高级英语第三版第一册Lesson-5-the-libido-for-the-ugly

Lesson5TheLibidofortheUglyHenryL.MenckenAdditionalbackgroundinformationTheauthor:HenryLouisMencken(1880--1956)Americaneducator,author,critic“ThebadboyfromBaltimore”,renownedforhistough,cynicalstyleandwit,editorofTheSmartSet（时髦者）andTheAmericanMercury（美国水星）.HenryLouisMencken(1880-1956)---thefirstAmericantobewidelyreadasacritic---themostprominentnewspaperman---bookreviewer---politicalcommentator---aprolificwriterofhisday.AbouttheauthorAbouttheauthor•Hewasaprolificwriterofhisday.•----hisproseisasclearasanazuresky-----hisrhetoricasdeadlyasarifleshotHenryLouisMencken(1880-1956)wasthefirstAmericantobewidelyreadasacritic.Though,earlier,JamesLowellandEdgarAllanPoehadbeenbetterendowedwithcriticalintelligence,theirproficiencyinotherliteraryformshadobscuredtosomedegreetheirskillsascritics.MenckenwasborninBaltimore,Md.,onSept.12,1880,andprivatelyeducatedthere.AftergraduationfromBaltimorePolytechnicinstituteattheageof16,hebecameareporterontheBaltimoreHerald.Heroserapidly;soonhewastheHerald’scityeditor.AbouttheauthorIn1906MenckenjoinedtheorganizationknownastheSunpapers,whichheservedinavarietyofwaysuntilhisretirement.Hisoutstandingpieceofjournalism,widelysyndicated,concernedtheScopestrialof1925inTennessee,inwhichahighschoolinstructorwasprosecutedforteachingevolution,contrarytothelaw.TheSmartSet（时髦者）andTheAmericanMercury（美国水星）,bothofwhichMenckensharedinediting,wereadditionalvehiclesforhisopinions.AbouttheauthorMencken’sjournalisticskillsbecamehischiefhandicapasacritic,forhesacrificeddiscriminationforimmediateattention,estheticandphilosophicaldistinctionsforthereductionsofeasyreading,andsubtletiesofstatementforbuffooneryandbombast.Yet,thoughonemaydeplorehismethods,theygainedawideaudienceandopenedthewayforthedevelopmentofcriticism,thoughhehimselfhasnodisciples.Mencken’sappreciationofthejuicyphraseinterestedhiminitsinformalaspects.BehindthisinterestwasadistrustofEnglishmen--aphilo-Teutonism–thatdeludedhimintoholdingthatAmericanspeechwastheuniqueproductofanewenvironment.BythetimeofhisdeathonJan.29,1956,inhisbelovedBaltimore,recognitionofhisservicetothelanguagewaseverywhereadmitted.Menken’sstyleMenckeniswell-knownforhisbombasticstyleandacidtongueandinthispiecehedoesn’tjustberateandreviletheuglinessofWestmoreland,heattacksthewholeAmericanrace---aracethatlovesuglinessforitsownsake,thatluststomaketheworldintolerable;aracewhichhatesbeautyasithatestruth.*hechoosesthestrongestwordspossible,wordsborderingontheabusive---dreadfullyhideousabominable,agonizingugliness,revoltingmonstrousness,leproushill,andsoonadnauseam.*heusesfiguresofspeechprofuselytocreatenauseatinganddreadfulimagestoreinforcehisverbalattack,suchashyperbole,sarcasm,ridiculeandirony.BombasticstyleandacidlanguageExaggerationHyperboleOverrhetoricalpompousLanguage----biting/sharpMencken’squotation:Acynicisamanwho,whenhesmellsaflower,looksaroundforacoffin.(Acynicisapersonwhobelievesthatallmenareselfish.Heseeslittleornogoodinanythingandshowsthisbymakingunkindandunfairremarksaboutpeopleandthings.)好冷嘲人生者，是個當他聞到花香之時就會四處找尋棺材的人。Mencken'sCreedIbelievethatreligion,generallyspeaking,hasbeenacursetomankind-thatitsmodestandgreatlyoverestimatedservicesontheethicalsidehavebeenmorethanovercomebythedamageithasdonetoclearandhonestthinking.Ibelievethatnodiscoveryoffact,howevertrivial,canbewhollyuselesstotherace,andthatnotrumpetingoffalsehood,howevervirtuousinintent,canbeanythingbutvicious.Ibelievethatallgovernmentisevil,inthatallgovernmentmustnecessarilymakewaruponliberty...Ibelievethattheevidenceforimmortalityisnobetterthantheevidenceofwitches,anddeservesnomorerespect.Ibelieveinthecompletefreedomofthoughtandspeech.Ibelieveinthecapacityofmantoconquerhisworld,andtofindoutwhatitismadeof,andhowitisrun.Ibelieveintherealityofprogress.Ibelievethatitisbettertotellthetruththantolie.Ibelievethatitisbettertobefreethantobeaslave.AndIbelievethatitisbettertoknowthanbeignorant.HejeeredatAmericansham,pretension,provincialism,andprudery,andheridiculedthenation’sorganizedreligion,businessandmiddleclass.IntroductiontothePassage•Emotionaldescription:TheLibidofortheUglyisapieceofsubjective,impressionisticoremotionaldescription.Descriptionconveysthesensations,emotionsandimpressionsthataffectawriterexperiencingaperson,place,objectoridea.Thewriterdescribeswhathesees,feelsortastes,anditoftenincludeshisemotionalreactionstothephysicalsensationsoftheexperience.Thedominantimpression.---ugliness---Inthisstrongimpressionisticorhighlyemotionalpieceofdescription,ugliness,asthedominantimpression,standsoutvividlyandprominently.sthedominantiDescriptionDescription------personperson------placeplace------objectobject------idea•Descriptionisorganizedusuallybyspaceorder.bye•------fromafixedpositiontomovingpositionmovingp------fromcloseuptodistance------fromgeneraltospecificfromgeneraltospecific------fromsubjectivetoobjectivefromsubjectivetoobjectiveTheLibidofortheUglyGeneralword?Meaning?WhydoesMenkenchoosetheterm?Hewantstodemonstratethatwhathedescribeshaspsychologicalandscientificfoundation.Usually,peoplelovethingsbe