Herman Melville Bartleby the Scrivener文档格式.docx
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--Imeanthelaw-copyistsorscriveners.Ihaveknownverymanyofthem,professionallyandprivately,andifIpleased,couldrelatedivershistories,atwhichgood-naturedgentlemenmightsmile,andsentimentalsoulsmightweep.ButIwaivethebiographiesofallotherscrivenersforafewpassagesinthelifeofBartleby,whowasascrivenerthestrangestIeversaworheardof.Whileofotherlaw-copyistsImightwritethecompletelife,ofBartlebynothingofthatsortcanbedone.Ibelievethatnomaterialsexistforafullandsatisfactorybiographyofthisman.Itisanirreparablelosstoliterature.Bartlebywasoneofthosebeingsofwhomnothingisascertainable,exceptfromtheoriginalsources,andinhiscasethoseareverysmall.WhatmyownastonishedeyessawofBartleby,thatisallIknowofhim,except,indeed,onevaguereportwhichwillappearinthesequel.
Ereintroducingthescrivener,ashefirstappearedtome,itisfitImakesomementionofmyself,myemployé
es,mybusiness,mychambers,andgeneralsurroundings;
becausesomesuchdescriptionisindispensabletoanadequateunderstandingofthechiefcharacterabouttobepresented.
Imprimis:
Iamamanwho,fromhisyouthupwards,hasbeenfilledwithaprofoundconvictionthattheeasiestwayoflifeisthebest.Hence,thoughIbelongtoaprofessionproverbiallyenergeticandnervous,eventoturbulence,attimes,yetnothingofthatsorthaveIeversufferedtoinvademypeace.Iamoneofthoseunambitiouslawyerswhoneveraddressesajury,orinanywaydrawsdownpublicapplause;
butinthecooltranquillityofasnugretreat,doasnugbusinessamongrichmen'
sbondsandmortgagesandtitle-deeds.Allwhoknowmeconsidermeaneminentlysafeman.ThelateJohnJacobAstor,apersonagelittlegiventopoeticenthusiasm,hadnohesitationinpronouncingmyfirstgrandpointtobeprudence;
mynext,method.Idonotspeakitinvanity,butsimplyrecordthefact,thatIwasnotunemployedinmyprofessionbythelateJohnJacobAstor;
anamewhich,Iadmit,Ilovetorepeat,forithatharoundedandorbicularsoundtoit,andringslikeuntobullion.Iwillfreelyadd,thatIwasnotinsensibletothelateJohnJacobAstor'
sgoodopinion.
Sometimepriortotheperiodatwhichthislittlehistorybegins,myavocationshadbeenlargelyincreased.Thegoodoldoffice,nowextinctintheStateofNew-York,ofaMasterinChancery,hadbeenconferreduponme.Itwasnotaveryarduousoffice,butverypleasantlyremunerative.Iseldomlosemytemper;
muchmoreseldomindulgeindangerousindignationatwrongsandoutrages;
butImustbepermittedtoberashhereanddeclare,thatIconsiderthesuddenandviolentabrogationoftheofficeofMasterofChancery,bythenewConstitution,asa----prematureact;
inasmuchasIhadcounteduponalife-leaseoftheprofits,whereasIonlyreceivedthoseofafewshortyears.Butthisisbytheway.
MychamberswereupstairsatNo.--Wall-street.Atoneendtheylookeduponthewhitewalloftheinteriorofaspacioussky-lightshaft,penetratingthebuildingfromtoptobottom.Thisviewmighthavebeenconsideredrathertamethanotherwise,deficientinwhatlandscapepainterscall"
life."
Butifso,theviewfromtheotherendofmychambersoffered,atleast,acontrast,ifnothingmore.Inthatdirectionmywindowscommandedanunobstructedviewofaloftybrickwall,blackbyageandeverlastingshade;
whichwallrequirednospy-glasstobringoutitslurkingbeauties,butforthebenefitofallnear-sightedspectators,waspusheduptowithintenfeetofmywindowpanes.Owingtothegreatheightofthesurroundingbuildings,andmychambersbeingonthesecondfloor,theintervalbetweenthiswallandminenotalittleresembledahugesquarecistern.
