读这本中英双语本《人类的故事》（【美】房龙著，秦立彦 冯士新译，广西师范大学出版社，2003年）可费了老劲了，从研一还是研二的时候开始读，期间不知从图书馆预约了几回，借了几回，又续借了几回，又还了几回。末了毕业了，还是没看完，可再也不能去图书馆借了，反正自己也很喜欢，认为是值得收藏的书，于是干脆买了一本回家接着看。
读这本书如此之慢，除了和我一贯的蜗牛式阅读风格保持一致之外，还有两点原因：其一是我从开始读的时候就立志要把英文版从头读到尾；其二是读到比较不熟悉的地方总是忍不住看看中文，这就一直看下去，往往直到本章结束，之后再又回过头去看英文。
读这本书如此坚持，除了和我一贯死磕的阅读风格保持一致之外，也还有两点原因：其一是在读前言的时候被深深吸引了，房龙在前言里描述了他在十二三岁时登上鹿特丹的老圣劳伦斯塔顶（Old Saint Lawrence in Rotterdam）的一次经历。他爬过长长的、长长的楼梯，在远离尘世的高高的塔顶倾听那由于距离的遥远而显得柔和飘渺的市井之声；他站在天空和城市之间看着忙碌的蝼蚁般的人们忙忙碌碌，看大地的远方和高高的天空。他说，History is the mighty Tower of Experience, which Time has built amidst the endless fields of bygone ages. It is no easy task to reach the top of this ancient structure and get the benefit of the full view. There is no elevator, but young feet are strong and it can be done.这句话给了我莫大的鼓励。
其二是我一直喜欢看名家大智写的基础读本，他们腹中丘壑万千，下笔从容淡定，没有噱头、没有做作，胸中风云激荡，笔下波澜不惊。他们用浅显的语言告诉你大智慧，留有让你自己去挖掘的空间和余地。就像茨威格的《人类群星闪耀时》，就像我现在在读的汉斯·昆的《世界宗教寻踪》。后来学术的书读多了、学术论文写多了之后，更深的感觉学术界和普通民众之间的距离太大了。研究者们在学术的世界里用自己发明的一套语言和叙述逻辑写着那些只有同行才能看懂的文章并互相唱和，老百姓渴望知识和文化却只有于丹一类的东西可以聊以充饥。面对于丹现象，十博士发战斗檄文讨于，懂点中国经典的人就忙着给于丹挑错，可是更深的反省或者行动尚在缺席。包括念中文系的学生也是一样，抱着某个最前卫的理论家的文章著作读个昏天黑地，对于人类和欧洲的文化史却所知了了，思辩起来仿佛莫测高深，却总在一些基本的问题上让人跌破眼镜！唉，说远了，从我的读书笔记中摘抄一些《人类的故事》，强烈推荐对人类历史概貌感兴趣的朋友一读，当然，对历史很有研究的朋友就不必再浪费时间了，毕竟我还处在基础阶段 ：）
The history of man is the record of a hungry creature in search of food. Wherever food was plentiful, thither man has travelled to make his home. (P22)
Gaius Julius Caesar:”veni, vidi, vici”, Latin words for “I came, I saw, I conquered.” (P113)
“Power in the state belonged to him who was actually possessed of it”.–Pope advised to Pepin the Short (Carolingian, P148)
If you had heard nothing but hair-raising yarns about cemeteries and coffins and fearful diseases when you were very young, instead of listening to the fairy stories of Andersen and Grimm, you, too, would have lived all your days in a dread of the final hour and the gruesome day of Judgment. That is exactly what happened to the children of the Middle Ages. (“同情的理解”，P200)
(听听他怎么写中国人)Confucius, he did not think that he could make people over by giving them a lot of new laws. He knew that the only possible salvation would come from a change of heart, and he set out upon the seemingly helpless task of changing the character of his millions of fellows men……The Chinese had never been much interested in religion as we understand that word. They believe in devils and spooks…Confucius is almost the only one among the great moral leaders who did not see visions, who did nor proclaim himself as the messenger of divine power, who did not, at some time or another, claim that he was inspired by voices from above. (P260)
The progress of the human race is best compared to a gigantic pendulum which forever swings forward and backward. (P265)
Few things in human life are either entirely good or entirely bad. Few things are either black or white. It is the duty of the honest Chronicler to give a true account of all the good and bad sides of every historical event. It is very difficult to do this because we all have our personal likes and dislikes. But we ought to try and be as fair as we can be, and must not allow our prejudices to influence us too much. (P265-266)
Erasmus: nothing prevents us from “stating the truth with a smile upon our lips.” (P272)
For tolerance (and please remember this when you grow older), is of very recent origin and even the people of our own so-called “modern world” are apt to be tolerant only upon such matters as do not interest them very much. (P279-280)
The glory of the common fatherland became the glory of a single dynasty. It meant the exact opposite of the democratic ideal. (P315)
The great French Revolution proclaims the principles of Liberty, Fraternity and Equality unto all the people of the earth. (P353)
It is unreasonable to expect that a certain class of society shall commit political and economic suicide for the benefit of another group of fellow citizens. (P360)
Historical “ifs”, as I have often warned you, are never of any value. (P363)
You will learn many facts, but it is more important to “feel history” than to know it. (P381)
I want you to learn something more from this history than a mere succession of facts. I want you to approach all historical events in a frame of mind that will take nothing for granted. Don’t be satisfied with the mere statement that “such and such a thing happened then and there.” Try to discover the hidden motives behind every action and then you will understand the world around you much better and you will have a greater chance to help others, which (when all is said and done) is the only truly satisfactory way of living. (P391)
(房龙写这本书的原则) There was but one rule. “Did the country or the person in question produce a new idea or perform an original act without which the history of the entire human race would have been different?” It was not a question of personal taste, it was a matter of cool, almost mathematical judgment. (P475)
“Nature has set no limits to our hopes”, he(Marquis de Condorcet) wrote, “and the picture of the human race, now freed from its chains and marching with a firm tread on the road of truth and virtue and happiness, offers to the philosopher a spectacle which consoles him for the errors, for the crimes and the injustices which still pollute and afflict this earth.” (P484)
There is no definite answer to any historic
al problem. (P486)
一本教给你知识和智慧的书。