Bartleby the Scrivener A Story of WallstreetWord下载.docx

Bartleby the Scrivener A Story of WallstreetWord下载.docx

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（1819–1891）. 

Bartleby,theScrivener. 

1853.

Bartleby,theScrivener:

AStoryofWall-street

IAMaratherelderlyman.Thenatureofmyavocationsforthelastthirtyyearshasbroughtmeintomorethanordinarycontactwithwhatwouldseemaninterestingandsomewhatsingularsetofmen,ofwhomasyetnothingthatIknowofhaseverbeenwritten:

—Imeanthelaw-copyistsorscriveners.Ihaveknownverymanyofthem,professionallyandprivately,andifIpleased,couldrelatedivershistories,atwhichgood-naturedgentlemenmightsmile,andsentimentalsoulsmightweep.ButIwaivethebiographiesofallotherscrivenersforafewpassagesinthelifeofBartleby,whowasascrivenerthestrangestIeversaworheardof.Whileofotherlaw-copyistsImightwritethecompletelife,ofBartlebynothingofthatsortcanbedone.Ibelievethatnomaterialsexistforafullandsatisfactorybiographyofthisman.Itisanirreparablelosstoliterature.Bartlebywasoneofthosebeingsofwhomnothingisascertainable,exceptfromtheoriginalsources,andinhiscasethoseareverysmall.WhatmyownastonishedeyessawofBartleby,thatisallIknowofhim,except,indeed,onevaguereportwhichwillappearinthesequel.

1

Ereintroducingthescrivener,ashefirstappearedtome,itisfitImakesomementionofmyself,myemployé

es,mybusiness,mychambers,andgeneralsurroundings;

becausesomesuchdescriptionisindispensabletoanadequateunderstandingofthechiefcharacterabouttobepresented.

2

Imprimis:

Iamamanwho,fromhisyouthupwards,hasbeenfilledwithaprofoundconvictionthattheeasiestwayoflifeisthebest.Hence,thoughIbelongtoaprofessionproverbiallyenergeticandnervous,eventoturbulence,attimes,yetnothingofthatsorthaveIeversufferedtoinvademypeace.Iamoneofthoseunambitiouslawyerswhoneveraddressesajury,orinanywaydrawsdownpublicapplause;

butinthecooltranquillityofasnugretreat,doasnugbusinessamongrichmen’sbondsandmortgagesandtitle-deeds.Allwhoknowmeconsidermeaneminentlysafeman.ThelateJohnJacobAstor,apersonagelittlegiventopoeticenthusiasm,hadnohesitationinpronouncingmyfirstgrandpointtobeprudence;

mynext,method.Idonotspeakitinvanity,butsimplyrecordthefact,thatIwasnotunemployedinmyprofessionbythelateJohnJacobAstor;

anamewhich,Iadmit,Ilovetorepeat,forithatharoundedandorbicularsoundtoit,andringslikeuntobullion.Iwillfreelyadd,thatIwasnotinsensibletothelateJohnJacobAstor’sgoodopinion.

3

Sometimepriortotheperiodatwhichthislittlehistorybegins,myavocationshadbeenlargelyincreased.Thegoodoldoffice,nowextinctintheStateofNew-York,ofaMasterinChancery,hadbeenconferreduponme.Itwasnotaveryarduousoffice,butverypleasantlyremunerative.Iseldomlosemytemper;

muchmoreseldomindulgeindangerousindignationatwrongsandoutrages;

butImustbepermittedtoberashhereanddeclare,thatIconsiderthesuddenandviolentabrogationoftheofficeofMasterofChancery,bythenewConstitution,asa——prematureact;

inasmuchasIhadcounteduponalife-leaseoftheprofits,whereasIonlyreceivedthoseofafewshortyears.Butthisisbytheway.

4

MychamberswereupstairsatNo.—Wall-street.Atoneendtheylookeduponthewhitewalloftheinteriorofaspacioussky-lightshaft,penetratingthebuildingfromtoptobottom.Thisviewmighthavebeenconsideredrathertamethanotherwise,deficientinwhatlandscapepainterscall“life.”Butifso,theviewfromtheotherendofmychambersoffered,atleast,acontrast,ifnothingmore.Inthatdirectionmywindowscommandedanunobstructedviewofaloftybrickwall,blackbyageandeverlastingshade;

whichwallrequirednospy-glasstobringoutitslurkingbeauties,butforthebenefitofallnear-sightedspectators,waspusheduptowithintenfeetofmywindowpanes.Owingtothegreatheightofthesurroundingbuildings,andmychambersbeingonthesecondfloor,theintervalbetweenthiswallandminenotalittleresembledahugesquarecistern.

