現(xiàn)代大學(xué)英語(yǔ)精讀4-thinking-as-a-hobby-原文、課文對(duì)比版

ThinkingasaHobby

byWilliamGolding

WhileIwasstillaboy,Icametotheconclusionthattherewerethreegradesofthinking;andandsinceIwaslatertoclaimthinkingasmyhobby,Icametoanevenstrangerconclusion-namely,thatImyselfcouldnotthinkatall.

Imusthavebeenanunsatisfactorychildforgrownupstodealwith.Irememberhowincomprehensibletheyappearedtomeatfirst,butnot,ofcourse,howIappearedtothem.Itwastheheadmasterofmygrammarschoolwhofirstbroughtthesubjectofthinkingbeforeme-thoughneitherintheway,norwiththeresultheintended.Hehadsomestatuettesinhisstudy.Theystoodonahighcupboardbehindhisdesk.Onewasaladywearingnothingbutabathtowel.Sheseemedfrozeninaneternalpaniclestthebathtowelslipdownanyfarther,andsinceshehadnoarms,shewasinanunfortunatepositiontopullthetowelupagain.Nexttoher,crouchedthestatuetteofaleopard,readytospringdownatthetopdrawerofafilingcabinetlabeledA-AH.Myinnocenceinterpretedthisasthevictim'slast,despairingcry.Beyondtheleopardwasanaked,musculargentleman,whosat,lookingdown,withhischinonhisfistandhiselbowonhisknee.Heseemedutterlymiserable.

Sometimelater,Ilearnedaboutthesestatuettes.Theheadmasterhadplacedthemwheretheywouldfacedelinquentchildren,becausetheysymbolizedtohimtowholeoflife.ThenakedladywastheVenusofMilo.ShewasLove.Shewasnotworriedaboutthetowel.Shewasjustbusybeingbeautiful.TheleopardwasNature,andhewasbeingnatural.Thenaked,musculargentlemanwasnotmiserable.HewasRodin'sThinker,animageofpurethought.Itiseasytobuysmallplastermodelsofwhatyouthinklifeislike.

IhadbetterexplainthatIwasafrequentvisitortotheheadmaster'sstudy,becauseofthelatestthingIhaddoneorleftundone.Aswenowsay,Iwasnotintegrated.Iwas,ifanything,disintegrated

;andIwaspuzzled.Grownupsnevermadesense.WheneverIfoundmyselfinapenalpositionbeforetheheadmaster'sdesk,withthestatuettesglimmeringwhitelyabovehim,Iwouldsinkmyhead,claspmyhandsbehindmyback,andwritheoneshoeovertheother.

Theheadmasterwouldlookopaquelyatmeandsay,

throughflashingspectacles."Whatarewegoingtodowithyou?"

Well,whatweretheygoingtodowithme?Iwouldwrithemyshoesomemoreandstaredownatthewornrug.

"Lookup,boy!Can'tyoulookup?"

ThenIwouldlookatthecupboard,wherethenakedladywasfrozeninherpanicandthemusculargentlemancontemplatedthehindquartersoftheleopardinendlessgloom.Ihadnothingtosaytotheheadmaster.Hisspectaclescaughtthelightsothatyoucouldseenothinghumanbehindthem.Therewasnopossibilityofcommunication.

"Don'tyoueverthinkatall?"

No,Ididn'tthink,wasn'tthinking,couldn'tthink-Iwassimplywaitinginanguishfortheinterviewtostop.

"Thenyou'dbetterlearn-hadn'tyou?"

Ononeoccasiontheheadmasterleapedtohisfeet,reachedupandputplonkedRodin'smasterpieceonthedeskbeforeme.

"That'swhatamanlookslikewhenhe'sreallythinking."

Isurveyedthegentlemanwithoutinterestorcomprehension.

"Gobacktoyourclass."

Clearlytherewassomethingmissinginme.Naturehadendowedtherestofthehumanracewithasixthsenseandleftmeout.ButlikeThismustbeso,Imused,onmywaybacktotheclass,sincewhetherIhadbrokenawindow,orfailedtorememberBoyle'sLaw,orbeenlateforschool,myteachersproducedmeone,adultanswer:"Whycan'tyouthink?"

AsIsawthecase,IhadbrokenthewindowbecauseIhadtriedtohitJackArneywithacricketballandmissedhim;IcouldnotrememberBoyle'sLawbecauseIhadneverbotheredtolearnit;andIwaslateforschoolbecauseIpreferredlookingoverthebridgeintotheriver.Infact,Iwaswicked.Weremyteachers,perhaps,sogoodthattheycouldnotunderstandthedepthsofmydepravity?Weretheyclear,untormentedpeoplewhocoulddirecttheireveryactionbythismysteriousbusinessofthinking?Thewholethingwasincomprehensible.Inmyearlieryears,IfoundeventhestatuetteoftheThinkerconfusing.Ididnotbelieveanyofmyteacherswerenaked,ever.Likesomeoneborndeaf,butbitterlydeterminedtofindoutaboutsound,Iwatchedmyteacherstofindoutaboutthought.

