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1、AHangingByGeorgeOrwellBackgroundAHanging(1931)isashortessaywrittenbyGeorgeOrwell,firstpublishedinAugust1931intheBritishliterarymagazineAdelphi.SetinBurma,whereOrwell(realnameEricArthurBlair)hadservedintheBritishImperialPolicefrom1922to1927,itdescribestheexecutionofacriminal.ContextBritainco
2、nqueredBurmaover62years(1824–86),duringwhichthreeAnglo-BurmeseWarswerefought,andincorporateditintoitsIndianEmpire.BritainadministeredBurmaasanIndianprovinceuntil1937,whenitbecameaseparate,self-governingcolony.Burmaattainedindependencein1948.Factorfiction?Whenaskedabout"AHanging,"Orwellwasun
3、willingtodiscussthesubject,andoncesaidthatitwas"onlyastory."NoevidenceexiststoshowwhereandwhenhewitnessedanexecutionduringhistimeinBurma.However,inhiswritingshemorethanoncerepeatedthathehaddoneso.ThestoryThecondemnedmanisgivennoname,norisitexplainedwhatcrimehehascommitted.FortheBritishpolic
4、ewhosupervisehisexecution,thehangingisanunpleasantbutroutinepieceofbusiness.Thenarratortakesnoactivepartinthehanging,andappearstobelessexperiencedthanhiscolleagues.Astheprisonerismarchedhandcuffedtothegallowshestepsslightlyasidetoavoidtreadinginapuddleofrainwater;thenarratorseesthis,andrefl
5、ects:Itiscurious,buttillthatmomentIhadneverrealisedwhatitmeanstodestroyahealthy,consciousman.WhenIsawtheprisonerstepasidetoavoidthepuddleIsawthemystery,theunspeakablewrongness,ofcuttingalifeshortwhenitisinfulltide.Thismanwasnotdying,hewasalivejustaswearealive.Alltheorgansofhisbodywereworkin
6、g-bowelsdigestingfood,skinrenewingitself,nailsgrowing,tissuesforming-alltoilingawayinsolemnfoolery.Hisnailswouldstillbegrowingwhenhestoodonthedrop,whenhewasfallingthroughtheairwithatenthofasecondtolive.Hiseyessawtheyellowgravelandthegreywalls,andhisbrainstillremembered,foresaw,reasoned-even
7、aboutpuddles.Heandwewereapartyofmenwalkingtogether,seeing,hearing,feeling,understandingthesameworld;andintwominutes,withasuddensnap,oneofuswouldbegone-onemindless,oneworldless.Thesentenceiscarriedout,andallconcernedfeelasuddenreliefastheyleavethescenewhe
