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1、TheUnhappyAmericanWay[1]ByBertrandRussellItusedtobesaidthatEnglishpeopletaketheirpleasuressadly.Nodoubtthiswouldstillbetrueiftheyhadanypleasurestotake,butthepriceofalcoholandtobaccoinmycountryhasprovidedsufficientexternalcausesformelancholy.Ihavesometimesthoughtthatthehab
2、itoftakingpleasuressadlyhascrossedtheAtlantic,andIhavewonderedwhatitisthatmakessomanyEnglish-speakingpeoplesomberintheiroutlookinspiteofgoodhealthandagoodincome.InthecourseofmytravelsinAmericaIhavebeenimpressedbyakindoffundamentalmalaisewhichseemstomeextremelycommonandwhi
3、chposesdifficultproblemsforthesocialreformer.Mostsocialreformershaveheldtheopinionthat,ifpovertywereabolishedandtherewerenomoreeconomicinsecurity,themillenniumwouldhavearrived.ButwhenIlookatthefacesofpeopleinopulentcars,whetherinyourcountryorinmine,Idonotseethatlookofradi
4、anthappinesswhichtheaforesaidsocialreformershadledmetoexpect.Inninecasesoutoften,Iseeinsteadalookofboredomanddiscontentandanalmostfranticlongingforsomethingthatmightticklethejadedpalate.Butitisnotonlytheveryrichwhosufferinthisway.Professionalmenveryfrequentlyfeelhopelessl
5、ythwarted.Thereissomethingthattheylongtodoorsomepublicobjectthattheylongtoworkfor.Butiftheyweretoindulgetheirwishesintheserespects,theyfearthattheywouldlosetheirlivelihood.Theirwivesareequallyunsatisfied,fortheirneighbor,MrsSo-and-So,hasgoneaheadmorequickly,hasabettercar,
6、alargerapartmentandgranderfriends.Lifeforalmosteverybodyisalongcompetitivestrugglewhereveryfewcanwintherace,andthosewhodonotwinareunhappy.Onsocialoccasionswhenitisderigueurtoseemcheerful,thenecessarydemeanorisstimulatedbyalcohol.Butthegaietydoesnotringtrueandanybodywhohas
7、justonedrinktoomanyisapttolapseintolachrymosemelancholy.OnefindsthissortofthingonlyamongEnglish-speakingpeople.AFrenchmanwhileheisabusingtheGovernmentisasgayasalark.SoisanItalianwhileheistellingyouhowhisneighborhasswindledhim.Mexicans,whentheyarenotactuallystarvingoractua
8、llybeingmurdered,singanddanceandenjoysunshineandfoodanddrinkwithagustowhichisveryrarenorthoftheM
