Unit-5-A-Friend-in-Need

UNIT5AFriendinNeedSomersetMauqhamW.SomersetMaugham•WilliamSomersetMaughamCH(25January1874–16December1965)wasaBritishplaywright,novelistandshortstorywriter.Hewasamongthemostpopularwritersofhiseraandreputedlythehighestpaidauthorduringthe1930s.•Afterlosingbothhisparentsbytheageof10,Maughamwasraisedbyapaternalunclewhowasemotionallycold.Notwantingtobecomealawyerlikeothermeninhisfamily,Maughameventuallytrainedandqualifiedasadoctor.•Thefirstrunofhisfirstnovel,LizaofLambeth(1897),soldoutsorapidlythatMaughamgaveupmedicinetowritefull-time.DuringtheFirstWorldWar,heservedwiththeRedCrossandintheambulancecorps,beforebeingrecruitedin1916intotheBritishSecretIntelligenceService,•forwhichheworkedinSwitzerlandandRussiabeforetheBolshevikRevolutionof1917.Duringandafterthewar,hetraveledinIndiaandSoutheastAsia;alloftheseexperienceswerereflectedinlatershortstoriesandnovels.Whydopeopletendtobeheartlessandcruel?Weretheybornthatwayordidcircumstancehardenthem?•Ans:Itiseasytobehard,easytobecoldtowardstoothers.Asthe•sayinggoes“Manisbasicallygood.”•Soinmyopinions,it’sthecircumstancehardenedthem.Dosomepeoplecaretoomuchforpeopleingeneralandforgettheneedsoftheirclosestfriends?•Ans:Yes,theyclaimtocareaboutlarge•causes,thepoorandunderprivileged,•atthesametimeastheyarereadyto•ignoretheneedsoftheirfriends.•Somepeopleseemeasytounderstand:•theircharacterappearsobviousonfirstmeeting.Appearances,however,canbedeceptive.Influence•In1947MaughaminstitutedtheSomersetMaughamAward,awardedtothebestBritishwriterorwritersundertheageofthirty-fiveforaworkoffictionpublishedinthepastyear.NotablewinnersincludeV.S.Naipaul,KingsleyAmis,MartinAmisandThomGunn.Onhisdeath,MaughamdonatedhisroyaltiestotheRoyalLiteraryFund.•Otherwritersacknowledgedhiswork.AnthonyBurgess,whoincludedacomplexfictionalportraitofMaughaminthenovelEarthlyPowers,praisedhisinfluence.IanFlemmingnotedthathewrotetheshortstoryQuantumofSolaceasanhomagetoMaugham'swritingstyle.•GeorgeOrwellsaidthatMaughamwasthemodernwriterwhohasinfluencedmethemost,whomIadmireimmenselyforhispoweroftellingastorystraightforwardlyandwithoutfrills.1.Thetextcanbedividedintothreeparts.Theparagraphnumbersofeachparthavebeengiventoyou.Nowwritedowntheirmainideas.PartsParagraphMainIdeasPartOnePara1PartTwoParas2--3PartThreeParas4--51Itisnoeasyjobtojudgepeople,fortheyaren’talwayswhattheyappeartobe.Kindandgentle,EdwardBurton,awealthymerchant,appearedasifhecouldnotbeartohurtafly.Asitturnedout,Burtonwascold--blooded,enoughtosendafriendtocertaindeath.2.Partthree,whichconstitutesthemainplot,canbesubdividedintothreesections.Theparagraphnumbersofeachsectionhavebeengiventoyou.Nowputdownwhateachsectionismainly.SectionsParagraphMainlyaboutSectionOneParas4--16SectionTwoParas17--31SectionThreeParas32--51WhatEdwardknewaboutLennyHowEdwardrespondedtoLenny’srequest.HowEdward,akindgentleman,handledafriendindesperateneedofhelp.1.ForthirtyyearsnowIhavebeenstudyingmyfellowmen.Idonotknowverymuchaboutthem.Ishrugmyshoulderswhenpeopletellmethattheirfirstimpressionsofapersonarealwaysright.Ithinktheymusthavesmallinsightorgreatvanity.FormyownpartIfindthatthelongerIknowpeoplethemoretheypuzzleme.至于……；对……来说e.g.Someyoungstudents,fortheirpart,canstayuplateplayingcomputergames•三十年来，我一直研究我的人类同胞，但至今了解不多。每当有人跟我说他对一个人的第一次印象向来不错的时候，我就耸耸肩。我想这种人不是无知，就是自大。拿我自己来说，我发现，认识一个人的时间越长，我就越感到困惑。2.ThesereflectionshaveoccurredtomebecauseIreadinthismorning'spaperthatEdwardHydeBurtonhaddiedatKobeHewasamerchantandhehadbeeninbusinessinJapanformanyyears.Iknewhimverylittle,butheinterestedmebecauseoncehegavemeagreatsurprise.UnlessIhadheardthestoryfromhisownlips,Ishouldneverhavebelievedthathewascapableofsuchanaction.Itwasmorestartlingbecausebothinappearanceandmannerhesuggestedaverydefinitetype.Hereifeverwasamanallofapiece.a.clear;thatcan’tbedoubted明确的，确切的•Hewasatinylittlefellow,notmuchmorethanfivefeetfourinheight,andveryslender,withwhitehair,aredfacemuchwrinkled,andblueeyes.IsupposehewasaboutsixtywhenIknewhim.Hewasalwaysneatlyandquietlydressedinaccordancewithhisageandstation.•我产生这些想法，是因为我在今天早上的报纸上看到爱德华·海德·伯顿在神户去世的消息。他是个商人，在日本经商多年。我跟他并不熟，但是对他挺有兴趣，因为有一次他让我大吃一惊。要不是听他亲口讲述这个故事，我根本不会相信他能做出这种事来。•这件事之所以特别令人惊讶，是因为无论是外表还是风度，他都让人想到一种非常明确的类型。要说真有表里如一的人的话，那就是此公了。他个子很小，身高不过5英尺4英寸，身材纤细，白头发、蓝眼睛，红红的脸上布满皱纹。我估计自己认识他时，他大约有60岁光景。他向来衣着整洁素雅，合乎他的年龄和身份。3.ThoughhisofficeswereinKobe,BurtonoftencamedowntoYokohama.Ihappenedononeoccasiontobespendingafewdaysthere,waitingforaship,andIwasintroducedtohimattheBritishClub.Weplayedbridgetogether.Heplayedagoodgameandagenerousone.Hedidnottalkverymuch,eitherthenorlaterwhenwewerehavingdrinks,butwhathesaidwassensible.Hehadaquiet,dryhumor.Heseemedtobepopularattheclubandafterwards,whenhehadgone,theydescribedhimasone无论在玩牌的时候，还是在后来一起喝酒的时候，他的话都不多，但说的话却都合情合理。他沉静幽默。ofthebest.IthappenedthatwewerebothstayingattheGrandHotelandnextdayheaskedmetodinewithhim.Imethiswife,fat,elderly,andsmiling,andhistwodaughters.Itwasevidentlyaunitedandaffectionatefamily.IthinkthechiefthingthatstruckmeaboutBurtonwashiskindliness.Therewassomethingverypleasinginhismildblueeyes.Hisvoicewasgentle;youcouldnotimaginethath