布莱希特诗一首 Fragen eines lesenden Arbeiters / A Worker Reads History

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A Worker Reads History
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Who built the seven gates of Thebes?
8 d0 ?, v4 D/ q& fThe books are filled with names of kings.
$ t9 Z: @6 Y5 H3 yWas it the kings who hauled the craggy blocks of stone?
# k' d6 @& A- D6 CAnd Babylon, so many times destroyed.
Who built the city up each time? In which of Lima's houses,
/ b/ \$ ~% }" D! {6 ^) NThat city glittering with gold, lived those who built it?
In the evening when the Chinese wall was finished
: e: J0 {. ?, C! a3 M6 Z4 o3 hWhere did the masons go? Imperial Rome
% Z0 Q, z3 h+ mIs full of arcs of triumph. Who reared them up? Over whom
Did the Caesars triumph? Byzantium lives in song.
% T$ `9 f2 }8 A3 d7 WWere all her dwellings palaces? And even in Atlantis of the legend
The night the seas rushed in,
The drowning men still bellowed for their slaves.

% X4 C; z5 ?: w6 Y* n' P5 j8 D& [8 RYoung Alexander conquered India.
' e- K% q2 _1 H0 v. gHe alone?
+ J2 P# h2 Q8 E" G) V/ H( \: OCaesar beat the Gauls.
. a+ R1 P. ]1 J4 k; u4 m5 q! qWas there not even a cook in his army?
: c/ ?; ~5 \$ t( s- Y2 s) t3 x4 UPhillip of Spain wept as his fleet
was sunk and destroyed. Were there no other tears?
# v+ j7 S1 M: }Frederick the Greek triumphed in the Seven Years War.
; p9 a: S/ @' d- o8 QWho triumphed with him?
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5 a$ T* n; V1 f5 ], }2 k/ ?Each page a victory
At whose expense the victory ball?
' Z. t& `! M) {; c+ Z4 F$ xEvery ten years a great man,
Who paid the piper?

  F- _( C" ?) l! o' Z  x/ c) iSo many particulars.
So many questions.

$ q: z; |( V" c$ C此诗为耶鲁大学John Merriman历史202（现代欧洲史）第一堂大课所提，引人深思。历史到底是个啥？
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