The Lady Or The Tiger女人还是老虎.docx

The Lady Or The Tiger女人还是老虎.docx

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TheLadyOrTheTiger女人还是老虎

TheLadyOrTheTiger?

　　Intheveryoldentimetherelivedasemi-barbaricking，whoseideas，thoughsomewhatpolishedandsharpenedbytheprogressivenessofdistantLatinneighbors，werestilllarge，florid，anduntrammeled，asbecamethehalfofhimwhichwasbarbaric.Hewasamanofexuberantfancy，and，withal，ofanauthoritysoirresistiblethat，athiswill，heturnedhisvariedfanciesintofacts.Hewasgreatlygiventoself-communing，and，whenheandhimselfagreeduponanything，thethingwasdone.Wheneverymemberofhisdomesticandpoliticalsystemsmovedsmoothlyinitsappointedcourse，hisnaturewasblandandgenial；but，whenevertherewasalittlehitch，andsomeofhisorbsgotoutoftheirorbits，hewasblanderandmoregenialstill，fornothingpleasedhimsomuchastomakethecrookedstraightandcrushdownunevenplaces.

　　Amongtheborrowednotionsbywhichhisbarbarismhadbecomesemifiedwasthatofthepublicarena，inwhich，byexhibitionsofmanlyandbeastlyvalor，themindsofhissubjectswererefinedandcultured.

　　Butevenheretheexuberantandbarbaricfancyasserteditself.Thearenaofthekingwasbuilt，nottogivethepeopleanopportunityofhearingtherhapsodiesofdyinggladiators，nortoenablethemtoviewtheinevitableconclusionofaconflictbetweenreligiousopinionsandhungryjaws，butforpurposesfarbetteradaptedtowidenanddevelopthementalenergiesofthepeople.Thisvastamphitheater，withitsencirclinggalleries，itsmysteriousvaults，anditsunseenpassages，wasanagentofpoeticjustice，inwhichcrimewaspunished，orvirtuerewarded，bythedecreesofanimpartialandincorruptiblechance.

　　Whenasubjectwasaccusedofacrimeofsufficientimportancetointeresttheking，publicnoticewasgiventhatonanappointeddaythefateoftheaccusedpersonwouldbedecidedintheking'sarena，astructurewhichwelldeserveditsname，for，althoughitsformandplanwereborrowedfromafar，itspurposeemanatedsolelyfromthebrainofthisman，who，everybarleycornaking，knewnotraditiontowhichheowedmoreallegiancethanpleasedhisfancy，andwhoingraftedoneveryadoptedformofhumanthoughtandactiontherichgrowthofhisbarbaricidealism.

　　Whenallthepeoplehadassembledinthegalleries，andtheking，surroundedbyhiscourt，sathighuponhisthroneofroyalstateononesideofthearena，hegaveasignal，adoorbeneathhimopened，andtheaccusedsubjectsteppedoutintotheamphitheater.Directlyoppositehim，ontheothersideoftheenclosedspace，weretwodoors，exactlyalikeandsidebyside.Itwasthedutyandtheprivilegeofthepersonontrialtowalkdirectlytothesedoorsandopenoneofthem.Hecouldopeneitherdoorhepleased；hewassubjecttonoguidanceorinfluencebutthatoftheaforementionedimpartialandincorruptiblechance.Ifheopenedtheone，therecameoutofitahungrytiger，thefiercestandmostcruelthatcouldbeprocured，whichimmediatelyspranguponhimandtorehimtopiecesasapunishmentforhisguilt.Themomentthatthecaseofthecriminalwasthusdecided，dolefulironbellswereclanged，greatwailswentupfromthehiredmournerspostedontheouterrimofthearena，andthevastaudience，withbowedheadsanddowncasthearts，wendedslowlytheirhomewardway，mourninggreatlythatonesoyoungandfair，orsooldandrespected，shouldhavemeritedsodireafate.

　　But，iftheaccusedpersonopenedtheotherdoor，therecameforthfromitalady，themostsuitabletohisyearsandstationthathismajestycouldselectamonghisfairsubjects，andtothisladyhewasimmediatelymarried，asarewardofhisinnocence.Itmatterednotthathemightalreadypossessawifeandfamily，orthathisaffectionsmightbeengageduponanobjectofhisownselection；thekingallowednosuchsubordinatearrangementstointerferewithhisgreatschemeofretributionandreward.Theexercises，asintheotherinstance，tookplaceimmediately，andinthearena.Anotherdooropenedbeneaththeking，andapriest，followedbyabandofchoristers，anddancingmaidensblowingjoyousairsongoldenhornsandtreadinganepithalamicmeasure，advancedtowherethepairstood，sidebyside，andtheweddingwaspromptlyandcheerilysolemnized.Thenthegaybrassbellsrangforththeirmerrypeals，thepeopleshoutedgladhurrahs，andtheinnocentman，precededbychildrenstrewingflowersonhispath，ledhisbridetohishome.

　　Thiswastheking'ssemi-barbaricmethodofadministeringjustice.Itsperfectfairnessisobvious.Thecriminalcouldnotknowoutofwhichdoorwouldcomethelady；heopenedeitherhepleased，withouthavingtheslightestideawhether，inthenextinstant，hewastobedevouredormarried.Onsomeoccasionsthetigercameoutofonedoor，andonsomeoutoftheother.Thedecisionsofthistribunalwerenotonlyfair，theywerepositivelydeterminate：

theaccusedpersonwasinstantlypunishedifhefoundhimselfguilty，and，ifinnocent，hewasrewardedonthespot，whetherhelikeditornot.Therewasnoescapefromthejudgmentsoftheking'sarena.

