the sad young men 课文和翻译Word文档格式.docx

the sad young men 课文和翻译Word文档格式.docx

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questionsaboutthenaughty,jazzyparties,theflask-toting"

sheik,"

andthemoralandstylisticvagariesofthe"

flapper"

andthe"

drug-storecowboy."

"

Wereyoungpeoplereallysowild?

"

present-daystudentsasktheirparentsandteachers."

WastherereallyaYoungerGenerationproblem?

Theanswerstosuchinquiriesmustofnecessitybe"

yes"

and"

no"

--"

Yes"

becausethebusinessofgrowingupisalwaysaccompaniedbyaYoungerGenerationProblem;

becausewhatseemedsowild,irresponsible,andimmoralinsocialbehavioratthetimecannowbeseeninperspectiveasbeingsomethingconsiderablylesssensationalthanthedegenerauonofourjazzmadyouth.

　　2Actually,therevoltoftheyoungpeoplewasalogicaloutcomeofconditionsintheage:

Firstofall,itmustberememberedthattherebellionwasnotconfinedtotheUnit-edStates,butaffectedtheentireWesternworldasaresultoftheaftermathofthefirstseriouswarinacentury.Second,intheUnitedStatesitwasreluctantlyrealizedbysome-subconsciouslyifnotopenly--thatourcountrywasnolongerisolatedineitherpoliticsortraditionandthatwehadreachedaninternationalstaturethatwouldforeverpreventusfromretreatingbehindtheartificialwallsofaprovincialmoralityorthegeographicalprotectionofourtwoborderingoceans.

　　3TherejectionofVictoriangentilitywas,inanycase,inevitable.TheboomingofAmericanindustry,withitsgigantic,roaringfactories,itscorporateimpersonality,anditslargescaleaggressiveness,nolongerleftanyroomforthecodeofpolitebehaviorandwell-bredmoralityfashionedinaquieterandlesscompetitiveage.Warornowar,asthegenerationspassed,itbecameincreasinglydifficultforouryoungpeopletoacceptstandardsofbehaviorthatborenorelationshiptothebustlingbusinessmediuminwhichtheywereexpectedtobattleforsuccess.ThewaractedmerelyasacatalyticagentinthisbreakdownoftheVictoriansocialstructure,andbyprecipitatingouryoungpeopleintoapatternofmassmurderitreleasedtheirinhibitedviolentenergieswhich,aftertheshootingwasover,wereturnedinbothEuropeandAmericatothedestructionofanobsolescentnineteenth-centurysociety.

　　4Thusinachangingworldyouthwasfacedwiththechallengeofbringingourmoresuptodate.Butatthesametimeitwastempted,inAmericaatleast,toescapeitsresponsibilitiesandretreatbehindanairofnaughtyalcoholicsophisticationandaposeofBohemianimmorality.Thefaddishness,thewildspendingofmoneyontransitorypleasuresandmomentarynovelties,thehecticairofgaiety,theexperimentationinsensation--sex,drugs,alcohol,perversions--wereallpartofthepatternofescape,anescapemadepossiblebyageneralprosperityandapost-warfatiguewithpolitics,economicrestrictions,andinternationalresponsibilities.Prohibitionaffordedtheyoungtheadditionalopportunityofmakingtheirpleasuresillicit,andthemuch-publicizedorgiesanddefiantmanifestoesoftheintellectualscrowdingintoGreenwichVillagegavethemapatternandaphilosophicdefensefortheirescapism.Andlikemostescapistsprees,thisonelasteduntilthemoneyranout,untilthecrashoftheworldeconomicstructureattheendofthedecadecalledthepartytoahaltandforcedtherevelerstosoberupandfacetheproblemsofthenewage.

　　5TherebellionstartedwithWorldWarI.Theprolongedstalemateof1915--1916,theincreasinginsolenceofGermanytowardtheUnitedStates,andourofficialreluctancetodeclareourstatusasabelligerentwereintolerabletomanyofouridealisticcitizens,andwithtypicalAmericanadventurousnessenhancedsomewhatbythestrenuous　jingoismofTheodoreRoosevelt,ouryoungmenbegantoenlistunderforeignflags.InthewordsofJoeWilliams,inJohnDosPassos'

U.S.A.,they"

wantedtogetintothefunbeforethewholethingturnedbellyup."

