Uandthesenewwordsbeforeyoureadthisarticle.
1.enhance[hɑ:ns]v.提高,增加,加强
2.falcy[f?l?si:]n.谬误;谬见;谬论
3.proverbial[pr?v?:bi?l]adj.谚语的,闻名的,谚语式的
4.legitiate[lid?itiit]adj.合法的,婚生的,正当的
5.ible[k??b?l]adj.可鄙的
6.prevalence[prev?l?nt]n.流行,盛行;流行程度;普遍,广泛
7.vaglorio[ve?n?gl?:ri:?s]adj.虚荣的
8.ferior[fi?ri?]adj.下等的;差的;下级的
9.disposition[,disp?zi??n]n.性情,处理,处置
10.hesitatioe???n]n.踌躇,犹豫;口吃;含糊
I.A.WilliaswasbornEngndandeducatedatCabridge.AfterWorldWarIheservedasarrespofortheLondonTis.Williaswroteseveralbooksoeenth-turypoetryanddraa,publishedwidelyjournalsandagazes,andpublishedllesofhisowry.ThefollogarticlefirstappearedLondon’sTheOutlook1923.
Perhapsthegreatestthreattoproductivitybothworkandpyisthefearofdogthgsbadly.Thisarticleofferssofort.Williaspotsoutthatthereareanythgsworthdogbadly,andthatourlivesareenri,arevaabletoostpeopleproportiontohowenthiasticallytheydothe,ratherthanhowwell.
CharlesLabwroteaseriesofessaysuponpopurfalcies.Idonot,attheont,carrytheveryclearlyyory;but,uhattreacheroservantisleadsoreeventhansheuallydoes,hedidnotwriteofonepieceofproverbialso-calledwisdothathasalwaysseedtotobepeculiarlypernicio.Andthissaw,thisscrapofspecioadvice,thisuntruthasqueradgaslogic,isohatIrebertohavehadhurledatyheadatfrequenttervalsfroyearliestyouthrightuptoypresentadvancedage.HowanytishaveInotbeentoldthat“Ifathgisworthdogatall,itisworthdogwell”?
Neverwasthereaoreuntruthfulwordspokenear.Fortheworldisfullofthgsthatareworthdog,butcertalynotworthdogwell.WasitnotsogreatasageasHerbertSpencerwhosaidtotheyounganwhohadjtbeatenhiatbilliards,“Moderateskill,sir,isthesignofagoodeyeandasteadyhand,butskillsuchasyoursarguesayouthisspent?”Isanygaworthpygsuprelywell,atthepriceofnstantpractidapplication?
AgasttheprofessionalpyerIsaynothg;heisapublitertaer,likeanyother,andbyhisskillhispartikaateur?Toheseesoneoftheostibleofankd.Heearnsnooney,butdevotes
hiself,forthereselfishpleasureofthethg,tosoga,whichhepysdaydayout;hebreaksdowarydistbeeeeurandtheprofessional;eventuallyhisskilldesertshi,andheleavesbehdhinothgthatisofservicetohisfellown—notabrickid,notanacreploughed,notalewritten,notevenafailysupportedandeducatedbyhisbor.
Itistruethathehasprovidedeantforacertanuberofpersons,buthehasneverhadthepcktosubithiselftothetestbywhichwedeandthateveryeaershouldjtifyhischoiceofacallg—thedeonstrationofthefactthatthepubliciswillgtopayhiforhiseant.And,whenhisdayisover,whatisleft,noteventotheworld,buttohiself?Nothgbutanathatisatoten,orisreberedbystoutgentlencbs.
Thepygofgas,certaly,isathgwhichisnotworthdogwell.Butthatdoesnotprovethatitisnotworthdogatall,astheproverbwould,byiplication,persuade.Thereisnothgreeableandsatarythanpygagawhielikes,andthecirceofdogitbadlyterfereswiththepleasureofnorealdevoteeofanypasti.Theanwhodswhetherornothesisnotruesportsan—whichobservationistrite,buttheruleitipliesisseldoobserved,andparativelyfewpeoplereallypygasforthesheerenjoyntofthepyg.Isthisnotprovedbytheprevalendpopurityofhandicaps?Whyshouldweexpecttobegivenpotsunlessitbethatwewishtobyansotherthanourownskill?
