作者：周铭,王赟主编
出版社：中国人民大学出版社
格式: AZW3, DOCX, EPUB, MOBI, PDF, TXT
英语美文口袋书——品行篇试读：
前言
随着现代生活节奏的加快，读书日渐成为一种奢侈。文学典籍浩瀚如烟，然而我们却无暇品读那些历经岁月沉淀的经典。如何选择经典、如何阅读经典成为广大英语爱好者关注的一个问题，为此我们做了专门筛选，编写了这套英语美文口袋书。
本系列口袋书包括情感篇、品行篇、文化篇、生活篇、自然篇五本，每本的选材博采众长，不拘一格，内容不分国度，既从经典中探寻历史的足迹，又从时文里汲取时代的营养；既捕捉名人风采，又抒发生活感悟；既有温情故事，又不乏珠玑论辩。“名人风采”既收录来自不同文化背景、不同生活经历的名人故事，又穿插古今中外著名政治家慷慨激昂的演说，让读者尽情领略大家风范；“生活感悟”既抒发对生命的渴望，又流露出对死亡的敬畏，还有对生死之间人生价值、意义的不懈探寻，看似令人啼笑皆非的生活小插曲中却蕴含着生活的真谛；“温情故事”娓娓道来，或关乎亲情，或关乎爱情，或关乎友情，读罢令人会心一笑的同时又发人深思；“珠玑论辩”以独特的视角、凝练的笔触从生活中的细微小事出发，窥探人性的本质，见解独到又耐人寻味。
具体到每篇文章中，其基本结构由内容导读、英文正文、中文译文、词汇速记、美句欣赏几个栏目构成。“内容导读”部分言简意赅，既有对作者详尽的背景介绍，又有对文章的品读与解析，有助于读者更好地理解全文；“英文正文”表达原汁原味，将读者带入到最真实的英文语境中，与智者为伍，与善者同行；“中文译文”皆出自大家之手，文笔优美流畅，表达精练准确；“词汇速记”从音形义出发，为读者扫除单词障碍，扩充词汇量；“美句欣赏”从文化和语言两个维度出发，对亮点句型句式加以标注，以提高读者英文鉴赏水平，丰富写作素材。
本套书在选材上既立足经典又不乏时代特色，全套书共收录经典美文一百三十余篇，让广大英语爱好者在重温经典的同时又能够了解英语国家当代生活的不同层面。
除此之外，本套丛书谋篇适中、字数适宜，且方便携带，以求在校学生和上班族随时可以翻阅。正是出于这样一个目的，这套丛书英文名定为“Infinity in the Palm”。该短语借自英国诗人威廉·布莱克（William Blake）的《沙粒》（“A Grain of Sand”）一诗：“从一粒沙子看到一个世界，∕从一朵野花看到一个天堂；∕把握在你手心里的就是无限，∕永恒也就消融于一个辰光。”（To see aworld in agrain of sand,/And aheaven in awild flower,/Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,/And eternity in an hour.）这套丛书所涵盖的内容在灿烂的文明星空里，不过如尘粒一般微不足道；不过，微小处能见大文章，手心里的这套书亦能到达无限。编者于中国人民大学
品行的来源
Of StudiesFrancis Bacon内容导读所谓“腹有诗书气自华”，读书是我们塑造品性的最好方式。但为何读书？阅读何书？如何读书？回答了这三个问题，我们定会将人生走成一片美丽高贵的风景。培根（1561—1626）的这篇随笔便用凝练隽永的文笔呈现了他的答案，告诉我们“凡有所学，皆成性格”。英文正文
Studies serve for delight,for ornament,and for ability.Their chief use for delight is in privateness and retiring;for ornament,is in discourse;and for ability,is in the judgment and disposition of business.For expert men can execute,and perhaps judge of particulars,one by one;but the general counsels,and the plots and marshalling of affairs,come best from those that are learned.
To spend too much time in studies is sloth;to use them too much for ornament,is affectation;to make judgment wholly by their rules,is the humor of ascholar.They perfect nature,and are perfected by experience:for natural abilities are like natural plants,that need pruning,by study;and studies themselves do give forth directions too much at large,except they be bounded in by experience.
