19-10-21【英语美文】 律法之下万物平等 The bell of Atri 《正义之钟》

The bell of Atri

Retoldby James Baldwin

1.      Atri is the name of alittle town in Italy. A long time ago, the King of Atri bought a large bell and had it hungup in a tower in the marketplace. Along rope that reached almost to the ground was fastened to the bell. “It is the bell of justice,” said the King. All the men and women and children camedown to the marketplace to look at the bell of justice. It was a very prettybell. “How we should like to hear it ring!” they said. Then the King came downthe street. “Perhaps he will ring it,” said the people. And everybody stoodvery still and waited to see what he would do.

2.      But he did not ring thebell. He did not even take the rope in his hands. “My people,” he said, “do yousee this beautiful bell? It is your bell. But it must never be rung except in caseof need. If any one of you is wronged at any time, you may come and ring the bell. And then the judges shall come together at once, and hear your case, and giveyou justice. Rich and poor, old and young, all alike may come. But no one musttouch the rope unless you know thatyou have been wronged.”

3.      Many years passed by afterthis. Many times did the bell in the marketplace ring out to call the judges together.Many wrongs were righted; many ill-doers were punished. In the end therope was almost worn out. It becameso short that only someone tall could reach it. “This will never do,” said thejudges one day. “What if a child should be wronged? The child could not ringthe bell to let us know it.” They gave orders that a new rope should be putupon the bell at once, but there was not a rope to be found in all Atri.

4.      What if some great wrongshould be done before it came? How could the judges know about it, if the injuredone could not reach the old rope? “Let me fix it for you,” said a man who stoodby. He ran into his garden, which was not far away, and soon came back with along grapevine in his hands. “Thiswill do for a rope,” he said. And he climbed up and fastened it to the bell.  “Yes,” said the judges, “it is a very goodrope. Let it be as it is.”

5.      Now, on the hillside above the village, there liveda man who had once been a brave knight.In his youth he had ridden throughmany lands, and he had fought in many a battle. His best friend through allthat time had been his horse—a strong, noble steed.

6.      But the knight, when hegrew older, cared no more to ride into battle; he cared no more to do brave deeds;he thought of nothing but gold; he became a miser. So he sold all that he had, except his horse, and went tolive in a little hut on thehillside. Day after day he sat among his moneybags and planned how he might getmore gold. And day after day his horse stood in his bare stall, hungry and shivering with cold.

7.      “What is the use ofkeeping that lazy steed?” said the miser to himself one morning. “Every week itcosts me more to keep him than he is worth. I might sell him, but there is noone who wants him. I cannot even give him away. I will get rid of him, he willjust have to take care of himself and pick grass by the roadside.” So the braveold horse was sent away to find what he could among the rocks on the hillside. Lame and sick, he strolled along thedusty roads, glad to find a blade of grass. The dogs barked at him, and in allthe world there was no one to pity him. 

8.      One hot afternoon, when noone was upon the street, the horse wandered into the marketplace. Not a man nor child was there, for the heat of the sunhad driven them all indoors. The horse saw the grapevine rope that hung fromthe bell of justice. What a fine dinner that would be for a hungry horse! He tooka bite and pulled at the grapevine, and the great bell above him began to ring.All the people in Atri heard it. The judges heard it. They put on their robes and went out through the hotstreets to the marketplace. They wondered who it could be who would ring thebell at such a time. When they passed through the gate, they saw the old horse nibbling at the vine. “Ha!” cried one,“It is the miser’s steed. He has come to call for justice. For his master, aseverybody knows, has treated him most shamefully.” “And he shall have justice!”said another.

9.       Meanwhile a crowd of men and women andchildren had come into the marketplace. When they saw the horse, all stoodstill in wonder. Then everyone was ready to tell how they had seen himwandering on the hills, unfed,uncared for, while his master sat at home counting his bags of gold.

10.  “Go bring the miser beforeus,” said the judges. And when he came, they bade him stand and hear their judgment. “This horse has served youwell for many a year,” they said. “He has saved you many times. He has helpedyou gain your wealth. Therefore, weorder that one half of all your gold shall be set aside to buy him shelter and food, a green grassland,and a warm stall to comfort him in his old age.” The miser hung his head and grieved to lose his gold. But thepeople shouted with joy, and the horse was led away to his new stall and adinner such as he had not had in many a day.