纪伯伦：不，我只是个访客

我在精神病院的花园里碰见了一个年轻人，他看上去面色苍白，人很可爱，富有奇想。我在他旁边的长凳上坐下，我问：“你为什么会在这儿呢？”

他惊讶地望着我说：“这是一个不礼貌的问题，不过我会回答你。我的父亲想把我变成他的复制品，我的叔叔也指望我跟他一样。我的母亲希望我像她那大名鼎鼎的父亲，而我的姐姐以为她那航海的丈夫是个十全十美的榜样，要我学他。我的哥哥想让我跟他一样，做个好的运动员。”

“我的老师依然如此，要我成为哲学老师、音乐老师、逻辑学老师，他们也都很坚决，每个人不过是要我成为他们镜子里的影子。”

“因此，我来到了这个地方。我发现在这儿我的神志更正常点。至少，我能做回我自己。”

突然他转过来对我说：“告诉我，你也是被教育和忠告赶到这个地方的吗？”

我回答道：“不，我只是个访客。”

然后他回答道：“噢，你是住在精神病院墙那边的病人。”

原文：

The madman

It was in the garden of a madhouse that I met a youth with a face pale and lovely and full of wonder.And I sat beside him upon the bench,and I said,”Why are you here?”

And he looked at me in astonishment,and he said,”It’s an unseemly question,yet I will answer you.My father would make of me a reproduction of himself,so also would my uncle.My mother would have me the image of her famous father,and my sister regards her seafaring husband as the perfect example for me to follow. My brother thinks I should be like him,a fine athlete.”

“And my teachers also,the doctor of philosophy,and the music master,and the logician,they too were determined,and each would have me bet a reflection of his own face in a mirror.”

“Therefore I came to the place.I find it more sane here,At least,I can be myself.”

Then of a sudden he turned to me and he said,”But tell me,were you also driven to this place by education and good counsel?”

And I answered,”No,I am a visitor.”

And he answered,”Oh,you are one of those who live in the madhouse on the other side of the wall.”

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