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1、HermanMelvilleMELVILLE'SLIFEHermanMelvillewasborninNewYorkCityonAugust1,1819,toAllanMelvill(ashisfatherspelledhisname)andMariaGansevoortMelvill.Bothsidesofthefamilywerequitewelloff,andcouldevenbecalled"aristocratic"inasense;hisfathercamefromalineofsuccessfulmerchants,andhismotherfromHudsonValle
2、ylandholders.Hischildhoodwasasecureandcomfortableone,buthisfortuneschangedin1830,whenhisfathersufferedseriousbusinesslosses.InJanuary,1832,AllanMelvilldied,mentallyandphysicallyexhausted.Melvillehadidolizedhisfather,andhisdeathwasaprofoundshock.Forseveralyearsthereafter,thefamilywasinafinancial
3、twilight,neverdestitute(一贫如洗)butneversecure.Duringthisdifficultperiod,Melville'sfamilymovedupstateinNewYork,toalittletownnearTroy.Hiseducationwasspotty(非系统的);heattendedtheAlbanyClassicalSchool(Albany学校)foratime,butduringtheseformativeyears(少年时代)hehadnoconsistentschooling.Hismother,aratherdomine
4、eringwoman,becameevenmoreoverbearing(verydomineering)afterherhusband'sdeath,andherinfluence(combinedwiththestrictCalvinismoftheDutchReformedChurch(荷兰归正新教教会),towhichshebelonged)seemstohaveinspiredinMelvillesomeofthereligiousskepticismandrebelliousness（激发起对宗教的怀疑及反叛精神）thatrunsunderthesurfaceof（在…中
5、隐约可见）MobyDickandothersofhisworks.Melvilledevelopedinhismatureyearsafeeling(产生了一种感觉,即:)thatnoprofoundmindcouldoverlookasenseoffatefulimperfectioninlife(任何思想深邃的人都不能忽视生活中的一种命中注定的缺陷感)(onesensesthisattitudefrequentlyinMobyDick),whichwasprobablytheresultoftheverystrongCalvinisticideaoforiginalsin.Whe
6、neighteenyearsold,hetookajobasaschoolmasterataremoteschoolnearPittsfield,Massachusetts(wherehisuncle'sfamilylived).Then,inthesummerof1839,hesignedupasa"boy"(干杂活的伙计)onaBritishmerchantship,theSt.Lawrence,andwentonaround-tripvoyage(往返航程)toLiverpool--avoyagewhichheusedasthebasisforhisfourthbook,Red
7、burn(1849).ThistripbeganfortheyoungMelvilleaperiodofalmostfiveyearsoftravelingaroundtheworldthatgavehimthematerialforhisfirstseveralbooks,,includingMobyDick(《白鲸记》).UponreturningtotheUnitedStatesaftertheSt.Lawrencevoyage,Melvilleag
