| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne: Fix pushed Passepartout back in his chair, and resumed:
"Fifty-five thousand pounds; and if I succeed, I get two thousand pounds.
If you'll help me, I'll let you have five hundred of them."
"Help you?" cried Passepartout, whose eyes were standing wide open.
"Yes; help me keep Mr. Fogg here for two or three days."
"Why, what are you saying? Those gentlemen are not satisfied
with following my master and suspecting his honour, but they must
try to put obstacles in his way! I blush for them!"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that it is a piece of shameful trickery. They might
as well waylay Mr. Fogg and put his money in their pockets!"
Around the World in 80 Days |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Little Britain by Washington Irving: with the ladies on all occasions, I have committed myself most
horribly with both parties, by abusing their opponents. I might
manage to reconcile this to my conscience, which is a truly
accommodating one, but I cannot to my apprehension--if the
Lambs and Trotters ever come to a reconciliation, and compare
notes, I am ruined!
I have determined, therefore, to beat a retreat in time, and am
actually looking out for some other nest in this great city,
where old English manners are still kept up; where French is
neither eaten, drunk, danced, nor spoken; and where there are
no fashionable families of retired tradesmen. This found, I
|
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Symposium by Xenophon: [24] Or, "set for their sins a-weeping."
And now you, Lycon, tell us, won't you (asked Antisthenes), what it is
you take the greatest pride in?
You all of you, I fancy, know already what that is (the father
answered); it is in my son here.
And the lad himself (some one suggested) doubtless prides himself,
beyond all else, on having won the prize of victory.
At that Autolycus (and as he spoke he blushed) answered for
himself:[25] No indeed, not I.
[25] Cf. Plat. "Charm." 158 C.
The company were charmed to hear him speak, and turned and looked; and
The Symposium |
