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1、MarkTwain-MirrorofAmericaByNoelGrove1. MostAmericansrememberMarkTwainasthefatherofHuckFinnsidylliccruisethrougheternalboyhoodandTomSawyersendlesssummeroffreedomandadventure。Indeed，thisnationsbestlovedauthorwaseverybitasadventurous,patriotic,romantic，andhumorousasanyonehaseverimagined。IfoundanotherTw
2、ain-onewhogrewcynical，bitter，saddenedbytheprofoundpersonaltragedieslifedealthim，amanwhobecameobsessedwithfrailtiesofthehumanrace,whosawclearlyaheadablackwallofnight.2. Trampprinter，riverpilot，Confederateguerrilla，prospector,starryeyedoptimist，acid-tonguedcynic：themanwhobecameMarkTwainwasbornSamuelLa
3、nghorneClemensandherangedacrossthenationformorethanathirdofhislife，digestingthenewAmericanexperiencebeforesharingitwiththeworldaswriterandlecturer.Headoptedhispennamefromthecryheardinhissteamboatdays，signalingtwofathoms（12feet）ofwateranavigabledepth。Hispopularityisattestedbythefactthatmorethanascore
4、ofhisbooksremaininprint,andtranslationsarestillreadaroundtheworld。3. Thegeographiccore,inTwainsearlyyears，wasthegreatvalleyoftheMississippiRiver，mainarteryoftransportationintheyoungnationsheart.Keelboats,flatboats，andlargeraftscarriedthefirstmajorcommerce.Lumber,corn,tobacco,wheat，andfursmoveddownst
5、reamtothedeltacountry;sugar,molasses，cotton,andwhiskeytravelednorth.Inthe1850s，beforetheclimaxofWestwardExpansion，thevastbasindrainedthreequartersofthesettledUnitedStates。4. YoungMarkTwainenteredtheworldin1857asacubpilotonasteamboat.Thecastofcharacterssetbeforehiminhisnewprofessionwasrichandvaried-a
6、cosmos。Heparticipatedabundantlyinhislife,listeningtopilothousetalkoffeuds,piracies，lynchings,medicineshow，andsavagewatersideslums。Allwouldresurfaceinhisbooks,togetherwiththecolorfullanguagethathesoakedupwithamemorythatseemedphonographic。5. Steamboatdecksteemednotonlywiththemaincurrentofpioneeringhum
7、anity,butitsflotsamofhustlers，gamblers，andthugsaswell.FromthemallMarkTwaingainedakeenperceptionofthehumanrace,ofthedifferentbetweenwhatpeopleclaimtobeandwhattheyreallyare。Hisfourandahalfyearsinthesteamboattrademarkedtherealbeginningofhiseducation,andthemostlastingpartofit。InlaterlifeTwainacknowledge
8、dthattheriverhadacquaintedhimwitheverypossibletypeofhumannature.Thoseacquaintanceshipsstrengthenedallhiswriting,butheneverwrotebetterthanwhenhewroteofthepeoplealongthegreatstream.6. WhenrailroadsbegandryingupthedemandforsteamboatpilotsandtheCivilWarhaltedcommerce,MarkTwainlefttherivercountry.Hetried
9、soldieringfortwoweekswithamotleybandofConfederateguerrillaswhodiligentlyavoidedcontactwiththeenemy。Twainquitafterdeciding,“Iknewmoreaboutretreatingthanthemanthatinventedretreating。7. HewentwestbystagecoachandsuccumbedtotheepidemicofgoldandsilverfeverinNevadasWashoeregion.Foreightmonthsheflirtedwitht
10、hecolossalwealthavailabletotheluckyandthepersistent，andwasrebuffed。Brokeanddiscouraged，heacceptedajobasreporterwiththeVirginiaCityTerritorialEnterprise,toliteraturesenduringgratitude.8. Fromthediscouragementofhisminingfailures,MarkTwainbegandigginghiswaytoregionalfameasanewspaperreporterandhumorist.
11、Theinstantrichesofaminingstrikewouldnotbehisinthereportingtrade，butformakingmoney，hispenwouldprovemightierthanhispickax。Inthespringof1864，lessthantwoyearsafterjoiningtheTerritorialEnterprise，heboardedthestagecoachforSanFrancisco,thenandnowahotbedofhopefulyoungwriters.9. MarkTwainhonedandexperimented
12、withhisnewwritingmuscles，buthehadtoleavethecityforawhilebecauseofsomescathingcolumnshewrote。Attacksonthecitygovernment，concerningsuchissuesasmistreatmentofChinese，soangeredofficialsthathefledtothegoldfieldsintheSacramentoValley。Hisdescriptionsoftheroughcountrysettlersthereringfamiliarlyinmodernworld
13、accustomedtotrendsettingontheWestCoast.“Itwasasplendidpopulation-foralltheslow，sleepy，sluggishbrainedslothsstayedathomeItwasthatpopulationthatgavetoCaliforniaanameforgettingupastoundingenterprisesandrushingthemthroughwithamagnificentdashanddaringandarecklessnessofcostorconsequences,whichshebearsunto
14、thisday-andwhensheprojectsanewsurprise,thegraveworldsmilesasusual,andsays“Well，thatisCaliforniaallover.”10. Inthedrearywinterof186465inAngelsCamp,hekeptanotebook。Scatteredamongnotationsabouttheweatherandthetediousmining-campmealsliesanentrynotingastoryhehadheardthatday-anentrythatwoulddeterminehisco
15、urseforever:“Colemanwithhisjumpingfrogbetstranger50-strangerhadnofrog,andColemangothimone-inthemeantimestrangerfilledC.sfrogfullofshotandhecouldntjump.Thestrangersfrogwon.”11. Retoldwithhisdescriptivegenius,thestorywasprintedinnewspapersacrosstheUnitedStatesandbecameknownas“TheCelebratedJumpingFrogo
16、fCalaverasCounty。”MarkTwainsnationalreputationwasnowwellestablishedas“thewildhumoristofthePacificslope.”12. TwoyearslatertheopportunitycameforhimtotakeadistinctlyAmericanlookattheOldWorld.InNewYorkCitythesteamshipQuakerCitypreparedtosailonapleasurecruisetoEuropeandtheHolyLand。Forthefirsttime，asizablegroupofUnitedStatescitizensplannedtojourneyastourists-amilestone，ofsorts,inacountrysdevelopment.Twainwasassig
