Unit 9 Mirror of America 课后答案.docx
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Unit 9 Mirror of America 课后答案.docx
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Unit9MirrorofAmerica课后答案
MarkTwain---MirrorofAmericaNoelGrove
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MostAmericansrememberMarkTwainasthefatherofHuckFinn'sidylliccruisethrougheternalboyhoodandTomSawyer'sendlesssummeroffreedomandadventure.In-deed,thisnation'sbest-lovedauthorwaseverybitasad-venturous,patriotic,romantic,andhumorousasanyonehaseverimagined.IfoundanotherTwainaswell–onewhogrewcynical,bitter,saddenedbytheprofoundpersonaltragedieslifedealthim,amanwhobecameobsessedwiththefrailtiesofthehumanrace,whosawclearlyaheadablackwallofnight.
Trampprinter,riverpilot,Confederateguerrilla,prospector,starry-eyedoptimist,acid-tonguedcynic:
ThemanwhobecameMarkTwainwasbornSamuelLanghorneClemensandherangedacrossthenationformorethanathirdofhislife,digestingthenewAmericanexperiencebeforesharingitwiththeworldaswriterandlecturer.Headoptedhispennamefromthecryheardinhissteamboatdays,signalingtwofathoms(12feet)ofwater--anavigabledepth.Hispopularityisattestedbythefactthatmorethanascoreofhisbooksremaininprint,andtranslationsarestillreadaroundtheworld.
Thegeographiccore,inTwain'searlyyears,wasthegreatvalleyoftheMississippiRiver,mainarteryoftransportationintheyoungnation'sheart.Keelboats,flatboats,andlargeraftscarriedthefirstmajorcommerce.Lumber,corn,tobacco,wheat,andfursmoveddownstreamtothedeltacountry;sugar,molasses,cotton,andwhiskeytravelednorth.Inthe1850's,beforetheclimaxofwestwardexpansion,thevastbasindrainedthree-quartersofthesettledUnitedStates.
YoungMarkTwainenteredthatworldin1857asacubpilotonasteamboat.Thecastofcharacterssetbeforehiminhisnewprofessionwasrichandvariedacosmos.Heparticipatedabundantlyinthislife,listeningtopilothousetalkoffeuds,piracies,lynchings,medicineshows,andsavagewatersideslums.Allwouldresurfaceinhisbooks,togetherwiththecolorfullanguagethathesoakedupwithamemorythatseemedphonographic
Steamboatdecksteemednotonlywiththemaincurrentofpioneeringhumanity,butitsflotsamofhustlers,gamblers,andthugsaswell.FromthemallMarkTwaingainedakeenperceptionofthehumanrace,ofthedifferencebetweenwhatpeopleclaimtobeandwhattheyreallyare.Hisfourandahalfyearsinthesteamboattrademarkedtherealbeginningofhiseducation,andthemostlastingpartofit.InlaterlifeTwainacknowledgedthattheriverhadacquaintedhimwitheverypossibletypeofhumannature.Thoseacquaintanceshipsstrengthenedallhiswriting,butheneverwrotebetterthanwhenhewroteofthepeoplea-longthegreatstream.
Whenrailroadsbegandryingupthedemandforsteam-boatpilotsandtheCivilWarhaltedcommerce,MarkTwainlefttherivercountry.HetriedsoldieringfortwoweekswithamotleybandofConfederateguerrillaswhodiligentlyavoidedcontactwiththeenemy.Twainquitafterdeciding,"...Iknewmoreaboutretreatingthanthemanthatinventedretreating."
HewentwestbystagecoachandsuccumbedtotheepidemicofgoldandsilverfeverinNevada'sWashoeregion.Foreightmonthsheflirtedwiththecolossalwealthavailabletotheluckyandthepersistent,andwasrebuffed.Brokeanddiscouraged,heacceptedajobasreporterwiththeVirginiaCityTerritorialEnterprise,toliterature'senduringgratitude.
Fromthediscouragementofhisminingfailures,MarkTwainbegandigginghiswaytoregionalfameasanewspaperreporterandhumorist.Theinstantrichesofaminingstrikewouldnotbehisinthereportingtrade,butformakingmoney,hispenwouldprovemightierthanhispickax.Inthespringof1864,lessthantwoyearsafterjoiningtheTerritorialEnterprise,heboardedthestagecoachforSanFrancisco,thenandnowahotbedofhopefulyoungwriters.
MarkTwainhonedandexperimentedwithhisnewwritingmuscles,buthehadtoleavethecityforawhilebecauseofsomescathingcolumnshewrote.Attacksonthecitygovernment,concerningsuchissuesasmistreatmentofChinese,soangeredofficialsthathefledtothegoldfieldsintheSacramentoValley.Hisdescriptionsoftherough-countrysettlersthereringfamiliarlyinmodernworldaccustomedtotrendsettingontheWestCoast."Itwasasplendidpopulation–foralltheslow,sleepy,sluggish-brainedslothsstayedathome...ItwasthatpopulationthatgavetoCaliforniaanameforgettingupastoundingenterprisesandrushingthemthroughwithamagnificentdashanddaringandarecklessnessofcostorconsequences,whichshebearsuntothisday–andwhensheprojectsanewsurprise,thegraveworldsmilesasusual,andsays'Well,thatisCaliforniaallover.'"
