Victor Hugo Condemning the Burning of the Winter Palace
Victor Hugo, 1802---1885, was a celebrated French literary giant. After the British and French invaders had burnt the Winter Palace in November, 1861, he wrote a reply to a lieutenant named Bartlette(?), denouncing indignantly the Allied atrocities. An extract of the letter follows.
“Sir, you ask me what I think of the expedition to China. You must feel that it was praise worthy, well done. You are very polite, putting a high premium upon my feelings. In your opinion, the expedition, performed under the joint banner of Queen Victoria and Emperor Napoleon, was nothing short of a British-French glory. Therefore, you would like to know to what extent I appreciate this glory.”
Since you ask, I will answer as follows:
In a corner of the world there existed a man-made miracle --- the Winter Palace. Art has two sources: one, an ideal, whence has come European art; two, fancy, whence has issued Oriental art. The Winter Palace belongs in the art of fancy. The Winter Palace, indeed, was the crystalisation of all of the art that an almost superman race could have fancied. The Winter Palace was a hugescale prototype of fancy if fancy can have a prototype. If only you can imagine an ineffable architectural structure, like a palace in the moon, a fairyland, that is the Winter Palace. If you can imagine a treasure-island, a pool of human perceptive power, expressed in the concrete form of palaces and temples, that is the Winter Palace. It took two generations of manpower to create the Winter Palace, which subsequently went through improvement and perfection over several centuries. For whom was the Winter Palace built, after all? Eventually, for the people. Because as time passes by, all that the people has made remains in the possession of mankind. Great artists, poets, philosophers --- they all knew about the Winter Palace. Voltaire (Francois Marie Arouet)once talked about it. Many people at different times compared the Winter Palace to the Parthenon, the Pyramids, the Arena, the Notre Dame. If they could not see the Winter Palace with their own eyes, they could dream about it --- as if in the gloaming they saw a breath-taking masterpiece of art as they had never known before --- as if there above the horizon of European civilization was towering the silhouette of Asian civilization.
Now, the miracle is no more! One day, two pirates broke into it. One of them went plundering; the other set every building and everything in it all abaze! Judging by what they did, we know that the victors could degenerate into robbers. The two of them fell to dividing between themselves the spoils. What meritorious feats they had done! What a heaven-sent bonanza! One stuffed his pockets full to overflowing; the other filled in his trunck chockfull. Then, hand in hand they made off, guffawing gloatingly. This episode reflects the history of the two brigands.
Standing before the tribunal of history is one brigand named France and the other named Great Britain. Against both I protest. Incidentally, I must thank you for giving me the opportunity to make this accusation. The rulers commit crimes but the ruled do not. The government becomes a robber, but the people will never.
France has gained a large portion of the spoils. Now, quite naively, she thinks herself the rightful owner of the property, and she is displaying the riches of the Winter Palace! I can only hope that there will come one day when France will disburden herself of the heavy load on her conscience and cleanse herself of the crime by returning to China all the spoils taken from the Winter Palace.
Sir, such is my eulogy of the expedition to China.
This English translation is from a Chinese version by Zheng Ruolin taking an excerpt from Hugo's Collection of Writings in Exile, appearing in an October 26, 1983 issue of the Beijing Evening News
雨果怒斥火烧圆明园
雨果(1802—1885)是法国著名文豪。在英法侵略者纵火焚毁我国圆明园以后,1861年11月,他曾复信给一个名叫巴特勒的上尉,怒斥这桩丑行。下面是他复信的摘要。
先生,您问我对这次远征中国的看法,您觉得这次远征值得称誉,干得漂亮,而且您很客气,相当重视我的感想。按照您的高见,这次在维多利亚女王和拿破仑皇帝的双重旗帜下对中国的远征,是英法两国的光荣;您想知道我对英法两国的这一胜利究竟赞赏到何等程度。
既然您想知道我的看法,那么我答复如下:
