新视野大学英语第四册课文原文.docx

新视野大学英语第四册课文原文.docx

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新视野大学英语第四册课文原文

1AAnartistwhoseeksfameislikeadogchasinghisowntailwho,whenhecapturesit,doesnotknowwhatelsetodobuttocontinuechasingit.

Thecrueltyofsuccessisthatitoftenleadsthosewhoseeksuchsuccesstoparticipateintheirowndestruction.

"Don'tquityourdayjob!

"isadvicefrequentlygivenbyunderstandablypessimisticfamilymembersandfriendstoabuddingartistwhoistryinghardtosucceed.

Theconquestoffameisdifficultatbest,andmanyendupemotionallyifnotfinanciallybankrupt.

Still,impuremotivessuchasthedesireforworshippingfansandpraisefrompeersmayspurtheartiston.

Thelureofdrowninginfame'simperialgloryisnoteasilyresisted.

Thosewhogainfamemostoftengainitasaresultofexploitingtheirtalentforsinging,dancing,painting,orwriting,etc.

Theydevelopastylethatagentsmarketaggressivelytohastenpopularity,andtheirrideontheexpresselevatortothetopisablur.

Mostwouldbehard-pressedtotellyouhowtheyevengotthere.

Artistscannotremainidle,though.

Whentheperformer,painterorwriterbecomesbored,theirworkbeginstoshowalackofcontinuityinitsappealanditbecomesdifficulttosustaintheattentionofthepublic.

Aftertheirenthusiasmhasdissolved,thepublicsimplymovesontothenextflavorofthemonth.

Artistswhodoattempttoremaincurrentbymakingevenminutechangestotheirstyleofwriting,dancingorsinging,runasignificantriskoflosingtheaudience'sfavor.

Thepublicsimplydiscountsstylesotherthanthoseforwhichtheartisthasbecomefamous.

Famousauthors'styles—aTennesseeWilliamsplayoraplotbyErnestHemingwayorapoembyRobertFrostorT.S.Eliot—areeasilyrecognizable.

ThesameistrueofpainterslikeMonet,Renoir,orDaliandmoviemakerslikeHitchcock,Fellini,Spielberg,ChenKaigeorZhangYimou.

Theirdistinctstylesmarkedasignificantchangeinformfromothersandgainedthemfameandfortune.

However,theypaidforitbygivingupthefreedomtoexpressthemselveswithotherstylesorforms.

Fame'sspotlightcanbehotterthanatropicaljungle—afraudisquicklyexposed,andthepressureofsomuchattentionistoomuchformosttoendure.

Ittakesyououtofyourself:

Youmustbewhatthepublicthinksyouare,notwhatyoureallyareorcouldbe.

Theperformer,likethepolitician,mustoftenpleasehisorheraudiencesbysayingthingsheorshedoesnotmeanorfullybelieve.

Onedropoffamewilllikelycontaminatetheentirewellofaman'ssoul,andsoanartistwhoremainstruetohimselforherselfisparticularlyamazing.

Youwouldbehard-pressedtounderlinemanynamesofthosewhohavenotcompromisedandstillsucceededinthefamegame.

Anexample,thefamousIrishwriterOscarWilde,knownforhisuncompromisingbehavior,bothsocialandsexual,towhichthepublicobjected,paidheavilyforremainingtruetohimself.

ThemotherofayoungmanOscarwasintimatewithaccusedhimatabanquetinfrontofhisfriendsandfansofsexuallyinfluencingherson.

Extremelyangeredbyherremarks,hesuedtheyoungman'smother,assertingthatshehaddamagedhis"good"name.

Heshouldhavehiredabetterattorney,though.

ThejudgedidnotsecondWilde'scalltohavethewomanpayfordamaginghisname,andinsteadfinedWilde.

Heendedupinjailafterrefusingtopay,andevenworse,waspermanentlyexpelledfromthewidercircleofpublicfavor.

Whenthingswereattheirworst,hefoundthatnoonewaswillingtoriskhisorhernameinhisdefense.

Hispriceforremainingtruetohimselfwastobeleftalonewhenheneededhisfansthemost.

Curiouslyenough,itisthosewhofailthatreapthegreatestreward:

freedom!

Theyenjoythefreedomtoexpressthemselvesinuniqueandoriginalwayswithoutfearoflosingthesupportoffans.

Failedartistsmayfindcomfortinknowingthatmanygreatartistsneverfoundfameuntilwellaftertheyhadpassedawayorinknowingthattheydidnotsellout.

Theymayjustifytheirfailurebyconvincingthemselvestheirgeniusistoosophisticatedforcontemporaryaudiences.

Single-mindedartistswhocontinuetheirquestforfameevenafterfailuremightalsoliketoknowthatfailurehasmotivatedsomefamouspeopletoworkevenhardertosucceed.

ThomasWolfe,theAmericannovelist,hadhisfirstnovelLookHomeward,Angelrejected39timesbeforeitwasfinallypublished.

Beethovenovercamehisfather,whodidnotbelievethathehadanypotentialasamusician,tobecomethegreatestmusicianintheworld.

AndPestalozzi,thefamousSwisseducatorinthe19thcentury,failedateveryjobheeverhaduntilhecameupontheideaofteachingchildrenanddevelopingthefundamentaltheoriestoproduceanewformofeducation.

ThomasEdisonwasthrownoutofschoolinthefourthgrade,becauseheseemedtohisteachertobequitedull.

