作者| 保罗·哈维·奥朗特
翻译 | 舒舒
朗读 | 正军
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注:前几日发出文章之后意识到广播是英文的,我应该给它配上中文的朗读,但我实在没法把握“魔鬼的气质”,所以特地请了非常专业的、一直在声音领域工作的正军弟兄帮忙录制。他绘声绘色地将“魔鬼”这一角色演绎得非常出色,狡猾阴森的感觉应该会让大家对文章内容的印象更加深刻。这样更容易记住:远离陷阱,不要上当!!!
舒舒 2021/1/31
昨天D姐妹发给我一段1965年的广播音频,听得我毛骨悚然,真是一点都不夸张。
不是因为这段音频的题目叫“如果我是魔鬼”,而是因为,内中所说的都已经成为现实。
事隔55年,魔鬼“颠覆美国”的计划用温水煮青蛙的方式在这个国家慢慢成就,可见那恶者也是深谙“不积跬步无以至千里”的道理。
虽然我们也知道魔鬼的计划就是杀害毁坏,可当你看到他细数那些计谋和手段,真是为人类捏把汗啊。
被扭曲的“自由”、“民主”、以及享乐主义对人类社会的破坏趋势已经戏剧性地成熟了。如果单靠自己的力量怎能逃脱魔爪呢?
当我们一步步远离仁爱、喜乐、和平、忍耐、恩慈、良善、信实、温柔、节制这些美好的品格,下坠中的灵魂一边抱怨着社会的堕落,一边又无法抑制“跟风随大流”的冲动,或者仅仅为了追寻属于某一个更大群体的“安全感“,就把人类最基本的性别认知及家庭制度的解体、文化习俗的堕落、对上帝的拒绝和谴责都称之为“新潮”和“进步”……
真的是进步吗?魔鬼看着这一幕幕的上演是多么得意。
1965年录制广播的人名叫保罗·哈维·奥朗特(Paul Harvey Aurandt) ,他是一位勇敢而忠诚的美国电台广播员。从20世纪50年代到90年代,他每天都通过广播新闻,并用他的每日节目给听众们讲述真实、善良的事迹和英雄主义的故事,他的声音和他的故事激励了几代美国人。
2005年,他因对国家的杰出贡献而被授予总统自由勋章。在鼎盛时期,他的广播触及了多达2400万听众和读者,全国约有1600家电台和300家报纸刊登他的节目和专栏。
他曾在1964年播出过一档名为《如果我是魔鬼》(IfI Were the Devil)的节目,预示并警告了美国社会和文化的发展方向。后来又进行了几次更新,我们现在听到的这一版本应该是更新过后的。
其实,何止是美国人民应该再来听一听这段录音呢?全世界人民都应该警醒,按照魔鬼的品性,怎么又会满足单单拿下美国呢?
(我没花时间仔细寻找并对比文本,很可能还有之后出来的更加完整的版本。我把收到的这个翻成了中文,在文末也提供了英文全文本给英语学习爱好者。)
如果我是魔鬼
作者:保罗·哈维·奥朗特
翻译:舒舒
如果我是黑暗王子,我要将整个世界都吞没在黑暗中。我将拥有它三分之一的地产和五分之四的人口。但我不会满足快乐,直到我攫取了树上最成熟的那颗苹果——你。因此,我将采取一切必要的手段来接管美国。
首先我将颠覆教会,而且我会从一场窃窃私语的运动开始。拥有着蛇一般狡诈智慧的我,就像当初对夏娃耳语一样,也会对你低语:“按你的意思去做吧。”
我会悄悄对年轻人说“圣经只是个神话”。
我会让孩子们相信是人类创造了上帝,而不是上帝创造了人类。
我会对他们透露,坏的其实就是好的,而好的就是古板老套的。
我会教老年人跟着我这样祈祷:“我们在华盛顿的父……”(编者注:正确的主祷文的开头应该是:我们在天上的父。)
然后,我会开始有组织的攻击。
我会教作家们如何将耸人听闻的文学变得激动人心,这样其它的东西就会显得枯燥无味。
我会用更下流的电影来威胁电视,反之亦然。
我会把毒品兜售给任何可以接触到的人。
我会把酒卖给显贵的女士们和先生们。
我会用药物让剩下的人安静下来。
如果我是魔鬼,我很快就会让家庭出现矛盾,教会出现纷争,国家出现内乱,直到他们一个一个地被吞噬。
我向媒体承诺更高的收视率,他们就会乖乖地来协助我煽风点火。
如果我是魔鬼,我会鼓励学校培养年轻人的智力,而忽视对情绪的管理,就让他们恣情妄为。等你察觉到状况不对时,你已经需要在每个学校门口放上缉毒犬和金属探测器。
十年后,监狱就会人满为患,法官也会宣传色情。
很快,我就会顺利地把上帝赶出法院,赶出校舍,赶出国会。
在祂自己的教堂里,我要用心理学取代宗教,并将科学奉为神明。
我会引诱神父和牧师虐待孩童,并滥用教会的财产。
如果我是魔鬼,我会让彩蛋成为复活节的象征,让酒瓶成为圣诞节的意义。
如果我是魔鬼,我会夺取富人手中拥有的,然后送给那些想要的人,直到我灭尽了抱负和雄心。我能让整个美国都把赌博作为致富的途径来推广,你敢和我打赌吗?
我要告诫大家,在认真工作、爱国主义和道德行为上都不要太花力气。
我会让年轻人相信婚姻已经过时,性放纵更有趣,你在电视上看到的才是生活该有的方式。这样,我就可以在公共场合脱下你的衣服;我也可以带着无法治愈的疾病,引诱你上床。
换句话说,如果我是魔鬼,我只要继续做他正在做的一切就可以了。
If I Were the Devil
By Paul Harvey Aurandt
If I were the prince of darkness, I would want to engulf the whole world in darkness. I’d have a third of its real estate and four-fifths of its population, but I would not be happy until I had seized the ripest apple on the tree — thee. So, I would set about however necessary to take over the United States.
