John Galsworthy
约翰·高尔斯华绥（John Galsworthy，1867—1933）是英国小说家、剧作家，生于伦敦，曾在牛津大学读法律，后放弃律师工作从事文学创作。1906年，高尔斯华绥完成长篇小说《有产业的人》，小说获得广泛好评，他也因此而被公认为英国第一流作家。高尔斯华绥是个多产作家，在二十多年的创作生涯中，几乎每年写一部小说和一部剧本。1932年，高尔斯华绥“因其描述的卓越艺术——这种艺术在《福尔赛世家》中达到高峰”而获得诺贝尔文学奖金。
高尔斯华绥的重要作品有：长篇小说《福尔赛世家》三部曲、《现代喜剧》 三部曲、《尾声》三部曲，以及剧本《银匣》（1936）、《斗争》（1909）、《群众》 （1914）和《逃跑》（1926）等。
高尔斯华绥的作品以19世纪后期和20世纪初期的英国社会为背景，描写了英国资产阶级的社会和家庭生活，以及盛极而衰的历史。他的作品语言简练，形象生动，讽刺辛辣。
Walking，three months ago，burly，upright，secure and jolly，into the room of his chief at the offices of“Conglomerated Journals Ltd”，he had been greeted with：
“Morning，Taggart，Georgie Grebe is to give US an article for The Lighthouse．He won’t have time to write it，of course．1 want you just tO do tlS a column he could sign—something Grebeish．I’m anxious for afeature of that sort every week now in the Lighthouse；got half a dozenreally good names．We must get it on its legs with the big public．” Taggart smiled：Georgie Grebe！The name was a household word—tophole idea to get him！
“Did he ever write a line in his life，sir？”
“Don’t suppose sO—but you know the SOrt of thing he wouldwrite；he gets nothing for it but the ad．The week after I’ve got Sir Cut-man Kane—vOu’11 want to be a bit careful there；but you can get hismanner from that book of his on murder trials．He hasn’t got a nlinute——must have it devilled．But he’11 sign anything decently done．I’m goingtO make’em buy The Lighthouse，Taggart．Get on to he Grebe article at once，will you？”
Georgie Grebe！It was a scoop！The chief had a wonderful flair forjust the names that got the Public．There was something rather beautifully simple about writing an article for a man who had never written a line—something virginal in the conception．And when you cal~e to think of it，something virginal in the Public’S buying of the article to read the thoughts of their idol，Georgie Grebe．Yes，and what were the thoughts of their idol，Georgie Grebe？If he，Taggart，didn’t know，nobody would，not even Georgie Grebe！Taggart smiled，then felt a little nervous．Geor-gie Grebe--celebrated clown--probably he hadn’t any thoughts！Real—ly，there was something very trustful about the Public！He dipped his pen in ink and sat stating at the nib．Trustful！The word had disturbed the transparency of his mental process，as a crystal of peroxide will disturb and colour a basinful of water．Trustful！The Public would pay their pen—nies to read what they thought were the thoughts of Georgie Grebe．ButGeorrebe had thoughts！Taggart bit int。the pipe stem．Steady！He was getting on too fast．Of course Georgie Grebe had thoughts if he signed！By writing his name he adopted them--didn’t he？His name would be reproduced in autograph，with the indispensable portrait．People would see by his features that Georgie Grebe must have had those thoughts．Trustful！Was the Public SO very trustful—when there was such evidence？Besides，Grebe would read his thoughts—fraudulent！Bosh！This was just devilling；there was nothing fraudulent about“devilling”一everybody did it！Fraudulent！You might as well say those signed lead—ers written for the chief were fraudulent．Of course they weren’t—thev were only devilled．The Public paid for the thoughts of the chief，and they were the thoughts of the chief，since he signed them．Devilled thoughts！And yet！Would the Public pay if those leaders were signed A．P．Tag—gart？The thoughts would be the same—very good thoughts．They ought to pay—but—wOuld they？He struck another match，and wrote：
“I alrl no writer，ladies and gentlemen．I am--believe me～a simple clown．In balancing this new pole upon my nose I anl conscious of a cer．．tain sense of fraud……”
