大学英语6 第6课Word格式.docx
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大学英语6 第6课Word格式.docx
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THEMONSTER
DeemsTaylor
Hewasanundersizedlittleman,withaheadtoobigforhisbody--asicklylittleman.Hisnerveswerehad.Hehadskintrouble.Itwasagonyforhimtowearanythingnexttohisskincoarserthansilk.Andhehadseclusionsofgrandeur.
Hewasamonsterofconceit.Neverforoneminutedidhelookattheworldoratpeople,exceptinrelationtohimself.Hewasnotonlythemostimportantpersonintheworld,tohimself;
inhisowneyeshewastheonlypersonwhoexisted.Hebelievedhimselftobeoneofthegreatestdramatistsintheworld,oneofthegreatestthinkers,andoneofthegreatestcomposers.Tohearhimtalk,hewasShakespeare,andBeethoven,andPlato,rolledintoone.Andyouwouldhavehadnodifficultyinhearinghimtalk.Hewasoneofthemostexhaustingconversationaliststhateverlived.Aneveningwithhimwasaneveningspentinlisteningtoamonologue.Sometimeshewasbrilliant;
sometimeshewasmaddeninglytiresome.Butwhetherhewasbeingbrilliantordull,hehadonesoletopicofconversation:
himself.Whathethoughtandwhathedid.
Hehadamaniaforbeingintheright.Theslightesthintofdisagreement,fromanyone,onthemosttrivialpoint,wasenoughtosethimoffonaharanguethatmightlastforhouse,inwhichheprovedhimselfrightinsomanyways,andwithsuchexhaustingvolubility,thatintheendhishearer,stunnedanddeafened,wouldagreewithhim,forthesakeofpeace.
Itneveroccurredtohimthatheandhisdoingwerenotofthemostintenseandfascinatinginteresttoanyonewithwhomhecameincontact.Hehadtheoriesaboutalmostanysubjectunderthesun,includingvegetarianism,thedrama,politics,andmusic;
andinsupportofthesetheorieshewrotepamphlets,letters,books…thousandsuponthousandsofwords,hundredsandhundredsofpages.Henotonlywrotethesethings,andpublishedthem--usuallyatsomebodyelse'
sexpense--buthewouldsitandreadthemaloud,forhours,tohisfriendsandhisfamily.
Hewroteoperas,andnosoonerdidhehavethesynopsisofastory,buthewouldinvite--orrathersummon--acrowedofhisfriendstohishouse,andreaditaloudtothem.Notforcriticism.Forapplause.Whenthecompletepoemwaswritten,thefriendshadtocomeagain,andhearthatreadaloud.Thenhewouldpublishthepoem,sometimesyearsbeforethemusicthatwentwithitwaswritten.Heplayedthepianolikeacomposer,intheworstsenseofwhatthatimplies,andhewouldsitdownatthepianobeforepartiesthatincludedsomeofthefinestpianistsofhistime,andplayforthem,bythehour,hisownmusic,needlesstosay.Hehadacomposer'
svoice.Andhewouldinviteeminentvocaliststohishouseandsingthemhisoperas,takingalltheparts.
Hehadtheemotionalstabilityofasix-year-oldchild.Whenhefeltoutofsorts,hewouldraveandstamp,orsinkintosuicidalgloomandtalkdarklyofgoingtotheEasttoendhisdaysasaBuddhistwonk.Tenminuteslater,whensomethingpleasedhim,hewouldrushoutofdoorsandrunaroundthegarden,orjumpupanddownonthesofa,orstandonhishead.Hecouldbegrief-strickenoverthedeathofapetdog,andhecouldbecallousandheartlesstoadegreethatwouldhavemadeaRomanemperorshudder.
Hewasalmostinnocentofanysenseofresponsibility.Notonlydidheseemincapableofsupportinghimself,butitneveroccurredtohimthathewasunderayobligationtodoso.Hewasconvincedthattheworldowedhimaliving.Insupportofthisbelief,heborrowedmoneyfromeverybodywhowasgoodforaloan--men,women,friends,orstrangers.Hewrotebegginglettersbythescore,sometimesgrovelingwithoutshame,atotherloftilyofferinghisintendedbenefactortheprivilegeofcontributingtohissupport,andbeingmortallyoffendediftherecipientdeclinedthehonor.Ihavefoundnorecordofhiseverpayingorrepayingmoneytoanyonewhodidnothavealegalclaimuponit.
WhatmoneyhecouldlayhishandsonhespentlikeanIndianrajah.Themereprospectofaperformanceofoneofhisoperaswasenoughtosethimtorunningupbillsamountingtotentimestheamountofhisprospectiveroyalties.Noonewilleverknow--certainlyheneverknew--howmuchmoneyheowed.Wedoknowthathisgreatestbenefactorgavehim$6,000topaythemostpressingofhisdebtsinonecity,andayearlaterhadtogivehim$16,000toenablehimtoliveinanothercitywithoutbeingthrownintojailfordebt.