Crafty men condemn studies,simple men admire them,and wise men use them;for they teach not their own use;but that is awisdom without them,and above them,won by observation.Read not to contradict and confute;nor to believe and take for granted;nor to find talk and discourse;but to weigh and consider.
Some books are to be tasted,others to be swallowed,and some few to be chewed and digested;that is,some books are to be read only in parts;others to be read,but not curiously;and some few to be read wholly,and with diligence and attention.Some books also may be read by deputy,and extracts made of them by others;but that would be only in the less important arguments,and the meaner sort of books;else distilled books are like common distilled waters,flashy things.
Reading maketh afull man;conference aready man;and writing an exact man.And therefore,if aman write little,he had need have agreat memory;if he confer little,he had need have apresent wit:and if he read little,he had need have much cunning,to seem to know that he doth not.
Histories make men wise;poets witty;the mathematics subtle;natural philosophy deep;moral grave;logic and rhetoric able to contend.Abeunt studia in mores.
Nay,there is no stand or impediment in the wit but may be wrought out by fit studies;like as diseases of the body may have appropriate exercises.Bowling is good for the stone and reins;shooting for the lungs and breast;gentle walking for the stomach;riding for the head;and the like.So if aman’s wit be wandering,let him study the mathematics;for in demonstrations,if his wit be called away never so little,he must begin again.If his wit be not apt to distinguish or find differences,let him study the schoolmen;for they are cymini sectores.If he be not apt to beat over matters,and to call up one thing to prove and illustrate another,let him study the lawyers’cases.So every defect of the mind may have aspecial receipt.中文译文论读书弗朗西斯·培根
读书足以怡情，足以博彩，足以长才。其怡情也，最见于独处幽居之时；其博彩也，最见于高谈阔论之中；其长才也，最见于处世判事之际。练达之士虽能分别处理细事或一一判别枝节，然纵观统筹，全局策划，则舍好学深思者莫属。
读书费时过多易惰，文采藻饰太盛则矫，全凭条文断事乃学究故态。读书补天然之不足，经验又补读书之不足，盖天生才干犹如自然花草，读书然后知如何修剪移接，而书中所示，如不以经验范之，则又大而无当。
有一技之长者鄙读书，无知者羡读书，唯明智之士用读书，然书并不以用处告人，用书之智不在书中，而在书外，全凭观察得之。读书时不可存心诘难读者，不可尽信书上所言，亦不可只为寻章摘句，而应推敲细思。
书有可浅尝者，有可吞食者，少数则需咀嚼消化。换言之，有只需读其部分者，有只需大体涉猎者，少数则需全读，读时需全神贯注，孜孜不倦。书亦可请人代读，取其所作摘要，但只限题材较次或价值不高者，否则书经提炼犹如水经蒸馏，淡而无味。
读书使人充实，讨论使人机智，笔记使人准确。因此不常做笔记者须记忆特强，不常讨论者须天生聪颖，不常读书者须欺世有术，始能无知而显有知。
读史使人明智，读诗使人灵秀，数学使人周密，科学使人深刻，伦理学使人庄重，逻辑修辞之学使人善辩；凡有所学，皆成性格。
人之才智但有滞碍，无不可读适当之书使之顺畅，一如身体百病，皆可借相宜之运动除之。滚球利睾肾，射箭利胸肺，慢步利肠胃，骑术利头脑，诸如此类。如智力不集中，可令读数学，盖演题需全神贯注，稍有分散即须重演；如不能辨异，可令读经院哲学，盖是辈皆吹毛求疵之人；如不善求同，不善以一物阐证另一物，可令读律师之案卷。如此头脑中凡有缺陷，皆有特效可医。（王佐良 译）词汇速记
ornament n. 装饰；装饰物
marshal v. 安排；排列
sloth n. 懒惰
affectation n. 装模作样
confute v. 驳斥
deputy n. 代理人
confer v. 商议；磋商
impediment n. 妨碍美句欣赏
① Studies serve for delight,for ornament,and for ability.Their chief use for delight is in privateness and retiring;for ornament,is in discourse;and for ability,is in the judgment and disposition of business.怡情、博彩、长才，三词道尽了读书给我们带来的妙处。如果独处、待人、处世都受益于读书，人生还剩什么在它的施惠范围之外呢？
