23 Places Where You’d Rather Be Reading Right Now

23 Places Where You’d Rather Be Reading Right Now

B-Wells is #15 on the list :-)

名画欣赏

如何欣赏一幅画

I Always Loved You by Robin Oliveira: imagines a passionate scene between Edgar Degas — a French artist known for his paintings of dancers — and Mary Cassatt — an American painter known for her scenes of family life. The kiss in the novel is pure fiction, but then again, "nobody knows what goes on in their neighbor's house, let alone what happened between two artists 130 years ago," Oliveira says.

Some have read this book: Into thin air

Into thin air by John Krakauer

TV documentary based on the book Death on Everest 

John Krakauer's article on New York Times 4/21/14 -- Death and anger on Everest

Mt. Everest - The Storm (1996) - PBS Frontline

于珈：攀登莎斯塔峰

People died:

Rob Hall 

Andy Harris

Doug Hansen

Yasuko Namba

Scott Fischer

夏天不歇凉 书呆子读书 电影迷看影

时间 --  5月15日

领读 -- 雪 

网上观看蒂凡尼的早餐
《月亮河》 Henry Mancini / Johnny Mercer, 1961 : Moon River 
Henry Mancini, composer
Johnny Mercer, lyricist
Truman Capote, author
Summer book: Breakfast at Tiffany's = 蒂凡尼的早餐
进入讨论区

问题 -- 《看得见风景的房间》 作者 爱德华·摩根·福斯特

1.人物 -- 书中的人物活灵活现，令人难忘。如果作者把你写进书里，你最希望当哪个角色?

艾默森先生 = Mr. Emerson

乔治 艾默森 = George Emerson

塞西尔 维斯 = Cecil Vyse

毕比先生 = Mr. Beebe

卡斯伯特·伊格 = Mr. Eager

弗雷迪 霍尼彻奇 = Freddy Honeychurch

露西 霍尼彻奇小姐 = Lucy Honeychurch

夏绿蒂 巴特利特小姐 = Charlotte Bartlett

霍尼彻奇夫人 = Mrs. Honeychurch

拉维希小姐 = Miss Eleanor Lavish

两位艾伦小姐 = The Miss Alans

水竹 -- 这也

我是看我是看的电影，喜欢里面不少人物，他们个有特色，也喜欢里面的歌词，故事里也有我的影子，年轻时多少也有过同样美好的心境和梦想。

电影为我们全景式地展现了一个少女初次恋爱的心理全程，一切都由一个看得见风景的房间而起，一个美好的爱情故事就这样徐徐展开：相识、好奇、吸引、困惑、谎言、自欺、认知、追求，精妙的构思使其成为爱情文艺作品中的经典之作。

从男女主角彼此交换房间到乔治帮助晕倒的露西，从笨拙的未婚夫由于眼镜夹到鼻子而没有吻到露西到露西回想起乔治在紫罗兰花丛中对她的一吻，从乔治再次情不自禁亲吻露西到露西对所有人撒谎，从老爱默生先生说动露西到最后两人结婚故地重游……每一个过程都像一颗绝美的小珍珠，最终连成一串华丽的项链。 露西是个文静秀丽的淑女，但她弹钢琴时却喜欢忘情地演奏热情的乐章。在她心里，在每个人心里，都有一个看得见风景的房间，只要打开心窗，窗外都有蓝天。小爱神在天上飞着说：听从心灵的召唤，爱谁谁吧。

