背诵为王第四册第01课 Power of Architecture

Lesson1 Power of Architecture
Architecture is to be regarded by us with the most serious thought. We may live without her, and worship without her, but we cannot remember without her. How cold is all history, how lifeless all imagery, compared to that which the living nation writes, and the uncorrupted marble bears! --how many pages of doubtful record might we not often spare, for a few stones left one upon another!
The ambition of the old Babel builders was well directed for this world: there are but two strong conquerors of the forgetfulness of men. Poetry and Architecture; and the latter in some sort includes the former, and is mightier in its reality: it is well to have, not only what men have thought and felt, but what their hands have handled, and their strength wrought, and their eyes behold, all the days of their life.

Imaginary n. （文学作品中的）意像、形像
behold vt. 看
wrought vt. (work 的过去式和过去分词 ) 精心制作

建筑的力量
我们应该以最严肃认真的态度来看待建筑。没有建筑，我们可以生存，可以崇拜上帝，但是我们就会失去记忆。与现存的民族记录下来的和依然如新的大理石展示给我们的东西相比，历史是那么凄冷，想象力是那么毫无生气。几块垒在一起的石头会给我们省下多少张满是疑点的记录。
古老的通天塔的建设者们的雄心对这个世界是有很大的指导意义的：只有两样东西能够克服人类的健忘：诗歌和建筑。在某种意义上，建筑包含诗歌，并且事实上比诗歌更具威力：我们不仅可以拥有人在生命的进程中想到和感觉到的东西，还可以拥有人的双手建造的、努力创造的以及看到的东西，这是多么美好呀。