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1、Unit10TheIdiocyofUrbanLifeHenryFairlie1Betweenabout3a.m.and6a.m.thelifeofthecityiscivil.Occasionallythelonefootstepsofsomeonewalkingtoorfromworkechoalongthesidewalk.Allworkthathastobedoneatthosehoursisuseful－inbakeries,forexample.Eventhenewspaperpressesstopturningforestsin
2、tolies.Nowandthenacarcomesoutofthesilenceandcruiseseasilythroughtheblinkingtrafficlights.Thenaturalinhabitantsofthecitycomeoutfromdampbasementsandcellars.Withtheirpinkearsandpaws,sleek,well-groomed,theirwhiskerscombed,ratsaretruecitydwellers.Urbanlife,duringthehourswhenthe
3、yreign,isurbane.2Theseratsaresocialcreatures,asyoucantellifyoulookoutonthecitystreetduringaninsomniacnight.Butafter6a.m.,thetwo-legged,daytimecreaturesofthecitybegintostir;anditisthey,nottherats,whobringtheratrace.Youmightthinkthathumanbeingscongregateinlargecitiesbecauset
4、heyaregregarious.Theoppositeistrue.Urbanlifetodayisaggressivelyindividualisticandatomized.Citiesarenotsocialplaces.3Thelunacyofmoderncitylifeliesfirstinthefactthatmostcitydwellerstrytoliveoutsidethecityboundaries.Sothetwo-leggedcreatureshavecreatedsuburbs,exurbs,andfinally
5、rururbs(rubstosome).Disdainingrurallife,theytrytocreatesimulationsofit.Noeffortissparedtoletcitydwellersimaginetheyarelivinganywherebutinacity:patchesofgrassinthemoremodestsuburbs,broaderspreadsinthericheronesfurtherout;primnewtreesplantedalongthestreets;atthefootofthelarg
6、erbackyards,apretensetoboskywoodlands.4Theprofessionalpeoplebuysecondhomesinthecountryassoonastheycanaffordthem,andasearlyaspossibleonFridayheadoutofthecitytheyhavecreated.TheNewYorkintellectualsandartistsquaintlysaytheyare“goingtothecountry”fortheweekendorthesummer,butinf
7、acttheyhavecreatedalittleManhattan-by-the-SeaaroundtheHamptons,spreadingovertheLongIsland6potatofieldswhoseearliersolitudewaspresumablythereasonwhytheyfirstwentthere.Citydwellerstakethecitywiththemtothecountry,fortheywillnotlivewithoutitspamperings.ThemainstreetsofAmerica’
8、ssmalltowns,whichusedtohavehardwareanddrygoodsstores,arenowstripsofboutiques.Old-fashione
