Unit-7-The-Monster课文翻译综合教程四.docx

Unit7TheMonsterDeemsTaylorHewasanundersizedlittleman,Withaheadtoobigforhisbody-asicklylittleman.Hisnenreswerebad.Hehadskintrouble.Itwasagonyforhimtowearanythingnexttohisskincoarserthansilk.Andhehaddelusionsofgrandeur.HeWaSamonsterofconceit.NeVerforoneminutedidhelookattheworldoratpeople,exceptinrelationtohimself.Hebelievedhimselftobeoneofthegreatestdramatistsintheworld,oneofthegreatestthinkers,andoneofthegreatestcomposers.Tohearhimtalk,hewasShakespeare,andBeethoven,andPlato,rolledintoone.Hewasoneofthemostexhaustingconversationaliststhateverlived.Sometimeshewasbrilliant;sometimeshewasmaddeninglytiresome.Butwhetherhewasbeingbrilliantordull,hehadonesoletopicofconversation:himself.Whathethoughtandwhathedid.Hehadamaniaforbeingintheright.Theslightesthintofdisagreement,fromanyone,onthemosttririal)int,wasenoughtosethimoffonaharanguethatmightlastforhours,inwhichheprovedhimselfrightinSOmanyways,andwithsuchexhaustingvolubility,thatintheendhishearer,stunnedanddeafened,wouldagreewithhim,forthesakeofpeace.ItneveroccurredtohimthatheandhisdoingwerenotofthemostintenseandfascinatinginteresttoanyoneWithwhomhecameincontact.Hehadtheoriesaboutalmostanysulyectunderthesun,includingvegetarianism,thedrama,politics,andmusic;andinsupportofthesetheoriesheVVnItepamphlets,letters,books.thousandsuponthousandsofwords,hundredsandhundredsofpages.Henotonlywrotethesethings,andpublishedthem-usuallyatsomebodyelse'sexpense-buthewouldsitandreadthemaloud,forhours,tohisfriends,andhisfamily.Hehadtheemotionalstabilityofasix-year-oldchild.Whenhefeltoutofsorts,hewouldraveandstamp,orsinkintosuicidalgloomandtalkdarklyofgoingtotheEasttoendhisdaysasaBuddhistmonk.Tenminuteslater,whensomethingpleasedhimhewouldrushoutofdoorsandnnaroundthegarden,orjumpupanddownoffthesofa,orstandonhishead.Hecouldbegrief-strickenoverthedeathofapctdog,andcouldbecallousandheartlesstoadegreethatwouldhavemadeaRomanemperorshudder.Hewasalmostinnocentofanysenseofresponsibility*.Hewasconvincedthattheworldowedhimaliving.Insupportofthisbelief,heborrowedmoneyfromeverybodywhcwasgoodforaloan-men,women,friends,orstrangers.Hewrotebegginglettersbythescore,sometimesgrovelingwithoutshame,atothersloftilyofferinghisintendedbenefactortheprivilegeofcontributingtohissupport,andbeingmortallyoffende<liftherecipientdeclinedthehonor.7 WhatmoneyhecouldlayhishandonhespentlikeanIndianrajah.NooneWiHeverknow-certainlyheneverknows-howmuchmoneyheowed.WedoknowthathisgreatestbenefactorgavehimS6.oootopaythemostpressingofhisdebtsinonecity,andayearlaterhadtogivehim$16,000toenablehimtoliveinanothercitywithoutbeingthrownintojailfordebt.8 Hcwasequallyunscrupulousinotherways.Anendlessprocessionofwomenmarchedthroughhislife.HisfirstWifespenttwentyyearsenduringandforgivinghisinfidelities.HissecondwifehadbeentheWifeofhismostdevotedfriendandadmirer,fromwhomhestoleher.Aiidevenwhilehewastr),ingtopersuadehertoleaveherfirsthusbandhewaswritingtoafriendtoinquirewhetherhecouldsuggestsomewealthywoman-anywealthywoman-whomhecouldmanyforhermoney.9 Hehadageniusfbrmakingenemies.HewouldinsultamanwhodisagreedWithhimabouttheweather.HewouldpullendlessWireSinordertomeetsomemanwhoadmiredhisworkandwasableandanxioustobeofusetohim-andwouldproceedtomakeamortalenemyofhimWithSOmeidioticandwhollyuncalle<l-fbrexhibitionofarroganceandbadmanners.Acharacterinoneofhisoperaswasacaricatureofoneofthemostpowerfulmusiccriticsofhisday.Notcontentwithburlesquinghim,heinvite<lthecritictohishouseandreadhimthelibrettoaloudinfrontofhisfriends.10 ThenameofthismonsterwasRichardWagner.EVerythingIhavesaidabouthimyoucanfindonrecord-innewspapers,inpolicereports,inthetestimonyofpeoplewhoknewhim,inhisOWnletters,betweenthelinesofhisautobiography.Andthecuriousthingaboutthisrecordisthatitdoesn'tmatterintheleast.11 Becausethisundcrsiz4l.sickly,disagreeable,fascinatinglittlemanwasrightallthetime,thejokeWaSonus.Hewasoneoftheworld'sgreatestdramatists;hewasagreatthinker;hewasoneofthemoststupendousmusicalgeniusesthat,uptonow.theworldhasCVerseen.ThCworlddidowehimaliing.Whatifhedidtalkabouthimselfallthetime?Ifhetalkedabouthimselffortwenty-fourhourseverydayforthespanofhislifehewouldnothaveutteredhalfthenumberofwordsthatothermenhaveSpokCnandwrittenabouthimsincehisdeath.12 Whenyouconsiderwhathewrote-thirteenoperasandmusicdramas,elevenofthemstillholdingthestage,eightofthemunquestionablyworthrankingamongtheworld'sgreatmusico-dramaticmasterpieces-whenyoulistentowhalhewrote,thedebtsandheartachesthatpeoplehadtoendurefromhimdon,tseemmuchofaprice.13 Whatifhewasfaithlesstohisfriendsandtohiswives?HehadonemistresstowhomhewasfaithfulIothedayofhisdeath:Music.NotforasinglemomentdidheerercompromiseWithwhathebelieved>Withwhathedreamed.Thereisnotalineofhismusicthatcouldhavebeenconceivedbyalittlemind.Evenwhenheisdull,ordownrightl>ad,heisdullinthegrandmanner.1.isteningtohismusic,onedoesnotforgivehimforwhathemayormaynothavebeen.Itisnotamatterofforgiveness.Itisamatterofbeingdumbwithwonderthathispoorbrainandbodydidn'tburstundertheto11ncntofthedemonofcreativecncrg>thatliv