② Histories make men wise;poets witty;the mathematics subtle;natural philosophy deep;moral grave;logic and rhetoric able to contend.Abeunt studia in mores.不同的知识是一扇扇通往不同世界的大门，推开之后便是各异的风景，也会让身处其中的我们拥有独特的品格。Speech at the Paris Congress at the SorbonnePierre de Coubertin内容导读
品格到底为何物？我们大概都将之想象成抽象缥缈的美德，但现代奥林匹克运动之父顾拜旦（1863—1937）提出了截然相反的观点，认为品格主要来自肉体的感受。正是肉体经历的锤炼和苦痛，才锻造了人类坚持忍耐、追求至善等不朽品格。奥林匹克运动会的宗旨，不外如是。英文正文
In this year1894and in this city of Paris,whose joys and anxieties the world shares so closely that it has been likened to the world’s nerve centre,we were able to bring together the representatives of international athletics,who voted unanimously(so little controversial is the principle concerned)for the restoration of atwo-thousand-year-old idea which today as in the past still quickens the human heart for it satisfies one of its most vital,and whatever may have been said on the subject,one of its most noble instincts.In the temple of science these delegates heard echo in their ears amelody also2,000years old,reconstituted by an eminent archaeologist through the successive labours of several generations.And in the evening electricity transmitted everywhere the news that Hellenic Olympism had re-entered the world after an eclipse of several centuries.
The Greek heritage is so vast,Gentlemen,that all those who in the modern world have conceived physical exercise under one of its multiple aspects have been able legitimately to refer to Greece,which contained them all.Some have seen it as training for the defence of one’s country,others as the search for physical beauty and health through ahappy balance of mind and body,and yet others as that healthy drunkenness of the blood which is nowhere so intense and so exquisite as in bodily exercise.
At Olympia[1],Gentlemen,there was all,that,but there was something more which no-one has yet dared to put into words,because since the middle ages asort of discredit has hovered over bodily qualities and they have been isolated from qualities of the mind.Recently the first have been admitted to serve the second but they are still treated as slaves and made every day to feel their dependence and inferiority.
This was an immense error whose scientific and social consequences it is almost impossible to calculate.After all,Gentlemen,there are not two parts to aman—body and soul;there are three—body,mind and character;character is not formed by the mind,but primarily by the body.The men of antiquity knew this,and we are painfully relearning it.
The adherents of the old school groaned when they saw us holding our meetings in the heart of the Sorbonne:they realized that we were rebels and that we would finish by casting down the edifice of their worm-eaten philosophy.It is true,Gentlemen;we are rebels and that is why the press which has always supported beneficent revolutions has understood and helped us—for which,by the way,I thank it with all my heart.中文译文在巴黎索邦代表大会的致辞皮埃尔·德·顾拜旦
此时此地，在1894年的巴黎，世界的神经为之牵动，对这里的喜悦焦虑感同身受；我们成功地将世界体育代表聚集在一起，他们一致赞同（在原则方面鲜有争议）恢复一个已延续2000年的理念——今日这个理念仍如以往一般让我们怦然心动，因为它满足了我们心中最重要也最高贵（无论以往的看法如何）的本能。在科学的殿堂，这些代表听到了2000年前的古曲，由一位卓越的考古学家在几代人的研究基础上复原而来。晚上，希腊的奥林匹克主义在数世纪的湮没之后重回人间的消息，经由电波传遍了世界。
