资源描述：
《THE LAMPLIGHTER(点灯人) 》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、THELAMPLIGHTERTHELAMPLIGHTER1THELAMPLIGHTER'IfyoutalkofMurphyandFrancisMoore,gentlemen,'saidthelamplighterwhowasinthechair,'Imeantosaythatneitherof'emeverhadanymoretodowiththestarsthanTomGrighad.''AndwhathadHEtodowith'em?'askedthelamplighterwhoofficiatedasvice.'Nothingatall,
2、'repliedtheother;'justexactlynothingatall.''Doyoumeantosayyoudon'tbelieveinMurphy,then?'demandedthelamplighterwhohadopenedthediscussion.'ImeantosayIbelieveinTomGrig,'repliedthechairman.'WhetherIbelieveinMurphy,ornot,isamatterbetweenmeandmyconscience;andwhetherMurphybelievesi
3、nhimself,ornot,isamatterbetweenhimandhisconscience.Gentlemen,Idrinkyourhealths.'Thelamplighterwhodidthecompanythishonour,wasseatedinthechimney-cornerofacertaintavern,whichhasbeen,timeoutofmind,theLamplighters'HouseofCall.Hesatinthemidstofacircleoflamplighters,andwasthecaciqu
4、e,orchiefofthetribe.Ifanyofourreadershavehadthegoodfortunetobeholdalamplighter'sfuneral,theywillnotbesurprisedtolearnthatlamplightersareastrangeandprimitivepeople;thattheyrigidlyadheretooldceremoniesandcustomswhichhavebeenhandeddownamongthemfromfathertosonsincethefirstpublic
5、lampwaslightedoutofdoors;thattheyintermarry,andbetroththeirchildrenininfancy;thattheyenterintonoplotsorconspiracies(forwhoeverheardofatraitorouslamplighter?);thattheycommitnocrimesagainstthelawsoftheircountry(therebeingnoinstanceofamurderousorburglariouslamplighter);thatthey
6、are,inshort,notwithstandingtheirapparentlyvolatileandrestlesscharacter,ahighlymoralandreflectivepeople:havingamongthemselvesasmanytraditionalobservancesastheJews,andbeing,asabody,ifnotasoldasthehills,atleastasoldasthestreets.Itisanarticleoftheircreedthatthefirstfaintglimmeri
7、ngoftruecivilisationshoneinthefirststreet-lightmaintainedatthepublicexpense.Theytracetheirexistenceandhighpositioninthepublicesteem,inadirectlinetotheheathenmythology;andholdthatthehistoryofPrometheushimselfisbutapleasantfable,whereofthetrueheroisalamplighter.2THELAMPLIGHTER
8、'Gentlemen,'saidthelamplighterinthechair,'Idrinkyourhealths.''Andperhaps,Si
