When violence intrudes into peaceful life, its face glows with self-confidence, as if it were carrying a banner and shouting: “I am violence. Run away, make way for me–I will crush you.” But violence quickly grows old. And it has lost confidence in itself, and in order to maintain a respectable face it summons falsehood as its ally–since violence lays its ponderous paw not every day and not on every shoulder. It demands from us only obedience to lies and daily participation in lies–all loyalty lies in that.
起初,暴政刚刚出现的时候,它的脸上洋溢着自信,好像挥舞着旗帜,高喊:“我是暴政。滚开,为我让路。我将捏死你们。”但是,暴政很快就会衰老,对自己失去自信,为了维持脸面,它只好找到谎言作为同盟,因为它无力将可怕的爪牙每时每刻放在每个人的肩头。它要求我们服从谎言,要求我们永久性成为谎言的一份子。这就是它所要求的全部忠诚