第29章写作的乐趣(1)
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温斯顿·丘吉尔WinstonChurchill
&epeopleiheouheworld,inmymihosewhoseworkisalsotheirpleasure。Theeonearlyseasitisofteobe;andauthorsareperhapsoimportaspositiohisrespectatleastarealharmoomymiomakeyourworkyourpleasureistheoneclassdistintheworldwfor;andIdohersareioenvythosehappyhumanbeingswhof?indtheirlivelihoodinthegayeffusionsoftheirfaneveryhouroflaborisanhourofeowhomrepose—howevernecessary—isatiresomeinterlude,andevenaholidayisalmostdeprivatioheramanwriteswellorill,hasmuchtosayorlittle,ifhecaresabatall,hereciatethepleasuresofposition。Tositatoableonasunnym,withfourclearhoursofuiblesecurity,plentyofepaper,ahatistruehappieabsorptionoftheminduponanagreeableooreistherethantodesire?WhatdoesitmattereheHouseofaydowhatitlike,andsomaytheHouseofLords。Theheathenmayragefuriouslyioftheglobe。ThebottommaybekoftheAmerimarket。ayfallandsuffragettesmayrise。Nevermind,forfourhours,atanyrate,ourselvesfromaon-ill-governed,anddisorderlyworld,andwiththekeyoffanlockthatcupboardwhereallthegoodthieareputa>
Andspeakingoffreedomishorfree,asfewmenarefree?Ishenotsecure,asfewmehetoolsofhisindustryaresoonaheyhavealmostmercialvalue。Heneedsnobulkypileofrawmaterial,eapparatus,noservienoranimals。Heisdepeforhisoupohimself,andnothimatters。Heisthesnofanempire,self-supp,self-ed。Nooehisestates。Noonedeprivehimofhisstotrade;noonetoexercisehisfacultyagainsthiswill;noohimexergitashechooses。Thepeliberatorofmenandnations。Nobind,yotariffrestrictthefreeplayofhismihe“TimesBookoamoderatelydepressinginf?luenhisrewards。Whetherhiswoodorbad,solongashedoeshisbestheishappy。IoftenfortifymyselfamidtheuiesaionsofpoliticallifebybelievingthatIpossessalioapeadfertiletrywherenoraspursueandwhereoneneedneverbedulloridleoreverwhollywithoutpower。ItistheIfeeldevoutlythankfultohavebeenbornf。ItistheIfeelgratefultoallthebraveandgenerousspiritswheandineverylaoestablishtheiohepen。
AndwhataheEnglishlaisnotpossibletewithpositivepleasureattheridvariety,thef?lexibilityandtheprofoundnessofue。IfanEnglishwriterotsaywhathehastosayinEnglish,andinsimpleEnglish,dependuponit—itisprobablyn。ityitisthatEnglishisneudied。IamnotgoingtoattackclassicaleduoonewhohastheslightestpretensioesseheattraofGreee。ButIfessourpreseioesinmymindgravemisgivings。Iotbelievethatasystemisgood,orevenreasohrustsupoandunprehendingmultitudesoftreasureswhilybeappreciatedbytheprivilegedaothevastmajorityofboyswhoattendourpublicschoolsaclassicaledubeginningtoendonelonguseless,meaninglessrigmarole。IfIamtoldthatclassesarethebestpreparatioudyofEnglish,Ireplythatbyfarthegreaterudentsf?iiohispreparateisstillihasromisedasitsresult。