Chapter 2 -2
"Do your duty," he said to the law enforcement officers. "This scoundrel has stolen my diamond ring worth a thousand crowns. You will find it in her room or on her. That is certain!"
"I stole from you? Sir!" I sprang up from the bed in panic, "I, just God! Ah! You know better than anyone that I would not do such a thing. I am What an abomination for such a thing! How could I do such a thing!"
But Duarpin made so much noise that no one heard me at all.He ordered the search to be continued, and the fatal ring was found under my mattress.With this strong evidence, there is nothing left to say.I was immediately arrested, handcuffed, and sent to prison.I could not defend myself, and no one would listen to a word.
In a country where it was believed that morality and poverty were incompatible, and that poverty was sufficient evidence to convict the accused, the trial of an unfortunate girl who was neither trusted nor protected was quickly over.An unjust prejudice leads people to believe that I have indeed committed a crime.How one treats a criminal on trial depends on his status, and it goes without saying that he cannot be innocent if he has no money or title to prove his innocence.
No matter how much I justify myself, no matter what incontrovertible proofs I give to the formal lawyer appointed for me, it is of no use.Now that the master accuses me, and that the diamond ring was found in my room, it is clear that I stole it.I exposed the dreadful conduct of M. Duarpin, in order to prove that my misfortunes were nothing but the result of his vengeance, of wanting to get rid of a man who possessed his secret and could possibly control him.But they took these representations as a counterattack, telling me that for twenty years M. Duarpin had been recognized as a perfect man, absolutely impossible to do the evil I said.I was transferred to the prison attached to the Paris Inquisition, where I was to end my life for refusing to take part in a crime.I was dying, but a new crime saved me.On one occasion at least, if it be providence, vice has shielded virtue from the abyss into which the foolish judge was ready to plunge me.
There is a forty-year-old woman in my room, who is not only stunningly beautiful, but also known for her vicious and persistent crimes.People called her Dubois, and she too was about to be sentenced to death.How to execute her was a problem for the judge, who had committed every crime imaginable, and the judge had to either invent a new torture for her, or subject her to a punishment for which women were supposed to be exempt.I had her interest, a criminal interest.Because of her sinful past, I later learned that she was desperate to make me her disciple.
One night, probably two days before we were about to die.Dubois told me not to sleep, but to be with her discreetly, as close to the cell door as possible.
She said, "Between seven and eight o'clock, there will be a fire in the prison. This is a masterpiece of my arrangement. Probably a lot of people will be burned to death. It doesn't matter, Teres," and the female devil did this Say to me, "As long as it is good for us, no one else matters! It is certain that we will escape! Four men - my accomplices and friends will join us, and I promise you will be free. "
I told you, Madame, that it was God's will that I was punished for my good nature, and that God allowed my protector to succeed in his crime.The fire was a terrible one, and twenty-one people were burned alive, but we escaped.That same day we fled to the hut of a poacher in Bundy Woods, who was a close friend of our gang.
"You are free now, Therese," Dubois said to me at this moment, "you can now choose the life you like. However, I have one suggestion for you. You must give up any morals. You See also, morality never brings you
What good, your ignorance of morality nearly got you hanged, while my criminal actions saved my life.You see, what good is good in this world, is it really worth sacrificing yourself for it? Tyrese, you are young and beautiful, and within two years I promise you will be rich.But don't expect me to lead you down the path of morality to get rich.My dear girl, when men find their own way, there are many occupations and intrigues.Make up your mind, we are not safe in this hut, we must get out of here quickly. "
"Oh, ma'am," I said to my savior, "you have done me so much, and I will never be ungrateful. You have saved my life, but by means of evil, which is appalling to me. Believe me, I would rather die a thousand times than suffer the pangs of conscience that I would have had in exchange for committing crimes. The perils of my affections, but, madam, I would rather go on with the troubles of virtue than with the perilous fortunes of vice. Thank God, the religious convictions in my heart will never be extinguished. If To say that God willed me to suffer in this life is to make up for me in a better world. Such hope comforts me, eases my sorrows, and makes me brave to accept all the trials God sends me. If I defile with sin If I lose this joy, it will be extinguished in my heart at once. If I have the fear of being punished by this world, I will painfully see the torture of hell, and I will never find the peace I long for!"