5

AttheperiodjustprecedingtheadventofBartleby,Ihadtwopersonsascopyistsinmyemployment,andapromisingladasanoffice-boy.First,Turkey;

second,Nippers;

third,GingerNut.Thesemayseemnames,thelikeofwhicharenotusuallyfoundintheDirectory.Intruththeywerenicknames,mutuallyconferreduponeachotherbymythreeclerks,andweredeemedexpressiveoftheirrespectivepersonsorcharacters.Turkeywasashort,pursyEnglishmanofaboutmyownage,thatis,somewherenotfarfromsixty.Inthemorning,onemightsay,hisfacewasofafinefloridhue,butaftertwelveo’clock,meridian—hisdinnerhour—itblazedlikeagratefullofChristmascoals;

andcontinuedblazing—but,asitwere,withagradualwane—till6o’clock,P.M.orthereabouts,afterwhichIsawnomoreoftheproprietoroftheface,whichgainingitsmeridianwiththesun,seemedtosetwithit,torise,culminate,anddeclinethefollowingday,withthelikeregularityandundiminishedglory.TherearemanysingularcoincidencesIhaveknowninthecourseofmylife,nottheleastamongwhichwasthefact,thatexactlywhenTurkeydisplayedhisfullestbeamsfromhisredandradiantcountenance,justthen,too,atthatcriticalmoment,beganthedailyperiodwhenIconsideredhisbusinesscapacitiesasseriouslydisturbedfortheremainderofthetwenty-fourhours.Notthathewasabsolutelyidle,oraversetobusinessthen;

farfromit.Thedifficultywas,hewasapttobealtogethertooenergetic.Therewasastrange,inflamed,flurried,flightyrecklessnessofactivityabouthim.Hewouldbeincautiousindippinghispenintohisinkstand.Allhisblotsuponmydocuments,weredroppedthereaftertwelveo’clock,meridian.Indeed,notonlywouldheberecklessandsadlygiventomakingblotsintheafternoon,butsomedayshewentfurther,andwasrathernoisy.Atsuchtimes,too,hisfaceflamedwithaugmentedblazonry,asifcannelcoalhadbeenheapedonanthracite.Hemadeanunpleasantracketwithhischair;

spilledhissand-box;

inmendinghispens,impatientlysplitthemalltopieces,andthrewthemonthefloorinasuddenpassion;

stoodupandleanedoverhistable,boxinghispapersaboutinamostindecorousmanner,verysadtobeholdinanelderlymanlikehim.Nevertheless,ashewasinmanywaysamostvaluablepersontome,andallthetimebeforetwelveo’clock,meridian,wasthequickest,steadiestcreaturetoo,accomplishingagreatdealofworkinastylenoteasytobematched—forthesereasons,Iwaswillingtooverlookhiseccentricities,thoughindeed,occasionally,Iremonstratedwithhim.Ididthisverygently,however,because,thoughthecivilest,nay,theblandestandmostreverentialofmeninthemorning,yetintheafternoonhewasdisposed,uponprovocation,tobeslightlyrashwithhistongue,infact,insolent.Now,valuinghismorningservicesasIdid,andresolvednottolosethem;

yet,atthesametimemadeuncomfortablebyhisinflamedwaysaftertwelveo’clock;

andbeingamanofpeace,unwillingbymyadmonitionstocallforthunseemlyretortsfromhim;

Itookuponme,oneSaturdaynoon（hewasalwaysworseonSaturdays）,tohinttohim,verykindly,thatperhapsnowthathewasgrowingold,itmightbewelltoabridgehislabors;

inshort,heneednotcometomychambersaftertwelveo’clock,but,dinnerover,hadbestgohometohislodgingsandresthimselftilltea-time.Butno;

heinsisteduponhisafternoondevotions.Hiscountenancebecameintolerablyfervid,asheoratoricallyassuredme—gesticulatingwithalongrulerattheotherendoftheroom—thatifhisservicesinthemorningwereuseful,howindispensible,then,intheafternoon?

6

“Withsubmission,sir,”saidTurkeyonthisoccasion,“Iconsidermyselfyourright-handman.InthemorningIbutmarshalanddeploymycolumns;

butintheafternoonIputmyselfattheirhead,andgallantlychargethefoe,thus!

”—andhemadeaviolentthrustwiththeruler.

7

“Buttheblots,Turkey,”intimatedI.

8

“True,—but,withsubmission,sir,beholdthesehairs!

Iamgettingold.Surely,sir,ablotortwoofawarmafternoonisnottobeseverelyurgedagainstgrayhairs.Oldage—evenifitblotthepage—ishonorable.Withsubmission,sir,webotharegettingold.”

9

Thisappealtomyfellow-feelingwashardlytoberesisted.Atallevents,Isawthatgohewouldnot.SoImadeupmymindtolethimstay,resolving,nevertheless,toseetoit,thatduringtheafternoonhehadtodowithmylessimportantpapers.

10

Nippers,thesecondonmylist,wasawhiskered,sallow,and,uponthewhole,ratherpiratical-lookingyoungmanofaboutfiveandtwenty.Ialwaysdeemedhimthevictimoftwoevilpowers—ambitionandindigestion.Theambitionwasevincedbyacertainimpatienceofthedutiesofamerecopyist,anunwarrantableusurpationofstrictlyprofessionalaffairs,suchastheoriginaldrawingupoflegaldocuments.Theindigestionseemedbetokenedinanoccasionalnervoustestinessandgrinningirritability,causingtheteethtoaudiblygrindtogetherovermistakescommittedincopying;

unnecessarymaledictions,hissed,ratherthanspoken,intheheatofbusiness;

andespeciallybyacontinualdiscontentwiththeheightofthetablewhereheworked.Thoughofaveryingeniousmechanicalturn,Nipperscouldnevergetthistabletosuithim.Heputchipsunderit,blocksofvarioussorts,bitsofpasteboard,andatlastwentsofarastoattemptanexquisiteadjustmentbyfinalpiecesoffoldedblotting-paper.But