THIS is an Extract from a letter written in 1831. William Wirt, having been, in early life, a dissipated man, became a lawyer of distinction, a writer of great pathos and beauty, the author of the British Spy, which contains his description of the Blind Preacher, of the "Life of Patrick Henry," and of "The Old Bachelor.”He was, at one time, a candidate for the presidency of the United States. He died in 1834.

1. INTEMPERANCE paralyzes the arm, the brain, the heart. All the best affections, all the energies of the mind, wither under its influence. The man becomes a maniac, and is locked up in the hospital or imbrues his hand in the blood of his wife and children, and is sent to the gallows or doomed to the penitentiary or, if he escapes these consequences, he becomes a walking pestilence on the earth, miserable in himself and loathsome to all who behold him.

2. How often do we see, too, whole families contaminated by the vicious example of their parents husbands, wives, daughters, and sons, all drunkards and furies sometimes, wives murdering husbands at others, husbands their wives and, worst of all, if worse can be in such a group of horrors, children murdering their parents. But below this grade of crime, how much is there of unseen and untold misery throughout our otherwise happy land, proceeding from this fatal cause alone.

3. I am persuaded that if we could have a statistical survey and report of the affairs of unhappy families and individuals, with the causes of their misery annexed, we should fnd nine cases out of ten, if not a still greater proportion, resulting from the use of ardent spirits alone. With this conviction, which seems to have become universal among refecting men, the apathy shown to the continuance of the evil can only be ascribed to the circumstance that the mischief, though verbally admitted, is not seen and felt in all its enormity.

4. If some fatal plague of a contagious character, were imported into our country, and had commenced its ravages in our cities, we should see the most prompt and vigorous measures at once adopted to repress and extinguish it but what are the most fearful plagues that ever carried death and havoc in their train through the eastern countries, compared with this? They are only occasional, this is perennial.

5. They are confined by climate or place this malady is of all climates and all times and places. They kill the body at once this consumes body and soul by a lingering and dreadful death, involving the dearest connections in the vortex of ruin. What parent, however exemplary himself, can ever feel that his son is safe while this living fountain of poison is within his reach. God grant that it may soon become a fountain sealed, in our country at least.

6. What a relief, how delightful would it be, to turn from the awful and horrid past, to the pure, peaceful, and happy future! to see the springs of life, and feeling, and intelligence renewed on every hand health, industry, and prosperity glowing around us the altars of domestic peace and love rekindled in every family and the religion of the Savior presented with a fair feld for its celestial action.

(WILLIAM WIRT)

中文阅读

这是一篇一封写于1831年的书信的摘录。早年沉迷于酒色的威廉·沃特，曾经是一位杰出的律师，善于描写情感与美。他是《英国间谍》的作者，该书中包括他对“盲人布道者”“帕特里克·亨利”和“老单身”的描述。他曾一度成为美国总统候选人。于1834年去世。

1. 酗酒会使肢体、大脑和心脏麻木，会让所有最美好的感情、所有的精力衰退，人因此会变成疯子，被锁在医院里，手上沾满妻儿的鲜血，被送上绞刑台或注定要进监狱。或者，假如他能逃脱这些恶果的话，那他就会成为地球上活着的瘟疫，不仅自己痛苦，也令所有见到他的人心生厌恶。

2. 曾经有多少次，我们看到这些酒鬼以及他们盛怒之下带来的所有影响，对整个家庭——父母、丈夫、妻子、儿女——的破坏，妻子谋杀丈夫，丈夫谋害妻子，最糟糕、最耸人听闻的是孩子杀害父母。但是，除了犯罪，这一致命行为所带来的恶果，还有多少看不见、说不出的痛苦侵蚀着我们的幸福生活呢？

3. 我深信，假如有统计数据和调查的话，在由酗酒带来的痛苦导致的家庭不幸和个人的犯罪事件中，我们会发现十起事件中有九起（这个比率还不是太大）是由烈酒所致。在被调查的人中，持这种观念的似乎很普遍。对连续不断的邪恶所表现出的漠然，只能归咎于伤害人的环境，尽管在口头上得到了认同，然而，这种穷凶极恶的伤害却是看不见摸不着的。

4. 假如我们国家出现了致命的瘟疫，瘟疫开始在我们的城市肆虐的话，我们会看到，人们会以最快的速度立刻采取最强有力的措施来遏止并且消灭疾患。然而，与瘟疫相比，最令人恐惧的灾难是什么？酗酒蓄势待发，将会给东方国家带去破坏与死亡。瘟疫是暂时的，可是酗酒带来的伤害却是长久的。

5. 瘟疫会受到气候和地区的限制，可是酗酒之弊及其带来的伤害却可以在任何气候里出现，不受任何时间、地点的限制。瘟疫会立即致命，而酒精却是通过与毁灭漩涡的亲密接触，一点点地蚕食人的身心，它在人的体内徘徊不去，直至人死亡。如果这种毒药触手可及，并流行开来的话，一个无论多么优秀的父亲，也不会感到自己的儿子是安全的吧？若上帝准许，这种毒药的源头很快将被封杀，至少在我们国家可以。

6. 能够走出阴森恐怖的过去，走向纯净、和平、幸福的未来，是多么令人释怀和快乐的事啊！为了看到生命的春天，情感与智慧在每个人的手中复苏，为了看到健康、勤奋与繁荣环绕在我们周围，为了看到每个家庭中的和平圣坛和重新燃烧的爱，也为了耶稣在公平的空间里行使天道。

（威廉·沃特） WU/uTrWL6Gv/TI3/j/3+VDVRD933o4rY26n4NILPSu++lcDwQqcdkM6sjNeuNDkj