高级英语 第七课.docx
- 文档编号:7269300
- 上传时间:2023-01-22
- 格式:DOCX
- 页数:8
- 大小:26.79KB
高级英语 第七课.docx
《高级英语 第七课.docx》由会员分享,可在线阅读,更多相关《高级英语 第七课.docx(8页珍藏版)》请在冰豆网上搜索。
高级英语第七课
TheLibidofortheUgly
爱丑之欲
H.L.Mencken
1OnaWinterdaysomeyearsago,comingoutofPittsburghononeoftheexpressesofthePennsylvaniaRailroad,IrolledeastwardforanhourthroughthecoalandsteeltownsofWestmorelandcounty.Itwasfamiliarground;boyandman,Ihadbeenthroughitoftenbefore.ButsomehowIhadneverquitesenseditsappallingdesolation.HerewastheveryheartofindustrialAmerica,thecenterofitsmostlucrativeandcharacteristicactivity,theboastandprideoftherichestandgrandestnationeverseenonearth--andherewasascenesodreadfullyhideous,sointolerablybleakandforlornthatitreducedthewholeaspirationofmantoamacabreanddepressingjoke.Herewaswealthbeyondcomputation,almostbeyondimagination--andherewerehumanhabitationssoabominablethattheywouldhavedisgracedaraceofalleycats.
2Iamnotspeakingofmerefilth.Oneexpectssteeltownstobedirty.WhatIalludetoistheunbrokenandagonizingugliness,thesheerrevoltingmonstrousness,ofeveryhouseinsight.FromEastLibertytoGreensburg,adistanceoftwenty-fivemiles,therewasnotoneinsightfromthetrainthatdidnotinsultandlaceratetheeye.Someweresobad,andtheywereamongthemostpretentious--churches,stores,warehouses,andthelike--thattheyweredown-rightstartling;oneblinkedbeforethemasoneblinksbeforeamanwithhisfaceshotaway.Afewlingerinmemory,horribleeventhere:
acrazylittlechurchjustwestofJeannette,setlikeadormer-windowonthesideofabareleproushill;theheadquartersoftheVeteransofForeignWarsatanotherforlorntown,asteelstadiumlikeahugerattrapsomewherefurtherdowntheline.ButmostofallIrecallthegeneraleffect--ofhideousnesswithoutabreak.TherewasnotasingledecenthousewithineyerangefromthePittsburghtotheGreensburgyards.Therewasnotonethatwasnotmisshapen,andtherewasnotonethatwasnotshabby.
3Thecountryitselfisnotuncomely,despitethegrimeoftheendlessmills.Itis,inform,anarrowrivervalley,withdeepgulliesrunningupintothehills.Itisthicklysettled,butnot:
noticeablyovercrowded.Thereisstillplentyofroomforbuilding,eveninthelargertowns,andthereareveryfewsolidblocks.Nearlyeveryhouse,bigandlittle,hasspaceonallfoursides.Obviously,iftherewerearchitectsofanyprofessionalsenseordignityintheregion,theywouldhaveperfectedachalettohugthehillsides--achaletwithahigh-pitchedroof,tothrowofftheheavyWintersnows,butstillessentiallyalowandclingingbuilding,widerthanitwastall.Butwhathavetheydone?
Theyhavetakenastheirmodelabricksetonend.Thistheyhaveconvertedintoathingofdingyclapboardswithanarrow,low-pitchedroof.Andthewholetheyhavesetuponthin,preposterousbrickpiers.Bythehundredsandthousandstheseabominablehousescoverthebarehillsides,likegravestonesinsomegiganticanddecayingcemetery.Ontheirdeepsidestheyarethree,fourandevenfivestorieshigh;ontheirlowsidestheyburythemselvesswinishlyinthemud.Notafifthofthemareperpendicular.Theyleanthiswayandthat,hangingontotheirbasesprecariously.Andoneandalltheyarestreakedingrime,withdeadandeczematouspatchesofpaintpeepingthroughthestreaks.
4Nowandthenthereisahouseofbrick.Butwhatbrick!
Whenitisnewitisthecolorofafriedegg.Whenithastakenonthepatinaofthemillsitisthecolorofanegglongpastallhopeorcaring.Wasitnecessarytoadoptthatshockingcolor?
Nomorethanitwasnecessarytosetallofthehousesonend.Redbrick,eveninasteeltown,ageswithsomedignity.Letitbecomedownrightblack,anditisstillsightly,especiallyifitstrimmingsareofwhitestone,withsootinthedepthsandthehighspotswashedbytherain.ButinWestmorelandtheypreferthaturemicyellow,andsotheyhavethemostloathsometownsandvillageseverseenbymortaleye.
5Iawardthischampionshiponlyafterlaboriousresearchandincessantprayer.Ihaveseen,Ibelieve,allofthemostunlovelytownsoftheworld;theyarealltobefoundintheUnitedStates.IhaveseenthemilltownsofdecomposingNewEnglandandthedeserttownsofUtah,ArizonaandTexas.IamfamiliarwiththebackstreetsofNewark,BrooklynandChicago,andhavemadescientificexplorationstoCamden,N.J.andNewportNews,Va.SafeinaPullman,Ihavewhirledthroughtheg1oomy,GodforsakenvillagesofIowaandKansas,andthemalarioustidewaterhamletsofGeorgia.IhavebeentoBridgeport,Conn.,andtoLosAngeles.Butnowhereonthisearth,athomeorabroad,haveIseenanythingtocomparetothevillagesthathuddlealohathelineofthePennsylvaniafromthePittsburghyardstoGreensburg.Theyareincomparableincolor,andtheyareincomparableindesign.Itisasifsometitanicandaberrantgenius,uncompromisinglyinimicaltoman,haddevotedalltheingenuityofHelltothemakingofthem.Theyshowgrotesqueriesofuglinessthat,inretrospect,becomealmostdiabolical.Onecannotimaginemerehumanbeingsconcoctingsuchdreadfulthings,andonecanscarcelyimaginehumanbeingsbearinglifeinthem.
