The Perils of Indifferen.docx
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The Perils of Indifferen.docx
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ThePerilsofIndifferen
XX(XX)/演讲致辞/英语演讲稿
ThePerilsofIndifferen
eliewiesel:
"theperilsofindifference"
mr.president,mrs.clinton,membersofcongress,ambassadorholbrooke,excellencies,friends:
fifty-fouryearsagototheday,ayoungjewishboyfromasmalltowninthecarpathianmountainswokeup,notfarfromgoethe'sbelovedweimar,inaplaceofeternalinfamycalledbuchenwald.hewasfinallyfree,buttherewasnojoyinhisheart.hethoughtthereneverwouldbeagain.liberatedadayearlierbyamericansoldiers,herememberstheirrageatwhattheysaw.andevenifhelivestobeaveryoldman,hewillalwaysbegratefultothemforthatrage,andalsofortheircompassion.thoughhedidnotunderstandtheirlanguage,theireyestoldhimwhatheneededtoknow--thatthey,too,wouldremember,andbearwitness.
andnow,istandbeforeyou,mr.president--commander-in-chiefofthearmythatfreedme,andtensofthousandsofothers--andiamfilledwithaprofoundandabidinggratitudetotheamericanpeople.gratitudeisawordthaticherish.gratitudeiswhatdefinesthehumanityofthehumanbeing.andiamgratefultoyou,hillary,ormrs.clinton,forwhatyousaid,andforwhatyouaredoingforchildrenintheworld,forthehomeless,forthevictimsofinjustice,thevictimsofdestinyandsociety.andithankallofyouforbeinghere.
weareonthethresholdofanewcentury,anewmillennium.whatwillthelegacyofthisvanishingcenturybe?
howwillitberememberedinthenewmillennium?
surelyitwillbejudged,andjudgedseverely,inbothmoralandmetaphysicalterms.thesefailureshavecastadarkshadowoverhumanity:
twoworldwars,countlesscivilwars,thesenselesschainofassassinations(gandhi,thekennedys,martinlutherking,sadat,rabin),bloodbathsincambodiaandnigeria,indiaandpakistan,irelandandrwanda,eritreaandethiopia,sarajevoandkosovo;theinhumanityinthegulagandthetragedyofhiroshima.and,onadifferentlevel,ofcourse,auschwitzandtreblinka.somuchviolence;somuchindifference.
whatisindifference?
etymologically,thewordmeans"nodifference."astrangeandunnaturalstateinwhichthelinesblurbetweenlightanddarkness,duskanddawn,crimeandpunishment,crueltyandcompassion,goodandevil.whatareitscoursesandinescapableconsequences?
isitaphilosophy?
isthereaphilosophyofindifferenceconceivable?
canonepossiblyviewindifferenceasavirtue?
isitnecessaryattimestopracticeitsimplytokeepone'ssanity,livenormally,enjoyafinemealandaglassofwine,astheworldaroundusexperiencesharrowingupheavals?
ofcourse,indifferencecanbetempting--morethanthat,seductive.itissomucheasiertolookawayfromvictims.itissomucheasiertoavoidsuchrudeinterruptionstoourwork,ourdreams,ourhopes.itis,afterall,awkward,troublesome,tobeinvolvedinanotherperson'spainanddespair.yet,forthepersonwhoisindifferent,hisorherneighborareofnoconsequence.and,therefore,theirlivesaremeaningless.theirhiddenorevenvisibleanguishisofnointerest.indifferencereducestheothertoanabstraction.
overthere,behindtheblackgatesofauschwitz,themosttragicofallprisonerswerethe"muselmanner,"astheywerecalled.wrappedintheirtornblankets,theywouldsitorlieontheground,staringvacantlyintospace,unawareofwhoorwheretheywere--strangerstotheirsurroundings.theynolongerfeltpain,hunger,thirst.theyfearednothing.theyfeltnothing.theyweredeadanddidnotknowit.
rootedinourtradition,someofusfeltthattobeabandonedbyhumanitythenwasnottheultimate.wefeltthattobeabandonedbygodwasworsethantobepunishedbyhim.betteranunjustgodthananindifferentone.forustobeignoredbygodwasaharsherpunishmentthantobeavictimofhisanger.mancanlivefarfromgod--notoutsidegod.godiswhereverweare.eveninsuffering?
eveninsuffering.
inaway,tobeindifferenttothatsufferingiswhatmakesthehumanbeinginhuman.indifference,afterall,ismoredangerousthanangerandhatred.angercanattimesbecreative.onewritesagreatpoem,agreatsymphony.onedoessomethingspecialforthesakeofhumanitybecauseoneisangryattheinjusticethatonewitnesses.butindifferenceisnevercreative.evenhatredattimesmayelicitaresponse.youfightit.youdenounceit.youdisarmit.
indifferenceelicitsnoresponse.indifferenceisnotaresponse.indifferenceisnotabeginning;itisanend.and,therefore,indifferenceisalwaysthefriendoftheenemy,foritbenefitstheaggressor--neverhisvictim,whosepainismagnifiedwhenheorshefeelsforgotten.thepoliticalprisonerinhiscell,thehungrychildren,thehomelessrefugees--nottorespondtotheirplight,nottorelievetheirsolitudebyofferingthemasparkofhopeistoexilethemfromhumanmemory.andindenyingtheirhumanity,webetrayourown.
indifference,then,isnotonlyasin,itisapunishment.
andthisisoneofthemostimportantlessonsofthisoutgoingcentury'swide-rangingexperimentsingoodandevil.
intheplacethaticomefrom,societywascomposedofthreesimplecategories:
thekillers,thevictims,andthebystanders.duringthedarkestoftimes,insidetheghettoesanddeathcamps--andi'mgladthatmrs.clintonmentionedthatwearenowcommemoratingthatevent,thatperiod,thatwearenowinthedaysofremembrance--butthen,wefeltabandoned,forgotten.allofusdid.
andouronlymiserableconsolationwasthatwebelievedthatauschwitzandtreblinkawerecloselyguardedsecrets;thattheleadersofthefreeworlddidnotknowwhatwasgoingonbehindthoseblackgatesandbarbedwire;thattheyhadnoknowledgeofthewaragainstthejewsthathitler'sarmiesandtheiraccompliceswage
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