在世界的一隅,存在着人类的一大奇迹,这个奇迹就是圆明园。艺术有两种渊源:一为理念——从中产生欧洲艺术;一为幻想——从中产生东方艺术。圆明园属于幻想艺术。一个近乎超人的民族所能幻想到的一切都荟集于圆明园。圆明园是规模巨大的幻想的原型,如果幻想也可能有原型的话。只要想象出一种无法描绘的建筑物,一种如同月宫似的仙境,那就是圆明园。假定有一座集人类想象力之大成的宝岛,以宫殿庙宇的形象出现,那就是圆明园。为了建造圆明园,人们经历了两代人的长期劳动。后来又经过几世纪的营造,究竟是为谁而建的呢?为人民。因为时光的流逝会使一切都属于全人类所有。艺术大师、诗人、哲学家,他们都知道圆明园。伏尔泰亦曾谈到过它。人们一向把希腊的巴特农神庙、埃及的金字塔、罗马的竞技场、巴黎的圣母院和东方的圆明园相提并论。如果不能亲眼目睹圆明园,人们就在梦中看到它。它仿佛在遥远的苍茫暮色中隐约眺见的一件前所未知的惊人杰作,宛如亚洲文明的轮廓崛起在欧洲文明的地平线上一样。
这一奇迹现已荡然无存。有一天,两个强盗闯进了圆明园。一个强盗大肆掠劫,另一个强盗纵火焚烧。从他们的行为来看,胜利者也可能是强盗。一场对圆明园的空前洗劫开始了,两个征服者平分赃物。真是丰功伟绩,天赐的横财!两个胜利者一个装满了他的口袋,另一个看见了,就塞满了他的箱子。然后,他们手挽着手,哈哈大笑着回到了欧洲。这就是这两个强盗的历史。
在历史面前,这两个强盗一个叫法国,另一个叫英国。对他们我要提出抗议,并且谢谢您给了我抗议的机会。统治者犯下的罪行同被统治者是不相干的;政府有时会是强盗,可是人民永远不会。
法兰西帝国从这次胜利中获得了一半赃物,现在它又天真得仿佛自己就是真正的物主似的,将圆明园辉煌的掠夺物拿出来展览。我渴望有朝一日法国能摆脱重负,清洗罪恶,把这些财富归还被劫掠的中国。
先生,这就是我对远征中国的赞赏。
布什总统的911讲话
Today, our fellow citizens, our way of life, our very freedom came under attack in a series of deliberate and deadly terrorist acts. The victims were in airplanes or in their offices. Secretaries, business men and women,military and federal workers. Moms and dads. Friends and neighbors.
Thousands of lives were suddenly ended by evil, despicable acts of terror.
The pictures of airplanes flying into buildings, fires burning, huge structures collapsing, have filled us with disbelief, terrible sadness and a quiet,unyielding anger.
These acts of mass murder were intended to frighten our nation into chaos and retreat. But they have failed. Our country is strong. A great people has been moved to defend a great nation.
Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. These acts shatter steel,but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve.
America was targeted for attack because we're the brightest beacon for freedom and opportunity in the world. And no one will keep that light from shining.
Today, our nation saw evil, the very worst of human nature, and we responded with the best of America, with the daring of our rescue workers, with the caring for strangers and neighbors who came to give blood and help in any way they could.
Immediately following the first attack, I implemented our government's emergency response plans. Our military is powerful, and it's prepared.
Our emergency teams are working in New York City and Washington, D.C.,to help with local rescue efforts.
Our first priority is to get help to those who have been injured and to take every precaution to protect our citizens at home and around the world from further attacks.
The functions of our government continue without interruption. Federal agencies in Washington, which had to be evacuated today, are reopening for essential personnel tonight and will be open for business tomorrow.
Our financial institutions remain strong, and the American economy will be open for business as well.
The search is under way for those who are behind these evil acts. I've directed the full resources for our intelligence and law enforcement communities to find those responsible and bring them to justice. We will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them.
I appreciate so very much the members of Congress who have joined me in strongly condemning these attacks. And on behalf of the American people,I thank the many world leaders who have called to offer their condolences and assistance.
America and our friends and allies join with all those who want peace and security in the world and we stand together to win the war against errorism.
Tonight I ask for your prayers for all those who grieve, for the children whose worlds have been shattered, for all whose sense of safety and security has been threatened. And I pray they will be comforted by a power greater than any of us spoken through the ages in Psalm 23: "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil for you are with me."
This is a day when all Americans from every walk of life unite in our resolve for justice and peace. America has stood down enemies before, and we will do so this time.
None of us will ever forget this day, yet we go forward to defend freedom and all that is good and just in our world.
Thank you. Good night and God bless America.
