美国名人 伊迪丝·华顿.docx

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1、美国名人伊迪丝华顿EdithWhartonplaystopmutemaxvolume00:00-14:46repeatByRichardThoman2004-4-24(THEME)VOICEONE:mPhoebeZimmermann.VOICETWO:AndmDougJohnsonwiththeVOASpecialEnglishprogram,PeopleinAmerica.EveryweekwetellaboutapersonwhowasimportantinthehistoryoftheUnitedStates.Today,wetellaboutwriterEdithWharton.(TH

2、EME)VOICEONE:AcriticoncedescribedAmericanwriterEdithWhartonasaself-mademan.Shelikedthecommentandrepeatedit.OtherssaidshewasaproductofNewYorkCity.ButtheNewYorkshewroteaboutwasdifferentfromtheNewYorkofthosewhocameafterher.EdithWhartonwasborninNewYorkCityinEighteen-Sixty-Two.NewYorkthenwasseveraldiffer

3、entcities.OneNewYorkwasmadeupofpeoplewhoworkedforaliving.Theotherwasmuchsmaller.Itwasmadeupoffamilieswhoweresorichtheydidnotneedtowork.EdithwasbornintothewealthyNewYork.ButtherewasarightwealthyNewYorkandawrongwealthyNewYork.Amongtherichtherewerethosewhohadbeengivenmoneybyparentsorgrandparents.Thenth

4、erewerethosewhoearnedtheirownmoney,thenewlyrich.EdithsfamilywasfromtherightNewYorkers,peoplewhohadoldmoney.Itwasagroupthatdidnotwantitswayoflivingchanged.Italsowasagroupwithoutmanyideasofitsown.ItwasfromthisgroupthatEdithWhartoncreatedherself.VOICETWO:1.ikemanygirlsherage,Edithwrotestories.Inoneofhe

5、rchildhoodstories,awomanapologizesfornothavingacompletelycleanhousewhenanotherwomanmakesanunexpectedvisit.Edithsmotherreadthestory.Heronlycommentwasthatoneshousewasalwayscleanandreadyforvisitors.Edithshousealwayswas.EdithspentmuchofherchildhoodinEurope.Shewaseducatedbyspecialteachers,andnotatschools

6、.IfEdithsfamilyfearedanything,itwassharpsocial,cultural,andeconomicchange.YetthesewerethethingsEdithwouldseeinherlifetime.TheendoftheCivilWarinEighteen-Sixty-FivemarkedthebeginningofgreatchangesintheUnitedStates.Thecountrythathadbeenmostlyagriculturalwasbecomingindustrial.Businessmenandworkersincrea

7、singlyweregainingpoliticalandeconomicpower.EdithWhartonsawthesechangessoonerthanmostpeople.Andsherejectedthem.Toher,theoldAmericawasavictimofthenew.Shedidnotlikethenewvaluesofmoneyreplacingtheoldvaluesoffamily.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:InEighteen-Eighty-FivezshemarriedEdwardWharton.Hewashersocialequal.Theyliv

8、edtogetherfortwenty-eightyears.Butitwasamarriagewithoutmuchlove.InNineteen-Thirteenrshesoughttoendthemarriage.Thatshewaitedsolongtodoso,onecriticsaidzwasasignofhertiestotheideaoffamilyandtotradition.SomecriticsthinkthatEdithWhartonbegantowritebecauseshefoundthepeopleofhersocialgroupsouninteresting.O

9、therssayshebeganwhenherhusbandbecamesickandsheneededsomethingtodo.ThefactisthatWhartonthoughtofherselfasawriterfromthetimeshewasachild.Writinggaveherasenseoffreedomfromtherestrictionsofhersocialclass.VOICETWO:Writingwasjustoneofaseriesofthingsshedid.Andshedidallofthemwell.Shewasinterestedindesigning

10、andcaringforgardens.Shedesignedherownhouse.Shehadaninternationalsociallifeandleftalargecollectionofletters.Inherlifetimeshepublishedaboutfiftybooksonanumberofsubjects.ManycriticsbelieveEdithWhartonshouldhavewrittenthestoryofhersocialgroup.Todothis,however,shewouldhavehadtoremoveherselffromthegroupto

11、seeitclearly.Shecouldnotdothiszevenintellectually.Hereducationandhertraditionsmadeitimpossible.ThesubjectofEdithWhartonswritingbecamethestoryoftheyoungandinnocentinadishonestworld.Shedidnotmakeaconnectionbetweenherworkandherownlife.Whatshehadwastheabilitytospeakplainlyaboutemotionsthatzuntilthen,had

