My Speech

‘Ladies and Gentlemen,’ I began—

The Vicar was in the chair; Mrs. La Mountain and her daughters sat facing us; and in the little schoolroom, with its maps and large Scripture prints, its blackboard with the day’s sums still visible on it, were assembled the labourers of the villages, the old family coachman and his wife, the one-eyed postman, and the gardeners and boys from the Hall. Having culled from the newspapers a few phrases, I had composed a speech which I delivered with a spirit and eloquence surprising even to myself. The Vicar cried ‘Hear, Hear!’ the Vicar’s wife pounded her umbrella with such emphasis, and the villagers cheered so heartily, that my heart was warmed. I began to feel the meaning of my own words; I beamed on the audience, felt that they were all my brothers, all wished well to the Republic;and it seemed to me an occasion to divulge my real ideas and hopes for the Commonwealth.

Brushing therefore to one side, and indeed quite forgetting my safe principles, I began to refashion and new-model the State.Most existing institutions were soon abolished; and then, on their ruins, I proceeded to build up the bright walls and palaces of the City within me—the City I had read of in Plato. With enthusiasm, and, I flatter myself, with eloquence, I described it all—the Warriors, that race of golden youth bred from the State-ordered embraces of the brave and fair; those philosophic Guardians, who, being ever accustomed to the highest and most extensive views, and thence contracting an habitual greatness,possessed the truest fortitude, looking down indeed with a kind of disregard on human life and death. And then, declaring that the pattern of this City was laid up in Heaven, I sat down, amid the cheers of the uncomprehending little audience.

And afterward, in my rides about the country, when I saw on walls and the doors of barns, among advertisements of sales,or regulations about birds’ eggs or the movements of swine,little weather-beaten, old-looking notices on which it was stated that I would address the meeting, I remembered how the walls and towers of the City I built up in that little schoolroom had shone with no heavenly light in the eyes of the Vicar’s party.

我的讲话

“女士们先生们，”我开始讲——

牧师坐在主持人座上，牧师太太和她的女儿们坐在我们对面。这间小小的学校教室，墙上挂着地图和大幅《圣经》语录，黑板上当天的加法算题还依稀可见，聚集着附近几个村里干力气活的人、老车夫和他的妻子、独眼邮差、庄园那边来的园丁和男仆。我从报纸上寻章摘句写了篇讲稿，便在这儿说开了，那口若悬河的激昂劲头连我自己也吃惊。牧师高呼“说得好，说得好”，牧师太太拿雨伞尖在地板上用力敲重点，村民们衷心欢呼。这让我心中一阵阵发热，开始感觉到自己话语的意义，欣欣然望着我的听众，觉得他们全是我的弟兄，全都希望共和国好；我觉得似乎可以借此机会透露我对联邦的真实想法和希望。

于是将我的安全原则放在一旁，其实是忘得差不多了，我开始重新构思规划国家的结构。现存的机构大部分很快就取消了；接着，在这废墟上我着手建起我心中之城那明亮的围墙和宫殿——我从柏拉图那里读来的心中之城。我怀着热情（还有，自夸一下），施展辩才，把我的城和盘托出——这里有勇敢的战士，这些金色青年是由国家指令的勇与美交合育出的人种；这里有哲理深邃的守护人，他们从来就具备最为高远的目光，因此自然就带上伟人风范，具有最坚忍不拔的精神，的的确确怀着一种不屑俯视人的生死。接着，在宣称这城的规划由上天设定之后，我坐了下来，身边响起似懂非懂的几个听众的欢呼声。

后来，我骑车在乡间游逛时，看到在墙壁和谷仓门上贴着的减价广告或有关禽蛋和猪群活动的规定布告当中，有那些风吹雨淋、斑驳老旧的小告示，上面写着我将在聚会上讲话，便记起了自己那天在小教室里建的那座城池的围墙和高楼，在牧师那班人眼里一点也没闪耀出什么上天的光芒。