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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.Theyarethevictimsofsociety.TheydiehonorablyinsteadOffightingback.Iftheyweretor