TherewasMr.Houghton.Hewasalwaystellingmetothink.Withamodestsatisfaction,hewouldtellthathehadthoughtabithimself.Thenwhydidhespendsomuchtimedrinking?Orwastheremoresenseindrinkingthanthereappearedtobe?Butifnot,andifdrinkingwereinfactruinoustohealth-andMr.Houghtonwasruined,therewasnodoubtaboutthat-whywashealwaystalkingaboutthecleanlifeandthevirtuesoffreshair?Hewouldspreadhisarmswidewiththeactionofamanwhohabituallyspenthistimestridingalongmountainridges.

"Openairdoesmegood,boys-Iknowit!"

Sometimes,exaltedbyhisownoratory,hewouldleapfromhisdeskandhustleusoutsideintoahideouswind.

"Now,boys!Deepbreaths!Feelitrightdowninsideyou-hugedraughtsofGod'sgoodair!"

Hewouldstandbeforeus,rejoicinginhisperfecthealth,anopen-airman.Hewouldputhishandsonhiswaistandtakeatremendousbreath.Youcouldhearthewindtrappedinthecavernofhischestandstrugglingwithalltheunnaturalimpediments.Hisbodywouldreelwithshockandhisruinedfacegowhiteattheunaccustomedvisitation.Hewouldstaggerbacktohisdeskandcollapsethere,uselessfortherestofthemorning.

Mr.Houghtonwasgiventohigh-mindedmonologuesaboutthegoodlife,sexlessandfullofduty.

partlybecauseInowsawmyhobbyasanunsatisfactorythingifitwentnofurther.Ifyousetouttoclimbamountain,howeverhighyouclimb,youhavefailedifyoucannotreachthetop.

IthereforedecidedthatIwouldIdidmeetanundeniablygradeonethinkerinmyfirstyearatOxford.IwaslookingoverasmallbridgeinMagdalenDeerPark,andatinymustachedandhattedfigurecameandstoodbymyside.HewasaGermanwhohadjustfledfromtheNazistoOxfordasatemporaryrefuge.HisnamewasEinstein.ButProfessorEinsteinknewnoEnglishatthattimeandIknewonlytwowordsofGerman.Ibeamedathim,tryingwordlesslytoconveybymybearingalltheaffectionandrespectthattheEnglishfeltforhim.Itispossible-andIhavetomaketheadmission-thatIfelthereweretwograde-onethinkersstandingsidebyside;yetIdoubtifmyfaceconveyedmorethanaformlessawe.IwouldhavegivenmyGreekandLatinandFrenchandagoodsliceofmyEnglishforenoughGermantocommunicate.Butweweredivided;hewasasinscrutableasmyheadmaster.Forperhapsfiveminuteswestoodtogetheronthebridge,undeniablegrade-onethinkerandbreathlessaspirant.Withtruegreatness,ProfessorEinsteinrealizedthatanycontactwasbetterthannone.Hepointedtoatroutwaveringinmidstream.

Hespoke:"Fisch."

Mybrainreeled.HereIwas,minglingwiththegreat,andyethelplessastheveriestgrade-threethinker.DesperatelyIsoughtforsomesignbywhichImightconveythatI,too,reveredpurereason.Inoddedvehemently.InabrilliantflashIuseduphalfofmyGermanvocabulary."Fisch.Ja.Ja."

Forperhapsanotherfiveminuteswestoodsidebyside.ThenProfessorEinstein,hiswholefigurestillconveyinggoodwillandamiability,driftedawayoutofsight.

I,too,wouldbeagrade-onethinker.Iwasirrelevantatthebestoftimes.Politicalandreligioussystems,socialcustoms,loyaltiesandtraditions,theyallcametumblingdownlikesomanyrottenapplesoffatree.Thiswasafinehobbyandasensiblesubstituteforcricket,sinceyoucouldplayitalltheyearround.Icameupintheendwithwhatmustalwaysremainthejustificationforgrade-onethinking,itssign,seal,andcharter.Idevisedacoherentsystemforliving.Itwasamoralsystem,whichwaswhollylogical.Ofcourse,asIreadilyadmitted,conversionoftheworldtomywayofthinkingmightbedifficult,sincemysystemdidawaywithanumberoftrifles,suchasbigbusiness,centralizedgovernment,armies,marriage...

ItwasRuthalloveragain.Ihadsomeverygoodfriendswhostoodbyme,andstilldo.Butmyacquaintancesvanished,takingthegirlswiththem.Youngpeoplewomenseemedoddlycontentedwiththeworldasitwas.Theyvaluedthemeaninglessceremonywitharing.Youngmen,whilewillingtoconcedethechainingsordidnessofmarriage,werehesitantaboutabandoningtheorganizationswhichtheyhopedwouldgivethemacareer.AyoungnavyofficermanonthefirstrungoftheRoyalNavy,whileperfectlyagreeabletodoingawaywithbigbusines