"Little girl, such an absurd idea will soon send you to an asylum!" said Dubois, frowning. "Believe me, put aside any God's judgment, punishment or compensation, such insipid nonsense Can only starve us to death. Oh, Tyrese, just because the rich are ruthless, the poor have the right to misbehavior. If they had opened their wallets for us, if they had any sense of humanity in their hearts, we might be in the Morality is established in mind. Yet our misfortune, our patience in bearing it, our sincerity, our servitude only add to our chains, and our crimes are theirs! Since crimes relieve their cruelty It would be folly not to do so when the yoke is upon us. All men are created equal, Therese, and if fate confounds this first maxim of universal law, it is up to us to correct it, with Our art to take back what the mighty have seized. I would like to hear the rich, the lords, the magistrates, the priests, I would see them preach to us morals. Whoever has more than is necessary for life It is hard not to be stolen if you have three times as much wealth; it is hard to conceive of not being murdered if you are surrounded by docile flatterers and slaves; it is difficult for them to be temperate and sober, even if deception does them no good. . To hell, doom us to crawl in humiliation as serpents crawl in the grass. We are contemptuous, because we are weak and deceitful, our lips drink only bitter juice, and our feet tread on thorns. Only Crime opened the door of life for us to live, to keep alive, to save us from destruction, and you want us not to sin! You want us to be forever subservient, and always humble, while the class that rules us has all the destiny Grace, all that's left of us is hardship, depression, pain, need, tears, shame and the gallows! No, no, Tyrese, absolutely not! Either this God you reverence exists only to defy us, or it's definitely not him You should have a clearer understanding of the destiny, and you should believe that since God forces us to do bad things only as our necessity, and at the same time makes it possible for us to do bad things, then doing bad things is as good as doing good things , is obedience to its laws, and has the same reward for him. He has created us equal, and he who breaks equality is no more guilty than he who seeks to restore equality. In fact, both use God-given impetus, Tyrese, we should use God's will to make good use of that impetus."
I admit that if I was ever shaken once, it was by the seduction of this cunning woman.However, there was a voice in me that was stronger than hers against these sophistry, and I heeded it.I declare to Dubois that I am absolutely immune to her corruption.
"Well then," she answered me, "do as you please, and leave you at the mercy of bad luck! But if you get caught one day—it's your lot, because Evil is always redeemed, morality is always sacrificed, and we must remember not to betray us."
While we were debating, four of Dubois' accomplices were drinking with the poachers.Alcohol makes the bad guys have new criminal ideas, even the previous crimes are forgotten.As soon as these rascals heard of my decision, they made a point of attacking me, since I didn't want to join them.Their wicked principles, their immorality, the darkness of the hut where we rested, their confidence in their safety, their drunkenness, and my youth and helplessness were an encouragement to them.They got up from the table, conferred, and asked Dubois for instructions.I shuddered with horror at this ghastly mystery.As a result, they ordered me to be immediately ready to satisfy the desires of each of them—if not voluntarily, or compulsively.If willing, each of them will give me a crown, and take me where I want; if violence is necessary, it will be done the same, only, when satisfied, they will stab me to death and bury me. Under the big tree.
I need not describe to you the effect on me of this inhuman proposal, madame, as you will understand.I knelt at Dubois' feet and begged her to save my life again.And her tears at me were just mockery.
She said to me, "Oh... damn, what a stupid woman you are! . . . How come you're shaking with fright when you serve four of them, four handsome boys? There are ten thousand women in Paris who would like to give up their gold and silver treasures to replace you! But..." She thought for a while, and then said: "Listen, these guys still listen to me very much, I don't know.
So that they will spare you, but there must be one condition. "
"Ah! what do you want me to do, madam?"
"Come with us, join the gang, whatever we do, you can do whatever you want, and you are not allowed to be unwilling. If you pay this price, I will save you."
I think there can be no more hesitation.Accepting this distressing condition, I will be in new danger, but not as imminent as it is now, and perhaps in the future I will be able to avoid it.However, there is no way to help me avoid the danger in front of me now.
"I will go anywhere, Madame," I said at once to Dubois, "I will go anywhere, I promise you. But save me from these people, and I will be with you forever." .”