先生们，希腊的传统如此丰富，以至于现代人所想到的所有类别的体育都可以追溯到希腊，都被其包括在内。一些人将之视为保卫国家的训练，另一些人通过灵与肉的平衡寻求形体的美貌与健康，还有些人想获得血液的微醺感——这种感觉唯有在身体锻炼中才会如此强烈和优美。
先生们，所有这些都存在于奥林匹亚，但还有一些话迄今没有人敢说，因为自中世纪以来，身体特质被从精神特质剥离而遭到贬抑。近来，人们虽然承认前者服务于后者，但仍然视之为奴仆，时刻感觉到它的派生性和低劣。
这是个巨大的错误，在科学和社会两方面都引起了无法计量的后果。因为，先生们，人并非只包括肉体和灵魂两部分，而包括三部分：肉体、思想和品格；品格不由思想决定，而主要由肉体决定。古人知道这一点，而我们却在痛苦地重新认识它。
旧派经院的支持者哀叹我们在索邦的中心举办大会：他们意识到我们是反叛者，会最终摧毁他们的过时哲学。先生们，这没错；我们就是反叛者，这也是总是支持有益革命的媒体理解我们、帮助我们的原因。在此我对他们表示衷心感谢。词汇速记
athletics n. 体育运动，竞技
unanimously adv. 全体一致地
archaeologist n. 考古学家
Hellenic adj. 希腊的
eclipse n. 消失，黯然失色
exquisite adj. 精致的，剧烈的
edifice n. 大厦，结构体系
beneficent adj. 慈善的，有益的美句欣赏
After all,Gentlemen,there are not two parts to aman—body and soul;there are three—body,mind and character;character is not formed by the mind,but primarily by the body.这句话虽短，却挑战了西方文明，尤其是基督教文明中的“灵肉二元论”。品格论的提出，以及它主要由肉体决定的观点，具有浓厚的世俗人文主义色彩。注释
[1] 奥林匹亚，希腊南部平原的一个城市。它是古代祭拜宙斯的宗教中心，又是古代奥林匹克运动会的遗址。The Weather in His SoulGeorge Santayana内容导读
每个民族之所以独一无二，便在于其内在的品性，即“灵魂的气象”。英伦绅士素以优雅保守著称，他们的“内在情调”根植于两个对立的空间：乡村和海洋。他们的灵魂栖居在封闭的乡野花园，想象力却遨游在无边际的大海，所以他们既保守又冒险，既热情好客又保持距离。这就是所谓的“英国气象”。英文正文
What governs the Englishman is his inner atmosphere,the weather in his soul.It is nothing particularly spiritual or mysterious.When he has taken his exercise and is drinking his tea or his beer and lighting his pipe;when,in his garden or by his fire,he sprawls in an aggressively comfortable chair;when well-washed and well-brushed,he resolutely turns in church to the east and recites the Creed(with genuflexions,if he likes genuflexions)without in the least implying that he believes one word of it;when he hears or sings the most crudely sentimental and thinnest of popular songs,unmoved but not disgusted;when he adopts aparty or asweetheart;when he is hunting or shooting or boating,or striding through the fields;when he is choosing his clothes or his profession—never is it aprecise reason,or purpose,or outer fact that determines him;it is always the atmosphere of his inner man.
To say that this atmosphere was simply asense of physical well-being,of coursing blood and aprosperous digestion,would be far too gross;for while psychic weather is all that,it is also witness to some settled disposition,some ripening inclination for this or that,deeply rooted in the soul.It gives asense of direction in life which is virtually acode of ethics,and areligion behind religion.On the other hand,to say it was the vision of any ideal or allegiance to any principle would be making it far too articulate and abstract.The inner atmosphere,when compelled to condense into words,may precipitate some curt maxim or over-simple theory as asort of war-cry;but its puerile language does it injustice,because it broods at amuch deeper level than language or even thought.It is amass of dumb instincts and allegiances,the love of acertain quality of life,to be maintained manfully.It is pregnant with many astubborn assertion and rejection.It fights under its trivial fluttering opinions like asmoking battleship under its flags and signals;you must consider,not what they are,but why they have been hoisted and will not be lowered.
