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It's no surprise that keen readers have looked to books for historical analogues or literary insights into the coronavirus outbreak. Sales of the English translation of Albert Camus's 1947 novel La Peste ( The Plague ) are reported to have risen by around 1,000% in recent weeks. So have other volumes with infectious disease, presumably because readers hope they might shed some light on our unprecedented global situation.

But it is notable that fiction sales, along with home-learning titles, experienced the greatest boost as the UK's lockdown began, because this indicates that it is not facts that people are after, but stories. For busy people, time to read fiction is often associated with holidays. But the pandemic has forced a break in routine and presented people of all ages with many hours to fill up. Spying an opening for one of her enthusiasms, the Chinese-American writer Yiyun Li set up an online book group to read one of the longest of all novels: Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace .

“The house of fiction has not one window, but a million,” wrote Henry James. People read and write novels in a multitude of ways. While Camus's readers are curious about how a French existentialist thought a disease outbreak might evolve, some people will be seeking entertainment or distraction. But there is one thing that readers of fiction have in common: the wish to be absorbed in a story that is not about themselves. It's not hard to see why such flights of imagination attract those who are physically confined. Not only because they have the power to lift us out of our domestic settings, but also because they can interest us in the lives and characters of other, made-up people.

Reading is usually a solitary activity. But it is the opposite of antisocial. Of course there are cruel and cynical novels, but many have made a vast contribution to our knowledge and understanding of each other. As well as a private pursuit, reading is a builder of fellow feeling. That's why many people find bookshops, libraries and book groups so congenial .

Edward Morgan Forster once described words as “the wine of life”. Clearly this is the wrong metaphor for non-drinkers. But it neatly conveys the garrulous aspect of literature: the ambition that it should bring people together. That people reach for books in such bleak times can give us hope that empathy, not misanthropy, is winning.

11. The reason why readers choose books like La Peste is that ______.

[A] these books have historical similarities and literary descriptions

[B] they have more leisure time due to the outbreak

[C] these books may enlighten the current global situation

[D] these books are the best versions of translation

12. The Chinese-American writer is mentioned to show ______.

[A] there are some longest novels deserving to read

[B] readers have more interest in stories than facts

[C] she is enthusiastic about books and online reading group

[D] people are allowed more leisure time because of the pandemic

13. Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?

[A] Certain people wonder how the pandemic will develop.

[B] People can find themselves in the fiction as well as in the reality.

[C] Absorption into a story helps people who are physically deficient.

[D] Fantasy keeps people away from surroundings they are exposed to.

14. The word “congenial” (Paragraph 4) is closet in meaning to ______.

[A] empathetic

[B] consistent

[C] hostile

[D] genuine

15. The author holds that fiction reading is an activity of ______.

[A] association

[B] benefit

[C] profundity

[D] prejudice

答案及解析

总体评述

[文章大意] 本文主要探讨了疫情隔离期间更多人阅读小说的问题,并指出小说读者更想从书中得到脱离自身的虚拟故事,而不是事实,这些故事能让我们建立与他人的情感纽带,带来艰难时期的希望。文章开篇叙述阿尔贝·加缪的小说《鼠疫》以及其他有关传染性疾病的书籍在疫情爆发期间销量暴涨的现象,揣测原因可能是这些书籍能对疫情现状有所启发,引出本篇文章的主题。接着,作者笔锋一转,深入观察发现,真正受欢迎的书籍题材不是科普纪实类,而是小说类,这一现象反映了读者的喜好:相对于事实来说,人们更喜欢虚构的故事。紧接着探讨此种现象的原因,小说天马行空的文字不仅可以使我们打破空间的限制,而且能进入到他人的生活中。文末对主题进行升华,阅读能够增进人与人之间的理解认知,文学追求的是建立人们彼此之间的联系。

[篇章结构]

