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1、TheLibidofortheUglyH.L.Mencken1Onawinterdaysomeyearsago,comingoutofPittsburghononeoftheexpressesofthePennsylvaniaRailroad,IrolledeastwardforanhourthroughthecoalandsteeltownsofWestmorelandCounty.Itwasfamiliarground;boyandman,Ihadbeenthroughitoftenbefore.ButsomehowIhadneverquitesenseditsappall
2、ingdesolation.HerewastheveryheartofindustrialAmerica,thecenterofitsmostlucrativeandcharacteristicactivity,theboastandprideoftherichestandgrandestnationeverseenonearth--andherewasascenesodreadfullyhideous,sointolerablybleakandforlornthatitreducedthewholeaspirationofmantoamacabreanddepressingj
3、oke.Herewaswealthbeyondcomputation,almostbeyondimagination--andherewerehumanhabitationssoabominablethattheywouldhavedisgracedaraceofalleycats.2Iamnotspeakingofmerefilth.Oneexpectssteeltownstobedirty.WhatIalludetoistheunbrokenandagonizingugliness,thesheerrevoltingmonstrousness,ofeveryhouseins
4、ight.FromEastLibertytoGreensburg,adistanceoftwenty-fivemiles,therewasnotoneinsightfromthetrainthatdidnotinsultandlaceratetheeye.Someweresobad,andtheywereamongthemostpretentious--churches,stores,warehouses,andthelike--thattheyweredown-rightstartling;oneblinkedbeforethemasoneblinksbeforeamanwi
5、thhisfaceshotaway.Afewlingerinmemory,horribleeventhere:acrazylittlechurchjustwestofJeannette,setlikeadormer-windowonthesideofabareleproushill;theheadquartersoftheVeteransofForeignWarsatanotherforlorntown,asteelstadiumlikeahugerattrapsomewherefurtherdowntheline.ButmostofallIrecallthegeneralef
6、fect--ofhideousnesswithoutabreak.TherewasnotasingledecenthousewithineyerangefromthePittsburghtotheGreensburgyards.Therewasnotonethatwasnotmisshapen,andtherewasnotonethatwasnotshabby.3Thecountryitselfisnotuncomely,despitethegrimeoftheendlessmills.Itis,inform,anarrowrivervalley,withdeepgullies
7、runningupintothehills.Itisthicklysettled,butnot:noticeablyovercrowded.Thereisstillplentyofroomforbuilding,eveninthelargertowns,andthereareveryfewsolidblocks.Nearlyeveryhouse,bigandlittle,hasspaceonallfoursides.Obviously,iftherewerearchitectsofanypr
