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个预备阶段依然不完善，结果并没有带来我们承诺的任何好处。
有些人不是大学者却与古代的作家们在很大程度上相知相惜，是否可以说他们也真正掌握了英语呢？从院校毕业的年轻的绅士们中，有几个能够信手拈来一句拉丁诗句用上一用呢？这足以让沉睡墓中的古罗马人为之动容。又有多么可怜的几个人能写出几个优美的句子，或者一个半个的朴实无华、无误易懂的英文段落呢？ 尽管我必须听取其他人的说法，但我现在依然由衷地羡慕古希腊人。我很乐意看到我们的教育工作者们至少在一点上以古希腊语为榜样加以效仿。古希腊人是怎样把他们的语言变成以优雅简洁著称于世的语言表达典范的呢？他们把所有的时间都花在研究面前的语言上了吗？他们锲而不舍地钻研以前朝代的语言起源演变了吗？ 根本没有。他们就是研究了当时的希腊语，研究了他们自己的语言。他们热爱她，珍惜她，修饰她，扩展她。那就是古希腊语典范长存流芳百世的原因所在。我们的母语已经在现代世界里为自己赢得了一个无比强大的帝国。毫无疑问，我们至少可以向古希腊人学习这个经验，在教育的几年中抽出一定比例的时间多留意一门语言的学习，可能这门语言在未来人类发展的进程中扮演着举足轻重的角色。
我们须明白一点，作家永远能够尽其所能。他没有任何借口可言。伟大的板球手有不在状态的时候；有名的将军可能会在决战的前夕害上严重的牙疼病，也可能赶上自己的队伍是一群乌合之众；海军上将也可能会晕船——我就是其中之一，不过我还是能够很满意地处理那种偶发事件；鲁宾逊得过黏膜炎；哈肯史密德也有感冒的时候。对于做演讲的人而言，光思维良好和真实还不够，还必须敏捷。速度是演讲者的生命所在。有感而发更是雄辩健谈的标签。所有这些各种各样的行动力都需要实施者自身在某个特定时期处于最佳状态，但这种状态最终可能还要受制于所处的环境，不是由自己说了算。作家的情况就不是这样了。他总是在万事俱备之后才示于众人，也总是能够处于最佳状态。他的成功不是靠某一天的某个最佳时机，因为他完全可以集合起20天内的各个最佳时刻。他没有任何借口可以不全力以赴。写出伟大的作品是他的机遇，也是他的责任。有个人的名字我记不清了，他曾经说过这样的话：“语言是唯一永恒的东西。”我一直认为，那是一种透彻的思想。由人力植入石头中的最耐久的铭文，最坚固的权力丰碑，最终也会化作尘土，然而，那些娓娓道来的话语，那些对人类转瞬即逝的灵动思想的表述，不会像过去的回音一样会随风逝去，也不会像考古得来的古玩和古老的遗产一样会腐朽破败，而是拥有一种生命和力量持久地新鲜和强大；有时候，那些话已经远远超越了刚刚说出时的意义，它们跨越了三千年的历史鸿沟，在今天为我们点亮了世界。
特质三 写口（6）
The Joys of Writing
By Winston Leonard Spenser Churchill
The fortunate people in the world—the only really fortunate people in the world， in my mind—are those whose work is also their pleasure。 The class is not a large one， not nearly so large as it is often represented to be； and authors are perhaps one of the most important elements in its position。 They enjoy in this respect at least a real harmony of life。 To my mind， to be able to make your work your pleasure is the one class distinction in the world worth striving for； and I do not wonder that others are inclined to envy those happy human beings who find their livelihood in the gay effusions of their fancy， to whom every hour of labor is an hour of enjoyment， to whom repose—however necessary—is a tiresome interlude； and even a holiday is most deprivation。 Whether a man writes well or ill， has much to say or little， if he cares about writing at all， he will appreciate the pleasures of position。 To sit at one？蒺s table on a sunny morning； with four clear hours of uninterruptible security， plenty of nice white paper， and Squeezer pen—that is true happiness。The plete absorption of the mind upon an agreeable occupation—what more is there than that to desire？ What does it matter what happens outside？The House of mons may do what it likes； and may the House of Lords。 The heathen may rage furiously in every part of the globe。 The bottom may be knocked clean out of the American market。 Consols may fall and suffragettes may rise。 Never mind， for four hours， at any rate， we will withdraw ourselves from a mon； ill…governed， and disorderly world， and with the key of fancy unlock that cupboard where all the good things of the infinite are put away。
And speaking of freedom is not the author free， as few men are free？ Is he not secure， as few men are secure？ The tools of his industry are so mon and so cheap that they h*e almost ceased to h*e mercial value。He needs no bulky pile of raw material， no elaborate apparatus， no service of men or animals。 He is dependent for his occupation upon no one but himself， and nothing outside him that matters。 He is the sovereign of an empire， self…supporting， self…contained。 No one can sequestrate his estates。 No one can deprive his of his stock in trade； no one can force him exercise his faculty against his will； no one can prevent him exercising it as he chooses。 The pen is the great liberator of men and nations。No chains can bind； no poverty can choke， no tariff can restrict the free play of his mind， and even the “Times”Book Club can only exert a moderately depressing influence upon his rewards。 Whether his work is good or bad， so long as he does his best he is happy。 I often fortify myself amid the uncertainties and vexations of political life by believing that I possess a line of retreat into a peaceful and fertile country where no rascal can pursue and where one need never be dull or idle or even wholly without power。 It is then， indeed， that I feel devoutly thankful to h*e been born fond of writing。 It is then； indeed， that I feel grateful to all the br*e and generous spirits who， in every age and in every land， h*e fought to establish the now unquestioned freedom of the pen。 。。
