Unit 17 Catch.docx

Unit 17 Catch.docx

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Unit17Catch

Unit17Catch-22

ChiefWhiteHalfoat

作者简介

JosephHeller（1923-1999）isafamousJewishAmericanwriter,whogainedworldfamewithhissatirical,anti-warnovelCatch-22（1961）,setintheWWIIItaly.Helleriswidelyregardedasoneofthebestpost-WorldWarIIsatirists.AlthoughheisrememberedmostlyforCatch-22,hisotherworkscenteronthelivesofvariousmembersofthemiddleclassandremainexemplarsofmodernsatire.

JosephHellerwasborninConeyIslandinBrooklyn,NewYork,thesonofpoorJewishparentsfromRussia.In1942,atage19,hejoinedtheU.S.ArmyAirCorps.TwoyearslaterhewassenttoItalianCampaign（WorldWarII）,whereheflew60combatmissionsasaB-25bombardier.Afterthewar,HellerstudiedEnglishattheUniversityofSouthernCaliforniaandNYUontheG.I.Bill.In1949,hereceivedhisM.A.inEnglishfromColumbiaUniversity.Followinghisgraduation,hespentayearasaFulbrightscholaratSt.Catherine'sCollegeinOxfordUniversity.

Intheearly1950shestartedworkingonCatch-22（《第二十二条军规》）.Thenovelwentlargelyunnoticeduntil1962,whenitsEnglishpublicationreceivedcriticalpraise.Hellerwaited13yearsbeforepublishinghisnextnovel,SomethingHappened（1974）.（《出了毛病》）ItportrayedacorporationmanBobSlocum,whosuffersfrominsomniaandalmostsmellsthedisastermountingtowardhim.Heller'splay-within-a-play,WeBombedinNewHaven（1968）（《我们轰炸了纽黑文》）,waswritteninparttoexpresshisprotestagainsttheVietnamWar.Heller'slaterworksincludeGoodAsGold（1979）（《像高尔德一样好》）,wheretheprotagonistBruceGoldtriestoregaintheJewishnesshehaslost.GodKnows（1984）（《上帝知道》）wasamodernversionofthestoryofKingDavidandanallegoryofwhatitislikeforaJewtosurviveinahostileworld.NoLaughingMatter（1986）（《并非笑话》）,writtenwithSpeedVogel,wasasurprisinglycheerfulaccountofHeller'sexperienceasavictimofGuillain-Barrésyndrome.ClosingTime（1994）（《结束时分》）isasequeltoCatch-22,depictingthecurrentlivesofitsheroes.HislastworkNowandThen（1998）（《悠悠岁月》）isHeller'sautobiographicalwork,evocationofhisboyhoodhome,Brooklyn'sConeyIslandinthe1920sand30s.

作品评析及导读

约瑟夫·海勒（1923—1999）美国黑色幽默派及荒诞派代表作家。

　黑色幽默出现于六十年代，是当代美国文学中最重要的文学流派之一。

这一流派的作家突出描写人物周围世界的荒谬和社会对个人的压迫。

他们用放大镜和哈哈镜把这种荒谬和压迫加以放大、扭曲、变形，变得更加荒诞不经，滑稽可笑，更加反常无理，丑恶可憎，其中也寄托了他们无可奈何的悲观和痛苦心情。

因此有人把黑色幽默称之为“绞刑架下的幽默”或“大难临头时的幽默”。

海勒被誉为“黑色幽默”的巨星，是因为他的《第二十二条军规》开创了人们后来称之为“黑色幽默”文学流派的先河。

海勒的幽默、讽刺把荒诞与严肃、夸张与真实、闹剧与正经调和起来，以阴冷的、玩世不恭的幽默来嘲笑一切，表达对现实世界的不满和抗议，使人在震颤中去思索，在喜剧中去悲哀。

