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麦克斯·毕尔勃姆MaxBeerbohm

麦克斯·毕尔勃姆（1872—1956），英国著名讽刺画家、散文家和剧评家。

曾就读于牛津大学。

除擅长绘画外，他还写过不少散文，并取得了较高的成就。

后来继萧伯纳任《星期六评论》剧评专栏作者达十二年之久，晚年移居美国直到去世。

&heHole

&hesenewwordsbeforeyoureadthisarticle.

1.languish['l??ɡwi?]v.失去活力

2.prophecy['pr?fisi]n.预言

3.magic[m?ɡ'ik]adj.地磁的；有磁性的

4.fess[k?n'fes]v.承认

Iamnotgoodatit.Todoitwellseemstomeodiffigsintherobablyseemssotoyou，too.

ToseeafriendofffromWaterlootoVauxhallwereeasyenough.Butwearenevertoperformthatsmallfeat.Itisonlywhenafriendisgoingonalongishjourney，afuishtime，thatweturnupattherailwaystatiohefriehejourhelohelikelyabseheearlierdoweturnup，andthemorelamentablydowefail.Ourfailureisiiototheseriousheo，ah.

Inaroom，orevenonadoorstep，wemakethefarewellquiteworthily.ressihegenuinesorrowwefeel.Nordowordsfailus.Thereisnoawkwardness，，ohethreadofourintimaotbeeheleave-takingisanidealo，theheleave-takingatthat?Alartingfriendsimploreusnottobothertoetotherailwaystatiom.Always，wearedeaftotheseeies，kobenotquitesiingfriendswouldthinkitveryoddofusifwetookthemattheirword.Besides，theyreallydowanttoseeusagain.Andthatwishisheartilyreciprocated.Wedulyturnup.Ahen，whatagulfyawsvainlyacrossit.Wehaveutterlylosttouch.Wehavenothingatalltosay.Wegazeateachotherasdumbanimalsgazeathumanbeings.We“makeversation”

—andsuversatiohatthesefriehefriendsfromwhomwepartedht.Theyknowthatwehave，onthesurface，everythingisdifferent;aensionissuchthatweonlyluardtoblowhisutahefarce.

OnaoflastweekIdulyturEuston，toseeoffanoldfriendwhforAmerica.

&，wehadgivenhimafarewelldinner，inwhiesswaswellmihfestivity.Yearsprobablysebeforehisreturn.Someofusmightneverseehimagain.Ntheshadowofthefuture，wegailycelebratedthepast.Wewereasthankfultohaveknuestasweweregrievedtolosehim;andboththeseemotionsweremademaerfectfarewell.

Andnoere，stiffandself-stheplatform;ahewindowoftherailway-carriagewasthefaceofourfriend;butitwasasthefaceer—astrangeranxioustoplease，aranger，anawkwardstraeverything?”

askedoneasilehing，”

aidourfriend，leasahied，withtheemphasisofaybrain.“You’llbeabletolurain，”

saidI，thoughtheprophecyhadalreadybeehanonce.“Oh，yes，”

hesaidwith.HeaddedthatthetrairaightthroughtoLiverpool.Thisfactseemedtostrikeusasratherodd.WeexgedglastopatCrewe?”

askedoneofus.“No，”

saidourfriend，briefly.Heseemedalmostdisagreeable.Thereause.Oneofus，withanodandaforcedsmileatthetraveler，said“Well!”

Thenod，thesmileandtheunmeaningmonosyllable，werereturnedtiously.Anotherpausewasbrokenbyoneofuswithafitofg.Itwasanobviouslyassumedfit，butitservedtopassthetime.Thebustleoftheplatformwasuherewasnosigraiure.Release—ours，andourfriend’s—was.

Mywaedolymiddle-agedmanwhowastalkilyfromtheplatformtoayoungladyatthewindowbutooours.Hisfineprofilewasvaguelyfamiliartome.TheyoungladywasevidentlyAmeridhewasevidentlyEnglish;otherwiseIshouldhaveguessedfromhisimpressiveairthathewasherfather.IwishedIcouldhearwhathewassaying.Iwassurehewasgiviadvidthestrongtendernessofhisgazewasreallybeautiful.Heseemedmagic，ashepouredouthisfinalinjuns.Icouldfeelsomethingofhismagismeveood.Aism，liketheprofile，wasvaguelyfamiliartome.erie?

InaflashIremembered.ThemaLeRos.ButhowgedsiIsawhim!Thatwasseveyearsago，irahen（asusual）outofa，andborrowedhalf-a-.Itseemedaprivilegetolendanythingtohim.HewasalwaysmagidwhyhismagismhadnevermadehimsuctheLondonstagewasalwaysamysterytome.Hewasaor，andama.But，likemanyothersofhiskiLeRos（Idonot，ivetheaamebyn）driftedspeedilyawayintotheprovindI，likeeveryoneelse，berhim.

Itwasstraeralltheseyears，hereoformofEuston，lookingsoprosperousandsolid.Itwasnotohathehadputon，butalsotheclothes，thatmadehimhardtheolddays，animitationfurcoathadseemedtobeasintegralapartofhimaswerehisill-shornlanternjaws.Butnowhisewasamodelofrioderati，notg，attentiontoitself.Helookedlikeabanker.Anyonecouldhavebeenproudtobeseenoffbyhim.

“Standback，please!”

hetrainwasabouttostart，andIwavedfarewelltomyfriend.LeRosdidnotstandback.Hestoodginbothhandsthehandsoftheyouandback，sir，please!”

heobeyed，butquicklydartedfaintowhispersomefinalword.Ithiearsiherelyweretearsilength，havirainoutofsight，heturnedround.Heseemed，heless，delightedtoseeme.HeaskedmewhereIhadbeenhidingalltheseyears;andsimultahehalf-asthoughithadbeeerday.Helinkedhisarminmine，ahmeslowlyalofleasurehereadmydramaticcriticismseverySaturday.

Itoldhim，iurn，howmuchhewasmissedoage.“Ah，yes，”

hesaid，“Ihestagenowadays.”

Helaidsomeemphasise.”