特质三 写口（7）
And what a noble medium the English language is。 It is not possible to write a page without experiencing positive pleasure at the richness and variety， the flexibility and profoundness of our mother…tongue。 If an English writer cannot say what he has to say in English； and in simple English； you may depend upon it—it is probably not worth saying。What a pity it is that English is not more generally studied！ I am not going to attack classical education。 No one who has the slightest pretension to literary tastes can be insensible to the attraction of Greece and Rome。But I confess our present educational system excites in my mind gr*e misgivings。I cannot believe that a system is good， or even reasonable， which thrusts upon reluctant and unprehending multitudes of treasures which can only be appreciated by the privileged and gifted few。 To the vast majority of boys who attend our public schools a classical education is from beginning to end on long useless； meaningless rigmarole。 If I am told that classes are the best preparation for the study of English； I reply that by far the greater number of students finish their education while this preparatory stage is still inplete and without deriving any of the benefits which are promised as its result。
And even of those who，without being great scholars，attain a certain general acquaintance with the ancient writers，can it really be said that they h*e also obtained the mastery of English？How many young gentlemen there are from the universities and public schools who can turn a Latin verse with a facility which would make the old Romans squirm in their tombs。 How few there are who can construct a few good sentences，or still less a few good paragraphs of plain，correct，and straightforward English。 Now，I am a great admirer of the Greeks，although，of course，I h*e to depend up－on what others tell me about them，…and I would like to see our educationists imitate in one respect，at least，the Greek example。 How is it that the Greeks made their language the most graceful and pendious mode of expression ever known among men？Did they spend all their time studying the languages which had preceded theirs？ Did they explore with tireless persistency the ancient root dialects of the vanished world？Not at all。 They studied Greek。 They studied their own language。 They loved it，they cherished it，they adorned it，they expanded it，and that is why it survives a model and delight to all posterity。 Surely we，whose mother－tongue has already won for itself such an unequalled empire over the modern world，can learn this lesson at least from the ancient Greeks and bestow a little care and some proportion of the years of education to the study of a language which is perhaps to play a predominant part in the future progress of mankind。
特质三 写口（8）
Let us remember the author can always do his best。 There is no excuse for him。 The great cricketer may be out of form。 The general may on the day of decisive battle h*e a bad toothache or a bad army。 The admiral may be seasick—as a sufferer I reflect with satisfaction upon that contingency。 Caruso may be afflicted with catarrh，or Hacken…schmidt with influenza。 As for an orator，it is not enough for him to be able to think well and truly。 He must think quickly。 Speed is vital to him。 Spontaneity is more than ever the hall－mark of good speaking。 All these varied forces of activity require from the performer the mand of the best that is in him at a particular moment which may be fixed by circumstances utterly beyond his control。 It is not so with the author。 He need never appear in public until he is ready。 He can always realize the best that is in him。 He is not dependent upon his