搜索
Unit10TheIdiocyofUrbanLifeHenryFairlie1Betweenabout3a.m.and6a.m.thelifeofthecityiscivil.Occasionallythelonefootstepsofsomeonewalkingtoorfromworkechoalongthesidewalk.Allworkthathastobedoneatthosehoursisuseful－inbakeries,forexample.Eventhenewspaperpressesstopturningforestsintolies.Nowandthenacarcomesoutofthesilenceandcruiseseasilythroughtheblinkingtrafficlights.Thenaturalinhabitantsofthecitycomeoutfromdampbasementsandcellars.Withtheirpinkearsandpaws,sleek,well-groomed,theirwhiskerscombed,ratsaretruecitydwellers.Urbanlife,duringthehourswhentheyreign,isurbane.2Theseratsaresocialcreatures,asyoucantellifyoulookoutonthecitystreetduringaninsomniacnight.Butafter6a.m.,thetwo-legged,daytimecreaturesofthecitybegintostir;anditisthey,nottherats,whobringtheratrace.Youmightthinkthathumanbeingscongregateinlargecitiesbecausetheyaregregarious.Theoppositeistrue.Urbanlifetodayisaggressivelyindividualisticandatomized.Citiesarenotsocialplaces.3Thelunacyofmoderncitylifeliesfirstinthefactthatmostcitydwellerstrytoliveoutsidethecityboundaries.Sothetwo-leggedcreatureshavecreatedsuburbs,exurbs,andfinallyrururbs(rubstosome).Disdainingrurallife,theytrytocreatesimulationsofit.Noeffortissparedtoletcitydwellersimaginetheyarelivinganywherebutinacity:patchesofgrassinthemoremodestsuburbs,broaderspreadsinthericheronesfurtherout;primnewtreesplantedalongthestreets;atthefootofthelargerbackyards,apretensetoboskywoodlands.4Theprofessionalpeoplebuysecondhomesinthecountryassoonastheycanaffordthem,andasearlyaspossibleonFridayheadoutofthecitytheyhavecreated.TheNewYorkintellectualsandartistsquaintlysaytheyare“goingtothecountry”fortheweekendorthesummer,butinfacttheyhavecreatedalittleManhattan-by-the-SeaaroundtheHamptons,spreadingovertheLongIsland6potatofieldswhoseearliersolitudewaspresumablythereasonwhytheyfirstwentthere.Citydwellerstakethecitywiththemtothecountry,fortheywillnotlivewithoutitspamperings.ThemainstreetsofAmerica’ssmalltowns,whichusedtohavehardwareanddrygoodsstores,arenowstripsofboutiques.Old-fashionedbarbersbecomeunisexhairdressingsalons.Thebrownratsstayinthecitiesbecauseofthefilththehumansleaveduringtheday.Theratscleanitupatnight.Soonthecountrysidewillbejustasnourishingtothem,asthecitydwellerstaketheirfilthwiththem.5Workstillgivesmeaningtorurallife,thefamily,andchurches.Butinthecitytodayworkandhome,familyandchurch,areseparated.Whattheofficeworkersdoforalivingisnotpartoftheirhomelife.Atthesametimetheymaintainthepointlessfrenzyoftheirworkhoursintheirhoursoff.Theyrushfromtheofficetojog,tothegymortheYMCApool,toworkattheirplaywiththesamejoylessness.6Eventhoughtheofficesoftoday’sbusinessesinthecityarethemselvesmovingouttothesuburbs,thisdoesnotnecessarilybringtheworkersbackclosertotheirworkplace.Itmerelymeansthattotherush-hourtrafficintothecitythereisnowaddedarush-hourtrafficouttothesuburbsinthemorning,andbackaroundandacrossthecityintheevening.Asthefarmerwalksdowntohisfarminthemorning,thecitydwellerisdressingforthefirstidiocyofhisday,whichhenotonlyacceptsbutevenseeks－thejourneytowork.7Inthemodernofficebuildinginthecitytherearewindowsthatdon’topen.Thisisperhapsthemostsymboliclunacyofall.Outdoorsissomethingyoucanlookatthroughglassbutnottotouchorhear.Thesewindowsareascandalbecausetheyendangerthelivesofofficeworkersincaseoffire.Butnolessgrievous,evenonthefairestspringorfalldaytheworkerscannotputtheirheadsoutside.Thusitisnotsurprisingthattheurbanworkerhasnoknowledgeoftheseasons.Heisawaresimplythatinsomemonthsthereisairconditioning,andinothersthroughthesameventscomefetidcentralheating.Evenoutsideathomeintheirsuburbsthecitydwellersmayknowthatsometimesit’shot,andsometimesit’scold,butnotruesenseoftherhythmsoftheseasonsistobehadfromalawninthebackyardandafewspindlytreesstrugglingtosurvive.8Thecitydwellerreelsfromunrealitytounrealitythrougheachday,alwaystryingtorecovertherurallifethathasbeensurrenderedforthecitylights.Nocitydweller,eveninthesuburbs,knowsthewonderofapitch-darkcountrylaneatnight.Nordoeshenaturallygetanyexercisefromhiswork.9EveryEuropeanpointsoutthatAmericansarethemostround-shoulderedpeopleintheworld.Fewofthemcarrythemselveswithanuprightstance,althoughacorrectstanceisthefirstpreconditionoflettingyourlungsbreathenaturallyanddeeply.Electrictypewriterscutdowntheamountofphysicalexertionneededtohitthekeys;thebuttonsofawordprocessorneedevenlesseffort,asyoucantellfromthepostureofthosewhousethem.TheyrushouttojogorotherwiseFonda-izetheirleisuretotrytorepairthedamagedoneduringtheday.10Everythinginurbanlifeisanefforteithertosimulaterurallifeortocompensateforitslossbyartificialmeans.Itisfromthisday-to-dayexistenceofunreality,pretence,andidiocythatthecitypeople,slumpingalongtheirstreetsevenwhenscurrying,neverlookingupattheirbuildings,farlessthesky,havetheinsolencetodisdainandmocktheusefulandrewardinglifeofthecountrypeoplewhosupportthem.NowgooutandcarryhomeaDouglasfir,callitaChristmastree,andenjoy12daysofcontactwithnature.Ofcoursecitydwellersdon’tknowitoncehadroots.城市生活之蠢行亨利·费尔利1每天凌晨3点到6点，城市生活文明有礼。偶有匆匆上下班的脚步寂寥而过，回响在人行道上。在这个时段中所做的一切工作都是有用的——比如面包房此时的忙碌。这时即便是报纸印