查拉图斯特拉如是说 英文版 Thus Spake Zarathustra
尼采 Friedrich Nietzsche
XLIX. The Bedwarfing Virtue.
1.
When Zarathustra was again on the continent, he did not go straightway tohis mountains and his cave, but made many wanderings and questionings, andascertained this and that; so that he said of himself jestingly: "Lo, ariver that floweth back unto its source in many windings!" For he wantedto learn what had taken place AMONG MEN during the interval: whether theyhad become greater or smaller. And once, when he saw a row of new houses,he marvelled, and said:
"What do these houses mean? Verily, no great soul put them up as itssimile!
Did perhaps a silly child take them out of its toy-box? Would that anotherchild put them again into the box!
And these rooms and chambers--can MEN go out and in there? They seem to bemade for silk dolls; or for dainty-eaters, who perhaps let others eat withthem."
And Zarathustra stood still and meditated. At last he said sorrowfully:"There hath EVERYTHING become smaller!
Everywhere do I see lower doorways: he who is of MY type can still gotherethrough, but--he must stoop!
Oh, when shall I arrive again at my home, where I shall no longer have tostoop--shall no longer have to stoop BEFORE THE SMALL ONES!"--AndZarathustra sighed, and gazed into the distance.--
The same day, however, he gave his discourse on the bedwarfing virtue.
2.
I pass through this people and keep mine eyes open: they do not forgive mefor not envying their virtues.
They bite at me, because I say unto them that for small people, smallvirtues are necessary--and because it is hard for me to understand thatsmall people are NECESSARY!
Here am I still like a cock in a strange farm-yard, at which even the henspeck: but on that account I am not unfriendly to the hens.
I am courteous towards them, as towards all small annoyances; to be pricklytowards what is small, seemeth to me wisdom for hedgehogs.
They all speak of me when they sit around their fire in the evening--theyspeak of me, but no one thinketh--of me!
This is the new stillness which I have experienced: their noise around mespreadeth a mantle over my thoughts.
They shout to one another: "What is this gloomy cloud about to do to us?Let us see that it doth not bring a plague upon us!"
And recently did a woman seize upon her child that was coming unto me:"Take the children away," cried she, "such eyes scorch children's souls."
They cough when I speak: they think coughing an objection to strong winds--they divine nothing of the boisterousness of my happiness!
"We have not yet time for Zarathustra"--so they object; but what matterabout a time that "hath no time" for Zarathustra?
And if they should altogether praise me, how could I go to sleep on THEIRpraise? A girdle of spines is their praise unto me: it scratcheth me evenwhen I take it off.
And this also did I learn among them: the praiser doeth as if he gaveback; in truth, however, he wanteth more to be given him!
Ask my foot if their lauding and luring strains please it! Verily, to suchmeasure and ticktack, it liketh neither to dance nor to stand still.
To small virtues would they fain lure and laud me; to the ticktack of smallhappiness would they fain persuade my foot.
I pass through this people and keep mine eyes open; they have becomeSMALLER, and ever become smaller:--THE REASON THEREOF IS THEIR DOCTRINE OFHAPPINESS AND VIRTUE.
For they are moderate also in virtue,--because they want comfort. Withcomfort, however, moderate virtue only is compatible.
To be sure, they also learn in their way to stride on and stride forward:that, I call their HOBBLING.--Thereby they become a hindrance to all whoare in haste.
And many of them go forward, and look backwards thereby, with stiffenednecks: those do I like to run up against.
Foot and eye shall not lie, nor give the lie to each other. But there ismuch lying among small people.
Some of them WILL, but most of them are WILLED. Some of them are genuine,but most of them are bad actors.
There are actors without knowing it amongst them, and actors withoutintending it--, the genuine ones are always rare, especially the genuineactors.
Of man there is little here: therefore do their women masculinisethemselves. For only he who is man enough, will--SAVE THE WOMAN in woman.
And this hypocrisy found I worst amongst them, that even those who commandfeign the virtues of those who serve.
"I serve, thou servest, we serve"--so chanteth here even the hypocrisy ofthe rulers--and alas! if the first lord be ONLY the first servant!
Ah, even upon their hypocrisy did mine eyes' curiosity alight; and well didI divine all their fly-happiness, and their buzzing around sunny window-panes.
So much kindness, so much weakness do I see. So much justice and pity, somuch weakness.