潇竹 -- 我喜欢毕比先生。他是书中最聪明的一个角色，人也很好。也喜欢乔治 艾默森和露西， 霍尼彻奇小姐。

-- 旧派的夏绿蒂 巴特利特小姐也在改变，由于她的暗中支持使得露西 霍尼彻奇小姐最终获得幸福。多么象换房间一样。

世界不是一成不变的，书中的角色也相同。都想风景似的。即使是一成不变的教堂，河流，村庄也因人的变化而增添了色彩。对读者来说是多好的景啊。

萤火虫 -- 这个“景色”一词抓得好！ 每个同学的评论也像一幕幕不同的景色。我们的解读为小说平添韵味！

回到潇竹指出的人物不是一成不变的话题。在“作为一位幽默家的塞西尔”的一章里，提到意大利分别对Lucy和Cecil的影响。（Lucy生活的社交圈很像我们的生活环境，我们是属于不为温饱担忧，还有余闲出去游山玩水的一族，价值观念也很类似，政治倾向偏向民主党派，宗教信仰并不偏激。）

这一段写得好：”不过当她在意大利时，这种生活概念消失了，在那里，一个人只要愿意，就可以得到平等的温暖，就像人人能享受日光一样。她的各种感觉扩大了；她感到不可能不喜欢上每一个人。而社会隔阂是毫无疑问不可能排除的，但是这隔阂并不一定特别深。你越过这些隔阂，就像你跳人亚平宁山区一家农民的橄榄园，受到他的欢迎一样。她带着新眼光回来了。

塞西尔也是带着新眼光回来的；然而意大利激发了塞西尔，并没有促使他变得宽容，反而促使他变得恼怒了。他认为当地的社交圈子太狭隘了，可是并没有说“难道这有天大的关系吗？”而是产生了反感，企图用一个他称之为宽广的社交圈子取而代之。“他没有认识到千百种点点滴滴的友好行为已逐渐在露西心里产生了一股温情，使她把周围的环境看作一片圣洁的土地，而她的眼睛虽然看到了它有缺点，但是她的心却不愿完全鄙视它。

塞西尔也没有认识到更重要的一点——如果说露西太好了，不适合于那个社交圈子，那么应该说她好得不适合所有的社交圈子，她已到达只有个人交流才能使她满足的阶段。她是个叛逆者，但不是他所理解的那种叛逆者——是一个希望获得与她所爱的人同样的平等地位、而不是追求更大居室的叛逆者。因为意大利给了她人在世界上所能占有的最宝贵的东西——那就是她自己的心灵。 

从Lucy, 甚至Cecil的身上，你是否看到自已的某些缩影？不仅是这样，我觉得自己具有这里许多人物角色身上的某种东西，这是多么有趣的发现。E.M. Forster对人性的研究实在让我佩服。

潇竹 -- 西湖点的好！我好似从梦中醒来。虽然还是认为毕比先生是好人，但那双夹在好人之上的引号不得不让我多多揣测毕比先生的心灵深处。他是倡导独身的--就像保罗一样。当他听到露西爱乔治时，他沮丧到极点（也许有更合适的词）。从下面的对话中我们可以知道毕比先生和露西两人各自的挣扎。作者的轻描淡写却把每个人物刻画的活灵活现，入骨三分，咱也的跟着西湖加入赞叹不已的队列了。

  

"不------他们就在过道里---噢，请不要说了，艾默森先生---他们信赖我---"
"可是你欺骗了他们，他们为什么要信赖你呢？"
毕比先生把门打开说：
"我妈妈来了。"
"你不值得他们信赖。"
"这是什么意思？"毕比先生尖锐地说。
"我刚才在说，她欺骗了你们，你们为什么要信赖她呢？"
"稍等一下，妈妈。"他走进房间，把门关上。
"艾默森先生，我不明白你的意思。你在说谁呀？信赖谁呀？"
"我说的是，她曾对你假装说并不爱乔治。可事实上他们一直相爱着。"
毕比先生看着正在啜泣的姑娘。他非常镇静，那张苍白的脸，映着发红的络腮胡子，一下子显得很少人情味了。他像一根长长的黑色柱子，站在那里，等待她回答。
"我永远不会嫁给他，"露西声音发颤地说。
他露出轻蔑的神色，说，
"为什么？"
"毕比先生啊---我曾使你误以为---我曾使自己误以为---"
"一派胡扯，霍尼彻奇小姐！"
"不是胡扯！"老人激动地说。"这正是你无法理解的关于人的某一方面。"
毕比先生高兴地把手放在老人的肩上。
"露西！露西！"马车里有几个人在叫唤。
"毕比先生，你能帮助我吗？"
他对这一请求感到十分诧异，便严峻地低声说：
"我感到说不出的悲哀。这太可悲了，太可悲了---简直不可思议。"
"那个小伙子有什么不好？"对方又一次激动起来。
"没什么不好，艾默森先生，只是他不再使我感兴趣而已。霍尼彻奇小姐，嫁给乔治吧！他会是顶不错的。"
他走出房间，只留下他们俩。他们听见他把他母亲领上楼去。