Instinctively the Englishman is no missionary,no conqu-eror.He prefers the country to the town,and home to foreign parts.He is rather glad and relieved if only natives will remain natives and strangers strangers,and at acomfortable distance from himself.Yet outwardly he is most hospitable and accepts almost anybody for the time being;he travels and conquers without asettled design,because he has the instinct of exploration.His adventures are external;they change him so little that he is not afraid of them.He carries his English weather in his heart wherever he goes,and it becomes acool spot in the desert,and asteady and same oracle amongst all the deliriums of mankind.Never since the heroic days of Greece has the world had such asweet,just,boyish master.It will be ablack day for the human race when scientific blackguards,conspirators,churls,and fanatics manage to supplant him.中文译文灵魂的气象乔治·桑塔雅那
左右英国人的是他内在的情调，心灵的气象。这不是什么精神层面的或神秘的东西。设想在他运动之余品茶或喝酒，还点着烟斗；或在花园里或壁炉旁懒洋洋地躺在舒适的安乐椅上；或在他精心梳洗之后，在教堂里毅然面向东方背诵（跪诵，假如他喜欢跪诵）信经，但这绝不意味着他相信其中的任一字句；或在他听着或哼着最低俗感伤、最浅薄的流行歌曲，虽未被感动但也并不讨厌；或在他确定谁是他最好的朋友或最喜爱的诗人；或在他选择一个群体或一个恋人；或在他打猎、射击、划船或大步走过田野；或在他挑选服装或选择职业——在他做着这一切的时候，并不是因为某一个确定的理由，或目的，或外界的事物，而是他内在的情调在决定着他的取向。
若说这一内在的情调仅仅是对于身体状况、血液循环和消化功能的感觉，那未免过于粗浅；因为，虽然灵魂的气象全然如此，它毕竟也是深深根植于灵魂之中的某种稳定的气质和某一日臻成熟的心理倾向的见证。它给人以生活的方向感，实则是一种道德准则，宗教背后的宗教。另一方面，若它是对于一种理想的幻想或对于某一原则的忠诚，那就把它说得过于雄辩也过于抽象了。这个“内在的情调”，必须用语言来表述时，可以凝结成一句战斗口号似的简短格言或简单的理论；但那幼稚的语言并不能将它表述清楚，因为它孕育在比语言，甚至比思想还要深得多的层次上。它是一团无声的本能和忠诚的结合体，是对某种生活品质的爱，需要勇敢而坚定地予以保持。它固执地坚持很多观点，也固执地摒弃很多妄念。它在各种涌动于内心的细微见解之下进行战斗，就像一艘吐浓烟的战舰在种种旗帜和信号的指挥之下进行战斗一样；你所要考虑的不是它们是什么，而是它们既然已经升起就不再降落这是为什么。
就其本能而言，英国人不是传教士，不是征服者。他宁愿待在乡村，而不愿住在城市，宁愿待在家里，而不愿去陌生的地方。如果本地人还是本地人，陌生人始终是陌生人，而且和自己保持一段舒适的距离，他会很高兴，很舒心。但在外表上，他很好客，几乎任何人他都可以暂时接纳；他不是按照一成不变的计划去旅行，去征服，因为他有探索的本能。他的冒险活动都是表面的，对他自己几乎没有什么影响，所以他不怕冒险。无论他走到哪里，心里总是怀着他的“英国气象”。它已变成沙漠里一个清凉的处所，人类谵妄之中一个稳固而明智的圣堂。自从希腊的英雄时代以来，世界还没有过如此可爱、正直和孩子气的主人。若以科学上的无赖、阴谋家、吝啬鬼和狂热之徒取而代之，将是人类遭遇暗无天日之时。（刘士聪译）词汇速记
creed n. 信条，纲领
genuflexion n. 屈膝，跪拜
virtually adv. 几乎
condense v. 凝结，压缩
precipitate v. 凝结，下掷
curt adj. 简短的，草率的
puerile adj. 幼稚的，愚蠢的
delirium n. 谵妄，昏迷
churl n. 吝啬鬼，贱民美句欣赏
① While psychic weather is all that,it is also witness to some settled disposition,some ripening inclination for this or that,deeply rooted in the soul.It gives asense of direction in life which is virtually acode of ethics,and areligion behind religion.这句话表现了“灵魂气象”对于人类群体的重要性：它是一切行为准则和精神信仰的深层原因，是塑造群体身份的文化要素。
② He carries his English weather in his heart wherever he goes,and it becomes acool spot in the desert,and asteady and same oracle amongst all the deliriums of mankind.只要心存本国气象，天涯尽处亦是故乡。这个对比体现了作者作为英国人的自豪感已经到了种族偏见的程度。The Faculty of DelightCharles Edward Montague内容导读
人们往往把快乐当作欲望的满足，把文明当作欲望的压制。依照这个逻辑，作为文明标记的品性的培育天然与快乐无关。但在蒙塔格（1867—1928）看来，快乐是人感悟自然万物之“性格”的能力，因而也是培养“知识、智慧和高尚情操”的不二法门。英文正文