“Ah!but,”yreaderaysay,“theweakerpyerwantstoreceivepotsorderthatheaygivethestrongeroneabetterga.”Really,Idonotbelievethatthatisso.Possible,sotis,astrongandvagloriopyeraywishtogivepots,orderthathisvictoryaybetheorenotable.ButIdonotthkthateventhisisthetrueexpnation.That,Ispect,wasgiventotheotherdaybythesecretaryofawn-tennistournant,whichIpyed.“Whyallthisnonsenseofhandicaps?Whynotletbesquarelybeaten,anddohit?”Iaskedhi.“Becae,”Hereplied,“ifwedidnotgivehandicaps,noneofthelessgoodpyerswouldenter.”Isthatnotanfessionthattheajorityofhavebothrealizedthetruevaedogatrivialthgbadly,foritsownsake,andtneedshaveourdsbuoyedandcheatedtoafalsesenseofexcellence?
Moreoveritisnotonlysuchtrsicallytrivialthgsasgasthatareworthdogbadly.Thisisatruthwhich,oddlyenough,tfreelyofsothgs—butnotofothers—andasathgwhichwearequiteodowillletstag.Actg,atitsbest,beagreatart,athgworthdogsuprelywell,thoughitsworth,likethatofallterpretativearts,islessenedbyitsevanesce.Foritworkstheiperadiuofhuanfleshandblood,andthethgthattheactorcreate—forwhatwecallanterpretativeartistisreallyacreativeartisterishablediu—isanipressionupon,aionorathoughtaroed,thedsofanaudience,andiscapableofrerd.
Actg,thepostute—thoughIhaveonlysketchedeversobrieflytheproofofybelief—beagreatart.Butisanyoneeverdeterredfrotakgpartaateurtheatricalsbytheionthatheotactwell?Notabitofit!Andquiterightlynot,foractgisoneofthethgsaboutwhichIawritgthisessay—thethgsthatareworthdogbadly.
Anothersuchthgisic;butheretheproverbialfalcyagaexertsitspower,asitdoesnot,forsoobscureandunreasongdiscriation,actg.Mostpeopleseetothkthatiftheyotsg,orpythepiano,fiddle,orsackbut,adirablywell,theytnotdoanyofthesethgsatall.Thattheyshouldnotdiscriatelyforcetheirferiorperforancesuponthe
public,orevenupontheiracquatances,Iadit.Butthatthereisnopce“theho”forferioricalperforances,isanuntruththatIftlydeny.
Howanysonsanddaughtershavenot,withaverysalltalent,giventheirparents—andeventhelessfondlyprejudicedearsoftheirfriends—greatpleasurewiththesggofsiplesongs?Thenonedaythereestothesgertheserpentofdissatisfa;sgglessonsaretaken,and—ifthepupilisofoderatetalentandodestdisposition—liitationsaredisvered.Andthen,necasesoutoften,thesggisdropped,likeahotpenny.Howanyfathershavenotbanishedicfrotheirhosbyenuraggtheirdaughterstotakesgglessons?Yetahoaybethefresherfthatwoulddeservebrickbatsataparish.
Iaypaeheretonoticethecurioexceptionthatpeoplewhootonanyaountbepersuadedtosgthedrag-roo,oreventhebath,willwithouthesitationuplifttheirtunelessvoicesatreligioetgsorchurch.Thereisaperfectlygoodandhonorableexpnationofthis,Ibelieve,butitbelongstotherealoftaphysidisbeyondypresentspe.