"Children," said Dubois to the four thieves, "this girl is one of ours, and I have taken her and put her in. I beg you not to rape her, not to let her go from the first day." She has been disgusted with our business since the beginning. You see, her age and face are of great use to us, we must make good use of her to make a fortune, and don't waste it for a moment of pleasure."
However, after a man's lust reaches a certain level, it is difficult to subdue it.The few men I faced couldn't listen to anything at this time, they rushed up and surrounded me, as if they wanted to swallow me up.They threatened me with a more terrifying appearance, ready to catch me and rape me.
"She has to pass this test," said one of them, "and we can't let her go again! Isn't it always said that if you want to join the gang of robbers, you have to test your morality? Doesn't she serve us equally if she is a virgin?" ?”
You know, ma'am, I toned down their profanity, and I toned down the brutality of the scene.well!Their obscene look, if truth be told, your shame will not bear, at least as much as mine will suffer from "nakedness."
I am a feeble, trembling victim, alas!I was trembling, and I hardly had the strength to breathe.I knelt before them, now raised my frail arms, begged them, now pleaded with Dubois.
"Wait a minute!" said a man who looked like a leader and was nicknamed "Heart of Stone".This is a man of thirty-six or seventeen years old, with the strength of a bull, and the face of a half-human, half-animal monster. "Wait a minute, my friends, it is possible that everyone will be satisfied. Since the little girl's virginity is so precious to her, and Dubois is quite right in saying that this advantage may be necessary for us on individual occasions." , then let her keep it! But we must quench our thirst, Dubois, we have lost our minds, and in our present state, if you fight our lusts, we may kill you too. Terry Ruth, take off your clothes at once! Naked as you were when you were first born, you have to pose one by one as we please, while Dubois satisfies our desires, we are going to the little girl Burn incense on altars that deny us access.”
"You want me to take off my clothes, God!" I shouted, "What are you going to do? Who can guarantee that nothing will happen when I deliver it to you like this?..."
"Heart of Stone" has no intention of asking me to continue, nor does he intend to stop his lust.He insulted me, beat me savagely, and made me understand that the only thing I could do was obey.Dubois was almost as naked as I was, clutching his thing with both hands.He told me to get down on my stomach and put my arms on the ground like an animal.At this time, Dubois came to help him satisfy his lust. She put his devil-like thing in the corridor between my two altars made by nature. Slap these two altars with a slap, just like people used a claw hammer to hit the gate of a besieged city in ancient times.At first, the onslaught made me retreat.In a rage, "Heart of Stone" threatened to entertain me in even worse ways if I tried to evade.Dubois was ordered to speed up, and another whore came and grabbed my shoulders to prevent me from dodging the impact.The impacts got harder and I was hurt, but I couldn't escape even a single impact.
"Heart of Stone" moaned and said, "To be honest, if I were to see the door being knocked so vibrated, I might as well open the door. However, it seems that she won't do it, it doesn't matter, she will surrender sooner or later . . . work hard... Dubois, . . . work hard!"
In the end, the horny's lust exploded like a thunderbolt over the tortured but still unopened rift.
The second villain made me kneel between his legs, and Dubois soothed him as he had done with "Heart of Stone," using two methods with me.For a while, he opened his big hand and slapped my face or breasts vigorously; for a while, his dirty mouth hurt my lips again.Immediately my chest and face became red and swollen...I was in so much pain that I begged him for mercy.My tears slid down his eyes, which made him furious, and he intensified.My tongue was bitten and my nipples were rubbed so hard I had to dodge back but I was caught.All of a sudden, someone pushed me onto him, I was pinned down tight, against him, and he came to climax...
The third guy had me stand on two chairs with my legs apart, he sat underneath and DuBois knelt between his legs to prod him.He made me bend down until his mouth could touch the temple of nature.Ma'am, you can't imagine that this damn whore dared to ask me to make an expression in response.His every need had to be met whether I wanted to or not... God!How depraved is the man who delights in the momentary pleasure of such sensuality! …I did as he asked and I got him soaked.My complete obedience, which had mesmerized the wretch, would not have been possible without Dubois' shameless and obscene gestures.
