notesontheenglishcharacterbyemforsterWord文档下载推荐.docx

notesontheenglishcharacterbyemforsterWord文档下载推荐.docx

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agreatcommercialnation"

--itsoundsmoredignified--butthetwophrasesamounttothesame.Ofcoursethereareotherclasses:

thereisanaristocracy,therearethepoor.Butitisonthemiddleclassesthattheeyeofthecriticrests--justasitrestsonthepoorinRussiaandonthearistocracyinJapan.Russiaissymbolizedbythepeasantorbythefactoryworker;

Japanbythesamurai;

thenationalfigureofEnglandisMr.Bullwithhistophat,hiscomfortableclothes,hissubstantialstomach,andhissubstantialbalanceatthebank.SaintGeorgemaycaperonbannersandinthespeechesofpoliticians,butitisJohnBullwhodeliversthegoods.AndevenSaintGeorge--ifGibboniscorrect--woreatophatonce;

hewasanarmycontractorandsuppliedindifferentbacon.Itallamountstothesameintheend.

SecondNote.JustastheheartofEnglandisthemiddleclasses,sotheheartofthemiddleclassesisthepublicschoolsystem.Thisextraordinaryinstitutionislocal.ItdoesnotevenexistallovertheBritishIsles.ItisunknowninIreland,almostunknowninScotland（countriesexcludedfrommysurvey）,andthoughitmayinspireothergreatinstitutions--Aligarh,forexample,andsomeoftheschoolsintheUnitedStates--itremainsunique,becauseitwascreatedbytheAnglo-Saxonmiddleclasses,andcanflourishonlywheretheyflourish.Howperfectlyitexpressestheircharacter--farbetterforinstance,thandoestheuniversity,intowhichsocialandspiritualcomplexitieshavealreadyentered.Withitsboarding-houses,itscompulsorygames,itssystemofprefectsandfagging,itsinsistenceongoodformandonespritdecorps,itproducesatypewhoseweightisoutofallproportiontoitsnumbers.

Onleavinghisschool,theboyeithersetstoworkatonce--goesintothearmyorintobusiness,oremigrates--orelseproceedstotheuniversity,andafterthreeorfouryearsthereenterssomeotherprofession--becomesabarrister,doctor,civilservant,schoolmaster,orjournalist.（Ifthroughsomemishaphedoesnotbecomeamanualworkeroranartist.）Inallthesecareershiseducation,ortheabsenceofit,influenceshim.Itsmemoriesinfluencehimalso.Manymenlookbackontheirschooldaysasthehappiestoftheirlives.Theyrememberwithregretthatgoldentimewhenlife,thoughhard,wasnotyetcomplex,whentheyallworkedtogetherandplayedtogetherandthoughttogether,sofarastheythoughtatall;

whentheyweretaughtthatschoolistheworldinminiatureandbelievedthatnoonecanlovehiscountrywhodoesnotlovehisschool.AndtheyprolongthattimeasbesttheycanbyjoiningtheirOldBoys'

society:

indeed,someofthemremainOldBoysandnothingelsefortherestoftheirlives.Theyattributeallgoodtotheschool.Theyworshipit.Theyquotetheremarkthat"

ThebattleofWaterloowaswonontheplayingfieldsofEton."

ItisnothingtothemthattheremarkisinapplicablehistoricallyandwasnevermadebytheDukeofWellington,andthattheDukeofWellingtonwasanIrishman.Theygoonquotingitbecauseitexpressestheirsentiments;

theyfeelthatiftheDukeofWellingtondidn'

tmakeitheoughttohave,andifhewasn'

tanEnglishmanheoughttohavebeen.Andtheygoforthintoaworldthatisnotentirelycomposedofpublic-schoolmenorevenofAnglo-Saxons,butofmenwhoareasvariousasthesandsofthesea;

intoaworldofwhoserichnessandsubtletytheyhavenoconception.Theygoforthintoitwithwell-developedbodies,fairlydevelopedminds,andundevelopedhearts.AnditisthisundevelopedheartthatislargelyresponsibleforthedifficultiesofEnglishmenabroad.Anundevelopedheart--notacoldone.Thedifferenceisimportant,andonitmynextnotewillbebased.

ForitisnotthattheEnglishmancan'

tfeel--itisthatheisafraidtofeel.Hehasbeentaughtathispublicschoolthatfeelingisbadform.Hemustnotexpressgreatjoyorsorrow,orevenopenhismouthtoowidewhenhetalks--hispipemightfalloutifhedid.Hemustbottleuphisemotions,orletthemoutonlyonaveryspecialoccasion.

Onceuponatime（thisisananecdote）Iwentforaweek'

sholidayontheContinentwithanIndianfriend.Webothenjoyedourselvesandweresorrywhentheweekwasover,butonpartingourbehaviourwasabsolutelydifferent.Hewasplungedindespair.

