大学英语6 第6课.docx
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大学英语6第6课
大学英语精读第六册06
大耳朵英语 2005-09-3000:
42:
35 【打印】
UnitSix
Text
Thisessayonafamousman,whosenameisnotrevealeduntilalmosttheendofthepiece,isastudyofmonstrousconceit.Filledwithbiographicaldetailsthatkeepthereaderguessingtothelastmoment,theessayconcludeswithachallengingviewonthenatureofgenius:
Ifageniuswassoprolific,"isitanywonderthathehadnotimetobeaman?
"
THEMONSTER
DeemsTaylor
Hewasanundersizedlittleman,withaheadtoobigforhisbody--asicklylittleman.Hisnerveswerehad.Hehadskintrouble.Itwasagonyforhimtowearanythingnexttohisskincoarserthansilk.Andhehadseclusionsofgrandeur.
Hewasamonsterofconceit.Neverforoneminutedidhelookattheworldoratpeople,exceptinrelationtohimself.Hewasnotonlythemostimportantpersonintheworld,tohimself;inhisowneyeshewastheonlypersonwhoexisted.Hebelievedhimselftobeoneofthegreatestdramatistsintheworld,oneofthegreatestthinkers,andoneofthegreatestcomposers.Tohearhimtalk,hewasShakespeare,andBeethoven,andPlato,rolledintoone.Andyouwouldhavehadnodifficultyinhearinghimtalk.Hewasoneofthemostexhaustingconversationaliststhateverlived.Aneveningwithhimwasaneveningspentinlisteningtoamonologue.Sometimeshewasbrilliant;sometimeshewasmaddeninglytiresome.Butwhetherhewasbeingbrilliantordull,hehadonesoletopicofconversation:
himself.Whathethoughtandwhathedid.
Hehadamaniaforbeingintheright.Theslightesthintofdisagreement,fromanyone,onthemosttrivialpoint,wasenoughtosethimoffonaharanguethatmightlastforhouse,inwhichheprovedhimselfrightinsomanyways,andwithsuchexhaustingvolubility,thatintheendhishearer,stunnedanddeafened,wouldagreewithhim,forthesakeofpeace.
Itneveroccurredtohimthatheandhisdoingwerenotofthemostintenseandfascinatinginteresttoanyonewithwhomhecameincontact.Hehadtheoriesaboutalmostanysubjectunderthesun,includingvegetarianism,thedrama,politics,andmusic;andinsupportofthesetheorieshewrotepamphlets,letters,books…thousandsuponthousandsofwords,hundredsandhundredsofpages.Henotonlywrotethesethings,andpublishedthem--usuallyatsomebodyelse'sexpense--buthewouldsitandreadthemaloud,forhours,tohisfriendsandhisfamily.
Hewroteoperas,andnosoonerdidhehavethesynopsisofastory,buthewouldinvite--orrathersummon--acrowedofhisfriendstohishouse,andreaditaloudtothem.Notforcriticism.Forapplause.Whenthecompletepoemwaswritten,thefriendshadtocomeagain,andhearthatreadaloud.Thenhewouldpublishthepoem,sometimesyearsbeforethemusicthatwentwithitwaswritten.Heplayedthepianolikeacomposer,intheworstsenseofwhatthatimplies,andhewouldsitdownatthepianobeforepartiesthatincludedsomeofthefinestpianistsofhistime,andplayforthem,bythehour,hisownmusic,needlesstosay.Hehadacomposer'svoice.Andhewouldinviteeminentvocaliststohishouseandsingthemhisoperas,takingalltheparts.
Hehadtheemotionalstabilityofasix-year-oldchild.Whenhefeltoutofsorts,hewouldraveandstamp,orsinkintosuicidalgloomandtalkdarklyofgoingtotheEasttoendhisdaysasaBuddhistwonk.Tenminuteslater,whensomethingpleasedhim,hewouldrushoutofdoorsandrunaroundthegarden,orjumpupanddownonthesofa,orstandonhishead.Hecouldbegrief-strickenoverthedeathofapetdog,andhecouldbecallousandheartlesstoadegreethatwouldhavemadeaRomanemperorshudder.
Hewasalmostinnocentofanysenseofresponsibility.Notonlydidheseemincapableofsupportinghimself,butitneveroccurredtohimthathewasunderayobligationtodoso.Hewasconvincedthattheworldowedhimaliving.Insupportofthisbelief,heborrowedmoneyfromeverybodywhowasgoodforaloan--men,women,friends,orstrangers.Hewrotebegginglettersbythescore,sometimesgrovelingwithoutshame,atotherloftilyofferinghisintendedbenefactortheprivilegeofcontributingtohissupport,andbeingmortallyoffendediftherecipientdeclinedthehonor.Ihavefoundnorecordofhiseverpayingorrepayingmoneytoanyonewhodidnothavealegalclaimuponit.
WhatmoneyhecouldlayhishandsonhespentlikeanIndianrajah.Themereprospectofaperformanceofoneofhisoperaswasenoughtosethimtorunningupbillsamountingtotentimestheamountofhisprospectiveroyalties.Noonewilleverknow--certainlyheneverknew--howmuchmoneyheowed.Wedoknowthathisgreatestbenefactorgavehim$6,000topaythemostpressingofhisdebtsinonecity,andayearlaterhadtogivehim$16,000toenablehimtoliveinanothercitywithoutbeingthrownintojailfordebt.
