T. S. Eliot "Statistics"的註釋

這篇文章是Chris Davidson對T. S. Eliot "Statistics"這首詩所做的註釋，因為寫得好極了，所以轉載於此。未經同意便逕自轉載是因為這是網路上轉載再轉載的，並不知出處，因此無法提供。如有人知道，請告知。先謝謝了。

In his poem “Statistics” T.S. Eliot condemns obsession with science and modern technology that causes nature and history to be forgotten. In the first stanza of his poem Eliot addresses a “lady” who thinks “too much of speeds and pulleys and cranes,” which represent science and technology. When he goes on to say that the Woolworth Tower has “made [her] blind to Egypt and the pyramids,” he is saying that her obsession with new things and technology has made her blind to what the human spirit and will alone can accomplish, represented by the pyramids. The pyramids could also represent history and art, and the Woolworth tower could represent trivial commercialism that makes many people ignorant to the finer things of which humans are capable.

Eliot also tells the lady in his poem that she is “too much impressed by motor-cars” and that she has a “false historic sense.” Her awe of motor-cars could again represent a fascination with the products of commercialism and industry, but, on another level, it could represent technology and the modern age. This fixation on modern ideals causes the lady of the poem to have a “false historic sense” in which she probably views the modern age and condition as ideal and impressive, rather than admiring ancient accomplishments.

Eliot then contrasts himself with this lady by writing that he is “perplexed at God’s expense of electricity on stars.” His wonder represents a wonder of nature that the lady lacks because she is too impressed by technology and science. He also writes that he will “weigh the seas” and “count the sands along the shore” and “Despise all moderns, thinking more of Shakespeare and Praxiteles.” Eliot is saying that he will consider that grandeur of nature rather than man-made edifices and gadgets. It is also evident from his comment about Shakespeare and Praxiteles that he prefers the accomplishments of old to new accomplishments, and the comment also suggests an interest in the arts that the lady of the poem did not have.

The modern man-made world is full of technology and human contrivances, and it is also full of statistics that boil everything down to numbers, component parts and science. In his poem “Statistics” T.S. Eliot is offering his opinion that adopting modern philosophy and reducing wonders to mere technical details is inferior to the awe of human spirit and nature that he possesses.