my discovery of england-第10部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！

il　in　some　later　year　the　students　call　for　his　lectures。　There　are　men　at　Oxford　who　have　rested　their　brains　this　way　for　over　thirty　years：　the　accumulated　brain　power　thus　dammed　up　is　said　to　be　colossal。

I　understand　that　the　key　to　this　mystery　is　found　in　the　operations　of　the　person　called　the　tutor。　It　is　from　him；　or　rather　with　him；　that　the　students　learn　all　that　they　know：　one　and　all　are　agreed　on　that。　Yet　it　is　a　little　odd　to　know　just　how　he　does　it。　〃We　go　over　to　his　rooms；〃　said　one　student；　〃and　he　just　lights　a　pipe　and　talks　to　us。〃　〃We　sit　round　with　him；〃　said　another；　〃and　he　simply　smokes　and　goes　over　our　exercises　with　us。〃　From　this　and　other　evidence　I　gather　that　what　an　Oxford　tutor　does　is　to　get　a　little　group　of　students　together　and　smoke　at　them。　Men　who　have　been　systematically　smoked　at　for　four　years　turn　into　ripe　scholars。　　If　anybody　doubts　this；　let　him　go　to　Oxford　and　he　can　see　the　thing　actually　in　operation。　A　well…smoked　man　speaks；　and　writes　English　with　a　grace　that　can　be　acquired　in　no　other　way。

In　what　was　said　above；　I　seem　to　have　been　directing　criticism　against　the　Oxford　professors　as　such：　but　I　have　no　intention　of　doing　so。　For　the　Oxford　professor　and　his　whole　manner　of　being　I　have　nothing　but　a　profound　respect。　There　is　indeed　the　greatest　difference　between　the　modern　up…to…date　American　idea　of　a　professor　and　the　English　type。　But　even　with　us　in　older　days；　in　the　bygone　time　when　such　people　as　Henry　Wadsworth　Longfellow　were　professors；　one　found　the　English　idea；　a　professor　was　supposed　to　be　a　venerable　kind　of　person；　with　snow…white　whiskers　reaching　to　his　stomach。　He　was　expected　to　moon　around　the　campus　oblivious　of　the　world　around　him。　If　you　nodded　to　him　he　failed　to　see　you。　Of　money　he　knew　nothing；　of　business；　far　less。　He　was；　as　his　trustees　were　proud　to　say　of　him；　〃a　child。〃

On　the　other　hand　he　contained　within　him　a　reservoir　of　learning　of　such　depth　as　to　be　practically　bottomless。　None　of　this　learning　was　supposed　to　be　of　any　material　or　commercial　benefit　to　anybody。　Its　use　was　in　saving　the　soul　and　enlarging　the　mind。

At　the　head　of　such　a　group　of　professors　was　one　whose　beard　was　even　whiter　and　longer；　whose　absence　of　mind　was　even　still　greater；　and　whose　knowledge　of　money；　business；　and　practical　affairs　was　below　zero。　Him　they　made　the　president。

All　this　is　changed　in　America。　A　university　professor　is　now　a　busy；　hustling　person；　approximating　as　closely　to　a　business　man　as　he　can　do　it。　It　is　on　the　business　man　that　he　models　himself。　He　has　a　little　place　that　he　calls　his　〃office；〃　with　a　typewriter　machine　and　a　stenographer。　Here　he　sits　and　dictates　letters；　beginning　after　the　best　business　models；　〃in　re　yours　of　the　eighth　ult。；　would　say；　etc。；　etc。〃　He　writes　these　letters　to　students；　to　his　fellow　professors；　to　the　president；　indeed　to　any　people　who　will　let　him　write　to　them。　The　number　of　letters　that　he　writes　each　month　is　duly　counted　and　set　to　his　credit。　If　he　writes　enough　he　will　get　a　reputation　as　an　〃executive；〃　and　big　things　may　happen　to　him。　He　may　even　be　asked　to　step　out　of　the　college　and　take　a　post　as　an　〃executive〃　in　a　soap　company　or　an　advertising　firm。　The　man；　in　short；　is　a　〃hustler；〃　an　〃advertiser〃　whose　highest　aim　is　to　be　a　〃live…wire。〃　If　he　is　not；　he　will　presently　be　dismissed；　or；　to　use　the　business　term；　be　〃let　go；〃　by　a　board　of　trustees　who　are　themselves　hustlers　and　live…wires。　As　to　the　professor's　soul；　he　no　longer　needs　to　think　of　it　as　it　has　been　handed　over　along　with　all　the　others　to　a　Board　of　Censors。

The　American　professor　deals　with　his　students　according　to　his　lights。　It　is　his　business　to　chase　them　along　over　a　prescribed　ground　at　a　prescribed　pace　like　a　flock　of　sheep。　They　all　go　humping　together　over　the　hurdles　with　the　professor　chasing　them　with　a　set　of　〃tests〃　and　〃recitations；〃　〃marks〃　and　〃attendances；〃　the　whole　apparatus　obviously　copied　from　the　time…clock　of　the　business　man's　factory。　This　process　is　what　is　called　〃showing　results。〃　The　pace　set　is　necessarily　that　of　the　slowest；　and　thus　results　in　what　I　have　heard　Mr。　Edward　Beatty　describe　as　the　〃convoy　system　of　education。〃

In　my　own　opinion；　reached　after　fifty…two　years　of　profound　reflection；　this　system　contains　in　itself　the　seeds　of　destruction。　It　puts　a　premium　on　dulness　and　a　penalty　on　genius。　It　circumscribes　that　latitude　of　mind　which　is　the　real　spirit　of　learning。　If　we　persist　in　it　we　shall　presently　find　that　true　learning　will　fly　away　from　our　universities　and　will　take　rest　wherever　some　individual　and　enquiring　mind　can　mark　out　its　path　for　itself。

