Winston Churchill
THE JOYS OF WRITING
February 17，1908
The fortunate people in the world-the only reallyfortunate people in the world，in my mind，-arethose whose work is also their pleasure.The classis not a large one，not nearly so large as it is oftenrepresented to be；and authors are perhaps one ofthe most important elements in its composition.They enjoy in this respect at least a real harmonyof life.To my mind，to be able to make your workyour pleasure is the one class distinction in theworld worth striving for；and I do not wonder thatothers are inclined to envy those happy human be-ings who find their livelihood in the gay effusionsof their fancy，to whom every hour of labour is anhour of enjoyment，to whom repose-however nec－essary-is a tiresome interlude.and even a holidayis almost deprivation.Whether a man writes wellor ill，has much to say or little，if he cares aboutwriting at all，he will appreciate the pleasures ofcomposition.To sit at one's table on a sunny morning，with four clear hours of uninterruptiblesecurity，plenty of nice white paper，and a Squeez-er pen-that is true happiness.The complete ab－sorption of the mind upon an agreeable occupa-tion-what more is there than that to desire？Whatdoes it matter what happens outside？The House ofCommons may do what it likes，and so may theHouse of Lords.The heathen may rage furiously inevery part of the globe.The bottom may beknocked clean out of the American market.Con－sols may fall and suffragettes may rise.Nevermind，for four hours，at any rate，we will with－draw ourselves from a common，ill-governed，and disorderly world，and with the key of fancyunlock that cupboard where all the good things ofthe infinite are put away.
And speaking of freedom，is not the authorfree，as few men are free？Is he not secure，as fewmen are secure？The tools of his industry are socommon and so cheap that they have almost ceasedto have commercial value.He needs no bulky pileof raw material，no elaborate apparatus，no serviceof men or animals.He is dependent for his occupa-tion upon no one but himself，and nothing outsidehim that matters.He is the sovereign of an em-pire，self-supporting，self-contained.No onecan sequestrate his estates.No one can deprivehim of his stock in trade；no one can force him toexercise his faculty against his will；no one canprevent him exercising it as he chooses.The pen isthe great liberator of men and nations.No chainscan bind，no poverty can choke，no tariff can re-strict the free play of his mind，and even the“Times” Book Club can only exert a moderatelydepressing influence upon his rewards.Whetherhis work is good or bad，so long as he does his besthe is happy.I often fortify myself amid the uncer-tainties and vexations of political life by believingthat I possess a line of retreat into a peaceful andfertile country where no rascal can pursue andwhere one need never be dull or idle or even whollywithout power.It is then，indeed，that I feel de－voutly thankful to have been born foud of writing.It is then，indeed，that I feel grateful to all thebrave and generous spirits who，in every age and inevery land，have fought to establish the now un-questioned freedom of the pen.
And what a noble medium the English lan－guage is.It is not possible to write a page withoutexperiencing positive pleasure at the richness andvariety，the flexibility and the profoundness of ourmother-tongue.If an English writer cannot saywhat he has to say in English，and in simple Eng-lish，depend upon it it is probably not worth say-ing.What a pity it is that English is not more gen-erally studied.I am not going to attack classical e-ducation.No one who has the slightest pretensionto literary tastes can be insensible to the attractionof Greece and Rome.But I confess our present ed－ucational system excites in my mind grave misgiv-ings.I cannot believe that a system is good，oreven reasonable，which thrusts upon reluctant anduncomprehending multitudes treasures which can only be appreciated by the privileged and giftedfew.To the vast majority of boys who attend ourpublic schools a classical education is from begin－ning to end one long useless，meaningless rigma-role.If I am told that classles are the best prepara－tion for the study of English，I reply that by farthe greater number of students finish their educa－tion while this preparatory stage is still incompleteand without deriving any of the benefits which arepromised as its result.
