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1、美国名人女作家伊迪丝沃顿EdithWhartonz1862-1937:WroteNovelsoftheYoungandInnocentinaDishonestWorldplaystopmutemaxvolume00:00-15:22repeatByRichardThorman2007-6-16VOICEONE:mPhoebeZimmermann.VOICETWO:AndmDougJohnsonwiththeVOASpecialEnglishprogram,PeopleinAmerica.Everyweekwetellaboutapersonwhowasimportantinthehistory
2、oftheUnitedStates.Today,wetellaboutwriterEdithWharton.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:AcriticoncedescribedAmericanwriterEdithWhartonasaself-mademan.Shelikedthecommentandrepeatedit.OtherssaidshewasaproductofNewYorkCity.ButtheNewYorkshewroteaboutwasdifferentfromtheNewYorkofthosewhocameafterher.EdithWhartonwasborninNe
3、wYorkCityineighteensixty-two.NewYorkthenwasseveraldifferentcities.OneNewYorkwasmadeupofpeoplewhoworkedforaliving.Theotherwasmuchsmaller.Itwasmadeupoffamilieswhoweresorichtheydidnotneedtowork.EdithwasbornintothewealthyNewYork.ButtherewasarightwealthyNewYorkandawrongwealthyNewYork.Amongtherichtherewer
4、ethosewhohadbeengivenmoneybyparentsorgrandparents.Thentherewerethosewhoearnedtheirownmoney,thenewlyrich.EdithsfamilywasfromtherightNewYorkers,peoplewhohadoldmoney.Itwasagroupthatdidnotwantitswayoflivingchanged.Italsowasagroupwithoutmanyideasofitsown.ItwasfromthisgroupthatEdithWhartoncreatedherself.V
5、OICETWO:1.ikemanygirlsherage,Edithwrotestories.Inoneofherchildhoodstories,awomanapologizesfornothavingacompletelycleanhousewhenanotherwomanmakesanunexpectedvisit.Edithsmotherreadthestory.Heronlycommentwasthatoneshousewasalwayscleanandreadyforvisitors.Edithshousealwayswas.Edithspentmuchofherchildhood
6、inEurope.Shewaseducatedbyspecialteachersandnotatschools.IfEdithsfamilyfearedanything,itwassharpsocial,cultural,andeconomicchange.YetthesewerethethingsEdithwouldseeinherlifetime.TheendoftheCivilWarineighteensixty-fivemarkedthebeginningofgreatchangesintheUnitedStates.Thecountrythathadbeenmostlyagricul
7、turalwasbecomingindustrial.Businessmenandworkersincreasinglyweregainingpoliticalandeconomicpower.EdithWhartonsawthesechangessoonerthanmostpeople.Andsherejectedthem.Toher,theoldAmericawasavictimofthenew.Shedidnotlikethenewvaluesofmoneyreplacingtheoldvaluesoffamily.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:Ineighteeneighty-fiv
8、e,shemarriedEdwardWharton.Hewashersocialequal.Theylivedtogetherfortwenty-eightyears.Butitwasamarriagewithoutmuchlove.Innineteenthirteen,shesoughttoendthemarriage.Thatshewaitedsolongtodoso,onecriticsaid,wasasignofhertiestotheideaoffamilyandtotradition.SomecriticsthinkthatEdithWhartonbegantowritebecau
9、seshefoundthepeopleofhersocialgroupsouninteresting.Otherssayshebeganwhenherhusbandbecamesickandsheneededsomethingtodo.ThefactisthatWhartonthoughtofherselfasawriterfromthetimeshewasachild.Writinggaveherasenseoffreedomfromtherestrictionsofhersocialclass.VOICETWO:Writingwasjustoneofaseriesofthingsshedi
10、d.Andshedidallofthemwell.Shewasinterestedindesigningandcaringforgardens.Shedesignedherownhouse.Shehadaninternationalsociallifeandleftalargecollectionofletters.Inherlifetimeshepublishedaboutfiftybooksonanumberofsubjects.ManycriticsbelieveEdithWhartonshouldhavewrittenthestoryofhersocialgroup.Todothis,
11、however;shewouldhavehadtoremoveherselffromthegrouptoseeitclearly.Shecouldnotdothis,evenintellectually.Hereducationandhertraditionsmadeitimpossible.ThesubjectofEdithWhartonswritingbecamethestoryoftheyoungandinnocentinadishonestworld.Shedidnotmakeaconnectionbetweenherworkandherownlife.Whatshehadwasthe
12、abilitytospeakplainlyaboutemotionsthat,untilthen,hadbeenhidden.ShealsowasamongthefirstAmericanwomenwriterstogainasenseoftheworldasanevilplace.Lifeisthesaddestthing,shewrote,nexttodeath.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:Toshowthatshecoulddomorethanjustwritestories,shewroteabookwithOgdenCodman,TheDecorationofHouses.Itw
13、asverysuccessful.Aboutthesametime,herpoemsandstoriesalsobegantobepublishedinScribnersMagazine.Ineighteenninety-ninehercollectionofstories,TheGreaterInclination,appeared.Itwasanimmediatesuccess.WhenshewasinLondon,shevisitedabookstore.Thestoreowner;whodidnotknowwhoshewas,handedherthebook.Hesaidtoher,T
14、hisiswhateveryoneinLondonistalkingaboutnow.VOICETWO:Threeyearslaterherfirstnovel,TheValleyofDecision/waspublished.Threeyearsafterthatshepublishedherfirstgreatpopularsuccess,thenovelTheHouseofMirth.TheHouseofMirthisthestoryofayoungwomanwholacksthemoneytocontinueherhighsocialposition.Asinsomanystories
15、byEdithWharton,themaincharacterdoesnotcontrolwhathappenstoher.Sheisavictimwhoisdefeatedbyforcesshedoesnotfighttoovercome.ThisideaiscentraltomuchofEdithWhartonsbestwriting.TheoldfamiliesofNewYorkareinconflictwiththenewlyrichfamilies.Themajorpeopleinthestoriesaretrappedinahopelessstrugglewithsocialfor
16、cesmorepowerfulthanthey.Andtheystruggleagainstpeoplewhosebeliefsandactionsarenotasmoralastheirs.VOICEONE:ThisisthesituationinoneofWhartonsmostpopularbooks,EthanFrome/publishedinnineteeneleven.Unlikeherothernovels,itissetonafarminthenortheasternstateofMassachusetts.Itisthestoryofamanandwomanwhoselivesarecontrolled,andfinallydestroyed,bycustom.Theyarethevictimsofsociety.
