UnitTHE LIBRARY CARD课文翻译大学英语六.docx
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UnitTHE LIBRARY CARD课文翻译大学英语六.docx
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UnitTHELIBRARYCARD课文翻译大学英语六
Unit3THELIBRARYCARD
OnemorningIarrivedearlyatworkandwentintothebanklobbywheretheNegroporterwasmopping.IstoodatacounterandpickeduptheMemphisCommercialAppealandbeganmyfreereadingofthepress.IcamefinallytotheeditorialpageandsawanarticledealingwithoneH.L.Mencken.IknewbyhearsaythathewastheeditoroftheAmericanMercury,butasidefromthatIknewnothingabouthim.ThearticlewasafuriousdenunciationofMencken,concludingwithone,hot,shortsentence:
Menckenisafool.
IwonderedwhatonearththisMenckenhaddonetocalldownuponhimthescornoftheSouth.TheonlypeopleIhadeverheardenouncedintheSouthwereNegroes,andthismanwasnotaNegro.ThenwhatideasdidMenckenholdthatmadeanewspaperliketheCommercialAppealcastigatehimpublicly?
UndoubtedlyhemustbeadvocatingideasthattheSouthdidnotlike.
Now,howcouldIfindoutaboutthisMencken?
Therewasahugelibraryneartheriverfront,butIknewthatNegroeswerenotallowedtopatronizeitsshelvesanymorethantheyweretheparksandplaygroundsofthecity.Ihadgoneintothelibraryseveraltimestogetbooksforthewhitemenonthejob.Whichofthemwouldnowhelpmetogetbooks?
Iweighedthepersonalitiesofthemenonthejob.TherewasDon,aJew;butIdistrustedhim.HispositionwasnotmuchbetterthanmineandIknewthathewasuneasyandinsecure;hehadalwaystreatedmeinanoffhand,banteringwaythatbarelyconcealedhiscontempt.Iwasafraidtoaskhimtohelpmetogetbooks;hisfranticdesiretodemonstratearacialsolidaritywiththewhitesagainstNegroesmightmakehimbetrayme.
Thenhowabouttheboss?
No,hewasaBaptistandIhadthesuspicionthathewouldnotbequiteabletocomprehendwhyablackboywouldwanttoreadMencken.TherewereotherwhitemenonthejobwhoseattitudesshowedclearlythattheywereKluxersorsympathizers,andtheywereoutofthequestion.
Thereremainedonlyonemanwhoseattitudedidnotfitintoananti-Negrocategory,forIhadheardthewhitemenrefertohimas"Popelover".HewasanIrishCatholicandwashatedbythewhiteSoutherners.Iknewthathereadbooks,becauseIhadgothimvolumesfromthelibraryseveraltimes.Sincehe,too,wasanobjectofhatred,Ifeltthathemightrefusemebutwouldhardlybetrayme.Ihesitated,weighingandbalancingtheimponderablerealities.
OnemorningIpausedbeforetheCatholicfellow'sdesk.
"Iwanttoaskyouafavor,"Iwhisperedtohim.
"Whatisit?
"
"Iwanttoread.Ican'tgetbooksfromthelibrary.Iwonderifyou'dletmeuseyourcard?
"
Helookedatmesuspiciously.
"Mycardisfullmostofthetime,"hesaid.
"Isee,"Isaidandwaited,posingmyquestionsilently.
"You'renottryingtogetmeintotrouble,areyou,boy?
"heasked,staringatme.
"Oh,no,sir."
"Whatbookdoyouwant?
"
"AbookbyH.L.Mencken."
"Whichone?
"
"Idon'tknow.Hashewrittenmorethanone?
"
"Hehaswrittenseveral."
"Ididn'tknowthat."
"WhatmakesyouwanttoreadMencken?
"
"Oh,Ijustsawhisnameinthenewspaper,"Isaid.
"It'sgoodofyoutowanttoread,"hesaid."Butyououghttoreadtherightthings."
Isaidnothing.Wouldhewanttosupervisemyreading?
"Letmethink,"hesaid."I'llfigureoutsomething."
Iturnedfromhimandhecalledmeback.Hestaredatmequizzically.
"Richard,don'tmentionhistotheotherwhitemen,"hesaid.
"Iunderstand,"Isaid."Iwon'tsayaword."
Afewdayslaterhecalledmetohim.
"I'vegotacardinmywife'sname,"hesaid."Here'smine."
"Thankyou,sir."
"Doyouthinkyoucanmanageit?
"
"I'llmanagefine,"Isaid.
"Iftheysuspectyou,you'llgetintrouble,"hesaid.
"I'llwritethesamekindofnotestothelibrarythatyouwrotewhenyousentmeforbooks,"Itoldhim."I'llsignyourname."
Helaughed.
"Goahead.Letmeseewhatyouget,"hesaid.
ThatafternoonIaddressedmyselftoforginganote.Now,whatwerethenameofbookswrittenbyH.L.Mencken?
Ididnotknowanyofthem.IfinallywrotewhatIthoughtwouldbeafoolproofnote:
DearMadam:
Willyoupleaseletthisniggerboy--Iusedtheword"nigger"tomakethelibrarianfeelthatIcouldnotpossiblybetheauthorofthenote--havesomebooksbyH.L.Mecken?
Iforgedthewhiteman'sname.
IenteredthelibraryasIhadalwaysdonewhenonerrandsforwhites,butIfeltthatIwouldsomehowslipupandbetraymyself.Idoffedmyhat,stoodarespectfuldistancefromthedesk,lookedasunbookishaspossible,andwaitedforthewhitepatronstobetakencareof.Whenthedeskwasclearofpeople,Istillwaited.
Thewhitelibrarianlookedatme.
"Whatdoyouwant,boy?
