Text B The Lost Childhood（第1页）

TextBTheLostChildhood

GrahamGreene

&isonlyinchildhoodthatbookshaveanydeepinfluenourlives。Inlaterlifeweadmire，weareeained，wemaymodifysomeviewswealreadyhold，butwearemorelikelytofindinbooksmerelyaationofwhatisinourmindsalready:asinaloveaffairitisourowweseereflectedflatteringlyback。

Butinchildhoodallbooksarebooksofdivination，tellingusaboutthefuture，auellerwhoseesalohecardsordeathbywatertheyiure。Isupposethatiswhybooksexcitedussomuch。Whatdetnowadaysfrtoequaltheextaiofourteenyears?OfcourseIshouldbeiohearthatanewnovelbyMr。E。M。Foihisspring，butIeverparethatmildexpeofcivilizedpleasurewiththemissedheartbeat，theappalledgleeIfeltwhenIfoundonalibraryshelfanard，PercytaianleyWeymanwhiotreadbefore。No，itisinthoseearlyyearsthatIwouldlookforthecrisis，themomeookainitsjouro>

IrememberdistinctlythesuddehwhichakeyturnedinalodIfoundIcouldread—notjustthesentenareadingbookwiththesyllablescoupledlikerailwaycarriages，butarealbook。Iter-coveredwiththepictureofaboy，boundandgagged，danglingattheendofaropeihewaterrisihewaist—aureofDixoective。AllalongsummerholidayIkeptmysecret，asIbelieved:IdidnotwantanybodytoknowthatIcouldread。IsupposeIhalfsciouslyrealizedevehiswasthedangerousmoment。IwassafesolongasIotread—thewheelshadurn，buturestoodaroundonbookshelveseverywherewaitiochoose—thelifeofacharteredatperhaps，aialcivilservant，aplanterina，asteadyjobinabank，happinessauallyoiofdeath，forsurelywechooseourdeathmuchaswechrowsoutofouradourevasions，outofourfearsandoutofourmomentse。Isupposemymothermusthavedisysecret，foronthejourneyhomeIresehetrainwithanotherrealbook，acopyofBallaheCoralIslandwithonlyasiuretolookat，acoloredfroIwouldadmitnothing。Alltheloaredattheoureandhebook。

Butthereohome（somanyshelvesfefamily）thebookswaited—onebookinparticular，butbeforeIreaedowakeafewothersatrandomfromtheshelf。Eachwasawhichthechilddreamedthathesawlifemoving。HereiampeddramatiseveralcolorstainGilsoeAeroplahavereadthatbooksixtimesatleast—thestoryofalostcivilizationintheSaharaandofavillaielanelikeaboxkiteandbombsthesizeoftennisballswhoheldthegolden。Itwassavedbythehero，ayoungsubalterothepiratecamptoputtheaeroplaofa。Heturedandwatchedhisenemiesdighisgrave。HewastobeshotatdaassthetimeandkeephismindfromunfortablethoughtstheamiableYaeplayedcardswithhim—themildnurserygameofKuhnKahatnameontheedgeoflifehauntedmeforyears，uorestatlastinoneofmyowhagameofpokerplayedielysimilarces。

AndhereisSophyofKravoniabyAnthooryofakit-maidwhobecameaqueehefirstfilmsIeversaw，about1911，wasmadefromthatbook，andIhearstilltherumbleoftheQueen’sgunsgthehighKravoniaenhollowlyoutofasiheaheStoryofFrancisCludde，aherbooksatthattimeofmylifeKingSolomon’sMines。

Thisbookdidnotperhapsprovidethecrisis，butitlyiure。IfithadhatromantictaleofAllanQuartermaiis，Good，aheachGagool，wouldIat19havestudiedtheappoioftheialOffidverynearlypitheNigerianNavyforadlater，whensurelyIoughttohavekheoddAfrifixationremained。In1935Ifoundmyselfsickwithfeveronacampbediive’shutwithadlegoingoutiywhiskybottleandaratmovingintheshadows。Wasn’tittheiionofGagoolwithherbareyellowskull，thewrihatmovedandtractedlikethehoodofacobra，thatledmetoworkallthrough1942iuffyoffiFreetown，SierraLeomuohelandoftheKukuahedesertaainrangeofSheba’sBreast，andatin-roofedhouseonabitofswherethevulturesmovedlikedomesticturkeysandthepi-dogskeptmeawakeonmoonlightnightswiththeirwailing，aewomeheclub，butthetwobeloahesamet，aly，tothesameregioiioy，ofnotknowingthewayabout。OleoGagoolaters，oinZigitaontheLiberiaheFreneaborder，whessatieredhutwiththeirhaheireyesaadrumaayedbehindcloseddoorswhilethebigbushdevil—whomitwouldmeaosee—movedbetwees。

ButKingSolomon’sMinesotfinallysatisfy。Itwasahekeydid。GagoolIcshewaitformeindreamseverynightinthepassagebythelinencupboard，henurserydoor?Sheuestowait，whenthemindissickhnowsheisdressediheologitsofDespairandspeaksinSpenser’sats:

Theloethegreatersin。

&ersierpu。

Yes，Gagoolhasremaipartoftheimagination，butQuartermainandCurtis—weren’tthey，evenwhenIwasonlytenyearsold，alittletoogoodtobetrue?Theyweremenofsuyieldiheywouldonlyadmittoafaultioshowhowitmightbeovere）thattheersonalityofachildotrestfaialshoulders。Achild，afterall，knowsmostofthegame—itisonlyahathelacks。Heisquitewellawareofcowardice，shame，de，disappoi。SirHenryCurtisperarogfromadozenwoundsbutfightingoainstthehordesofTwalawastooheroic。ThesemenwerelikePlatoheywerenotlifeasonehadalreadybeguntoknowit。

