第 4 节
作者:
浮游云中 更新:2024-04-07 11:54 字数:9320
to us; Equality 7…2521; and to no other men on earth。 And if ever we
surrender it; we shall surrender our life with it also。〃
Then we saw that the eyes of International 4…8818 were full to the lids
11
… Page 12…
ANTHEM
with tears they dared not drop。 They whispered; and their voice trembled;
so that their words lost all shape:
〃The will of the Council is above all things; for it is the will of our
brothers; which is holy。 But if you wish it so; we shall obey you。 Rather
shall we be evil with you than good with all our brothers。 May the
Council have mercy upon both our hearts!〃
Then we walked away together and back to the Home of the Street
Sweepers。 And we walked in silence。
Thus did it come to pass that each night; when the stars are high and
the Street Sweepers sit in the City Theatre; we; Equality 7…2521; steal out
and run through the darkness to our place。 It is easy to leave the Theatre;
when the candles are blown out and the Actors come onto the stage; no
eyes can see us as we crawl under our seat and under the cloth of the tent。
Later; it is easy to steal through the shadows and fall in line next to
International 4…8818; as the column leaves the Theatre。 It is dark in the
streets and there are no men about; for no men may walk through the City
when they have no mission to walk there。 Each night; we run to the
ravine; and we remove the stones which we have piled upon the iron grill
to hide it from the men。 Each night; for three hours; we are under the
earth; alone。
We have stolen candles from the Home of the Street Sweepers; we
have stolen flints and knives and paper; and we have brought them to this
place。 We have stolen glass vials and powders and acids from the Home
of the Scholars。 Now we sit in the tunnel for three hours each night and
we study。 We melt strange metals; and we mix acids; and we cut open the
bodies of the animals which we find in the City Cesspool。 We have built
an oven of the bricks we gathered in the streets。 We burn the wood we
find in the ravine。 The fire flickers in the oven and blue shadows dance
upon the walls; and there is no sound of men to disturb us。
We have stolen manuscripts。 This is a great offense。 Manuscripts
are precious; for our brothers in the Home of the Clerks spend one year to
copy one single script in their clear handwriting。 Manuscripts are rare
and they are kept in the Home of the Scholars。 So we sit under the earth
and we read the stolen scripts。 Two years have passed since we found
12
… Page 13…
ANTHEM
this place。 And in these two years we have learned more than we had
learned in the ten years of the Home of the Students。
We have learned things which are not in the scripts。 We have solved
secrets of which the Scholars have no knowledge。 We have come to see
how great is the unexplored; and many lifetimes will not bring us to the
end of our quest。 But we wish no end to our quest。 We wish nothing;
save to be alone and to learn; and to feel as if with each day our sight were
growing sharper than the hawk's and clearer than rock crystal。
Strange are the ways of evil。 We are false in the faces of our brothers。
We are defying the will of our Councils。 We alone; of the thousands who
walk this earth; we alone in this hour are doing a work which has no
purpose save that we wish to do it。 The evil of our crime is not for the
human mind to probe。 The nature of our punishment; if it be discovered;
is not for the human heart to ponder。 Never; not in the memory of the
Ancient Ones' Ancients; never have men done that which we are doing。
And yet there is no shame in us and no regret。 We say to ourselves that
we are a wretch and a traitor。 But we feel no burden upon our spirit and no
fear in our heart。 And it seems to us that our spirit is clear as a lake
troubled by no eyes save those of the sun。 And in our heart strange are
the ways of evil!in our heart there is the first peace we have known in
twenty years。
13
… Page 14…
ANTHEM
PART TWO
Liberty 5…3000 。 。 。 Liberty five…three thousand 。 。 。 Liberty 5…
3000 。 。 。 。
We wish to write this name。 We wish to speak it; but we dare not
speak it above a whisper。 For men are forbidden to take notice of women;
and women are forbidden to take notice of men。 But we think of one
among women; they whose name is Liberty 5…3000; and we think of no
others。 The women who have been assigned to work the soil live in the
Homes of the Peasants beyond the City。 Where the City ends there is a
great road winding off to the north; and we Street Sweepers must keep this
road clean to the first milepost。 There is a hedge along the road; and
beyond the hedge lie the fields。 The fields are black and ploughed; and
they lie like a great fan before us; with their furrows gathered in some
hand beyond the sky; spreading forth from that hand; opening wide apart
as they come toward us; like black pleats that sparkle with thin; green
spangles。 Women work in the fields; and their white tunics in the wind are
like the wings of sea…gulls beating over the black soil。
And there it was that we saw Liberty 5…3000 walking along the
furrows。 Their body was straight and thin as a blade of iron。 Their eyes
were dark and hard and glowing; with no fear in them; no kindness and no
guilt。 Their hair was golden as the sun; their hair flew in the wind;
shining and wild; as if it defied men to restrain it。 They threw seeds from
their hand as if they deigned to fling a scornful gift; and the earth was a
beggar under their feet。
We stood still; for the first time did we know fear; and then pain。
And we stood still that we might not spill this pain more precious than
pleasure。
Then we heard a voice from the others call their name: 〃Liberty 5…
3000;〃 and they turned and walked back。 Thus we learned their name;
and we stood watching them go; till their white tunic was lost in the blue
mist。
And the following day; as we came to the northern road; we kept our
14
… Page 15…
ANTHEM
eyes upon Liberty 5…3000 in the field。 And each day thereafter we knew
the illness of waiting for our hour on the northern road。 And there we
looked at Liberty 5…3000 each day。 We know not whether they looked at us
also; but we think they did。 Then one day they came close to the hedge;
and suddenly they turned to us。 They turned in a whirl and the movement
of their body stopped; as if slashed off; as suddenly as it had started。
They stood still as a stone; and they looked straight upon us; straight into
our eyes。 There was no smile on their face; and no welcome。 But their
face was taut; and their eyes were dark。 Then they turned as swiftly; and
they walked away from us。
But the following day; when we came to the road; they smiled。 They
smiled to us and for us。 And we smiled in answer。 Their head fell back;
and their arms fell; as if their arms and their thin white neck were stricken
suddenly with a great lassitude。 They were not looking upon us; but upon
the sky。 Then they glanced at us over their shoulder; as we felt as if a hand
had touched our body; slipping softly from our lips to our feet。
Every morning thereafter; we greeted each other with our eyes。 We
dared not speak。 It is a transgression to speak to men of other Trades; save
in groups at the Social Meetings。 But once; standing at the hedge; we
raised our hand to our forehead and then moved it