the-libido-for-the-ugly-全文讲义

UnitSevenLibidofortheUgly--HenryLouisMencken(1880-1956)HenryLouisMencken(1880–1956)•anAmericanjournalist,essayist,magazineeditor,satirist,acerbiccriticofAmericanlifeandculture,andastudentofAmericanEnglish.KnownastheSageofBaltimore,heisregardedasoneofthemostinfluentialAmericanwritersandprosestylistsofthefirsthalfofthe20thcenturyMencken’squotation:Acynicisamanwho,whenhesmellsaflower,looksaroundforacoffin.Mencken'sCreed•Ibelievethatreligion,generallyspeaking,hasbeenacursetomankind-thatitsmodestandgreatlyoverestimatedservicesontheethicalsidehavebeenmorethanovercomebythedamageithasdonetoclearandhonestthinking.Ibelievethatnodiscoveryoffact,howevertrivial,canbewhollyuselesstotherace,andthatnotrumpetingoffalsehood,howevervirtuousinintent,canbeanythingbutvicious.•Ibelievethatallgovernmentisevil,inthatallgovernmentmustnecessarilymakewaruponliberty...Ibelievethattheevidenceforimmortalityisnobetterthantheevidenceofwitches,anddeservesnomorerespect.•Ibelieveinthecompletefreedomofthoughtandspeech...•Ibelieveinthecapacityofmantoconquerhisworld,andtofindoutwhatitismadeof,andhowitisrun.Ibelieveintherealityofprogress.I-Butthewholething,afterall,maybeputverysimply.Ibelievethatitisbettertotellthetruththantolie.Ibelievethatitisbettertobefreethantobeaslave.AndIbelievethatitisbettertoknowthanbeignorant.PennsylvaniaStateProfileStateUniqueNameTheKeystoneStateCapitalCityHarrisburgLocation40.27605N,076.88450WBirdRuffedGrouseBorderStatesDelaware-Maryland-NewJersey-NewYork-Ohio-WestVirginiaEconomyAgricultureFlowerTheMountainLaurelLargestCityPhiladelphiaLandArea44,892sq.mi.Population1,20,19,661StatehoodDecember12,1787TreeHemlockdescription•descriptionispaintingaverbalpictureofaperson,aplace,anobject,ascene,etc.inordertoenablehisreadertoperceivetherealityoftheoriginal,thewriterreproducesanimageandinvokesthatrealityessenciallybyspecificandconcretewordsthatappealtothereader'ssenseofsight,smell,sound,tasteandtouch.thetitle•thisisapieceofsubjective,impressionisticoremotionaldescription.•libido:conceptoriginatedbySigmundFreudtosignifytheinstinctualphysiologicalorpsychicenergyassociatedwithsexualurgesandwithallconstructivehumanactivity.Inthetext,itmeanspsychicenergygenerally;specifically,abasicformofpsychicenergy,comprisingthepositive,lovinginstinctsmanifestedvariouslyatdifferentstagesofpersonalitydevelopment.Drive,desire.欲望thetitle•thewriterusesthiswordtosuggestthattheloveandpassionforuglinessamongAmericansisakindofpathologicalproblemandthathisobservationshaveascientificfoundation.Dominantimpressionofugliness•Nouns:desolation,filth,grime,horror,ugliness,monstrousness,grotesqueries•Adjectives:hideous,bleak,forlorn,abominable,dirty,horrible,misshapen,shabby,uncomely,dingy,decomposing,shocking,loathsome,gloomy,God-forsaken,frightful,putrid,ghastly,unlovely,diabolical,dreadful,macabre,depressing•phrases:appallingdesolation,dreadfullyhideous,intolerablybleak,unbrokenandagonizingugliness,revoltingmonstrousness,incomparable•Images:leproushill,uremicyellow,eczematouspatches,malarioushamlets,oneblinksbeforeamanwithhisfaceshotaway,burythemselvesswinishly,likegravestonesinsomegiganticdecayingcemetery,colorofanegglongpastallhopeorcaring,thatofafatwomanwithablackeye,thatofaPresbyteriangrinning•Sentenceswithsarcasm,ridiculeandirony:wouldhavedisgracedaraceofalleycats,insultandlaceratetheeyetherewasnotasingledecenthouseinsight…therewasnotonethatwasnotshabbyIawardthischampionshipincomparableincolor,incomparableindesign,theParthenonwouldnotdoubtoffendthemStructureofthetextPartI(para1-5)Descriptionoftheugliness:coverage,design,color;conclusion-championshipInuglinessPartII(para6-9)Analysisofthesourceoftheugliness—thelibidofortheuglinessTheMainideaofeachparagraphPara1---Thewritercontraststhegreatwealthofthisregionwiththeabominablehumanhabitationsseeneverywhere.Para2---coverageoftheuglinessinthecounty.Para3---theuglinessofthehousedesignPara4---theuglinessofthecolorofthebricksPara5---evaluatestheuglinessofthisregionasthetoponeintheworld.Para6---triestotracethesourceoftheuglinessfromtheforeignersPara7---speculatesonasolutionforthepuzzle:libidofortheuglyPara8---evidencetoprovehimselfrightPara9---Thewriterfinallygivesananswer.para1•acontrastofthegreatwealthofthisregionwiththedominatablehumanhabitationsseeneverywhere.•uglinessisnotduetopovertybuttosth.innateintheAmericancharacter---aloveforuglinessforitsownsakeor,asthetitlesays,thelibidofortheugly.sentence1•onedayinwintersomeyearsago,IstartedoutfromPittsburghandtravelledthroughthecoalandsteeltownsofWestmorelandCountyinafastrailwaytrain.words•Pittsburgh:acityinSouthwestPennsylvania.ItisoneofthemostimportantindustrialcitiesofAmerica,andacenterofrailandrivertransportation.Termedthe“SteelCity”or“SmokyCity”,itisthecenterofrichbituminous[bɪˈtumənəs-coal(生煤)region,producingalsonaturalgas,oilandlimestone;alargepartofU.S.steelandironisproducedhere.•Westmorelandcounty:acountyinSouthwestPennsylvania.ItscountyseatisGreensburg.Itisaminingandmanufacturingregion.•roll:totravelinawheeledvehicle翻译•几年前的一个冬日，我乘坐宾夕法尼亚铁路公司的一班快车离开匹兹堡，向东行驶一小时