登陆注册
19593600000106

第106章

That's a question I can't answer.For the hundredth time I repeat, there are numbers of questions, but I've only taken the children, because in their case what I mean is so unanswerably clear.Listen! If all must suffer to pay for the eternal harmony, what have children to do with it, tell me, please? It's beyond all comprehension why they should suffer, and why they should pay for the harmony.Why should they, too, furnish material to enrich the soil for the harmony of the future? I understand solidarity in sin among men.I understand solidarity in retribution, too; but there can be no such solidarity with children.And if it is really true that they must share responsibility for all their fathers' crimes, such a truth is not of this world and is beyond my comprehension.Some jester will say, perhaps, that the child would have grown up and have sinned, but you see he didn't grow up, he was torn to pieces by the dogs, at eight years old.Oh, Alyosha, I am not blaspheming! I understand, of course, what an upheaval of the universe it will be when everything in heaven and earth blends in one hymn of praise and everything that lives and has lived cries aloud: 'Thou art just, O Lord, for Thy ways are revealed.' When the mother embraces the fiend who threw her child to the dogs, and all three cry aloud with tears, 'Thou art just, O Lord!' then, of course, the crown of knowledge will be reached and all will be made clear.But what pulls me up here is that I can't accept that harmony.And while I am on earth, I make haste to take my own measures.You see, Alyosha, perhaps it really may happen that if I live to that moment, or rise again to see it, I, too, perhaps, may cry aloud with the rest, looking at the mother embracing the child's torturer, 'Thou art just, O Lord!' but I don't want to cry aloud then.While there is still time, I hasten to protect myself, and so I renounce the higher harmony altogether.It's not worth the tears of that one tortured child who beat itself on the breast with its little fist and prayed in its stinking outhouse, with its unexpiated tears to 'dear, kind God'! It's not worth it, because those tears are unatoned for.They must be atoned for, or there can be no harmony.But how? How are you going to atone for them? Is it possible?

By their being avenged? But what do I care for avenging them? What do I care for a hell for oppressors? What good can hell do, since those children have already been tortured? And what becomes of harmony, if there is hell? I want to forgive.I want to embrace.Idon't want more suffering.And if the sufferings of children go to swell the sum of sufferings which was necessary to pay for truth, then I protest that the truth is not worth such a price.I don't want the mother to embrace the oppressor who threw her son to the dogs! She dare not forgive him! Let her forgive him for herself, if she will, let her forgive the torturer for the immeasurable suffering of her mother's heart.But the sufferings of her tortured child she has no right to forgive; she dare not forgive the torturer, even if the child were to forgive him! And if that is so, if they dare not forgive, what becomes of harmony? Is there in the whole world a being who would have the right to forgive and could forgive? I don't want harmony.From love for humanity I don't want it.I would rather be left with the unavenged suffering.I would rather remain with my unavenged suffering and unsatisfied indignation, even if I were wrong.Besides, too high a price is asked for harmony; it's beyond our means to pay so much to enter on it.And so I hasten to give back my entrance ticket, and if Iam an honest man I am bound to give it back as soon as possible.And that I am doing.It's not God that I don't accept, Alyosha, only Imost respectfully return him the ticket.""That's rebellion," murmered Alyosha, looking down.

"Rebellion? I am sorry you call it that," said Ivan earnestly.

"One can hardly live in rebellion, and I want to live.Tell me yourself, I challenge your answer.Imagine that you are creating a fabric of human destiny with the object of making men happy in the end, giving them peace and rest at last, but that it was essential and inevitable to torture to death only one tiny creature- that baby beating its breast with its fist, for instance- and to found that edifice on its unavenged tears, would you consent to be the architect on those conditions? Tell me, and tell the truth.""No, I wouldn't consent," said Alyosha softly.

"And can you admit the idea that men for whom you are building it would agree to accept their happiness on the foundation of the unexpiated blood of a little victim? And accepting it would remain happy for ever?""No, I can't admit it.Brother," said Alyosha suddenly, with flashing eyes, "you said just now, is there a being in the whole world who would have the right to forgive and could forgive? But there is a Being and He can forgive everything, all and for all, because He gave His innocent blood for all and everything.You have forgotten Him, and on Him is built the edifice, and it is to Him they cry aloud, 'Thou art just, O Lord, for Thy ways are revealed!'

