Three Wise Men of Gotham

 Three Wise Men of Gotham

Went to sea in a bowl.

If the bowl had been stronger

My tale had been longer.

THERE lived in the great city of Gotham, over against the north gate, a man who possessed¹ a very wise aspect, but very little else. He was tall and lean, and had a fine large head, bald and smooth upon the top, with a circle of white hair behind the ears. His beard was pure white, and reached to his waist; his eyes were small, dark, and so piercing that they seemed to read your every thought. His eyebrows² were very heavy, and as white as his beard. He dressed in a long black mantle³ with a girdle corded about the middle, and he walked slowly and majestically⁴, and talked no more than he was obliged to.

 

When this man passed down the street with his stately tread the people all removed their hats and bowed to him with great reverence⁵, saying within themselves,

 

"He is very wise, this great man; he is a second Socrates."

 

[246]

 

And soon this was the only name he was called by, and every one in Gotham knew him as "Socrates."

 

To be sure this man was not really wise. Had they realized the truth, not one he met but knew more than Socrates; but his venerable appearance certainly betokened⁶ great wisdom, and no one appeared to remember that things are seldom what they seem.

 

Socrates would strut⁷ about with bowed head and arms clasped behind him, and think:

 

"My! how wise these people take me to be. Every one admires my beautiful beard. When I look into their faces they drop their eyes. I am, in truth, a wonderful man, and if I say nothing they will believe I am full of wisdom. Ah, here comes the schoolmaster; I shall frown heavily and refuse to notice him, for then he also will be deceived and think I am pondering upon matters of great import."

 

Really, the one wise thing about this Socrates was his ability to keep quiet. For, saying no word, it was impossible he should betray his ignorance.

 

Singularly enough, over by the south gate of Gotham there dwelt another wise man, of much the same appearance as Socrates. His white beard was a trifle longer and he had lost his left eye, which was covered by a black patch; but in all other ways his person betokened as much wisdom as that of the other.

 

He did not walk about, being lazy and preferring[247] his ease; but he lived in a little cottage with one room, where the people came to consult him in regard to all their troubles.

 

They had named him Sophocles, and when anything went wrong they would say,

 

"Let us go and consult Sophocles, for he is very wise and will tell us what to do."

 

Thus one man, who had sued his neighbor in the courts, became worried over the outcome of the matter and came to consult the wise man.

 

"Tell me, O Sophocles!" he said, as he dropped a piece of money upon a plate, "shall I win my lawsuit⁸ or not?"

 

Sophocles appeared to ponder for a moment, and then he looked at his questioner with his one eye and replied,

 

"If it is not decided⁹ against you, you will certainly win your suit."

 

And the man was content, and went away feeling that his money had been well invested.

 

At another time the mother of a pair of baby twins came to him in great trouble.

 

"O most wise Sophocles!" she said, "I am in despair! For my little twin girls are just alike, and I have lost the ribbon that I placed on one that I might be able to tell them apart. Therefore I cannot determine which is Amelia and which is Ophelia, and as the priest has christened them by their proper names it would be a sin to call them wrongly."

 

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three men in cup

Three Wise Men of Gotham

 

"Cannot the priest tell?" asked the wise man.

 

"No one can tell," answered the woman; "neither the priest nor their father nor myself, for they are just alike. And they are yet too young to remember their own names. Therefore your great wisdom is our only resource."

 

"Bring them to me," commanded Sophocles.

 

And when they were brought he looked at them attentively¹⁰ and said,

 

"This is Ophelia and this Amelia. Now tie a red ribbon about Ophelia's wrist and put a blue ribbon on Amelia, and so long as they wear them you will not be troubled to tell them apart."

 

Everyone marvelled¹¹ greatly that Sophocles should know the children better than their own mother, but he said to himself,

 

"Since no one can prove that I am wrong I am sure to be right;" and thus he maintained his reputation for wisdom.

 

In a little side street near the center of Gotham lived an old woman named Deborah Smith. Her home was a wretched little hut, for she was poor, and supported herself and her husband by begging in the streets. Her husband was a lazy, short, fat old man, who lay upon a ragged¹² blanket in the hut all day and refused to work.

 

"One beggar in the family is enough," he used to grumble¹³, when his wife upbraided¹⁴ him, "and I am[249] really too tired to work. So let me alone, my Deborah, as I am about to take another nap."

 

Nothing she could say would arouse him to action, and she finally allowed him to do as he pleased.

 

But one day she met Socrates walking in the street, and after watching him for a time made up her mind he was nothing more than a fool. Other people certainly thought him wise, but she was a shrewd old woman, and could see well enough that he merely looked wise. The next day she went to the south of the city to beg, and there she heard of Sophocles. When the people repeated his wise sayings she thought,

 

"Here is another fool, for any one could tell as much as this man does."

 

Still, she went to see Sophocles, and, dropping a penny upon his plate, she asked,

 

"Tell me, O wise man, how shall I drive my husband to work?"

 

"By starving him," answered Sophocles; "if you refuse to feed him he must find a way to feed himself."

 

"That is true," she thought, as she went away; "but any fool could have told me that. This wise man is a fraud; even my husband is as wise as he."

