Unit9MirrorofAmerica课后答案.docx

Unit9MirrorofAmerica课后答案.docx

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Unit9MirrorofAmerica课后答案

MarkTwain---

MirrorofAmerica

NoelGrove 

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 　　MostAmericansrememberMarkTwainasthefatherofHuckFinn'sidylliccruisethrougheternalboyhoodandTomSawyer'sendlesssummeroffreedomandadventure.In-deed,thisnation'sbest-lovedauthorwaseverybitasad-venturous,patriotic,romantic,andhumorousasanyonehaseverimagined.IfoundanotherTwainaswell–onewhogrewcynical,bitter,saddenedbytheprofoundpersonaltragedieslifedealthim,amanwhobecameobsessedwiththefrailtiesofthehumanrace,whosawclearlyaheadablackwallofnight.

　　Trampprinter,riverpilot,Confederateguerrilla,prospector,starry-eyedoptimist,acid-tonguedcynic:

ThemanwhobecameMarkTwainwasbornSamuelLanghorneClemensandherangedacrossthenationformorethanathirdofhislife,digestingthenewAmericanexperiencebeforesharingitwiththeworldaswriterandlecturer.Headoptedhispennamefromthecryheardinhissteamboatdays,signalingtwofathoms（12feet）ofwater--anavigabledepth.Hispopularityisattestedbythefactthatmorethanascoreofhisbooksremaininprint,andtranslationsarestillreadaroundtheworld.

　　Thegeographiccore,inTwain'searlyyears,wasthegreatvalleyoftheMississippiRiver,mainarteryoftransportationintheyoungnation'sheart.Keelboats，flatboats,andlargeraftscarriedthefirstmajorcommerce.Lumber,corn,tobacco,wheat,andfursmoveddownstreamtothedeltacountry;sugar,molasses,cotton,andwhiskeytravelednorth.Inthe1850's,beforetheclimaxofwestwardexpansion,thevastbasindrainedthree-quartersofthesettledUnitedStates.

　　YoungMarkTwainenteredthatworldin1857asacubpilotonasteamboat.Thecastofcharacterssetbeforehiminhisnewprofessionwasrichandvariedacosmos.Heparticipatedabundantlyinthislife,listeningtopilothousetalkoffeuds,piracies,lynchings,medicineshows,andsavagewatersideslums.Allwouldresurfaceinhisbooks,togetherwiththecolorfullanguagethathesoakedupwithamemorythatseemedphonographic

　　Steamboatdecksteemednotonlywiththemaincurrentofpioneeringhumanity,butitsflotsamofhustlers,gamblers,andthugsaswell.FromthemallMarkTwaingainedakeenperceptionofthehumanrace,ofthedifferencebetweenwhatpeopleclaimtobeandwhattheyreallyare.Hisfourandahalfyearsinthesteamboattrademarkedtherealbeginningofhiseducation,andthemostlastingpartofit.InlaterlifeTwainacknowledgedthattheriverhadacquaintedhimwitheverypossibletypeofhumannature.Thoseacquaintanceshipsstrengthenedallhiswriting,butheneverwrotebetterthanwhenhewroteofthepeoplea-longthegreatstream.

　　Whenrailroadsbegandryingupthedemandforsteam-boatpilotsandtheCivilWarhaltedcommerce,MarkTwainlefttherivercountry.HetriedsoldieringfortwoweekswithamotleybandofConfederateguerrillaswhodiligentlyavoidedcontactwiththeenemy.Twainquitafterdeciding,"...Iknewmoreaboutretreatingthanthemanthatinventedretreating."

　　HewentwestbystagecoachandsuccumbedtotheepidemicofgoldandsilverfeverinNevada'sWashoeregion.Foreightmonthsheflirtedwiththecolossalwealthavailabletotheluckyandthepersistent,andwasrebuffed.Brokeanddiscouraged,heacceptedajobasreporterwiththeVirginiaCityTerritorialEnterprise,toliterature'senduringgratitude.

　　Fromthediscouragementofhisminingfailures,MarkTwainbegandigginghiswaytoregionalfameasanewspaperreporterandhumorist.Theinstantrichesofaminingstrikewouldnotbehisinthereportingtrade,butformakingmoney,hispenwouldprovemightierthanhispickax.Inthespringof1864,lessthantwoyearsafterjoiningtheTerritorialEnterprise,heboardedthestagecoachforSanFrancisco,thenandnowahotbedofhopefulyoungwriters.

　　MarkTwainhonedandexperimentedwithhisnewwritingmuscles,buthehadtoleavethecityforawhilebecauseofsomescathingcolumnshewrote.Attacksonthecitygovernment,concerningsuchissuesasmistreatmentofChinese,soangeredofficialsthathefledtothegoldfieldsintheSacramentoValley.Hisdescriptionsoftherough-countrysettlersthereringfamiliarlyinmodernworldaccustomedtotrendsettingontheWestCoast."Itwasasplendidpopulation–foralltheslow,sleepy,sluggish-brainedslothsstayedathome...ItwasthatpopulationthatgavetoCaliforniaanameforgettingupastoundingenterprisesandrushingthemthroughwithamagnificentdashanddaringandarecklessnessofcostorconsequences,whichshebearsuntothisday–andwhensheprojectsanewsurprise,thegraveworldsmilesasusual,andsays'Well,thatisCaliforniaallover.'"

