man and superman-第26章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ideal；　and　so　he　went　to　his　grave　believing　in　his　dream。　But　I
was　more　favored　by　nature　and　circumstance。　I　was　of　noble
birth　and　rich；　and　when　my　person　did　not　please；　my
conversation　flattered；　though　I　generally　found　myself
fortunate　in　both。

THE　STATUE。　Coxcomb！

DON　JUAN。　Yes；　but　even　my　coxcombry　pleased。　Well；　I　found　that
when　I　had　touched　a　woman's　imagination；　she　would　allow　me　to
persuade　myself　that　she　loved　me；　but　when　my　suit　was　granted
she　never　said　〃I　am　happy：　my　love　is　satisfied〃：　she　always
said；　first；　〃At　last；　the　barriers　are　down；〃　and　second；　〃When
will　you　come　again？〃

ANA。　That　is　exactly　what　men　say。

DON　JUAN。　I　protest　I　never　said　it。　But　all　women　say　it。　Well；
these　two　speeches　always　alarmed　me；　for　the　first　meant　that
the　lady's　impulse　had　been　solely　to　throw　down　my
fortifications　and　gain　my　citadel；　and　the　second　openly
announced　that　henceforth　she　regarded　me　as　her　property；　and
counted　my　time　as　already　wholly　at　her　disposal。

THE　DEVIL。　That　is　where　your　want　of　heart　came　in。

THE　STATUE。　＇shaking　his　head＇　You　shouldn't　repeat　what　a　woman
says；　Juan。

ANA。　＇severely＇　It　should　be　sacred　to　you。

THE　STATUE。　Still；　they　certainly　do　always　say　it。　I　never
minded　the　barriers；　but　there　was　always　a　slight　shock　about
the　other；　unless　one　was　very　hard　hit　indeed。

DON　JUAN。　Then　the　lady；　who　had　been　happy　and　idle　enough
before；　became　anxious；　preoccupied　with　me；　always　intriguing；
conspiring；　pursuing；　watching；　waiting；　bent　wholly　on　making
sure　of　her　preyI　being　the　prey；　you　understand。　Now　this　was
not　what　I　had　bargained　for。　It　may　have　been　very　proper　and
very　natural；　but　it　was　not　music；　painting；　poetry　and　joy
incarnated　in　a　beautiful　woman。　I　ran　away　from　it。　I　ran　away
from　it　very　often：　in　fact　I　became　famous　for　running　away　from
it。

ANA。　Infamous；　you　mean；

DON　JUAN。　I　did　not　run　away　from　you。　Do　you　blame　me　for
running　away　from　the　others？

ANA。　Nonsense；　man。　You　are　talking　to　a　woman　of　77　now。　If　you
had　had　the　chance；　you　would　have　run　away　from　me　tooif　I　had
let　you。　You　would　not　have　found　it　so　easy　with　me　as　with　some
of　the　others。　If　men　will　not　be　faithful　to　their　home　and
their　duties；　they　must　be　made　to　be。　I　daresay　you　all　want　to
marry　lovely　incarnations　of　music　and　painting　and　poetry。　Well；
you　can't　have　them；　because　they　don't　exist。　If　flesh　and　blood
is　not　good　enough　for　you　you　must　go　without：　that's　all。　Women
have　to　put　up　with　flesh…and…blood　husbandsand　little　enough
of　that　too；　sometimes；　and　you　will　have　to　put　up　with
flesh…and…blood　wives。　The　Devil　looks　dubious。　The　Statue　makes
a　wry　face。　I　see　you　don't　like　that；　any　of　you；　but　it's　true；
for　all　that；　so　if　you　don't　like　it　you　can　lump　it。

DON　JUAN。　My　dear　lady；　you　have　put　my　whole　case　against
romance　into　a　few　sentences。　That　is　just　why　I　turned　my　back
on　the　romantic　man　with　the　artist　nature；　as　he　called　his
infatuation。　I　thanked　him　for　teaching　me　to　use　my　eyes　and
ears；　but　I　told　him　that　his　beauty　worshipping　and　happiness
hunting　and　woman　idealizing　was　not　worth　a　dump　as　a　philosophy
of　life；　so　he　called　me　Philistine　and　went　his　way。

ANA。　It　seems　that　Woman　taught　you　something；　too；　with　all　her
defects。

DON　JUAN。　She　did　more：　she　interpreted　all　the　other　teaching
for　me。　Ah；　my　friends；　when　the　barriers　were　down　for　the　first
time；　what　an　astounding　illumination！　I　had　been　prepared　for
infatuation；　for　intoxication；　for　all　the　illusions　of　love's
young　dream；　and　lo！　never　was　my　perception　clearer；　nor　my
criticism　more　ruthless。　The　most　jealous　rival　of　my　mistress
never　saw　every　blemish　in　her　more　keenly　than　I。　I　was　not
duped：　I　took　her　without　chloroform。

