高级英语 第九课.docx

高级英语 第九课.docx

《高级英语 第九课.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《高级英语 第九课.docx（13页珍藏版）》请在冰点文库上搜索。

高级英语第九课

TheOnesWhoWalkAwayfromOmelas

从奥米勒斯城走出来的人

URSULALEGUIN

　　1WITHaclamorofbellsthatsettheswallowssoaring,theFestivalofSummercametothecityOmelas,bright-toweredbythesea.Theriggingoftheboatsinharborsparkledwithflags.Inthestreetsbetweenhouseswithredroofsandpaintedwalls,betweenoldmoss-growngardensandunderavenuesoftrees,pastgreatparksandpublicbuildings,processionsmoved.Someweredecorous:

oldpeopleinlongstiffrobesofmauveandgrey,gravemasterworkmen,quiet,merrywomencarryingtheirbabiesandchattingastheywalked.Inotherstreetsthemusicbeatfaster,ashimmeringofgongandtambourine,andthepeoplewentdancing,theprocessionwasadance.Childrendodgedinandout,theirhighcallsrisingliketheswallows'crossingflightsoverthemusicandthesinging.Alltheprocessionswoundtowardsthenorthsideofthecity,whereonthegreatwater-meadowcalledtheGreenFieldsboysandgirls,nakedinthebrightair,withmud-stainedfeetandanklesandlong,lithearms,exercisedtheirrestivehorsesbeforetherace.Thehorsesworenogearatallbutahalterwithoutbit.Theirmaneswerebraidedwithstreamersofsilver,gold,andgreen.Theyflaredtheirnostrilsandprancedandboastedtooneanother;theywerevastlyexcited,thehorsebeingtheonlyanimalwhohasadoptedourceremoniesashisown.FarofftothenorthandwestthemountainsstooduphalfencirclingOmelasonherbay.TheairofmorningwassoclearthatthesnowstillcrowningtheEighteenPeaksburnedwithwhite-goldfireacrossthemilesofsunlitair,underthedarkblueofthesky.Therewasjustenoughwindtomakethebannersthatmarkedtheracecoursesnapandflutternowandthen.Inthesilenceofthebroadgreenmeadowsonecouldhearthemusicwindingthroughthecitystreets,fartherandnearerandeverapproaching,acheerfulfaintsweetnessoftheairthatfromtimetotimetrembledandgatheredtogetherandbrokeoutintothegreatjoyousclangingofthebells.

　　2joyous!

Howisonetotellaboutjoy?

HowdescribethecitizensofOmelas?

　　3Theywerenotsimplefolk,yousee,thoughtheywerehappy.Butwedonotsaythewordsofcheermuchanymore.Allsmileshavebecomearchaic.Givenadescriptionsuchasthisonetendstomakecertainassumptions.GivenadescriptionsuchasthisonetendstolooknextfortheKing,mountedonasplendidstallionandsurroundedbyhisnobleknights,orperhapsinagoldenlitterbornebygreat-muscledslaves.Buttherewasnoking.Theydidnotuseswords,orkeepslaves.Theywerenotbarbarians.Idonotknowtherulesandlawsoftheirsociety,butIsuspectthattheyweresingularlyfew.Astheydidwithoutmonarchyandslavery,sotheyalsogotonwithoutthestockexohan6e,theadvertisement,thesecretpolice,andthebomb.YetIrepeatthatthesewerenotsimplefolk,notdulcetshepherds,noblesavages,blandutopians.Theywerenotlesscomplexthanus.Thetroubleisthatwehaveabadhabit,encouragedbypedantsandsophisticates,ofconsideringhappinessassomethingratherstupid.Onlypainisintellectual,onlyevilinteresting.Thisisthetreasonoftheartist:

arefusaltoadmitthebanalityofevilandtheterribleboredomofpain.Ifyoucan'tlick'em,join'em.Ifithurts,repeatit.ButtopraisedespairistocondemnyouaboutthepeopleofOmelas?

Theywerenotnaiveandhappychildren-thoughtheirchildrenwere,infact,happy.Theyweremature,intelli6ent,passionateadultswhosedelight,toembraceviolenceistoloseholdofeverythingelse.Wehavealmostlosthold,wecannolongerdescribeahappyman,normakeanycelebrationofjoy.HowcanItellliveswerenotwretched?

Omiracle!

butIwishIcoulddescribeitbetter.IwishIcouldconvinceyou.Omelassoundsinmywordslikeacity-inafairytale,longagoandfaraway,onceuponatime.Perhapsitwouldbebestifyouimagineditasyourownfancybids,assumingitwillrisetotheoccasion,forcertainlyIcannotsuityouall.Forinstance,howabouttechnology?

Ithinkthattherewouldbenooarsorhelicoptersinandabovethestreets;thisfollowsfromthefactthatthepeopleofOmelasarehappypeople.Happinessisbasedonajustdiscriminationofwhatisnecessary,whatisneithernecessarynordestructive,andwhatisdestructive.Inthemiddlecategory,however—thatoftheunnecessarybutundestructive,thatofcomfort,luxury,exuberance,etc.--theycouldperfectlywellhavecentralheating,subwaytrains,washingmachines,andallkindsofmarvelousdevicesnotyetinventedhere,floatinglight-sources,fuellesspower,acureforthecommoncold.Ortheycouldhavenoneofthat:

itdoesn'tmatter.Asyoulikeit.OnethingIknowthereisnoneofinOmelasisguilt.Butwhatelseshouldtherebe?

