Text A The Death of Kurtz（第1页）

TextATheDeathofKurtz

—fromHeartofDark3）

Josephrad

[1]“OneeveninginginwithadleIwasstartledtohearhimsayalittletremulously，‘Iamlyihedarkwaitihelightwaswithinafootofhiseyes。Iforcedmyselftomurmur，‘Oh，oodoverhimasiftransfixed，。

[2]“AnythingapproagthegethatcameoverhisfeaturesIhaveneverseenbefore，aoseeagain。Oh，Iwasn’ttouched。Iwasfasated，。Itwasasthoughaveilhadbee。Isawonthativoryfacetheexpressionofsomber，pride，ofruthless，power，ofterror—ofanintenseandhopelessdespair。Didhelivehislifeagaiailofdesire，temptation，andsurrenderduringthatsupreme，momentofpleteknowledge?Heawhisperatsomeimage，atsomevisiowice，acrythatwashah:

[3]“‘Thehorror!Thehorror!’

[4]“Iblewthedleoutahe。Thepilgrimsweredininginthemess-room，andItookmyplaceoppositethemanager，wholiftedhiseyestogivemeaquestioningglance，whichIsuccessfullyignored。Heleanedbae，eculiarsmileofhissealingtheuhsofhismeanness。Auousshowerofsmallfliesstreameduponthelamp，upoh，uponourhandsandfalythemanager’sboyputhisiblathedoorway，andsaidihi:

[5]“‘MistahKurtz—hedead。’

[6]“Allthepilgrimsrushedouttosee。Iremained，ahmydinner。IbelieveIwassideredbrutallycallous。However，Ididherei，don’tyouknow—awassobeastly，beastlydark。Iweheremarkablemanronouncedajudgmentupouresofhissoulohevoie。WhatelsehadbeeIamofcourseawarethathepilgrimsburiedsomethinginamuddyhole。

[7]“Aheyverynearlyburiedme。

[8]“However，asyousee，IdidnotgotojoinKurtzthereandthen。Ididodreamtheheend，andtoshowmyloyaltytoKurtzoiiny!Drollthimysteriementofmercilesslogicforafutilepurpose。Themostyouitissomeknowledgeofyourself—thatestoolate—aextis。Ihavewrestledwithdeath。Itisthemostuiyoue。Ittakesplaimpalpablegreyhnothi，withnothingaround，withoutspectators，withoutclamor，withoutglory，withoutthegreatdesireofvictory，withoutthegreatfearofdefeat，inasicklyatmosphereoftepidskepticism，withoutmuchbeliefinyht，andstilllessinthatofyouradversary。Ifsuchistheformofultimatewisdom，thenlifeisagreaterriddlethahinkittobe。Iwaswithinahair’sbreadthofthelastopportunityforpro，andIfoundwithhumiliationthatprobablyIwouldhavenothingtosay。ThisisthereasonwhyIaffirmthatKurtzwasaremarkableman。Hehadsomethingtosay。Hesaidit。SinceIhadpeepedemyself，Iuahemeaningofhisstare，thatotseetheflameofthedle，butwaswideehewholeuniverse，pieroughtopeheheartsthatbeatinthedarkness。Hehadsummedup—hehadjudged。‘Thehorror!’Hewasaremarkablemahisressioofbelief;ithaddor，ithad，ithadavibratinginitswhisper，ithadtheappallingfapsedtruth—thestrangeinglingofdesireaisnotmyowyIrememberbest—avisiohoutformfilledwithphysi，aemptfortheevahihispaiishisextremitythatIseemtohavelivedthrough。True，hehadmadethatlaststride，hehadsteppede，ermittedtodrawbackmyhesitatingfoot。Andperhapsinthisisthewholedifference;perhapsallthewisdom，andalltruth，andallsiy，arejustpressedintothatinappreentoftimeiepoverthethresholdoftheinvisible。Perhaps!Iliketothinkmysumming-upwouldnothavebeenawordofcarelesspt。Betterhiscry—muchbetter。Itwasanaffirmation，amoralvictorypaidforbyis，byabomierrors，byabomiisfas。Butitwasavictory!ThatiswhyIhaveremaioKurtztothelast，andevenbeyond，whenaloerIheardohisowheeageloqueomefromasoulastralypureasacliffofcrystal。”

AfterYouRead

KnowledgeFocus

1。Pairwork:Discussthefollowiionswithyourpartner。

1）Pleasesummarizetheplotofthispartofthestoryi。

2）WhatisyoftherelatiohetwonistsKurtzandMarlow?

3）WhatkinddidMarlowhaveforKurtz?

4）Howdoyouuhesenten’ttouched。Iwasfasated”desgMarlow’sfeelingsinfrontofthedyingKurtz?

5）“TheManager”appearesshortlyinthispart。Pleasebrieflyaerizationofthisone。

6）WhatisyofKurtz’slastwords“Thehorror!”

7）Whatisyoftheseheyverynearlyburiedme”?

8）DoyouthierwithKurtzhasgedMarlow’slife?Ifso，towhatextent?

2。Solowork:Decidewhetherthefollowirue（T）orfalse（F）agtowhatyoulearellwhy。

____1）WhenKurtztoldMarlowhewasdyibelieveitatfirst。

____2）Marlowhasneverseehbefore，aoseeagain。

____3）MarlowwastoudfasatedbythedyiofKurtz。

____4）OnKurtz’sivoryface，thereistheexpressionofsomberpride，ofruthlesspower，ofterror—ofanintenseandhopelessdespair。

____5）DeathhappenedwhenMarlowblewthedleoutahe。

____6）ThemaedhiseyestogiveMarlowaquestioningglancewhichbotheredhimalot。

____7）Marlowwasbrutallycallous，becausehefeltnothiheKurtz’sdeath。

____8）MarlowdidnotgotojoinKurtzthereandthen，becausehewassoafraidofdeath。

____9）Agtothenarrator，lifeisthemysteriementofmercilesslogicforafutilepurpose。

____10）Themostyoulifeissomeknowledgeofyourself。