And even of those who，without being great scholars，attain a certain general acquaintance withthe ancient writers，can it really be said that theyhave also obtained the mastery of English？How many young gentlemen there are from the universi－ties and public schools who can turn a Latin versewith a facility which would make the old Romanssquirm in their tombs.How few there are who canconstruct a few good sentences，or still less a fewgood paragraphs of plain，correct，and straightfor－ward English.Now，I am a great admirer of theGreeks，although，of course，I have to depend up－on what others tell me about them，-and I wouldlike to see our educationists imitate in one respect，at least，the Greek example.How is it that theGreeks made their language the most graceful andcompendious mode of expression ever known a- mong men？Did they spend all their time studyingthe languages which had preceded theirs？ Did theyexplore with tireless persistency the ancient rootdialects of the vanished world？Not at all.Theystudied Greek.They studied their own language.They loved it，they cherished it，they adorned it，they expanded it，and that is why it survives amodel and delight to all posterity.Surely we，whose mother－tongue has already won for itselfsuch an unequalled empier over the modern world，can learn this lesson at least from the ancientGreeks and bestow a little care and some proper－tion of the years of education to the study of a language which is perhaps to play a predominant partin the future progress of mankind.
Let us remember the author can always do hisbest.There is no excuse for him.The great crick－eter may be out of form.The general may on theday of decisive battle have a bad toothache or a badarmy.The admiral may be seasick—as a sufferer Ireflect with satisfaction upon that contingency.Caruso may be afflicted with catarrh，or Hacken-schmidt with influenza.As for an orator，it is notenough for him to be able to think well and truly.He must think quickly.Speed is vital to him.Spontaneity is more than ever the hall－mark ofgood speaking.All these varied forces of activityrequire from the performer the command of thebest that is in him at a particular moment whichmay be fixed by circumstances utterly beyond hiscontrol.It is not so with the author.He need nev－er appear in public until he is ready.He can alwaysrealise the best that is in him.He is not dependentupon his best moment in any one day.He maygroup together the best moments of twenty days.There is no excuse for him if he does not do hisbest.Great is his opportunity；great also his re-sponsibility.Someone—I forget who—has said： “Words are the only things which last for ever.”That is，to my mind，always a wonderful thought.The most durable structures raised in stone by thestrength of man，the mightiest monuments of hispower，crumble into dust，while the words spokenwith fleeting breath，the passing expression of theunstable fancies of his mind，endure not as echoesof the past，not as mere archaeological curiositiesor venerable relics，but with a force and life as newand strong，and sometimes far stronger than whenthey were first spoken，and leaping across the gulfof three thousand years，they light the world forus to-day.
