"People who come into contact with the suffering of others, such as judges, policemen, doctors, over time become so trained and hardened by habit that even if they wanted to, they could not treat their clients in any other way than coldly and formally. In this respect, they are no different from the farmer who kills a sheep or a calf in his backyard and doesn't even notice the blood. However, if the judge views the individual formally and without a soul, it does not take much for an innocent person to be deprived of all rights and property and sentenced to forced labor. All it takes is time: as much time as certain formalities are completed - and the judge is paid for them.
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Author
Anton Pavlovich ChekhovAll Translations
All Translations
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People who come into contact with the suffering of others, such as judges, policemen, doctors, over time become so trained and hardened by habit that even if they wanted to, they could not treat their clients in any other way than coldly and formally. In this respect, they are no different from the farmer who kills a sheep or a calf in his backyard and doesn't even notice the blood. However, if the judge views the individual formally and without a soul, it does not take much for an innocent person to be deprived of all rights and property and sentenced to forced labor. All it takes is time: as much time as certain formalities are completed - and the judge is paid for them.
""Az olyan emberek, akik hivatalból kapcsolatba kerülnek mások szenvedéseivel, például bírók, rendőrök, orvosok, idővel a megszokás következtében annyira megedződnek, megkeményednek, hogy még ha akarnának, se tudnának másképpen bánni klienseikkel, mint ridegen és formálisan. E tekintetben semmiben sem különböznek a paraszttól, aki a hátsó udvarában birkát, borjút öl, és észre sem veszi a vért. Márpedig ha a bíró formálisan, lélek nélkül tekinti az egyént, nem sok kell hozzá, hogy egy ártatlan embert megfosszanak minden jogától és tulajdonától, és kényszermunkára ítéljék. Csupán idő kell hozzá: annyi idő, amennyi alatt bizonyos formalitásokat elvégeznek - s a bírót ezekért fizetik."