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第32章 招待你的灵魂 6（第1页）

第32章招待你的灵魂（6）

AgainsttheprofessionalplayerIsaynothing;heisapublitertaiher，andbyhisskillinhisparticularsportheatleastfulfillsthefirstsocialdutyofman—thathimselfandhisfamilybyhisoweexertions。Butwhatistobesaidofthecrackamateur?Tomeheseemsoptibleofmankind。Heeardevoteshimselfforthemereselfishpleasureofthething，tosomegame，whichheplaysdayindayout;hebreaksdowarydistiheamateurandtheprofessiouallyhisskilldesertshim，andheleavesbehindhimnothingthatisofservicetohisfellowmen—notabrihed，en，notevenafamilysupportedaedbyhislabor。

Itistruethathehasprovidedeforaumberofpersons，buthehashepluithimselftothetestbywhichwedemaertainershouldjustifyhischoiceofag—thedemonstratiohatthepubliciswillingtopayhimforhise。And，whenhisdayisover，whatisleft，heworld，buttohimself?Nothingbutaisatotten，orisrememberedbystoutgentlemeninclubs。

Theplayiainly，isathingwhiwell。Butthatdoesisnatall，astheproverbwould，byimpli，persuadeus。Thereisnreeableandsalutarythanplayingagamewhielikes，aangitbadlyihepleasureofeeofahemanwhomihewinsissman—whichobservatioheruleitimpliesisseldomobserved，andparativelyfewpeoplereallyplaygamesforthesheereheplaying。Isthisheprevalendpopularityofhandicaps?Whyshouldweexpecttobegivenpoibethatiherthanourownskill?

“Ah!but，”myreadermaysay，“thelayerwantstoretsihemaygivethestroergame。”Really，Idohatisso。Possible，sometimes，astrongandvaingloriousplayermaywishtogivepoints，ihisviaybethemoreIdonotthihisisthetrueexplanation。That，Isuspect，wasgiveherdaybythesecretaryofalawour，inwhichIplayed。“Whyallthisnonsenseofhandicaps?Whyusbesquarelybeaten，a?”Iaskedhim。“Because，”hereplied，“ifwedidnotgivehandieofthelessgoodplayerswouldehatnotathatthemajorityofushavebothrealizedthetruevaluedoingatrivialthingbadly，foritsownsake，andmustneedshaveourmindsbuoyedaoafalsesenseofexce?

&isnotonlysusicallytrivialthingsasgamesthatarewbadly。Thisisatruthwhich，oddlyefreelyofsomethings—butnotofothers—andasathingwhichwearequitettodowillletmeiing。Ag，atitsbest，beagreatart，athingwsupremelywell，thoughitsworth，likethatofalliivearts，islessesevaworksimediumofhumanfleshandblood，ahattheactorcreate—forwhatretativeartistisreallyacreativeartistwinaperishablemedium—isanimpressionupoihtarousedin，themindsofanaudiendisincapableofrecord。

Ag，thee—thoughIhaveochedeversobrieflytheproofofmybelief—beagreatart。Butisaerredfromtakingpartiricalsbythesideratioaotabitofit!AlynisohingsaboutwhichIamwritihethingsthatarewbadly。

Ahingismusic;butheretheproverbialfallaexertsitspower，asitdoesnot，forsomeobsdunreasoningdisation，inag。Mostpeopleseemtothinkthatiftheyg，orplaythepiano，fiddle，orsackbut，admirablywell，theymustnotdoahingsatall。Thattheyshouldnotindisatelyforcetheirinferiorperformahepubliupontheiraces，Iadmit。Butthatthereishehome”forinferiormusianuntruththatIflatlydeny。

Howmanysonsanddaughtershavenot，withaverysmalltaleheirparehelessfondlyprejudicedearsoftheirfriepleasurewiththesingingofsimplesongs?Thehereestothesiofdissatisfaginglessoaken，and—ifthepupilisofmoderatetalentadisposition—limitationsarediscovered。Andthen，inoften，thesingingisdropped，likeahotpenny。Howmanyfathershavenotbanishedmusitheirhomesbyengtheirdaughterstotakesinginglessoahomemaybethefresherfthatwoulddeservebrickbatsataparishcert。

Imaypauseheretohecuriousexthatpeoplewhoanyatbepersuadedtosinginthedrawing-room，oreveh，willwithouthesitationuplifttheirtunelessviousmeetingsorinchurch。Thereisaperfectlygoodandhoionofthis，Ibelieve，butitbelongstotherealmofmetaphysidisbeyoscope。