一個水手突發(fā)奇興,想戴鯊魚齒的耳環(huán);這個木匠就給他鉆耳朵。另一個水手鬧牙痛了;這個木匠就拿出鉗子,一只手啪嗒地拍一下他那只條凳,教他坐下去;可是,手術(shù)還沒有做,那個可憐的家伙就已不由自主地畏畏縮縮了;因為這個木匠甩著他手里那只木虎鉗柄,示意他如果要木匠替他拔牙齒,就得把下巴夾在那只虎鉗里。
Thus, this carpenter was prepared at all points, and alike indifferent and without respect in all. Teeth he accounted bits of ivory; heads he deemed but top-blocks; men themselves he lightly held for capstans. But while now upon so wide a field thus variously accomplished and with such liveliness of expertness in him, too; all this would seem to argue some uncommon vivacity of intelligence. But not precisely so. For nothing was this man more remarkable, than for a certain impersonal stolidity as it were; impersonal, I say; for it so shaded off into the surrounding infinite of things, that it seemed one with the general stolidity discernible in the whole visible world; which while pauselessly active in uncounted modes, still eternally holds its peace, and ignores you, though you dig foundations for cathedrals.
于是,這個木匠就有對付任何事情的準(zhǔn)備,而且對一切事情都同樣顯得毫無所謂,毫不在乎。他把牙齒看成是一小塊牙骨;把腦袋只當(dāng)成一塊頂木;至于人呢,他淡然地把他看成一只絞盤。不過,照他這樣對各行各業(yè)都無所不通,而且又有如此熟練的功夫,似乎可以說他具有非常聰明利落的才干、可是,又不完全如此。因為,這個人除了好象有種不受個人感情影響的遲鈍以外,毫無任何特點;我說,不受個人感情影響;是因為他竟變得跟周圍的一切事物混而為一,所以他好象是有目共睹的大傻子,隨你怎樣鬧得天翻地覆,他仍然始終悶聲不響,哪怕你在干下什么天大的事,他還是置若罔聞。