一个聪明的读者,是不会把小说当作一项任务的。他为消遣才读小说。使他感兴趣的是小说中的人物,他关心他们在某种环境里怎样行动,以及他们的前途如何;他同情他们,和他们一起烦恼,一起欢乐;他把自己置于他们的境况中,在一定程度上就过着他们的生活。他们对生活的看法,对于人类思索的这一伟大主题的态度,不管是用言语还是用行为表现出来的,都会在他身上引起共鸣,或者惊讶,或者欢乐,或者慷慨。不过尽管如此,他仍本 A clever reader, the novel will not be as a task. He only read novels for entertainment. He was interested in the characters in the novel, concerned about how they behaved in an environment and their future; he sympathized with them, fretted and enjoyed joy with them; he placed himself in their situation, To some extent, live their lives. Their perceptions of life, their attitude towards this great subject of human thought, whether expressed in words or in acts, resonate, or are surprised, or joy, or are generous with him. But in spite of this, he still