0507-亚洲The-Lovely-Stone

AdaptedfromChristopherHitchens,“TheLovelyStones.”publishedbyVanityFairinJuly,20091.ThegreatclassicistA.W.LawrenceonceremarkedoftheParthenonthatitis“theonebuildingintheworldwhichmaybeassessedasabsolutelyright.”2.NotthatthebeautyandsymmetryoftheParthenonhavenotbeenabusedandpervertedandmutilated.FivecenturiesafterthebirthofChristianitytheParthenonwasclosedanddesolated.Turkishforcesalsouseditforcenturiesasagarrisonandanarsenal,withthetragicresultthatin1687,whenChristianVeniceattackedtheOttomanTurks,apowdermagazinewasdetonatedandhugedamageinflictedonthestructure.Mosthorribleofall,perhaps,theAcropoliswasmadetoflyaNaziflagduringtheGermanoccupationofAthens.3.Thedamagedonebytheagestothebuilding,andbypastempiresandoccupations,cannotallbeputright.Butthereisonedesecrationanddilapidationthatcanatleastbepartiallyundone.Earlyinthe19thcentury,Britain’sambassadortotheOttomanEmpire,LordElgin,sentawreckingcrewtotheTurkish-occupiedterritoryofGreece,whereitsawedoffapproximatelyhalfoftheadornmentoftheParthenonandcarrieditaway.AswithallthingsGreek,therewerethreeelementstothis,themostlavishandbeautifulsculpturaltreasuryinhumanhistory.UnderthedirectionoftheartisticgeniusPhidias,thetemplehadtwomassivepedimentsdecoratedwiththefiguresofPallasAthena,Poseidon,andthegodsofthesunandthemoon.Itthenhadaseriesof92high-reliefpanels,ormetopes,depictingasuccessionofmythicalandhistoricalbattles.Themostintricateelementwasthefrieze,carvedinbas-relief,whichshowedthegods,humans,andanimalsthatmadeuptheannualPan-Athensprocession:therewere192equestrianwarriorsandauxiliariesfeatured.Expertsdifferonpreciselywhatstoryisbeingtoldhere,butthefriezewasquiteclearlycarvedasacontinuousnarrative.ExceptthathalfthecastofthetaleisstillinBloomsbury,inLondon,havingbeensoldwellbelowcostbyElgintotheBritishgovernmentin1816for$2.2millionintoday’scurrencytopayoffhismanydebts.4.I’vewrittenawholebookaboutthiscontroversyandwon’toppressyouwithallthedetails,butwouldjustmakethisonepoint.IftheMonaLisahadbeensawedintwoduringtheNapoleonicWarsandtheseparatedhalveshadbeenacquiredbydifferentmuseumsin,say,St.PetersburgandLisbon,wouldtherenotbeageneralwishtoseewhattheymightlooklikeifre-united?Ifyouthinkmyanalogyisoverdrawn,considerthis:thebodyofthegoddessIrisisatpresentinLondon,whileherheadisinAsyoureadthepassagebelow,considerhowChristopherHitchensuses:1.Evidence,suchasfactsorexamples,tosupportclaims.2.Reasoningtodevelopideasandtoconnectclaimsandevidence.3.Stylisticorpersuasiveelements,suchaswordchoiceorappealstoemotion,toaddpowertotheideasexpressed.Athens.ThefrontpartofthetorsoofPoseidonisinLondon,andtherearpartisinAthens.Andsoon.Thisisgrotesque.5.Itisunfortunatelytruethatthecityalloweditselftobecomeverydirtyandpollutedinthe20thcentury,andasaresulttheremainingsculpturesandstatuesontheParthenonwerenastilyerodedby“acidrain.”TheGreekshavebeenlivinguptotheirresponsibilities.Beginningin1992,theendangeredmarbleswereremovedfromthetemple,givencarefulcleaningwithultravioletandinfra-redlasers,andplacedinaclimate-controlledinterior.Alas,theycanneverallberepositionedontheParthenonitself,because,thoughtheatmosphericpollutionisnowbettercontrolled,LordElgin’sgoonssucceededinsmashingmanyoftheentablaturesthatheldthesculpturesinplace.Thatleavesuswiththenext-bestthing,whichturnsouttoberatherbetterthanonehadhoped.Aboutathousandfeetsoutheastofthetemple,theastonishingnewAcropolisMuseumwillopenonJune20.With10timesthespaceoftheoldrepository,itwillbeabletodisplayallthemarvelsthatgowiththetemplesontopofthehill.Mostimportant,itwillbeabletoshow,forthefirsttimeincenturies,howtheParthenonsculptureslookedtothecitizensofold.6.TheBritishmaycontinueintheirconstipatedfashiontoclingtowhattheyhavesocrudelyamputated,buttheothermuseumsandgalleriesofEuropehaveseentheartisticpointofre-unificationandrestoredtoAthenswhatwaslootedintheyearswhenGreecewasdefenseless.TheAcropolisMuseumhashitonthehappyideaofexhibiting,foraslongasfollowingthatprecedentistoomuchtohopefor,itsownoriginalsculptureswiththeLondon-heldpiecesrepresentedbybeautifullycopiedcasts.Anditcreatesanaturalthirsttoseetheactualre-assemblycompleted.So,farfromemptyingorweakeningamuseum,thiscontroversyhasinsteadcreatedanotherone,whichisdestinedtobeamongEurope’sfinestgalleries.Andoneday,surely,therewillbeanagreementtodotherightthingbytheworld’smost“right”structure.WriteanessayinwhichyouexplainhowChristopherHitchensbuildsanargumenttopersuadehisaudiencethatBritainshouldreturnthesculpturesoftheParthenontoitsorigin,Greece.Inyouressay,analyzehowChristopherusesoneormoreofthefeatureslistedintheboxabove(orfeaturesofyourownchoice)tostrengthenthelogicandpersuasivenessofhisargument.Besurethatyouranalysisfocusesonthemostrelevantfeaturesofthepassage.YouressayshouldnotexplainwhetheryouagreewithChristopher`sclaims,butratherexplainhowChristopherbuildsanargumenttopersuadehisaudience.