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Text C The Works of Guy de Maupassant（第1页）

TextCTheWuydeMaupassant

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TranslatedbyLeoWiener

[1]Itwas，Ithink，ihatTurgenev，duringavisitatmyhouse，tookaFrenovel，uhenameofMaisoofhissatdgaveittome。That’sit!

[2]“Readit，ifyouhaveace，”hesaid，apparentlywithiastheyearbeforehehadhandedmeaheRussiah，inwhichtherewasanarticlebyGarshin，whowasmaki。Evidently，asinthecaseofGarshin，soevennow，hewasafraidhemightinfluenonewayoranother，aoknowmyuninfluenion。

[3]“Heisayouhor，”hesaid;“lookatit，—itisnotbad;heknowsyouaeemsyouverymuch，”headded，asthoughteme。“AsamanheremindsmeofDruzhiasextasonandfriend，unhommed’unercesur，aswasDruzhinin，and，besides，hehasrelationswiththelabpeople，whomheguidesandaids。EveniowomenheremindsmeofDruzhinin。”

[4]AoldmesomethingremarkableandincredibleioMaupassaionsi。

[5]Thistime，theyear1881，wasformethemostardeheiionofmywholeworld-，andiioywhichiscalledartistidtowhierlyusedtodevoteallmystrength，notonlylostformethesignifierlyascribedtoit，butevelydistastefultomeonaproperplacewhichithadomylifeandwhieralitotheehyclasses。

[6]ForthisreasonIwasatthattimeiedinsuchprodusastheourgenevreeoobligehim，Ireadthebookwhichhegaveme。

[7]Judgingfromthefirststory，MaisonTellier，Iothelpbutsee，iheiandinsignifitsubjectofthestory，thattheauthorpossessedwhatiscalledtalent。

[8]Theauthoriththatparticulargift，calledtalent，whisistsihor’sabilitytodirect，agtohistastes，hisiraiothisorthatsubjesequenceofwhichtheauthorwhoisehisabilityseesisuposhisattentiohihingwhichothersdidnotsee。MaupassalypossessedthatgiftofseeingihingwhichothersdidojudgefromthesmallvolumewhichIhadread，hewasdevoidoftheditionnecessary，besidestalent，foratrulyartisticprodu。

[9]Ofthethrees:

1。acorrect，thatis，amoralrelatioothesubject，

2。theessofexpositioyofform，whichisthesame，and

3。sihatis，anundisguisedfeeliredforwhattheartistdescribes。

[10]Maupassantpossessedowo，airelydevoidofthefirst。Hehadis，nomoralrelatiosdeswhatIhadread，IwascedthatMaupassaalent，thatis，thegiftofattention，whitheobjedphenomenaofliferevealedtohimthosequalitieswhiotvisibletoothermen;healsopossessedabeautifulform，thatis，heexpressedclearly，simply，aifullywhathewishedtosay，andalsopossessedthatoftheworthofanartisticprodu，withoutwhichitdoesnotproduyeffecerity—，thatis，hedidnotsimulateloveorhatred，butactuallylovedahedescribed。Butunfortunately，beihefirst，almostthemostimportantoftheworthofanartisticprodu，oftheoralrelationtoreseis，ofthekhediffereweengoodandevil，helovedaitwasnhttolovea，anddidnotloveanddidheoughttohavelovedahustheauthorinthislittlevolumedescribeswithmuchdetailandlovehowwomemewomen，andevensomeinpreheies，resentedinLaFemmedePaul，ahelabtrypeople，notonlywithievenwithpt，assomanyanimals。

[11]ParticularlystrikingwasthatlackofdistiweenbadandgoodioryUiedee，inwhitheformofamostdamusi，hegivesadetailedatofhowtwogehbaredarms，rowinginaboat，simultaheoneanoldmother，aherayoungmaideer。

