flower of personal expression in the garden of letters. But this



is more of a personal matter, reaching the man behind the work,

and therefore it may be alluded to in a volume which is a



personal note in the margin of the public page. Not that I feel

hurt in the least. The charge--if it amounted to a charge at



all--was made in the most considerate terms; in a tone of regret.

My answer is that if it be true that every novel contains an



element of autobiography--and this can hardly be denied, since

the creator can only express himself in his creation--then there



are some of us to whom an open display of sentiment is repugnant.

I would not unduly praise the virtue of restraint. It is often



merely temperamental. But it is not always a sign of coldness.

It may be pride. There can be nothing more humiliating than to



see the shaft of one's emotion miss the mark either of laughter

or tears. Nothing more humiliating! And this for the reason



that should the mark be missed, should the open display of

emotion fail to move, then it must perish unavoidably in disgust



or contempt. No artist can be reproached for shrinking from a

risk which only fools run to meet and only genius dare confront



with impunity. In a task which mainly consists in laying one's

soul more or less bare to the world, a regard for decency, even



at the cost of success, is but the regard for one's own dignity

which is inseparably united with the dignity of one's work.



And then--it is very difficult to be whollyjoyous or wholly sad

on this earth. The comic, when it is human, soon takes upon



itself a face of pain; and some of our griefs (some only, not

all, for it is the capacity for suffering which makes man august



in the eyes of men) have their source in weaknesses which must be

recognised with smiling passion" target="_blank" title="n.同情；怜悯">compassion as the common inheritance of



us all. Joy and sorrow in this world pass into each other,

mingling their forms and their murmurs in the twilight of life as



mysterious as an over-shadowed ocean, while the dazzling

brightness of supreme hopes lies far off, fascinating and still,



on the distant edge of the horizon.

Yes! I too would like to hold the magic wand giving that command



over laughter and tears which is declared to be the highest

achievement of imaginativeliterature. Only, to be a great



magician one must surrender oneself to occult and irresponsible

powers, either outside or within one's own breast. We have all



heard of simple men selling their souls for love or power to some

grotesque devil. The most ordinary intelligence can perceive



without much reflection that anything of the sort is bound to be

a fool's bargain. I don't lay claim to particular wisdom because



of my dislike and distrust of such transactions. It may be my

sea-training acting upon a natural disposition to keep good hold



on the one thing really mine, but the fact is that I have a

positive horror of losing even for one moving moment that full



possession of myself which is the first condition of good

service. And I have carried my notion of good service from my



earlier into my later existence. I, who have never sought in the

written word anything else but a form of the Beautiful, I have



carried over that article of creed from the decks of ships to the

more circumscribed space of my desk; and by that act, I suppose,



I have become permanentlyimperfect in the eyes of the ineffable

company of pure esthetes.



As in political so in literary action a man wins friends for

himself mostly by the passion of his prejudices and by the



consistent narrowness of his outlook. But I have never been able

to love what was not lovable or hate what was not hateful, out of



deference for some general principle. Whether there be any

courage in making this admission I know not. After the middle



turn of life's way we consider dangers and joys with a tranquil

mind. So I proceed in peace to declare that I have always

• pressure [´preʃə] n.压榨 vt.对…施压力 (初中英语单词)


• argument [´ɑ:gjumənt] n.辩论；争论；论证 (初中英语单词)


• perceive [pə´si:v] vt.察觉；看出；领悟 (初中英语单词)


• reflection [ri´flekʃən] n.反射；映象；想法 (初中英语单词)


• fabric [´fæbrik] n.织物；结构；组织 (初中英语单词)


• accent [´æksənt, æk´sent] n.重音；口音 vt.重读 (初中英语单词)


• invisible [in´vizəbəl] a.看不见的；无形的 (初中英语单词)


• needle [´ni:dl] n.针；指针 v.用针缝 (初中英语单词)


• literary [´litərəri] a.文学(上)的 (初中英语单词)


• emperor [´empərə] n.皇帝 (初中英语单词)


• working [´wə:kiŋ] a.工人的；劳动的 (初中英语单词)


• extraordinary [ik´strɔ:dinəri] a.非常的；额外的 (初中英语单词)


