张爱玲英文作品部分MYGREATEXPECTATIONSWord文档格式.docx
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s,inspiteofitslonghistoryoffiftyyears,isstillasimple
pieceofwhitestonebrieflycarved.Astimemarcheson,itmaybemarredbydust,wornoutby
weather,orbrokenintoseparatefragments,anditmaybecarefully,slowlycarvedbytheknife,
inchbyinch,intoawonderfulstatuewhichwillbeplacedamongthegloriousworksof
Michelangelo.Thisknifeisheldnotonlybytheprincipal,theteachers,andthestudentsof
tomorrow;
butallofourschoolmateshavethepowerofcontrollingit.
IfIhaveachancetolivetobeasnowy-hairedoldlady,Ishall,inmypeacefuldreamsbesidethefireside,seekfortheoldpathsleadingthroughthegreenplumtreeswhichIhavebeenfamiliarwithinmyearlydays.Ofcourse,atthattime,theyouthfulplumtreesmustalsohavegrownintotheirpleasantoldage,stretchingtheirpowerfularmstoshadethecrossingpaths.Theweather-wornoldbelltower,standinginthegoldensunlight,shallgiveoutthatslow,solemnbloomingthatissofamiliartomyears,asthegirls,shortandtall,paleandrosy,plumpandslim,
allbloomingwiththefreshnessofyouth,shallpourintothechurchlikeastream.Theretheywillkneelandpray,whisperingtotheirspiritualLordaboutthelittlethingsintheirlives;
theirgrief,theirtears,theirquarrels,theirlove,andtheirgreatambitions.Theyshallaskhimtohelptheminreachingtheirfuturegoals,tobeawriter,amusician,aneducationalist,oranidealwife.AndIcanheartheoldchurchtowerringingwiththeechoesoftheirprayers,whisperinginreturn,"
Yes,St.Mary'
sHallmaynothavethelargestdormitoriesandthebest-lookingschoolgardensamongalltheschoolsinChina,butshecertainlypossessesthefinestandthemosthard-workinggirls,whoshallglorifyherwiththeirbrilliantfutures!
"
WhatIfeelwhenIhearthesewordsdependsuponwhetherIhavedoneanythingornotinthe
yearsinbetween.IfIhavefailedinplayingmypartonthisstage,IshallfeelashamedandregretfulthatIhavethrownawaytheprivilegeofglorifyingmymotherschool.ButifIhavegainedsuccessinstrugglingalongtowardmygoal,Iwillsmilewithprideandcontent,forIhavetakenapart,thoughaverysmallpart,incarvingout,withtheknifeoftime,thiswonderfulmodelofschoollife.(466words)
五四遗事
StaleMate
Twomenandtwogirlsinaboatsatfacingeachotheronwickerseatsundertheflatblueawning.Cupsofteastoodonthelowtablebetweenthem.Theywereeatingling,waterchestnutsaboutthesizeandshapeofaCupid'
sbowmouth.Theshellsweredarkpurplishredandthekernelswhite."
MissuZhouisverystylishtoday,"
oneofthemensaid.Itwasalsostylishtoaddressgirlsas"
Miss"
.
MissZhouglaredathimthroughhernewspectaclesandthrewalingshellathim.Herglasseshadroundblackrimsandperfectlyflatlenses,asshewasnotnear-sighted.Theyearwas1924,wheneyeglasseswerefashionable.Societygirlsworethem.Evenstreet-walkersaffectedglassesinordertolooklikegirlstudents.
Eachofthemensatwithhisowngirlbecausethelittleboatbalancedbetterthiswaythanifthetwogirlssatsidebyside.Thepalegreenwaterlookedthickandjustalittlescummy,andyethadasuggestionoflingeringfragrancelikeabasinofwaterinwhichafamouscourtesanhadwashedherpaintedface.
Thegirlswerearoundtwenty-youngforhighschoolinthosedayswhenprogressivewomenof
allagesflockedtotheprimaryschools.MissZhouwasmuchadmiredforhervivacityandboldnessasbeingtypicaloftheNewWoman,whileMissFan'
swasthebeautyofastilllife.Shesatsmilingalittle,herfaceaslimpointedoval,herlonghairdoneintworoundglossyblacksideknobs.Sheworelittlemake-upandnoornamentsexceptagoldfountainpentuckedinherlightmauvetunic.Hertrumpetsleevesendedflaringjustundertheelbow.
TheyoungmenwereLuoandWen.Luowastallandthin.HispaleturquoiselonggownhungwellonhiminamoreliteralsensethanwhenthephrasewasappliedtoWesterners'
clothes.HetaughtinthesameschoolasWen.TheybothownedlandintheirhomevillageandtaughtschoolinHangzhoumerelyasanexcusetolivebytheWestLake,whereeveryscenicspotwasassociatedwiththememoryofsomepoetorreigningbeauty.
Thefourhadbeenmeetingalmostdailyformorethanayear.Theywouldgooutonthelake,havedinneratoneoftherestaurantsalongtheshore,andgoboatingagainiftherewasamoon.SomebodywouldreadShelleyaloudandthegirlsheldhandswitheachotherwhentheyfeltmoved.Alwaystherewerefourofthem,sometimessixbutnevertwo.Themenwerealreadymarried-auniversalpredicament.Practicallyeverybodywasmarriedandhadchildrenbeforeeverhearingoflove.WenandLuohadtobecontentwithdiscussingthegirlsinterminablybetweenthemselves,showingeachotherthegirls'
carefullywordedletters,admiringtheircalligraphy,analysingtheirpersonalitiesfromthehandwriting.Lovewassuchanewexperience
inChinathatalittleofitwentalongway.