Ithoughtatfirsttherewerenodrugs,butthatispuritanical.Forthosewholikeit,thefaintinsistentsweetnessofdroozmayperfumethewaysofthecity,droozwhichfirstbringsagreatlightnessandbrilliancetothemindandlimbs,andthenaftersomehoursadreamylanguor,andwonderfulvisionsatlastoftheveryarcanaandinmostsecretsoftheUniverse,aswellasex-citingthepleasureofsexbeyondallbelief;anditisnothabit-forming.FormoremodesttastesIthinkthereoughttobebeer.Whatelse,whatelsebelongsinthejoyouscity?

Thesenseofvictory,surely,thecelebrationofcourage.Butaswedidwithoutclergy,letusdowithoutsoldiers.Thejoybuiltuponsuccessfulslaughterisnottherightkindofjoy:

itwillnotdo;itisfearfulanditistrivial.Abound-lessandgenerouscontentment,amagnanimoustriumphfeltnotagainstsomeouterenemybutincommunionwiththefinestandfairestinthesoulsofallmeneverywhereandthesplendoroftheworld'ssummer:

thisiswhatswellstheheartsofthepeopleofOmetas,andthevictorytheycelebrateisthatoflife.Ireallydon'tthinkmanyofthemneedtotakedrooz.

　　4MostoftheprocessionshavereachedtheGreenFieldsbynow.Amarveloussmellofcookinggoesforthfromtheredandbluetentsoftheprovisioners.Thefacesofsmallchildrenareamiablysticky;inthebenigngreybeardofamanacoupleofcrumbsofrichpastryareentangled.Theyouthsandgirlshavemountedtheirhorsesandarebeginningtogrouparoundthestartinglineofthecourse.Anoldwoman,small,fat,andlaughing,ispassingoutflowers

fromabasket,andtallyoungmenwearherflowersintheirshininghair.Achildofnineortensitsattheedgeofthecrowd,alone,playingonawoodenflute.Peoplepausetolisten,andtheysmile,buttheydonotspeaktohim,forheneverceasesplayingandneverseesthem,hisdarkeyeswhollyraptinthesweet,thinmagicofthetune.

　　5Hefinishes,andslowlylowershishandsholdingthewoodenflute.

　　6Asifthatlittleprivatesilencewerethesignal,allatonceatrumpetsoundsfromthepavilionnearthestartingline:

imperious,melancholy,piercing.Thehorsesrear

ontheirslenderlegs,andsomeofthemneighinanswer.Sober-faced,theyoungridersstrokethehorses'necksandsoothethem,whispering,"Quiet,quiet,theremybeauty,myhope"Theybegintoforminrankalongthestartingline.Thecrowdsalongtheracecoursearelikeafieldofgrassandflowersinthewind.TheFestivalofSummerhasbegun.

　　7Doyoubelieve?

Doyouacceptthefestival,thecity,thejoy?

No?

Thenletmedescribeonemorething.

　　8InabasementunderoneofthebeautifulpublicbuildingsofOmelas,orperhapsinthecellarofoneofitsspaciousprivatehomes,thereisaroom.Ithasonelockeddoor,andnowindow.Alittlelightseepsindustilybetweencracksintheboards,secondhandfromacobwebbedwindowsomewhereacrossthecellar.Inonecornerofthelittleroomacoupleofmops,withstiff,clotted,foul-smellingheads,standneararustybucket.Thefloorisdirt,alittledamptothetouch,ascelardirtusuallyis.Theroomisaboutthreepaceslongandtwowide:

amerebroomclosetordisusedtoolroom.Intheroomachildissitting.Itcouldbeaboyoragirl.Itlooksaboutsix,butactuallyisnearlyten.Itisfeeble-minded.Perhapsitwasborndefective,orperhapsithasbecomeimbecilethroughfear,malnutrition,andneglect.Itpicksitsnoseandoccasionallyfumblesvaguelywithitstoesorgenitals,asitsitshunchedinthecornerfarthestfromthebucketandthetwomops.Itisafraidofthemops.Itfindsthemhorrible.Itshutsitseyes,butitknowsthemopsarestillstandingthere;andthedoorislocked;andnobodywillcome.Thedoorisalwayslocked;andnobodyevercomes,exceptthatsometimes--thechildhasnounderstandingoftimeorinterval--sometimesthedoorrattlesterriblyandopens,andaperson,orseveralpeople,arethere.Oneofthemmaycomeinandkickthechildtomakeitstandup,Theothersnevercomeclose,butpeerinatitwithfrightened,disgustedeyes.Thefoodbowlandthewaterjugarehastilyfilled,thedoorislocked,theeyesdisappear.Thepeopleatthedoorneversayanything,butthechild,whohasnotalwayslivedinthetoolroom,andcanremembersunlightanditsmother'svoice,sometimesspeaks."1willbegood,"itsays."Pleaseletmeout.Iwillbegood!

"Theyneveranswer.Thechildusedtoscreamforhelpatnight,andcryagooddeal,butnowitonlymakesakindofwhining,"eh-haa,eh-haa,"anditspeakslessandlessoften.Itlssothintherearenocalvestoitslegs;itsbellyprotrudes;itlivesonahalf-bowlofcornmealandgreaseaday.Itisnaked.Itsbuttocksandthighsareamassoffesteredsores,asitsitsinitsownexcrementcontinually.

　　9Theyallknowitisthere,allthepeopleofOmelas.Someofthemhavecometoseeit,othersarecontentmerelytoknowitisthe