美国名人女作家伊迪丝·沃顿.docx

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1、美国名人女作家伊迪丝沃顿EdithWhartonz1862-1937:WroteNovelsoftheYoungandInnocentinaDishonestWorldplaystopmutemaxvolume00:00-15:22repeatByRichardThorman2007-6-16VOICEONE:mPhoebeZimmermann.VOICETWO:AndmDougJohnsonwiththeVOASpecialEnglishprogram,PeopleinAmerica.Everyweekwetellaboutapersonwhowasimportantinthehistory

2、oftheUnitedStates.Today,wetellaboutwriterEdithWharton.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:AcriticoncedescribedAmericanwriterEdithWhartonasaself-mademan.Shelikedthecommentandrepeatedit.OtherssaidshewasaproductofNewYorkCity.ButtheNewYorkshewroteaboutwasdifferentfromtheNewYorkofthosewhocameafterher.EdithWhartonwasborninNe

3、wYorkCityineighteensixty-two.NewYorkthenwasseveraldifferentcities.OneNewYorkwasmadeupofpeoplewhoworkedforaliving.Theotherwasmuchsmaller.Itwasmadeupoffamilieswhoweresorichtheydidnotneedtowork.EdithwasbornintothewealthyNewYork.ButtherewasarightwealthyNewYorkandawrongwealthyNewYork.Amongtherichtherewer

4、ethosewhohadbeengivenmoneybyparentsorgrandparents.Thentherewerethosewhoearnedtheirownmoney,thenewlyrich.EdithsfamilywasfromtherightNewYorkers,peoplewhohadoldmoney.Itwasagroupthatdidnotwantitswayoflivingchanged.Italsowasagroupwithoutmanyideasofitsown.ItwasfromthisgroupthatEdithWhartoncreatedherself.V

5、OICETWO:1.ikemanygirlsherage,Edithwrotestories.Inoneofherchildhoodstories,awomanapologizesfornothavingacompletelycleanhousewhenanotherwomanmakesanunexpectedvisit.Edithsmotherreadthestory.Heronlycommentwasthatoneshousewasalwayscleanandreadyforvisitors.Edithshousealwayswas.Edithspentmuchofherchildhood

6、inEurope.Shewaseducatedbyspecialteachersandnotatschools.IfEdithsfamilyfearedanything,itwassharpsocial,cultural,andeconomicchange.YetthesewerethethingsEdithwouldseeinherlifetime.TheendoftheCivilWarineighteensixty-fivemarkedthebeginningofgreatchangesintheUnitedStates.Thecountrythathadbeenmostlyagricul

7、turalwasbecomingindustrial.Businessmenandworkersincreasinglyweregainingpoliticalandeconomicpower.EdithWhartonsawthesechangessoonerthanmostpeople.Andsherejectedthem.Toher,theoldAmericawasavictimofthenew.Shedidnotlikethenewvaluesofmoneyreplacingtheoldvaluesoffamily.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:Ineighteeneighty-fiv

8、e,shemarriedEdwardWharton.Hewashersocialequal.Theylivedtogetherfortwenty-eightyears.Butitwasamarriagewithoutmuchlove.Innineteenthirteen,shesoughttoendthemarriage.Thatshewaitedsolongtodoso,onecriticsaid,wasasignofhertiestotheideaoffamilyandtotradition.SomecriticsthinkthatEdithWhartonbegantowritebecau

9、seshefoundthepeopleofhersocialgroupsouninteresting.Otherssayshebeganwhenherhusbandbecamesickandsheneededsomethingtodo.ThefactisthatWhartonthoughtofherselfasawriterfromthetimeshewasachild.Writinggaveherasenseoffreedomfromtherestrictionsofhersocialclass.VOICETWO:Writingwasjustoneofaseriesofthingsshedi

10、d.Andshedidallofthemwell.Shewasinterestedindesigningandcaringforgardens.Shedesignedherownhouse.Shehadaninternationalsociallifeandleftalargecollectionofletters.Inherlifetimeshepublishedaboutfiftybooksonanumberofsubjects.ManycriticsbelieveEdithWhartonshouldhavewrittenthestoryofhersocialgroup.Todothis,

11、however;shewouldhavehadtoremoveherselffromthegrouptoseeitclearly.Shecouldnotdothis,evenintellectually.Hereducationandhertraditionsmadeitimpossible.ThesubjectofEdithWhartonswritingbecamethestoryoftheyoungandinnocentinadishonestworld.Shedidnotmakeaconnectionbetweenherworkandherownlife.Whatshehadwasthe

12、abilitytospeakplainlyaboutemotionsthat,untilthen,hadbeenhidden.ShealsowasamongthefirstAmericanwomenwriterstogainasenseoftheworldasanevilplace.Lifeisthesaddestthing,shewrote,nexttodeath.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:Toshowthatshecoulddomorethanjustwritestories,shewroteabookwithOgdenCodman,TheDecorationofHouses.Itw

13、asverysuccessful.Aboutthesametime,herpoemsandstoriesalsobegantobepublishedinScribnersMagazine.Ineighteenninety-ninehercollectionofstories,TheGreaterInclination,appeared.Itwasanimmediatesuccess.WhenshewasinLondon,shevisitedabookstore.Thestoreowner;whodidnotknowwhoshewas,handedherthebook.Hesaidtoher,T

14、hisiswhateveryoneinLondonistalkingaboutnow.VOICETWO:Threeyearslaterherfirstnovel,TheValleyofDecision/waspublished.Threeyearsafterthatshepublishedherfirstgreatpopularsuccess,thenovelTheHouseofMirth.TheHouseofMirthisthestoryofayoungwomanwholacksthemoneytocontinueherhighsocialposition.Asinsomanystories

15、byEdithWharton,themaincharacterdoesnotcontrolwhathappenstoher.Sheisavictimwhoisdefeatedbyforcesshedoesnotfighttoovercome.ThisideaiscentraltomuchofEdithWhartonsbestwriting.TheoldfamiliesofNewYorkareinconflictwiththenewlyrichfamilies.Themajorpeopleinthestoriesaretrappedinahopelessstrugglewithsocialfor

16、cesmorepowerfulthanthey.Andtheystruggleagainstpeoplewhosebeliefsandactionsarenotasmoralastheirs.VOICEONE:ThisisthesituationinoneofWhartonsmostpopularbooks,EthanFrome/publishedinnineteeneleven.Unlikeherothernovels,itissetonafarminthenortheasternstateofMassachusetts.Itisthestoryofamanandwomanwhoselivesarecontrolled,andfinallydestroyed,bycustom.Theyarethevictimsofsociety.