Written by Frank R. Stockton
"The Lady, or the Tiger?" by Frank R. Stockton.
生活随笔Long ago, in the very olden time, there lived a powerful king. Some of his ideas were progressive. But others caud people to suffer.
One of the king's ideas was a public arena as an agent of poetic justice. Crime was punished, or innocence was decided, by the result of chance. When a person was accud of a crime, his future would be judged in the public arena.
奉为圭臬是什么意思All the people would gather in this building. The king sat high up on his ceremonial chair. He gave a sign. A door under him opened. The accud person stepped out into the arena. Directly opposite the king were two doors. They were side by side, exactly alike. The person on trial had to walk directly to the doors and open one of them. He could open whichever door he plead.
If the accud man opened one door, out came a hungry tiger, the fiercest in the land. The t
iger immediately jumped on him and tore him to pieces as punishment for his guilt. The ca of the suspect was thus decided. 女天
Iron bells rang sadly. Great cries went up from the paid mourners. And the people, with heads hanging low and sad hearts, slowly made their way home. They mourned greatly that one so young and fair, or so old and respected, should have died this way.
But, if the accud opened the other door, there came forth from it a woman, chon especially for the person. To this lady he was immediately married, in honor of his innocence. It was not a problem that he might already have a wife and family, or that he might have chon to marry another woman. The king permitted nothing to interfere with his great method of punishment and reward.
Another door opened under the king, and a clergyman, singers, dancers and musicians joined the man and the lady. The marriage ceremony was quickly completed. Then the bells made cheerful nois. The people shouted happily. And the innocent man led the new wife to his home, following children who threw flowers on their path. 柳絮
This was the king's method of carrying out justice. Its fairness appeared perfect. The accud person could not know which door was hiding the lady. He opened either as he plead, without knowing whether, in the next minute, he was to be killed or married.
Sometimes the fierce animal came out of one door. Sometimes it came out of the other.
档案管理要求
This method was a popular one. When the people gathered together on one of the great trial days, they never knew whether they would e a bloody killing or a happy ending. So everyone was always interested. And the thinking part of the community would bring no charge of unfairness against this plan. Did not the accud person have the whole matter in his own hands?
The king had a beautiful daughter who was like him in many ways. He loved her above all humanity. The princess cretly loved a young man who was the best-looking and bravest in the land. But he was a commoner, not part of an important family.
One day, the king discovered the relationship between his daughter and the young man.
The man was immediately put in prison. A day was t for his trial in the king's public arena. This, of cour, was an especially important event. Never before had a common subject been brave enough to love the daughter of the king.
The king knew that the young man would be punished, even if he opened the right door. And the king would take pleasure in watching the ries of events, which would judge whether or not the man had done wrong in loving the princess.
The day of the trial arrived. From far and near the people gathered in the arena and outside its walls. The king and his advirs were in their places, opposite the two doors. All was ready. The sign was given. The door under the king opened and the lover of the princess entered the arena.
Tall, beautiful and fair, his appearance was met with a sound of approval and tension. Half the people had not known so perfect a young man lived among them. No wonder the princess loved him! What a terrible thing for him to be there!
As the young man entered the public arena, he turned to bend to the king. But he did not at all think of the great ruler. The young man's eyes instead were fixed on the princess, who sat to the right of her father.
From the day it was decided that the ntence of her lover should be decided in the arena, she had thought of nothing but this event.
The princess had more power, influence and force of character than anyone who had ever before been interested in such a ca. She had done what no other person had done. She had possd herlf of the cret of the doors. She knew behind which door stood the tiger, and behind which waited the lady. Gold, and the power of a woman's will, had brought the cret to the princess.时尚发型图片