Among the mind’s powers is one that comes of itself to many children and artists.It needs not be lost,to the end of his days,by any one who has ever had it.This is the power of taking delight in athing,or rather in anything,everything,not as ameans to some other end,but just because it is what it is,as the lover dotes on whatever may be the traits of the beloved object.A child in the full health of his mind will put his hand flat on the summer turf,feel it,and give alittle shiver of private glee at the elastic firmness of the globe.He is not thinking how well it will do for some game or to feed sheep upon.That would be the way of the wooer whose mind runs on his mistress’money.The child’s is sheer affection,the true ecstatic sense of the thing’s inherent characteristics.No matter what the things may be,no matter what they are good or no good for,there they are,each with athrilling unique look and feel of its own,like aface;the iron astringently cool under its paint,the painted wood familiarly warmer,the clod crumbling enchantingly down in the hands,with its little dry smell of the sun and of hot nettles;each common thing apersonality marked by delicious differences.
The joy of an Adam new to the garden and just looking round is brought by the normal child to the things that he does as well as those that he sees.To be suffered to do some plain work with the real spade used by mankind can give him amystical exaltation:to come home with his legs,as the French say,reentering his body from the fatigue of helping the gardener to weed beds sends him to sleep in the glow of abeatitude that is an end in itself...
The right education,if we could find it,would work up this creative faculty of delight into all its branching possibilities of knowledge,wisdom,and nobility.Of all three it is the beginning,condition,or raw material.中文译文感知快乐的天赋查尔斯·爱德华·蒙塔格
在人的心理能力中，有一种是很多孩子和艺术家自然就有的。不论是谁，一旦有了这种能力，直到他生命的最后一天也不一定会丢失。这就是从某一事物或任一事物，都能感受到快乐的能力，不是为了某一目的，只是因为它就是这样，这好比一个人喜爱一样东西，不论它有什么特征他都喜爱。一个心理健全的孩子会把他的手掌平放在夏天的草皮上，抚摩它，在他感觉到具有弹性又很坚实的地球表面时，他心里便产生一种快乐的冲动。他倒没有考虑这草地对人们玩游戏或用来喂羊会有多大好处。如果是这样，那就是一心只图钱财的那种求婚者的行径了。孩子的爱好是真纯的，是对那件事物内在特征的真正的兴奋之感。不管这些事物是什么，也不管它们有用或无用，它们却一一具在，各有各的动人的特殊神情与味道，宛如一张面孔那样；油漆下面冰凉的钢铁，温暖可亲的着色木料，那在手中一搓就碎得那么迷人的土块，微微含着日晒与荨麻的干燥气味；每一样普通的东西都有它自己的“性格”，都有其不同的怡人特征。
初到伊甸园的亚当左右张望，充满喜悦，这正是一个正常的儿童在做什么或看什么时所感到一种神秘的喜悦。如果让他拿起人们使用的真正的铲子去做点普通的劳动，那他肯定感到一种神秘的喜悦。当他经过一番疲劳，帮助园丁把花园里的杂草除掉，两只脚像缩进身体里边似的走了回来（像法国人说的那样），他会在一片喜悦之光的照耀之下安然睡去——这本身就是他的目的……
正确的教育，如果我们能够发现它，可以调动这一带有创造性的快乐的天赋，使其纳入所有可能的各个方面——知识、智慧和高尚的情操。对于这三者，这种心理能力是开始，是条件，或是原始材料。（刘士聪译）词汇速记
dote v. 溺爱
turf n. 草皮
inherent adj. 固有的，内在的
astringently adv. 严格地，严厉地
clod n. 土块
exaltation n. 兴奋，得意
beatitude n. 美丽美句欣赏
The child’s is sheer affection,the true ecstatic sense of the thing’s inherent characteristics.No matter what the things may be,no matter what they are good or no good for,there they are,each with athrilling unique look and feel of its own,like aface.只有孩童的赤子童心才能感受到万物的内在价值，在自然之中获得最大愉悦；这正是迷失在功利主义之中的成人所丧失的宝贵能力。正是在这个意义上，如华兹华斯所言，“孩童是成人的老师。”Some Remarks on HumorE.B.White内容导读
