现代大学英语精读thinkingasahobby原文课文对比版.docx

现代大学英语精读thinkingasahobby原文课文对比版.docx

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现代大学英语精读thinkingasahobby原文课文对比版

ThinkingasaHobby

byWilliamGolding

WhileIwasstillaboy,Icametotheconclusionthattherewerethreegradesofthinking;andsinceIwaslatertoclaimthinkingasmyhobby,Icametoanevenstrangerconclusion-namely,thatImyselfcouldnotthinkatall.

Imusthavebeenanunsatisfactorychildforgrownupstodealwith.Irememberhowincomprehensibletheyappearedtomeatfirst,butnot,ofcourse,howIappearedtothem.Itwastheheadmasterofmygrammarschoolwhofirstbroughtthesubjectofthinkingbeforeme-thoughneitherintheway,norwiththeresultheintended.Hehadsomestatuettesinhisstudy.Theystoodonahighcupboardbehindhisdesk.Onewasaladywearingnothingbutabathtowel.Sheseemedfrozeninaneternalpaniclestthebathtowelslipdownanyfarther,andsinceshehadnoarms,shewasinanunfortunatepositiontopullthetowelupagain.Nexttoher,crouchedthestatuetteofaleopard,readytospringdownatthetopdrawerofafilingcabinetlabeledA-AH.Myinnocenceinterpretedthisasthevictim'slast,despairingcry.Beyondtheleopardwasanaked,musculargentleman,whosat,lookingdown,withhischinonhisfistandhiselbowonhisknee.Heseemedutterlymiserable.

Sometimelater,Ilearnedaboutthesestatuettes.Theheadmasterhadplacedthemwheretheywouldfacedelinquentchildren,becausetheysymbolizedtohimtowholeoflife.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,claspmyhandsbehindmyback,andwritheoneshoeovertheother.

Theheadmasterwouldlookopaquelyatme

throughflashingspectacles."Whatarewegoingtodowithyou?

"

Well,whatweretheygoingtodowithme?

Iwouldwrithemyshoesomemoreandstaredownatthewornrug.

"Lookup,boy!

Can'tyoulookup?

"

ThenIwouldlookatthecupboard,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,hewouldtellthathehadthoughtabithimself.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.Youcouldhearthewindtrappedinthecavernofhischestandstrugglingwithalltheunnaturalimpediments.Hisbodywouldreelwithshockandhisruinedfacegowhiteattheunaccustomedvisitation.Hewouldstaggerbacktohisdeskandcollapsethere,uselessfortherestofthemorning.

Mr.Houghtonwasgiventohigh-mindedmonologuesaboutthegoodlife,sexlessandfullofduty.Yetinthemiddleofoneofthesemonologues,ifagirlpassedthewindow,tappingalongonherneatlittlefeet,hewouldinterrupthisdiscourse,hisneckwouldturnofitselfandhewouldwatchheroutofsight.Inthisinstance,heseemedtomerulednotbythoughtbutbyaninvisibleandirresistiblespringinhisnape.

Hisneckwasanobjectofgreatinteresttome.Normallyitbulgedabitoverhiscollar.ButMr.HoughtonhadfoughtintheFirstWorldWaralongsidebothAmericansandFrench,andhadcome-bywhoknowswhatillogic?

-toasettleddetestationofbothcountries.Ifeithercountryhappenedtobeprominentincurrentaffairs,noargumentcouldmakeMr.Houghtonthinkwellofit.Hewouldbangthedesk,hisneckwouldbulgestillfurtherandgored."Youcansaywhatyoulike,"hewouldcry,"butI'vethoughtaboutthis-andIknowwhatIthink!

"

Mr.Houghtonthoughtwithhisneck.

TherewasMiss.Parsons.Sheassuredusthatherdearestwishwasourwelfare,butIkneweventhen,withthemysteriousclairvoyanceofchildhood,thatwhatshewantedmostwasthehusbandshenevergot.TherewasMr.Hands-andsoon.

Ihavedealtatlengthwithmyteachersbecausethiswasmyintroductiontothenatureofwhatiscommonlycalledthought.ThroughthemIdiscoveredthatthoughtisoftenfullofunconsciousprejudice,ignorance,andhypocrisy.Itwilllectureondisinterestedpuritywhileitsneckisbeingremorselesslytwistedtowardaskirt.Technically,itisaboutasproficientasmostbusinessmen'sgolf,ashonestasmostpolitician'sintentions,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.Tohearpeoplejustifytheirhabitofhuntingfoxesandtearingthemtopiecesbyclaimingthatthefoxeslikeit.ToherourPrimeMinistertalkaboutthegreatbenefitweconferredonIndiabyjailingpeoplelikePanditNehruandGandhi.TohearAmericanpoliticianstalkaboutpeaceinonesentenceandrefusetojointheLeagueofNationsinthenext.Yes,thereweremomentsofdelight.

ButIwasgrowingtowardadolescenceandhadtoadmitthatMr.Houghtonwasnottheonlyonewithanirresistiblespringinhisneck.I,too,feltthecompulsivehandofnatureandbegantofindthatpointingoutcontradictioncouldbecostlyaswellasfun.TherewasRuth,forexample,aseriousandattractivegirl.Iwasanatheistatthetime.Grade-twothinkingisamenacetoreligionandknocksdownsectslikeskittles.Iputmyselfinapositiontobeconvertedby