　　Theinstitutionwasaverypopularone.Whenthepeoplegatheredtogetherononeofthegreattrialdays，theyneverknewwhethertheyweretowitnessabloodyslaughterorahilariouswedding.Thiselementofuncertaintylentaninteresttotheoccasionwhichitcouldnototherwisehaveattained.Thus，themasseswereentertainedandpleased，andthethinkingpartofthecommunitycouldbringnochargeofunfairnessagainstthisplan，fordidnottheaccusedpersonhavethewholematterinhisownhands？

　　Thissemi-barbarickinghadadaughterasbloomingashismostfloridfancies，andwithasoulasferventandimperiousashisown.Asisusualinsuchcases，shewastheappleofhiseye，andwaslovedbyhimaboveallhumanity.Amonghiscourtierswasayoungmanofthatfinenessofbloodandlownessofstationcommontotheconventionalheroesofromancewholoveroyalmaidens.Thisroyalmaidenwaswellsatisfiedwithherlover，forhewashandsomeandbravetoadegreeunsurpassedinallthiskingdom，andshelovedhimwithanardorthathadenoughofbarbarisminittomakeitexceedinglywarmandstrong.Thisloveaffairmovedonhappilyformanymonths，untilonedaythekinghappenedtodiscoveritsexistence.Hedidnothesitatenorwaverinregardtohisdutyinthepremises.Theyouthwasimmediatelycastintoprison，andadaywasappointedforhistrialintheking'sarena.This，ofcourse，wasanespeciallyimportantoccasion，andhismajesty，aswellasallthepeople，wasgreatlyinterestedintheworkingsanddevelopmentofthistrial.Neverbeforehadsuchacaseoccurred；neverbeforehadasubjectdaredtolovethedaughteroftheking.Inafteryearssuchthingsbecamecommonplaceenough，butthentheywereinnoslightdegreenovelandstartling.

　　Thetiger-cagesofthekingdomweresearchedforthemostsavageandrelentlessbeasts，fromwhichthefiercestmonstermightbeselectedforthearena；andtheranksofmaidenyouthandbeautythroughoutthelandwerecarefullysurveyedbycompetentjudgesinorderthattheyoungmanmighthaveafittingbrideincasefatedidnotdetermineforhimadifferentdestiny.Ofcourse，everybodyknewthatthedeedwithwhichtheaccusedwaschargedhadbeendone.Hehadlovedtheprincess，andneitherhe，she，noranyoneelse，thoughtofdenyingthefact；butthekingwouldnotthinkofallowinganyfactofthiskindtointerferewiththeworkingsofthetribunal，inwhichhetooksuchgreatdelightandsatisfaction.Nomatterhowtheaffairturnedout，theyouthwouldbedisposedof，andthekingwouldtakeanaestheticpleasureinwatchingthecourseofevents，whichwoulddeterminewhetherornottheyoungmanhaddonewronginallowinghimselftolovetheprincess.

　　Theappointeddayarrived.Fromfarandnearthepeoplegathered，andthrongedthegreatgalleriesofthearena，andcrowds，unabletogainadmittance，massedthemselvesagainstitsoutsidewalls.Thekingandhiscourtwereintheirplaces，oppositethetwindoors，thosefatefulportals，soterribleintheirsimilarity.

　　Allwasready.Thesignalwasgiven.Adoorbeneaththeroyalpartyopened，andtheloveroftheprincesswalkedintothearena.Tall，beautiful，fair，hisappearancewasgreetedwithalowhumofadmirationandanxiety.Halftheaudiencehadnotknownsograndayouthhadlivedamongthem.Nowondertheprincesslovedhim！

Whataterriblethingforhimtobethere！

　　Astheyouthadvancedintothearenaheturned，asthecustomwas，tobowtotheking，buthedidnotthinkatallofthatroyalpersonage.Hiseyeswerefixedupontheprincess，whosattotherightofherfather.Haditnotbeenforthemoietyofbarbarisminhernatureitisprobablethatladywouldnothavebeenthere，butherintenseandfervidsoulwouldnotallowhertobeabsentonanoccasioninwhichshewassoterriblyinterested.Fromthemomentthatthedecreehadgoneforththatherlovershoulddecidehisfateintheking'sarena，shehadthoughtofnothing，nightorday，butthisgreateventandthevarioussubjectsconnectedwithit.Possessedofmorepower，influence，andforceofcharacterthananyonewhohadeverbeforebeeninterestedinsuchacase，shehaddonewhatnootherpersonhaddone-shehadpossessedherselfofthesecretofthedoors.Sheknewinwhichofthetworooms，thatlaybehindthosedoors，stoodthecageofthetiger，withitsopenfront，andinwhichwaitedthelady.Throughthesethickdoors，heavilycurtainedwithskinsontheinside，itwasimpossiblethatanynoiseorsuggestionshouldcomefromwithintothepersonwhoshouldapproachtoraisethelatchofoneofthem.Butgold，andthep