nAtivEAmEriCAns proBABly ArrivED FromAsiA in suCCEssivE wAvEs ovEr sEvErAlmillEnniA, Crossing A plAin hunDrEDs oF milEs wiDE thAt now liEs inunDAtED By 160 FEEtoF wAtEr rElEAsED By mElting glACiErs. For sEvErAl pErioDs oF timE, thE First BEginningArounD 60,000
B、
C、AnD thE lAst EnDing ArounD 7,000
B、
C、, this lAnD BriDgE wAs opEn. thE (5) First pEoplE trAvElED in thE Dusty trAils oF thE AnimAls thEy huntED、thEy Brought with thEmnot only thEir FAmiliEs, wEApons, AnD tools But Also A BroAD mEtAphysiCAl unDErstAnDing, sprung From DrEAms AnD visions AnD ArtiCulAtED in myth AnD song, whiCh ComplEmEntED thEir sCiEntiFiC AnD historiCAl knowlEDgE oF thE livEs oF AnimAls AnD oF pEoplE.All this thEy shApED in A vAriEty oF lAnguAgEs, Bringing into BEing orAl litErAturEs oF powEr AnD BEAuty. (10) ContEmporAry rEADErs, ForgEtting thE origins oF wEstErn EpiC, lyriC, AnD DrAmAtiC Forms, ArE EAsily DisposED to think oF “litErAturE” only As somEthing writtEn.But onrEFlECtion it BEComEs ClEAr thAt thE morE CritiCAlly usEFul As wEll As thE morE FrEquEntlyEmployED sEnsE oF thE tErm ConCErns thE ArtFulnEss oF thE vErBAl CrEAtion, not its moDE oF prEsEntAtion. ultimAtEly, litErAturE is AEsthEtiCAlly vAluED, rEgArDlEss oF lAnguAgE, CulturE,(15)or moDE oF prEsEntAtion, BECAusE somE signiFiCAnt vErBAl AChiEvEmEnt rEsults From thEstrugglE in worDs BEtwEEn trADition AnD tAlEnt. vErBAl Art hAs thE ABility to shApE out ACompElling innEr vision in somE skillFully CrAFtED puBliC vErBAl Form.oF CoursE, thE DiFFErEnCEs BEtwEEn thE writtEn AnD orAl moDEs oF ExprEssion ArE notwithout ConsEquEnCEs For An unDErstAnDing oF nAtivEAmEriCAn litErAturE. thE EssEntiAl(20)DiFFErEnCE is thAt A spEECh EvEnt is An Evolving CommuniCAtion, An “EmErgEnt Form,” thEshApE, FunCtions, AnD AEsthEtiC vAluEs oF whiCh BEComE morE ClEArly rEAlizED ovEr thE CoursE oF thE pErFormAnCE. in pErForming vErBAl Art , thE pErFormEr AssumEs rEsponsiBilityFor thE mAnnEr As wEll As thE ContEnt oF thE pErFormAnCE, whilE thE AuDiEnCE AssumEs thErEsponsiBility For EvAluAting thE pErFormEr’s CompEtEnCE in Both ArEAs. it is this intEnsE(25)mutuAl EngAgEmEnt thAt EliCits thE DisplAy oF skill AnD shApEs thE EmErging pErFormAnCE.whErE writtEn litErAturE proviDEs us with A trADition oF tExts, orAl litErAturE oFFErs AtrADition oF pErFormAnCEs.whAt is thE Author’’s AttituDE towArD nAtivEAmEriCAn litErAturE
A、ADmiring oF its Form
B、CritiCAl oF thE Cost oF its proDuCtion
C、AmusED By its ContEnt
D．skEptiCAl ABout its origins