資源描述：
《The People of the Abyss《深淵中的人們》》由會員上傳分享，免費在線閱讀，更多相關(guān)內(nèi)容在學(xué)術(shù)論文-天天文庫。
1、THEPEOPLEOFTHEABYSSbyJackLondonAUTHOR'SPREFACE.THEEXPERIENCESRELATEDinthisvolumefelltomeinthesummerof1902.Iwentdownintotheunder-worldofLondonwithanattitudeofmindwhichImaybestlikentothatoftheexplorer.Iwasopentobeconvincedbytheevidenceofmyeyes,ratherthanbythetea
2、chingsofthosewhohadnotseen,orbythewordsofthosewhohadseenandgonebefore.Further,Itookwithmecertainsimplecriteriawithwhichtomeasurethelifeoftheunder-world.Thatwhichmadeformorelife,forphysicalandspiritualhealth,wasgood;thatwhichmadeforlesslife,whichhurt,anddwarfed
3、,anddistortedlife,wasbad.ItwillbereadilyapparenttothereaderthatIsawmuchthatwasbad.YetitmustnotbeforgottenthatthetimeofwhichIwritewasconsidered'goodtimes'inEngland.ThestarvationandlackofshelterIencounteredconstitutedachronicconditionofmiserywhichisneverwipedout
4、,evenintheperiodsofgreatestprosperity.Followingthesummerinquestioncameahardwinter.Tosuchanextentdidthesufferingandpositivestarvationincreasethatsocietywasunabletocopewithit.Greatnumbersoftheunemployedformedintoprocessions,asmanyasadozenatatime,anddailymarchedt
5、hroughthestreetsofLondoncryingforbread.Mr.JustinMcCarthy,writinginthemonthofJanuary,1903,totheNewYorkIndependent,brieflyepitomizesthesituationasfollows:-'Theworkhouseshavenospaceleftinwhichtopackthestarvingcrowdswhoarecravingeverydayandnightattheirdoorsforfood
6、andshelter.AllthecharitableinstitutionshaveexhaustedtheirmeansintryingtoraisesuppliesoffoodforthefamishingresidentsofthegarretsandcellarsofLondonlanesandalleys.ThequartersoftheSalvationArmyinvariouspartsofLondonarenightlybesiegedbyhostsoftheunemployedandthehun
7、gryforwhomneithershelternorthemeansofsustenancecanbeprovided.'IthasbeenurgedthatthecriticismIhavepassedonthingsastheyareinEnglandistoopessimistic.Imustsay,inextenuation,thatofoptimistsIamthemostoptimistic.ButImeasuremanhoodlessbypoliticalaggregationsthanbyindi
8、viduals.Societygrows,whilepoliticalmachinesracktopiecesandbecome'scrap.'FortheEnglish,sofarasmanhoodandwomanhoodandhealthandhappinessgo,Iseeabroadandsmilingfuture.Butforagreatdealo