The fourth villain sat seven or eight feet away from me, and he tied all the parts of my body that could be tied with a rope, holding the end of the rope in his hand, while Dubois touched and kissed me. stimulate him strongly.He ordered me to stand upright, and then the savage increased his pleasure by tugging hard on the first rope.I was swayed here and there, unable to maintain my balance for a moment.And every time I shake it, he gets more and more excited.At last he gave all the ropes a jerk and I fell beside him.This was his final outburst, and my forehead and face were marked by the madness of this eccentricity.
Ma'am, this is what I suffer from.However, if my sense of shame has been greatly violated, at least my chastity has been preserved.
After the bandits calmed down a bit, they discussed and continued on their way.That night they reached Le Tremblay, intending to approach the Chantilly woods, where they hoped to make a fortune.
My despair at being compelled to follow such a company is indescribable.I made up my mind to run away from them at the first chance.The next day we slept near the Louvre, under a pile of hay.I wanted to be protected by Dubois, to spend the night by her side.She seemed to have other plans, however, than to protect my chastity from the violations I feared.Three men surrounded her, and this brazen woman was feeding all three of them at the same time, right under my nose.The fourth man approached me, he was "heart of stone".
"Beauty," he said to me, "I hope you at least don't deny me the pleasure of spending the night by your side."
He saw my reluctance right away, and said, "Don't be afraid, we'll just talk, and I won't do anything if you don't agree. Oh, Tyrese," and taking me in his arms, he added, "Aren't you mad that you intend to remain pure among us? Even if we promise, how can it be in the interest of our band of robbers? There is no need to hide it from you, my dear girl. Once we are in town, We're going to use your charm to set a trap and get people hooked."
"Then, sir," I replied, "what use am I to you, since I'm sure I'd rather die than commit such a hideous business? Why won't you let me go?"
"Heart of Stone" replied, "Of course we will not let you escape, my angel! You must serve us instead of serving our interests. Your misfortune has put you in this yoke, and you must accept it. But, Tyrese, you know there are no problems in this world that cannot be solved. Listen to me, your fate is up to you. Promise to live with me, dear girl, promise to be mine alone, and I will let you You are spared the tragic role assigned to you."
"Me? Sir," I yelled, "let me be your mistress? A . . . like you?"
"You just say that word, Tyrese, say it. A jerk, eh? I admit it, but I can't give you another title, you know, people like us don't get married. Ty Marriage, Marriage, is a sacred union, but we are filled with the same contempt for all, so we will never marry. But think about it, you are in a position where you must lose so precious a Chastity, then, isn’t it better to give it to only one man than to give it to everyone? What’s more, this man will become your backer and your protector in the future.”
"But," I replied, "why shouldn't I have another choice?"
"Because you are in the palm of my hand, Tyrese, La Fontaine has long said, 'The strong are always justified.'" He then added, "Actually, what else is more important than you Is the most boring thing more ludicrous? How can a girl be so simple minded as to think that virginity depends on a certain body part being opened a little bigger or a little smaller? Ha! That part is intact or cracked for men or god What does it matter? Besides, God wants everyone to be what they were created to be, and women exist to be enjoyed by men, and it's obvious that it's an offense to God to defy God's will as you do. You are Intending to be a woman of no use to the world, you are, therefore, a woman to be despised. An absurd notion of chastity has been given to you by illusory reason, which has made you not only useless to humanity and society from childhood, but also blatantly offensive. So, your notion is nothing more than reprehensible stubbornness, a mistake that a man of your intelligence should not have made. Never mind, dear girl, a woman can dedicate herself to The joy of a man is that she has many temples. Give me the smallest one, and I will be satisfied. You know, my dear, that there is a gloomy cave near your altar, little Eros enters there to transcend the world and tempt us with greater vigor, and there is a temple where I worship. Tyrese, there will be no problem, if your fear is pregnancy, use this method, just It is absolutely impossible to happen, and your beautiful figure will never be damaged. The fresh fruit you regard as precious can also remain fresh and undamaged. No matter how you want to use it in the future, what you give will be pure and pure. Girl's It is impossible for the secret to leak from here. After the bee sucked the juice, the rose cup remained closed, and no one would have thought that it had ever had the slightest opening. Many girls have enjoyed it in this way for many years, even with several men. , and finally married off, and still regarded as fresh. . . . In the same way, how many penitent priests were served and satisfied, and the parents were completely unaware. In short, it is a hidden secret It is here that the ligament of virtuousness binds the mystery and the god of love tightly.... There is no need to say more, Teresa, but this temple is the most hidden, and at the same time the most Fascinating. Only here can one find all that one needs for happiness, which is close at hand and full of comfort, attractive but absolutely without strong stimulation, which is not the same as having to work hard to squeeze in, Unlike a place where it's not easy to stay in. The women enjoy it themselves, and a woman who is compelled to taste this delicacy out of rational compulsion will never envy another woman. Try it, Ty Try it, Reese, and it will satisfy both of us."