溫斯頓·丘吉爾
寫作的樂趣
1908年2月17日
在我看來，世上幸運(yùn)的人——世上真正幸運(yùn)的人，是那些以工作為樂的人。這個(gè)階層的人并不多，還沒有人們常說的那樣多。也許，作家是其中重要的組成部分之一。就幸運(yùn)而言，他們至少享受著生活中真正的和諧美。依我看，能使工作成為樂趣，是世人值得為之奮斗的一種崇高的榮譽(yù)；而且，我毫不懷疑別人會(huì)羨慕這些幸福的人，因?yàn)樗麄冊诳鞓返貒娪康幕孟胫姓业搅松?jì)，對(duì)他們來說，每勞動(dòng)一小時(shí)，就是享受一小時(shí)，而休息——無論多么有必要——是令人討厭的插曲，甚至度假也幾乎成了一種損失。無論寫得好壞，寫成多少，只要在意，就可嘗到謀章布局的樂趣。在一個(gè)陽光明媚的早晨，臨桌而坐，整整四個(gè)小時(shí)不受打擾，有足夠數(shù)量的雪白稿紙，還有一支“擠壓式”妙筆——那才叫真正的幸福。全心全意地投入一項(xiàng)令人愉快的職業(yè)——此愿足矣！外面發(fā)生什么事又有何妨？下院想干什么就干什么吧，上院也可如此。異教徙可以在全球各地大發(fā)作。美國市場可以徹底崩潰。證券可以下跌；女權(quán)運(yùn)動(dòng)可以興起。沒有關(guān)系，不管怎么說，我們有四個(gè)小時(shí)可以躲開這俗氣的、治理不善的、雜亂無章的世界，并且用想象這把鑰匙，去開啟藏有大千世界一切寶物的小櫥。
說到自由，既然自由自在的人為數(shù)不多，難道作家還不算自由？既然獲得安全感的人并不多，難道作家還不算安全？作家作業(yè)的工具極為平常，極為便宜，幾乎不再有商業(yè)價(jià)值。他不需要成堆的原材料，不需要精密儀器，不需要有人效犬馬之勞。他的職業(yè)不靠任何人，只靠自己；除了他自己以外，任何事都無關(guān)緊要。他就是一國之君，既自給，又自立。任何人都不能沒收他的資產(chǎn)。任何人都不能剝奪他的從業(yè)資本；任何人都不能強(qiáng)迫他違心地施展才華；任何人都不能阻止他按自己的選擇發(fā)揮天賦。他的筆就是人類和各民族的大救星。他的思想在自由馳騁，任何鎖鏈?zhǔn)`不住，任何貧困阻擋不住，任何關(guān)稅限制不住，甚至“泰晤士”圖書俱樂部也只能有節(jié)制地對(duì)他的收獲潑一點(diǎn)冷水。無論作品是好是糟，只要已經(jīng)盡力而為，他就會(huì)感到歡快。在變幻無常、撲朔迷離的政壇活動(dòng)中，我每每以此信念自勵(lì)：我有一條通向安逸富饒之地的退路，在那里，任何無賴都不能追蹤，我永遠(yuǎn)不必垂頭喪氣或無可事事，即便沒有一丁點(diǎn)權(quán)力。確實(shí)，在那時(shí)，我才為自己生來就愛好寫作而真誠地感到欣慰不已；在那時(shí)，我才對(duì)各個(gè)時(shí)代、各個(gè)國家所有勇敢而慷慨的人充滿感激之情，因?yàn)樗麄優(yōu)榇_立如今無可爭議的寫作自由進(jìn)行了斗爭。
英語是多么崇高的工具！我們每寫下一頁，都不可能不對(duì)祖國語言的豐富多采、靈巧精深，產(chǎn)生一種實(shí)實(shí)在在的喜悅。如果一位英國作家不能用英語，不能用簡單的英語說出他必須說的話，請(qǐng)諸位相信，那句話也許就不值得說。英語沒有更廣泛地得到學(xué)習(xí)是何等的憾事！我不是要攻擊古典教育。凡自命對(duì)文學(xué)有一丁點(diǎn)鑒賞力的人，都不可能對(duì)希臘羅馬的吸引力無動(dòng)于衷。但我承認(rèn)，我國目前的教育制度卻使我憂心忡忡。我無法相信這個(gè)制度是好的，甚至是合理的，因?yàn)樗盐ㄓ猩贁?shù)特權(quán)人物和天才人物才能欣賞的東西，一古腦兒擺在很不情愿又很不理解的人民大眾面前。對(duì)公立學(xué)校的廣大學(xué)童來說，古典教育從頭至尾都是一些冗長的、毫無用處的和毫無意義的廢話。如果有人告訴我，古典課程是學(xué)習(xí)英語的好準(zhǔn)備，那我就回答說，迄今為止，大批學(xué)生已完成了學(xué)業(yè)，而這個(gè)準(zhǔn)備階段卻仍然很不完善，未能收到它所保證的任何好處。
即使那些無緣成為大學(xué)者、但對(duì)古代作家有所了解的人，難道可以說他們已經(jīng)掌握了英語嗎？究竟有多少從大學(xué)和公學(xué)畢業(yè)的年輕紳士，能夠嫻熟地寫下一段拉丁詩文，使墳?zāi)怪械墓帕_馬人聞之動(dòng)情？能寫出幾行佳句的人何其少也！更不要說能用簡單的、正確的和練達(dá)的英語寫出幾個(gè)精彩段落的人了。不過，我倒是極為仰慕古希臘人——當(dāng)然我得仰仗別人把他們的情況告訴我——我想見到我們的教育專家至少能在一個(gè)方面效法古希臘人。古希臘人是如何使自己的語言，成為人類迄今所知典雅、簡練的表達(dá)方式的呢？他們花畢生時(shí)間學(xué)習(xí)希臘語以前的語言了嗎？他們無休無止地堅(jiān)持探索已消失的世界的原始方言了嗎？根本沒有！他們只學(xué)習(xí)希臘語。他們學(xué)習(xí)自己的語言。他們熱愛它，珍惜它，點(diǎn)綴它，發(fā)展它，因此，它才能延續(xù)下來，成為所有后代人的楷模和樂趣。毫無疑問，對(duì)我們來說，既然英語已經(jīng)為自己在現(xiàn)代世界贏得了如此無與論比的疆域，我們至少能從古希臘人那里學(xué)到一條道理，在數(shù)年教育中稍微操點(diǎn)心并撥出一些時(shí)間，去學(xué)習(xí)一種也許將在人類未來進(jìn)步中起到主導(dǎo)作用的語言。
讓我們都記住，作家永遠(yuǎn)可以盡大的努力，他沒有任何借口不這樣做。板球巨星也許會(huì)狀態(tài)不佳。將軍在決戰(zhàn)之日也許會(huì)牙疼，或者他的部隊(duì)很糟糕。艦隊(duì)司令也許會(huì)暈船——我作為暈船者滿意地想到了那種意外?？斔饕苍S會(huì)得黏膜炎，哈肯施米特也許會(huì)得流感。至于一位演說家，想得好和想得正確是不夠的，他還需想得快。速度至關(guān)重要；隨機(jī)應(yīng)變越來越成為優(yōu)秀演說家的標(biāo)志。所有上述活動(dòng)都需要行動(dòng)者在一個(gè)特定的時(shí)刻傾其所能，而這一時(shí)刻也許決定于他完全無法控制的種種事態(tài)。作家的情況不一樣。不到萬事俱備，他永遠(yuǎn)不必出場。他永遠(yuǎn)可以發(fā)揮大的能力。他并不依賴于自己在某一天的佳一刻，他可以把20天的佳時(shí)刻加起來。他沒有理由不盡大的努力。他的機(jī)會(huì)很多；他的責(zé)任也很重。某人說過——我忘了此君是誰——“話語乃持久不滅之物”。依我看，這永遠(yuǎn)是絕妙的思想。人類力量的偉大的杰作，即人類用石塊壘起的無比堅(jiān)固的大廈，也會(huì)夷為廢墟，而那脫口而出的話語，那思緒起伏時(shí)轉(zhuǎn)瞬即逝的表達(dá)卻延續(xù)了下來，但它不是過去的回響，不是純粹的建筑奇跡或神圣的遺址，它力量依舊，生命依舊，有時(shí)候遠(yuǎn)比初說時(shí)更堅(jiān)強(qiáng)有力，它越過了3000年時(shí)光的峽谷，為今天的我們照亮了世界。