ANA。　But　you　did　take　her。

DON　JUAN。　That　was　the　revelation。　Up　to　that　moment　I　had　never
lost　the　sense　of　being　my　own　master；　never　consciously　taken　a
single　step　until　my　reason　had　examined　and　approved　it。　I　had
come　to　believe　that　I　was　a　purely　rational　creature：　a　thinker！
I　said；　with　the　foolish　philosopher；　〃I　think；　therefore　I　am。〃
It　was　Woman　who　taught　me　to　say　〃I　am；　therefore　I　think。〃　And
also　〃I　would　think　more；　therefore　I　must　be　more。〃

THE　STATUE。　This　is　extremely　abstract　and　metaphysical；　Juan。　If
you　would　stick　to　the　concrete；　and　put　your　discoveries　in　the
form　of　entertaining　anecdotes　about　your　adventures　with　women；
your　conversation　would　be　easier　to　follow。

DON　JUAN。　Bah！　what　need　I　add？　Do　you　not　understand　that　when　I
stood　face　to　face　with　Woman；　every　fibre　in　my　clear　critical
brain　warned　me　to　spare　her　and　save　myself。　My　morals　said　No。
My　conscience　said　No。　My　chivalry　and　pity　for　her　said　No。　My
prudent　regard　for　myself　said　No。　My　ear；　practised　on　a
thousand　songs　and　symphonies；　my　eye；　exercised　on　a　thousand
paintings；　tore　her　voice；　her　features；　her　color　to　shreds。　I
caught　all　those　tell…tale　resemblances　to　her　father　and　mother
by　which　I　knew　what　she　would　be　like　in　thirty　years　time。　I
noted　the　gleam　of　gold　from　a　dead　tooth　in　the　laughing　mouth：
I　made　curious　observations　of　the　strange　odors　of　the　chemistry
of　the　nerves。　The　visions　of　my　romantic　reveries；　in　which　I
had　trod　the　plains　of　heaven　with　a　deathless；　ageless　creature
of　coral　and　ivory；　deserted　me　in　that　supreme　hour。　I
remembered　them　and　desperately　strove　to　recover　their　illusion；
but　they　now　seemed　the　emptiest　of　inventions：　my　judgment　was
not　to　be　corrupted：　my　brain　still　said　No　on　every　issue。　And
whilst　I　was　in　the　act　of　framing　my　excuse　to　the　lady；　Life
seized　me　and　threw　me　into　her　arms　as　a　sailor　throws　a　scrap
of　fish　into　the　mouth　of　a　seabird。

THE　STATUE。　You　might　as　well　have　gone　without　thinking　such　a
lot　about　it；　Juan。　You　are　like　all　the　clever　men：　you　have
more　brains　than　is　good　for　you。

THE　DEVIL。　And　were　you　not　the　happier　for　the　experience；　Senor
Don　Juan？

DON　JUAN。　The　happier；　no：　the　wiser；　yes。　That　moment　introduced
me　for　the　first　time　to　myself；　and；　through　myself；　to　the
world。　I　saw　then　how　useless　it　is　to　attempt　to　impose
conditions　on　the　irresistible　force　of　Life；　to　preach　prudence；
careful　selection；　virtue；　honor；　chastity

ANA。　Don　Juan：　a　word　against　chastity　is　an　insult　to　me。

DON　JUAN。　I　say　nothing　against　your　chastity；　Senora；　since　it
took　the　form　of　a　husband　and　twelve　children。　What　more　could
you　have　done　had　you　been　the　most　abandoned　of　women？

ANA。　I　could　have　had　twelve　husbands　and　no　children　that's　what
I　could　have　done；　Juan。　And　let　me　tell　you　that　that　would　have
made　all　the　difference　to　the　earth　which　I　replenished。

THE　STATUE。　Bravo　Ana！　Juan：　you　are　floored；　quelled；
annihilated。

DON　JUAN。　No；　for　though　that　difference　is　the　true　essential
differenceDona　Ana　has；　I　admit；　gone　straight　to　the　real
pointyet　it　is　not　a　difference　of　love　or　chastity；　or　even
constancy；　for　twelve　children　by　twelve　different　husbands　would
have　replenished　the　earth　perhaps　more　effectively。　Suppose　my
friend　Ottavio　had　died　when　you　were　thirty；　you　would　never
have　remained　a　widow：　you　were　too　beautiful。　Suppose　the
successor　of　Ottavio　had　died　when　you　were　forty；　you　would
still　have　been　irresistible；　and　a　woman　who　marries　twice
marries　three　times　if　she　becomes　free　to　do　so。　Twelve　lawful
children　borne　by　one　highly　respectable　lady　to　three　different
fathers　is　not　impossible　nor　condemned　by　public　opinion。　That
such　a　lady　may　be　more　law　abiding　than　the　poor　girl　whom　we
used　to　spurn　into　the　gutter　for　bearing　one　unlawful　infant　is
no　doubt　true；　but　dare　you　say　she　is　less　self…indulgent？