[12]Theauthor’ssympathyisduriimeobviouslytosuextentoworascals，thatheignores，or，rather，doeshetemptedmirl，thefather，andtheyoulythefiaer，musthavesuffered，aoashogdesofadisgustiheformofanamusiheeventitselfisdescribedfalsely，beostinsignifitsideofthesubject，thepleasureaffordedtotherascals，isdescribed。

[13]Ihereisastory，“Histoired’uneFilledeFerme”，whievreeomemoreparticularly，andwhichmoreparticularlydispleasedmeonatoftheauthor’siio。Theauthorapparentlyseesinallthewpeoplewhomhedesothingbutanimals，whodonotriseabovesexualandmaternallove，aiohaificialimpression。

[14]Theiprehensionofthelivesahewclasses，aionofthemenfromthosetheformofhalf-animals，whicharemovedoy，malidgreed，formsohedmostimportahemajorityofthemoderhthemMaupassant，notonlyinthisstory，butalsoiories，iouthepeopleandalwaysdescribesthemascoarse，dullanimals，whomonelyridicule。Ofcourse，theFrenustkionsoftheirpeoplebetterthanIk，althoughIamaRussialivedwiththeFrenchpeople，Ihelessassertthat，indesgtheirmasses，theFrenchauth，andthattheFrebeastheyaredescribed。IfthereexistsaFra，withhertrulygreatmenandwiththosegreattributionswhichthesegreatmeosce，art，civilpolity，andthemoralperfeanity，thmasses，whichhaveheldupontheirshouldersthisFramen，donotals，butofmeualqualities;andsoIdoIamtoldinnovelslikeLaTerre，andinMaupassant’sstories，justasIshouldnotbelieveifIweretoldoftheexistenceofabeautifulhousestandingonnofoundation。ItisverypossiblethatthehighqualitiesofthemassesarenotsuchasaredesLaPetiteFadetteandinLaMareauDiable，butthesequalitiesexist，thatIkaierwhodescribesthemasses，asMaupassaellingsympatheticallyofthe“hand“ges”ofBretoidwithptandridiculethelifeofthelabpeople，itsagreaterrorinanartistise，becausehedescribesthesubjeohemostuing，physicalside，aelyoverlookstheother，themostimportant，spiritualside，whistheesse。

[15]Ihereadingofthevolumewhievgavemeleftmepletelyiheyoungwriter。

[16]Iwasatthattimesodisgustedwiththestories，Uiedee，LaFemmedePaul，andHistoireD’uneFilledeFerme，thatIdidnotatthattimeifulstory，LePapadeSimon，andthesuperbstory，sofarasthedesofanightised，Surl’Eau。

[17]“Thereareiherearesomanywhtowrite，anumberofpeoplewithtalent，whodonotknolyit，orwhoboldlyapplyittowhatoughtnotandshouldnotbedescribed，”Ithought。Itenevso。AirelyfotaboutMaupassant。

[18]ThefirstthingfromMaupassant’swritingswhichafterthatfellintomyhandswasUneVie，whiebodyadvisedmetoread。ThisbookatoncemademegemyopiniMaupassant，aIreadwithihingrittenoverhisname。UneVieisaonlyinparablythebestnovelbyMaupassant，butalmostthebestFrenovelsiniserables。Besidestheremarkablepowerofhistalent，thatis，ofthatpeculiar，straiioedupo，inceofwhichtheauthorseeseuresinthelifewhichheisdesg，thisnovelbitoanequaldegree，allthreesofatrueartisticprodu:

&，thatis，themoral，relatioothesubject，

&yofform，and

3。sihatis，loveforwhattheauthordescribes。

[19]Herethemeaningoflifesitselftotheauthorintheexperiencesofallkindsofdebauchedpersoents，asthetitlesays，areformedbythedesofaruined，iwoman，whoispreparedfbeautiful，awomanwhoisruiverygross，aywhitheformerstoriespreseheauthorasthetralphenomenonoflife，whiihing，ahor’swholesympathyisohegood。