On American Dream -Viewed from The Triumph of the Egg從雞蛋的勝利看美國夢

PAGEPAGE5OnAmerican

Dream

ViewedfromTheTriumphoftheEggThepaperdiscusestheAmericandreamviewedfromTheTriumphoftheEgg.Thepaperisdividedintofiveparts:inthefirstpart,theoriginaldefinitionofAmericandreamisdiscussed;inthesecondpart,thedevelopmentofFatherandMother’sbusinessesinTheTriumphoftheEggreflectsAmericandream’sbeginning,developmentandend;inthethirdpart,thenatureofAmericandreammaterialismisrevealedandthelessonislearnt;inthefourthpart,theAmericandreamintoday’sChinaarousesreflection;inthelastpart,thepaperconcludestherealisticmeaningofthedreamandhowtomaketheAmericandreamcometruetoday.TheideaoftheAmericandreamhasbeenrootedinthe\o"UnitedStatesDeclarationofIndependence"UnitedStatesDeclarationofIndependencewhichproclaimsthat"\o"Allmenarecreatedequal"allmenarecreatedequal"andthattheyare"endowedbytheirCreatorwithcertaininalienableRights"including"Life,LibertyandthepursuitofHappiness."(David,2009)ConsideringBenjaminFranklinwhoworkedsohardthatwonthefirstinternationalreputationoftheworld,BillGateswhostartedthecomputerbusinessfromscratch,BarackObamawhohasbecomethepresidentofAmericafromacommonblackfamily,theAmericandreamprovedwellinthem.However,isittruethatallthepeoplewillrealizetheirAmericandreamiftheymakegreatefforts?Isthereequalopportunityforeveryoneevenifonewasbornintheslums?Withthequestionshauntingmymind,ItakecloseviewonTheTriumphoftheEggtofindanswers.TheindependentchickenraisingventureshowedthebeginningofAmericandreaminTheTriumphoftheEgg.Afterthemarriage,beingencouragedbyMother,Fatherembarkedontheindependententerpriseofhisown.Somethinghappenedtothetwopeople.Theybecameambitious.TheAmericanpassionforgettingupintheworldtookpossessionofthem.(Anderson,2010:134)Theyimaginedthatchickenfollowedeggs,andeggsfollowedchicken,thusenormousricheswouldbecreated.However,thecontinuousdeathsofchickendestroyedtheiroriginaldream.TheAmericandreamwaslargelystrickenbythefailureofchicken-raising.Withakindofregret,Fathercarriedthedeadgrotesquechickenontheroadofmovement,whichindicatedthefailureofhisdreambecausehedidn’tcompletelyendthepastlife,butstillcarriedthesadnessofthepastlifeonthechicken-raisingfarm.ItwasMother’sideathattheyshouldtryontheprofitablerestaurantventure.Theyworkedhardwiththehopeofbetterlife.ThenanideainregardtogettingupintheworldcameintoFather’shead.TheAmericanspirittookholdofhim.Healsobecameambitious.(Anderson,2010:137)Hedesiredtomakemoneybyentertainingthepeoplewhocametoeatintherestaurantwiththedeadgrotesquechicken.TheendofAmericandreamillustratedinthebrokeneggwhenFathershowedinfrontofthesonofamerchantofBidwell.Inthisstage,Fatherlosthisdreamofgainingreputationandrespectfromthecitizensofthetown,InthewholeprocessofFather’stwoventures,thedeceptivenatureofAmericandreamwasexposed:it’simpossibleforonetoclimbfromthelowerclasstotheupperclasswithendlesshardworkandalittleskillofentertainingothersinthematerialisticsociety;it’simpossiblethateveryonewillsucceedinthecapitalisticsociety,andonlyminoritycanrealizetheirAmericandreamwhichisbasedonthebankruptcyandpovertyofmajority.