ANA。　She　is　less　virtuous：　that　is　enough　for　me。

DON　JUAN。　In　that　case；　what　is　virtue　but　the　Trade　Unionism　of
the　married？　Let　us　face　the　facts；　dear　Ana。　The　Life　Force
respects　marriage　only　because　marriage　is　a　contrivance　of　its
own　to　secure　the　greatest　number　of　children　and　the　closest
care　of　them。　For　honor；　chastity　and　all　the　rest　of　your　moral
figments　it　cares　not　a　rap。　Marriage　is　the　most　licentious　of
human　institutions

ANA。　Juan！

THE　STATUE。　＇protesting＇　Really！

DON　JUAN。　＇determinedly＇　I　say　the　most　licentious　of　human
institutions：　that　is　the　secret　of　its　popularity。　And　a　woman
seeking　a　husband　is　the　most　unscrupulous　of　all　the　beasts　of
prey。　The　confusion　of　marriage　with　morality　has　done　more　to
destroy　the　conscience　of　the　human　race　than　any　other　single
error。　Come；　Ana！　do　not　look　shocked：　you　know　better　than　any
of　us　that　marriage　is　a　mantrap　baited　with　simulated
accomplishments　and　delusive　idealizations。　When　your　sainted
mother；　by　dint　of　scoldings　and　punishments；　forced　you　to　learn
how　to　play　half　a　dozen　pieces　on　the　spinet　which　she　hated　as
much　as　you　didhad　she　any　other　purpose　than　to　delude　your
suitors　into　the　belief　that　your　husband　would　have　in　his　home
an　angel　who　would　fill　it　with　melody；　or　at　least　play　him　to
sleep　after　dinner？　You　married　my　friend　Ottavio：　well；　did　you
ever　open　the　spinet　from　the　hour　when　the　Church　united　him　to
you？

ANA。　You　are　a　fool；　Juan。　A　young　married　woman　has　something
else　to　do　than　sit　at　the　spinet　without　any　support　for　her
back；　so　she　gets　out　of　the　habit　of　playing。

DON　JUAN。　Not　if　she　loves　music。　No：　believe　me；　she　only　throws
away　the　bait　when　the　bird　is　in　the　net。

ANA。　＇bitterly＇　And　men；　I　suppose；　never　throw　off　the　mask　when
their　bird　is　in　the　net。　The　husband　never　becomes　negligent；
selfish；　brutaloh　never！

DON　JUAN。　What　do　these　recriminations　prove；　Ana？　Only　that　the
hero　is　as　gross　an　imposture　as　the　heroine。

ANA。　It　is　all　nonsense：　most　marriages　are　perfectly
comfortable。

DON　JUAN。　〃Perfectly〃　is　a　strong　expression；　Ana。　What　you　mean
is　that　sensible　people　make　the　best　of　one　another。　Send　me　to
the　galleys　and　chain　me　to　the　felon　whose　number　happens　to　be
next　before　mine；　and　I　must　accept　the　inevitable　and　make　the
best　of　the　companionship。　Many　such　companionships；　they　tell
me；　are　touchingly　affectionate；　and　most　are　at　least　tolerably
friendly。　But　that　does　not　make　a　chain　a　desirable　ornament　nor
the　galleys　an　abode　of　bliss。　Those　who　talk　most　about　the
blessings　of　marriage　and　the　constancy　of　its　vows　are　the　very
people　who　declare　that　if　the　chain　were　broken　and　the
prisoners　left　free　to　choose；　the　whole　social　fabric　would　fly
asunder。　You　cannot　have　the　argument　both　ways。　If　the　prisoner
is　happy；　why　lock　him　in？　If　he　is　not；　why　pretend　that　he　is？

ANA。　At　all　events；　let　me　take　an　old　woman's　privilege　again；
and　tell　you　flatly　that　marriage　peoples　the　world　and
debauchery　does　not。

DON　JUAN。　How　if　a　time　comes　when　this　shall　cease　to　be　true？　Do
you　not　know　that　where　there　is　a　will　there　is　a　waythat
whatever　Man　really　wishes　to　do　he　will　finally　discover　a　means
of　doing？　Well；　you　have　done　your　best；　you　virtuous　ladies；　and
others　of　your　way　of　thinking；　to　bend　Man's　mind　wholly　towards
honorable　love　as　the　highest　good；　and