幽默是人类所能具有的最高贵的品性之一，因为它展示了一种对人生的深刻洞察之后的积极态度：人生总也避免不了忧郁和痛苦，我们能做的便是接受这一事实，以喜剧的形式把悲剧的人生转化成阵阵笑声。从这个意义上来说，幽默的确比悲伤、怨恨、愤怒等否定情感要更贴近名为“真理”的那团火。英文正文
Analysts have had their go at humor,and Ihave read some of this interpretative literature,but without being greatly instructed.Humor can be dissected,as afrog can,but the thing dies in the process and the innards are discouraging to any but the pure scientific mind.
In anewsreel theatre the other day Isaw apicture of aman who had developed the soap bubble to ahigher point than it had ever before reached.He had become the first-class soap bubble blower of America,had perfected the business of blowing bubbles,refined it,doubled it,squared it,and had even worked himself up into aconvenient lather.The effect was not pretty.Some of the bubbles were too big to be beautiful,and the blower was always jumping into them or out of them,or playing some sort of unattractive trick with them.It was,if anything,a rather repulsive sight.Humor is alittle like that:it won’t stand much blowing up,and it won’t stand much poking.It has acertain fragility,an evasiveness,which one had best respect.Essentially,it is acomplete mystery.A human frame convulsed with laughter,and the laughter becoming hysterical and uncontrollable,is as far out of balance as one shaken with the hiccoughs or in the throes of asneezing fit.
One of the things commonly said about humorists is that they are really very sad people—clowns with abreaking heart.Three is some truth in it,but it is badly stated.It would be more accurate,I think,to say that there is adeep vein of melancholy running through everyone’s life and that the humorist,perhaps more sensible of it than some others,compensates for it actively and positively.Humorist fatten on trouble.They have always made trouble pay.They struggle along with agood will and endure pain cheerfully,knowing how willingly it will serve them in the sweet by and by.You find them wrestling with foreign languages,fighting folding ironing boards and swollen drainpipes,suffering the terrible discomfort of tight boots…They pour out their sorrows profitably,in aform that is not quite fiction nor quite fact either.Beneath the sparkling surface of these dilemma flows the strong tide of human woe.
Practically everyone is amanic depressive of sorts,with his up moments and his down moments,and you certainly don’t have to be ahumorist to taste the sadness of situation and mood.But there is often arather fine line between laughing and crying,and if ahumorous piece of writing brings aperson to the point where his emotional responses are untrustworthy and seem likely to break over into the opposite realm,it is because humor,like poetry,has an extra content.It plays close to the big hot fire which is Truth,and sometimes the reader feels the heat.中文译文谈幽默E.B.怀特
分析家们都曾在幽默上试过身手，我自己就读过一些这类阐释性的文献，但是获教不大。幽默可以解剖，正如青蛙可以解剖那样，但这东西在解剖的过程中是会死掉的，而其内里的种种只会令人失望，只有那些纯粹的科学头脑才会让人感兴趣。
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