Mark Twain(高級英語第1冊)

MostAmericansrememberMarkTwainasthefatherofHuckidylliccruisethrougheternalboyhoodandTomSawyer’sendlesssummeroffreedomandadventure.Indeed,thisbest-lovedauthorwaseverybitasadventurous,patriotic,romanticandhumorousasanyonehaseverimagined.IfoundanotherTwainaswell-onewhogrewcynical,bitter,saddenedbytheprofoundpersonaltragedieslifedealthim,amanwhobecameobsessedwiththefrailtiesofthehumanrace,whosawclearlyaheadablackwallofnight.Tramp printer, river pilot, Confederate guerrilla, prospector starry-eyed acid-tonguedcynic:ThemanwhobecameMarkTwainwasbornSamuelLanghorneClemensandherangedacrossthenationformorethanathirdofhislife,digestingthenewAmericanexperiencebeforesharingitwiththeworldaswriterandlecturer.Headoptedhispennamefromthecryheardinhissteamboatdays,signalingtwofathomsofwater-anavigabledepth.Hispopularityisattestedbythefactthatmorethanascoreofhisbooksremaininprint,andtranslationsarestillreadaroundtheworld.Thegeographiccore,inTwainearlyyears,wasthegreatvalleyofthe MississippiRiver,mainarteryoftransportationintheyoungheart.Keelboats,flatboats,andlargeraftscarriedthefirstmajorcommerce.Lumber,corn,tobacco,wheat,andfursmoveddownstreamtothedeltacountry;sugar,molasses,cotton,andwhiskeytravelednorth.Inthe1850 beforetheclimaxofwestwardexpansion,thevastbasindrainedthree-quartersofthesettledUnitedStates.YoungMarkTwainenteredthatworldin1857asacubpilotonasteamboat.Thecastofcharacterssetbeforehiminhisnewprofessionwasrichandvaried-acosmos.Heparticipatedabundantlyinthislife,listeningtopilothousetalkoffeuds,piracies,lynchings,medicineshows,andsavagewatersideslums.Allwouldresurfaceinhisbooks,togetherwiththecolorfullanguagethathesoakedupwithamemorythatseemedphonographic.Steamboatdecksteemednotonlywiththemaincurrentofpioneeringhumanity,butitsflotsamofhustlers,gamblers,andthugsaswell.FromthemallMarkTwaingainedakeenperceptionofthehumanrace,ofthedifferencebetweenwhatpeopleclaimsteamboattrademarkedtherealbeginningofhiseducation,andthemostlastingpartofit.InlaterlifeTwainacknowledgedthattheriverhadacquaintedhimwitheverypossibletypeofhumannature.Thoseacquaintanceshipsstrengthenedallhiswriting,butheneverwrotebetterthanwhenhewroteofthepeoplealongthegreatstream.WhenrailroadbegandrivingupthedemandforsteamboatpilotsandtheCivilWarhaltedcommerce,MarkTwainlefttherivercountry.Hetriedsoldieringfortwoweekswithamotleybandenemy.Twainquitafterdeciding,“…Iknewmoreaboutretreatingthanthemanthatinventedretreating.”HewentwestbystagecoachandsuccumbedtotheepidemicofgoldandsilverfeverinWashoeregion.Foreightmonthsheflirtedwiththecolossalwealthavailabletotheluckyandthepersistent,andwasrebuffed.Brokeanddiscouraged,heacceptedajobasreporterwiththeVirginiaCityTerritorialEnterprise,toenduringgratitude.Fromthediscouragementofhisminingfailures,MarkTwainbegandigginghiswaytoregionalfameasanewspaperreporterandinthereportingtrade,butformakingmoney,hispenwouldprovemightierthanhispickax.Inthespringof1864,lessthantwoyearsafterjoiningtheTerritorialEnterprise,heboardedthestagecoachforSanFrancisco,thenandnowahotbedofhopefulyoungwriters.MarkTwainhonedandexperimentedwithhisnewwritingmuscles,buthehadtoleavethecityforawhilebecauseofsomescathingcolumnshewrote.Attacksonthecitygovernment,concerningsuchissuesasmistreatmentofChinese,soangeredofficialsthathefledtothegoldfieldsintheSacramentoValley.Hisdescriptionoftherough-countrysettlersthereringfamiliarlyinmodernworldaccustomedtotrendsettingontheWestCoast.