The Perils of Indifferen文档格式.docx

The Perils of Indifferen文档格式.docx

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　　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