美国国家公共电台 NPR--A rare collection of American literature will be auctioned off at Christie's

A rare collection of American literature will be auctioned² off at Christie's

Transcript³

Bruce Lisman is selling a trove⁴ of 18th and 19th-century American books and rarities. His collection offers a rare look into the foundations of American literature.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

As a kid growing up in Vermont, Bruce Lisman could spend days thumbing through the pages of old books.

BRUCE LISMAN: My family - immediate⁵ family - were a bunch of readers. I mistakenly said to a friend, we're a bunch of bookies. And he said, you're kidding. No, no, no - not that kind of bookie.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Now, Leila mentioned old books. Mr. Lisman says his father was especially fond of American writing from the 1800s and earlier.

LISMAN: He really believed the best literature available had ended by the time the 20th century began.

FADEL: And Lisman took that to heart. As an adult, while working as an executive on Wall Street, he amassed⁶ rare treasures from what he describes as the dawn of American literature.

LISMAN: It started with barely a trickle⁷ in the 18th century. But by the mid-19th century, Melville, Poe, Hawthorne, Stowe and hundreds of others just emerged.

INSKEEP: Lisman acquired early editions of 18th-century poems by Phillis Wheatley, the first African American writer ever published. He picked up a first edition of Harriet Beecher Stowe's "Uncle Tom's Cabin." And his most prized acquisition is an original galley⁸ - that's a proof copy from before publication, a kind of beta test - an original galley of Nathaniel Hawthorne's 1850 work, "The Scarlet⁹ Letter."

FADEL: That's, of course, about a woman shamed for bearing a child out of wedlock¹⁰. Lisman says if you haven't read the book since high school, read it again.

LISMAN: In "Scarlet Letter," they've ostracized¹¹ a woman, and through her dignity and strength and inner strength, you know, who wins at the end of the book? Well, I think she does.

INSKEEP: Now, Lisman, who ran as a Republican in Vermont's 2016 governor's race, believes "The Scarlet Letter" is relevant today, regardless of your politics.

LISMAN: The notion of ostracizing¹² another person for what they say or what they do within the realm of what's legal and acceptable, the value of quiet dignity in response to that.

FADEL: Lisman says now he's mostly done collecting foundational American fiction, and this week, he's putting it all up for auction¹.

INSKEEP: So grab your wallet. The Bruce M. Lisman Collection of Important American Literature is valued at between 3 and $5 million. He says the old writings bear important lessons for a modern-day audience.

LISMAN: You know, we struggle sometimes with our history. We think we know who we are as people or as a country. And, you know, our history says otherwise sometimes.

FADEL: Christie's begins auctioning¹³ off Lisman's collection on June 15.

1 auction   

n.拍卖；拍卖会；vt.拍卖

参考例句：

• They've put the contents of their house up for auction.他们把房子里的东西全都拿去拍卖了。
• They bought a new minibus with the proceeds from the auction.他们用拍卖得来的钱买了一辆新面包车。

2 auctioned   

v.拍卖( auction的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• It was sad to see all grandmother's lovely things being auctioned off. 眼看着祖母那些可爱的东西全都被拍卖掉，心里真不好受。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• TV franchises will be auctioned to the highest bidder. 电视特许经营权将拍卖给出价最高的投标人。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

4 trove   

n.被发现的东西，收藏的东西

参考例句：

• He assembled a rich trove of Chinese porcelain.他收集了一批中国瓷器。
• The gallery is a treasure trove of medieval art.这个画廊是中世纪艺术的宝库。

5 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

6 amassed   

v.积累，积聚( amass的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He amassed a fortune from silver mining. 他靠开采银矿积累了一笔财富。
• They have amassed a fortune in just a few years. 他们在几年的时间里就聚集了一笔财富。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 trickle   

vi.淌，滴，流出，慢慢移动，逐渐消散

参考例句：

• The stream has thinned down to a mere trickle.这条小河变成细流了。
• The flood of cars has now slowed to a trickle.汹涌的车流现在已经变得稀稀拉拉。

8 galley   

n.（飞机或船上的）厨房单层甲板大帆船；军舰舰长用的大划艇；

参考例句：

• The stewardess will get you some water from the galley.空姐会从厨房给你拿些水来。
• Visitors can also go through the large galley where crew members got their meals.游客还可以穿过船员们用餐的厨房。

9 scarlet   

n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的

参考例句：

• The scarlet leaves of the maples contrast well with the dark green of the pines.深红的枫叶和暗绿的松树形成了明显的对比。
• The glowing clouds are growing slowly pale,scarlet,bright red,and then light red.天空的霞光渐渐地淡下去了，深红的颜色变成了绯红，绯红又变为浅红。

10 wedlock   

n.婚姻，已婚状态

参考例句：

• My wife likes our wedlock.我妻子喜欢我们的婚姻生活。
• The Fawleys were not made for wedlock.范立家的人就跟结婚没有缘。

11 ostracized   

v.放逐( ostracize的过去式和过去分词 )；流放；摈弃；排斥

参考例句：

• He was ostracized by his colleagues for refusing to support the strike. 他因拒绝支持罢工而受到同事的排斥。
• The family were ostracized by the neighborhood. 邻居们都不理睬那一家人。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

12 ostracizing   

v.放逐( ostracize的现在分词 )；流放；摈弃；排斥

参考例句：

13 auctioning   

v.拍卖( auction的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The Army is auctioning off a lot of old equipment. 军队正在把大量旧装备拍卖掉。 来自辞典例句
• So she's auctioning off a chance to go to an awards dinner? 那么她在拍卖与她共赴晚宴的机会了？ 来自电影对白