(ZHUYalan,2006:91)Father’sfailureofAmericandreamwasdoomedtohappen.Thefollowingtwopointsproveitwell.First,Fatherwasuneducated,sohelackedthescientificknowledgetorunbusiness.Inotherwords,hedidn’townthecapabilitiesofasuccessfulbusinessmanenoughcapitalaccumulation,farvision,uniqueideal,andscientificknowledgeofmanagement.Father,agoodfarm-hand,wasnotsuitabletobeabusinessman.Second,hisspiritualworldwastwistedbythepursuitofrapidsuccess.Fatherhadbeenacheerfulandpurefarm-hand,butwiththefailuresofventures,surprisinglyhecollectedthedeadgrotesquechickenandevenusedthemtoentertainothers.Histargetedcustomerswereyoungpeoplefromthetown,likethesonofamerchantbutnotthefreightcrewwhowerethelowerclasslikeFather,whichshowedFather’sindifferencetothelowerclass.FromthefailuresofFatherinTheTriumphoftheEgg,wecanlearnthatwhenpursuingtheAmericandream,wecan’tloseourspiritualworldandbecontrolledbythematerialism.Inordertogainsuccess,thegoodeducationisindispensible,especiallyinrunningbusiness.Withtherapidspeedofindustrialization,theoriginalmeaningofAmericandreameveryonecouldsucceedbyhardworkhasbeentakenplacebytheprofit-centeredAmericandream.Nowadays,theAmericandreamwhichstressesprofitandmaterialisperforminginChina.Inpursuitofprofit,largenumbersofChinesefarmersplantedmillionsandbillionsacresofChinesecabbages,whichledtounsalableandbankruptcyconsequences.Theuneducatedfarmersshouldbeguidedonthescientificplanting.Recently,thetaintedsteamedbunsandfoodadditivesscandalshaverevealedthatsomeChinesebusinessmenonlypursuetheprofitregardlessofthehealthofconsumers.Theirspiritualworldandnatureofhumanbeingshavebeentotallytwisted.Whatasadstory!TheoriginalAmericandreamisgood-intentioned,butwiththeacceleratingneedsforprofitandmoney,thenatureofAmericandreamhasbeenchanged.TheAmericandreamseemsanunrealisticbeautifuldreamforthecommonpeople,althoughonespareseveryefforttoworkhard.Intheprocessofpursuingit,manypeopleareinevitabletolosetheiroriginalgoodandkindspiritualworld,andcontrolledbymaterialism.Thefewsuccessfulonesinthecurrentworldarethosewhoowngoodandkindspiritualworldallthetimeaswellasenougheducation.Bibliography[1]David,K.RethinkingtheAmericanDream.﹤/wiki/American_Deam﹥retrievedonJune10,2011[2]Anderson,S.TheTriumphoftheEgg[A].inSelectedReadingsinAmericanLiterature[C].陶潔(編).北京：高等教育出版社，2000:133-141.[3]ZHUYalan(朱亞蘭).“美國夢”的追尋與幻滅——安德森的《雞蛋》主題評析[J].阿壩師范高等?？茖W(xué)校,2006,(4):89-91.(1,081words)Questions&AnswersNormalEnglish0811朱黎0820302109Q1:Whycouldn’tthespeakerstaylongerbythewoodstoappreciateitsmysteriousbeauty?Thereasonthatthespeakercouldn’tstaylongerbythewoodstoappreciateitsmysteriousbeautycanbeexplainedinthreeperspectives.Fromthefirstperspective,thespeakerfollowedhishorse’ssuggestionthehorsegavetheharnessbellsashake.Hishorseishisonlyandgoodcompanionduringthejourney,sothehorseknewwellthedirectionofthejourneyandthespeaker.Thehorse’sshaketoldthespeakerthattherewasnofarmhousenear,sothespeakercouldn’tstaylongerbythewoodstoappreciateitsmysteriousbeauty.Fromthesecondperspective,thespeakertraveledinthedarkesteveningoftheyear,whichwasatimeoffamilyreunion.Hewasontheroadtohishome,andathomefamilieswerewaitingforhim.Despitethebeautifulwoodsandlake,theinnercallofgoinghomemadehimtoleaveassoonaspossible.Fromthethirdperspective,thespeakerwhoisalonelyoldmantraveledinthecoldwinter.Theonlycompanionishishorse.Themoodinthepoemissadandgloomy.Thepastroadthespeakertakenmadehimtiredandexhausted.Thewoodsmadehimhaveasenseofpeace,warmthandfamily,whichistotallydifferentfromtheoutsidetroublesomeworld.Now,hewantedtostayinthewoodsforever,whichimpliestoseekthepeacefulworldofdeath.However,thepromiseofresponsibleforhimselfmadehimtoliveon,thatistoleavethewoodsandcontinuehisjourneyinpursuitoflife.Watchingthemysteriouswoods,thecornerofhisdeepheartremindedhimofthepositivepossibilitiesofsurvivalifhechosetoliveon,althoughlifeischallengingforanlonelyoldman.Miraclesmayhappeninlifeonlyifonestilllivesintheworld.Thedeathiseasy,butit’smeaninglessandirresponsibleforlifeorparents.Asaresult,thespeakercouldn’tstaylongerbythewoodstoappreciateitsmysteriousbeautywhichexpressessurrenderingtolife,becausehedesiredtoseekthebeautyoflife.Fromthefourthperspective,thespeakerwasfascinatingabouttheidealworldthemysteriouswoods,buttherealworldremindedhimofgoingonhistrip.Theidealworldisbeautifulwithoutlifeburden.Intherealworld,thelonelyspeakerhadtomakegreateffortstomakemoneyforhissurvival.Inthemomentofstoppingbythewoods,therealitycalledhimtocomebacktoreality.Theidealworldisunrealistictohim.Thethreeperspectiveanalysesaboveclearlyexplainthereasonthatthespeakercouldn’tstaylongerbythewoodstoappreciateitsmysteriousbeauty.Q2:Describethesimilaritiesanddifferencesoftheseroads.Whichonedoesthespeakertake?Thesimilaritiesofthetworoadslieinthefollowingaspects:first,bothwerebuiltinthesameyellowwoods;second,onemorningbothlayinleavesandnoonehadtroddenblack,whichseemedthesameintheirshapeandappearance;third,bothwaysmayleadontodifferentsub-ways,thenpointtothevariousdirections;fourth,bothcan’tbewalkedbackwardsifonehasdecidedtotakeoneroad.Thedifferencebetweenthetworoadsisthatthefirstroadisacommonandeasyroute;thesecondislesstraveled,whichwasgrassandwantedwear.Inotherwords,thefirstroadlackschallengesandrisks;thesecondroadismorechallengingandrisky.Thespeakerhadexperiencedthehesitationwhenmakingchoices,butatlasthetooktheonelesstravelledby.Fromhisdecision,wecaninferthespeakeristheonewhodislikesfollowingothers,butexploresone’suniqueownlife.Thefirstroadtakeseasyandmaymeetfewerdifficulties.Althoughtherearedifficultiesinthefirstroad,thetravelermaylearntheprevioustraveler’sexperience,thencontinuetowalk,whichismuchsmootherthanthesecond,becausethesecondmayfacemuchmoreuncertainties.However,whenthespeakerhaschosenthesecondlesstraveledroad,hestillregrettedthesceneryoftheroadwillbedifferentifhehadtakenthefirstcommonroad.It’sunderstandablethattheuntakenroadalwaysremainsregretful,sowe’dbettertakeasecondthoughtwhenmakingchoicesofroads,andsticktotheroadtilltheend.Q3:Whatdoarrowandsongstandforinthispoem?Thearrowandsongaremeaningfulinthisshortpoem.Thearrowhaslongandthinbodybutsharphead,whichimpliesthatthearrowwillflyswiftly,andonceithitssomeonewhowillhurtseverely.Thearrowstands