美丽新世界英文书评

ABookReviewOnBraveNewWorldWhenreadingtheintroductorypassageaboutthisbookbeforestartingitformally,theyearof1932attractsmyattention.Asweallknow,therewassomuchturmoilinEuropeintheyearof1931,severesocialproblem,suchasdepressingeconomy,highunemploymentrate,theunrestofgovernment,madethewholeEuropeahorribleplace.Insuchacircumstance,itwasspontaneousforpeopletodreamforabetterworldandjustjudgingfromthenameit’squiteeasytoconsiderthebookasapictureofanidealworld.However,asitisBraveNewWorldissubstantiallynotabraveworld,butaevenmorehorribleworld.Inthatworld,materialcivilizationisinhighlevelandeverythingisautomated.Noonewouldeverworryaboutwhattoeatandwear;everyoneisenjoyingthemostcomfortablelife.Seemedlikeawonderfulworld,itstrueappearancecanbethrilling.Inthatworld,Economicprosperityandpersonalenjoywillbecometheonlyphilosophyidea,inthemeantime,theonlyreligionofthewholesociety.Oneofthebiggestcharacteristicsofthatnewworldisunstablefactorsrangingfrominternationalwarfaretopersonalillnessthatmayinfluencethematerialproductionarealldestroyed.Forinstance,soma,akindofdrugjustliketoday’snarcoticdrugs,isusedwidely.Hereareseveralsentencesfromthebookaboutsoma.Glum,Marx,glum.Whatyouneedisagrammeofsoma.”AlltheadvantagesofChristianityandalcohol;noneoftheirdefects.Onecubiccentimetrecurestengloomysentiments.(fromChapter3)It’sclearthatpeople’semotioniscontrolledbydrugs;almosteverythingiscontrolledbydrugs.Neverregarditasagoodthing.Onthecontrary,it’sterrifying,itmeanspeoplelosttheirfeelingsandhavenoindependentpersonality.Tosomeextent,itjustliketurnhumanbeingsintomachines.Anothertraitoftheworldismanisproducedratherthanbeborn.InaspecificplacenamedHumanIncubationCenter,followingaspecificprocedurecalledBokanovsky'sProcess,humansareproducedbyeggsandsperm.Asaresult,aman’sfateisactuallydeterminedbeforeheis“born”bywhatconditionstheoperatorsprovide.Confrontedsuchacrazyworld,inspiteofmanyadvantagesithave,everyone’schoiceislikelytobethesamewiththeSavage(Heresavagesmeanspeoplecomesfromplacesexceptthebravenewworld)inthebook:“ButIdon'twantcomfort.IwantGod,Iwantpoetry,Iwantrealdanger,Iwantfreedom,Iwantgoodness.Iwantsin.”“Infact,”saidMustaphaMond,“you'reclaimingtherighttobeunhappy.”“Allrightthen,”saidtheSavagedefiantly,“I'mclaimingthenghttobeunhappy.”“Nottomentiontherighttogrowoldanduglyandimpotent;therighttohavesyphilisandcancer;therighttohavetoolittletoeat;therighttobelousy;therighttoliveinconstantapprehensionofwhatmayhappento-morrow;therighttocatchtyphoid;therighttobetorturedbyunspeakablepainsofeverykind.”Therewasalongsilence.“Iclaimthemall,”saidtheSavageatlast.However,tomydisappointment,thesavagefinallykilledhimselfinordertopurifyhimself.Beforehedied,hesaid”Iatecivilization.Itpoisonedme;Iwasdefiled.AndthenIatemyownwickedness.”Youmayconsidernothinginthebookmakesrealsenseasthewholebookisjusttheauthor’sfancy.Nevertheless,yesterday’simaginationislikelytobecometherealityoftomorrow;thatistosayBraveNewWorldisabookforeseeingfuture.Withitsuniquesignificanceofenlightenment,thebookisboundtobetakenseriouslyespeciallytodaywhenmoderncivilization,botheconomyandtechnology,isdevelopinginanamazingrate.Intheprocessofdevelopment,it’sneverloseourhumannatureandinstinctthatshouldbebaredineveryone’smind.Onlyinthiswaycanwehumancreatearealbravenewworld.