The Human Story

[英]溫斯頓·丘吉爾/Winston Churchill

當歷史巨大的卷軸展開之時，許多錯綜復雜的事件出現了，而這些事件很難有效地納入我們這個時代人們的好惡模式之中。

人類的故事并不總是像數學運算一樣根據二加二等于四的原則展開。人的一生中，有時可能等于五或負三；有時，正算到一半，黑板倒塌，使全班陷于混亂，教師被砸得鼻青臉腫。

現在科學用一只手給我們奉獻了一個黃金年代，但同時又用另一只手給我們制造了一個厄運，我們自從石器時代以及任何人類歷史開始以來一點點建造起來的一切都將陷入困境。但我深信，人類的命運是非常積極向上的。我不相信我們將被扔進由自己才智發明所構成的黑暗深淵中。務必要確保我們主宰那些發明，而不要被那些發明所主宰。

發明的用處應該是治愈病人，為生活提供更多的食物和娛樂。如果它被用來幫助強者壓迫弱者，掠奪熟睡的人們，它就是懷著不虔誠的動機去利用真理。以這種方式褻瀆神靈的人們將遭到報應和懲罰，因為他們的武器將反過來對付他們自己。

As the great scroll of history unrolls， many complicated incidents occur which it is difficult to introduce effectively into the pattern of the likes and dislikes of the epoch in which we live.

The human story does not always unfold like a mathematical calculation on the principle that two and two make four. Sometimes in life they make five or minus three； and sometimes the blackboard topples down in the middle of the sum and leaves the class in disorder and the pedagogue with a black eye.

Science， which now offers us a golden age with one hand， offers at the same time with the other the doom of all that we have built up inch by inch since the Stone Age and the dawn of any human annals. My faith is in the high progressive destiny of man. I do not believe that we are to be flung back into abysmal darkness of fierce some discoveries which human genius has madelet us make sure that they are our servants， but not our masters.

Its place in the healing of the sick， and in giving more food and leisure for life. When it helps the strong crush the weak， and rob those who are asleep， it is using truth for impious ends. Those who are thus sacrilegious will suffer and be punished， for their own weapons will be turned against them.