You see, my little son, there are two sorts of love; we use one name for very different things. The love that a father bears his children, that a mother feels, that comes sometimes, a strange brightness and tenderness that is half pain, at the revelation of some touching5 aspect of one long known to one, at the sight of a wife bent6 with fatigue7 and unsuspicious of one's presence, at the wretchedness and perplexity of some wrong-doing brother, or at an old servant's unanticipated tears, that is love—like the love God must bear us. That is the love we must spread from those of our marrow8 until it reaches out to all mankind, that will some day reach out to all mankind. But the love of a young man for a woman takes this quality only in rare moments of illumination and complete assurance. My love for Mary was a demand, it was a wanton claim I scored the more deeply against her for every moment of happiness she gave me. I see now that as I emerged from the first abjection9 of my admiration10 and began to feel assured of her affection, I meant nothing by her but to possess her, I did not want her to be happy as I want you to be happy even at the price of my life; I wanted her. I wanted her as barbarians11 want a hunted enemy, alive or dead. It was a flaming jealousy12 to have her mine. That granted, then I was prepared for all devotions....
This is how men love women. Almost as exclusively and fiercely I think do women love men. And the deepest question before humanity is just how far this jealous greed may be subdued13 to a more generous passion. The fierce jealousy of men for women and women for men is the very heart of all our social jealousies14, the underlying15 tension of this crowded modern life that has grown out of the ampler, simpler, ancient life of men. That is why we compete against one another so bitterly, refuse association and generous co-operations, keep the struggle for existence hard and bitter, hamper16 and subordinate the women as they in their turn would if they could hamper and subordinate the men—because each must thoroughly17 have his own.
And I knew my own heart too well to have any faith in Justin and his word. He was taking what he could, and his mind would never rest until some day he had all. I had seen him only once, but the heavy and resolute18 profile above his bent back and slender shoulders stuck in my memory.
If he was cruel to Mary, I told her, or broke his least promise to her, I should kill him.
点击收听单词发音
1 passionately | |
ad.热烈地,激烈地 | |
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2 interpretation | |
n.解释,说明,描述;艺术处理 | |
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3 degradations | |
堕落( degradation的名词复数 ); 下降; 陵削; 毁坏 | |
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4 scattered | |
adj.分散的,稀疏的;散步的;疏疏落落的 | |
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5 touching | |
adj.动人的,使人感伤的 | |
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6 bent | |
n.爱好,癖好;adj.弯的;决心的,一心的 | |
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7 fatigue | |
n.疲劳,劳累 | |
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8 marrow | |
n.骨髓;精华;活力 | |
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9 abjection | |
n. 卑鄙, 落魄 | |
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10 admiration | |
n.钦佩,赞美,羡慕 | |
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11 barbarians | |
n.野蛮人( barbarian的名词复数 );外国人;粗野的人;无教养的人 | |
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12 jealousy | |
n.妒忌,嫉妒,猜忌 | |
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13 subdued | |
adj. 屈服的,柔和的,减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词 | |
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14 jealousies | |
n.妒忌( jealousy的名词复数 );妒羡 | |
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15 underlying | |
adj.在下面的,含蓄的,潜在的 | |
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16 hamper | |
vt.妨碍,束缚,限制;n.(有盖的)大篮子 | |
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17 thoroughly | |
adv.完全地,彻底地,十足地 | |
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18 resolute | |
adj.坚决的,果敢的 | |
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