WHAT SHALL WE BUILD?

我们应该建立什么？

Our children were playing on the sea-shore. They had gathered bright pebbles and beautiful shells, and written their names in the pure, white sand; but at last, tired of their sport, they were about going home, when one of them, as they came to a pile of stones, cried out:

我们的几个孩子正在海边玩耍。他们捡拾明亮的鹅卵石和美丽的贝壳，在纯净、洁白的沙滩上书写他们的名字。但最终他们玩腻了，起身准备回家。当走到一堆石头边时，其中一个孩子突然叫道：

"Oh! Let us build a fort; and we will call that ship away out there, an enemy's vessel, and make believe we are firing great cannon balls into her!"

"Yes, yes! Let us build a fort," responded Edward, the other lad.

And the two boys—for two were boys and two girls—ran off to the pile of stones, and began removing them to a place near the water.

"Come, Anna and Jane," said they, "come and help us."

“哦！我们建个堡垒吧，我们把远处过往的船只称作敌舰，假装我们正用巨大的加农炮弹轰她！”

“好，好！我们来建堡垒”另一个男孩爱德华随声附和着。

两个男孩（两个是男孩，两个是女孩）跑向石头堆，开始向一个近水的地方搬挪石头。

“来，安娜，简，”他们说，“来帮我们。”

"Oh, no. Don't let us build a fort," said Jane.

"Yes; we will build a fort," returned the boys. "What else can we build? You wouldn't put a house down here upon the water's edge?"

"No; but I'll tell you what we can build, and it will be a great deal better than a fort."

"Well; what can we build?"

"A light-house," said the girls; "and that will be just as much in place on the edge of the sea as a fort. We can call the ship yonder a vessel lost in the darkness, and we will hang out a light and direct her in the true way. Won't that be much better than to call her an enemy, and build a fort to destroy her? See how beautifully she sits upon and glides over the smooth water! Her sails are like the open wings of a bird, and they bear her gracefully along. Would it not be cruel to shoot great balls into her sides, tear her sails to pieces, and kill the men who are on board of her? Oh! I am sure it would make us all happier to save her when in darkness and danger. No, no; let us not build a fort, but a light-house; for it is better to save than to destroy."

“哦，不，我们别建堡垒。”简说。

“要建，我们就是要建个堡垒，”男孩子们回敬道，“不建堡垒其它我们能建什么？你总不至于想在这水边建所房子吧？”

“当然不是，但我会告诉你们我们能够建什么，那要比建个堡垒好上百倍。”

“喔，那是什么？”

“灯塔，”女孩子说，“它和堡垒一样适合在海边建。我们可以把远处过往的航船看作夜行中迷失了方向，我们挂盏灯为她们指引正确的方向，这不比把她们称作敌人建个堡垒去击沉她好吗？瞧,她像鸟儿一样稳稳地滑翔在平静的水面上多么美丽！她的帆如同张开的双翼，鼓动着她以优美的身姿继续前行。而你们却要用巨大的炮弹向她轰击，将她的帆炸成碎片，杀死她的无辜乘客，这难道不残忍吗？哦！我敢肯定，救她于黑暗和危险之中会使我们都感到幸福的。好了，就这样吧，我们不要建堡垒了，就建灯塔吧，解救要比消灭更有意义。”

The girls spoke with tenderness and enthusiasm, and their words reached the better feelings of their companions.

"Oh, yes," said they; "we will build a light-house, and not a fort." And they did so.

Yes, it is much better to save than to destroy. Think of that, children, and let it go with you through life. Be more earnest to save your friends than to destroy your enemies. And yet, when a real enemy comes, and seeks to do evil, be brave to resist him.        

女孩子的话语柔和甜美，充满热情，触及到了男孩子的良心。

“哦，那好吧”他们说，“我们就建灯塔，不建堡垒。”他们这样做了。

没错，解救总比消灭要好。好好想想这一点吧，孩子，一辈子都不要忘记。要把你更多的精力放在拯救你的朋友上，而不是消灭你的敌人上。而当真正的敌人前来寻机行恶时，你要勇敢地抵制他。

译后感言：

我想起另一则真实的故事

02年2月底的一天，美国驻巴基斯坦卡拉奇领事馆收到一个蒙面人送来的录相带。失踪了一个多月的美国《华尔街日报》记者丹尼尔·珀尔正在接受审讯：“你的使命是什么？”“我的目的是和平、友善。”“最终目的呢？”“使东西方的恶意得到善意的弥合，得到沟通。”“你的家庭成员历史？”“父母和我都是犹太人，我的妻子是法国人。”话音刚落，在没有任何征兆的情况下，画面上闪过一只持着尖刀的右手，在人们来不及做出任何反应时，锋利的刀已经割破了丹尼尔的咽喉。晃动的马赛克下，头发零乱的丹尼尔头颅落地…… 当年，同时看到这段残忍录像的，还有正怀着身孕、疯狂寻找丈夫的玛丽安妮。那个冬天，玛丽安妮以异乎寻常的冷静应对了犹如晴天霹雳的变故。她也曾撕心裂肺地哭嚎，但痛定之后，她却带着6个月的身孕，在动荡的异国他乡与很多人一起寻找她丈夫的尸首。5个星期后，人们在卡拉奇市郊，找到了已经被肢节成10部分的丹尼尔的残尸。后来，根据玛丽安妮的回忆录《坚强的心》改编而成的同名电影，将那段不堪回首的往事搬上了荧幕。在戛纳电影节60周年首映仪式上，玛丽安妮和她与丹尼尔的5岁的儿子亚当出现在红地毯上。“10月10日是丹尼尔的生日，这是我送给他的礼物。”玛丽安妮笑得一脸灿烂，作为受害者家属，人们看不到她的心碎、悲痛和仇恨。通过电影，玛丽安妮用坚韧和宽容征服了所有人。

“我和我的妻子因为共同理想而相爱，我们决心这辈子要努力在不同文明之间搭建对话的桥梁。”丹尼尔生前在接受美国有线电视网采访时，曾这样袒露心声。丹尼尔在临死前，不曾向恐怖分子低头乞怜过，始终面带笑容，做出胜利的姿势。这就是玛丽安妮描写的坚强不屈的心灵，坚持信念到最后一刻的人。

玛丽安妮是战争的受害者，但也是胜利者。她不是展示伤疤、换取怜悯，反而更加理性地思考恐怖主义的源头。她认为这个世界上即有文明之间的偏见和分歧，也有文明之间共通的地方。那就是善良、宽容和正义。

07年3月，“基地”组织嫌疑犯供认他就是亲手杀害丹尼尔的凶手。玛丽安妮没有激愤。她和丹尼尔的父母设立了丹尼尔·珀尔基金会，宗旨是增进犹太人、穆斯林人以及其他民族之间相互了解，消除那种夺去丹尼尔生命的仇恨和偏见。玛丽安妮并不认为丈夫的死通用“值得”一词来形容。她说，“我的一生，他的一生，只是想在不同文化之间搭建一座相互沟通的桥梁。”