试题透析

11. 读者会选择像《鼠疫》这类书的原因是______。

[A] 这些书有历史相似性和文学描述

[B] 由于疫情爆发,他们有更多休闲时间

[C] 这些书可能有助于理解当前的全球形势

[D] 这些书是最好的译本

[试题类型] 具体信息题。

[解题思路] 由题干中关键词 La Peste 以及The reason定位至第一段第二句和第三句,第二句讲的是 La Peste 这本书的销量上涨,第三句开头部分So have other volumes with infectious disease(其他关于传染性疾病的书籍也是如此)与前一句语义衔接,说明它们是同一种情况,所以后面的because引出的原因也能解答第二句的原因,答案则为readers hope they might shed some light on our unprecedented global situation(读者希望它们能使我们进一步理解当前所处的前所未有的全球形势)的同义改写,选项 [C] 中enlighten与此句中shed light on 对应,global situation为原文复现短语,故为正确答案。

[干扰排除] 选项 [A] 出自第一段第一句,原文说的是读者会从书中寻找与新冠相关的历史上的同类事件或文学见解,而非历史相似性和文学描写,故排除。本段未涉及疫情给大家带来更多休闲时间,不能成为读者选择此类书的原因,故排除选项 [B] 。原文仅提到《鼠疫》的英译本销量大涨,并没有说是最好的译本,也没有提及其他图书的翻译情况,选项 [D] 不符合原文,故排除。

12. 提到美籍华人作家是为了表明______。

[A] 有一些值得阅读的最长的小说

[B] 相对于事实来说,读者对故事更感兴趣

[C] 她非常热爱图书和线上阅读小组

[D] 由于流行病,人们可以拥有更多休闲时间

[试题类型] 具体信息题。

[解题思路] 由题干关键词Chinese-American writer可以定位到第二段最后一句,专有名词Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace 标志此处为事例信息,则答案为观点句的同义改写,观点句为其前一句But the pandemic has forced a break in routine and presented people of all ages with many hours to fill up.(但疫情迫使人们打破常规作息,让各个年龄层的人都有了更多需要填满的空闲时间)。选项 [D] 中people are allowed more leisure time(人们可以拥有更多空闲时间)与此句对应,故为正确答案。

[干扰排除] 由解题思路的分析可知,该作家成立线上阅读小组的原因是疫情迫使人们打破常规作息,有了更多的空闲时间。选项 [A]、[B]、[C] 都是具体的事例信息,非观点论述,故全部排除。

13. 根据文章,下列哪一选项正确?

[A] 有些人很好奇疫情会如何发展。

[B] 人们可以在小说以及现实中发现自己。

[C] 融入一则故事中可以帮助那些身体上有缺陷的人。

[D] 想象让人们远离他们常接触的环境。

[试题类型] 具体信息题。

[解题思路] 题干无关键词,则需要根据各个选项关键词回原文找对应信息。选项 [D] 中的Fantasy对应原文第三段第五句中的such flights of imagination。紧接着第六句通过they指代第五句中的such flights of imagination,因此此句仍在定位区间,第六句中的lift us out of our domestic settings(使我们从身处的环境中抽离出来)与选项 [D] 中的keeps people away from surroundings they are exposed to(让人们远离他们所接触的环境)为同义替换,故为正确选项。

[干扰排除] 选项 [A] 中,根据Certain people以及wonder how the pandemic will develop定位到第三段第三句,原文指的是加缪的读者好奇,而不是有些人好奇,选项 [A] 偷换主语,故排除。选项 [B] 中,由themselves定位到第三段第四句,该句提到小说的读者有一个共同点:他们都希望进入一个与自己无关的故事中,可见人们希望在小说中发现他人的故事,被虚构人物的生活和性格所吸引,该选项与原文不符,故排除。选项 [C] 中,由Absorption定位到第三段第四句,由physically定位到第五句,选项中physically deficient意思是“身体有缺陷的”,原文说的是physically confined“困在家里的”,选项与原文不符合,故排除。

14. 单词congenial(第四段)的意思最接近于______。

[A] 同感的

[B] 一致的

[C] 敌对的

[D] 真实的

[试题类型] 语义理解题。

[解题思路] 由congenial定位到第四段末句That's why many people find bookshops, libraries and book groups so congenial,由此句中的That's why可知,此句承接前一句As well as a private pursuit, reading is a builder of fellow feeling.(读书不仅是一种个人爱好,还能帮读者建立与他人的情感共鸣),则选项 [A] empathetic(同感的)符合特征,故为答案。

