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THE WORSHIP OF THE WEALTHY
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There has crept, I notice, into our literature and journalism1 a new way of flattering the wealthy and the great. In more straightforward2 times flattery itself was more straight-forward; falsehood itself was more true. A poor man wishing to please a rich man simply said that he was the wisest, bravest, tallest, strongest, most benevolent3 and most beautiful of mankind; and as even the rich man probably knew that he wasn't that, the thing did the less harm. When courtiers sang the praises of a King they attributed to him things that were entirely4 improbable, as that he resembled the sun at noonday, that they had to shade their eyes when he entered the room, that his people could not breathe without him, or that he had with his single sword conquered Europe, Asia, Africa, and America. The safety of this method was its artificiality; between the King and his public image there was really no relation. But the moderns have invented a much subtler and more poisonous kind of eulogy5. The modern method is to take the prince or rich man, to give a credible6 picture of his type of personality, as that he is business-like, or a sportsman, or fond of art, or convivial7, or reserved; and then enormously exaggerate the value and importance of these natural qualities. Those who praise Mr. Carnegie do not say that he is as wise as Solomon and as brave as Mars; I wish they did. It would be the next most honest thing to giving their real reason for praising him, which is simply that he has money. The journalists who write about Mr. Pierpont Morgan do not say that he is as beautiful as Apollo; I wish they did. What they do is to take the rich man's superficial life and manner, clothes, hobbies, love of cats, dislike of doctors, or what not; and then with the assistance of this realism make the man out to be a prophet and a saviour8 of his kind, whereas he is merely a private and stupid man who happens to like cats or to dislike doctors. The old flatterer took for granted that the King was an ordinary man, and set to work to make him out extraordinary. The newer and cleverer flatterer takes for granted that he is extraordinary, and that therefore even ordinary things about him will be of interest.
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1
journalism
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n.新闻工作,报业 | |
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2
straightforward
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adj.正直的,坦率的;易懂的,简单的 | |
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3
benevolent
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adj.仁慈的,乐善好施的 | |
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4
entirely
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ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地 | |
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5
eulogy
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n.颂词;颂扬 | |
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6
credible
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adj.可信任的,可靠的 | |
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7
convivial
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adj.狂欢的,欢乐的 | |
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8
saviour
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n.拯救者,救星 | |
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9
mere
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adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过 | |
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10
applied
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adj.应用的;v.应用,适用 | |
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11
contrives
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(不顾困难地)促成某事( contrive的第三人称单数 ); 巧妙地策划,精巧地制造(如机器); 设法做到 | |
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12
awe
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n.敬畏,惊惧;vt.使敬畏,使惊惧 | |
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13
dealing
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n.经商方法,待人态度 | |
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14
vistas
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长条形景色( vista的名词复数 ); 回顾; 展望; (未来可能发生的)一系列情景 | |
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15
resolutely
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adj.坚决地,果断地 | |
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16
aloof
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adj.远离的;冷淡的,漠不关心的 | |
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17
ecstasies
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狂喜( ecstasy的名词复数 ); 出神; 入迷; 迷幻药 | |
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18
followers
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追随者( follower的名词复数 ); 用户; 契据的附面; 从动件 | |
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19
philosophical
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adj.哲学家的,哲学上的,达观的 | |
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20
previously
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adv.以前,先前(地) | |
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21
unaware
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a.不知道的,未意识到的 | |
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22
simplicity
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n.简单,简易;朴素;直率,单纯 | |
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23
modesty
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n.谦逊,虚心,端庄,稳重,羞怯,朴素 | |
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24
virtues
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美德( virtue的名词复数 ); 德行; 优点; 长处 | |
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25
intervals
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n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 );间隔时间;[数学]区间;(戏剧、电影或音乐会的)幕间休息 | |
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26
luxurious
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adj.精美而昂贵的;豪华的 | |
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27
incessantly
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ad.不停地 | |
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28
crimson
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n./adj.深(绯)红色(的);vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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29
perfectly
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adv.完美地,无可非议地,彻底地 | |
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30
sufficiently
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adv.足够地,充分地 | |
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31
eulogies
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n.颂词,颂文( eulogy的名词复数 ) | |
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32
sumptuous
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adj.豪华的,奢侈的,华丽的 | |
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33
intoxicating
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a. 醉人的,使人兴奋的 | |
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34
immolation
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n.牺牲品 | |
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35
thither
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adv.向那里;adj.在那边的,对岸的 | |
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36
ecstasy
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n.狂喜,心醉神怡,入迷 | |
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37
lament
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n.悲叹,悔恨,恸哭;v.哀悼,悔恨,悲叹 | |
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38
hypocrisy
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n.伪善,虚伪 | |
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39
honourable
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adj.可敬的;荣誉的,光荣的 | |
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40
condescend
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v.俯就,屈尊;堕落,丢丑 | |
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41
drawn
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v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的 | |
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SCIENCE AND RELIGION
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