GeorgeBernardShawDoyouagreeordisagree,one'smanner,suchaspronounciation,behavior,socialskills,etc,wouldinfluencehisorherreputation?《賣花女》Pygmalion

InGreekmythology,PygmalionwasakingoftheislandofCyprus（塞浦路斯）andasculptor.Hespentmanyyearscarvinganivorystatueofawomanmorebeautifulthananylivingfemale.Pygmalionbecamefascinatedbyhissculptureandfellinlovewithit.Hepretendeditwasanactualwoman.Hebroughtitpresentedandtreateditasifitwerealive.However,thestatuecouldnotrespondtohisattentions,andPygmalionbecamemiserable.Finally,heprayedtoAphrodite,thegoddessoflove,tobringhimawomanlikehisstatue.Aphroditedidevenbetter.Shebroughtthestatuetolife.Pygmalionmarriedthiswoman,oftencalledGalatea,whogavebirthtoadaughter.ThewriterGeorgeBernardShawtookthenamePygmalionasthetitleofhisplayaboutanEnglishprofessorwhoturnsapoorgirlfromthestreetsintoafashionablesocietywoman.Shaw'sstorywasthebasisofthelaterBroadwaymusicalandmovieMyFairLady.GeorgeBernardShaw1856-1950AnIrishplaywright.Irishdramatist,literarycritic,asocialistspokesman.

Aleadingfigureinthe20thcenturytheater

whowasregardedas‘a(chǎn)secondShakespeare’.WinneroftheNobelPrizeforLiteraturein1925.GeorgeBernardShaw'sHouse

HishousebecamethepropertyoftheNationalTrustandbecameaplaceofpilgrimage.BedroomHisLifeGeorgeBernardShawwasbornon26July1856,inDublin,hischildhoodwastroubled.

HisfamilybelongedtotheIrishprotestantgentry.Hisfatherwasanunsuccessfulbusinessman;hismotherwasamusicianoftalent.Apartfromthemusicaleducationhereceivedfromher,hewaspracticallyself-educated.Attheageof15hestartedtoworkasajuniorclerk.In1876hewenttoLondon,joininghissisterandmother.ShawdidnotreturntoIrelandfornearly30years.Shawbeganhisliterarycareerbywritingmusicandtheatrecriticism,andnovelswithoutmuchsuccess.

HisLifeIn1895ShawbecameadramacriticfortheSaturdayReview.Shawalsowrotemusic,artanddramacriticismforDramaticReview(1885-86),HismusiccriticismhasbeencollectedinShaw'sMusic(1981).

HisLifeIn1898ShawmarriedthewealthyCharlottePayne-Townshend.TheysettledintheHertfordshirevillageofAyotSt.Lawrence.ShawremainedwithCharlotteuntilherdeath.HisLifeIn1931,whenShawwasonaworldtour,hevisitedChinaandwaswarmlyreceivedbytherevolutionarypeoplehere,representedbyLuXunandothers.Shaw'sworks(generalview)BestNovel:CashelByron'sProfession《卡歇爾.拜倫的職業(yè)》(1886)AnUnsocialSocialist(1887)Criticism：OurTheatersintheNineties《九十年代的英國戲劇》（1931）。Shaw'sworks(generalview)Shortstories:TheBlackGirlinSearchofGod(1932)TheMiraculousRevenge(healsowrotesomeessays)Shaw'sworks(generalview)Drama:Widowers'Houses(1892)MrsWarren'sProfession(1893)TheDevil'sDisciple(1897)TheManofDestiny(1895)ManandSuperman(1902–03)MajorBarbara(1905)AndroclesandtheLion(1912)Pygmalion(1912–13)HeartbreakHouse(1919)SaintJoan(1923)TheAppleCart(1929)andsoon.(Helivedalonglifeandwrote51playsthesearesomefamousworks)ProfessorHigginswasascientistofphonetics,onedayhemetwithElizaDoolittle,thecockneyspeakingCoventGardenflowergirl.HetoldElizathatshewouldalwaysbepoorwithherpooraccent.ElizawasaflowergirlwithatongueofveryharshEnglishtotheuppersociety.Thenextmorning,thegirlappearedathislaboratorytoaskforspeechlessons,offeringtopayashilling,sothatshemightspeakproperlyenoughtoworkinaflowershop.Higginsmademercilessfunofher,butwasseducedbytheideaofworkinghismagiconher.ColonelPickeringwasalinguistofIndiandialects.HegoadedHigginsonbyagreeingtocoverthecostsoftheexperimentifHigginscouldpassElizaoffasaduchessatanambassador'sgardenparty.Thechallengewastaken,andHigginsstartedbyhavinghishousekeeperbatheElizaandgavehernewclothes.ThenEliza'sfatherAlfredDoolittlecametodemandthereturnofhisdaughter,thoughhisrealintentionwastohitHigginsupforsomemoney.Theprofessor,amusedbyDoolittle'sunusualrhetoric,gavehimfivepounds.Onhiswayout,thedustmanfailedtorecognizetheclean,prettyflowergirlashisdaughter.Foranumberofmonths,HigginshastrainedElizatospeakproperly.TwotrialsforElizafollow.ThefirstoccuredatHiggins'mother'shome,whereElizaattractedFreddy.Asecondtrial,whichtookplacesomemonthslateratanambassador'sparty,wasaresoundingsuccess.Thewagerwasdefinitelywon,butHigginsandPickeringwereboredwiththeproject,whichcausedElizatobehurt.Shedidnotknowwhatwastobecomeofher.Hesuggestedshemarrysomebody.Shereturnedhimthehiredjewelry,andheaccusedherofingratitude.Thefollowingmorning,Elizahasrunaway.Mrs.Higgins

hasbeenhidingElizaupstairsallalong.Whensheentered,ElizathankedPickeringforalwaystreatingherlikealady,butthreatenedHigginsthatshewouldgoworkwithhisrivalphonetician.TheoutragedHigginsstartedtoadmireher.Atthistime,Lisa'sfathercamebackagain,butinarichway.HeaccusedHiggins,whosejokeputtinghimintothepositionofthemostmoralBritishmadehimamiddleclassbutlosthishappiniessaseverbefore.AsElizaleftforherfather'swedding,Higginsshoutedoutafewerrandsforhertorun,assumingthatshewouldreturntohim.Eliza,whohadalovelornsweetheartinFreddy,andthewherewithaltopassasaduchess,nevermadeitclearwhethershewouldornot.WhatwecanlearnfromPygmalion?

Shawcalledthisplay“intenselyanddeliberatelydidactic.”Whatlessonsdoesitteach?

Thisplaytellsusthat:

Theformingofidentityorself-identificationisaverycomplexprocess,itaffectedbyavarietyoffactors,suchaslanguage,socialstatus.

Ontheroadofself-improvement,weshouldimproveourselvesnotonlyontheappearancebutthesoulthroughself-creatingandself-recognizing.(Intheplay

Higgins

wantedtochangeElizatobecomeaupperclasspersonbytrainingherspokenEnglish,in