因此，他的第一部小说《第二十二条军规》一发表即刻轰动社会，尤其在美国青年学生中引起了强烈反响。

今天，“第二十二条军规”已成为美国人的口头禅，用以表达一种无法摆脱的困境或不可逾越的障碍。

《第二十二条军规》虽以第二次世界大战期间美国空军一个飞行大队为题材，但实际上并没有具体描述战争。

本书的要旨，正如作者自己说过的那样，“在《第二十二条军规》里，我也并不对战争感兴趣，我感兴趣的是官僚权力结构中的个人关系。

”所谓“第二十二条军规”，其实“并不存在，这一点可以肯定，但这也无济于事。

问题是每个人都认为它存在。

这就更加糟糕，因为这样就没有具体的对象和条文，可以任人对它嘲弄、驳斥、控告、批评、攻击、修正、憎恨、辱骂、唾弃、撕毁、践踏或者烧掉。

”1在他看来，战争也罢，官僚体制也罢，全是人在作祟，是人类本身的问题。

海勒的创作基点是人道主义，在本书中着重抨击的是“有组织的混乱”和“制度化了的疯狂”。

《第二十二条军规》中人物众多，但大多根据作者的意念突出其性格的某一侧面，甚至夸大到漫画式、动画式的程度，而有的则是象征性的。

主人公约塞连（Yossarian）是个被大人物们任意摆布的“小人物”，是个荒诞社会的受害者。

他曾愤慨地指出：

“只消看一看，我就看见人们拼命地捞钱。

我看不见天堂，看不见圣者，也看不见天使。

我只看见人们利用每一种正直的冲动，利用每一出人类的悲剧捞钱。

”2可是在这个疯狂的世界里，他由于正直、善良，反被人看成是疯子。

他深感对这样一个“世界”无能为力，逐渐意识到只能靠自己去选择一条求生之路，并最终逃往一个理想化了的和平国家——瑞典，完成了“英雄化”过程，成为一名“反英雄”。

本文选自小说的第五章。

主要叙述了一下事件：

一级准尉怀特.哈尔福特（ChiefWhiteHalfoat）和丹尼卡医生（DocDaneeka）的故事；约瑟连的又一次装疯卖傻，他们驾驶B-25轰炸机执行任务时的描写。

通过这些看似杂乱无章的叙述，作者对“第二十二条军规”进行了淋漓尽致的阐释：

“这其中只是一个圈套，那便是第二十二条军规。

军规规定，凡在面对迫在眉睫的、实实在在达的危险时，对自身的安危所表现出的关切，是大脑的理性活动过程。

奥尔是疯了，可以获准停止飞行。

他必须做的是，就是提出要求。

然而一旦他提出要求，他便不再是疯子，必须继续执行飞行任务。

假如他执行飞行任务，他便是疯子，但假如他就此停止飞行，那说明他神志完全正常，然而，要是他神志正常，那么他就必须去执行飞行任务。

假如他执行飞行任务，他便是疯子，所以就不必去飞行；但如果他不想去飞行，那么他就不是疯子，于是便不得不去。

第二十二条军规实这一条款，实在是再简洁不过。

”3极好地表现了美国病态的现实社会以及在这个社会中人们的精神状态。

作品选读

ChiefWhiteHalfoat

DocDaneekalivedinasplotched4graytentwithChiefWhiteHalfoat,whomhefearedanddespised.

'Icanjustpicture5hisliver,'DocDaneekagrumbled.

'Picturemyliver,'Yossarianadvisedhim.

'There'snothingwrongwithyourliver.'

'Thatshowshowmuchyoudon'tknow,'Yossarianbluffed，6andtoldDocDaneekaaboutthetroublesomepaininhisliverthathadtroubledNurseDuckettandNurseCramerandallthedoctorsinthehospitalbecauseitwouldn'tbecomejaundice7andwouldn'tgoaway.

DocDaneekawasn'tinterested.'Youthinkyou'vegottroubles?

'hewantedtoknow.'Whataboutme?

Youshould'vebeeninmyofficethedaythosenewlywedswalkedin.'

'Whatnewlyweds?

'

'Thosenewlywedsthatwalkedintomyofficeoneday.Didn'tIevertellyouaboutthem?

Shewaslovely.'SowasDocDaneeka'soffice.Hehaddecoratedhiswaitingroomwithgoldfishandoneofthefinestsuitesofcheapfurniture.8Whateverhecouldheboughtoncredit,9eventhegoldfish.Fortherest,heobtainedmoneyfromgreedyrelativesinexchangeforsharesoftheprofits.HisofficewasinStatenIslandinatwo-familyfiretrap10justfourblocksawayfromtheferrystopandonlyoneblocksouthofasupermarket,threebeautyparlors,11andtwocorruptdruggists.Itwasacornerlocation,butnothinghelped.Populationturnover12wassmall,andpeopleclungthroughhabittothesamephysicianstheyhadbeendoingbusinesswithforyears.Billspileduprapidly,andhewassoonfacedwiththelossofhismostpreciousmedicalinstruments:

hisaddingmachinewasrepossessed,13andthenhistypewriter.Thegoldfishdied.Fortunately,justwhenthingswereblackest,thewarbrokeout.