"Oh, sir," I replied, "I have never had experience with such things. I have heard, however, that this crook you boast about, sir, is a more sensitive way of insulting women." . . . and an even more serious violation of the laws of nature. God must bring his vengeance in this world, and Sodom is an example."
"What ignorance," said the whore again, "how childish! Who taught you this? Please listen carefully, Therese, and I will correct you. My dear girl, the only possible crime is to waste what should be The seeds used to reproduce the human race. Such words
, if we produce seeds in our bodies only for reproduction, then I agree with you that it is a crime to divert them.But if it is shown that nature puts the seed in our loins for much more than the purpose of procreating it all, what does it matter, Therese, to spend it here or there? Transfer it Men of location are no more wrong than men who use it naturally.We're just mimicking the loss of nature, to
①The ancient city in the Jordan Valley in the Bible was destroyed by God because its residents were promiscuous. —— Annotation
Doesn't this happen everywhere?To be able to do so is first to prove that there is no violation of the laws of nature; to admit that it may be violated is tantamount to violating the laws of deep wisdom that we think all things obey the principle of fairness.Secondly, isn't this kind of waste repeating itself millions of times a day, nocturnal emission at night, and the useless sowing of women's seeds during pregnancy, aren't they all wastes allowed by the laws of nature? This shows us that nature allows us to lose semen As indifferent as it makes semen every day.It tolerates reproduction, but only under its supervision.It wants us to reproduce, but it doesn't get much in the way of doing it or against it, so our choices don't matter to it.To create, or not to create, or to destroy, is entirely up to us, and choosing this part or another of the body to suit our conduct neither pleases nor offends it.We choose this part simply because the effect or influence of this behavior on us is very powerful.Believe me, O Therese, nature cares nothing for these mysteries which we absurdly worship.No matter which temple is used for offering sacrifices, as long as nature allows burning incense and worshiping there, it is not against the laws of nature.To refuse to reproduce, to waste the seed used for reproduction, to kill the seed when it has germinated, to kill the seedling after it has grown long enough, all these, Teres, are imaginary sins of which Nature cares nothing.It just mocks it, as it mocks the rest of our anatomy, which often violates it rather than serves it. "
"Heart of Stone" grew more and more agitated as he delivered such vile statements, and I soon saw him in the state which had so terrified me the day before.In order to make his preaching more powerful, he wanted to put it into practice at once, and despite my resistance, the villain's hands groped for the altar he was about to crash into...
Do I still need to admit it, ma'am? I was deceived by the temptation of this villain, and I gave in a little. I felt that with a little concession, I could protect the most precious thing to me, and I was satisfied enough.I did not take into account the illogicality of his sophistry and the danger I would face myself, because this obscene man had a giant body, but he didn't know where the most suitable parts of a woman were, and he only wanted to cripple me.I was blind to all this, I just wanted to obey his desire, and I was about to commit a crime in order to preserve my virginity, so my resistance gradually weakened.The shameless Conqueror has sat on his throne, and will only continue to be fixed in that position.
At this moment, there was the sound of vehicles on the road, and "Heart of Stone" immediately gave up his lust and went to perform his duties.He quickly assembled his men to commit new crimes.In a few moments I heard shouts, and these bloodstained thugs returned triumphantly with their loot.
"Heart of Stone" ordered: "Quick, get out of here quickly! We killed three people, and the bodies are on the road, and this place is no longer safe."