Inthedrearywinterof1864-65inAngelsCamp,hekeptanotebook.Scatteredamongnotationsabouttheweatherandthetediousmining-campmealsliesanentrynotingastoryhehadheardthatday–anentrythatwoulddeterminehiscourseforever:
"Colemanwithhisjumpingfrog–betstranger$50–strangerhadnofrog,andC.gothimone–inthemeantimestrangerfilledC.'sfrogfullofshotandhecouldn'tjump.Thestranger'sfrogwon."Retoldwithhisdescriptivegenius,thestorywasprintedinnewspapersacrosstheUnitedStatesandbecameknownas"TheCelebratedJumpingFrogofCalaverasCounty."MarkTwain'snationalreputationwasnowwellestablishedas"thewildhumoristofthePacificslope."
TwoyearslatertheopportunitycameforhimtotakeadistinctlyAmericanlookattheOldWorld.InNewYorkCitythesteamshipQuakerCitypreparedtosailonapleasurecruisetoEuropeandtheHolyLand.Forthefirsttime,asizablegroupofUnitedStatescitizensplannedtojourneyastourists--amilestone,ofsorts,inacountry'sdevelopment.Twainwasassignedtoaccompanythem,ascorrespondent工foraCalifornianewspaper.Ifreadersexpectedtheusualglowingtravelogue,theyweresorelysurprised.
UnimpressedbytheSultanofTurkey,forexample,hereported,“...onecouldsetatrapanywhereandcatchadozenablermeninanight.”Casuallyhedebunkedreveredartistsandarttreasures,andtookunholyverbalshotsattheHolyLand.Backhome,morenewspapersbeganprintinghisarticles.Americalaughedwithhim.UponhisreturntotheStatesthebookversionofhistravels,TheInnocentsAbroad,becameaninstantbest-seller.
Attheageof36TwainsettledinHartford,Connecticut.Hisbestbookswerepublishedwhilehelivedthere.
Asearlyas1870TwainhadexperimentedwithastoryabouttheboyhoodadventuresofaladhenamedBillyRogers.Twoyearslater,hechangedthenametoTom,andbeganshapinghisadventuresintoastageplay.Notuntil1874didthestorybegindevelopinginearnest.Afterpublicationin1876,TomSawyerquicklybecameaclassictaleofAmericanboyhood.Tom'smischievousdaring,ingenuity,andthesweetinnocenceofhisaffectionforBeckyThatcherarealmostassuretobestudiedinAmericanschoolsto-dayasistheDeclarationofIndependence.
MarkTwain'sowndeclarationofindependencecamefromanothercharacter.SixchaptersintoTomSawyer,hedragsin"thejuvenilepariahofthevillage,HuckleberryFinn,sonofthetowndrunkard."FleeingarespectablelifewiththepuritanicalWidowDouglas,Huckproteststohisfriend,TomSawyer:
"I'vetriedit,anditdon'twork;itdon'twork,Tom.Itain'tforme...Thewiddereatsbyabell;shegoestobedbyabell;shegitsupbyabell–everything'ssoawfulreg'larabodycan'tstandit."
NineyearsafterTomSawyersweptthenation,Huckwasgivenalifeofhisown,inabookoftenconsideredthebesteverwrittenaboutAmericans.HisraftflightdowntheMississippiwitharunawayslavepresentsamovingpanoramaforexplorationofAmericansociety.
Ontheriver,andespeciallywithHuckFinn,Twainfoundtheultimateexpressionofescapefromthepacehelivedbyandoftendeplored,fromlife'sregularitiesandtheenergy-sappingclamorforsuccess.
MarkTwainsuggestedthataningredientwasmissingintheAmericanambitionwhenhesaid:
"Whatarobustpeople,whatanationofthinkerswemightbe,ifwewouldonlylayourselvesontheshelfoccasionallyandrenewouredges."
Personaltragedyhauntedhisentirelife,inthedeathsoflovedones:
hisfather,dyingofpneumoniawhenSamwas12;hisbrotherHenry,killedbyasteamboatexplosion;thedeathofhisson,Langdon,at19months.Hiseldestdaughter,Susy,diedofspinalmeningitis,Mrs.ClemenssuccumbedtoaheartattackinFlorence,andyoungestdaughter.,Jean,anepileptic,drownedinanupstairsbathtub.
Bitternessfedonthemanwhohadmadetheworldlaugh.Themoralizingofhisearlierwritinghadbeenwellpaddedwithhumor.Nowtheglovescameoffwithbitingsatire.HepretendedtopraisetheU.S.militaryforthemassacreof600PhilippineMorosinthebowlofavolcanic,crater.InTheMysteriousStranger,heinsistedthatmandrophisreligiousillusionsanddependuponhimself,notProvidence,tomakeabetterworld.
Thelastofhisownillusionsseemedtohavecrumbledneartheend.Dictatinghisautobiographylateinlife,hecommentedwithacrushingsenseofdespaironmen'sfinalreleasefromearthlystruggles:
"...theyvanishfromaworldwheretheywereofnoconsequence;wheretheyachievednothing;wheretheywereamistakeandafailureandafoolishness;wheretheyhaveleftnosignthattheyhadexisted–aworldwhichwilllamentthemadayandfor-getthemforever.”
(fromNationalGeographic,Sept.,1975)
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