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1、TheAmbassadorsbyHenryJamesVolumeIPrefaceNothingismoreeasythantostatethesubjectof"TheAmbassadors,"whichfirstappearedintwelvenumbersof_TheNorthAmericanReview_(1903)andwaspublishedasawholethesameyear.Thesituationinvolvedisgatheredupbetimes,thatisinthesecondchapterofBookFifth,
2、forthereader'sbenefit,intoasfewwordsaspossible--plantedor"sunk,"stifflyandsaliently,inthecentreofthecurrent,almostperhapstotheobstructionoftraffic.Nevercanacompositionofthissorthavesprungstraighterfromadroppedgrainofsuggestion,andnevercanthatgrain,developed,overgrownandsmo
3、thered,haveyetlurkedmoreinthemassasanindependentparticle.Thewholecase,infine,isinLambertStrether'sirrepressibleoutbreaktolittleBilhamontheSundayafternooninGloriani'sgarden,thecandourwithwhichheyields,forhisyoungfriend'senlightenment,tothecharmingadmonitionofthatcrisis.Thei
4、deaofthetaleresidesindeedintheveryfactthatanhourofsuchunprecedentedeaseshouldhavebeenfeltbyhimASacrisis,andheisatpainstoexpressitforusasneatlyaswecoulddesire.Theremarkstowhichhethusgivesutterancecontaintheessenceof"TheAmbassadors,"hisfingersclose,beforehehasdone,roundthest
5、emofthefull-blownflower;which,afterthatfashion,hecontinuesofficiouslytopresenttous."Liveallyoucan;it'samistakenotto.Itdoesn'tsomuchmatterwhatyoudoinparticularsolongasyouhaveyourlife.Ifyouhaven'thadthatwhatHAVEyouhad?I'mtooold--toooldatanyrateforwhatIsee.Whatonelosesonelose
6、s;makenomistakeaboutthat.Still,wehavetheillusionoffreedom;thereforedon't,likemeto-day,bewithoutthememoryofthatillusion.Iwaseither,attherighttime,toostupidortoointelligenttohaveit,andnowI'macaseofreactionagainstthemistake.Dowhatyoulikesolongasyoudon'tmakeit.ForitWASamistake
7、.Live,live!"SuchisthegistofStrether'sappealtotheimpressedyouth,whomhelikesandwhomhedesirestobefriend;theword"mistake"occursseveraltimes,itwillbeseen,inthecourseofhisremarks--whichgivesthemeasureofthesignalwarninghefeelsattachedtohiscase.Hehasaccordinglymissedtoomuch,though
8、perhapsafterallconstitutionallyqualifiedforabetterpart,andhewakesuptoitinconditionsthatpr