• disappoint [,disə´pɔint] vt.使失望；使….落空 (初中英语单词)


• writing [´raitiŋ] n.书写；写作；书法 (初中英语单词)


• novelist [´nɔvəlist] n.小说家 (初中英语单词)


• reality [ri´æliti] n.现实(性)；真实；逼真 (初中英语单词)


• extent [ik´stent] n.长度；程度；范围 (初中英语单词)


• movement [´mu:vmənt] n.活动；运动；动作 (初中英语单词)


• economy [i´kɔnəmi] n.经济；机制；组织 (初中英语单词)


• sufficiently [sə´fiʃəntli] ad.充分地，足够地 (初中英语单词)


• existence [ig´zistəns] n.存在；生存；生活 (初中英语单词)


• volume [´vɔlju:m, ´vɑljəm] n.卷；书籍；体积；容量 (初中英语单词)


• tribute [´tribju:t] n.贡物；献礼；颂词 (初中英语单词)


• conscience [´kɔnʃəns] n.良心；道德心 (初中英语单词)


• measure [´meʒə] n.量度；范围 vt.测量 (初中英语单词)


• character [´kæriktə] n.特性；性质；人物；字 (初中英语单词)


• mysteriously [mis´tiəriəsli] ad.神秘地；故弄玄虚地 (初中英语单词)


• safely [´seifli] ad.安全地；平安地 (初中英语单词)


• succession [sək´seʃən] n.继任；继承(权) (初中英语单词)


• behave [bi´heiv] v.举止；表现；举止端正 (初中英语单词)


• faculty [´fækəlti] n.才干；天赋；院，系 (初中英语单词)


• criticism [´kritisizəm] n.批评；评论(文) (初中英语单词)


• therefore [´ðeəfɔ:] ad.&conj.因此；所以 (初中英语单词)


• charge [tʃɑ:dʒ] v.收费；冲锋 n.费用 (初中英语单词)


• sentiment [´sentimənt] n.情绪；多愁善感 (初中英语单词)


• virtue [´və:tʃu:] n.美德；贞操；长处 (初中英语单词)


• emotion [i´məuʃən] n.感情；情绪；激动 (初中英语单词)


• perish [´periʃ] v.灭亡；消灭；(使)死去 (初中英语单词)


• genius [´dʒi:niəs] n.天才(人物)；天赋 (初中英语单词)


• mainly [´meinli] ad.主要地；大体上 (初中英语单词)


• dignity [´digniti] n.尊严，尊贵；高官显贵 (初中英语单词)


• wholly [´həul-li] ad.完全，十足；统统 (初中英语单词)


• capacity [kə´pæsiti] n.容量；智能；能力 (初中英语单词)


• suffering [´sʌfəriŋ] n.痛苦；灾害 (初中英语单词)


• twilight [´twailait] n.黎明；黄昏 (初中英语单词)


• supreme [su:´pri:m, sju:-] a.最高的，无上的 (初中英语单词)


• fascinating [´fæsineitiŋ] a.迷人，使神魂颠倒的 (初中英语单词)


• laughter [´lɑ:ftə] n.笑，笑声 (初中英语单词)


• literature [´litərətʃə] n.文学；文献；著作 (初中英语单词)


• surrender [sə´rendə] vt.&n.交出；引渡；放弃 (初中英语单词)


• intelligence [in´telidʒəns] n.智力；消息 (初中英语单词)


• bargain [´bɑ:gin] n.买卖合同 v.议(价) (初中英语单词)


• wisdom [´wizdəm] n.智慧，聪明，才智 (初中英语单词)


• dislike [dis´laik] vt.&n.不喜爱，厌恶 (初中英语单词)


• acting [´æktiŋ] a.代理的 n.演戏 (初中英语单词)


• disposition [,dispə´ziʃən] n.安排；性情；倾向 (初中英语单词)


• horror [´hɔrə] n.恐怖；战栗 (初中英语单词)


• mostly [´məustli] ad.主要地；多半；通常 (初中英语单词)


• passion [´pæʃən] n.激情；激怒；恋爱 (初中英语单词)


• admission [əd´miʃən] n.接纳；承认 (初中英语单词)