　　Inthedrearywinterof1864-65inAngelsCamp,hekeptanotebook.Scatteredamongnotationsabouttheweatherandthetediousmining-campmealsliesanentrynotingastoryhehadheardthatday–anentrythatwoulddeterminehiscourseforever:

"Colemanwithhisjumpingfrog–betstranger$50–strangerhadnofrog,andC.gothimone–inthemeantimestrangerfilledC.'sfrogfullofshotandhecouldn'tjump.Thestranger'sfrogwon."Retoldwithhisdescriptivegenius,thestorywasprintedinnewspapersacrosstheUnitedStatesandbecameknownas"TheCelebratedJumpingFrogofCalaverasCounty."MarkTwain'snationalreputationwasnowwellestablishedas"thewildhumoristofthePacificslope."

　　TwoyearslatertheopportunitycameforhimtotakeadistinctlyAmericanlookattheOldWorld.InNewYorkCitythesteamshipQuakerCitypreparedtosailonapleasurecruisetoEuropeandtheHolyLand.Forthefirsttime,asizablegroupofUnitedStatescitizensplannedtojourneyastourists--amilestone,ofsorts,inacountry'sdevelopment.Twainwasassignedtoaccompanythem,ascorrespondent工foraCalifornianewspaper.Ifreadersexpectedtheusualglowingtravelogue,theyweresorelysurprised.

　　UnimpressedbytheSultanofTurkey,forexample,hereported,“...onecouldsetatrapanywhereandcatchadozenablermeninanight.”Casuallyhedebunkedreveredartistsandarttreasures,andtookunholyverbalshotsattheHolyLand.Backhome,morenewspapersbeganprintinghisarticles.Americalaughedwithhim.UponhisreturntotheStatesthebookversionofhistravels,TheInnocentsAbroad,becameaninstantbest-seller.

　　Attheageof36TwainsettledinHartford,Connecticut.Hisbestbookswerepublishedwhilehelivedthere.

　　Asearlyas1870TwainhadexperimentedwithastoryabouttheboyhoodadventuresofaladhenamedBillyRogers.Twoyearslater,hechangedthenametoTom,andbeganshapinghisadventuresintoastageplay.Notuntil1874didthestorybegindevelopinginearnest.Afterpublicationin1876,TomSawyerquicklybecameaclassictaleofAmericanboyhood.Tom'smischievousdaring,ingenuity,andthesweetinnocenceofhisaffectionforBeckyThatcherarealmostassuretobestudiedinAmericanschoolsto-dayasistheDeclarationofIndependence.

　　MarkTwain'sowndeclarationofindependencecamefromanothercharacter.SixchaptersintoTomSawyer,hedragsin"thejuvenilepariahofthevillage,HuckleberryFinn,sonofthetowndrunkard."FleeingarespectablelifewiththepuritanicalWidowDouglas,Huckproteststohisfriend,TomSawyer:

"I'vetriedit,anditdon'twork;itdon'twork,Tom.Itain'tforme...Thewiddereatsbyabell;shegoestobedbyabell;shegitsupbyabell–everything'ssoawfulreg'larabodycan'tstandit."

　　NineyearsafterTomSawyersweptthenation,Huckwasgivenalifeofhisown,inabookoftenconsideredthebesteverwrittenaboutAmericans.HisraftflightdowntheMississippiwitharunawayslavepresentsamovingpanoramaforexplorationofAmericansociety.

　　Ontheriver,andespeciallywithHuckFinn,Twainfoundtheultimateexpressionofescapefromthepacehelivedbyandoftendeplored,fromlife'sregularitiesandtheenergy-sappingclamorforsuccess.

　　MarkTwainsuggestedthataningredientwasmissingintheAmericanambitionwhenhesaid:

"Whatarobustpeople,whatanationofthinkerswemightbe,ifwewouldonlylayourselvesontheshelfoccasionallyandrenewouredges."

　　Personaltragedyhauntedhisentirelife,inthedeathsoflovedones:

hisfather,dyingofpneumoniawhenSamwas12;hisbrotherHenry,killedbyasteamboatexplosion;thedeathofhisson,Langdon,at19months.Hiseldestdaughter,Susy,diedofspinalmeningitis,Mrs.ClemenssuccumbedtoaheartattackinFlorence,andyoungestdaughter.,Jean,anepileptic,drownedinanupstairsbathtub.

　　Bitternessfedonthemanwhohadmadetheworldlaugh.Themoralizingofhisearlierwritinghadbeenwellpaddedwithhumor.Nowtheglovescameoffwithbitingsatire.HepretendedtopraisetheU.S.militaryforthemassacreof600PhilippineMorosinthebowlofavolcanic,crater.InTheMysteriousStranger,heinsistedthatmandrophisreligiousillusionsanddependuponhimself,notProvidence,tomakeabetterworld.

　　Thelastofhisownillusionsseemedtohavecrumbledneartheend.Dictatinghisautobiographylateinlife,hecommentedwithacrushingsenseofdespaironmen'sfinalreleasefromearthlystruggles:

"...theyvanishfromaworldwheretheywereofnoconsequence;wheretheyachievednothing;wheretheywereamistakeandafailureandafoolishness;wheretheyhaveleftnosignthattheyhadexisted–aworldwhichwilllamentthemadayandfor-getthemforever.”

（fromNationalGeographic,Sept.,1975）

MirrorofAmerica课文讲解/DetailedStudy

DetailedStudyoftheText

1.MirrorofAmerica:

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