Now　the　principal　reason　why　I　am　led　to　admire　Oxford　is　that　the　place　is　little　touched　as　yet　by　the　measuring　of　〃results；〃　and　by　this　passion　for　visible　and　provable　〃efficiency。〃　The　whole　system　at　Oxford　is　such　as　to　put　a　premium　on　genius　and　to　let　mediocrity　and　dulness　go　their　way。　On　the　dull　student　Oxford；　after　a　proper　lapse　of　time；　confers　a　degree　which　means　nothing　more　than　that　he　lived　and　breathed　at　Oxford　and　kept　out　of　jail。　This　for　many　students　is　as　much　as　society　can　expect。　But　for　the　gifted　students　Oxford　offers　great　opportunities。　There　is　no　question　of　his　hanging　back　till　the　last　sheep　has　jumped　over　the　fence。　He　need　wait　for　no　one。　He　may　move　forward　as　fast　as　he　likes；　following　the　bent　of　his　genius。　If　he　has　in　him　any　ability　beyond　that　of　the　common　herd；　his　tutor；　interested　in　his　studies；　will　smoke　at　him　until　he　kindles　him　into　a　flame。　　For　the　tutor's　soul　is　not　harassed　by　herding　dull　students；　with　dismissal　hanging　by　a　thread　over　his　head　in　the　class　room。　The　American　professor　has　no　time　to　be　interested　in　a　clever　student。　He　has　time　to　be　interested　in　his　〃deportment；〃　his　letter…writing；　his　executive　work；　and　his　organising　ability　and　his　hope　of　promotion　to　a　soap　factory。　But　with　that　his　mind　is　exhausted。　The　student　of　genius　merely　means　to　him　a　student　who　gives　no　trouble；　who　passes　all　his　〃tests；〃　and　is　present　at　all　his　〃recitations。〃　Such　a　student　also；　if　he　can　be　trained　to　be　a　hustler　and　an　advertiser；　will　undoubtedly　〃make　good。〃　But　beyond　that　the　professor　does　not　think　of　him。　The　everlasting　principle　of　equality　has　inserted　itself　in　a　place　where　it　has　no　right　to　be；　and　where　inequality　is　the　breath　of　life。

American　or　Canadian　college　trustees　would　be　horrified　at　the　notion　of　professors　who　apparently　do　no　work；　give　few　or　no　lectures　and　draw　their　pay　merely　for　existing。　Yet　these　are　really　the　only　kind　of　professors　worth　having；I　mean；　men　who　can　be　trusted　with　a　vague　general　mission　in　life；　with　a　salary　guaranteed　at　least　till　their　death；　and　a　sphere　of　duties　entrusted　solely　to　their　own　consciences　and　the　promptings　of　their　own　desires。　Such　men　are　rare；　but　a　single　one　of　them；　when　found；　is　worth　ten　〃executives〃　and　a　dozen　〃organisers。〃

The　excellence　of　Oxford；　then；　as　I　see　it；　lies　in　the　peculiar　vagueness　of　the　organisation　of　its　work。　It　starts　from　the　assumption　that　the　professor　is　a　really　learned　man　whose　sole　interest　lies　in　his　own　sphere：　and　that　a　student；　or　at　least　the　only　student　with　whom　the　university　cares　to　reckon　seriously；　is　a　young　man　who　desires　to　know。　This　is　an　ancient　mediaeval　attitude　long　since　buried　in　more　up…to…date　places　under　successive　strata　of　compulsory　education；　state　teaching；　the　democratisation　of　knowledge　and　the　substitution　of　the　shadow　for　the　substance；　and　the　casket　for　the　gem。　No　doubt；　in　newer　places　the　thing　has　got　to　be　so。　Higher　education　in　America　flourishes　chiefly　as　a　qualification　for　entrance　into　a　money…making　profession；　and　not　as　a　thing　in　itself。　But　in　Oxford　one　can　still　see　the　surviving　outline　of　a　nobler　type　of　structure　and　a　higher　inspiration。

I　do　not　mean　to　say；　however；　that　my　judgment　of　Oxford　is　one　undiluted　stream　of　praise。　In　one　respect　at　least　I　think　that　Oxford　has　fallen　away　from　the　high　ideals　of　the　Middle　Ages。　I　refer　to　the　fact　that　it　admits　women　students　to　its　studies。　In　the　Middle　Ages　women　were　regarded　with　a　peculiar　chivalry　long　since　lost。　It　was　taken　for　granted　that　their　brains　were　too　delicately　poised　to　allow　them　to　learn　anything。　It　was　presumed　that　their　minds　were　so　exquisitely　hung　that　intellectual　effort　might　disturb　them。　The　present　age　has　gone　to　the　other　extreme：　and　this　is　seen　nowhere　more　than　in　the　crowding　of　women　into　colleges　originally　designed　for　men。　Oxford；　I　regret　to　find；　has　not　stood　out　against　this　change。

To　a　profound　scholar　like　myself；　the　presence　of　these　young　women；　many　of　them　most　attractive；　flittering　up　and　down　the　streets　of　Oxford　in　their　caps　and　gowns；　is　very　distressing。

Who　is　to　blame　for　this　and　how　they　first　got　in　I　do　not　know。　But　I　understand　that　they　first　of　all　built　a　private　college　of　their　own　close　to　Oxford；　and　then　edged　themselves　in　foot　by　foot。　If　this　is　so　they　only　followed　up　the　precedent　of　the　recognised　method　in　use　in　America。　When　an　Ame