Theysailedintoapatchofyellowinglotusleaves,thelargegreenplatescrunchingnoisilyagainsttheboat.Thentherewassilence.Theboatmanandhislittledaughterwererestingontheiroars,lettingtheboatdrift.Nowandthenthewatermadeasmallswallowingsoundasifithadapieceofcandyinitsmouth.
Goinghomethisweekend?
MissFanasked.
IsupposeIcan'
tgetoutofitthistime,"
Luoansweredsmiling."
Mymotherhasbeencomplaining."
Shesmiled.Thementionofhismotherdidnotalterthefactthathewasgoingbacktohiswife.LatelyLuohadbeenfeelingincreasinglyguiltyaboutgoinghome,whileMissFanhadallowedherresentmenttobecomemoremanifestbeforeandaftereachvisit.
Ihavemadeadecision,"
hesaidinalowvoice,lookingather.Then,whenshedidnotaskhimwhatitwas,hesaid,"
MissuFan,willyouwaitforme?
Itmighttakeyears."
Shehadturnedaway,herheadbent.Herhandsplayedwiththelowerleftcornerofherslittedblouse,furlingandunfurlingit.
Actuallyshedidnotagreetohisgettingadivorceuntildayslater.Butthatevening,whenthefourofthemdinedatarestaurantfamousforitslakefish,Luoalreadyfeltpledgedanddedicated.All
thewinehedranktastedlikethelastcupbeforesettingoutonalonghardjourneyonacoldnight.
TherestaurantwascalledtheTowerBeyondTowers.Itleanedoverthelakeonthreesides.
Despitetheviewanditspoeticnameitwasanonchalantlyuglyplacewithgreasyoldfurniture.Thewaitershoutedorderstothekitcheninasingsongchant.Whentheglassdomewasliftedfromtheplateofliveshrimp,someoftheshrimpjumpedacrossthetable,inandoutofthesaucedish,andlandedonMissFan,trailingsoyasaucedownthefrontofherblouse.MissZhousquealed.InthedingyyellowelectriclightMissFanlookedflushedandhappyanddidnotseemtomindatall.LuodidnotgohomeuntiltheSaturdayafterthat.Thejourneytooktwohoursbytrainandwheelbarrow.Hiswifelookedsheepishashermother-in-lawloudlyandostentatiouslyexcusedherfromvariousdutiesbecauseherhusbandwashome.Shewaswearingashortblueoverallwiththeredsatinbindingofasilktunicshowingunderneathit.Shehadnotbeensurethathewouldbecoming.
Hespoketoherthatnightaboutdivorce.Shecriedallnight.Itwasterrible,almostasifajudgeweretosleepinthesamebedwithacondemnedman.Saywhathemight,heknewhewasconsigninghertodishonourablewidowhoodfortherestofherlife.
WhichoftheSevenOutRuleshaveIviolated?
shekeptaskingthroughangrysobs.Ancientscholarshadnamedthesevenconditionsunderwhichawifemightjustifiablybeevictedfromherhusband'
shouse.
Hismotherflewintoarageonbeingtold.Shewouldnothearofit.LuowentbacktoHangzhouandstoppedcominghomealtogether.HismothergothisuncletogouptoHangzhouandtalkhimoutofhisfoolishness.Heinturnmanagedtopersuadeacousintogoandtalktohisfamily.Ittookinfernallylongtonegotiatethroughrelativeswhowere,furthermore,unreliabletransmittersofharshwords,beingpeacemakersatheart,especiallywherematrimonywasconcerned.Tobreakupamarriageisacardinalsinthatautomaticallytakestenyearsoffaman'
sgivenlifespan.
Luogotalawyertowritehiswifeanalarminglywordedrequestfordivorce.Hiswife'
sfamily,theZhangs,boiledoverwithrage.Didhethinkhiswifewasanorphan?
NotalltheZhangsweredead.True,theycouldnotrevengethemselvesonthefaithlessmanunlesshiswifeweretohangherselfonhislintel.Thatwouldplacehislifeandpropertyentirelyattheirmercy.Butitwasnotforthemtorecommendsuchasteptoher.
TheheadoftheLuoclanwasmovedtospeak.TheoldmanthreatenedtoinvitetheFamilyLawoutofitsnicheandbeattheyoungrascalintheancestraltemple."
FamilyLaw"
wasaeuphemismfortheplankusedforflogging.
MissFanandLuocontinuedtoseeeachotherinthecompanyofWenandMissZhou.Theirfriendsweredelightedandexhilaratedbythecourageofthisundertaking-thoughitdidputWen
inadifficultposition,evenifMissZhouwasneveropenlyreproachful.Itnowappearedasthoughthewistfulnessthatwaspartofthebeautyoftheirrelationshipwasnotoneofthosethingsthatcouldn'
tbehelped.
Luowasonlyhomeonceintwoyears.Theywere