• encouragement [in´kʌridʒmənt] n.鼓励；赞助；引诱 (高中英语单词)


• characteristic [,kæriktə´ristik] a.特有的 n.特性 (高中英语单词)


• motion [´məuʃən] n.手势 vt.打手势 (高中英语单词)


• amongst [ə´mʌŋst] prep.其中之一 =among (高中英语单词)


• posterity [pɔ´steriti] n.子孙；后代 (高中英语单词)


• heroic [hi´rəuik] a.英雄的，英勇的 (高中英语单词)


• fiction [´fikʃən] n.小说；虚构；谎言 (高中英语单词)


• appeal [ə´pi:l] vi.&n.请求；呼吁；上诉 (高中英语单词)


• perplex [pə´pleks] vt.困惑；使为难 (高中英语单词)


• allegiance [ə´li:dʒəns] n.忠诚，效忠 (高中英语单词)


• discourse [´diskɔ:s] n.论文；演说；说教 (高中英语单词)


• indifference [in´difrəns] n.冷淡；无足轻重 (高中英语单词)


• spectator [spek´teitə] n.观众，旁观者 (高中英语单词)


• margin [´mɑ:dʒin] n.边缘；空白；余地 (高中英语单词)


• restraint [ri´streint] n.抑制；管束；克制 (高中英语单词)


• contempt [kən´tempt] n.轻蔑；受辱；不顾 (高中英语单词)


• joyous [´dʒɔiəs] a.充满快乐的 (高中英语单词)


• inheritance [in´heritəns] n.继承(物)；遗传；遗产 (高中英语单词)


• distrust [dis´trʌst] n.&vt.不信任，怀疑 (高中英语单词)


• ardour [´ɑ:də] n.热心，热情 (英语四级单词)


• austere [ɔ´stiə] a.严峻(格)的；质朴的 (英语四级单词)


• sincerity [sin´seriti] n.真诚；诚意 (英语四级单词)


• reputation [repju´teiʃən] n.名誉；名声；信誉 (英语四级单词)


• wasting [´weistiŋ] a.&n.浪费(的) (英语四级单词)


• economist [i´kɔnəmist] n.经济学家；节俭的人 (英语四级单词)


• exclusively [ik´sklu:sivli] ad.独有地；排外地 (英语四级单词)


• vibration [vai´breiʃən] n.颤动；振动；摇动 (英语四级单词)


• authoritative [ɔ:´θɔrətətiv] a.可信的；命令的 (英语四级单词)


• unbroken [ʌn´brəukən] a.未破的；不间断的 (英语四级单词)


• creator [kri:´eitə] n.创造者；设立者 (英语四级单词)


• compassion [kəm´pæʃən] n.同情；怜悯 (英语四级单词)


• permanently [´pə:mənəntli] ad.永久地；持久地 (英语四级单词)


• imperfect [im´pə:fikt] a.不完全的；未完成的 (英语四级单词)


• outlook [´autluk] n.眺望；景色；展望 (英语四级单词)


• hateful [´heitfəl] a.可恨的，可憎的 (英语四级单词)


• perseverance [,pə:si´viərəns] n.毅力；坚持 (英语六级单词)


• capacious [kə´peiʃəs] a.广阔的；容积大的 (英语六级单词)


• mathematical [,mæθə´mætikəl] a.数学的；精确的 (英语六级单词)


• unmoved [ʌn´mu:vd] a.无动于衷的；坚定的 (英语六级单词)


• indebted [in´detid] a.负债的；感恩的 (英语六级单词)


• filial [´filiəl] a.子女的；孝顺的 (英语六级单词)


• reprove [ri´pru:v] vt.责骂，谴责；非难 (英语六级单词)


• insight [´insait] n.洞悉；洞察力；见识 (英语六级单词)


• considerate [kən´sidərit] a.考虑周到的；体谅的 (英语六级单词)


• impunity [im´pju:niti] n.不受惩罚 (英语六级单词)


• decency [´di:sənsi] n.正派；体面 (英语六级单词)


• imaginative [i´mædʒənətiv] a.富于想象(力)的 (英语六级单词)


• lovable [´lʌvəbəl] a.可爱的 (英语六级单词)