'Itwasagodsend,'14DocDaneekaconfessedsolemnly.'Mostoftheotherdoctorsweresoonintheservice,andthingspickedupovernight.Thecornerlocationreallystartedpayingoff,15andIsoonfoundmyselfhandlingmorepatientsthanIcouldhandlecompetently.Iuppedmykickback16feewiththosetwodrugstores.Thebeautyparlorsweregoodfortwo,threeabortionsaweek.Thingscouldn'thavebeenbetter,andthenlookwhathappened.Theyhadtosendaguyfromthedraftboardaroundtolookmeover.IwasFour-F.17IhadexaminedmyselfprettythoroughlyanddiscoveredthatIwasunfitformilitaryservice.You'dthinkmywordwouldbeenough,wouldn'tyou,sinceIwasadoctoringoodstandingwithmycountymedicalsocietyandwithmylocalBetterBusinessBureau.18Butno,itwasn't,andtheysentthisguyaroundjusttomakesureIreallydidhaveonelegamputated19atthehipandwashelplesslybedridden20withincurablerheumatoidarthritis.21Yossarian,weliveinanageofdistrustanddeterioratingspiritualvalues.It'saterriblething,'DocDaneekaprotestedinavoicequaveringwithstrongemotion.'It'saterriblethingwheneventhewordofalicensedphysicianissuspectedbythecountryheloves.'DocDaneekahadbeendraftedandshippedtoPianosaasaflightsurgeon,eventhoughhewasterrifiedofflying.

'Idon'thavetogolookingfortroubleinanairplane,'henoted,blinkinghisbeady,brown,offendedeyesmyopically.22'Itcomeslookingforme.23LikethatvirginI'mtellingyouaboutthatcouldn'thaveababy.'

'Whatvirgin?

'Yossarianasked.'Ithoughtyouweretellingmeaboutsomenewlyweds.'

'That'sthevirginI'mtellingyouabout.Theywerejustacoupleofyoungkids,andthey'dbeenmarried,oh,alittleoverayearwhentheycamewalkingintomyofficewithoutanappointment.Youshouldhaveseenher.Shewassosweetandyoungandpretty.SheevenblushedwhenIaskedaboutherperiods.24Idon'tthinkI'lleverstoplovingthatgirl.ShewasbuiltlikeadreamandworeachainaroundherneckwithamedalofSaintAnthonyhangingdowninsidethemostbeautifulbosomIneversaw."ItmustbeaterribletemptationforSaintAnthony,"Ijoked—justtoputheratease,youknow."SaintAnthony?

"herhusbandsaid."Who'sSaintAnthony?

""Askyourwife,"Itoldhim."ShecantellyouwhoSaintAnthonyis.""WhoisSaintAnthony?

"heaskedher."Who?

"shewantedtoknow."SaintAnthony,"hetoldher."SaintAnthony?

"shesaid."Who'sSaintAnthony?

"WhenIgotagoodlookatherinsidemyexaminationroomIfoundshewasstillavirgin.Ispoketoherhusbandalonewhileshewaspullinghergirdlebackonandhookingitontoherstockings."Everynight,"heboasted.Arealwiseguy,youknow."Inevermissanight,"heboasted.Hemeantit,too."Ievenbeenputtin'ittohermorningsbeforethebreakfastsshemakesmebeforewegotowork,"heboasted.Therewasonlyoneexplanation.WhenIhadthembothtogetheragainIgavethemademonstrationofintercoursewiththerubbermodelsI'vegotinmyoffice.I'vegottheserubbermodelsinmyofficewithallthereproductiveorgansofbothsexesthatIkeeplockedupinseparatecabinetstoavoidascandal.ImeanIusedtohavethem.Idon'thaveanythinganymore,notevenapractice.TheonlythingIhavenowisthislowtemperaturethatI'mreallystartingtoworryabout.ThosetwokidsI'vegotworkingformeinthemedicaltentaren'tworthadamnasdiagnosticians.Alltheyknowhowtodoiscomplain.Theythinkthey'vegottroubles?

Whataboutme?

TheyshouldhavebeeninmyofficethatdaywiththosetwonewlywedslookingatmeasthoughIweretellingthemsomethingnobody'deverheardofbefore.Youneversawanybodysointerested."Youmeanlikethis?

"heaskedme,andworkedthemodelsforhimselfawhile.Youknow,Icanseewhereacertaintypeofpersonmightgetabigkickoutofdoingjustthat."That'sit,"Itoldhim."Now,yougohomeandtryitmywayforafewmonthsandseewhathappens.Okay?

""Okay,"theysaid,andpaidmeincashwithoutanyargument."Haveagoodtime,"Itoldthem,andtheythankedmeandwalkedouttogether.Hehadhisarmaroundherwaistasthoughhecouldn'twaittogetherhomeandputittoheragain.Afewdayslaterhecamebackallbyhimselfandtoldmynursehehadtoseemerightaway.Assoonaswewerealone,hepunchedmeinthenose.'

'Hedidwhat?

'

'Hecalledmeawiseguyandpunched