英国散文欣赏 textWord文件下载.docx
《英国散文欣赏 textWord文件下载.docx》由会员分享,可在线阅读,更多相关《英国散文欣赏 textWord文件下载.docx(6页珍藏版)》请在冰豆网上搜索。
slast,despairingcry.Beyondtheleopardwasanaked,musculargentleman,whosat,lookingdown,withhischinonhisfistandhiselbowonhisknee.Heseemedutterlymiserable.
Sometimelater,Ilearnedaboutthesestatuettes.Theheadmasterhadplacedthemwheretheywouldfacedelinquentchildren,becausetheysymbolizedtohimthewholeoflife.ThenakedladywastheVenusofMilo.ShewasLove.Shewasnotworriedaboutthetowel.Shewasjustbusybeingbeautiful.TheleopardwasNature,andhewasbeingnatural.Thenaked,musculargentlemanwasnotmiserable.HewasRodin'
sThinker,animageofpurethought.Itiseasytobuysmallplastermodelsofwhatyouthinklifeislike.
IhadbetterexplainthatIwasafrequentvisitortotheheadmaster'
sstudy,becauseofthelatestthingIhaddoneorleftundone.Aswenowsay,Iwasnotintegrated.Iwas,ifanything,disintegrated;
andIwaspuzzled.Grownupsnevermadesense.WheneverIfoundmyselfinapenalpositionbeforetheheadmaster'
sdesk,withthestatuettesglimmeringwhitelyabovehim,Iwouldsinkmyhead,claspmyhandsbehindmybackandwritheoneshoeovertheother.
Theheadmasterwouldlookopaquelyatmethroughflashingspectacles.
"
Whatarewegoingtodowithyou?
"
Well,whatweretheygoingtodowithme?
Iwouldwrithemyshoesomemoreandstaredownatthewornrug.
Lookup,boy!
Can'
tyoulookup?
ThenIwouldlookupatthecupboard,wherethenakedladywasfrozeninherpanicandthemusculargentlemancontemplatedthehindquartersoftheleopardinendlessgloom.Ihadnothingtosaytotheheadmaster.Hisspectaclescaughtthelightsothatyoucouldseenothinghumanbehindthem.Therewasnopossibilityofcommunication.
Don'
tyoueverthinkatall?
No,Ididn'
tthink,wasn'
tthinking,couldn'
tthink--Iwassimplywaitinginanguishfortheinterviewtostop.
Thenyou'
dbetterlearn--hadn'
tyou?
Ononeoccasiontheheadmasterleapedtohisfeet,reachedupandplonkedRodin'
smasterpieceonthedeskbeforeme.
That'
swhatamanlookslikewhenhe'
sreallythinking."
Isurveyedthegentlemanwithoutinterestorcomprehension.
Gobacktoyourclass."
Clearlytherewassomethingmissinginme.Naturehadendowedtherestofthehumanracewithasixthsenseandleftmeout.Thismustbeso,Imused,onmywaybacktotheclass,sincewhetherIhadbrokenawindow,orfailedtorememberBoyle'
sLaw,orbeenlateforschool,myteachersproducedmeone,adultanswer:
"
Whycan'
tyouthink?
AsIsawthecase,IhadbrokenthewindowbecauseIhadtriedtohitJackArneywithacricketballandmissedhim;
IcouldnotrememberBoyle'
sLawbecauseIhadneverbotheredtolearnit;
andIwaslateforschoolbecauseIpreferredlookingoverthebridgeintotheriver.Infact,Iwaswicked.Weremyteachers,perhaps,sogoodthattheycouldnotunderstandthedepthsofmydepravity?
Weretheyclear,untormentedpeoplewhocoulddirecttheireveryactionbythismysteriousbusinessofthinking?
Thewholethingwasincomprehensible.Inmyearlieryears,IfoundeventhestatuetteoftheThinkerconfusing.Ididnotbelieveanyofmyteacherswerenaked,ever.Likesomeoneborndeaf,butbitterlydeterminedtofindoutaboutsound,Iwatchedmyteacherstofindoutaboutthought.
TherewasMr.Houghton.Hewasalwaystellingmetothink.Withamodestsatisfaction,hewouldtellmethathehadthoughtabithimself.Thenwhydidhespendsomuchtimedrinking?
Orwastheremoresenseindrinkingthanthereappearedtobe?
Butifnot,andifdrinkingwereinfactruinoustohealth--andMr.Houghtonwasruined,therewasnodoubtaboutthat--whywashealwaystalkingaboutthecleanlifeandthevirtuesoffreshair?
Hewouldspreadhisarmswidewiththeactionofamanwhohabituallyspenthistimestridingalongmountainridges.
Openairdoesmegood,boys--Iknowit!
Sometimes,exaltedbyhisownoratory,hewouldleapfromhisdeskandhustleusoutsideintoahideouswind.
Now,boys!
Deepbreaths!
Feelitrightdowninsideyou--hugedraughtsofGod'
sgoodair!