I’d subvert the churches first, and I would begin with a campaign of whispers. With the wisdom of a serpent, I would whisper to you as I whispered to Eve: “Do as you please.”
To the young, I would whisper that the Bible is a myth. I would convince the children that man created God instead of the other way around. I’d confide that what’s bad is good and what’s good is “square”. And the old, I would teach to pray after me, “Our Father, which art in Washington …”
Then, I’d get organized. I’d educate authors in how to make lurid literature exciting so that anything else would appear dull and uninteresting.I’d threaten TV with dirtier movies and vice versa. I’d peddle narcotics to whom I could. I’d sell alcohol to ladies and gentlemen of distinction. I’d tranquilize the rest with pills.
If I were the devil, I’d soon have families at war with themselves, churches at war with themselves and nations at war with themselves until each, in its turn, was consumed. And with promises of higher ratings, I’d have mesmerizing media fanning the flames.
If I were the devil, I would encourage schools to refine young intellect but neglect to discipline emotions, just let those run wild. Until you knew it, you’d have drug-sniffing dogs and metal detectors at every school house door. With a decade, I’d have prisons overflowing and judges promoting pornography. Soon, I would evict God from the court house and then from the school house and then from the houses of Congress. In his own churches, I would substitute psychology for religion and deify science. I’d lure priests and pastors into misusing boys and girls and church money.
If I were the devil, I’d make the symbol of Easter and egg and the symbol of Christmas a bottle.
If I were the devil, I’d take from those who have and give to those who wanted until I had killed the incentive of the ambitious. What’ll you bet I couldn’t get whole states to promote gambling as the way to get rich?
I would caution against extremes in hard work, in patriotism, in moral conduct. I’d convince the young that marriage is old-fashioned, that swinging is more fun and that what you see on television is the way to be. And thus, I could undress you in public and I can lure you into bed with diseases for which there are no cures.
In other words, if I were the devil, I’d just keep right on doing what he’s doing.