[干扰排除] 选项 [B] consistent(一致的),选项 [C] hostile(敌对的),选项 [D] genuine(真实的),这三个选项均不合题意,故排除。

15. 作者认为阅读小说是一项______活动。

[A] 让人浮想联翩的

[B] 有益的

[C] 深刻的

[D] 有偏见的

[试题类型] 观点态度题。

[解题思路] 根据题文同序原则,定位到第五段,由题干中的fiction reading进一步定位到第五段第四句That people reach for books in such bleak times can give us hope that empathy, not misanthropy, is winning.(在如此黯淡的时刻,人们捧起书本给了我们希望:共情而非厌世定能战胜这场灾难),说明作者对其态度为正向,选项 [B] 正向且呼应give us hope(给我们希望),故为正确选项。

[干扰排除] 选项 [A] 和选项 [C] 不合题意,故排除。选项 [D] 带有负向感情色彩,故排除。

文章精读

P1 ①It's no surprise that keen readers have looked to books for historical analogues or literary insights into the coronavirus outbreak. ②Sales of the English translation of Albert Camus's 1947 novel La Peste ( The Plague ) are reported to have risen by around 1,000% in recent weeks. ③So have other volumes with infectious disease, presumably because readers hope they might shed some light on our unprecedented global situation.

[语篇分析]

本段介绍了疫情相关的阅读问题,即文章讨论的话题。句①概述现象,即对于新冠疫情的爆发,人们会从书籍中寻找历史比照或者文学见解。紧接着句②就举了一个例子来验证这一点,叙述了阿尔贝·加缪的小说《鼠疫》在最近几周销量上涨几乎十倍,前面两句都是对于现象本身的陈述,至于为什么要去书中找文学比照,或者为什么与传染病相关的书籍的销量会上涨,作者在第③句给出了一个原因:读者希望它们能使我们进一步理解当前所处的前所未有的全球形势,但是在这个原因之前有一个副词presumably(大概)做修饰,由此说明现在给出的原因只是作者的一个初步猜测,为后文的原因探究构成铺垫。

[词汇突破]

analogue /ˈænəlɒɡ/ n. 类似物;类似情况: Scientists are attempting to compare features of extinct animals with living analogues. 科学家正试图把已灭绝动物的特征与现存类似动物相比较。

outbreak /ˈaʊtbreɪk/ n. (暴动、疾病等的) 爆发: the outbreak of war 战争的爆发

infectious /ɪnˈfekʃəs/ adj. 传染性的: Flu is highly infectious. 流感的传染性很高。

presumably /prɪˈzjuːməbli/ adv. 大概;推测起来: Presumably this is where the accident happened. 这大概就是事故现场。

shed light on 阐明;对……有所启发: The study's most striking findings shed light on the racial biases permeating the professional world. 这项研究最引人注目的发现揭示了在职场中普遍存在的种族偏见。

unprecedented /ʌnˈpresɪdentɪd/ adj. 空前的;无前例的: The mission has been hailed as an unprecedented success. 这次任务被誉为史无前例的成功。

[句式分析]

③ 【状语】 So 【谓语】 have 【主语】 other volumes with infectious disease , 【状语】 presumably 【原因状语从句】 because readers hope 【宾语从句】 they might shed some light 【宾语从句】 on our unprecedented global situation .