 

Then she stopped short and slapped her hand against her forehead.

 

"Why," she cried, "I will make a Wise Man of Perry, my husband, and then he can earn money without working!"

 

[250]

 

So she went to her husband and said,

 

"Get up, Perry Smith, and wash yourself; for I am going to make a Wise Man of you."

 

"I won't," he replied.

 

"You will," she declared, "for it is the easiest way to earn money I have ever discovered."

 

Then she took a stick and beat him so fiercely that at last he got up, and agreed to do as she said.

 

She washed his long beard until it was as white as snow, and she shaved his head to make him look bald and venerable. Then she brought him a flowing black robe with a girdle at the middle; and when he was dressed, lo! he looked fully¹⁵ as wise as either Socrates or Sophocles.

 

"You must have a new name," she said, "for no one will ever believe that Perry Smith is a Wise Man. So I shall hereafter call you Pericles, the Wisest Man of Gotham!"

 

She then led him into the streets, and to all they met she declared,

 

"This is Pericles, the wisest man in the world."

 

"What does he know?" they asked.

 

"Everything, and much else," she replied.

 

Then came a carter, and putting a piece of money in the hand of Pericles, he enquired¹⁶,

 

"Pray tell me of your wisdom what is wrong with my mare¹⁷?"

 

"How should I know?" asked Pericles.

 

[251]

 

"I thought you knew everything," returned the carter, in surprise.

 

"I do," declared Pericles; "but you have not told me what her symptoms are."

 

"She refuses to eat anything," said the carter.

 

"Then she is not hungry," returned Pericles; "for neither man nor beast will refuse to eat when hungry."

 

And the people who heard him whispered together and said,

 

"Surely this is a wise man, for he has told the carter what is wrong with his mare."

 

After a few days the fame of Pericles' sayings came to the ears of both Socrates and Sophocles, and they resolved to see him, for each feared he would prove more wise than they were, knowing themselves to be arrant¹⁸ humbugs¹⁹. So one morning the three wise men met together outside the hut of Pericles, and they sat themselves down upon stools, facing each other, while a great crowd of people gathered around to hear the words of wisdom that dropped from their lips.

 

But for a time all three were silent, and regarded one another anxiously, for each feared he might betray himself.

 

Finally Sophocles winked²⁰ his one eye at the others and said, in a grave voice,

 

"The earth is flat; for, were it round, as some fools say, all the people would slide off the surface."

 

Then the people, who had listened eagerly, clapped their hands together and murmured,

 

[252]

 

"Sophocles is wisest of all. What he says is truth."

 

This provoked Socrates greatly, for he felt his reputation was in danger; so he said with a frown,

 

"The world is shallow, like a dish; were it flat the water would all run over the edges, and we should have no oceans."

 

Then the people applauded more loudly than before, and cried,

 

"Socrates is right! he is wisest of all."

 

Pericles, at this, shifted uneasily upon his stool, for he knew he must dispute the matter boldly or his fame would depart from him. Therefore he said, with grave deliberation,

 

"You are wrong, my friends. The world is hollow, like the shell of a cocoanut, and we are all inside the shell. The sky above us is the roof, and if you go out upon the ocean you will come to a place, no matter in which direction you go, where the sky and the water meet. I know this is true, for I have been to sea."

 

The people cheered loudly at this, and said,

 

"Long live Pericles, the wisest of the wise men!"

 

"I shall hold I am right," protested Sophocles, "until Pericles and Socrates prove that I am wrong."

 

"That is fair enough," said the people.

 

"And I also shall hold myself to be right until they prove me wrong," declared Socrates, firmly.

 

"I know I am right," said Pericles, "for you cannot prove me wrong."

 

[253]

 

"We can take a boat and sail over the sea," remarked Socrates, "and when we come to the edge we will know the truth. Will you go?"

 

"Yes," answered Sophocles; and Pericles, because he did not dare refuse, said "Yes" also.

 

Then they went to the shore of the sea, and the people followed them. There was no boat to be found anywhere, for the fishers were all away upon the water; but there was a big wooden bowl lying upon the shore, which the fishermen used to carry their fish to market in.

 

"This will do," said Pericles, who, because he weighed the most, was the greatest fool of the three.

 

So the wise men all sat within the bowl, with their feet together, and the people pushed them out into the water.

 

The tide caught the bowl and floated it out to sea, and before long the wise men were beyond sight of land.

 

They were all greatly frightened, for the bowl was old and cracked, and the water leaked slowly through until their feet were covered. They clung to the edge with their hands and looked at one another with white faces. Said Pericles,

 

"I was a fool to come to sea in this bowl."

 

"Ah," remarked Socrates, "if you are a fool, as you confess, then you cannot be a wise man."

 

"No," answered Pericles, "but I'll soon be a dead man."

 

[254]

 

"I also was a fool," said Sophocles, who was weeping from his one eye and trembling all over, "for if I had stayed upon land I would not have been drowned."

 

"Since you both acknowledge it," sighed Socrates, "I will confess that I also am a fool, and have always been one; but I looked so wise the people insisted I must know everything!"