"
AsthoughIdidnotpossessthepowerofspeech,Isteppedforwardandsimplyhandedhertheforgednote,notpartingmylips.
"WhatbooksbyMenckendoeshewant?
"Sheasked.
"Idon'tknow,ma'am,"Isaid,avoidinghereyes.
"Whogaveyouthiscard?
"
"Mr.Falk,"Isaid.
"Whereishe?
"
"He'satwork,atM--OpticalCompany,"Isaid."I'vebeeninhereforhimbefore."
"Iremember,"thewomansaid."Butheneverwrotenoteslikethis."
Oh,God,she'ssuspicious.Perhapsshewouldnotletmehavethebooks?
Ifshehadturnedherbackatthatmoment,Iwouldhaveduckedoutthedoorandnevergoneback.ThenIthoughtofaboldidea.
"Youcancallhimup,ma'am,"Isaid,myheartpounding.
"You'renotusingthesebooks,areyou?
"sheaskedpointedly.
"Oh,no,ma'am.Ican'tread."
"Idon'tknowwhathewantsbyMencken,"shesaidunderherbreath.
IknewnowthatIhadnon;shewasthinkingofotherthingsandtheracequestionhadgoneoutofhermind.Shewenttotheshelves.Onceortwiceshelookedoverhershoulderatme,asthoughshewasstilldoubtful.Finallyshecameforwardwithtwobooksinherhand.
"I'msendinghimtwobooks,"shesaid."ButtellMr.Falktocomeinnexttime,orsendmethenamesofthebookshewants.Idon'tknowwhathewantstoread."
Isaidnothing.Shestampedthecardandhandedmethebooks.Notdaringtoglanceatthem.Iwentoutofthelibrary,fearingthatthewomanwouldcallmebackforfurtherquestioning.AblockawayfromthelibraryIopenedoneofthebooksandreadatitle:
ABookofPrefaces.IwasnearingmynineteenthbirthdayandIdidnotknowhowtopronouncetheword"preface".Ithumbedthepagesandsawstrangewordsandstrangenames.Ishookmyhead,disappointed.Ilookedattheotherbook;itwascalledPrejudices,Iknewwhatthatwordmeant;Ihadhearditallmylife.AndrightoffIwasonguardagainstMencken'sbooks.WhywouldamanwanttocallabookPrejudices?
ThewordwassostainedwithallmymemoriesofracialhatethatIcoldnotconceiveofanybodyusingitforatitle.PerhapsIhadmadeamistakeaboutMencken?
Amanwhohadprejudicesmustbewrong.
WhenIshowedthebookstoMr.Falk,helookedatmeandfrowned.
"Thatlibrarianmighttelephoneyou,"Iwarnedhim.
"That'sallright,"hesaid."Butwhenyou'rethroughreadingthosebooks,Iwantyoutotellmewhatyougetoutofthem."
Thatnightinmyrentedroom,whilelettingthehotwaterrunovermycanofporkandbeansinthesink,IopenedABookofPrefaceandbegantoread.Iwasjarredandshockedbythestyle,theclear,clean,sweepingsentences.Whydidhewritelikethat?
Andhowdidonewritelikethat?
Ipicturedthemanasaragingdemon,slashingwithhispen,consumedwithhate,denouncingeverythingAmerican,extollingeverythingEuropeanorGerman,laughingattheweaknessesofpeople,mockingGod,authority.Whatwasthis?
Istoodup,tryingtorealizewhatrealitylaybehindthemeaningofthewords…Yes,thismanwasfighting,fightingwithwords.Hewasusingwordsasaweapon,usingthemasonewoulduseaclub.Couldwordsbeweapons?
Well,yes,fortheretheywere.Then,maybe,perhaps,Icouldusethemasaweapon?
No.Itfrightenedme.Ireadonandwhatamazedmewasnotwhathesaid,buthowonearthanybodyhadthecouragetosayit.
IranacrossmanywordswhosemeaningsIdidnotknow,andeitherlookedthemupinadictionaryor,beforeIhadachancetodothat,encounteredthewordinacontextthatmadeitsmeaningclear.Butwhatstrangeworldwasthis?
IconcludedthebookwiththeconvictionthatIhadsomehowoverlookedsomethingterriblyimportantinlife.Ihadoncetriedtowrite,hadoncereveledinfeeling,hadletmycrudeimaginationroam,buttheimpulsetodreamhadbeenslowlybeatenoutofmebyexperience.NowitsurgedupagainandIhungeredforbooks,newwaysoflookingandseeing.ItwasnotamatterofbelievingordisbelievingwhatIread,butoffeelingsomethingnew,ofbeingaffectedbysomethingthatmadethelookoftheworlddifferent.
Iforgetmorenotesandmytripstothelibrarybecamefrequent.Readinggrewintoapassion.MyfirstseriousnovelwasSinclairLewis'sMainStreet.Itmademeseemyboss,Mr.Gerald,andidentifyhimasanAmericantype.IwouldsmilewhenIsawhimlugginghisgolfbagsintotheoffice.Ihadalwaysfeltavastdistanceseparatingmefromtheboss,andnowIfeltclosertohim,thoughstilldistant.IfeltnowthatIknewhim,thatIcouldfeeltheverylimitsofhisnarrowlife.AndthishadhappenedbecauseIhadreadanovelaboutamythicalmancalledGeorgeF.Babbitt.
IreadDreiser'sJennieGerhardtandSisterCarrieandtheyrevivedinmeavividsenseofmymother'ssuffering;Iwasoverwhelmed.Igrewsilent,wonderingaboutthelifearoundme.ItwouldhavebeenimpossibleformetohavetoldanyonewhatIderivedfromthesenovels,foritwasnothinglessthanasenseoflifeitself.Allmylifehadshapedmefortherealism,thenatura
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