6Aretheysofrightfulbecausethevalleyisfullofforeigners--dull,insensatebrutes,withnoloveofbeautyinthem?
Thenwhydidn'ttheseforeignerssetupsimilarabominationsinthecountriesthattheycamefrom?
Youwill,infact,findnothingofthesortinEurope--saveperhapsinthemoreputridpartsofEngland.ThereisscarcelyanuglyvillageonthewholeContinent.Thepeasants,howeverpoor,somehowmanagetomakethemselvesgracefulandcharminghabitations,eveninSpain.ButintheAmericanvillageandsmalltownthepullisalwaystowardugliness,andinthatWestmorelandvalleyithasbeenyieldedtowithaneagernessborderinguponpassion.Itisincrediblethatmereignoranceshouldhaveachievedsuchmasterpiecesofhorror.
7OncertainlevelsoftheAmericanrace,indeed,thereseemstobeapositivelibidofortheugly,asonotherandlessChristianlevelsthereisalibidoforthebeautiful.ItisimpossibletoputdownthewallpaperthatdefacestheaverageAmericanhomeofthelowermiddleclasstomereinadvertence,ortotheobscenehumorofthemanufacturers.Suchghastlydesigns,itmustbeobvious,giveagenuinedelighttoacertaintypeofmind.Theymeet,insomeunfathomableway,itsobscureandunintelligibledemands.ThetasteforthemisasenigmaticalandyetascommonasthetastefordogmatictheologyandthepoetryofEdgarAGuest.
8ThusIsuspect(thoughconfessedlywithoutknowing)thatthevastmajorityofthehonestfolkofWestmorelandcounty,andespeciallythe100%Americansamongthem,actuallyadmirethehousestheylivein,andareproudofthem.Forthesamemoneytheycouldgetvastlybetterones,buttheypreferwhattheyhavegot.CertainlytherewasnopressureupontheVeteransofForeignWarstochoosethedreadfuledificethatbearstheirbanner,forthereareplentyofvacantbuildingsalongthetrackside,andsomeofthemareappreciablybetter.Theymight,in-deed,havebuiltabetteroneoftheirown.Buttheychosethatclapboardedhorrorwiththeireyesopen,andhavingchosenit,theyletitmellowintoitspresentshockingdepravity.Theylikeitasitis:
besideit,theParthenonwouldnodoubtoffendthem.Inpreciselythesamewaytheauthorsoftherat-trapstadiumthatIhavementionedmadeadeliberatechoice:
Afterpainfullydesigninganderectingit,theymadeitperfectintheirownsightbyputtingacompletelyimpossiblepenthousepaintedastaringyellow,ontopofit.Theeffectisthatofafatwomanwithablackeye.ItisthatofaPresbyteriangrinning.Buttheylikeit.
9Hereissomethingthatthepsychologistshavesofarneglected:
theloveofuglinessforitsownsake,thelusttomaketheworldintolerable.ItshabitatistheUnitedStates.Outofthemeltingpotemergesaracewhichhatesbeautyasithatestruth.Theetiologyofthismadnessdeservesagreatdealmorestudythanithasgot.Theremustbecausesbehindit;itarisesandflourishesinobediencetobiologicallaws,andnotasamereactofGod.What,precisely,arethetermsofthoselaws?
AndwhydotheyrunstrongerinAmericathanelsewhere?
LetsomehonestPrivatDozentinpathologicalsociologyapplyhimselftotheproblem.
(fromReadingforRhetoricbyCarolineShrodes,
CliffordA,Josephson,JamesR.Wilson)
NOTES
1.theVeteransofForeignWars:
generallyabbreviatedtoVFW,anorganizationcreatedbythemergerin1914ofthreesocietiesofUnitedStatesoverseasveteransthatwerefoundedaftertheSpanish-AmericanWarof1899.WithitsmembershipvastlyincreasedafterWorldWarⅠandWorldWarⅡ,theorganizationbecameamajornationalveterans'society.
2.Guest:
EdgarAlbertGuest(1881--1959),English-bornnewspaperpoet,whosedailypoemintheDetroitFreePresswaswidelysyndicatedandextremelypopularwiththepeoplehecalled'folks'foritshomely,saccharinemorality
3.Parthenon:
abeautifuldorictemplebuiltinhonorofthevirgin(Parthenos)goddessAthenaontheAcropolisinAthensaround5thcenturyB.C.
4.Presbysterian:
aformofchurchgovernmentbypresbytersdevelopedbyJohnCalvinandotherreformersduringthe16th-centuryProtestantReformationandusedwithvariationsbyReformedandPresbyterianchurchesthroughouttheworld.AccordingtoCalvin'stheoryofchurchgovernment,thechurchisacommunityorbodyinwhichChristonlyisheadandmembersareequalunderhim.Allwhoholdofficedosobyelectionofthepeoplewhoserepresentativestheyare.
MenckenassumesthatPresbyteriansarepuritanical,sombrefacedpeoplewhonever
- 配套讲稿:
如PPT文件的首页显示word图标,表示该PPT已包含配套word讲稿。双击word图标可打开word文档。
- 特殊限制:
部分文档作品中含有的国旗、国徽等图片,仅作为作品整体效果示例展示,禁止商用。设计者仅对作品中独创性部分享有著作权。
- 关 键 词:
- 高级英语 第七课 高级 英语 第七