Unfortunatelyformostpeople,however,failureistheendoftheirstruggle,notthebeginning.

Isaytothosewhodesperatelyseekfameandfortune:

goodluck.

Butalas,youmayfindthatitwasnotwhatyouwanted.

Thedogwhocatcheshistaildiscoversthatitisonlyatail.

Thepersonwhoachievessuccessoftendiscoversthatitdoesmoreharmthangood.

Soinsteadoftryingsohardtoachievesuccess,trytobehappywithwhoyouareandwhatyoudo.

Trytodoworkthatyoucanbeproudof.

Maybeyouwon'tbefamousinyourownlifetime,butyoumaycreatebetterart.

1BOnesummerdaymyfathersentmetobuysomewireandfencingtoputaroundourbarntopenupthebull.

At16,Ilikednothingbetterthangettingbehindthewheelofourtruckanddrivingintotownontheoldmillroad.

Waterfromthemill'swheelsprayedinthesunshinemakingarainbowoverthecanalandIoftenstoppedthereonmywaytobatheandcooloffforaspell—naturalairconditioning.

Thesunwassohot,IdidnotneedatowelasIwasdrybythetimeIclimbedtheclaybanksandcrossedtheroadditchtothetruck.

Justbeforetown,theroadshotalongtheseawhereIwouldcollectseashellsorgatherseaweedbeneaththegiantcraneunloadingtheships.

Thistripwasdifferent,though.

MyfatherhadtoldmeI'dhavetoaskforcreditatthestore.

Itwas1976,andtheuglyshadowofracismwasstillafactoflife.

I'dseenmyfriendsaskforcreditandthenstand,headdown,whileastoreownerenquiredintowhethertheywere"goodforit".

Manystoreclerkswatchedblackyouthswiththeassumptionthattheywerethieveseverytimetheyevenwentintoagrocery.

Myfamilywashonest.

Wepaidourdebts.

Butjustbeforeharvest,allthemoneyflowedout.

Therewerenonewdepositsatthebank.

Cashwasshort.

AtDavisBrothers'GeneralStore,BuckDavisstoodbehindtheregister,talkingtoamiddle-agedfarmer.

Buckwasatall,weatheredmaninaredhuntingshirtandInoddedasIpassedhimonmywaytothehardwaresectiontogetacontainerofnails,acoilofbindingwireandfencing.

Ipulledmypurchasesuptothecounterandplacedthenailsinthetrayofthescale,sayingcarefully,"Ineedtoputthisoncredit."

MybrowwasmoistwithnervoussweatandIwipeditawaywiththebackofmyarm.

Thefarmergavemeanamused,cynicallook,butBuck'sfacedidn'tchange.

"Sure,"hesaideasily,reachingforhisbookletwherehekeptrecordsforcredit.

Igaveasighofrelief.

"Yourdaddyisalwaysgoodforit."

Heturnedtothefarmer.

"ThishereisoneofJamesWilliams'sons.

Theybrokethemoldwhentheymadethatman."

Thefarmernoddedinaneighborlyway.

Iwasfilledwithpride.

"JamesWilliams'son."

Thosethreewordshadopenedadoortoanadult'srespectandtrust.

AsIheavedtheheavyfreightintothebedofthetruck,Ididsowithease,feelinglikeastrongermanthantheonethatleftthefarmthatmorning.

Ihaddiscoveredthatagoodnamecouldfurnishacapitalofgoodwillofgreatvalue.

EveryoneknewwhattoexpectfromaWilliams:

adecentpersonwhokepthiswordandrespectedhimselftoomuchtodowrong.

Mygreatgrandfathermayhavebeensoldasaslaveatauction,butthiswasnotanexcusetodowrongtoothers.

Insteadmyfatherbelievedtheonlywaytohonorhimwasthroughhardworkandrespectforallmen.

Wechildren—eightbrothersandtwosisters—couldenjoyourgoodname,unearned,unlessanduntilwedidsomethingtoloseit.

Wehadaninterestinhowoneanotherbehavedandourownactionsaswell,lestwedestroythenamemyfatherhadcreated.

Ourgoodnamewasandstillisthegluethatholdsourfamilytighttogether.

Thedesiretohonormyfather'sgoodnamespurredmetobecomethefirstinourfamilytogotouniversity.

Iworkedmywaythroughcollegeasaporteratafour-starhotel.Eventually,thatgoodnameprovidedtheinitiativetostartmyownsuccessfulpublicrelationsfirminWashington,D.C.

Americaneedstorestoreasenseofshameinitsneighborhoods.

Doingdrugs,spendingallyourmoneyattheliquorstore,stealing,orgettingayoungwomanpregnantwithnointenttomarryhershouldinduceadeepsenseofembarrassment.

Butitdoesn't.

NearlyoneoutofthreebirthsinAmericaistoasinglemother.Manyofthesechildrenwillgrowupwithoutthesecurityandguidancetheyneedtobecomehonorablemembersofsociety.

Oncethesocialtiesandmutualobligationsofthefamilymeltaway,communitiesfallapart.

Whilethepopulationhasincreasedonly40percentsince1960,violentcrimeinAmericahasincreasedastaggering550percent—andwe'vebecomeexceedinglyusedtoit.Teendrugusehasalsorisen.

InoneNorthCarolinaCounty,policearrested73studentsfrom12secondaryschoolsfordealingdrugs,someofthemrightinthe