THE JOYS OF WRITING
February 17，1908
The fortunate people in the world-the only reallyfortunate people in the world，in my mind，-arethose whose work is also their pleasure.The classis not a large one，not nearly so large as it is oftenrepresented to be；and authors are perhaps one ofthe most important elements in its composition.They enjoy in this respect at least a real harmonyof life.To my mind，to be able to make your workyour pleasure is the one class distinction in theworld worth striving for；and I do not wonder thatothers are inclined to envy those happy human be-ings who find their livelihood in the gay effusionsof their fancy，to whom every hour of labour is anhour of enjoyment，to whom repose-however nec－essary-is a tiresome interlude.and even a holidayis almost deprivation.Whether a man writes wellor ill，has much to say or little，if he cares aboutwriting at all，he will appreciate the pleasures ofcomposition.To sit at one's table on a sunny morning，with four clear hours of uninterruptiblesecurity，plenty of nice white paper，and a Squeez-er pen-that is true happiness.The complete ab－sorption of the mind upon an agreeable occupa-tion-what more is there than that to desire？Whatdoes it matter what happens outside？The House ofCommons may do what it likes，and so may theHouse of Lords.The heathen may rage furiously inevery part of the globe.The bottom may beknocked clean out of the American market.Con－sols may fall and suffragettes may rise.Nevermind，for four hours，at any rate，we will with－draw ourselves from a common，ill-governed，and disorderly world，and with the key of fancyunlock that cupboard where all the good things ofthe infinite are put away.
And speaking of freedom，is not the authorfree，as few men are free？Is he not secure，as fewmen are secure？The tools of his industry are socommon and so cheap that they have almost ceasedto have commercial value.He needs no bulky pileof raw material，no elaborate apparatus，no serviceof men or animals.He is dependent for his occupa-tion upon no one but himself，and nothing outsidehim that matters.He is the sovereign of an em-pire，self-supporting，self-contained.No onecan sequestrate his estates.No one can deprivehim of his stock in trade；no one can force him toexercise his faculty against his will；no one canprevent him exercising it as he chooses.The pen isthe great liberator of men and nations.No chainscan bind，no poverty can choke，no tariff can re-strict the free play of his mind，and even the“Times” Book Club can only exert a moderatelydepressing influence upon his rewards.Whetherhis work is good or bad，so long as he does his besthe is happy.I often fortify myself amid the uncer-tainties and vexations of political life by believingthat I possess a line of retreat into a peaceful andfertile country where no rascal can pursue andwhere one need never be dull or idle or even whollywithout power.It is then，indeed，that I feel de－voutly thankful to have been born foud of writing.It is then，indeed，that I feel grateful to all thebrave and generous spirits who，in every age and inevery land，have fought to establish the now un-questioned freedom of the pen.
