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1、Lesson3PubTalkandtheKing’sEnglishHenryFairlie1Conversationisthemostsociableofallhumanactivities.Anditisanactivityonlyofhumans.Howeverintricatethewaysinwhichanimalscommunicatewitheachother,theydonotindulgeinanythingthatdeservesthenameofconversation.2Thec
2、harmofconversationisthatitdoesnotreallystartfromanywhere,andnoonehasanyideawhereitwillgoasitmeandersorleapsandsparklesorjustglows.Theenemyofgoodconversationisthepersonwhohas“somethingtosay.”Conversationisnotformakingapoint.Argumentmayoftenbeapartofit,bu
3、tthepurposeoftheargumentisnottoconvince.Thereisnowinninginconversation.Infact,thebestconversationalistsarethosewhoarepreparedtolose.Suddenlytheyseethemomentforoneoftheirbestanecdotes,butinaflashtheconversationhasmovedonandtheopportunityislost.Theyarerea
4、dytoletitgo.3Perhapsitisbecauseofmyup-bringinginEnglishpubsthatIthinkbarconversationhasacharmofitsown.Barfriendsarenotdeeplyinvolvedineachother’slives.Theyarecompanions,notintimates.Thefactthattheirmarriagesmaybeontherocks,orthattheirloveaffairshavebeen
5、brokenoreventhattheygotoutofbedonthewrongsideissimplynotaconcern.TheyarelikethemusketeersofDumaswho,althoughtheylivedsidebysidewitheachother,didnotdelveintoeachother’slivesortherecessesoftheirthoughtsandfeelings.4Itwasonsuchanoccasiontheotherevening,ast
6、heconversationmoveddesultorilyhereandthere,fromthemostcommonplacetothoughtsofJupiter,withoutanyfocusandwithnoneedforone,thatsuddenlythealchemyofconversationtookplace,andallatoncetherewasafocus.Idonotrememberwhatmadeoneofourcompanionssayit---sheclearlyha
7、dnotcomeintothebartosayit,itwasnotsomethingthatwaspressingonhermind----butherremarkfellquitenaturallyintothetalk.5“Someonetoldmetheotherdaythatthephrase,“theKing’sEnglish,’wasatermofcriticism,thatitmeanslanguagewhichoneshouldnotproperlyuse.”firm6Theglow
8、oftheconversationburstintoflames.Therewereaffirmationsandprotestsanddenials,andofcoursethepromise,madeinallsuchconversation,thatwewouldlookituponthemorning.Thatwouldsettleit;butconversationdoesnotneedtobesettled;itcouldstillgoign