本句的主干结构为:So have other volumes with infectious disease,主干是So引起的省略倒装,省略了动词risen,将助动词have提前。上文语境有说到Sales of the English translation of Albert Camus's 1947 novel La Peste ( The Plague ) are reported to have risen...(据报道,阿尔贝·加缪于1947年出版的小说《鼠疫》的英译本最近几周的销量增长了),此处说明的是与上句相同的情况,故采用省略倒装结构,还原后应该是Other volumes with infectious disease have risen,意思是其他与传染病相关的书籍销量也在上升。主句中的with infectious disease是后置定语,修饰other volumes。副词presumably做状语,修饰后面整个原因状语从句,表示“有可能”。从because一直到结尾是原因状语从句,表示其他书销量也上升的原因,在这个原因状语从句中,又有一个省略了引导词that的宾语从句,宾语从句中,they指代的是前文的other volumes,shed light on意为“阐明;对……有所启发”,unprecedented意为“无前例的”,整个宾语从句即是在说:那些书籍可能会对我们前所未有的全球形势有所启发。

P2 ①But it is notable that fiction sales, along with home-learning titles, experienced the greatest boost as the UK's lockdown began, because this indicates that it is not facts that people are after, but stories. ②For busy people, time to read fiction is often associated with holidays. ③But the pandemic has forced a break in routine and presented people of all ages with many hours to fill up. ④Spying an opening for one of her enthusiasms, the Chinese-American writer Yiyun Li set up an online book group to read one of the longest of all novels: Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace .

[语篇分析]

为了深入剖析“人们想从相关书籍中找到改变疫情现状”这一现象的原因,在本段作者对阅读现象做了进一步描述。句①But所在的句子就是对上文的内容进行转折,是作者真正想要分析的现象,即“随着隔离的开始,小说和家庭学习类书籍的销量都出现了巨大的增长”,along with表示“和……一起”,在句子中做状语,只是为了补充说明,作者真正要去分析的还是小说销量上涨的现象,这句话也点到了这个现象发生的原因,从because到句尾,即“人们追求的不是事实,而是故事”。句②③④对上述现象进行详述,句②暗示平常阅读小说的时间和机会实际上很有限,句③由But开头对句②进行转折,指出疫情为人们阅读小说提供了很好的机会,接着句④就用一个例子来论证句③的内容,阅读小说的人越来越多,美籍华人作家观察到了这个机会,在网上成立了阅读小组。由此可以看出,人们想从书籍中寻找与疫情相关的信息,但是还不是那种科普类的,更多的还是小说类。

[词汇突破]

notable /ˈnəʊtəbl/ adj. 值得注意的;显著的: a notable success 显著的成功

boost /buːst/ v. 促进;增加: boost consumer confidence 增强消费者的信心。

lockdown /ˈlɒkdaʊn/ n. 防范禁闭(期);封锁

indicate /ˈɪndɪkeɪt/ v. 表明;指出;预示: Research indicates that eating habits are changing fast. 研究显示,饮食习惯正迅速改变。

pandemic /pænˈdemɪk/ n. (全国或全球性)流行病: They feared a new cholera pandemic. 他们担心会有新的霍乱流行病。

routine /ruːˈtiːn/ n. 常规,惯例: You need a break from routine. 你需要从日常工作中解脱出来休息一下。

spy /spaɪ/ v. 从事间谍活动;突然看见,发现: In the distance we spied the Pacific for the first time. 在远处,我们突然第一次看到了太平洋。

[句式分析]

① 【连词】 But 【形式主语】 it 【系动词】 is 【表语】 notable 【主语从句】 that fiction sales, along with home-learning titles, experienced the greatest boost 【时间状语从句】 as the UK's lockdown began , 【原因状语从句】 because this indicates 【宾语从句】 that it is not facts that people are after, but stories .

本句的主干结构为But it is notable that...。But在这里是转折连词,表示对上一句话的转折,主干中的it是形式主语,真正的主语是后面that从句,notable意为“显著的”,所以主干整体是在说:后面这件事情(that从句的内容)值得注意。that... began是主语从句的范围,该从句主干是fiction sales experienced the greatest boost,表示小说的销量大涨,along with... titles放在这个从句的主谓之间,做插入语,along with意为“和……一起”,即小说的销量以及家庭学习类书籍的销量都有增长;在主语从句中as... began是由as引导的时间状语从句,表示随着英国隔离期开始。because... stories是原因状语从句,该状语从句的主干是this indicates that...,this指代的是前面主语从句讲述的整件事,所以意思为“这件事表明”;这个状语从句又包含一个宾语从句that it is... but stories,宾语从句含有强调句型it is... that,强调表语facts,去掉强调句型,原句是people are not after facts but stories,其中not... but...意为“不是……而是……”,所以整体句意是“人们追求的不是事实,而是故事”。