And what a noble medium the English lan－guage is.It is not possible to write a page withoutexperiencing positive pleasure at the richness andvariety，the flexibility and the profoundness of ourmother-tongue.If an English writer cannot saywhat he has to say in English，and in simple Eng-lish，depend upon it it is probably not worth say-ing.What a pity it is that English is not more gen-erally studied.I am not going to attack classical e-ducation.No one who has the slightest pretensionto literary tastes can be insensible to the attractionof Greece and Rome.But I confess our present ed－ucational system excites in my mind grave misgiv-ings.I cannot believe that a system is good，oreven reasonable，which thrusts upon reluctant anduncomprehending multitudes treasures which can only be appreciated by the privileged and giftedfew.To the vast majority of boys who attend ourpublic schools a classical education is from begin－ning to end one long useless，meaningless rigma-role.If I am told that classles are the best prepara－tion for the study of English，I reply that by farthe greater number of students finish their educa－tion while this preparatory stage is still incompleteand without deriving any of the benefits which arepromised as its result.
And even of those who，without being great scholars，attain a certain general acquaintance withthe ancient writers，can it really be said that theyhave also obtained the mastery of English？How many young gentlemen there are from the universi－ties and public schools who can turn a Latin versewith a facility which would make the old Romanssquirm in their tombs.How few there are who canconstruct a few good sentences，or still less a fewgood paragraphs of plain，correct，and straightfor－ward English.Now，I am a great admirer of theGreeks，although，of course，I have to depend up－on what others tell me about them，-and I wouldlike to see our educationists imitate in one respect，at least，the Greek example.How is it that theGreeks made their language the most graceful andcompendious mode of expression ever known a- mong men？Did they spend all their time studyingthe languages which had preceded theirs？ Did theyexplore with tireless persistency the ancient rootdialects of the vanished world？Not at all.Theystudied Greek.They studied their own language.They loved it，they cherished it，they adorned it，they expanded it，and that is why it survives amodel and delight to all posterity.Surely we，whose mother－tongue has already won for itselfsuch an unequalled empier over the modern world，can learn this lesson at least from the ancientGreeks and bestow a little care and some proper－tion of the years of education to the study of a language which is perhaps to play a predominant partin the future progress of mankind.
Let us remember the author can always do hisbest.There is no excuse for him.The great crick－eter may be out of form.The general may on theday of decisive battle have a bad toothache or a badarmy.The admiral may be seasick—as a sufferer Ireflect with satisfaction upon that contingency.Caruso may be afflicted with catarrh，or Hacken-schmidt with influenza.As for an orator，it is notenough for him to be able to think well and truly.He must think quickly.Speed is vital to him.Spontaneity is more than ever the hall－mark ofgood speaking.All these varied forces of activityrequire from the performer the command of thebest that is in him at a particular moment whichmay be fixed by circumstances utterly beyond hiscontrol.It is not so with the author.He need nev－er appear in public until he is ready.He can alwaysrealise the best that is in him.He is not dependentupon his best moment in any one day.He maygroup together the best moments of twenty days.There is no excuse for him if he does not do hisbest.Great is his opportunity；great also his re-sponsibility.Someone—I forget who—has said： “Words are the only things which last for ever.”That is，to my mind，always a wonderful thought.The most durable structures raised in stone by thestrength of man，the mightiest monuments of hispower，crumble into dust，while the words spokenwith fleeting breath，the passing expression of theunstable fancies of his mind，endure not as echoesof the past，not as mere archaeological curiositiesor venerable relics，but with a force and life as newand strong，and sometimes far stronger than whenthey were first spoken，and leaping across the gulfof three thousand years，they light the world forus to-day.
