A Poor Man
It was a festival, like any festival actually. The sunshine was dazzling, the music deafening, and the people teasing each other. Almost everywhere were those who had relieved them selves from the routine work, expecting for a new start.
Except one a small man, whose age was hard to tell. He was huddled up in the corner, a few metres from the happy holiday crowds who were hurrying to and from. He was covered in a piece of pale blue cloth. For quite a long time, he was still with out even a slight motion, nor did he make any gestures. Begging for money? Or weeping over his misfortune? Neither. He was just sitting there, alone and silent. His hair was grey, much like the withered grass, fluttering on a frosted autumn morning. A bird might well have perched on his head for such a cozy nest, if it were not so dirty. His face was pale and twisted. The nose and the mouth were squeezed to one side. His eyes were frosted, looking inward like the windows of a snowbound cottage. Was he blind? Sometimes, he moved his mouth, murmuring as if to say something. But who cared to listen, on so brilliant and joyful a day?
簡(jiǎn) 評(píng)
本文細(xì)致地描寫(xiě)了蜷縮在墻角的一個(gè)可憐的人。文章開(kāi)頭是一群人在狂歡：眩目的陽(yáng)光、震耳欲聾的音樂(lè)、嬉鬧的人群，襯托出不遠(yuǎn)處有一個(gè)人孤零零地蜷縮在墻角。作者對(duì)這個(gè)可憐的人進(jìn)行了細(xì)致入微的描寫(xiě)：一塊舊布裹住他的身體，亂草堆似的頭發(fā)，臉呈褐色，臉型扭曲而不對(duì)稱(chēng)，眼睛內(nèi)陷，也許已失明，有時(shí)動(dòng)動(dòng)嘴巴，也許在訴說(shuō)著什么。作者的描寫(xiě)由遠(yuǎn)及近，從衣著到眼睛，越來(lái)越細(xì)致。而且運(yùn)用了一系列生動(dòng)的比喻，如：A bird might well have perched On his head for such a cozy nest，if it were not so dirty；His eyes were frosted，looking inward 1ike the windows of a snowbound cottage等，表現(xiàn)出作者細(xì)致的觀察力和豐富的想像力。整篇文章中，作者都沒(méi)有指明他的身份，只是在猜測(cè)：他一動(dòng)不動(dòng)地坐在那兒，是在乞討呢?還是在為自己的不幸遭遇而哭泣?愈加令人同情。
文章的最后一句再次將這個(gè)人的孤苦伶仃和周?chē)说目鞓?lè)放在一起進(jìn)行對(duì)照，進(jìn)一步渲染了他的悲慘境遇。如果作者能夠進(jìn)一步加強(qiáng)兩者之間的對(duì)照，效果則更佳。可以引起讀者的思考：這個(gè)可憐的人究竟可憐在何處?臟?病?無(wú)家可歸?最可怕的是人與人之間的冷漠。