决定孩子一生的五项特质-第8章
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
会腐朽破败，而是拥有一种生命和力量持久地新鲜和强大；有时候，那些话已经远远超越了刚刚说出时的意义，它们跨越了三千年的历史鸿沟，在今天为我们点亮了世界。
特质三 写口（6）
The Joys of Writing
By Winston Leonard Spenser Churchill
The fortunate people in the world—the only really fortunate people in the world， in my mind—are those whose work is also their pleasure。 The class is not a large one， not nearly so large as it is often represented to be； and authors are perhaps one of the most important elements in its position。 They enjoy in this respect at least a real harmony of life。 To my mind， to be able to make your work your pleasure is the one class distinction in the world worth striving for； and I do not wonder that others are inclined to envy those happy human beings who find their livelihood in the gay effusions of their fancy， to whom every hour of labor is an hour of enjoyment， to whom repose—however necessary—is a tiresome interlude； and even a holiday is most deprivation。 Whether a man writes well or ill， has much to say or little， if he cares about writing at all， he will appreciate the pleasures of position。 To sit at one？蒺s table on a sunny morning； with four clear hours of uninterruptible security， plenty of nice white paper， and Squeezer pen—that is true happiness。The plete absorption of the mind upon an agreeable occupation—what more is there than that to desire？ What does it matter what happens outside？The House of mons may do what it likes； and may the House of Lords。 The heathen may rage furiously in every part of the globe。 The bottom may be knocked clean out of the American market。 Consols may fall and suffragettes may rise。 Never mind， for four hours， at any rate， we will withdraw ourselves from a mon； ill…governed， and disorderly world， and with the key of fancy unlock that cupboard where all the good things of the infinite are put away。
And speaking of freedom is not the author free， as few men are free？ Is he not secure， as few men are secure？ The tools of his industry are so mon and so cheap that they h*e almost ceased to h*e mercial value。He needs no bulky pile of raw material， no elaborate apparatus， no service of men or animals。 He is dependent for his occupation upon no one but himself， and nothing outside him that matters。 He is the sovereign of an empire， self…supporting， self…contained。 No one can sequestrate his estates。 No one can deprive his of his stock in trade； no one can force him exercise his faculty against his will； no one can prevent him exercising it as he chooses。 The pen is the great liberator of men and nations。No chains can bind； no poverty can choke， no tariff can restrict the free play of his mind， and even the “Times”Book Club can only exert a moderately depressing influence upon his rewards。 Whether his work is good or bad， so long as he does his best he is happy。 I often fortify myself amid the uncertainties and vexations of political life by believing that I possess a line of retreat into a peaceful and fertile country where no rascal can pursue and where one need never be dull or idle or even wholly without power。 It is then， indeed， that I feel devoutly thankful to h*e been born fond of writing。 It is then； indeed， that I feel grateful to all the br*e and generous spirits who， in every age and in every land， h*e fought to establish the now unquestioned freedom of the pen。 。。
特质三 写口（7）
And what a noble medium the English language is。 It is not possible to write a page without experiencing positive pleasure at the richness and variety， the flexibility and profoundness of our mother…tongue。 If an English writer cannot say what he has to say in English； and in simple English； you may depend upon it—it is probably not worth saying。What a pity it is that English is not more generally studied！ I am not going to attack classical education。 No one who has the slightest pretension to literary tastes can be insensible to the attraction of Greece and Rome。But I confess our present educational system excites in my mind gr*e misgivings。I cannot believe that a system is good， or even reasonable， which thrusts upon reluctant and unprehending multitudes of treasures which can only be appreciated by the privileged and gifted few。 To the vast majority of boys who attend our public schools a classical education is from beginning to end on long useless； meaningless rigmarole。 If I am told that classes are the best preparation for the study of English； I reply that by far the greater number of students finish their education while this preparatory stage is still inplete and without deriving any of the benefits which are promised as its result。
And even of those who，without being great scholars，attain a certain general acquaintance with the ancient writers，can it really be said that they h*e also obtained the mastery of English？How many young gentlemen there are from the universities and public schools who can turn a Latin verse with a facility which would make the old Romans squirm in their tombs。 How few there are who can construct a few good sentences，or still less a few good paragraphs of plain，correct，and straightforward English。 Now，I am a great admirer of the Greeks，although，of course，I h*e to depend up－on what others tell me about them，…and I would like to see our educationists imitate in one respect，at least，the Greek example。 How is it that the Greeks made their language the most graceful and pendious mode of expression ever known among men？Did they spend all their time studying the languages which had preceded theirs？ Did they explore with tireless persistency the ancient root dialects of the vanished world？Not at all。 They studied Greek。 They studied their own language。 They loved it，they cherished it，they adorned it，they expanded it，and that is why it survives a model and delight to all posterity。 Surely we，whose mother－tongue has already won for itself such an unequalled empire over the modern world，can learn this lesson at least from the ancient Greeks and bestow a little care and some proportion of the years of education to the study of a language which is perhaps to play a predominant part in the future progress of mankind。
特质三 写口（8）
Let us remember the author can always do his best。 There is no excuse for him。 The great cricketer may be out of form。 The general may on the day of decisive battle h*e a bad toothache or a bad army。 The admiral may be seasick—as a sufferer I reflect with satisfaction upon that contingency。 Caruso may be afflicted with catarrh，or Hacken…schmidt with influenza。 As for an orator，it is not enough for him to be able to think well and truly。 He must think quickly。 Speed is vital to him。 Spontaneity is more than ever the hall－mark of good speaking。 All these varied forces of activity require from the performer the mand of the best that is in him at a particular moment which may be fixed by circumstances utterly beyond his control。 It is not so with the author。 He need never appear in public until he is ready。 He can always realize the best that is in him。 He is not dependent upon his best moment in any one day。 He may group together the best moments of twenty days。 There is no excuse for him if he does not do his best。 Great is his opportunity；great also his responsibility。Someone—I forget who—has said： “Words are the only things which last for ever。” That is，to my mind，always a wonderful thought。 The most durable structures raised in stone by the strength of man，the mightiest monuments of his power，crumble into dust，while the words spoken with fleeting breath，the passing expression of the unstable fancies of his mind，endure not as echoes of the past，not as mere archaeological curiosities or venerable relics，but with a force and life as new and strong，and sometimes far stronger than when they were first spoken，and leaping across the gulf of three thousand years，they light the world for us today。
人类是在“玩”中发现了探索真理的方法和途径。
——王 飞
。 想看书来
特质四 会玩（1）
会玩——对热爱的事情执著追求的能力
“玩”是一种忘我的状态。我�
