my discovery of england-第31章

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Why　not　take　a　man　of　their　own　size？　For　true　amusement　Mr。　Charles　Chaplin　or　Mr。　Leslie　Henson　could　give　them　sixty　in　a　hundred。　I　even　think　I　could　myself。

One　final　judgment；　however；　might　with　due　caution　be　hazarded。　I　do　not　think　that；　on　the　whole；　the　English　are　quite　as　fond　of　humour　as　we　are。　I　mean　they　are　not　so　willing　to　welcome　at　all　times　the　humorous　point　of　view　as　we　are　in　America。　The　English　are　a　serious　people；　with　many　serious　things　to　think　offootball；　horse　racing；　dogs；　fish；　and　many　other　concerns　that　demand　much　national　thought：　they　have　so　many　national　preoccupations　of　this　kind　that　they　have　less　need　for　jokes　than　we　have。　They　have　higher　things　to　talk　about；　whereas　on　our　side　of　the　water；　except　when　the　World's　Series　is　being　played；　we　have　few；　if　any；　truly　national　topics。

And　yet　I　know　that　many　people　in　England　would　exactly　reverse　this　last　judgment　and　say　that　the　Americans　are　a　desperately　serious　people。　That　in　a　sense　is　true。　Any　American　who　takes　up　with　an　idea　such　as　New　Thought；　Psychoanalysis　or　Eating　Sawdust；　or　any　〃uplift〃　of　the　kind　becomes　desperately　lopsided　in　his　seriousness；　and　as　a　very　large　number　of　us　cultivate　New　Thought；　or　practise　breathing　exercises；　or　eat　sawdust；　no　doubt　the　English　visitors　think　us　a　desperate　lot。

Anyway；　it's　an　ill　business　to　criticise　another　people's　shortcomings。　What　I　said　at　the　start　was　that　the　British　are　just　as　humorous　as　are　the　Americans；　or　the　Canadians；　or　any　of　us　across　the　Atlantic；　and　for　greater　Certainty　I　repeat　it　at　the　end。







End