疯子

你们是否听说有个疯子，他在大白天手提灯笼，跑到市场上，一个劲儿的呼喊：“我找上
帝！我找上帝！”那里恰巧聚集着一群不信上帝的人，于是他找来一阵嘲笑。
其中一个问，上帝失踪了么？另一个问，上帝像小孩迷路了么？或者是躲了起来？他害怕
我们了？沉船走了？流亡了？那波人就如此这般又嚷又笑，乱作一团。
疯子跃入他们之中，瞪着两眼，死死盯着他们看，嚷道：“上帝哪儿去了？让我告诉你们
吧！我们把他杀死了！是你们和我把它杀的！咱们大伙全是凶手！我们是怎么杀的呢？我
们怎么能把海水河干呢？谁给我们海绵，把整个世界擦掉呢？我们把地球从太阳的锁链下
解放出来，再怎么办呢？地球运动到哪里去呢？我们运动到哪里去呢？离开所有的太阳么？
我们会一直坠落下去么？向后，先前，像侧旁，全方位的坠落么？还存在一个上界和下界
么？我们是否会像穿过无穷的虚幻那样迷路呢？那个空虚的空间是否会像我们哈气呢？现
在是不是变冷了？是不是一直是黑夜，更多的黑夜？在白天是否必须点燃灯笼？我们还没
有听到埋葬上帝的掘墓人的吵闹么？难道我们没有闻到上帝的腐臭么？上帝也还会腐臭啊？
上帝死了！永远死了！是咱们把他杀死的！我们，最残忍的凶手，如何自慰呢？那个至今
拥有整个世界的至圣强者竟在我们我们的刀下流血！谁能揩掉我们身上的血迹？用什么水
可以清洗我们自身？我们必须发明什么样的赎罪庆典和神圣游戏呢？这伟大的业绩对于我
们是否过于伟大？我们是否必须自己变成上帝，以便显出上帝的尊严而抛头露面？从未有
过比这更伟大的业绩，因此，我们的后代将生活在比至今一切历史都要高尚的历史中。”
疯子说到这里打止了，他举目望听众，听众漠然，异样的瞧他。终于，他把灯笼摔在地上，
灯破火熄，继而又说：“我来得太早，来得不是时候，这件惊人的大事还在半途上走着嘞，
他还没有灌入进人的耳朵里嘞。雷电需要时间，星球需要时间，凡大事都需要时间。即使
完成了大师，人们听到和看到大事也需要假以时日。这件大事还远着呢！比最远的星球还
远，但是总有一天会大功告成的！”
人们传说，疯子在这一天还闯入各个教堂，并领唱安灵弥撒曲。他被人带出来，别人问他，
他总是说：“教堂若非上帝的陵寝和墓碑，还算什么玩意呢？”

The Madman.
--Have you ever heard of the madman who on a bright morning lighted a lantern and ran to the
market-place calling out unceasingly: "I seek God! I seek God!"--As there were many people
standing about who did not believe in God, he caused a great deal of amusement. Why! is he
lost? said one. Has he strayed away like a child? said another. Or does he keep himself hidden?
Is he afraid of us? Has he taken a sea-voyage? Has he emigrated?--the people cried out
laughingly, all in a hubbub. The insane man jumped into their midst and transfixed them with his
glances. " Where is God gone? " he called out. "I mean to tell you! We have killed him,--you and
I! We are all his murderers! But how have we done it? How were we able to drink up the sea?
Who gave us the sponge to wipe away the whole horizon? What did we do when we loosened
this earth from its sun? Whither does it now move? Whither do we move? Away from all suns?
Do we not dash on unceasingly? Backwards, sideways, forwards, in all directions? Is there still
an above and below? Do we not stray, as through infinite nothingness? Does not empty space
breathe upon us? Has it not become colder? Does not night come on continually, darker and
darker? Shall we not have to light lanterns in the morning? Do we not hear the noise of the
grave-diggers who are burying God? Do we not smell the divine putrefaction?--for even Gods
putrefy! God is dead! God remains dead! And we have killed him! How shall we console
ourselves, the most murderous of all murderers? The holiest and the mightiest that the world has
hitherto possessed, has bled to death under our knife,--who will wipe the blood from us? With
what water could we cleanse ourselves? What lustrums, what sacred games shall we have to
devise? Is not the magnitude of this deed too great for us? Shall we not ourselves have to become
Gods, merely to seem worthy of it? There never was a greater event,--and on account of it, all
who are born after us belong to a higher history than any history hitherto!"--Here the madman
was silent and looked again at his hearers; they also were silent and looked at him in surprise. At
last he threw his lantern on the ground, so that it broke in pieces and was extinguished. "I come
too early," he then said, "I am not yet at the right time. This prodigious event is still on its way,
and is travelling,--it has not yet reached men's ears. Lightning and thunder need time, the light of
the stars needs time, deeds need time, even after they are done, to be seen and heard. This deed is
as yet further from them than the furthest star,--and yet they have done it!"--It is further stated
that the madman made his way into different churches on the same day, and there intoned his
Requiem eternal deo. When led out and called to account, he always gave the reply: "What are
these churches now, if they are not the tombs and monuments of God?