下面是些要问自己的问题，也请大家一起想想：

毕比先生的兴趣到底在哪? 露西为什么不敢说自己的内心的真实感受? 毕比先生又向众人隐藏了什么? 我们在现实生活中似乎也与露西一样有不敢表白之痛, 当然具体事情有别。我们如何面对事实真相？

雪 -- 谢谢两位前辈的点拨，潇老师的问题真是深刻，也许有的书友还没看到那里，俺就在这里画蛇添足一下：我觉得好人坏人不太好简单的定义，《圣经·哥林多前书》第7章保罗囊括已婚，未婚，守独身，守寡的种种现象，但看不出他个人一定有什么偏颇，他也说，“我说这话，是为了你们自己的益处，我不是要限制你们，而是要你们作合宜的事，一心一意对主忠诚。”7章35 节。可是文学作品要塑造人物，让他们在作者的笔下栩栩如生，有个性，可能就会加进一些自己的诠释。无论怎样，I am with Xihu and Baofen，作者的功底是非常不一般。

（巴特利特小姐说了一大通漂亮的感谢话。她向他表示感谢时，旅店的招牌——一个蜜蜂分布得很均匀的蜂窝——被室外的风吹得吱吱作响。毕比先生不太了解情况；可是话得说回来，他并不希望了解清楚，也不匆匆作出结论，认为露西“另有所恋”，这是一个比较粗俗的人会乐于这样 想的。他只是感到巴特利特小姐知道那姑娘希望能从某种隐隐约约的影响下解脱出来，而那种影响很可能是个血肉之躯。正因为这种影响是隐隐约约的，才促使他采取侠义的行动。他信奉独身主义，平时很少流露，以宽厚和有教养的外表将它巧妙地掩盖起来，此时却露头了，像某种娇嫩的花朵那样突然开放了。“结婚固然是好，可是能克制而不结婚是更好。”（译注：参见《圣经·哥林多前书》第7章第38节：“这样看来，叫自己的女儿出嫁是好，不叫她出嫁更是好……”）这是他的信条，因此每逢听到婚约解除的消息，他总不免觉得有点高兴。拿露西的情况来说，由于他讨厌塞西尔，因而心中分外高兴；并且他愿意更进一步——把她放在脱离危险的地方，直到她能坚定她那保持童贞的决心。他的这种感情是很微妙而绝不是教条主义的，他从来也没有向卷入这场纠纷的任何人透露过。然而这种感情是存在的，而且只有这种感情才能解释他后来的行动以及对其他人的行动的影响。他在旅舍里和巴特利特小姐订立的协议将不仅帮助露西，而且帮助宗教。 ）

 嘿嘿，还有，我也喜欢Mr. Emerson，他的率真，挺可爱的。虽然他并不合当时社会的宜，好象也不太有manner，可他的话仔细想想还是挺有道理的，Lucy 总是想如何proper一点，合社会的宜，可起初却并不太清楚自己内心深处的渴望和需求。。。。。

 （得了，别为此感到不知所措啦。我并不要你爱上我的孩子，不过我认为你可以设法理解他。你和他的岁数比我和他 接近，如果你能放开自己，我相信你是通情达理的。也许你能帮助我。他认识的女人极少，而你有的是时间。我想，你要在这里停留几星期吧？放开你自己；你的思想容易被搞得混乱，如果我可以就昨晚的事作出判断的话。放开你自己吧。把你的那些搞不清楚的想法兜底翻出来．在阳光里摊开来，弄清楚它们的含义。通过理解乔治，你很可能学会理解自己。这对你们俩都有好处。” ）

2. 冒险 -- 在第1章里，晚饭后他们聚在客厅里聊天，一位身材矮小的老太太谈起意大利来，说她们姐妹来这里就是“冒险”。 为什么这么说？ 讲讲你有过“冒险”的经历吗？

3. 大问号 -- 你们能解释一下乔治的转变吗？从一个永恒的问号到对生命的肯定？

4. 风景 -- 小说以看风景一词展开，这里有字面也有引申的意思。作者还用了哪些具有引申意义的词汇？清标出章节或页次。

雪 --  今天趁着头不发作赶快扯上几句，省得到后来永远赤脚都赶不上趟。十几年前刚来美国时西湖就给我推荐了这本书和电影，昨天又匆匆地看了几眼，但凭着原本的印象没法回答问题4，8的所有，只能是肤浅地扯上几句，反正到时候大家会有深刻的补上。我若好的话也会再接再厉把西湖要的细节展开。

“A room with a view” 

I like the title a lot. It can be a view stands for civilization, for nature, for freedom and for strictures of society. It means life can be free and open to the adventure and possibility. It’s a matter of opening their eyes to the worldview and minds to what Lucy and other lack.

当Lucy pictures Cecil, 总是在没景的画室，当她 pictures George, 你就看到了Beautiful Italian hills 在他身后. After Luck get engagement, she is seen at Windy Corner with a view of the Sussex Weald. When she marries George, the two of them go back to their room with a view at the Pension Bertolini in Florence。

雪 -- 跟着大家屁股后面精读真是受益。我还是弄我的#4

-- Miss Bartlett only sighed, and enveloped her in a protecting embrace as she wished her good-night. It gave Lucy the sensation of a fog, and when she reached her own room she opened the window and breathed theclean night air, thinking of the kind old man who had enabled her to see the lights dancing in the Arno。。。。。。。

这里的雾是否可以理解成捆绑，保守，束缚，没有自由，墨守成规的英国，夏绿蒂 巴特利特小姐代表的旧派；Lucy 则象征着如同新鲜空气一样自由，奔放，光明，新生力量一样的意大利？

5. 得体 -- 你是如何看待艾默森先生把自己的房间让出这件事的？得体吗？你若碰到类似的情况，你如何处理？书中还有别的哪些地方会被认为不得体？

6. 偏见 -- 不论任何时代，任何国家和任何文化，不论任何地域，任何阶层，任何性别，人都存有不同程度上的偏见。你能指出书中的任何一处偏见的例子吗？以你之见，我们应当如何对待自己的偏见，和怎样对付别人对我们的偏见？

7. 现实意义 -- 小说的年头久远，离我们的生活差距很大。 为何今天我们还津津有味地阅读呢？

8. 窗外风景 -- 我们时常旅游，而许多人又要出门远足。读了这个小说，你会以一种新的眼光看世界吗？? 你会留心一下以往没有注意到的东西吗？

我们敞开讨论，谈谈你对旅游的看法，期待。如今国人出游潮面面观等。

雪 -- 当你远离城市的喧哗，飞到很远的太平洋岛国，然后坐小船跑到无人去的荒郊野岛。看到 那里比Sophie 还小的孩子为了一美元从悬崖峭壁上一次次危险地坠入海底，你会不会只是忙着象普通游客一样拍着手叫再来一个，还是心中会对这里原始破落的生活有几许感慨？