P3 ①“The house of fiction has not one window, but a million,” wrote Henry James. ②People read and write novels in a multitude of ways. ③While Camus's readers are curious about how a French existentialist thought a disease outbreak might evolve, some people will be seeking entertainment or distraction. ④But there is one thing that readers of fiction have in common: the wish to be absorbed in a story that is not about themselves. ⑤It's not hard to see why such flights of imagination attract those who are physically confined. ⑥Not only because they have the power to lift us out of our domestic settings, but also because they can interest us in the lives and characters of other, made-up people.

[语篇分析]

本段着重分析人们在疫情期间阅读小说的原因。句①②③都在讨论人们阅读小说的目的不同。句①引用了亨利·詹姆斯的一句话,他把小说比喻成房子,这个比喻的意思即在句②进行解释,即人们阅读和创作小说的方式多种多样,他们寻求的目的也是不一样的。句③拿加缪的读者进行举例论证,进一步指出读者阅读小说的目的是不同的。句④But开头,对前一句话进行转折,也是作者真正想传达的内容,即“小说的读者有一个共同点:希望融入与自己无关的故事中”。句⑤⑥承接前句,句⑤中why为标志,提出疑问:为什么天马行空的想象会吸引那些在家隔离的人,句⑥because给出答案,原因给出两点,即这些想象不仅使我们从身处的环境中抽离出来,而且使我们对他人或虚拟人物的生活和性格产生兴趣。由此,人们疫情期间阅读小说的原因,即是“融入他人角色生活的希望”。

[词汇突破]

multitude /ˈmʌltɪtjuːd/ n. 大量,多数;人群: There are a multitude of small, quiet roads to cycle along. 这里有很多可以骑车的宁静小路。

existentialist /ˌeɡzɪˈstenʃəlɪst/ n. 存在主义者

evolve /ɪˈvɒlv/ v. 发展;进化: Birds are widely believed to have evolved from dinosaurs. 人们普遍认为,鸟类是由恐龙进化而来。

distraction /dɪˈstrækʃn/ n. 分散注意力的事;娱乐,消遣: Their national distraction is going to the disco. 他们的全民消遣就是去蹦迪。

confine /kənˈfaɪn/ v. 限制;禁闭;使受局限: Health officials have successfully confined the epidemic to the Tabatinga area. 卫生官员成功地将疫情控制在塔巴廷加地区。

domestic /dəˈmestɪk/ adj. 国内的;家庭的;驯养的: domestic chores 家务活

[句式分析]

③ 【让步状语从句】 While Camus's readers are curious about 【宾语从句】 how a French existentialist thought a disease outbreak might evolve , 【主语】 some people 【谓语】 will be seeking 【宾语】 entertainment or distraction .

本句的主干结构为some people will be seeking entertainment or distraction,意为“有一些人会从中寻求娱乐消遣”。While... evolve是让步状语从句,该从句的主干是Camus's readers are curious about...(加缪的读者们对……很好奇),how... might evolve是跟在介词about后面的宾语从句,从句的主干结构是a disease outbreak might evolve,加上引导词how, 则加缪的读者们好奇的是“传染病的暴发将会如何演变”,在这个宾语从句中的a French existentialist thought是做为插入语,类似于I think放在句中,进一步说明读者想知道的是加缪这一存在主义者对传染病爆发的看法。

④ 【连词】 But 【表语】 there 【系动词】 is 【主语】 one thing 【定语从句1】 that readers of fiction have in common : 【同位语】 the wish to be absorbed in a story 【定语从句2】 that is not about themselves .

