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1、Unit9WhatIsHappiness?JohnCiardi(abridged)TherighttopursuehappinessisissuedtoAmericanswiththeirbirthcertificates,butnooneseemsquitesurewhichwayitruns.Itmaybeweareissuedahuntinglicensebutofferednogame.JonathanSwiftseemedtothinksowhenheattackedtheideaofhappinessas“thepossessio
2、nofbeingwell-deceived,”thefelicityofbeing“afoolamongknaves.”ForSwiftsawsocietyasVanityFair,thelandoffalsegoals.Itis,ofcourse,un-Americantothinkintermsoffoolsandknaves.Wedo,however,seemtobededicatedtotheideaofbuyingourwaytohappiness.WeshallallhavemadeittoHeavenwhenwepossesse
3、nough.AndatthesametimetheforcesofAmericancommercialismarehugelydedicatedtomakingusdeliberatelyunhappy.Advertisingisoneofourmajorindustries,andadvertisingexistsnottosatisfydesiresbuttocreatethem—andtocreatethemfasterthananyman’sbudgetcansatisfythem.Forthatmatter,ourwholeecon
4、omyisbasedonadedicatedinsatiability.Wearetaughtthattopossessistobehappy,andthenwearemadetowant.Weareeventolditisourdutytowant.Itwasonlyafewyearsago,tociteasingleexample,thatcardealersacrossthecountrywereflyingbannersthatread"YouAutoBuyNow."TheywerecallinguponAmericans,asana
5、ctapproachingpatriotism,tobuyatonce,withmoneytheydidnothave,automobilestheydidnotreallyneed,andwhichtheywouldberequiredtogrowtiredofbythetimethenextyear’smodelswerereleased.Orlookatanyofthewomen’smagazines.There,asBernardDeVotooncepointedout,advertisingbeginsaspoetryinthefr
6、ontpagesandendsaspharmacopoeiaandtherapyinthebackpages.Thepoetryofthefrontmatteristhedreamofperfectbeauty.Thisisthebabyskinthatmustbehers.These,theflawlessteeth.This,theperfumedbreathshemustexhale.This,thesixteen-year-oldfigureshemustdisplayatforty,atfifty,atsixty,andforeve
7、r.Oncepastthevaguelyupliftingfictionandfeaturearticles,thereaderfindstheotherfaceofthedreaminthebackmatter.ThisistheharnessintowhichMothermuststrapherselfinordertodisplaythatperfectfigure.These,thechinstrapsshemustsleepin.Thisisthesalvethatrestoresall,thisisherlaxative,thes
8、earethetabletsthatmeltawayfat,thesearethehormonesofperpetualyouth,thesearethestock