溫斯頓·丘吉爾
寫作的樂趣
1908年2月17日
在我看來，世上幸運(yùn)的人——世上真正幸運(yùn)的人，是那些以工作為樂的人。這個(gè)階層的人并不多，還沒有人們常說的那樣多。也許，作家是其中重要的組成部分之一。就幸運(yùn)而言，他們至少享受著生活中真正的和諧美。依我看，能使工作成為樂趣，是世人值得為之奮斗的一種崇高的榮譽(yù)；而且，我毫不懷疑別人會(huì)羨慕這些幸福的人，因?yàn)樗麄冊诳鞓返貒娪康幕孟胫姓业搅松?jì)，對(duì)他們來說，每勞動(dòng)一小時(shí)，就是享受一小時(shí)，而休息——無論多么有必要——是令人討厭的插曲，甚至度假也幾乎成了一種損失。無論寫得好壞，寫成多少，只要在意，就可嘗到謀章布局的樂趣。在一個(gè)陽光明媚的早晨，臨桌而坐，整整四個(gè)小時(shí)不受打擾，有足夠數(shù)量的雪白稿紙，還有一支“擠壓式”妙筆——那才叫真正的幸福。全心全意地投入一項(xiàng)令人愉快的職業(yè)——此愿足矣！外面發(fā)生什么事又有何妨？下院想干什么就干什么吧，上院也可如此。異教徙可以在全球各地大發(fā)作。美國市場可以徹底崩潰。證券可以下跌；女權(quán)運(yùn)動(dòng)可以興起。沒有關(guān)系，不管怎么說，我們有四個(gè)小時(shí)可以躲開這俗氣的、治理不善的、雜亂無章的世界，并且用想象這把鑰匙，去開啟藏有大千世界一切寶物的小櫥。
說到自由，既然自由自在的人為數(shù)不多，難道作家還不算自由？既然獲得安全感的人并不多，難道作家還不算安全？作家作業(yè)的工具極為平常，極為便宜，幾乎不再有商業(yè)價(jià)值。他不需要成堆的原材料，不需要精密儀器，不需要有人效犬馬之勞。他的職業(yè)不靠任何人，只靠自己；除了他自己以外，任何事都無關(guān)緊要。他就是一國之君，既自給，又自立。任何人都不能沒收他的資產(chǎn)。任何人都不能剝奪他的從業(yè)資本；任何人都不能強(qiáng)迫他違心地施展才華；任何人都不能阻止他按自己的選擇發(fā)揮天賦。他的筆就是人類和各民族的大救星。他的思想在自由馳騁，任何鎖鏈?zhǔn)`不住，任何貧困阻擋不住，任何關(guān)稅限制不住，甚至“泰晤士”圖書俱樂部也只能有節(jié)制地對(duì)他的收獲潑一點(diǎn)冷水。無論作品是好是糟，只要已經(jīng)盡力而為，他就會(huì)感到歡快。在變幻無常、撲朔迷離的政壇活動(dòng)中，我每每以此信念自勵(lì)：我有一條通向安逸富饒之地的退路，在那里，任何無賴都不能追蹤，我永遠(yuǎn)不必垂頭喪氣或無可事事，即便沒有一丁點(diǎn)權(quán)力。確實(shí)，在那時(shí)，我才為自己生來就愛好寫作而真誠地感到欣慰不已；在那時(shí)，我才對(duì)各個(gè)時(shí)代、各個(gè)國家所有勇敢而慷慨的人充滿感激之情，因?yàn)樗麄優(yōu)榇_立如今無可爭議的寫作自由進(jìn)行了斗爭。
英語是多么崇高的工具！我們每寫下一頁，都不可能不對(duì)祖國語言的豐富多采、靈巧精深，產(chǎn)生一種實(shí)實(shí)在在的喜悅。如果一位英國作家不能用英語，不能用簡單的英語說出他必須說的話，請(qǐng)諸位相信，那句話也許就不值得說。英語沒有更廣泛地得到學(xué)習(xí)是何等的憾事！我不是要攻擊古典教育。凡自命對(duì)文學(xué)有一丁點(diǎn)鑒賞力的人，都不可能對(duì)希臘羅馬的吸引力無動(dòng)于衷。但我承認(rèn)，我國目前的教育制度卻使我憂心忡忡。