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1、__________________________________________________WhyaClassicIsaClassicbyArnoldBennett
?Thelargemajorityofourfellow-citizenscareasmuchaboutliteratureastheycareaboutaeroplanesortheprogrammeoftheLegislature.Theydonotignoreit;theyarenotquiteindifferenttoit.Buttheirinterestinitisfai
2、ntandperfunctory;or,iftheirinteresthappenstobeviolent,itisspasmodic.Askthetwohundredthousandpersonswhoseenthusiasmmadethevogueofapopularnoveltenyearsagowhattheythinkofthatnovelnow,andyouwillgatherthattheyhaveutterlyforgottenit,andthattheywouldnomoredreamofreadingitagainthanofrea
3、dingBishopStubbs’sSelectCharters.?Probablyiftheydidreaditagaintheywouldnotenjoyit—notbecausethesaidnovelisawhitworsenowthanitwastenyearsago;notbecausetheirtastehasimproved—butbecausetheyhavenothadsufficientpracticetobeabletorelyontheirtasteasameansofpermanentpleasure.Theysimplyd
4、on’tknowfromonedaytothenextwhatwillpleasethem.Inthefaceofthisonemayask:Whydoesthegreatanduniversalfameofclassicalauthorscontinue?Theansweristhatthefameofclassicalauthorsisentirelyindependentofthemajority.DoyousupposethatifthefameofShakespearedependedonthemaninthestreetitwouldsur
5、viveafortnight?Thefameofclassicalauthorsisoriginallymade,anditismaintained,byapassionatefew.Evenwhenafirst-classauthorhasenjoyedimmensesuccessduringhislifetime,themajorityhaveneverappreciatedhimsosincerelyastheyhaveappreciatedsecond-ratemen.Hehasalwaysbeenreinforcedbytheardourof
6、thepassionatefew.Andinthecaseofanauthorwhohasemergedintogloryafterhisdeaththehappysequelhasbeenduesolelytotheobstinateperseveranceofthefew.Theycouldnotleavehimalone;theywouldnot.Theykeptonsavouringhim,andtalkingabouthim,andbuyinghim,andtheygenerallybehavedwithsucheagerzeal,andth
7、eyweresoauthoritativeandsureofthemselves,thatatlastthemajoritygrewaccustomedtothesoundofhisnameandplacidlyagreedtothepropositionthathewasagenius;themajorityreallydidnotcareverymucheitherway.Anditisbythepassionatefewthattherenownofgeniusiskeptalivefromonegenerationtoanother.These
8、fewarealwaysatwork.?Theyarealwaysrediscoveringg