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1、Unit9WhatIsHappiness?JohnCiardi(abridged)TherighttopursuehappinessisissuedtoAmericanswiththeirbirthcertificates,butnooneseemsquitesurewhichwayitruns.Itmaybeweareissuedahuntinglicensebutofferednogame.JonathanSwiftseemedtothinksowhenheattackedtheideaofhappinessas“thepossessionofbeingwell-deceiv
2、ed,”thefelicityofbeing“afoolamongknaves.”ForSwiftsawsocietyasVanityFair,thelandoffalsegoals.Itis,ofcourse,un-Americantothinkintermsoffoolsandknaves.Wedo,however,seemtobededicatedtotheideaofbuyingourwaytohappiness.WeshallallhavemadeittoHeavenwhenwepossessenough.AndatthesametimetheforcesofAmeri
3、cancommercialismarehugelydedicatedtomakingusdeliberatelyunhappy.Advertisingisoneofourmajorindustries,andadvertisingexistsnottosatisfydesiresbuttocreatethem—andtocreatethemfasterthananyman’sbudgetcansatisfythem.Forthatmatter,ourwholeeconomyisbasedonadedicatedinsatiability.Wearetaughtthattoposs
4、essistobehappy,andthenwearemadetowant.Weareeventolditisourdutytowant.Itwasonlyafewyearsago,tociteasingleexample,thatcardealersacrossthecountrywereflyingbannersthatread"YouAutoBuyNow."TheywerecallinguponAmericans,asanactapproachingpatriotism,tobuyatonce,withmoneytheydidnothave,automobilestheyd
5、idnotreallyneed,andwhichtheywouldberequiredtogrowtiredofbythetimethenextyear’smodelswerereleased.Orlookatanyofthewomen’smagazines.There,asBernardDeVotooncepointedout,advertisingbeginsaspoetryinthefrontpagesandendsaspharmacopoeiaandtherapyinthebackpages.Thepoetryofthefrontmatteristhedreamofper
6、fectbeauty.Thisisthebabyskinthatmustbehers.These,theflawlessteeth.This,theperfumedbreathshemustexhale.This,thesixteen-year-oldfigureshemustdisplayatforty,atfifty,atsixty,andforever.Oncepastthevaguelyupliftingfictionandfeaturearticles,thereaderfindstheotherfaceofthedreaminthebackmatter.Thisist
7、heharnessintowhichMothermuststrapherselfinordertodisplaythatperfectfigure.These,thechinstrapsshemustsleepin.Thisisthesalvethatrestoresall,thisisherlaxative,thesearethetabletsthatmeltawayfat,thesearethehormonesofperpetualyouth,thesearethestock