Part 2 4 One of the silliest things in our recent history was the use of “Victorian” as a

Part24Oneofthesilliestthingsinourrecenthistorywastheuseof“Victorian”asatermofcontemptorabuse.IthadbeenmadefashionablebyLyttonStr acheywithhisclever,superficialandultimatelyemptybookEminentVictorians,inwhichhedamnedwithfaintpraisesuchVictorianheroesasGeneralGordonandFlorenceNightingale.Str achey’sdemolitionjobwascleverbecauseitr idiculedtheVictoriansforexactlythosequalitiesonwhichtheypridedthemselves—theirhighmindedness,theirmarkedmoralintensity,theirdesiretoimprovethehumanconditionandtheirconfidencethattheyhaddoneso.

Yetonesaw,evenbeforethe100thanniversaryofthedeathofQueenVictoriathisyear,thatthereweresignsthesesneeringattitudeswerebeginningtochange.ProgrammesonradioandtelevisionaboutVictoriaandtheagethatwasnamedafterhermanagedtohumblethemselvesonlyabouthalfthetime.Peoplewerebeginningtorealizethattherewassomethingheroicaboutthatepochand,perhaps,tofearthattheVictorianagewasthelastageofgreatnessforthiscountr y.

Nowanewbook,WhatTheVictoriansDidForUs,aimsfurthertoredressthebalanceandremindusthat,inmostessentials,ourownageisreallyanextensionofwhattheVictorianscreated.YoucanstartwiththelistofVictorianinventions.Theyweregreatloversofgadgetsfromthesmallestd omesticonestonewwaysofpropellingshipsthroughoutthefar-flungEmpire.Inmedicine,anaesthesia(developedbothhereandinAmerica)allowedsurgeonsmuchgreatertimeinwhichtooperate—andhencetoworkontheinnerorgansofthebody—nottomentionreducingthelevelofpainandfearofpatients.

TotheVictorianswealsoowelawntennis,anationwidefootballassociationunderthemodernrules,poweredfunfairrides,andtheatr esofferingmassentertainment.And,ofcourse,themodernseasideisalmostentirelyaVictorianinvention.Thereis,ofcourse,adarkersidetotheVictorianperiod.EveryoneknowsaboutitmostlybecausetheVictorianscatalogueditthemselves.HenryMayhew’swonderfulsetofvolumesonthelivesoftheLondonpoor,andofficialreportsonprostitution,ontheworkhousesandonchildlabour—reportsandtheirstatisticsthatwereusedbyMarxwhenhewroteDasKapital—testifytothesocialconsciencethatwasatthecenterof“Victorianvalues”.

Butnow,surely,wecanappreciatetheVictorianachievementforwhatitwas—thecreationofthemodernworld.AndwhenwecomparetheageofTennysonandDarwin,ofJohnHenryNewmanandCarlyle,withourown,theonlysensiblereactionisoneofhumility:“Weareourfather’sshadowscastatnoon”.

第16题：Accordingtotheauthor,LyttonStr achey’sbookEminentVictorians_____.

[A]accuratelydescribedthequalitiesofthepeopleoftheage

[B]superficiallypraisedtheheroicdeedsoftheVictorians

[C]washighlycriticalofthecontemporarypeopleandinstitutions

[D]wasguiltyofspreadingprejudicesagainsttheVictorians