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1、大学英语阅读IVReadingsinEnglishProse北京大学英语系2010年2月www.english.pku.edu.cnTABLEOFCONTENTS1OfIndividuality……………………………………………12TheMediumistheMessage……………………………………………73OnFamiliarStyle……………………………………………144TheIndispensableOpposition……………………………………………215TheDeclineandFallofLiterature…………………………………………
2、…296PrefacetoTheRenaissance……………………………………………357NotesontheEnglishCharacter……………………………………………408KnowledgeItsOwnEnd……………………………………………519ImitationofOurLordDonQuixote……………………………………………6010DeathoftheMoth……………………………………………65ReadingsinEnglishProseIV1①OfIndividualityJohnStuartMillInsobertruth,w
3、hateverhomagemaybeprofessed,orevenpaid,torealor5supposedmentalsuperiority,thegeneraltendencyofthingsthroughouttheworldistorendermediocritytheascendantpoweramongmankind.Inancienthistory,intheMiddleAges,andinadiminishingdegreethroughthelongtransitionfromfeudalitytothepresenttime,thei
4、ndividualwasapowerinhimself;andifhehadeithergreattalentsorahighsocialposition,hewasaconsiderablepower.Atpresentindividuals10arelostinthecrowd.Inpoliticsitisalmostatrivialitytosaythatpublicopinionnowrulestheworld.Theonlypowerdeservingthenameisthatofmasses,andofgovernmentswhiletheyma
5、kethemselvestheorganofthetendenciesandinstinctsofmasses.Thisisastrueinthemoralandsocialrelationsofprivatelifeasinpublictransactions.Thosewhoseopinionsgobythenameofpublicopinion,arenotalways15thesamesortofpublic:inAmerica,theyarethewholewhitepopulation;inEngland,chieflythemiddleclas
6、s.Buttheyarealwaysamass,thatistosay,collectivemediocrity.Andwhatisstillgreaternovelty,themassdonotnowtaketheiropinionsfromdignitariesinChurchorState,fromostensibleleaders,orfrombooks.Theirthinkingisdoneforthembymenmuchlikethemselves,addressingthemorspeaking20intheirname,onthespurof
7、themoment,throughthenewspapers.Iamnotcomplainingofallthis.Idonotassertthatanythingbetteriscompatible,asageneralrule,withthepresentlowstateofthehumanmind.Butthatdoesnothinderthegovernmentofmediocrityfrombeingmediocregovernment.Nogovernmentbyademocracyoranumerousaristocracy,eitherini
8、tspoliticalactsorintheopin