Everyone divides the spoils. "Heart of Stone" gave me a share, twenty louis.They forced me to accept the money, and I shuddered to think that I was holding such ill-gotten gains.Time was running out, though, so everyone took their share and set off quickly.
The next day we reached the Chantilly forest and were safe.At supper the gangsters calculated how much money they had gained from this operation, and they found that they did not get a total of two hundred louis.
"Honestly," said one of them, "it's not worth the money and three lives!"
Dubois replied, "Hush, my friends, I encourage you not to spare a single traveler, not just for the money, but for our safety. The crime is not our fault, it is the law's fault. As long as people want to kill thieves and murderers, stealing should be accompanied by murder. Both crimes are punished equally, and since murder can cover up robbery, why not kill?"
"Besides," continued the terrible woman, "where did you learn that two hundred louis was not worth three lives? In calculating something, it is always only our interests. As soon as one man can no longer threaten What does it matter to us to kill him? Of course, we will not pay a penny for whether these people live or go to the grave. Therefore, which one to choose depends on whether it is in our own interest, as long as there is even the slightest We must all choose the one that is in our favour, without regret. In any insignificant matter, if we are intelligent and able to dictate its course, we should unquestionably make it in our favour, rather than Concern about whether someone will die from it. There is no rational proportionality between what concerns us and what concerns other people. What concerns us is what our flesh feels, and what concerns others we It can only be felt spiritually, and mental sensations are unreliable, only bodily sensations are real. Therefore, not only are two hundred louis enough to kill three people, but even thirty sous are worth it, because These thirty sous will satisfy us, and though they are insignificant, they may affect us far more strongly than the three insignificant people who have been killed. And the damage caused by the three murders will not affect us. The frailties of our senses, our thoughtlessness, the damned prejudices in which we were brought up, the needless fears of religion or the law, all keep fools from a life of crime, Great Causes' advance factors. But any strong-bodied and strong-willed man who takes it for granted that he is superior to others will use his own scales to measure his own interests. He mocks God and man, fears no death, Contemptuous of the law, convinced that everything should be given to himself, he felt that no amount of intrusion into others, however deep, could be equaled by the slightest pleasure—even if he bought it at the cost of a very large number of crimes. There will be no physical touch.