Hewasequallyunscrupulousinotherways.Anendlessprocessionofwomenmarchedthroughhislife.Hisfirstwifespenttwentyyearsenduringandforgivinghisinfidelities.Hissecondwifehadbeenthewifeofhismostdevotedfriendandadmirer,fromwhomhestoleher.Andevenwhilehewastryingtopersuadehertoleaveherfirsthusbandhewaswritingtoafriendtoinquirewhetherhecouldsuggestsomewealthywoman--anywealthywoman--whomhecouldmarryforhermoney.
Hewascompletelyselfishinhisotherpersonalrelationships.Hislikingforhisfriendswasmeasuredsolelybythecompletenessoftheirdevotiontohim,orbytheirusefulnesstohim,whetherfinancialorartistic.Theminutetheyfailedhim--evenbysomuchasrefusingdinnerinvitation--orbegantolesseninusefulness,hecastthemoffwithoutasecondthought.Attheendofhislifehehadexactlyonefriendleftwhomhehadknowneveninmiddleage.
ThenameofthismonsterwasRichardWagner.EverythingthatIhavesaidabouthimyoucanfindonrecord--innewspapers,inpolicereports,inthetestimonyofpeoplewhoknewhim,inhisownletters,betweenthelinesofhisautobiography.Andthecuriousthingaboutthisrecordisthatitdoesn'tmatterintheleast.
Becausethisundersized,sickly,disagreeable,fascinatinglittlemanwasrightallthetime.Thejokewasonus.Hewasoneoftheworld'sgreatestdramatists;hewasagreatthinker;hewasoneofthemoststupendousmusicalgeniusesthat,uptonow,theworldhaseverseen.Theworlddidowehimaliving.
Whenyouconsiderwhathewrote--thirteenoperasandmusicdramas,elevenofthemstillholdingthestage,eightofthemunquestionablyworthrankingamongtheworld'sgreatmusico-dramaticmasterpieces--whenyoulistentowhathewrote,thedebtsandheartachesthatpeoplehadtoendurefromhimdon'tseemmuchofaprice.Thinkoftheluxurywithwhichforatime,atleast,faterewardedNapoleon,themanwhoruinedFranceandlootedEurope;andthenperhapsyouwillagreethatafewthousanddollars'worthofdebtswerenottooheavyapricetopayfortheRingtrilogy.
Whatifhewasfaithlesstohisfriendsandtohiswives?
Hehadonemistresstowhomhewasfaithfultothedayofhisdeath:
Music.Notforasinglemomentdidheevercompromisewithwhathebelieved,withwhatbedreamed.Thereisnotalineofhismusicthatcouldhavebeenconceivedbyalittlemind.Evenwhenheisdull,ordownrightbad,heisdullinthegrandmanner.Thereisgreatnessabouthisworstmistakes.Listeningtohismusic,onedoesnotforgivehimforwhathemayormaynothavebeen.Itisnotamatterofforgiveness.Itisamatterofbeingdumbwithwonderthathispoorbrainandbodydidn'tburstunderthetormentofthedemonofcreativeenergythatlivedinsidehim,struggling,clawing,scratchingtobereleased;tearing,shriekingathimtowritethemusicthatwasinhim.Themiracleisthatwhathedidinthelittlespaceofseventyyearscouldhavebeendoneatall,evenbyagreatgenius.Isitanywonderthathehadnotimetobeaman?
NewWords
monster
n.apersontoowickedtobeconsideredhuman;ananimalorplantthatisveryunlikethoseusuallyfoundinnature
undersized
a.smallerthanusual;toosmall
sickly
a.weak,unhealthyandoftenill
agony
n.verygreatpainorsufferingofmindorbody
coarse
a.notfineorsmooth;rough
delusion
n.afalsebelief
grandeur
n.greatness,nobility
delusionofgrandeur
夸大妄想
dramatist
n.awriterofplays,esp.seriousones;playwright
composer
n.onewhowritesmusicalworks
composevt.
conversationalist
n.apersonwhoenjoysandisskilledatconversation
monologue
n.alongspeechbyoneperson;aspokenpartinaplayorfilmforasingleperson独白
maddeningly
ad.annoyingly
tiresome
a.irritatingorboring
mania
n.adesiresostrongthanitseemsmad;anunusualorunreasonablefondness狂热;癖好
hint
n.astatementoractionthatgivesasmallorindirectsuggestion
trivial
a.oflittleornoimportance
harangue
n.along,loudspeech,esp.onewhichblamesthoselisteningtoit
volubility
n.fondnessfortalking;talkativeness
deafen
vt.makedeaf,esp.forashorttime;stunwithnoise
vegetarianism
n.thepracticeorprincipleofeatingonlyvegetablefoodsandrefrainingfromeatingmeat,fishorotheranimalproducts
pamphlet
n.asmallbookwithpapercoverswhichdealsusu.withsomematterofpublicinterest;booklet小册子
expense
n.costinmoney,time,oreffort
opera
n.amusicalplay
summon
vt.order(sb.)tocome
applause
n.loudpraiseforaperformerorperformance,esp.bystrikingthehandstogether
needless
a.unnecessary
eminent
a.(ofpeople)famousandadmired
vocalist
n.singer
vocal
a.ofthevoice
rave
vi.