!佚名

Anonymous

I。A。WilliamswasborninEnglandandeducatedatCambridge。AfterWorldWarIheservedasacorresondentfortheLondonTimes。Williamswroteseveralbooksoneighteenth-centuryoetryanddrama，ublishedwidelyinjournalsandmagazines，andublishedcollectionsofhisownoetry。ThefollowingarticlefirstaearedinLondonsTheOutlookin1923。

Perhasthegreatestthreattoroductivityinbothworkandlayisthefearofdoingthingsbadlyorwrong。Thisarticleofferssomecomfort。Williamsointsoutthattherearemanythingsworthdoingbadly，andthatourlivesareenrichedandourersonalitiesenhanced1bytheseactivities。Twocentralexamles，sortsandmusic，arevaluabletomosteoleinroortiontohowenthusiasticallytheydothem，ratherthanhowwell。

CharlesLambwroteaseriesofessaysuonoularfallacies2。Idonot，atthemoment，carrythemveryclearlyinmymemory；but，unlessthattreacherousservantmisleadsmemoreeventhansheusuallydoes，hedidnotwriteofoneieceofroverbialso-calledwisdomthathasalwaysseemedtometobeeculiarlyernicious。Andthissaw，thisscraofseciousadvice，thisuntruthmasqueradingaslogic，isonethatIremembertohavehadhurledatmyheadatfrequentintervalsfrommyearliestyouthrightutomyresentadvancedage。HowmanytimeshaveInotbeentoldthat

"Ifathingisworthdoingatall，itisworthdoingwell

"?

Neverwasthereamoreuntruthfulwordsokeninearnest3。Fortheworldisfullofthingsthatareworthdoing，butcertainlynotworthdoingwell。WasitnotsogreatasageasHerbertSencerwhosaidtotheyoungmanwhohadjustbeatenhimatbilliards，

"Moderateskill，sir，isthesignofagoodeyeandasteady；hand，butskillsuchasyoursarguesayouthmissent?

"Isanygameworthlayingsuremelywell，atthericeofconstantracticeandalication?

AgainsttherofessionallayerIsaynothing；heisaublicentertainer，likeanyother，andbyhisskillinhisarticularsortheatleastfulfillsthefirstsocialdutyofman—thatofsuortinghimselfandhisfamilybyhisownlegitimateexertions。Butwhatistobesaidofthecrackamateur?Tomeheseemsoneofthemostcontemtibleofmankind。Heearnsnomoney，butdevoteshimself，forthemereselfishleasureofthething，tosomegame，whichhelaysdayindayout；hebreaksdownthesalutarydistinctionbetweentheamateurandtherofessional；eventuallyhisskilldesertshim，andheleavesbehindhimnothingthatisofservicetohisfellowmen—notabricklaid，notanacreloughed，notalinewritten，notevenafamilysuortedandeducatedbyhislabor。

Itistruethathehasrovidedentertainmentforacertainnumberofersons，buthehasneverhadthelucktosubmithimselftothetestbywhichwedemandthateveryentertainershouldjustifyhischoiceofacalling—thedemonstrationofthefactthattheubliciswillingtoayhimforhisentertainment。And，whenhisdayisover，whatisleft，noteventotheworld，buttohimself?Nothingbutanamethatisatonceforgotten，orisrememberedbystoutgentlemeninclubs。

Thelayingofgames，certainly，isathingwhichisnotworthdoingwell。Butthatdoesnotrovethatitisnotworthdoingatall，astheroverbwould，byimlication，ersuadeus。Thereisnothingmoreagreeableandsalutarythanlayingagamewhichonelikes，andthecircumstanceofdoingitbadlyinterfereswiththeleasureofnorealdevoteeofanyastime。Themanwhomindswhetherornothewinsisnotruesortsman—whichobservationistrite，buttheruleitimliesisseldomobserved，andcomarativelyfeweolereallylaygamesforthesheerenjoymentofthelaying。Isthisnotrovedbytherevalenceandoularityofhandicas4?Whyshouldweexecttobegivenointsunlessitbethatwewishtowinbymeansotherthanourownskill?

"Ah！but，

"myreadermaysay，

"theweakerlayerwantstoreceiveointsinorderthathemaygivethestrongeroneabettergame。

"Really，Idonotbelievethatthatisso。Possible，sometimes，astrongandvaingloriouslayermaywish；togiveoints，inorderthathisvictorymaybethemorenotable。ButIdonotthinkthateventhisisthetrueexlanation。That，Isusect，wasgiventometheotherdaybythesecretaryofalawn-tennistournament，inwhichIlayed。

"Whyallthisnonsenseofhandicas?Whynotletusbesquarelybeaten，anddonewithit?

"Iaskedhim。

"Because，

"Herelied，

"ifwedidnotgivehandicas，noneofthelessgoodlayerswouldenter。

"Isthatnotaconfessionthatthemajorityofushavebothrealizedthetruevaluedoingatrivialthingbadly，foritsownsake，andmustneedshaveourmindsbuoyedandcheatedintoafalsesenseofexcellence?

Moreoveritisnotonlysuchintrinsicallytrivialthingsasgamesthatareworthdoingbadly。Thisisatruthwhich，oddlyenough，weaccetfreelyofsomethings—butnotofothers—andasathingwhichwearequitecontenttodowillletmeinstanceacting。Acting，atitsbest，canbeagreatart，athingworthdoingsuremelywell，thoughitsworth，likethatofallinterretativearts，islessenedbyitsevanescence。Foritworksintheimermanentmediumofhumanfleshandblood，andthethingthattheactorcreate—forwhatwecallaninterretativeartistisreallyacreativeartistworkinginaerishablemedium—isanimressionuon，anemotionorathoughtarousedin，themindsofanaudience，andisincaableofrecord。

Acting，then，letmeostulate—thoughIhaveonlysketchedeversobrieflytheroofofmybelief—canbeagreatart。Butisanyoneeverdeterredfromtakingartinamateurtheatricalsbytheconsiderationthathecannotactwell?Notabitofit！Andquiterightlynot，foractingisoneofthethingsaboutwhichIamwritingthisessay—thethingsthatareworthdoingbadly。

Anothersuchthingismusic；butheretheroverbialfallacyagainexertsitsower，asitdoesnot，forsomeobscureandunreasoningdiscrimination，inacting。Mosteoleseemtothinkthatiftheycannotsing，orlaytheiano，fiddle，orsackbut，admirablywell，theymustnotdoanyofthesethingsatall。Thattheyshouldnotindiscriminatelyforcetheirinferiorerformancesuontheublic，orevenuontheiracquaintances，Iadmit。Butthatthereisnolace