Hefeltthatbecausetheholidaywasoverallhappinesswasoveruntiltheworldended.Hecouldnotexpresshissorrowtoomuch.ButinmetheEnglishmancameoutstrong.Ireflectedthatweshouldmeetagaininamonthortwo,andcouldwriteintheintervalifwehadanythingtosay;

andunderthesecircumstancesIcouldnotseewhattherewastomakeafussabout.Itwasn'

tasifwewerepartingforeverordying."

Buckup,"

Isaid,"

dobuckup."

Herefusedtobuckup,andIlefthimplungedingloom.

Theconclusionoftheanecdoteisevenmoreinstructive.ForwhenwemetthenextmonthourconversationthrewagooddealoflightontheEnglishcharacter.Ibeganbyscoldingmyfriend.Itoldhimthathehadbeenwrongtofeelanddisplaysomuchemotionuponsoslightanoccasion;

thatitwasinappropriate.Theword"

inappropriate"

rousedhimtofury."

What"

hecried."

Doyoumeasureoutyouremotionsasiftheywerepotatoes"

Ididnotlikethesimileofthepotatoes,butafteramoment'

sreflectionIsaid:

"

Yes,Ido;

andwhat'

smore,IthinkIoughtto.Asmalloccasiondemandsalittleemotionjustasalargeoccasiondemandsagreatone.Iwouldlikemyemotionstobeappropriate.Thismaybemeasuringthemlikepotatoes,butitisbetterthansloppingthemaboutlikewaterfromapail,whichiswhatyoudid."

Hedidnotlikethesimileofthepail."

Ifthoseareyouropinions,theypartusforever,"

hecried,andlefttheroom.Returningimmediately,headded:

No--butyourwholeattitudetowardemotioniswrong.Emotionhasnothingtodowithappropriateness.Itmattersonlythatitshallbesincere.Ihappenedtofeeldeeply.Ishowedit.Itdoesn'

tmatterwhetherIoughttohavefeltdeeplyornot."

Thisremarkimpressedmeverymuch.YetIcouldnotagreewithit,andsaidthatIvaluedemotionasmuchashedid,butuseditdifferently;

ifIpoureditoutonsmalloccasionsIwasafraidofhavingnoneleftforthegreatones,andofbeingbankruptatthecrisesoflife.Notetheword"

bankrupt."

Ispokeasamemberofaprudentmiddle-classnation,alwaysanxioustomeetmyliabilities,butmyfriendspokeasanOriental,andtheOrientalhasbehindhimatradition,notofmiddle-classprudencebutofkinglymunificenceandsplendour.Hefeelshisresourcesareendless,justasJohnBullfeelshisarefinite.Asregardsmaterialresources,theOrientalisclearlyunwise.Moneyisn'

tendless.Ifwespendorgiveawayallthemoneywehave,wehaven'

tanymore,andmusttaketheconsequences,whicharefrequentlyunpleasant.But,asregardstheresourcesofthespirit,hemayberight.Theemotionsmaybeendless.Themoreweexpressthem,themorewemayhavetoexpress.

Trueloveinthisdiffersfromgoldandclay,

Thattodivideisnottotakeaway.

SaysShelley.Shelley,atallevents,believesthatthewealthofthespiritisendless;

thatwemayexpressitcopiously,passionately,andalways;

thatwecanneverfeelsorroworjoytooacutely.

Intheaboveanecdote,IhavefiguredasatypicalEnglishman.Iwillnowdescendfromthatdizzyandsomewhatunfamiliarheight,andreturntomybusinessofnotetaking.AnoteontheslownessoftheEnglishcharacter.TheEnglishmanappearstobecoldandunemotionalbecauseheisreallyslow.Whenaneventhappens,hemayunderstanditquicklyenoughwithhismind,buthetakesquiteawhiletofeelit.Onceuponatimeacoach,containingsomeEnglishmenandsomeFrenchmen,wasdrivingovertheAlps.Thehorsesranaway,andastheyweredashingacrossabridgethecoachcaughtonthestonework,tottered,andnearlyfellintotheravinebelow.TheFrenchmenwerefranticwithterror:

theyscreamedandgesticulatedandflungthemselvesabout,asFrenchmenwould.TheEnglishmensatquitecalm.Anhourlater,thecoachdrewupataninntochangehorses,andbythattimethesituationswereexactlyreversed.TheFrenchmenhadforgottenallaboutthedanger,andwerechatteringgaily;

theEnglishmenhadjustbeguntofeelit,andonehadanervousbreakdownandwasobligedtogotobed.Wehavehereaclearphysicaldifferencebetweenthetworaces--adifferencethatgoesdeepintocharacter.TheFrenchmenrespondedatonce;

theEnglishmenrespondedintime.Theywereslowandtheywerealsopractical.Theirinstinctforbadethemtothrowthemselvesaboutinthecoach,becauseitwasmorelikelytotipoveriftheydid.Theyhadthisextraordinaryappreciationoffactthatweshallnoticeagainandagain.Whenadisastercomes,theEnglish