12、beenhidden.ShealsowasamongthefirstAmericanwomenwriterstogainasenseoftheworldasanevilplace.Lifeisthesaddestthing,shewrote,nexttodeath.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:Toshowthatshecoulddomorethanjustwritestories,sheWroteabookwithOgdenCodmanzTheDecorationofHouses.Itwasverysuccessful.Aboutthesametime,herpoemsandstories

13、alsobegantobepublishedinScribnersMagazine.InEighteen-Ninety-Ninehercollectionofstories,TheGreaterInclination,appeared.Itwasanimmediatesuccess.WhenshewasinLondon,shevisitedabookstore.Thestoreowner,whodidnotknowwhoshewas,handedherthebook.Hesaidtoher,ThisiswhateveryoneinLondonistalkingaboutnow.VOICETWO

14、:Threeyearslaterherfirstnovel,TheValleyofDecision,waspublished.Threeyearsafterthatshepublishedherfirstgreatpopularsuccess,thenovel,TheHouseofMirth.TheHouseofMirthisthestoryofayoungwomanwholacksthemoneytocontinueherhighsocialposition.AsinsomanystoriesbyEdithWharton,themaincharacterdoesnotcontrolwhath

15、appenstoher.Sheisavictimwhoisdefeatedbyforcesshedoesnotfighttoovercome.ThisideaiscentraltomuchofEdithWhartonsbestwriting.TheoldfamiliesofNewYorkareinconflictwiththenewlyrichfamilies.Themajorpeopleinthestoriesaretrappedinahopelessstrugglewithsocialforcesmorepowerfulthanthey.Andtheystruggleagainstpeop

16、lewhosebeliefsandactionsarenotasmoralastheirs.VOICEONE:ThisisthesituationinoneofWhartonsmostpopularbooks,EthanFromezpublishedinNineteen-Eleven.Unlikeherothernovels,itissetonafarminthenortheasternstateofMassachusetts.Itisthestoryofamanandwomanwhoselivesarecontrolled,andfinallydestroyed,bycustom.Theya

17、rethevictimsofsociety.TheydiehonorablyinsteadOffightingback.Iftheyweretorejectcustom,however,theywouldnotbethepeopletheyare.Andtheywouldnotmeanasmuchtoeachother.InNineteen-Thirteen,Whartonsmarriageended.Itwasthesameyearthatshepublishedanothernovelthatwashighlypraised,TheCustomoftheCountry.Initshedis

18、cussestheeffectsofnewwealthinthelateNineteenthCenturyonabeautifulyoungwoman.VOICETWO:MostcriticsagreethatmostofEdithWhartonswritingafterNineteen-Thirteenisnotasgoodasbeforethattime.Itwasasifsheneededthedifficultiesofhermarriagetowritewell.Muchofherbestworkseemstohavebeenwrittenunderthepressureofgrea

19、tpersonalcrisis.Afterhermarriageended,herworkwasnotassharpasherearlierwriting.InNineteen-Twentyzhowever,sheproduced,TheAgeofInnocence.Manycriticsthinkthisisherbestnovel.InitshedealswiththelackofhonestythatliesbehindtheapparentinnocenceoftheNewYorksocialworld.Amanandwomanseetheirlivesruinedbecausethe

20、yhavedutiestheycannotescape.EdithWhartonreceivedAmericastopwritingaward,thePulitzerPrize,forTheAgeofInnocence.InNineteen-Ninety-ThreezthemovieofTheAgeofInnocencecreatednewinterestinherwork.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:Inthelateryearsofherlife,Whartongavemoreandmoreofhertimetoanimportantgroupofdiplomats,artists,a

21、ndthinkers.AmongherfriendswastheAmericanwriterHenryJames.ShelikedJamesasamanandasawriter.Sheoftenusedhercaranddrivertotakehimonshorttrips.Atonetime,HenryJameswashopingthathispublisherwouldprintacollectionofhismanynovelsandstories.Whartonknewofthiswish.Andsheknewthatthepublisherthoughthewouldlosemone

22、yifhepublishedsuchacollection.Shewrotetothepublisher.Sheagreedtosecretlypaythepublishertoprintthecollectionofherfriendswritings.VOICETWO:InNineteen-ThirtyztheAmericanNationalInstituteofArtsandLettersgaveWhartonagoldmedal.Shewasthefirstwomantobesohonored.Fouryearslatershewrotethestoryofherlife,ABackwardGlance.EdithWhartondiedinNineteen-Thirty-SevenatoneofthetwohomessheownedinFrance.(THEME)VOICEONE:ThisSpecialEnglishprogramwaswrittenbyRichardThorman.ItwasproducedbyLawanDavis.mPhoebeZimmermann.VOICETWO:AndmDougJohnson.JoinusagainnextweekforanotherPeopleinAmericaprogramontheVoiceofAmerica.