 附现代版A room with a view： 圣诞去加州的途中逗留了 Vegas. 本来的一般房架不住酒店雇员的一番游说，竟加了比房间本身还贵的风景费。既然付了钱，那还不得好好地利用，这里的 Terrace 拥有赌城最好的夜景，并且下面的音乐喷泉每十五分钟要升到和我们房间一样高，别人要在外面等着看，我们在阳台上就可以一次次地随着音乐舞。只是它到了半夜还是一次次的吼着继续战斗。Sophie 小孩累了去她房间睡了，Bill 公司紧急会议躲在我们的洗手间，我肚子吃坏了拉稀跑到Sophie 的洗手间。终于， 我的头不干了，时差加上折腾于是一如既往的疼起来。。。。。我跟Bill 商量明天换回原来的普通房吧，Bill 说两晚的钱都已付了不能退， 你就将就着住吧。我这下算真正领教什么是花钱买罪受了！

进入讨论区

Questions -- A Room With a View

1. Characters -- E.M. Forster has created unforgettable characters. Everyone stands out, being small or large. We cannot help but have a tenderness to them. Which one is your favorite character? Or the least favorite?

Lucy Honeychurch

Charlotte Bartlett

Mrs. Honeychurch

Miss Eleanor Lavish

The Miss Alans

George Emerson

Mr. Emerson

Mr. Beebe

Mr. Eager

Cecil Vyse

Freddy Honeychurch

2. Take the plunge -- In the first chapter, after dinner in the drawing room one of the little old ladies talked about 'plunge" she and her sisters had been taking. What does the the word "plunge" mean? Can you describe from your own experience what plunge you have taken?

挠挠 -- Let me try question number 2. I finished the 1st chapter when the questions came out. I did not really understand what plunge meant to be honest. I read Chapter 1 the second time, some paragraphs started to make me smile. I realized that I missed too much humor just skim through the book that is not quite easy. I still don't know exactly what plunge meant. The Chinese version of the questions helped me. It all make sense now.

I want to point out that the old lady did not talk to Mr. Beebe about the plunge. She talked to Mrs. Bartlett after Mr. Beebe left. Not trying to be picky but want to be sure it is easier for others to find the exact place of this word. So now the word meant "risk". I think it was considered risk to go to Italy for two reasons. 1. Leaving your hometown for a foreign place is considered risky by most people. 2. Italy was considered not as civilized and educated as England from the viewpoint of the people in the book.

For all of us, one thing in common is that we all took a plunge sometime in our life to move to the US. We all gave up something familiar and predicable for something uncertain at least at the time we moved to the US. Kudos to us all. We were brave!

萤火虫 --  That is what happened when I skimmed the text and took it for granted. Anyway, a good catche! I give you full points for answering the question and double them for pointing out the error （＾◇＾）

-- The dictionary definition of "plunge" in this particular situation:

1. To fall or throw oneself into a place: We plunged into the icy mountain lake.

It also means:

2. To throw oneself earnestly or wholeheartedly into an activity or situation: plunged into the book

This is what you are doing now, Jie. This plunge will reward you with many smiles and genuine delights.

The plunge we all share in the sense of emigration goes even deeper than a simple trip we usually take. We have been brave, adaptable, persistent and triumphat! Yes, kowtow to us all!

潇竹 -- Our daring adventure paid off. What plunge Miss Honeychurch and Miss Bartlett took to take the room from Mr Emersons!

3. Question mark "Why" -- How do you explain the transition in George from an everlasting "Why" to a Yes, Yes and Yes? 

4. Views -- Can you identity some vintage points as "views" which are both literal and figurative? Please note the chapter or page number.

萤火虫：  View on religion -- In Chapter 19 Lucy found Mr Emerson in Mr. Beebe's study seeking refuge from the movers and the rain. It is a quite heart wrenching scene, and It is where Lucy was rescued by old Emerson from sinking even deeper into the darkness.

