新视野大学英语读写教程4课文.docx

新视野大学英语读写教程4课文.docx

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新视野大学英语读写教程4课文

TheTailofFame

Anartistwhoseeksfameislikeadogchasinghisowntailwho,when

hecapturesit,doesnotknowwhatelsetodobuttocontinuechasingit.

Thecrueltyofsuccessisthatitoftenleadsthosewhoseeksuchsuccess

toparticipateintheirowndestruction.

"Don'tquityourdayjob!

"isadvicefrequentlygivenbyunderstandably

pessimisticfamilymembersandfriendstoabuddingartistwhoistrying

hardtosucceed.Theconquestoffameisdifficultatbest,andmanyend

upemotionallyifnotfinanciallybankrupt.Still,impuremotivessuchas

thedesireforworshippingfansandpraisefrompeersmayspurtheartist

on.Thelureofdrowninginfame'simperialgloryisnoteasilyresisted.

Thosewhogainfamemostoftengainitasaresultofexploitingtheir

talentforsinging,dancing,painting,orwriting,etc.Theydevelopa

stylethatagentsmarketaggressivelytohastenpopularity,andtheirride

ontheexpresselevatortothetopisablur.Mostwouldbehard-pressed

totellyouhowtheyevengotthere.Artistscannotremainidle,though.

Whentheperformer,painterorwriterbecomesbored,theirworkbeginsto

showalackofcontinuityinitsappealanditbecomesdifficultto

sustaintheattentionofthepublic.Aftertheirenthusiasmhasdissolved,

thepublicsimplymovesontothenextflavorofthemonth.Artistswhodo

attempttoremaincurrentbymakingevenminutechangestotheirstyleof

writing,dancingorsinging,runasignificantriskoflosingthe

audience'sfavor.Thepublicsimplydiscountsstylesotherthanthosefor

whichtheartisthasbecomefamous.

Famousauthors'styles—aTennesseeWilliamsplayoraplotbyErnest

HemingwayorapoembyRobertFrostorT.S.Eliot—areeasilyrecognizable.

ThesameistrueofpainterslikeMonet,Renoir,orDaliandmoviemakers

likeHitchcock,Fellini,Spielberg,ChenKaigeorZhangYimou.Their

distinctstylesmarkedasignificantchangeinformfromothersandgained

themfameandfortune.However,theypaidforitbygivingupthefreedom

toexpressthemselveswithotherstylesorforms.

Fame'sspotlightcanbehotterthanatropicaljungle—afraudis

quicklyexposed,andthepressureofsomuchattentionistoomuchfor

mosttoendure.Ittakesyououtofyourself:

Youmustbewhatthepublic

thinksyouare,notwhatyoureallyareorcouldbe.Theperformer,like

thepolitician,mustoftenpleasehisorheraudiencesbysayingthingshe

orshedoesnotmeanorfullybelieve.

Onedropoffamewilllikelycontaminatetheentirewellofaman's

soul,andsoanartistwhoremainstruetohimselforherselfis

particularlyamazing.Youwouldbehard-pressedtounderlinemanynamesof

thosewhohavenotcompromisedandstillsucceededinthefamegame.An

example,thefamousIrishwriterOscarWilde,knownforhisuncompromising

behavior,bothsocialandsexual,towhichthepublicobjected,paid

heavilyforremainingtruetohimself.ThemotherofayoungmanOscarwas

intimatewithaccusedhimatabanquetinfrontofhisfriendsandfansof

sexuallyinfluencingherson.Extremelyangeredbyherremarks,hesued

theyoungman'smother,assertingthatshehaddamagedhis"good"name.He

shouldhavehiredabetterattorney,though.Thejudgedidnotsecond

Wilde'scalltohavethewomanpayfordamaginghisname,andinstead

finedWilde.Heendedupinjailafterrefusingtopay,andevenworse,

waspermanentlyexpelledfromthewidercircleofpublicfavor.When

thingswereattheirworst,hefoundthatnoonewaswillingtoriskhis

orhernameinhisdefense.Hispriceforremainingtruetohimselfwasto

beleftalonewhenheneededhisfansthemost.

Curiouslyenough,itisthosewhofailthatreapthegreatestreward:

freedom!

Theyenjoythefreedomtoexpressthemselvesinuniqueand

originalwayswithoutfearoflosingthesupportoffans.Failedartists

mayfindcomfortinknowingthatmanygreatartistsneverfoundfameuntil

wellaftertheyhadpassedawayorinknowingthattheydidnotsellout.

Theymayjustifytheirfailurebyconvincingthemselvestheirgeniusis

toosophisticatedforcontemporaryaudiences.

Single-mindedartistswhocontinuetheirquestforfameevenafter

failuremightalsoliketoknowthatfailurehasmotivatedsomefamous

peopletoworkevenhardertosucceed.ThomasWolfe,theAmerican

novelist,hadhisfirstnovelLookHomeward,Angelrejected39times

beforeitwasfinallypublished.Beethovenovercamehisfather,whodid

notbelievethathehadanypotentialasamusician,tobecomethe

greatestmusicianintheworld.AndPestalozzi,thefamousSwisseducator

inthe19thcentury,failedateveryjobheeverhaduntilhecameupon

theideaofteachingchildrenanddevelopingthefundamentaltheoriesto

produceanewformofeducation.ThomasEdisonwasthrownoutofschoolin

thefourthgrade,becauseheseemedtohisteachertobequitedull.