今天,我们的同胞和我们的生活方式,以至于我们的国家所崇尚的那种民主自由,都受到了一系列疯狂的攻击。这些攻击是蓄谋已久的,是由那些顽固的恐怖分子所一手制造的。我们的受害者,有的是坐在飞机上,有的则是坐在办公室里;他们都是普通的工作人员,都是一些普通的商人和妇女;其中也有一些普通的武装人员和联邦政府的雇员,但他们全都是身为父母的普通人,都是我们的朋友和邻居。
真是不敢相信,由于这种卑鄙的恐怖主义行为,数以千计的人竟然一下子就失去了生命。
看到那几架飞机直直地向着大楼冲去,看到如此宏伟的大楼竟然在冲天而起的烈焰下慢慢地倒了下去,我们简直都不敢相信自己的眼睛。我们都感到无比的悲哀,我们每个人的心里都充满了无比的愤恨。
这种大规模的屠杀,是对我们整个国家的恐吓,目的就是要使我们的国家走向混乱和倒退。但是,他们的目的是不能得逞的。我们的国家是强大的,而我们的人民却因此而站了出来,纷纷地要投身到保护祖国的战斗中去。
这些恐怖主义的行为所能摧毁的,只不过是我们的一二座高大的楼房而已,他们却永远也无法破坏我们国家的基础;他们所炸毁的只是一些普通的钢铁,但是,他们永远也别想摧毁我们美国人民的钢铁决心。
我们美国之所以变成了这些人的攻击目标,就是因为我们是世界上最为明亮的灯塔;我们所照亮的,是一条通往自由和繁荣的道路。在这个世界上,没有任何一个灯塔能够与我们相比。
今天,我们全国上下都看到了一场罪恶,是人类历史上最为丑陋的那种罪恶;而我们所做出的反应,却显示出我们美国人所具有的那种最为崇高的美德。对于那些遇难者,不管他们是我们所认识的还是我们所不认识的,我们大家都能够奋不顾身地给予救助和看护,都能够踊跃地献出自己的鲜血,或者,给予任何我们所能够奉献的帮助。
在我们刚刚遭受了第一次打击之后,我就指令政府实施紧急救援计划。我们的军事力量是强大的,他们马上就做出了反应。现在,我们的紧急行动工作队已经到达了纽约和华盛顿特区,正在与当地的志愿者一起从事紧张的救援工作。
我们的首要任务,就是要为那些受到了创伤的人提供帮助,同时,还要采取一切必要的措施保护我国的公民,不管他们是在国外还是在国内,都要使他们不再遭受任何进一步的伤害。
实际上,我们政府的工作并没有受到任何的妨碍。尽管今天白天的时候我们在华盛顿的联邦机构作了紧急疏散,但是,那些负责关键性工作的政府雇员今天晚上就会集中起来进行办公,其它所有的工作从明天早晨开始,都将恢复进行。
我们的金融机构没有受到任何的损伤,所有的经济活动也都会照常运行。
对于阴谋地制造了这场攻击的险恶分子,我们的追捕工作已经展开。我已下令全国的情报机构和执法部门,要他们务必要找到有关的犯罪分子,把他们绳之以法。任何为恐怖分子提供过庇护的,我们决不会放过一个人。
对于这场攻击,我们的国会议员都表示了强烈的愤慨,都对我的工作表示了有力的支持;对于他们,我要表示衷心的感谢。另外,我还要代表美国人民,向世界各国的元首表示感谢,感谢他们在电话中所表示的安慰和帮助。
我们美国的人民不仅要与自己的朋友和盟友联手合作,我们还要与世界上一切追求和平和安全的人民联手合作。只要我们能够坚定地站在一起,我们就一定能够赢得这场反对恐怖主义战争的胜利。
我要恳求你们大家,要为那些不幸的人进行祈祷,并且,还要为我们的孩子和其他所有的人进行祈祷,因为摆在他们面前的这个世界已经受到了破坏,他们的安全感也都受到了挑战。那么,我的祈祷是,希望所有这些人都能够得到上帝的庇护,就像圣经上说的,“即使是穿越死亡峡谷的时候,我也毫不惧怕,因为有你们予我同在。”
今天,所有的美国人,不管职业如何观点如何,全都表现了团结一致的决心,决心要维护正义与和平。我们过去曾经把很多敌人都推向了历史的审判台,这一次我们还要这样做。
今天的这次事件,我们决不会忘记。我们还要继续前进,要保护自由和正义和我们这个世界所视为珍贵的一切。
谢谢。祝你晚安,愿上帝保佑美国。