Thiscursedbelief,thatifathgisworthdogatall,itisworthdogwell,isthecaeofagreatipoverishntourprivatelife,andalso,tosoextent,ofthelofstandardsourpubliclife.Forthisteofproverbialfaithhasoeffectsonsalltalents:itleadsodestpersonsnottoexercisetheatall,andiodestpersonstoattepttodosotooudtoforcetheselvesuponthepublic.Itleadstothedecayofletter-writgandofthekeepgofdiaries,and,assurely,itleadstothepublicationofoirsanddiariesthatshouldrealockedthewriters’desks.
ItleadsMr.Bnknottowriteversesatall—whichheightverywelldo,forthesakeofhisoess,andfortheaentofhisfriends—anditleadsMissDashtopestertheoverworkededitorsofvariojournalswithherunsuessfuliitationsofMr.deMare,Mr.Yeats,andDr.Bridges.Theresultisthatournationalartisticlifenowsuffersfroogreatneeds:Awideraateurpracticeofthearts,andahigher,oreexcsive,professionalstandard.Untiltheseareachievedweshallnotgetthebestoutofoursouls.
Thetruthis,Inceive,thatthereisforostofonlyohg—beyond,ofurse,ourdutiesofcitizenshipandourpersonaldutiesassons,orhbands,orfathers,daughters,orwives,orothers—thatisworthdogwell—thatistosay,withallourenergy.Thatohgaybewritg,oritaybeakgstea-enges,bricks.Butafterthattherearehundredsofthgsthatareworthdogbadly,withonlypartofourenergy,forthesakeoftherexationtheybrg,andforthentactswhichtheygivewithourds.Andthesndrealizesthis,asonceshedid,thehappier,theoreed,theracio,willourndbe.
Thereareeven,Iata,thgsthataretheselvesbetterdonebadlythanwell.siderfishg,whereone’swholepleasureisoftenspoiledbyhavgtokillafish.Now,ifoneuldntrivealwaystotrytocatchafish,andodoso,oneight—Butthatisaory.
I.A.威廉姆斯生于英格兰，在剑桥受过教育。第一次世界大战后，他成为伦敦《泰晤士报》的一名记者。威廉姆斯写了几本关于18世纪诗歌和戏剧方面的书，发表在各种期刊和杂志上，出版了他自己的诗集。以下这篇文章最早出现在1923年伦敦的《展望》一书中。
或许，对工作和创作而言，最大的威胁莫过于唯恐做得不好或者害怕做错。对于这个问题，这篇文章就是一种安慰了。威廉姆斯认为，很多事情都应该草草行事，这样，我们的生活才有意义，我们的个性才能得以发展完善。运动和音乐就是两个很好的例子，大多数人都酷爱运动和音乐，它们的确能给人带来乐趣，仅是这一点就够了，人们并不需要有多深的造诣。查尔斯·拉姆写了一系列有关时下谬误的文章。可惜我一时记不清了。但如果不是狡猾的仆人突然误导我，我倒不觉得他写过什么公众交口称赞而我却认为有害的文章。一件事情值得去做，那么，就应该好好去做。”从没有哪一个谬论让人们如此热衷。因为世界上有很多事情都值得去做，但并不是事事都应该好好去做。伟大的哲人赫伯特·斯宾塞曾对刚在台球桌上战胜他的年轻人说：“先生，一般球技表现为好的眼力和稳定的手法，但从你的球技上看，你浪费了很多时间。”是否每一种游戏都值得持之以恒地练习和应用呢？
对职业运动员，我无话可说。他们是公众表演者，和其他人一样，他们通过自己在某项特定运动中的技术，至少可以实现人的首要社会责任——通过自己的合法劳动维持自己及家人的生活。但对于高明的业余爱好者，我们该怎么说呢？我认为，这些人是最应受到鄙视的。他们没有赚钱，仅仅为了自私的娱乐，就日复一日地投身于这种游戏。他们忽视了业余爱好者和专业人士之间合理的区别。最终他们为自己的技术所累，他们没做出任何对社会有价值的东西，没有垒起一块砖，没有犁过一亩地，没有写过一行文字，甚至没有通过劳动来养活全家和让自己受到教育。