本句的主干结构为:But there is one thing,采用了there be句型,属倒装结构。But在这里是转折连词,表示对上一句话的转折。that... in common是定语从句,修饰one thing,that在从句中充当have的宾语,从句中have... in common意为“有共同之处”。冒号后面the wish用来解释说明one thing是一种愿望,做它的同位语,to... themselves是不定式做the wish的后置定语,在这个后置定语中,又包含有that引导的定语从句,修饰前面的名词a story。

P4 ①Reading is usually a solitary activity. ②But it is the opposite of antisocial. ③Of course there are cruel and cynical novels, but many have made a vast contribution to our knowledge and understanding of each other. ④As well as a private pursuit, reading is a builder of fellow feeling. ⑤That's why many people find bookshops, libraries and book groups so congenial.

[语篇分析]

本段从更大角度出发,讨论了阅读这一项活动的特征:建立情感联系。句①说到阅读经常是一项孤独(solitary)的活动,句②随即转折,“孤独”并不意味着不合群(antisocial),而是不合群的反面。句③进一步论证阅读“并非不合群”的特点,of course的使用在内容上是在肯定,但语气上是在让步,作者真正要传达的内容是在but之后,“很多小说是对彼此的认识和理解做出巨大贡献的”,还是在说明阅读的特点是联系起彼此。句④⑤总结阅读是一项个人的追求,也是连接人们共同情感的纽带,阅读小说也是如此。

[词汇突破]

solitary /ˈsɒlətri/ adj. 独自的;单独的: His evenings were spent in solitary drinking. 他晚上的时间都是靠独自喝闷酒打发的。

antisocial /ˌæntiˈsəʊʃl/ adj. 反社会的;不爱交际的: antisocial personality 反社会人格

cynical /ˈsɪnɪkl/ adj. 愤世嫉俗的: his cynical view of the world 他那愤世嫉俗的世界观

congenial /kənˈdʒiːniəl/ adj. 意气相投的;合得来的: a congenial colleague 意气相投的同事

[句式分析]

③ 【状语】 Of course 【表语】 there 【系动词】 are 【主语1】 cruel and cynical novels , 【连词】 but 【主语2】 many 【谓语】 have made 【宾语】 a vast contribution 【状语】 to our knowledge and understanding of each other .

本句的主干结构为:there are novels but many have made a contribution,是but连接的两个并列句。Of course是介词短语做状语,cruel and cynical两个形容词做定语修饰novels,意为“残酷和愤世嫉俗的小说”。many指代many novels,动词短语make a contribution to意为“为……做贡献”,to our knowledge and understanding of each other做状语。

P5 ①Edward Morgan Forster once described words as “the wine of life”. ②Clearly this is the wrong metaphor for non-drinkers. ③But it neatly conveys the garrulous aspect of literature: the ambition that it should bring people together. ④That people reach for books in such bleak times can give us hope that empathy, not misanthropy, is winning.

[语篇分析]

本段总结了人们在疫情时期更多地阅读疫情相关小说的原因:小说建立起人与人之间的联系,在读者之间形成共鸣,带来战胜疫情的希望。句①②引用爱德华·摩根·福斯特对于文字的比喻:“生命的美酒”,并且以一种诙谐的方式,说到这个比喻不适用于不喝酒的人。句③But之后转折,说到这一比喻呼应主旨的一点,即“传达了文学一直所传达的一面——将人们团结在一起的雄心”。句④又将文章的主题与这一道理关联在一起,总结道,人们在疫情期间阅读,可以使人们即使在家也能与他人产生情感上的联系,进而团结起来,带来战胜困难的希望。

[词汇突破]

metaphor /ˈmetəfə(r)/ n. 暗喻;隐喻

neatly /ˈniːtli/ adv. 整洁地;熟练地;灵巧地: She summarized her plan very neatly. 她非常简明地总结了她的计划。

garrulous /ˈɡærələs/ adj. 唠叨的,喋喋不休的: a garrulous old woman 一个絮叨的老妇人

ambition /æmˈbɪʃn/ n. 雄心;野心;抱负: He was corrupted by power and ambition. 权力和野心使他腐化堕落。

bleak /bliːk/ adj. 阴冷的;黯淡的,无希望的: The immediate outlook remains bleak. 近期前景依然暗淡。

empathy /ˈempəθi/ n. 感同身受;共鸣: Having begun my life in a children's home I have great empathy with the little ones. 由于从小生活在儿童院,我对小家伙们产生了强烈的共鸣。

misanthropy /mɪ'sænθrəpɪ/ n. 厌世,愤世嫉俗

[句式分析]

③ 【连词】 But 【主语】 it 【状语】 neatly 【谓语】 conveys 【宾语】 the garrulous aspect of literature : 【同位语】 the ambition 【同位语从句】 that it should bring people together .

