24.3. Brave New World books passage (美丽新世界的书籍段落, 1932)
This amazing passage from from Chapter 17 is a good example of Different levels of truth (Orange Papers, 不同层次的真相, 橙色文件):
The Controller, meanwhile, had crossed to the other side of the room and was unlocking a large safe set into the wall between the bookshelves. The heavy door swung open. Rummaging in the darkness within, "It’s a subject," he said, "that has always had a great interest for me." He pulled out a thick black volume. "You’ve never read this, for example."
The Savage took it. "The Holy Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments" he read aloud from the title-page.
"Nor this." It was a small book and had lost its cover.
"The Imitation of Christ"
"Nor this." He handed out another volume.
"The Varieties of Religious Experience. By William James."
"And I’ve got plenty more," Mustapha Mond continued, resuming his seat. "A whole collection of pornographic old books. God in the safe and Ford on the shelves." He pointed with a laugh to his avowed library to the shelves of books, the rack full of reading-machine bobbins and soundtrack rolls.
"But if you know about God, why don’t you tell them?"
This amazing passage from from Chapter 17 is a good example of Different levels of truth (Orange Papers, 不同层次的真相, 橙色文件):
The Controller, meanwhile, had crossed to the other side of the room and was unlocking a large safe set into the wall between the bookshelves. The heavy door swung open. Rummaging in the darkness within, "It’s a subject," he said, "that has always had a great interest for me." He pulled out a thick black volume. "You’ve never read this, for example."
The Savage took it. "The Holy Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments" he read aloud from the title-page.
"Nor this." It was a small book and had lost its cover.
"The Imitation of Christ"
"Nor this." He handed out another volume.
"The Varieties of Religious Experience. By William James."
"And I’ve got plenty more," Mustapha Mond continued, resuming his seat. "A whole collection of pornographic old books. God in the safe and Ford on the shelves." He pointed with a laugh to his avowed library to the shelves of books, the rack full of reading-machine bobbins and soundtrack rolls.
"But if you know about God, why don’t you tell them?"