評論
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Of course, the reason for Europe's comparative clarity concerning the different functions of men in society is that European society has always been divided into classes in a way that American society never has been.
當然，歐洲人之所以對于人們在社會中所起的不同作用有比較明確的概念，是因為歐洲社會歷來就被劃分為不同的階層，而美國社會則從未這樣劃分過。
A European writer considers himself to be part of an old and honorable tradition-of intellectual activity, of letters-and his choice of a vocation does not cause him any uneasy wonder as to whether or not it will cost him all his friends.
歐洲作家把自己看作一種古老而光榮的傳統--文化活動或文學創作傳統-的一部分。在選擇這一職業時，他不用去顧慮自己是否會因此而失去所有的朋友。
But this tradition does not exist in America.
然而，美國卻沒有這樣一種傳統。
On the contrary, we have a very deep-seated distrust of real intellectual effort (probably because we suspect that it will destroy, as I hope it does, that myth of America to which we cling so desperately).
恰恰相反，我們美國人對于真正的文化活動持有一種根深蒂固的不信任態度(這大概是因為人們擔心文化活動會粉碎一我倒希望如此一我們死死抓住不放的美國神話)。
An American writer fights his way to one of the lowest rungs on the American social ladder by means of pure bull-headednessand an indescribable series of odd jobs.
一個美國作家必須憑著一股十足的牛勁拼命奮斗，并從事一系列難以形容的零工雜活才能勉強爬上美國社會階梯的最低一級。
He probably has been a “regular fellow” for much of his adult life, and it is not easy for him to step out of that lukewarm bath.
也許在他成年生活的大部分時間里，他一直在過著"正常人"的生活，要他從這個溫水浴池中跨出來，可實在有點不容易。
We must, however, consider a rather serious paradox ; though American society is more mobile than Europe's, it is easier to cut across social and occupational lines there than it is here.
不過，我們還必須考慮一個相當嚴重的怪現象：盡管美國社會提供給人們的改變社會地位的機會比歐洲多，但在歐洲人們卻比在美國更容易跨越社會和職業界線。
This has something to do, I think, with the problem of status in American life.
我認為，這同美國社會生活中的地位問題不無關系。
Where everyone has status, it is also perfectly possible, after all, that no one has.
在一個人人都有地位的地方，也完全可能沒有一個人真正有地位。
It seems inevitable, in any case, that a man may become uneasy as to just what his status is.
因此，一個人會因為不知自己地位如何而憂心忡忡，這是無論如何都不可逃避的事實。
