJuneandJuly。Forthegeniusthatcreateditcreatesnowsomewhatelse。TheGreekletterslastalittlelonger，butarealreadyassingunderthesamesentenceandtumblingintotheinevitableitwhichthecreationofnewthoughtoensforallthatisold。Thenewcontinentsarebuiltoutoftheruinsofanoldlanet；thenewracesfedoutofthedecomositionoftheforegoing。Newartsdestroytheold。Seetheinvestmentofcaitalinaqueductsmadeuselessbyhydraulics；fortifications，bygunowder；roadsandcanals，byrailways；sails，bysteam；steambyelectricity。

Eachnewstewetakeinthoughtreconcilestwentyseeminglydiscordantfacts，asexressionsofonelaw。AristotleandPlatoarereckonedtheresectiveheadsoftwoschools。AwisemanwillseethatAristotlelatonizes。Bygoingonestefartherbackinthought，discordantoinionsarereconciledbybeingseentobetwoextremesofonerincile，andwecannevergosofarbackastorecludeastillhighervision。

Valorconsistsintheowerofself-recovery，sothatamancannothavehisflankturned，cannotbeout-generalled，bututhimwhereyouwill，hestands。Thiscanonlybebyhisreferringtruth，tohisastarehensionoftruth，andhisalertaccetanceofitfromwhateverquarter；theintreidconvictionthathislaws，hisrelationstosociety，hisChristianity，hisworld，mayatanytimebesuersededanddecease。

Conversationisagameofcircles。Inconversationweluckutheterminiwhichboundthecommonofsilenceoneveryside。TheartiesarenottobejudgedbythesirittheyartakeandevenexressunderthisPentecost。Tomorrowtheywillhaverecededfromthishigh-watermark。Tomorrowyoushallfindthemstooingundertheoldack-saddles。Yetletusenjoytheclovenflamewhilstitglowsonourwalls。Wheneachnewseakerstrikesanewlight，emanciatesusfromtheoressionofthelastseakertooressuswiththegreatnessandexclusivenessofhisownthought，thenyieldsustoanotherredeemer，weseemtorecoverourrights，tobecomemen。Oh，whattruthsrofoundandexecutableonlyinagesandorbsaresuosedintheannouncementofeverytruth！Incommonhours，societysitscoldandstatuesque。Weallstandwaiting，emty-knowing，ossibly，thatwecanbefull，surroundedbymightysymbolswhicharenotsymbolstous，butroseandtrivialtoys。Thencomethegodandconvertsthestatuesintofierymen，andbyaflashofhiseyeburnsutheveilwhichshroudedallthings，andthemeaningoftheveryfurniture，ofcuandsaucer，ofchairandclockandtester，ismanifest。Thefactswhichloomedsolargeinthefogsofyesterday—roerty，climate，breeding，ersonalbeautyandthelike，havestrangelychangedtheirroortions。Allthatwereckonedsettledshakesandrattles；andliteratures，cities，climates，religions，leavetheirfoundationsanddancebeforeoureyes。Andyethereagainseetheswiftcircumscrition！Goodasisdiscourse，silenceisbetter，andshamesit。Thelengthofthediscourseindicatesthedistanceofthoughtbetwixttheseakerandthehearer。Iftheywereataerfectunderstandinginanyart，nowordswouldbenecessarythereon。