I speak: they think.
Round, fair, and considerate are they to one another, as grains of sand areround, fair, and considerate to grains of sand.
Modestly to embrace a small happiness--that do they call "submission"! andat the same time they peer modestly after a new small happiness.
In their hearts they want simply one thing most of all: that no one hurtthem. Thus do they anticipate every one's wishes and do well unto everyone.
That, however, is COWARDICE, though it be called "virtue."--
And when they chance to speak harshly, those small people, then do _I_ heartherein only their hoarseness--every draught of air maketh them hoarse.
Shrewd indeed are they, their virtues have shrewd fingers. But they lackfists: their fingers do not know how to creep behind fists.
Virtue for them is what maketh modest and tame: therewith have they madethe wolf a dog, and man himself man's best domestic animal.
"We set our chair in the MIDST"--so saith their smirking unto me--"and asfar from dying gladiators as from satisfied swine."
That, however, is--MEDIOCRITY, though it be called moderation.--
3.
I pass through this people and let fall many words: but they know neitherhow to take nor how to retain them.
They wonder why I came not to revile venery and vice; and verily, I camenot to warn against pickpockets either!
They wonder why I am not ready to abet and whet their wisdom: as if theyhad not yet enough of wiseacres, whose voices grate on mine ear like slate-pencils!
And when I call out: "Curse all the cowardly devils in you, that wouldfain whimper and fold the hands and adore"--then do they shout:"Zarathustra is godless."
And especially do their teachers of submission shout this;--but preciselyin their ears do I love to cry: "Yea! I AM Zarathustra, the godless!"
Those teachers of submission! Wherever there is aught puny, or sickly, orscabby, there do they creep like lice; and only my disgust preventeth mefrom cracking them.
Well! This is my sermon for THEIR ears: I am Zarathustra the godless, whosaith: "Who is more godless than I, that I may enjoy his teaching?"
I am Zarathustra the godless: where do I find mine equal? And all thoseare mine equals who give unto themselves their Will, and divest themselvesof all submission.
I am Zarathustra the godless! I cook every chance in MY pot. And onlywhen it hath been quite cooked do I welcome it as MY food.
And verily, many a chance came imperiously unto me: but still moreimperiously did my WILL speak unto it,--then did it lie imploringly uponits knees--
--Imploring that it might find home and heart with me, and sayingflatteringly: "See, O Zarathustra, how friend only cometh unto friend!"--
But why talk I, when no one hath MINE ears! And so will I shout it outunto all the winds:
Ye ever become smaller, ye small people! Ye crumble away, ye comfortableones! Ye will yet perish--
--By your many small virtues, by your many small omissions, and by yourmany small submissions!
Too tender, too yielding: so is your soil! But for a tree to becomeGREAT, it seeketh to twine hard roots around hard rocks!
Also what ye omit weaveth at the web of all the human future; even yournaught is a cobweb, and a spider that liveth on the blood of the future.
And when ye take, then is it like stealing, ye small virtuous ones; buteven among knaves HONOUR saith that "one shall only steal when one cannotrob."
"It giveth itself"--that is also a doctrine of submission. But I say untoyou, ye comfortable ones, that IT TAKETH TO ITSELF, and will ever take moreand more from you!
Ah, that ye would renounce all HALF-willing, and would decide for idlenessas ye decide for action!
Ah, that ye understood my word: "Do ever what ye will--but first be suchas CAN WILL.
Love ever your neighbour as yourselves--but first be such as LOVETHEMSELVES--
--Such as love with great love, such as love with great contempt!" Thusspeaketh Zarathustra the godless.--
But why talk I, when no one hath MINE ears! It is still an hour too earlyfor me here.
hoarse.that it might find home?
Mine own forerunner am I among this people, mine own cockcrow in darklanes.
But THEIR hour cometh! And there cometh also mine! Hourly do they becomesmaller, poorer, unfruitfuller,--poor herbs! poor earth!
And SOON shall they stand before me like dry grass and prairie, and verily,weary of themselves--and panting for FIRE, more than for water!
O blessed hour of the lightning! O mystery before noontide!--Running fireswill I one day make of them, and heralds with flaming tongues:--
--Herald shall they one day with flaming tongues: It cometh, it is nigh,THE GREAT NOONTIDE!
Thus spake Zarathustra.