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VirginiaWoolf

[1]Whearyioehere，shetoldmethatyourSocietyisedwiththeemploymentofwomeedthatImighttellyousomethingaboutmyownprofessionalexperieruethatIamawoman;itistrueIamemployed;butrofessionalexperienceshaveIhad?Itisdiffiyprofessioure;andinthatprofessiontherearefewerexperienenthaniheexofthestage—fewer，Imean，thatarepeen.Fortheroadwasyyearsago—byFannyBurney，byAphraBehn，byHarrietMartineau，byJaen，byGeeEliot—manyfamouswomen，andmanymoreunknownandfotten，havebeenbeforeme，makihsmomysteps.Thus，whee，therewereveryfewmaterialobstamyasareputableandharmlessoilypeaotbrokegofapen.Nodemandonthefamilypurse.FortenandsixpenbuypaperenoughtolaysofShakespeare—ifonehasamindthatianosandmodels，Paris，Vienna，andBerlin，mastersandmistresses，arenotneededbyawriter.Theesspaperis，ofcourse，thereasonwhywomenhavesucceededaswritersbeforetheyhavesutheotherprofessions.

[2]Buttotellyoumystory—itisasimpleone.Youhaveonlygottofiguretoyourselvesagirlihapeninherhand.Shehadonlytomovethatpeht—fromteno’cloe.Thenitoccurredtohertodoleaerall—toslipafewofthosepagesintoanenvelope，fixapennystampintheddroptheeheredboxattheer.ItwasthusthatIbecameajournalist;awasrewardedodayofthefollowingmloriousdayitwasforme—byaletterfromaorgacheepoundtenshillingsaoshowyouhowlittleIdeservetobecalledaprofessionalwoman，howlittleIkrugglesanddifficultiesofsuchlives，Ihavetoadmitthatinsteadofspendingthatsumuponbreada，shoesandstogs，orbutcher’sbills，Iwentoutandboughtacat—abeautifulcat，aPersiancat，whichverysoonierdisputeswithmyneighbours.

[3]WhatcouldbeeasierthaidtobuyPersiancatswiththeprofits?Butwaitamomeobeaboutsomething.Mioremember，wasaboutanovelbyafamousman.Andritingthisreview，IdiscoveredthatifIweregoingtoreviewbooksIshouldodobattlewithaphantom.Aomwasawoman，andwheokerIcalledheraftertheheroineofafamouspoem，TheAheHouse.ItwasshewhousedtoebeterritiwasshewhobotheredmeaimeandsotormelastIkilledher.Youwhoeoffayoungeraionmaynothaveheardofher—youmaynotknowwhatImeanbyTheAheHouse.IwilldescribeherasshortlyasI.Shewasihetic.Shewasimmenselyg.Shewasutterlyunselfish.Sheexthedifficultartsoffamilylife.Shesacrificedherselfdaily.Iftherewas，shetooktheleg;iftherewasadraftshesatinit—inshortshewassostitutedthatsheneverhadamindorawishofherowosympathizealwayswiththemindsahers.Aboveall—Isayit—sheure.Herpurityosedtobeherchiefbeauty—herblushes，hergreatgrathosedays—thelastofQueenVictoria—everyhousehaditsAngel.AndwheeIehtheveryfirstwords.Theshadsfellonmypage;Iheardtherustlisintheroom.Directly，thatistosay，Itookmypeninmyhanovelbyafamousman，sheslippedbehindmeandwhispered:“Mydear，ywomaingaboutabookthathasbeenwrittenbyamahetider;flatter;deceive;usealltheartandwilesofoursex.ayouhaveamindofouroure.”

AndshemadeasiftoguidemypeheoforwhichItakesomeyself，thoughthecreditrightlybelongstosomeeximeasumofmoney—shallwesayfivehundredpouhatitwasnotneetodependsolelyonyliving.Iturneduphtherbythethroat.Ididmybesttokillher.Myexcuse，ifIweretobehadupinacourtoflaw，wouldbethatIaself-defense.HadInotkilledhershewouldhavekilledme.Sheluckedtheheartout.For，asIfoulyIputpentopaper，youotreviewevehavingamindofyourown，withwhatyouthihabouthumaions，morality，sex.AitotheAheHouse，otbedealtwithfreelyandopenlybywomecharm，theymustciliate，theymust—toputitbluntly—tellliesiftheyaretosucceed.Thus，wheheshadortheradianceofherhaloupoookuptheinkpotandflungitather.Shediedhard.Herfiaturewasofgreatassistaisfarhardertokillaphantomthay.SheingbaIthoughtIhaddispatchedher.ThoughIflattermyselfthatIkilledherihestrugglewassevere;ittookmuchtimethathadbetterhavebeeupreekgrammar;theworldinsearchofadveerieeriewasboundbefallallwomehattime.KillingtheAheHouseartoftheoofawomanwriter.

[4]Buttoystelwasdead;whatthenremained?Youmaysaythatwhatremainedleando—ayoungwomahaninkpot.Inotherwords，nowthatshehadridherselfoffalsehood，thatyoungwomanhadonlytobeherself.Ah，butwhatis“herself”

?Imean，whatisawoman?Iassureyou，Idonotknow.Idoyouknow.Idoanybodyowuntilshehasexpressedherselfisandprofessioohumanskill.ThatindeedisohereasonswhyIhaveehere—outofrespectforyou，rocessofshowingusbyyourexperimentswhatawomanis，rocessus，byyourfailuresahthatextremelyimportantpieation.

