The-Luncheon评论

TheLuncheonMaughamisafamousmodernnovelistofBritain.Hisshortstory,TheLuncheon,vividlydescribesayoungwriterhavinglunchwithalady.Ithappened20yearsagowhenhewaslivinginParisasayoungwriter.TheladywhomhehadknownthroughcorrespondenceaskedhiminletterifhecouldgiveheralittleluncheonatFoyot’s--anexpensiverestaurantwhenshewaspassingthroughParis.Herletterflatteredwriterthoughhewasquitepoorthen,heansweredthathewouldmeetherattherestaurant.Whenthemenuwasbroughttohim,hewasgreatlystartledtofindthatthepricesweremuchhigherthanhehadanticipated.Buthisfriendsethismindatrestbysayingthatsheneveratemuchforlunch.Repeatedlysayingthat,sheateoneexpensivedishafteranother.Thelunchhadcostwriterallthemoneyandlefthimpennilessforthewholemonth.Buthehadmyrevengeatlast.Whenhemetherrecentlyatatheatre,hefoundthatwomanhadbecomemuchtoofat.InTheLuncheon,Maughamshowshisfluentandelegantwritingstyle,Byhiswriting,wecanseeamiddle-agedwomanofhypocrisyandgreed,astupidyoungwriter,andaseasonedwaiterinthestory.Thereisanexampleaboutenvironmentdescription.”IliveintheLatinQuarteroverlookingacemetery”showedwriterbarelyenoughtokeepbodyandsoultogether.“Shegavemetheimpressionofhavingmoreteeth,whiteandlargeandeven,thanwerenecessaryforanypracticalpurpose,andsheistalkative.”Inthissentence,ontheonehand,gaveusasenseofhumor,ontheotherhand,herbig,eventeethsetthestageforhertalkative.“ThepricewereagreatdealhigherthanIhadanticipated”,“Myheartsankalittle”，“Justwater”,“Panicseizedme”,“Iwaspastcaringnow”.Thesesentencesdescribedvividlywriter’spsychologicalchangesintheprocessoflunch.“Inevereatanythingforluncheon;Inevereatmorethanonething.”,“Inevereatmorethanonething.Unlessyouhavealittlecaviare(鱼子酱)”,“Ineverdrinkanythingforluncheon.Exceptwhitewine,theseFrenchwhitewinesaresolight.They’rewonderfulforthedigestion.”“Icouldn’tpossiblyeatanythingmoreunlesstheyhadsomeofthosegiantasparagus(莴苣).”Fromthesesentences,wecanknowhowgreedythiswoman.shetoldwriterthatshewouldeatonlyatrifleforlunch.Butasshechattedaway,shesoonappearedtooverlookhersmallappetiteandkeptonorderingmorefood.Andsheseemedtobeinclinedtoorderthemostexpensivefoodanddrink.Thisisthedescriptionaboutservant“Ahappysmilespreadoverhisbroad,priest-likeface,andheassuredthattheyhadsomesolarge,sosplendid,sotender,thatitwasamarvel.”Inthesurface,theservantwaskindandprovidedgoodservice,infact,hejustwantedtoletthewomanordermoreexpensivedishes.Thisarticleusedmanyfiguresofspeech.Thisistheexampleofcontrast.“Sheatethecaviareandsheatethesalmon.Shetalkedgailyofartandliteratureandmusic.ButIwonderedhowmuchthebillwouldcometo.”Notonlyreflectedgreedyofwoman,butalsoembodiedcomplexinnerofwriter.Nextsentenceusedtheparallelism.“sheatethecaviareandsheatethesalmon.…shetalkedgailyofartandliteratureandmusic.heassuredthattheyhadsomesolarge,sosplendid,sotender,thatitwasamarvel.”Thissentenceappliedtopersonification.“Theyhadtheblushofaninnocentgirl;theyhadthetoneofanItalianlandscape.”Itdescribepeachsovivid.It’sahumorousandsatiricstory,wecananalyzethestoryofMaughamfromdifferentpointofview.