資源描述：
《Why a classic is a classic (Arnold Bennet)資料》由會員上傳分享，免費在線閱讀，更多相關內容在應用文檔-天天文庫。
1、WhyaClassicIsaClassicbyArnoldBennett?Thelargemajorityofourfellow-citizenscareasmuchaboutliteratureastheycareaboutaeroplanesortheprogrammeoftheLegislature.Theydonotignoreit;theyarenotquiteindifferenttoit.Buttheirinterestinitisfaintandperfunctory;or,iftheirin
2、teresthappenstobeviolent,itisspasmodic.Askthetwohundredthousandpersonswhoseenthusiasmmadethevogueofapopularnoveltenyearsagowhattheythinkofthatnovelnow,andyouwillgatherthattheyhaveutterlyforgottenit,andthattheywouldnomoredreamofreadingitagainthanofreadingBis
3、hopStubbs’sSelectCharters.?Probablyiftheydidreaditagaintheywouldnotenjoyit—notbecausethesaidnovelisawhitworsenowthanitwastenyearsago;notbecausetheirtastehasimproved—butbecausetheyhavenothadsufficientpracticetobeabletorelyontheirtasteasameansofpermanentpleas
4、ure.Theysimplydon’tknowfromonedaytothenextwhatwillpleasethem.Inthefaceofthisonemayask:Whydoesthegreatanduniversalfameofclassicalauthorscontinue?Theansweristhatthefameofclassicalauthorsisentirelyindependentofthemajority.DoyousupposethatifthefameofShakespeare
5、dependedonthemaninthestreetitwouldsurviveafortnight?Thefameofclassicalauthorsisoriginallymade,anditismaintained,byapassionatefew.Evenwhenafirst-classauthorhasenjoyedimmensesuccessduringhislifetime,themajorityhaveneverappreciatedhimsosincerelyastheyhaveappre
6、ciatedsecond-ratemen.Hehasalwaysbeenreinforcedbytheardourofthepassionatefew.Andinthecaseofanauthorwhohasemergedintogloryafterhisdeaththehappysequelhasbeenduesolelytotheobstinateperseveranceofthefew.Theycouldnotleavehimalone;theywouldnot.Theykeptonsavouringh
7、im,andtalkingabouthim,andbuyinghim,andtheygenerallybehavedwithsucheagerzeal,andtheyweresoauthoritativeandsureofthemselves,thatatlastthemajoritygrewaccustomedtothesoundofhisnameandplacidlyagreedtothepropositionthathewasagenius;themajorityreallydidnotcarevery
8、mucheitherway.Anditisbythepassionatefewthattherenownofgeniusiskeptalivefromonegenerationtoanother.Thesefewarealwaysatwork.?Theyarealwaysrediscoveringgenius.Theircuriosityandenthusiasmareexhaustless,sot