AttheperiodjustprecedingtheadventofBartleby,Ihadtwopersonsascopyistsinmyemployment,andapromisingladasanoffice-boy.First,Turkey;
second,Nippers;
third,GingerNut.Thesemayseemnames,thelikeofwhicharenotusuallyfoundintheDirectory.Intruththeywerenicknames,mutuallyconferreduponeachotherbymythreeclerks,andweredeemedexpressiveoftheirrespectivepersonsorcharacters.Turkeywasashort,pursyEnglishmanofaboutmyownage,thatis,somewherenotfarfromsixty.Inthemorning,onemightsay,hisfacewasofafinefloridhue,butaftertwelveo'
clock,meridian--hisdinnerhour--itblazedlikeagratefullofChristmascoals;
andcontinuedblazing--but,asitwere,withagradualwane--till6o'
clock,P.M.orthereabouts,afterwhichIsawnomoreoftheproprietoroftheface,whichgainingitsmeridianwiththesun,seemedtosetwithit,torise,culminate,anddeclinethefollowingday,withthelikeregularityandundiminishedglory.TherearemanysingularcoincidencesIhaveknowninthecourseofmylife,nottheleastamongwhichwasthefact,thatexactlywhenTurkeydisplayedhisfullestbeamsfromhisredandradiantcountenance,justthen,too,atthatcriticalmoment,beganthedailyperiodwhenIconsideredhisbusinesscapacitiesasseriouslydisturbedfortheremainderofthetwenty-fourhours.Notthathewasabsolutelyidle,oraversetobusinessthen;
farfromit.Thedifficultywas,hewasapttobealtogethertooenergetic.Therewasastrange,inflamed,flurried,flightyrecklessnessofactivityabouthim.Hewouldbeincautiousindippinghispenintohisinkstand.Allhisblotsuponmydocuments,weredroppedthereaftertwelveo'
clock,meridian.Indeed,notonlywouldheberecklessandsadlygiventomakingblotsintheafternoon,butsomedayshewentfurther,andwasrathernoisy.Atsuchtimes,too,hisfaceflamedwithaugmentedblazonry,asifcannelcoalhadbeenheapedonanthracite.Hemadeanunpleasantracketwithhischair;
spilledhissand-box;
inmendinghispens,impatientlysplitthemalltopieces,andthrewthemonthefloorinasuddenpassion;
stoodupandleanedoverhistable,boxinghispapersaboutinamostindecorousmanner,verysadtobeholdinanelderlymanlikehim.Nevertheless,ashewasinmanywaysamostvaluablepersontome,andallthetimebeforetwelveo'
clock,meridian,wasthequickest,steadiestcreaturetoo,accomplishingagreatdealofworkinastylenoteasytobematched--forthesereasons,Iwaswillingtooverlookhiseccentricities,thoughindeed,occasionally,Iremonstratedwithhim.Ididthisverygently,however,because,thoughthecivilest,nay,theblandestandmostreverentialofmeninthemorning,yetintheafternoonhewasdisposed,uponprovocation,tobeslightlyrashwithhistongue,infact,insolent.Now,valuinghismorningservicesasIdid,andresolvednottolosethem;
yet,atthesametimemadeuncomfortablebyhisinflamedwaysaftertwelveo'
clock;
andbeingamanofpeace,unwillingbymyadmonitionstocallforthunseemlyretortsfromhim;
Itookuponme,oneSaturdaynoon(hewasalwaysworseonSaturdays),tohinttohim,verykindly,thatperhapsnowthathewasgrowingold,itmightbewelltoabridgehislabors;
inshort,heneednotcometomychambersaftertwelveo'
clock,but,dinnerover,hadbestgohometohislodgingsandresthimselftilltea-time.Butno;
heinsisteduponhisafternoondevotions.Hiscountenancebecameintolerablyfervid,asheoratoricallyassuredme--gesticulatingwithalongrulerattheotherendoftheroom--thatifhisservicesinthemorningwereuseful,howindispensible,then,intheafternoon?
"
Withsubmission,sir,"
saidTurkeyonthisoccasion,"
Iconsidermyselfyourright-handman.InthemorningIbutmarshalanddeploymycolumns;
butintheafternoonIputmyselfattheirhead,andgallantlychargethefoe,thus!
--andhemadeaviolentthrustwiththeruler.
Buttheblots,Turkey,"
intimatedI.
True,--but,withsubmission,sir,beholdthesehairs!
Iamgettingold.Surely,sir,ablotortwoofawarmafternoonisnottobeseverelyurgedagainstgrayhairs.Oldage--evenifitblotthepage--ishonorable.Withsubmission,sir,webotharegettingold."
Thisappealtomyfellow-feelingwashardlytoberesisted.Atallevents,Isawthatgohewouldnot.SoImadeupmymindtolethimstay,resolving,nevertheless,toseetoit,thatduringtheafternoonhehadtodowithmylessimportantpapers.
Nippers,thesecondonmylist,wasawhiskered,sallow,and,uponthewhole,ratherpiratical-lookingyoungmanofaboutfiveandtwenty.Ialwaysdeemedhimthevictimoftwoevilpowers--ambitionandindigestion.Theambitionwasevincedbyacertainimpatienceofthedutiesofamerecopyist,anunwarrantableusurpationofstrictlyprofessionalaffairs,suchastheoriginaldrawingupoflegaldocuments.Theindigestionseemedbetokenedinanoccasionalnervoustestinessandgrinningirritability,causingtheteethtoaudiblygrindtogetherovermistakescommittedincopying;
unnecessarymaledictions,hissed,ratherthanspoken,intheheatofbusiness;
andespeciallybyacontinualdiscontentwiththeheightofthetablewhereheworked.Thoughofaveryingeniousmechanicalturn,Nipperscouldnevergetthistabletosuithim.Heputchipsunderit,blocksofvarioussorts,bitsofpasteboard,andatlastwentsofarastoattemptanexquisiteadjustmentbyfinalpiecesoffoldedblotting-paper.Butnoinventionwouldanswer.If,forthesakeofeasinghisback,hebroughtthetablelidatasharpanglewelluptowardshischin,andwrotethereli