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1、Unit10TheIdiocyofUrbanLifeHenryFairlie1Betweenabout3a.m.and6a.m.thelifeofthecityiscivil.Occasionallythelonefootstepsofsomeonewalkingtoorfromworkechoalongthesidewalk.Allworkthathastobedoneatthosehoursisuseful－inbakeries,forexample.Eventhenewspaperpressesstopturningforestsintolies.Nowandthenacarcomes
2、outofthesilenceandcruiseseasilythroughtheblinkingtrafficlights.Thenaturalinhabitantsofthecitycomeoutfromdampbasementsandcellars.Withtheirpinkearsandpaws,sleek,well-groomed,theirwhiskerscombed,ratsaretruecitydwellers.Urbanlife,duringthehourswhentheyreign,isurbane.2Theseratsaresocialcreatures,asyouca
3、ntellifyoulookoutonthecitystreetduringaninsomniacnight.Butafter6a.m.,thetwo-legged,daytimecreaturesofthecitybegintostir;anditisthey,nottherats,whobringtheratrace.Youmightthinkthathumanbeingscongregateinlargecitiesbecausetheyaregregarious.Theoppositeistrue.Urbanlifetodayisaggressivelyindividualistic
4、andatomized.Citiesarenotsocialplaces.3Thelunacyofmoderncitylifeliesfirstinthefactthatmostcitydwellerstrytoliveoutsidethecityboundaries.Sothetwo-leggedcreatureshavecreatedsuburbs,exurbs,andfinallyrururbs(rubstosome).Disdainingrurallife,theytrytocreatesimulationsofit.Noeffortissparedtoletcitydwellers
5、imaginetheyarelivinganywherebutinacity:patchesofgrassinthemoremodestsuburbs,broaderspreadsinthericheronesfurtherout;primnewtreesplantedalongthestreets;atthefootofthelargerbackyards,apretensetoboskywoodlands.4Theprofessionalpeoplebuysecondhomesinthecountryassoonastheycanaffordthem,andasearlyaspossib
6、leonFridayheadoutofthecitytheyhavecreated.TheNewYorkintellectualsandartistsquaintlysaytheyare“goingtothecountry”fortheweekendorthesummer,butinfacttheyhavecreatedalittleManhattan-by-the-SeaaroundtheHamptons,spreadingovertheLongIsland6potatofieldswhoseearliersolitudewaspresumablythereasonwhytheyfirst
7、wentthere.Citydwellerstakethecitywiththemtothecountry,fortheywillnotlivewithoutitspamperings.ThemainstreetsofAmerica’ssmalltowns,whichusedtohavehardwareanddrygoodsstores,arenowstripsofboutiques.Old-fashione