 

"Yes, yes," Sophocles groaned²¹, "the people have murdered us!"

 

"My only regret," said Pericles, "is that my wife is not with me. If only she were here"—

 

He did not finish what he was saying, for just then the bowl broke in two. And the people are still waiting for the three wise men to come back to them.

 

1 possessed   

adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的

参考例句：

• He flew out of the room like a man possessed.他像着了魔似地猛然冲出房门。
• He behaved like someone possessed.他行为举止像是魔怔了。

2 eyebrows   

眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Eyebrows stop sweat from coming down into the eyes. 眉毛挡住汗水使其不能流进眼睛。
• His eyebrows project noticeably. 他的眉毛特别突出。

3 mantle   

n.斗篷，覆罩之物，罩子；v.罩住，覆盖，脸红

参考例句：

• The earth had donned her mantle of brightest green.大地披上了苍翠欲滴的绿色斗篷。
• The mountain was covered with a mantle of snow.山上覆盖着一层雪。

4 majestically   

雄伟地； 庄重地； 威严地； 崇高地

参考例句：

• The waters of the Changjiang River rolled to the east on majestically. 雄伟的长江滚滚东流。
• Towering snowcapped peaks rise majestically. 白雪皑皑的山峰耸入云霄。

5 reverence   

n.敬畏，尊敬，尊严；Reverence:对某些基督教神职人员的尊称；v.尊敬，敬畏，崇敬

参考例句：

• He was a bishop who was held in reverence by all.他是一位被大家都尊敬的主教。
• We reverence tradition but will not be fettered by it.我们尊重传统，但不被传统所束缚。

6 betokened   

v.预示，表示( betoken的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Nothing betokened that the man know anything of what had occurred. 显然那个人还不知道已经发生了什么事。 来自互联网
• He addressed a few angry words to her that betokened hostility. 他对她说了几句预示敌意的愤怒的话。 来自互联网

7 strut   

v.肿胀，鼓起；大摇大摆地走；炫耀；支撑；撑开；n.高视阔步；支柱，撑杆

参考例句：

• The circulation economy development needs the green science and technology innovation as the strut.循环经济的发展需要绿色科技创新生态化作为支撑。
• Now we'll strut arm and arm.这会儿咱们可以手挽着手儿，高视阔步地走了。

8 lawsuit   

n.诉讼，控诉

参考例句：

• They threatened him with a lawsuit.他们以诉讼威逼他。
• He was perpetually involving himself in this long lawsuit.他使自己无休止地卷入这场长时间的诉讼。

9 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

10 attentively   

adv.聚精会神地；周到地；谛；凝神

参考例句：

• She listened attentively while I poured out my problems. 我倾吐心中的烦恼时，她一直在注意听。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She listened attentively and set down every word he said. 她专心听着，把他说的话一字不漏地记下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 marvelled   

v.惊奇，对…感到惊奇( marvel的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• I marvelled that he suddenly left college. 我对他突然离开大学感到惊奇。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I marvelled at your boldness. 我对你的大胆感到惊奇。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 ragged   

adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的

参考例句：

• A ragged shout went up from the small crowd.这一小群人发出了刺耳的喊叫。
• Ragged clothing infers poverty.破衣烂衫意味着贫穷。

13 grumble   

vi.抱怨；咕哝；n.抱怨，牢骚；咕哝，隆隆声

参考例句：

• I don't want to hear another grumble from you.我不愿再听到你的抱怨。
• He could do nothing but grumble over the situation.他除了埋怨局势之外别无他法。

14 upbraided   

v.责备，申斥，谴责( upbraid的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The captain upbraided his men for falling asleep. 上尉因他的部下睡着了而斥责他们。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• My wife upbraided me for not earning more money. 我的太太为了我没有赚更多的钱而责备我。 来自辞典例句

15 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

16 enquired   

打听( enquire的过去式和过去分词 )； 询问； 问问题； 查问

参考例句：

• He enquired for the book in a bookstore. 他在书店查询那本书。
• Fauchery jestingly enquired whether the Minister was coming too. 浮式瑞嘲笑着问部长是否也会来。

17 mare   

n.母马，母驴

参考例句：

• The mare has just thrown a foal in the stable.那匹母马刚刚在马厩里产下了一只小马驹。
• The mare foundered under the heavy load and collapsed in the road.那母马因负载过重而倒在路上。

18 arrant   

adj.极端的；最大的

参考例句：

• He is an arrant fool.他是个大傻瓜。
• That's arrant nonsense.那完全是一派胡言。

19 humbugs   

欺骗( humbug的名词复数 )； 虚伪； 骗子； 薄荷硬糖

参考例句：

20 winked   

v.使眼色( wink的过去式和过去分词 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮

参考例句：

• He winked at her and she knew he was thinking the same thing that she was. 他冲她眨了眨眼，她便知道他的想法和她一样。
• He winked his eyes at her and left the classroom. 他向她眨巴一下眼睛走出了教室。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

21 groaned   

v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦

参考例句：

• He groaned in anguish. 他痛苦地呻吟。
• The cart groaned under the weight of the piano. 大车在钢琴的重压下嘎吱作响。 来自《简明英汉词典》