Such violence in our time thrives on a form of mental blindness. Like a hothouse plant, it flourishes under the heady steam of its own unstoppable conviction.

在我们这个时代，这种暴力是在一种精神盲目性的基础上发展起来的。就像温室里的植物，它在自己不可阻挡的信念的强大蒸汽下茁壮成长。

In my mental blindness, I had believed it was somehow connected with the ability to read and write, and I was sure that if I could get those skills I would have intelligence too.

在我盲目的心灵中，我相信这多少和读写能力有关，我确信只要拥有这些技艺，我也能拥有智慧。