!佚名
Anonymous
I。A。WilliamswasborninEnglandandeducatedatCambridge。AfterWorldWarIheservedasacorresondentfortheLondonTimes。Williamswroteseveralbooksoneighteenth-centuryoetryanddrama,ublishedwidelyinjournalsandmagazines,andublishedcollectionsofhisownoetry。ThefollowingarticlefirstaearedinLondonsTheOutlookin1923。
Perhasthegreatestthreattoroductivityinbothworkandlayisthefearofdoingthingsbadlyorwrong。Thisarticleofferssomecomfort。Williamsointsoutthattherearemanythingsworthdoingbadly,andthatourlivesareenrichedandourersonalitiesenhanced1bytheseactivities。Twocentralexamles,sortsandmusic,arevaluabletomosteoleinroortiontohowenthusiasticallytheydothem,ratherthanhowwell。
CharlesLambwroteaseriesofessaysuonoularfallacies2。Idonot,atthemoment,carrythemveryclearlyinmymemory;but,unlessthattreacherousservantmisleadsmemoreeventhansheusuallydoes,hedidnotwriteofoneieceofroverbialso-calledwisdomthathasalwaysseemedtometobeeculiarlyernicious。Andthissaw,thisscraofseciousadvice,thisuntruthmasqueradingaslogic,isonethatIremembertohavehadhurledatmyheadatfrequentintervalsfrommyearliestyouthrightutomyresentadvancedage。HowmanytimeshaveInotbeentoldthat
"Ifathingisworthdoingatall,itisworthdoingwell
"?
Neverwasthereamoreuntruthfulwordsokeninearnest3。Fortheworldisfullofthingsthatareworthdoing,butcertainlynotworthdoingwell。WasitnotsogreatasageasHerbertSencerwhosaidtotheyoungmanwhohadjustbeatenhimatbilliards,
"Moderateskill,sir,isthesignofagoodeyeandasteady;hand,butskillsuchasyoursarguesayouthmissent?
"Isanygameworthlayingsuremelywell,atthericeofconstantracticeandalication?
AgainsttherofessionallayerIsaynothing;heisaublicentertainer,likeanyother,andbyhisskillinhisarticularsortheatleastfulfillsthefirstsocialdutyofman—thatofsuortinghimselfandhisfamilybyhisownlegitimateexertions。Butwhatistobesaidofthecrackamateur?Tomeheseemsoneofthemostcontemtibleofmankind。Heearnsnomoney,butdevoteshimself,forthemereselfishleasureofthething,tosomegame,whichhelaysdayindayout;hebreaksdownthesalutarydistinctionbetweentheamateurandtherofessional;eventuallyhisskilldesertshim,andheleavesbehindhimnothingthatisofservicetohisfellowmen—notabricklaid,notanacreloughed,notalinewritten,notevenafamilysuortedandeducatedbyhislabor。
Itistruethathehasrovidedentertainmentforacertainnumberofersons,buthehasneverhadthelucktosubmithimselftothetestbywhichwedemandthateveryentertainershouldjustifyhischoiceofacalling—thedemonstrationofthefactthattheubliciswillingtoayhimforhisentertainment。And,whenhisdayisover,whatisleft,noteventotheworld,buttohimself?Nothingbutanamethatisatonceforgotten,orisrememberedbystoutgentlemeninclubs。
Thelayingofgames,certainly,isathingwhichisnotworthdoingwell。Butthatdoesnotrovethatitisnotworthdoingatall,astheroverbwould,byimlication,ersuadeus。Thereisnothingmoreagreeableandsalutarythanlayingagamewhichonelikes,andthecircumstanceofdoingitbadlyinterfereswiththeleasureofnorealdevoteeofanyastime。Themanwhomindswhetherornothewinsisnotruesortsman—whichobservationistrite,buttheruleitimliesisseldomobserved,andcomarativelyfeweolereallylaygamesforthesheerenjoymentofthelaying。Isthisnotrovedbytherevalenceandoularityofhandicas4?Whyshouldweexecttobegivenointsunlessitbethatwewishtowinbymeansotherthanourownskill?
"Ah!but,
"myreadermaysay,
"theweakerlayerwantstoreceiveointsinorderthathemaygivethestrongeroneabettergame。
"Really,Idonotbelievethatthatisso。Possible,sometimes,astrongandvaingloriouslayermaywish;togiveoints,inorderthathisvictorymaybethemorenotable。ButIdonotthinkthateventhisisthetrueexlanation。That,Isusect,wasgiventometheotherdaybythesecretaryofalawn-tennistournament,inwhichIlayed。
"Whyallthisnonsenseofhandicas?Whynotletusbesquarelybeaten,anddonewithit?
"Iaskedhim。
"Because,
"Herelied,
"ifwedidnotgivehandicas,noneofthelessgoodlayerswouldenter。
"Isthatnotaconfessionthatthemajorityofushavebothrealizedthetruevaluedoingatrivialthingbadly,foritsownsake,andmustneedshaveourmindsbuoyedandcheatedintoafalsesenseofexcellence?
Moreoveritisnotonlysuchintrinsicallytrivialthingsasgamesthatareworthdoingbadly。Thisisatruthwhich,oddlyenough,weaccetfreelyofsomethings—butnotofothers—andasathingwhichwearequitecontenttodowillletmeinstanceacting。Acting,atitsbest,canbeagreatart,athingworthdoingsuremelywell,thoughitsworth,likethatofallinterretativearts,islessenedbyitsevanescence。Foritworksintheimermanentmediumofhumanfleshandblood,andthethingthattheactorcreate—forwhatwecallaninterretativeartistisreallyacreativeartistworkinginaerishablemedium—isanimressionuon,anemotionorathoughtarousedin,themindsofanaudience,andisincaableofrecord。
Acting,then,letmeostulate—thoughIhaveonlysketchedeversobrieflytheroofofmybelief—canbeagreatart。Butisanyoneeverdeterredfromtakingartinamateurtheatricalsbytheconsiderationthathecannotactwell?Notabitofit!Andquiterightlynot,foractingisoneofthethingsaboutwhichIamwritingthisessay—thethingsthatareworthdoingbadly。
Anothersuchthingismusic;butheretheroverbialfallacyagainexertsitsower,asitdoesnot,forsomeobscureandunreasoningdiscrimination,inacting。Mosteoleseemtothinkthatiftheycannotsing,orlaytheiano,fiddle,orsackbut,admirablywell,theymustnotdoanyofthesethingsatall。Thattheyshouldnotindiscriminatelyforcetheirinferiorerformancesuontheublic,orevenuontheiracquaintances,Iadmit。Butthatthereisnolace
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