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第30章 写作的乐趣 2（第1页）

第30章写作的乐趣（2）

&hosewho，withoutbeischolars，attaiaingeneralacewiththeaers，itreallybesaidthattheyhavealsoobtaieryofEnglish?HowmanyyouherearefromtheuiesandpublicschoolswhoaLatihafacilitywhiaketheoldRomanssquirmiombs。Howfewtherearewhostructafewgoodseilllessafehsofplai，andstraightflish。Now，IamagreatadmireroftheGreeks，although，ofcourse，Ihavetodependuponwhatotherstellmeaboutthem，—andIwouldliketoseeoureduitateileast，theGreekexample。HowisitthattheGreeksmadetheirlagradodeofexpressioneverknowheyspeimestudyingthelanguagesrecededtheirs?Didtheyexplorewithtirelesspersisterootdialectsofthevanishedworld?Notatall。TheystudiedGreek。Theystudiedtheirowheylovedit，theycherishedit，theyadorheyexpa，andthatiswhyitsurvivesamodelaoallposterity。Surelywe，whuehasalreadywonforitselfsuequalledempireoverthemodernworld，thislessofromtheaGreeksaowalittledsomeproportionoftheyearsofedutothestudyofalanguagewhichisperhapstoplayapredominantpartiureprogressofmankind。

&usremembertheauthoralwaysdohisbest。Thereisnoex。Thegreatcricketermaybeeneralmayonthedayofdecisivebattlehaveabadtoothacheorabadarmy。Theadmiralmaybeseasick—asasuffererIref?lectwithsatisfathataybeaff?lictedwithcatarrh，orHaschmidtwithinf?luenza。Asforanorator，itisnotenoughforhimtobeabletothiruly。Hemustthinkquickly。Speedisvitaltohim。Spoyismorethahehallmarkofgoodspeaking。Allthesevariedforcesofactivityrequirefromtheperformertheahatisinhimatapartientwhichmaybef?ixedbycesutterlybeyondhistrol。Itisnotsowiththeauthor。Heneedneverappearinpublitilheisready。Healwaysrealizethebestthatisidepeupoinanyoneday。Hemaygrouptogetherthebestmomeydays。Thereisnoexifhedoesnotdohisbest。Greatishisreatalsoishisresponsibility。Someetwho—hassaid:Wordsaretheonlythingslastforever。Thatis，tomymind，alwaysawht。Themostdurablestructuresraisedihestrengthofmaiestmosofhispower，todust，whilethewordsspokenwithf?leetihepassingexpressioablefaniasechoesofthepast，notasmerearchaeologicalcuriositiesorvewithafordlifeasrong，aimesfarstrohaheyweref?irstspoken，andleapingacrossthegulfofthreethousaheylighttheworldforustoday。