① The ancient French currency, equal to one-twentieth of the franc. —— Annotation
Pleasure carried him away, it was with him; the consequences of the crime had no effect on him, it was outside him.I ask, is there any rational man who dislikes what comforts him and prefers what is strange to him?And who wouldn't agree to do something unfamiliar that doesn't feel tricky at all, in exchange for the pleasure of being safe?"
"Oh, Madame," I said to Dubois, begging her to allow me to answer her sophistry, "don't you think that the crime for which you have just gotten away with dooming yourselves? People of considerable strength who are afraid of others. But we, madam, we are always in a situation of fear, humiliation, spurned by all righteous people, condemned to death by all laws, and we can accept only hanging over our heads Do you think these principles would be of any use to us if we were not so miserable, if we were at the center of society, if we were where we should be, if we were not so evil, if we were not under the weight of evil? Do we still apply? How can you hope that the man who, out of blind selfishness, single-handedly harms the interests of others will not be destroyed? Does society promise that within itself it will never tolerate those who oppose it? Besides, a man alone can be against everyone Does he not accept the social convention, and if he does not agree to sacrifice a little immediate happiness for the sake of long-term happiness, can he claim to be happy and peaceful? Society can only be maintained by everyone's constant exchange of good deeds, which is The ligament that binds society together. Instead of doing good in this way, he who consecrates only evil, and who is therefore feared, must be attacked if he is strong, and destroyed by whomever he offends. However, in any case he It is destroyed by a powerful reason. This reason makes a person ensure his own peace, and he who disturbs his peace will be harmed. This is what makes criminal groups impossible for long: since gangs sharpen their own knives to harm others的利益，那所有的人就会立即团结起来，使其锋刃不能奏效。甚至在我们之间，夫人，请允许我再进一言，当您劝告他们每一个人只根据自己的利益行事时，您又怎能来保证能维持团结呢？您现在有什么理由来反对我们当中的一个人要把其他的人杀掉，以便独吞抢来的东西呢？唉，即使在一个罪恶团伙里，道德也被证明是很有必要的，哪怕是在一个罪恶的社会里……可以肯定的是：丧失道德，这个社会一分钟也支持不下去！”