Amid their conversations, Lucy turned her back, and began to look at Mr. Beebe's books. The following view describes the situation quite effectively:

"She looked at the books again--black, brown, and that acrid theological blue. They surrounded the visitors on every side; they were piled on the tables, they pressed against the very ceiling. To Lucy who could not see that Mr. Emerson was profoundly religious, and differed from Mr. Beebe chiefly by his acknowledgment of passion--it seemed dreadful that the old man should crawl into such a sanctum, when he was unhappy, and be dependent on the bounty of a clergyman. 

This wall of books evokes a claustrophobic feeling of entrapment, within which not only the old man but Lucy as well found themselves. The dull colors of black and brown, the unpleasant smell of old and decaying books, pressed upon them from every corner. For Lucy who had been in a muddle this sanctum has lost its charm; and for old Emerson who had his belief rooted in human spirits and free thinking it was so pitiful to rely on the warmheartedness of Mr. Beebe. 

One could argue that Mr. Beebe is a "good man" but wait till you see what Mr Beebe's reaction when he found out Lucy loved George.

It provides an angle to peep into E,M. Forster's frame of mind, on which I won't dwell too much. 

5.  Propriety -- What do you think of Mr Emerson's offer to switch rooms with Lucy and Charlotte? Do you think it proper? What would you do if you were in a similar situation? Point out some other occasions that would be deemed as not proper. 

6. Prejudice -- Prejudice is like a disease, hard to cast way, whenever humans come to interact with each other. Can you point out where such incidents occur in the book? How in your option should we deal with our own prejudice or prejudice inflicted on us?

7. Relevance to us -- Considering the story's locale and distance in time, do you agree it still holds some charm to our modern readers? Why do we still read and enjoy it despite of our differences in cultural backgrounds?

8. Our views -- We have been seasoned travelers and will be embarking on yearly journey soon. Does this novel enlighten you in some way and make you see things in different light? Would you consciously make an effort to make the traveling more meaningful to you? 

From here we open our discussion to any observation and comment you have about going places, travelling abroad. The trend and behavior you have noticed in nowadays China, etc.
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读书笔记 1 《看得见风景的房间》

这是一个什么样的故事?

且听介绍由同名小说改编的电视剧A Room With a View（TV， 2012）的一段开场白：

Something happens to people when they go to Italy. It changes them. Imagine what might be like a hundred years ago. Imagine you were a young well-brought up English woman, traveling in Italy with your maiden chaperon. How can you stay out of trouble when it beckons you from every corner of Florentine alley? Even Italian churches can be dangerous places; events can be unpredictable; one can be thrown in with wrong sort of people. Unless you are careful and on your guard, everything you believed to be right can seem wrong. Good manners can seem stiffening. Morality can feel repression. You are liable to make some terrible mistakes and they possible ruin your life. It is all very confusing because Italy can change you. It can open your heart. Is that a good thing?

去意大利旅行，总会发生点儿事，它将改变人生。想象一下，一百年前会是什么样？想象一下，你是一个年轻的，受过良好教育的英国姑娘，和你的监护人一起在意大利旅行。你怎么能远离麻烦呢，当麻烦从佛罗伦萨小巷每一个角落向你招手？甚至意大利的教堂都可能成为危险的场所; 一切都无法预知，你可能身不由己遇到不该遇到的人。除非你很小心，很警觉，不然你认为是正确的看起来似乎是错的。良好的举止显得呆板僵硬。道德感让你感到压抑。你有可能做出一些可怕的错误决定。它们可能毁掉你的生活。这一切都很令人困惑，因为意大利可以改变你。它可以打开你的心扉。那是一件好事吗？

下面是1985年的电影版本：a real classic！

A Room With a View (1985)
百度网站上介绍 （谢谢水竹提示）
2007 TV version -- A room with a view with a modern twist 

A new musical , 2014

普契尼咏叹调
O mio babbino caro = 啊! 我亲爱的爸爸
Chi Il Bel Sogno Di Doretta = （朵蕾塔之梦）

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