ButsIwasfourteenbythattime—ItookMissMarjorieBowen’sTheViperofMilanfromthelibraryshelf，thefutureforbetterorworsereallystruomeowrite。AlltheotherpossiblefuturesslidaotentialcivilservaheclerkhadtolookforotherinitatioionofMissBowen’smagoexercisebooks—storiesof16th-turyItalyor12th-glahenormousbrutalityandadespairingromanticism。ItwasasifIhadbeensuppliedondforallwithasubject。

Why?OnthesurfaceTheViperofMilanisooryofawarbetweenGianGaleazzoVisti，DukeofMilan，andMastinodellaScala，DukeofVerona，toldwithzestanddanamazingpictorialsense。Whydiditanddexplaierriblelivingworldofthestoairsadormitory?ItwasnogoodinthatrealworldtodreamthatonewouldeverbeaSirHenryCurtis，butdellaScalawhoatlastturnedfromaneverpaidarayedhisfriendsanddieddishonouredandafailureevewaseasierforachildtoesdhismask。AsforVisti，withhisbeauty，hispatiendhisgeniusforevil，Ihadwatchedhimpassbymanyatimeinhisbladaysuitsmellingofmothballs。Hiser。Heexercisedterrorfromadistancelikeasnowcloudovertheyoungfields。Goodnesshasonlyondaperfeationinahumanbodyandneverwillagain，butevilalwaysfihere。Humabladwhitebutbladgrey。IreadallthatinTheViperofMilanandIlookedroundandIsawthatit>

&herthemeIfouheendofTheViperofMilan—youwillrememberifyouhaveo—esthegreatspletesuccess—dellaScalaisdead，Ferrara，Verona，Novara，Mantuahaveallfallen，themessengerspourinwithnewsoffreshvictories，thewholeworldoutsideisgup，andVistisitsahewi。IwasnotontheclassicalsideorIwouldhavediscovered，Isuppose，iureinsteadofinMissBowehesenseofdoomthatliesoversuccess—thefeelingthatthependulumisabouttoswing。Thattoomadesense;onelookedaroundandsawthedoomedeverywhere—therunnerwhoonedaywouldsagoverthetape;theheadoftheschoolwhooordevil，duringfortydrearyundistinguishedyears;thescholar。。。andwhensuctotoueselftoo，howevermildly，onelypraythatfailurewouldnotbeheld。

Onehadlivedforfourteenyearsinawildjury，buthshadbeeurallyoofollowthem。ButIthinkitwasMissBoaremademewanttowrite。Oneotreadherwithoutbelievingthattowritewastoliveandtoenjoy，andbeforeonehaddisistakeitwastoolate—thefirstbookonedoesenjoy。Anywayshehasgiveern—religionmightlaterexplaiherterms，butthepatterhere—perfectevilwalkingtheworldwhereperfectgoodeverwalkagain，andonlythepehatafteralliiaisfied，andoftehatmyhandhadherthanKingSolomohatthefutureIhadtakendownfromthenurseryshelfhadbeenadistrictoffiSierraLeooursofmalarialdutyandafinishingdoseofblackwaterfeverwhenthedaapproached。Whatisthegoodofwishing?Thebooksarealwaysthere，themomentofcrisiswaits，andnowouriurakingdowureahepages。InhispoemGermie:

Ishadowsandtwilights

Wherechildhoodhadstrayed

Thewreatsorrowswereborn

Anditsheroes>

IboyhoodofJudas

Christ>

1。Discussthefollowiionswithyourpartner。

1）Inwhatsenseareallbooksofdivinationfor?WhatdoesGreenemeanby“civilizedpleasure”and“themissedheartbeat”?

2）Whatfigureofspeechisemployediurnedinalod“thewheelshadurn”inParagraph3?Whatdotheymean?

3）Whydidanybody，evenhismother，toknowthathecouldreadwhilehekhecould?Isittypicalofchildishbehavior?

4）OfthebooksGreenereadasachild:ThePirateAeroplane，SophyofKravooryofFrancisCludde，andKingSolomon’sMines，whiflueuremost?Why?

5）WhateffectdidTheViperofMilanhaveonyoungGreene?Whichparticularbookorwriterinfluenost?Why?

6）liedby“。。。oftehatmyhandhadherthanKingSolomon’sMines”?

7）WhydidGreeionhisfirstfourteeimesthroughouttheessay?Whateffectdoesthisrepetitionachieve?Whichyearoryearsinyourownilareffeyourlife?

8）Whatisthedanizatiohisessay?

9）entontheendingofthisessaybyquotinglinesfromapoembyAlfredEdwardHouseman。Doyouknowaiclethatendsbyquotingsomelinesfromapopularpoem?Isthisaivewayfanessay?Explain。

10）WhyistheessaytitledTheLostChildhood?InwhatsenseisGreene’schildhoodalostone?

2。Fillintheblanksahesummaryoftheproseopening。

Iheauthorsidersthereadingexperiene’s1）vastlyiialontheirlives，whichwastotallydifferentfromtheadulthexperiehelatteronesmayonlyprovideuswith2），3），andthe4）ofourviews。Inchildhood，allbooksareof5）。

&horstillremembersthe6）ofhisabilitytoread，whichwasdescribedasa7）turnedinalock。ThebeginninglifewasaureofDixo，a8）。Throughthelongsummerholiday，hekepthisnewlygaiyasa9）。Hefeltakeensenseof10）aslongasheread。