我無法相信這個(gè)制度是好的，甚至是合理的，因?yàn)樗盐ㄓ猩贁?shù)特權(quán)人物和天才人物才能欣賞的東西，一古腦兒擺在很不情愿又很不理解的人民大眾面前。對(duì)公立學(xué)校的廣大學(xué)童來說，古典教育從頭至尾都是一些冗長的、毫無用處的和毫無意義的廢話。如果有人告訴我，古典課程是學(xué)習(xí)英語的好準(zhǔn)備，那我就回答說，迄今為止，大批學(xué)生已完成了學(xué)業(yè)，而這個(gè)準(zhǔn)備階段卻仍然很不完善，未能收到它所保證的任何好處。
即使那些無緣成為大學(xué)者、但對(duì)古代作家有所了解的人，難道可以說他們已經(jīng)掌握了英語嗎？究竟有多少從大學(xué)和公學(xué)畢業(yè)的年輕紳士，能夠嫻熟地寫下一段拉丁詩文，使墳?zāi)怪械墓帕_馬人聞之動(dòng)情？能寫出幾行佳句的人何其少也！更不要說能用簡單的、正確的和練達(dá)的英語寫出幾個(gè)精彩段落的人了。不過，我倒是極為仰慕古希臘人——當(dāng)然我得仰仗別人把他們的情況告訴我——我想見到我們的教育專家至少能在一個(gè)方面效法古希臘人。古希臘人是如何使自己的語言，成為人類迄今所知典雅、簡練的表達(dá)方式的呢？他們花畢生時(shí)間學(xué)習(xí)希臘語以前的語言了嗎？他們無休無止地堅(jiān)持探索已消失的世界的原始方言了嗎？根本沒有！他們只學(xué)習(xí)希臘語。他們學(xué)習(xí)自己的語言。他們熱愛它，珍惜它，點(diǎn)綴它，發(fā)展它，因此，它才能延續(xù)下來，成為所有后代人的楷模和樂趣。毫無疑問，對(duì)我們來說，既然英語已經(jīng)為自己在現(xiàn)代世界贏得了如此無與論比的疆域，我們至少能從古希臘人那里學(xué)到一條道理，在數(shù)年教育中稍微操點(diǎn)心并撥出一些時(shí)間，去學(xué)習(xí)一種也許將在人類未來進(jìn)步中起到主導(dǎo)作用的語言。
讓我們都記住，作家永遠(yuǎn)可以盡大的努力，他沒有任何借口不這樣做。板球巨星也許會(huì)狀態(tài)不佳。將軍在決戰(zhàn)之日也許會(huì)牙疼，或者他的部隊(duì)很糟糕。艦隊(duì)司令也許會(huì)暈船——我作為暈船者滿意地想到了那種意外?？斔饕苍S會(huì)得黏膜炎，哈肯施米特也許會(huì)得流感。至于一位演說家，想得好和想得正確是不夠的，他還需想得快。速度至關(guān)重要；隨機(jī)應(yīng)變越來越成為優(yōu)秀演說家的標(biāo)志。所有上述活動(dòng)都需要行動(dòng)者在一個(gè)特定的時(shí)刻傾其所能，而這一時(shí)刻也許決定于他完全無法控制的種種事態(tài)。作家的情況不一樣。不到萬事俱備，他永遠(yuǎn)不必出場。他永遠(yuǎn)可以發(fā)揮大的能力。他并不依賴于自己在某一天的佳一刻，他可以把20天的佳時(shí)刻加起來。他沒有理由不盡大的努力。他的機(jī)會(huì)很多；他的責(zé)任也很重。某人說過——我忘了此君是誰——“話語乃持久不滅之物”。依我看，這永遠(yuǎn)是絕妙的思想。人類力量的偉大的杰作，即人類用石塊壘起的無比堅(jiān)固的大廈，也會(huì)夷為廢墟，而那脫口而出的話語，那思緒起伏時(shí)轉(zhuǎn)瞬即逝的表達(dá)卻延續(xù)了下來，但它不是過去的回響，不是純粹的建筑奇跡或神圣的遺址，它力量依舊，生命依舊，有時(shí)候遠(yuǎn)比初說時(shí)更堅(jiān)強(qiáng)有力，它越過了3000年時(shí)光的峽谷，為今天的我們照亮了世界。