“铁石心肠”说：“泰瑞丝，你拿来反对我们的尽是些诡辩，并不是杜布瓦所说的，维持我们这样罪恶团伙的不是道德，而是利益、是利己主义。您从一个虚幻的设想中得出的对道德的赞扬是错误的。虽然我相信自己是这群人中间的最强者，但却并不想杀掉我的同伙，强夺他们的财物，这是因为如果我成为孤家寡人，就失去了保证我因他们的帮助而得到更多财富的方法。这也是使他们不向我开刀的惟一原因。这个原因，泰瑞丝，你看一看，是完全利己的，丝毫不见道德的踪影。你自己说的，谁想单枪匹马损害社会的利益，就只能灭亡。那么，当一个人在社会上生存，他一无所有，又被他人抛弃了，岂不是更加必死无疑吗?人们所谓的社会利益，无非是各个个人利益的集合，这种个人利益之所以与整体利益协调一致，与之合而为一，绝对不是靠放弃；而一个一无所有的人，你又能希望他放弃什么呢?如果他这样做了，你就得向我承认：他付出的比得到的多得多，他就更加困难了。在这种情况下，买卖的不公平使他无法交易。处在这种境况之中，这样的人最应该做的事，难道不是摆脱这个不公正的社会，依附于一个迥然不同的团体吗？既然这个团体的利益在于聚集成员的微薄力量，与企图迫使不幸的人放弃自己仅有的一点东西（因为他们不愿从他人那里夺取任何东西）的更强大的势力斗争。不过，你也许会说，这样也就会产生持续不断的战争。就算是吧，这难道不正是大自然的状态吗？这难道不是惟一的、真正适合我们的状态吗？自从有人类，我们就是彼此孤立的，贪婪而残忍，而且横行霸道，要得到一切，什么也不肯让出来，你争我夺，只为维护自己的野心，或者保住自己的权利。于是，立法者过来说：不要打了，双方互相退让一点，安宁就会重新出现。我不想谴责这样的公约，但我主张这两种人都不必遵守这样的公约，觉得自己是强者的，无须退让，就可以快活，而那些弱者，只好退让，舍弃的远远超过保证可以获得的。而组成社会的无非是强者和弱者，假如强者和弱者都不满意那个公约，它就根本不能适用于社会。他们都必定宁愿延续以前就存在的战争状态，既然它可以使人人得以自由施行其力量和技能；而不公正的公约却只能把这些剥夺掉，总是使强者损失太多，而弱者所得也总是不够。所以，真正聪明的人只会冒险恢复签订公约之前的那种战争状态，义无反顾地疯狂反对这个合约，尽可能地破坏它，因为他确信他从这些破坏中得到的要比他作为弱者可能失去的总是要多。遵守合约的话，他就还是原来的他；而破坏合约，他就有可能成为强者。并且，法律打算使他重新回到他想离开的阶级中去，更糟的是他可能还会丧命，这与在屈辱和贫困中生活相比就算不了什么大的不幸了。因此，我们只能有两种立场：或者是使我们幸福的犯罪，或者是使我们不再不幸的绞架。我要问一下，漂亮的泰瑞丝，你还能犹豫吗？凭你的聪明，还能找到什么足以反对的理由吗？ "
我理直气壮地回答：“啊，先生，理由何止千百条。不过，这种生活一定是人类的惟一目标吗？人生经历的每一阶段（如果他是理智的）必将把他带到永久的幸福之中，这是道德确保的奖励。除此之外，难道还有其他的出路吗？假设我同意您的看法，而这是不可能的，是触犯理性所有的光辉的，——且不去管它吧，就算我暂时同意您的看法：罪行可以使犯罪的坏蛋幸福，但是您难道想不到公正的上帝会在另一个世界里等着这个恶人，并且向他复仇吗？……啊！请您别以为不会有报应，先生，我要含泪再说一遍，您可别相信! 这是不幸的
人惟一的安慰，不要剥夺掉我们的这一慰藉，既然人类抛弃了我们，除了上帝，谁还会为我们报仇呢？ "
“谁?谁也不会，没人为我们报仇，泰瑞丝，绝对没有任何人!丝毫没有必要为不幸报仇，不幸的人由于需要，才这样自我安慰，这种想法使他们得到慰藉，其实，仍然是虚假的。还不仅仅如此，不幸者受苦是势所必然的，因为他们受屈辱、受痛苦，是符合自然法则的，他们的存在对于自然是有益的，就和压迫他们的人富有是一样的。这就是真理，是它窒息了暴君或者怀有灵魂中的内疚。真理让这样的人不要与自己过不去，要不顾一切地去干他想出来的一切坏事。这是大自然的惟一呼声，这样的呼声提醒他们产生这样的念头，而这也正是大自然使人们成为实现其规律的工具的惟一方式。当它秘密地启示让我们干坏事的时候，就说明坏事对于它是必须的，它要求这样，那就是，罪恶总数还未达到，不足以满足平衡规律——这是支配它的惟一规律，它要求更多一些来保持平衡。所以灵魂被用来干坏事的人不要害怕，不要止步，只要他感受到干坏事的冲动，就要大胆地去干。要是抗拒，反倒触犯大自然。既然您原意谈谈神学，咱们就先放下一会儿道德问题。天真的姑娘，你先要明白，你赖以寄托的宗教只不过是人与上帝的关系，是人以为应该对人的创造者的崇拜，一旦这个创造者的存在被证明是虚幻的，宗教也就灭亡了。早期的人类被使他们震惊的现象吓破了胆，不得不认为有一个至高无上的、他们不了解的人在指引着这些现象、施加其影响。软弱的实质在于想象或者害怕一种力量。人类处于幼年时代，才智仍然过于不足，不能探求，不能发现大自然内部的运动规律——这个运动是使他们感到惊讶的全部机制的惟一的动力，他们认为要确证、界说这个伟岸的主宰，比研究大自然以求发现使他们惊愕万分的原因要困难得多，他们便接受了这个主宰万物的人，使众人对他顶礼膜拜。从此，每个民族制造出相似的风俗习惯、相似的认识、相似的风土人情。不久大地上有多少民族，就有多少宗教，有多少家庭，就有多少神明。不过，在所有这些偶像下面，很容易认出这个荒诞不经的灵魂——人类愚昧无知的第一个结果。人们给他穿上不同的衣服，但是永远是一回事。泰瑞丝，你说说看，一些无知的人确立了一个毫无价值的怪物并大谈怎样伺候它，我们难道应该依据这些胡言乱语就得出推论说，一个聪明的人必须放弃此生现实而确实可靠的幸福吗?应该像伊索所说的那只狗那样为了个影子而丢掉骨头，为了幻觉而抛弃真实的享受吗?不，泰瑞丝，不是这样的，没有什么上帝，自然可以自给自足，它一点也不需要一个创造者。这个想象出来的创造者只能瓦解自己的力量，只能是我们在学校里说的一种预期理由。要有上帝，就得有个什么创世，就是说，先得有那么一个瞬间是什么都没有的，或者说那一瞬间一切都在混沌之中。如若这两种状况中的一种是坏事，那为什么你的那个上帝还让它存在下去呢？如果是好事，那他为什么要改变它呢？而如果现在一切都完美无缺，那你的上帝就无事可干了，既然他毫无用处，还能是万能的吗?假如他不是万能的，他又怎能是上帝呢?如果自然最终死亡了，动力又有什么用处呢？如果动力通过使物质运动对其产生作用，那么它为什么不自己成为物质呢？你怎能设想，精神对物质的作用，物质接受精神的驱动，而精神本身却没有运动?冷静地审视一下那些不得不制造这可恨幻影的人们给它披上的由各种各样滑稽可笑、互相矛盾的优点构成的外衣，核实核实这些优良品质是怎样互相摧毁、互相消解的，你就会看出一部分人由于恐惧、所有人由于无知而神化的幻影不过是一个令人恶心的毫不足奇的玩艺，不值得我们稍予信仰，稍加审核，无非是个可悲的荒谬绝伦之物，令我们的心智反感，被我们的心灵厌弃，它从混沌黑暗之中出来只能永远回到黑暗当中去。