Unfortunatelyformostpeople,however,failureistheendoftheir

struggle,notthebeginning.

Isaytothosewhodesperatelyseekfameandfortune:

goodluck.But

alas,youmayfindthatitwasnotwhatyouwanted.Thedogwhocatches

histaildiscoversthatitisonlyatail.Thepersonwhoachievessuccess

oftendiscoversthatitdoesmoreharmthangood.Soinsteadoftryingso

hardtoachievesuccess,trytobehappywithwhoyouareandwhatyoudo.

Trytodoworkthatyoucanbeproudof.Maybeyouwon'tbefamousinyour

ownlifetime,butyoumaycreatebetterart.

ThePowerofaGoodName

Onesummerdaymyfathersentmetobuysomewireandfencingtoput

aroundourbarntopenupthebull.At16,Ilikednothingbetterthan

gettingbehindthewheelofourtruckanddrivingintotownontheold

millroad.Waterfromthemill'swheelsprayedinthesunshinemakinga

rainbowoverthecanalandIoftenstoppedthereonmywaytobatheand

cooloffforaspell—naturalairconditioning.Thesunwassohot,Idid

notneedatowelasIwasdrybythetimeIclimbedtheclaybanksand

crossedtheroadditchtothetruck.Justbeforetown,theroadshotalong

theseawhereIwouldcollectseashellsorgatherseaweedbeneaththe

giantcraneunloadingtheships.Thistripwasdifferent,though.My

fatherhadtoldmeI'dhavetoaskforcreditatthestore.

Itwas1976,andtheuglyshadowofracismwasstillafactoflife.

I'dseenmyfriendsaskforcreditandthenstand,headdown,whilea

storeownerenquiredintowhethertheywere"goodforit".Manystore

clerkswatchedblackyouthswiththeassumptionthattheywerethieves

everytimetheyevenwentintoagrocery.

Myfamilywashonest.Wepaidourdebts.Butjustbeforeharvest,all

themoneyflowedout.Therewerenonewdepositsatthebank.Cashwas

short.AtDavisBrothers'GeneralStore,BuckDavisstoodbehindthe

register,talkingtoamiddle-agedfarmer.Buckwasatall,weatheredman

inaredhuntingshirtandInoddedasIpassedhimonmywaytothe

hardwaresectiontogetacontainerofnails,acoilofbindingwireand

fencing.Ipulledmypurchasesuptothecounterandplacedthenailsin

thetrayofthescale,sayingcarefully,"Ineedtoputthisoncredit."

MybrowwasmoistwithnervoussweatandIwipeditawaywiththebackof

myarm.

Thefarmergavemeanamused,cynicallook,butBuck'sfacedidn't

change."Sure,"hesaideasily,reachingforhisbookletwherehekept

recordsforcredit.Igaveasighofrelief."Yourdaddyisalwaysgood

forit."Heturnedtothefarmer."ThishereisoneofJamesWilliams'

sons.Theybrokethemoldwhentheymadethatman."

Thefarmernoddedinaneighborlyway.Iwasfilledwithpride."James

Williams'son."Thosethreewordshadopenedadoortoanadult'srespect

andtrust.

AsIheavedtheheavyfreightintothebedofthetruck,Ididsowith

ease,feelinglikeastrongermanthantheonethatleftthefarmthat

morning.Ihaddiscoveredthatagoodnamecouldfurnishacapitalofgood

willofgreatvalue.EveryoneknewwhattoexpectfromaWilliams:

a

decentpersonwhokepthiswordandrespectedhimselftoomuchtodo

wrong.Mygreatgrandfathermayhavebeensoldasaslaveatauction,but

thiswasnotanexcusetodowrongtoothers.Insteadmyfatherbelieved

theonlywaytohonorhimwasthroughhardworkandrespectforallmen.

Wechildren—eightbrothersandtwosisters—couldenjoyourgoodname,

unearned,unlessanduntilwedidsomethingtoloseit.Wehadaninterest

inhowoneanotherbehavedandourownactionsaswell,lestwedestroy

thenamemyfatherhadcreated.Ourgoodnamewasandstillistheglue

thatholdsourfamilytighttogether.

Thedesiretohonormyfather'sgoodnamespurredmetobecomethe

firstinourfamilytogotouniversity.Iworkedmywaythroughcollege

asaporteratafour-starhotel.Eventually,thatgoodnameprovidedthe

initiativetostartmyownsuccessfulpublicrelationsfirminWashington,

D.C.

Americaneedstorestoreasenseofshameinitsneighborhoods.Doing

drugs,spendingallyourmoneyattheliquorstore,stealing,orgettinga

youngwomanpregnantwithnointenttomarryhershouldinduceadeep

senseofembarrassment.Butitdoesn't.Nearlyoneoutofthreebirthsin

Americaistoasinglemother.Manyofthesechildrenwillgrowupwithout

thesecurityandguidancetheyneedtobecomehonorablemembersof

society.

Oncethesocialtiesandmutualobligationsofthefamilymeltaway,

communitiesfallapart.Whilethepopulationhasincr