Formilitaryservice,in1916--1917,wasstillaromanticoccupation.Theyoungmenofcollegeagein1917knewnothingofmodernwarfare.Thestrifeof1861--1865hadpopularlybecome,inmotionpictureandstory,amagnolia-scentedsoapopera,whiletheonehundred-days'

fracaswithSpainin1898haddissolvedintoaone-sidedvictoryatManilaandacinematicchargeupSanJuanHill.Furthermore,therewereenoughhighschoolassemblyoratorsproclaimingthecharacter-formingforceofthestrenuouslifetoconvincemorethanenoughotherwisesensibleboysthatserviceintheEuropeanconflictwouldbeofgreatpersonalvalue,inadditiontobeingidealisticandexciting.Accordingly,theybegantojointhevariousarmiesinincreasingnumbers,the"

intellectuals"

intheambulancecorps,othersintheinfantry,merchantmarine,orwhereverelsetheycouldfindaplace.ThosewhowerereluctanttoserveinaforeignarmytalkedexcitedlyaboutPreparedness,occasionallyconsideredjoiningtheNationalGuard,andrushedtoenlistwhenwefinallydidentertheconflict.Sotremendouswasthestormingofrecruitmentcentersthatharassedsergeantsactuallypleadedwithvolunteersto"

gohomeandwaitforthedraft,"

butsincenoself-respectingpersonwantedtosufferthedisgraceofbeingdrafted,theenlistmentcrazecontinuedunabated.

　　6Naturally,thespiritofcarnivalandtheenthusiasmforhighmilitaryadventureweresoondissipatedoncetheeageryoungmenhadreceivedagoodtasteoftwentieth-centurywarfare.Totheirlastingglory,theyfoughtwithdistinction,butitwasamuchalteredgroupofsoldierswhoreturnedfromthebattlefieldsin1919.Especiallywasthistrueofthecollegecontingent,whoseidealismhadledthemtoenlistearlyandwhohadgenerallyseenaconsiderableamountofaction.Tothem,itwasbittertoreturntoahometownvirtuallyuntouchedbytheconflict,wherecitizensstilltalkedwiththenaiveFourth-of-dulybombasttheythemselveshadbeenguiltyoftwoorthreeyearsearlier.Itwasevenmorebittertofindthattheiroldjobshadbeentakenbythestay-at-homes,thatbusinesswassufferingarecessionthatpreventedtheopeningupofnewjobs,andthatveteranswereconsideredproblemchildrenandlessdesirablethannon-veteransforwhateverbusinessopportunitiesthatdidexist.Theirveryhomeswereoftenuncomfortabletothem;

theyhadoutgrowntownandfamiliesandhaddevelopedasuddenbewilderingworld-wearinesswhichneithertheynortheirrelativescouldunderstand.Theirenergieshadbeenwhippedupandtheirnaivetedestroyedbythewarandnow,insleepyGopherPrairiesalloverthecountry,theywerebeingaskedtocurbthoseenergiesandresumetheposeofself-deceivingVictorianinnocencethattheynowfelttobeasoutmodedasthenotionthattheirfightinghad"

madetheworldsafefordemocracy."

And,asifhometownconditionswerenotenough,thereturningveteranalsohadtofacethesodden,NapoleoniccynicismofVersailles,thehypocriticaldo-goodismofProhibition,andthesmugpatriotismofthewarprofiteers.Somethinginthetension-riddenyouthofAmericahadto"

give"

and,afterashortperiodofbitterresentment,it"

gave"

intheformofacompleteoverthrowofgenteelstandardsofbehavior.

　　7GreenwichVillagesetthepattern.SincetheSeven-tiesadwellingplaceforartistsandwriterswhosettledtherebecauselivingwascheap,thevillagehadlongenjoyedadubiousreputationforBohemianismandeccentricity.Ithadalsoharboredenoughmajorwriters,especiallyinthedecadebeforeWorldWarI,tosupportitsclaimtobeingtheintellectualcenterofthenation.Afterthewar,itwasonlynaturalthathopefulyoungwriters,theirmindsandpensinflamedagainstwar,Babbittry,and"

Puritanical"

gentility,,shouldflocktothetraditionalartisticcenter（wherelivingwasstillcheapin1919）topourouttheirnew-foundcreativestrength,toteardowntheoldworld,tofloutthemoralityoftheirgrandfathers,andtogivealltoart,love,andsensation.

　　8Soontheyfoundtheirimitatorsamongthenon-intellectuals.Asitbecamemoreandmorefashionablethroughoutthecountryforyoungpersonstodefythelawandtheconventionsandtoaddtheirownlittlematchstickstotheconflagrationof"

flamingyouth"

itwasGreenwichVillagethatfannedtheflames."

Bohemian"

livingbecameafad.Eachtownhadits"

fast"

setwhichprideditselfonitsunconventionality,althoughinrealitythisself-consciousunconventionalitywasrapidlybecomingastandardfeatureofthecountryclubclass--anditslessaffluentimitators--throughoutthenation.Beforelongthemovementhadbe-comeofficiallyrecognizedbythepulpit（whichdenouncedit）,bythemoviesandmagazines（whichmadeitattractivelynaughtywhilepretendingtodenounceit）,andbyadvertising（whichobliquelyencourageditby'

sellingeverythingfromcigarettestoautomobileswiththeimpliedpromisethattheirownerswouldberenderedsexuallyirresistible）.Youngerbrothersandsistersofthewargeneration,whohadbeenplayingwithmarblesanddollsduringthebattlesofBelleauWoodandChateau-Thierry,andwhohadsufferednorealdisillusionmentorsenseofloss,nowbegantoimitatethemannersoftheireldersandplaywiththetoysofvulgarrebellion.