课文原文-Unit-3-The-Rite-of-Spring

1/2Unit3TheRiteofSpringArthurMiller1.Ihaveneverunderstoodwhywekeepagardenandwhyover36yearsagowhenIboughtmyfirsthouseinthecountry,Istarteddiggingupapatchforvegetablesbeforedoinganythingelse.Whenyouthinkhoweasyandcheap,relatively,itistobuyabunchofcarrotsorbeets,whyraisethem?Androotcropsespeciallyarehardtotellapart,whenstore-bought,fromourown.Thereisahumaninstinctatworkhere,akindofback-breakingmake-believethathasnoreality.Besides,Idon'tparticularlylikeeatingvegetables.I'dmuchrathereatsomethingjuicyandfat.Likehotdogs.2.Now,ifyoucouldraisehotdogsoutsideyourwindow,you'dreallyhavesomethingyoucouldjustifywithoutasecond'shesitation.Asitis,though,IcannotdenythatwhenAprilcomesIfindmyselfgoingouttoleanonthefenceandlookatthatmiserableplotofland,resolvingwithallmyrationalpowersnottoplantitagain.Butinevitablyamorningarriveswhen,justasIamawakening,ascentwaftsthroughthewindow,somethinglikeearth-as-air,ascentthatseemstocomeupfromtheverycenterofthisplanet.Andthesunmeansbusiness,suddenly,andhasadifferent,deeperyellowinitsbeamsonthecarpet.Thebirdsbeginscreaminghysterically,thinkingwhatIamthinking—thewormsaredeliciouslywormingtheirwaythroughthemeltingsoil.3.Itisnotonlypleasuresendingmebacktostareatthatplotofsoil,itisreallyconflict.Thequestionisthesameeachyear—whatmethodshouldweuse?Thelastfewyearsweput36-inch-wideblackplasticbetweentherows,anditworkedperfectly,keepingthesoilmoistindrytimesandweed-free.4.Butblackplasticlookssoindustrial,sounromantic,thatIhavegraduallymovedovertohaymulch.Wecutalotofhayand,asitrots,itdoesimprovethesoil'sComposition.Besides,itlookslovely,andcomestousfree.5.Keepingagardenmakesyouawareofhowdelicate,bountiful,andeasilyruinedthesurfaceofthislittleplanetis.Inthat50-by-70-footpatchtheremustbeadozendifferenttypesofsoil.Tomatowon'tgrowinonepartbutlovesanother,andthesamegoesfortheothercrops.Isupposeifyouloadedthesoilwithchemicalfertilizerthesedifferenceswouldbelessnoticeable,butIuseitsparinglyandonlyinrowsrightwhereseedsareplantedratherthanbroadcastoverthewholearea.I'mnotsurewhyIdothisbeyondthesavinginfertilizerandmyunwillingnesstoaidtheweeds.6.Theattractionsofgardening,Ithink,atleastforacertainnumberofgardeners,areneuroticandmoral.Wheneverlifeseemspointlessanddifficulttograsp,youcanalwaysgetoutinthegardenandgetsomethingdone.Also,yourpaternalormaternalinstinctscomeintoplaybecausehelplesslivingthingsaredependingonyou,requiretrainingandencouragementandprotectionfromenemies.Insomecases,aswithbeansandcucumbers,yourchildren—asitwere—begintoturnuponyouinmassivenumbers,growingmoreandmoreeachmorningandthreateningtofollowyouintothehousetostrangleyouintheirvines.7.Gardeningisamoraloccupation,aswell,becauseyoualwaysstartinspringresolvedtokeep2/2itlookingneatthisyear,justlikethepicturesinthecatalogues.ButbyJuly,youonceagainfacethechaosofunthinnedcarrots,lettuceandbeets.Thisiswhenmywifebecomes—openlynow—mistressofthegarden.Aconsumerofvastquantitiesofvegetables,shedoesthethinningandhand-cultivatingofthetinyplants.Squatting,shepatientlymovesdowneachrowselectingwhichplantsshallliveandwhichshewillcastaside.8.Ataboutthistime,mywife's86-year-oldmother,abotanist,makesherfirstvisittothegarden.Shelooksaboutskeptically.Herfavoritetaskisbindingthetomatoplantstostakes.Sheisanoutspoken,truthfulwoman,orshewasuntilshelearnedbetter.Now,insteadofsaying,Youhaveplantedthetomatoesinthedamppartofthegarden,shewaitsuntilOctoberwhenshemakesherannualtriptoherhomeinEurope;thenshegivesmemygood-bykissandsayscasually,Tomatoesindampsoiltendmoretogetfungi,andwalksawaytoherplane.ButbyOctobernothinginthegardenmatters,sosureamIthatIwillneverplantitagain.9.Igarden,Isuppose,becauseImust.Itwouldbeintolerabletohavetopassanunplantedfencedgardenafewtimesaday.Therearealsocertaincompensations,andthesemustbewhatannuallyturnmymindtowardallthatwork.Therearefewsightsquiteasbeautifulasavegetablegardenglisteninginthesun,alldewyandglitteringwithadozenshadesofgreenatseveninthemorning.Farlovelier,infact,thanrowsofhotdogs.Insomepocketofthemindtheremayevenbeatendencytochangethisvisionintoapersonalreassurancethatallthishealthygrowth,thisorderlinessandthrustinglifemustsomehowreflectsimilarmovementsinone'sownspirit.WithoutagardentotillandplantIwouldnotknowwhatAprilwasfor.10.Asitis,Aprilisforgettingirritatedalloveragainatthispointless,time-consuminghobby.Idonotunderstandpeoplewhoclaimtolovegardening.Agardenisanextensionofoneself—orselves—andsoithastobeanarenawherestrivingdoesnotcease,butcontinuesbyothermeans.Asanexample:yousimplyhavetofacethemomentwhenyoumustadmitthatthelettucewasplantedtoodeeporwasnotwateredenough,ceasehopingitwillshowitselftomorrow,anddiguptherowagain.Butyouwillfeelbetterfornotstandingonyourdignity.Andthat'swhatgardeningisallabout—characterbuilding.WhichiswhyAdamwasagardener.(Andallknowwhereitgothim,too.)11.Butisitconceivablethatthefatherofusallshouldhavebeenaweaver,shoemaker,oranythingbutagardener?Ofcoursenot.Onlythegardeneriscapableofendlesslyrevivingsomuchhopethatthisyear,regardlessofdrought,flood,typhoon,orhisownstupidity,thisyearheisgoingtodoitright!Leav