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新编英语教程6-U7-Beauty-中英翻译1/3BeautySusanSontagFortheGreeks,beautywasavirtue:akindofexcellence.Personsthenwereassumedtobewhatwenowhavetocalllamely,enviouslywholepersons.IfitdidoccurtotheGreekstodistinguishbetweenaperson’s“inside”and“outside”,theystillexpectedthatinnerbeautywouldbematchedbybeautyoftheotherkind.Thewell-bornyoungAthenianswhogatheredaroundSocratesfounditquiteparadoxicalthattheirherowassointelligent,sobrave,sohonorable,soseductiveandsougly.OneofSocratesmainpedagogicalactswastobeuglyandteachthoseinnocent,nodoubtsplendid-lookingdisciplesofhishowfullofparadoxeslifereallywas.TheymayhaveresistedSocrates’lessons.Wedonot.Severalthousandyearslater,wearemorewaryoftheenchantmentsofbeauty.Wenotonlysplitoffwiththegreatestfacility-the“inside”(character,intellect)fromthe“outside”(looks):butweareactuallysurprisedwhensomeonewhoisbeautifulisalsointelligent,talentandgood.ItwasprincipallytheinfluenceofChristianitythatdeprivedbeautyofthecentralplaceithadinclassicalidealsofhumanexcellence(virtusinlatin)tomoralvirtueonly,Christianitysetbeautyadrift-asanalienated,arbitrary,superficialenchantment.Andbeautyhascontinuedtoloseprestige.Forclosetotwocenturiesithasbecomeaconventiontoattributebeautytoonlyoneofthetwosexes:thesexwhich,howeverFair,isalwaysSecond.Associatingbeautywithwomenhasputbeautyevenfurtheronthedefensive,morally.Abeautifulwoman,wesayinEnglish.Butahandsomeman.“Handsome”isthemasculineequivalentof-andrefusalof-acomplimentwhichhasaccumulatecertaindemeaningovertones,bybeingresolvedwomenonly.ThatonecancallamaninFrenchandinItaliansuggeststhatcatholiccountries,unlikethosecountriesshapedbytheProtestantversionofChristianity,stillretainsomevestigesofthepaganadmirationforbeauty.Butthedifferences,ifoneexists,isofdegreesonly.IneverymoderncountrythatisChristianorpost-Christian,womenarethebeautifulsextothedetrimentofthenotionofbeautyaswellasofwomen.Tobecalledbeautifulisthoughttonamesomethingessentialtowomen’scharacterandconcerns.(Incontrasttomenwhoseessenceistobestrongorcompetent).Itdoesn’ttakesomeoneinthethroesofadvancedfeministawarenesstoperceivethatthewaywomenaretaughttobeinvolvedwithbeautyencouragesnarcissism,reinforcesdependenceandimmaturity.Everybody(womenandmen)knowsthat.Foritis”everybody”,awholesociety,thathasidentifiedwithcaringaboutwhatoneisanddoesandonlysecondarily,ifatall,abouthowonelooks.)Giventhesestereotype,itisonwonderthatbeautyenjoys,atbest,arathermixedreputation.Itisnot,ofcourse,thedesiretobebeautifulthatiswrongbuttheobligationtobeortotry.Whatisacceptedbymostwomenasaflatteringidealizationoftheirsexisawayofmakingwomenfeelinferiortowhattheyactuallyare,ornormallygrowtobe.Fortheidealofbeautyisadministeredasaformofself-oppression.Womenaretaughttoseetheirbodiesinparts,andtoevaluateeachpartseparately.Breasts,feet,hips,waistlineneck,eyes,nose,complexion,hair,andsoon,eachinturnissubmittedtoananxious,fretful,oftendespairingscrutiny.Evenifsomepassmuster,somewillalwaysbefoundwanting.Nothinglessthanperfectionwilldo.Inmen,goodlooksisawhole,somethingtakeninataglance.Itdoesnotneedtobeconfirmedygivingmeasurementsofdifferentregionsofthebody,nobodyencouragesamantodissecthisappearance,featurebyfeature.Asforperfection,thatisconsideredtrivial-almostunmanly.Indeed,intheideallygood-lookingmanasmallimperfectionorblemishisconsideredpositivelydesirable.Accordingtoonemoviecritic(awoman)whoisadeclaredRobertRedfordfan,itishavingthatclusterofskin-coloredmolesononecheekthatsavesRedfordfrombeingmerelya“prettyface.”Thinkofthedepreciationofwomen,aswellasofbeauty,thatidimpliedinthatjudgment.新编英语教程6-U7-Beauty-中英翻译2/3“Theprivilegesofbeautyareimmense.”saidCocteau.Tobesure,beautyisaformofpower.Anddeservedlyso.Whatislamentableisthatitistheonlyformofpowerthatmostwomenareencouragedtoseek.Thispowerisalwaysconceivedrelationtomen;itisnotthepowertodothatbutthepowertoattract.Itisapowerthatnegatesitself.Forthispowerisnotonethatcanbechosenfreely,atleast,notbywomen,orrenouncedwithoutsocialcensure.Topreen,forawoman,canneverbejutapleasure.Itisalsoaduty.Itisherwork.Ifawomandoserealwork,andevenifshehasclambereduptoaleadingpositioninpolitics,law,medicine,business,orwhatever,sheisalwaysunderpressuretoaconfessthatshestillworksatbringattractive.ButinsofarassheiskeepingupasoneoftheFairSex,shebringsundersuspicionherverycapacitytobeobjective,professional,authoritative,thoughtful.Damnediftheydo-womenare.Anddamnediftheydon’t.Onecouldhardlyaskformoreimportantevidenceofthedangersofconsideringpersonsassplitbetweenwhatis“inside”andwhatis“outside”thanthatinterminablehalf-comichalf-tragictale,theoppressionofwomen.Howeasyitistostartoffbydefiningwomenascaretakersoftheirsurfaces,andthentodisparagethem(orfindthemadorable)forbeing“superficial”.Itisacrudetrap,andithasworkedfortoolong.Buttogetoutofthetraprequiresthatwomengetsomecriticaldistancefromtheexcellenceandprivilegewhichisbeauty,enoughdistancetoseehowmuchbeautyitselfhasbeenabridgedinordertopropupthemythologyofthe“feminine”.Thereshouldbeawayofsavingbeautyfromwomen,andforthem.对于古希腊人来说，美丽是一种美德：一种出色表现。这样的人在今天会理所当然而又无不受嫉妒地被人们称为完整的人。即使