伯里克利的演说词anintroductiontopericles’funeralorationthucydidesdidnotbelongtothegenerationsofempirebuilders.hewasbornjustafterthem，andhispersonalmemorywentnofurtherbackthanthepeaceof445.sohesharedtheideasoftheagewithhisoldercontemporaries，butinalessinstinctivefashion.likethem，heknewthathewaslivingingreattimes.but，morethoughtfulthanthey，hedesiredtorecordthem;forheknew，astheyknewiftheyeverlayawakethinking，thatthisglorycouldnotlastandthatposteritywouldbegladtoreadofit.buthelittlesuspectedhowbrieftheblossomwouldbe，orthat，inhisownshortlifetime，hewouldyetseeautumnandmidwinter.yetitwasinmidwinter，whenthelongwallshadbeendismantledandtheacropolishadhousedaspartangarrison，thathewrotehiseulogyofthecityintheform（whatformcouldbemoreappropriate。）ofaspeechoverhernobledead.itisnot，ofcourse，thespeechwhichpericlesdelivered，oreven，asthespeakerhints，thekindofspeechusuallygivenonsuchoccasions.thereistoolittleinitaboutnobleancestors，andtoomuchaboutthepresentday.butthereisnoreasontodoubtthatthucudideshadheardhisherospeak，mostprobablymorethanonce，overthecity’sfallensoldiers，andcouldrecallinafteryearsamonghismostsacredrecollections，“thecadenceofhisvoice，themovementofhishand，”andthesolemnhushofthevastaudience，brokenonlyby“thesobbingofsomemotherofthedead.”wemayfeelwithconfidencethathehasgivenus，withtheaddedcolourofhisownexperience，notmerelytheinnerthoughtbutmuchofthelanguageofpericles.sothatherewecanlisten，asinallfineworksofinterpretation，totwogreatspiritsatonce;andwhenwehavelearnttouseourearswecansometimeshearthemboth，pericles’voicecomingthrough，alittlefaintandthinafterthelapseofyears，abovethedeeptonesofthehistorian.第1页共2页thespeechiswritten，ifeverwritingwas，“notininkbutinblood.”forwiththucydides，moreperhapsthanwithanyothergreatwriter，thereisnotawordbuttells.“youmustreadandmarkhimlinebylinetillyoucanreadbetweenthelinesasclearlyasinthem.therearefewthinkerswithsomanyideasbroodinginthebackground.”allgreatartislikeaghostseekingtoexpressmorethanitcanutterandbeckoningtoregionsbeyond.thisisastrueinhistory，whichdealswithnations，asinpoetryoranymorepersonalart.thatiswhythefuneralspeech，writtenofasmallprovincialcityintheuntriedyouthoftheworld，willalwaysfindanechowhenevermenandnationsarelivingtruetothemselves，whetherinthetrenchesofmukdenorinthecemeteryofgettysburg.periclesandabrahamlincolnwerenotverymuchalike.butcommonneedsbegetacommonlanguage;andgreatstatesmen，likegreatpoets，speaktooneanotherfrompeaktopeak.chosenfromzimmern，thegreekcommonwealth第2页共2页
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