"Ah! the One without sin and His blood! No, I have not forgotten Him; on the contrary I've been wondering all the time how it was you did not bring Him in before, for usually all arguments on your side put Him in the foreground.Do you know, Alyosha- don't laugh I made a poem about a year ago.If you can waste another ten minutes on me, I'll tell it to you.""You wrote a poem?"

"Oh, no, I didn't write it," laughed Ivan, and I've never written two lines of poetry in my life.But I made up this poem in prose and I remembered it.I was carried away when I made it up.You will be my first reader- that is listener.Why should an author forego even one listener?" smiled Ivan."Shall I tell it to you?""I am all attention." said Alyosha.

"My poem is called The Grand Inquisitor; it's a ridiculous thing, but I want to tell it to you.

Chapter 5

同类推荐
  • 洞真西王母宝神起居经

    洞真西王母宝神起居经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 艇斋小集

    艇斋小集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 书集传或问卷

    书集传或问卷

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 海客论

    海客论

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 航海遗闻

    航海遗闻

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 九曲倾江

    九曲倾江

    这里世子未妖(玖家祭司),余生请多指教么么哒美腻们九曲,自倾江。他说:“你可愿追随于我。”她懵懂点头。自此,毫无理由。遥遥经年后,她立于曲江边。她看不见。她说:“你弹得竟比我还好。”他笑,不语。自是倾国又倾城,昔日光阴历历在,九曲一首倾江过,相顾相拥相泪流。
  • 阴人往事

    阴人往事

    好友好心收留我,却怂恿我带着他的童养媳私奔,他的童养媳却对我……
  • 圣魔

    圣魔

    他是从域外归来的圣魔族,转世重生,再次踏上圣魔大陆。为前世,为今生,逆天而战。万年的耻辱,被封印的一切,只有他才能洗刷。纵横天域,于万族林立之地傲视苍宇。圣魔,强势归来!
  • 我的第一本化学探索发现全纪录

    我的第一本化学探索发现全纪录

    全面关注孩子的智力开发。以生动、有趣的故事。活泼、美观的版面,而给予孩子们以知识上的传授、阅读上的享受。本丛书在培养孩子智商的同时,也通过故事中隐含的道理来给予他们以情商方面的培育与引导,促进他们的身心健康发展。成为一个人格完善的人。
  • 新蜀山传说

    新蜀山传说

    故事讲叙了陈陌在参加高考前通过了来自都市不为人知的一所私立大学:蜀山学院的入学测试,随着陈陌同学走进这个看上去和普通大学没有区别的校园,那些关于蜀山的古老传说和秘密将会逐渐揭开。
  • 碰巧遇到爰

    碰巧遇到爰

    林爸,沐爸互换了子女、20年后,一场小型车祸使二人相遇,再相遇会发生神魔事情呢?期待~~~~~~小紫影篇:贱男,我是不是上辈子欠你的,每次遇到你都那麽衰(心里郁闷中)小墨涵篇:(一脸贼笑),你却实欠我的,不然,以身相许,我就勉为其难的收了
  • 仙域奇侠

    仙域奇侠

    谁背叛了谁?两男一女之间发生的故事!情之错、究竟是谁之过!
  • Sketches of Young Couples

    Sketches of Young Couples

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 废材王妃倾天下

    废材王妃倾天下

    为救颜夕就一定要杀了暗黑阎王的前世!这是耳边最后一句话,疼痛在继续,直到失去知觉。颜然醒来后,发现自己穿越成了颜家三小姐,但她却是完全无用的废材,也因为这样她嫡出小姐的身份在颜府就连一个小丫头也能随意欺辱,她的地位几乎不如猪狗。“你放心我一定把你所受的屈辱原封奉还!”颜然坚定的说,她既然借了她的身体那么就帮她一把吧!
  • 宫主夫人有靠山

    宫主夫人有靠山

    传闻冷魔宫宫主不好女色,却独独宠爱于他的娘子,传闻碧霞山庄的大小姐出言不逊中伤了他娘子而导致整个山庄一夜之间毁于一旦,无一人生还·····第一次见面是她掉进了他的浴池,而她误以为他是女子,一直围着他不停地转,直到她终于发现他原来是个男人·····金碧辉煌的宫殿内,此时正是皇帝的五十大寿,却有一大批不明人士前来,“娘子,我来接你回家了。”其中为首的一名红衣男子慵懒地把玩着手中的戒指,淡紫色的眸子却紧盯着那埋头苦吃的小吃货,眸底一片宠溺·····本文纯属虚构,不喜勿喷!