Hewouldstandbeforeus,rejoicinginhisperfecthealth,anopen-airman.Hewouldputhishandsonhiswaistandtakeatremendousbreath.Youcouldhearthewind,trappedinthecavernofhischestandstrugglingwithalltheunnaturalimpediments.Hisbodywouldreelwithshockandhisruinedfacegowhiteattheunaccustomedvisitation.Hewouldstaggerbacktohisdeskandcollapsethere,uselessfortherestofthemorning.
Mr.Houghtonwasgiventohigh-mindedmonologuesaboutthegoodlife,sexlessandfullofduty.Yetinthemiddleofoneofthesemonologues,ifagirlpassedthewindow,tappingalongonherneatlittlefeet,hewouldinterrupthisdiscourse,hisneckwouldturnofitselfandhewouldwatchheroutofsight.Inthisinstance,heseemedtomerulednotbythoughtbutbyaninvisibleandirresistiblespringinhisnape.Hisneckwasanobjectofgreatinteresttome.Normallyitbulgedabitoverhiscollar.ButMr.HoughtonhadfoughtintheFirstWorldWaralongsidebothAmericansandFrench,andhadcome--bywhoknowswhatillogic?
--toasettleddetestationofbothcountries.Ifeitherhappenedtobeprominentincurrentaffairs,noargumentcouldmakeMr.Houghtonthinkwellofit.Hewouldbangthedesk,hisneckwouldbulgestillfurtherandgored."
Youcansaywhatyoulike,"
hewouldcry,"
butI'
vethoughtaboutthis--andIknowwhatIthink!
Mr.Houghtonthoughtwithhisneck.
TherewasMissParsons.Sheassuredusthatherdearestwishwasourwelfare,butIkneweventhen,withthemysteriousclairvoyanceofchildhood,thatwhatshewantedmostwasthehusbandshenevergot.TherewasMr.Hands--andsoon.
Ihavedealtatlengthwithmyteachersbecausethiswasmyintroductiontothenatureofwhatiscommonlycalledthought.ThroughthemIdiscoveredthatthoughtisoftenfullofunconsciousprejudice,ignoranceandhypocrisy.Itwilllectureondisinterestedpuritywhileitsneckisbeingremorselesslytwistedtowardaskirt.Technically,itisaboutasproficientasmostbusinessmen'
sgolf,ashonestasmostpoliticians'
intentions,or--tocomenearmyownpreoccupation--ascoherentasmostbooksthatgetwritten.ItiswhatIcametocallgrade-threethinking,thoughmoreproperly,itisfeeling,ratherthanthought.
True,oftenthereisakindofinnocenceinprejudices,butinthosedaysIviewedgrade-threethinkingwithanintolerantcontemptandanincautiousmockery.IdelightedtoconfrontapiousladywhohatedtheGermanswiththepropositionthatweshouldloveourenemies.Shetaughtmeagreattruthindealingwithgrade-threethinkers;
becauseofher,Inolongerdismisslightlyamentalprocesswhichfornine-tenthsofthepopulationisthenearesttheywillevergettothought.Theyhaveimmensesolidarity.Wehadbetterrespectthem,forweareoutnumberedandsurrounded.Acrowdofgrade-threethinkers,allshoutingthesamething,allwarmingtheirhandsatthefireoftheirownprejudices,willnotthankyouforpointingoutthecontradictionsintheirbeliefs.Manisagregariousanimal,andenjoysagreementascowswillgrazeallthesamewayonthesideofahill.
Grade-twothinkingisthedetectionofcontradictions.IreachedgradetwowhenItrappedthepoor,piouslady.Grade-twothinkersdonotstampedeeasily,thoughoftentheyfallintotheotherfaultandlagbehind.Grade-twothinkingisawithdrawal,witheyesandearsopen.Itbecamemyhobbyandbroughtsatisfactionandlonelinessineitherhand.Forgrade-twothinkingdestroyswithouthavingthepowertocreate.ItsetmewatchingthecrowdscheeringHisMajestytheKingandaskingmyselfwhatallthefusswasabout,withoutgivingmeanythingpositivetoputintheplaceofthatheadypatriotism.Buttherewerecompensations.Tohearpeoplejustifytheirhabitofhuntingfoxesandtearingthemtopiecesbyclaimingthatthefoxeslikedit.TohearourPrimeMinistertalkaboutthegreatbenefitweconferredonIndiabyjailingpeoplelikePanditNehruandGandhi.TohearAmericanpoliticianstalkaboutpeaceinonesentenceandrefusetojointheLeagueofNationsinthenext.Yes,therearemomentsofdelight.
ButIwasgrowingtowardadolescenceandhadtoadmitthatMr.Houghtonwasnottheonlyonewithanirresistiblespringinhisneck.I,too,feltthecompulsivehandofnatureandbegantofindthatpointingoutcontradictioncouldbecostlyaswellasfun.TherewasRuth,forexample,aseriousandattractivegirl.Iwasanatheistatthetime.Grade-twothinkingisamenacetoreligionandknocksdownsectslikeskittles.Iputm