资源描述:
《The American《美国人》》由会员上传分享,免费在线阅读,更多相关内容在学术论文-天天文库。
1、TheAmericanbyHenryJamesCHAPTERIOnabrilliantdayinMay,intheyear1868,agentlemanwasrecliningathiseaseonthegreatcirculardivanwhichatthatperiodoccupiedthecentreoftheSalonCarre,intheMuseumoftheLouvre.Thiscommodiousottomanhassincebeenremoved,totheextremeregretofallweak-kneedloversofthefinearts,b
2、utthegentlemaninquestionhadtakenserenepossessionofitssoftestspot,and,withhisheadthrownbackandhislegsoutstretched,wasstaringatMurillo'sbeautifulmoon-borneMadonnainprofoundenjoymentofhisposture.Hehadremovedhishat,andflungdownbesidehimalittleredguide-bookandanopera-glass.Thedaywaswarm;hewas
3、heatedwithwalking,andherepeatedlypassedhishandkerchiefoverhisforehead,withasomewhatweariedgesture.Andyethewasevidentlynotamantowhomfatiguewasfamiliar;long,lean,andmuscular,hesuggestedthesortofvigorthatiscommonlyknownas"toughness."Buthisexertionsonthisparticulardayhadbeenofanunwontedsort,
4、andhehadperformedgreatphysicalfeatswhichlefthimlessjadedthanhistranquilstrollthroughtheLouvre.HehadlookedoutallthepicturestowhichanasteriskwasaffixedinthoseformidablepagesoffineprintinhisBadeker;hisattentionhadbeenstrainedandhiseyesdazzled,andhehadsatdownwithanaestheticheadache.Hehadlook
5、ed,moreover,notonlyatallthepictures,butatallthecopiesthatweregoingforwardaroundthem,inthehandsofthoseinnumerableyoungwomeninirreproachabletoiletswhodevotethemselves,inFrance,tothepropagationofmasterpieces,andifthetruthmustbetold,hehadoftenadmiredthecopymuchmorethantheoriginal.Hisphysiogn
6、omywouldhavesufficientlyindicatedthathewasashrewdandcapablefellow,andintruthhehadoftensatupallnightoverabristlingbundleofaccounts,andheardthecockcrowwithoutayawn.ButRaphaelandTitianandRubenswereanewkindofarithmetic,andtheyinspiredourfriend,forthefirsttimeinhislife,withavagueself-mistrust
7、.Anobserverwithanythingofaneyefornationaltypeswouldhavehadnodifficultyindeterminingthelocaloriginofthisundevelopedconnoisseur,andindeedsuchanobservermighthavefeltacertainhumorousrelishofthealmostidealcompletenesswithwhichhefilledoutthenationalmould.Thegentlemanonthedivanw