本句的主干结构为:it conveys the aspect: the ambition。But是转折连词,it指代本段首句提到的“the wine of life”,副词neatly做状语修饰conveys,意为“巧妙地传达”,形容词garrulous做前置定语,介词短语of literature做后置定语,都在修饰宾语aspect,意为“文学一直传达的一面”。the ambition放在冒号之后,充当aspect的同位语,解释说明文学一直传达的一面是“雄心”,that... together是同位语从句,解释说明ambition的内容,即“将人们团结在一起”。

④ 【主语从句】 That people reach for books in such bleak times 【谓语】 can give 【间接宾语】 us 【直接宾语】 hope 【同位语从句】 that empathy, not misanthropy, is winning .

本句的主干结构为:That... can give us hope。That... times是主语从句,充当整个句子的主语,这个从句中主语是people,谓语是reach for,宾语是books,in such bleak times充当时间状语。主干谓语是can give,后面接双宾语us和hope,表示人们在如此黯淡的时刻捧起书本给了我们希望。that... winning是同位语从句,解释说明hope的内容是什么,即“共情而非厌世定能战胜这场灾难”。

全文翻译

读书爱好者们会从书中寻找历史上与新冠肺炎疫情相关的同类事件或文学见解,这并不奇怪。据报道,阿尔贝·加缪于1947年出版的小说《鼠疫》的英译本最近几周的销量增长了约1000%。其他关于传染性疾病的书籍也是如此,大概是因为读者希望它们能使我们进一步理解当前所处的前所未有的全球形势。

但值得注意的是,随着英国开始实行隔离政策,小说和家庭学习类书籍的销量都出现了巨大的增长,因为这表明人们追求的不是事实,而是故事。对于繁忙的人们而言,阅读小说通常是假期才会做的事情。但疫情迫使人们打破常规作息,让各个年龄层的人都有了更多需要填满的空闲时间。美籍华人作家李翊云为自己的阅读激情找到了一个契机,她成立了一个线上阅读小组,来阅读所有小说中最长的作品之一:列夫·托尔斯泰的《战争与和平》。

亨利·詹姆斯写道:“小说的房子不是只有一扇窗户,而是有一百万扇。”人们阅读和写小说的方式多种多样。虽然加缪的读者们很想知道一个法国存在主义者是如何看待疾病暴发以及之后的发展,也有一些人会从中寻求娱乐消遣。但小说的读者有一个共同点:希望融入与自己无关的故事中。我们不难发现为何这些天马行空的文字能吸引被迫宅在家里的人。这不仅是因为它们有能力使我们从身处的环境中抽离出来,还因为它们可以让我们对其他虚构人物的生活和性格产生兴趣。

阅读通常是一种孤独的活动。但它不是不合群的行为。当然,也有残酷和愤世嫉俗的小说,但很多小说确实极大地增进了我们对他人的认识和理解。读书不仅是一种个人爱好,还能帮读者建立与他人的情感共鸣。这就是为什么许多人觉得书店、图书馆和书友会的氛围适合自己。

爱德华·摩根·福斯特曾把文字描述为“生命的美酒”。显然,对于不喝酒的人来说,这个比喻是错误的。但它巧妙地传达了文学一直所传达的一面:将人们团结在一起的雄心。在如此黯淡的时刻,人们捧起书本给了我们希望:共情而非厌世定能战胜这场灾难。 z2YIg1tSHqLY1eUhCfNfvmvb0O5LFNCM1zopzPdAREGYmc1M+REZBcOOAZlElm+O

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