Hewasequallyunscrupulousinotherways.Anendlessprocessionofwomenmarchedthroughhislife.Hisfirstwifespenttwentyyearsenduringandforgivinghisinfidelities.Hissecondwifehadbeenthewifeofhismostdevotedfriendandadmirer,fromwhomhestoleher.Andevenwhilehewastryingtopersuadehertoleaveherfirsthusbandhewaswritingtoafriendtoinquirewhetherhecouldsuggestsomewealthywoman--anywealthywoman--whomhecouldmarryforhermoney.
Hewascompletelyselfishinhisotherpersonalrelationships.Hislikingforhisfriendswasmeasuredsolelybythecompletenessoftheirdevotiontohim,orbytheirusefulnesstohim,whetherfinancialorartistic.Theminutetheyfailedhim--evenbysomuchasrefusingdinnerinvitation--orbegantolesseninusefulness,hecastthemoffwithoutasecondthought.Attheendofhislifehehadexactlyonefriendleftwhomhehadknowneveninmiddleage.
ThenameofthismonsterwasRichardWagner.EverythingthatIhavesaidabouthimyoucanfindonrecord--innewspapers,inpolicereports,inthetestimonyofpeoplewhoknewhim,inhisownletters,betweenthelinesofhisautobiography.Andthecuriousthingaboutthisrecordisthatitdoesn'
tmatterintheleast.
Becausethisundersized,sickly,disagreeable,fascinatinglittlemanwasrightallthetime.Thejokewasonus.Hewasoneoftheworld'
sgreatestdramatists;
hewasagreatthinker;
hewasoneofthemoststupendousmusicalgeniusesthat,uptonow,theworldhaseverseen.Theworlddidowehimaliving.
Whenyouconsiderwhathewrote--thirteenoperasandmusicdramas,elevenofthemstillholdingthestage,eightofthemunquestionablyworthrankingamongtheworld'
sgreatmusico-dramaticmasterpieces--whenyoulistentowhathewrote,thedebtsandheartachesthatpeoplehadtoendurefromhimdon'
tseemmuchofaprice.Thinkoftheluxurywithwhichforatime,atleast,faterewardedNapoleon,themanwhoruinedFranceandlootedEurope;
andthenperhapsyouwillagreethatafewthousanddollars'
worthofdebtswerenottooheavyapricetopayfortheRingtrilogy.
Whatifhewasfaithlesstohisfriendsandtohiswives?
Hehadonemistresstowhomhewasfaithfultothedayofhisdeath:
Music.Notforasinglemomentdidheevercompromisewithwhathebelieved,withwhatbedreamed.Thereisnotalineofhismusicthatcouldhavebeenconceivedbyalittlemind.Evenwhenheisdull,ordownrightbad,heisdullinthegrandmanner.Thereisgreatnessabouthisworstmistakes.Listeningtohismusic,onedoesnotforgivehimforwhathemayormaynothavebeen.Itisnotamatterofforgiveness.Itisamatterofbeingdumbwithwonderthathispoorbrainandbodydidn'
tburstunderthetormentofthedemonofcreativeenergythatlivedinsidehim,struggling,clawing,scratchingtobereleased;
tearing,shriekingathimtowritethemusicthatwasinhim.Themiracleisthatwhathedidinthelittlespaceofseventyyearscouldhavebeendoneatall,evenbyagreatgenius.Isitanywonderthathehadnotimetobeaman?
NewWords
monster
n.apersontoowickedtobeconsideredhuman;
ananimalorplantthatisveryunlikethoseusuallyfoundinnature
undersized
a.smallerthanusual;
toosmall
sickly
a.weak,unhealthyandoftenill
agony
n.verygreatpainorsufferingofmindorbody
coarse
a.notfineorsmooth;
rough
delusion
n.afalsebelief
grandeur
n.greatness,nobility
delusionofgrandeur
夸大妄想
dramatist
n.awriterofplays,esp.seriousones;
playwright
composer
n.onewhowritesmusicalworks
composevt.
conversationalist
n.apersonwhoenjoysandisskilledatconversation
monologue
n.alongspeechbyoneperson;
aspokenpartinaplayorfilmforasingleperson独白
maddeningly
ad.annoyingly
tiresome
a.irritatingorboring
mania
n.adesiresostrongthanitseemsmad;
anunusualorunreasonablefondness狂热;
癖好
hint
n.astatementoractionthatgivesasmallorindirectsuggestion
trivial
a.oflittleornoimportance
harangue
n.along,loudspeech,esp.onewhichblamesthoselisteningtoit
volubility
n.fondnessfortalking;
talkativeness
deafen
vt.makedeaf,esp.forashorttime;
stunwithnoise
vegetarianism
n.thepracticeorprincipleofeatingonlyvegetablefoodsandrefrainingfromeatingmeat,fishorotheranimalproducts
pamphlet
n.asmallbookwithpapercoverswhichdealsusu.withsomematterofpublicinterest;
booklet小册子
expense
n.costinmoney,time,oreffort
opera
n.amusicalplay
summon
vt.order(sb.)tocome
applause
n.loudpraiseforaperformerorperformance,esp.bystrikingthehandstogether
needless
a.unnecessary
eminent
a.(ofpeople)famousandadmired
vocalist
n.singer
vocal
a.ofthevoice
rave
vi.
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