“Itwasasplendidpopulation-foralltheslow,sleepy,sluggish-brainedslothsstayedatwasthatpopulationthatgavetoCaliforniaanameforgettingupastoundingenterprisesandrushingthemthroughwithamagnificentdashanddaringandarecklessnessofcostorconsequences,whichshebearsuntothisday-andwhensheprojectsanewsurprise,thegraveworldsmilesasusual,andsaysthatisCaliforniaallInthedrearywinterof1864-65inAngelsCamp,hekeptanotebook.Scatteredamongnotationsabouttheweatherandthetediousmining-campmealsliesanentrynothingastoryhehadheardthatday-anentrythatwoulddeterminehiscourseforever: “Colemanwithhisjumpingforg-betstranger$50-strangerhadnofrog,andC.gothimone –inthemeantimestrangerfilledfrogfullofshotandhejump.Thefrogwon.”Retoldwithhisdescriptivegenius,thestorywasprintedinnewspapersacrosstheUnitedStatesandbecameknownas“TheCelebratedJumpingFrogofCalaverasCounty.”Marknationalreputationwasnowwellestablishedas“thewildhumoristofthePacificTwoyearslatertheopportunitycameforhimtotakeadistinctlyAmericanlookattheOldWorld.InNewYorkCitythesteamshipQuakerCitypreparedtosailonapleasurecruisetoEuropeandtheHoldLand.Forthefirsttime,asizablegroupofUnitedStatescitizensplannedtojurneyastourists–milestone,ofsorts,inadevelopment.Twainwasassignedtoaccompanythem,ascorrespondentforaCalifornianewspaper.Ifreadersexpectedtheusualglowingtravelogue,theyweresorelysurprised.UnimpressedbytheSultanofTurkey,forexample,hereported,“…onecouldsetatrapanywhereandcatchaozenablermeninanight. ”Casuallyhedebunkedreveredartistsandarttreasures,andtookunholyverbalshotsattheHolyLand.Backhome,morenewspapersbeganprintinghisarticles.Americalaughedwithhim.UponhisreturntotheStatesthebookversionofhistravels,TheInnocentAbroad,becameaninstantbest-seller.Attheageof36TwainsettledinHartford,Connecticut.Hisbestbookswerepublishedwhilehelivedthere.Asearlyas1870TwainhadexperimentedwithastoryabouttheboyhoodadventuresofaladhenamedBillyRogers.Twoyearslater,hechangedthenametoTom,andbeganshapinghisadverturesintoastageplay.Notuntil1874didthestorybegindevelopinginearnest.Afterpublicationin1876,TomSawyerquicklybecameaclassictaleofAmericanboyhood.Tom’smischievousdaring,ingenuity,andthesweetinnocenceofhisaffectionforBeckyThatcherarealmostassuretobestudiedinAmericanschoolstodayasistheDeclarationofIndependence.Markowndeclarationofindependencecameformanothercharacter.SixchaptersintoTomSawyer,hedragsin“thedrunkard.”FleeingarespectablelifewiththepuritanicalWidowDounglas,Huckproteststohisfriend,TomSawyer:“I’vetriedit,anditdon’twork;itdon’twork,Tom.Itforme…Thewidereatsbyabell;shegoestobedbyabell;shegitsupbyasoawfulre’larabodystandit.”NineyearsafterTomSawyersweptthenation,Huckwasgivenalifeofhisown,\inabookoftenconsideredthebesteverwrittenaboutAmericans.HisraftflightdowntheMississippiwitharunawayslavepresentsamovingpanoramaforexplorationofAmericansociety.Ontheriver,andespeciallywithHuckFinn,Twainfoundtheultimateexpressionofescapefromthepacehelivedbyandoftendeplored,fromregularitiesandtheenergy-sappingclamorforsuccess.MarkTwainsuggestedthataningredientwasmissingintheAmericanambitionwhenhesaid:“Whatarobustpeople,whatanationofthinkerswemightbe,ifwewouldonlylayourselvesontheshelfoccasionallyandrenewouredges.Personaltragedyhauntedhisentirelife,inthedeathsoflovedones:hisfather,dyingofpneumoniawhenSamwas12;hisbrotherHenry,killedbyasteamboatexplosion;thedeathofhisson,Langdon,at19months.Hiseldestdaughter,Susy,diedofspinal meningitis,Mrs.ClemenssuccumbedtoaheartattackinFlorence,andyoungestdaughter,Jean,anepileptic,drowne