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1、AnAmericanTragedyTheodoreDreiserBOOKONEChapter1Dusk—ofasummernight.AndthetallwallsofthecommercialheartofanAmericancityofperhaps400,000inhabitants—suchwallsasintimemaylingerasamerefable.Andupthebroadstreet,nowcomparativelyhushed,alittlebandofsix,--amanofaboutfifty,short,s
2、tout,withbushyhairprotrudingfromunderaroundblackfelthat,amostunimportant-lookingperson,whocarriedasmallportableorgansuchasiscustomarilyusedbystreetpreachersandsingers.Andwithhimawomanperhapsfiveyearshisjunior,taller,notsobroad,butsolidofframeandvigorous,veryplaininfacean
3、ddress,andyetnothomely,leadingwithonehandasmallboyofsevenandintheothercarryingaBibleandseveralhymnbooks.Withthesethree,butwalkingindependentlybehind,wasagirloffifteen,aboyoftwelveandanothergirlofnine,allfollowingobediently,butnottooenthusiastically,inthewakeoftheothers.I
4、twashot,yetwithasweetlanguoraboutitall.Crossingatrightanglesthegreatthoroughfareonwhichtheywalked,wasasecondcanyon-likeway,threadedbythrongsandvehiclesandvariouslinesofcarswhichclangedtheirbellsandmadesuchprogressastheymightamidswiftlymovingstreamsoftraffic.Yetthelittleg
5、roupseemedunconsciousofanythingsaveasetpurposetomakeitswaybetweenthecontendinglinesoftrafficandpedestrianswhichflowedbythem.Havingreachedanintersectionthissideofthesecondprincipalthoroughfare—reallyjustanalleybetweentwotallstructures—nowquitebareoflifeofanykind,themanput
6、downtheorgan,whichthewomanimmediatelyopened,settingupamusicrackuponwhichsheplacedawideflathymnbook.ThenhandingtheBibletotheman,shefellbackinlinewithhim,whilethetwelve-year-oldboyputdownasmallcamp-stoolinfrontoftheorgan.Theman—thefather,ashechancedtobe—lookedabouthimwiths
7、eemingwide-eyedassurance,andannounced,withoutappearingtocarewhetherhehadanyauditorsornot:“Wewillfirstsingahymnofpraise,sothatanywhomaywishtoacknowledgetheLordmayjoinus.Willyouoblige,Hester?”Atthistheeldestgirl,whountilnowhadattemptedtoappearasunconsciousandunaffectedaspo
8、ssible,bestowedherratherslimandasyetundevelopedfigureuponthecampchairandturnedtheleavesofthehymnbook,pu