[5]Buttouethestoryofmyprofessionalexperiences.Imadeoenandsixbymyfirstreview;andIboughtaPersiancatwiththeproIgrewambitious.APersiancatisallverywell，Isaid;butaPersianotenough.ImusthaveamotorditwasthusthatIbeovelist—foritisaverystrahatpeoplewillgiveyouamotorcarifyouwilltellthemastory.Itisastillstrahatthereisnothifulintheworldastelliisfarpleasahanwritingreviewsoffamousnovels.A，ifIamtoobeyyoursedtellyoumyprofessionalexperienovelist，Imusttellyouabeexperiebefellmeasa.AyoumusttryfirsttoimagiateofmigivingarofessiosifIsaythata’schiefdesireistobeasunsciousaspossible.Hehastoinduhimselfastateofperpetuallethargy.Hewaoproceedwiththeutmostquietay.Hewahesamefaces，toreadthesamebooks，todothesamethingsdayafterday，moh，whileheiswriting，sothatnothiheillusioninwhichheisliving—sothatnothingmaydisturbordisquietthemysteriousnosingsabout，feelingsround，darts，dashes，andsuddehatveryshyandillusivespirit，theimaginatiohisstateisthesamebothformeasitmay，Iwantyoutoimagiiateoftrayoutofiguretoyourselvesagirlsittingeninherhand，whiinutes，andindeedforhours，sheneverdipsiheimagethatihinkofthisgirlistheimageofafishermanlyingsuhevergeofadeeplakewitharodheldoutoverthewater.Shewaslettingherimaginationsweepunchedeveryrodyoftheworldthatliessubmergedihsofourunsg.heexperieIbelievetobefarohwomehahelihroughthegirl’sfingers.Herimaginationhadrushedaway.Ithadsoughtthepools，thedepths，thedarkplaceswherethelargestfishslumber.Aherewasasmash.Therelosion.Therewasfoamandaginationhaddasheditselfagaihinghard.Thegirlwasrousedfromherdream.Shewasiateofthemostaddifficultdistress.Tospeakwithoutfigure，shehadthoughtofsomethihingaboutthebody，aboutthepassionswhichitwasunfittingforherasawomantosay.Meoldher，wouldbeshocked.Theessofwhatmenwillsayofaeaksthetruthaboutherpassionshadrousedherfromherartist’sstateofuness.Shecouldwriterancewasinationcer.ThisIbelievetobeaveryohwomeheyareimpededbytheextremealityoftheothersex.Fhmensensiblyallowthemselvesgreatfreedomis，Idoubtthattheyrealizeortroltheextremeseveritywithwhinsuen.

[6]Thesethewenuineexperienyoooftheadventuresofmyprofessiohefirst—killingtheAheHouse—IthinkIsolved.Shedied.Butthesed，tellihaboutmyownexperiencesasabody，Idonotthithatanywomanhassolvedityet.Theobstastherarestillimmenselypowerful—aheyareverydifficulttodefiwardly，lerthantowritebooks?Outwardly，whatobstaclesarethereforawomahanforaman?Inwardly，Ithink，thecaseisverydiffereillmanyghoststofight，maoovere.Iwillbealoill，Ithink，beforeawomansitdowntowriteabookwithoutfindingaphantomtobeslain，arocktobedashedagainst.Andifthisissoihefreestofallprofessionsforwomen，howisitinthenewprofessionswhichyouarenowforthefirsttimeentering?

[7]ThosearethequestionsthatIshouldlike，hadItime，toaskyou.Andindeed，ifIhavelaidstressupontheseprofessionalexperieniisbecauseIbelievethattheyare，thoughiforms，yoursalso.Evehisnomihereisnothiawadoctor，alawyer，acivilservant—therearemanyphantomsandobstacles，asIbelieve，loomiodisddefihivalueandimportahusonlythelaborbeshared，thedifficultiesbesolved.Butbesidesthis，itisnecessaryalsotodiscusstheendsandtheaimsforwhichwearefighting，forwhichwearedoiheseformidableobstasotbetakenfrabeperpetuallyquestiohewholepositio—hereinthishallsurroundedbywforthefirsttimeinhistoryIknownothowmaprofessioraordiandimportance.Youhavewonroomsofyourowninthehousehithertoexclusivelyownedbymehoughnotwithoutgreatlaboraopaytherent.Yyourfivehundredpouhisfreedomisonlyabeginning;theroomisyourown，butitisstillbare.Ithastobefurhastobedecorated;ithastobeshared.Hoingtofurnishit，hoi?Withwhoingtoshareit，andupohese，Ithiioimportaerest.Forthefirsttimeinhistoryyouareabletoaskthem;forthefirsttimeyouareabletodecideforyourselfwhattheanswersshouldbe.WillinglywouldIstayanddiscussthosequestionsanottonight.Mytimeisup;andImustcease.

AfterYouRead

KnowledgeFocus

1.Pairwork:Discussthefollowiionswithyourpartner.

1）WhatdoesWoolfmeaherewereveryfewmaterialobstamy>

2）WhatkindofoiswritingagtoWoolf?Why?

3）Whydidwomenfirstsucceedaswriters?Doyouagreetothereasohepassage?

4）HowdidWoolfbeginherprofessionalcareer?

5）iththefirstedbywriting?Whydidshespendthemo>

6）WhatisWoolf’sfirstarticleabout?Isiteasy?

7）Whatdo“I”

havetodobattlewithduriingprocess?

8）Whatis“thephantom”