【讀書筆記】王爾德《自深深處》41
1891年，處在寫作生涯巔峰期的王爾德遇見了阿爾弗雷德·“波西”·道格拉斯(Alfred "Bosie" Douglas)，兩人很快成為了同性戀人。四年后，因?yàn)檫@段“不敢說出名字的愛”，王爾德被判“有傷風(fēng)化”罪而入獄。在獄中，王爾德開始反思從前的生活，思索痛苦和人生的意義，藝術(shù)和愛的真諦，最終將那些痛苦的淚水都化作優(yōu)美而深沉的文字，寫成了這封名為"de profundis"(從深處)的長信。
作者簡介：奧斯卡·王爾德(Oscar Wilde, 1854-1900)，英國維多利亞時(shí)代著名作家，“唯美主義運(yùn)動(dòng)”的領(lǐng)軍人物，倡導(dǎo)“為藝術(shù)而藝術(shù)”(Art for art's sake)。他的代表作有戲劇《莎樂美》(Salome)《認(rèn)真的重要性》(The Importance of Being Earnest)，童話《快樂王子》(The Happy Prince) 《夜鶯與玫瑰》(The Nightingale and the Rose)，小說《道連·格雷的畫像》(The Picture of Dorian Gray)，以及書信《自深深處》(De Profundis)等。
【原著選段】
Many men on their release carry their prison?along with them into the air, hide it as a secret?disgrace in their hearts, and at length like poor?poisoned things creep into some hole and die. It is?wretched that they should have to do so, and it is?wrong, terribly wrong, of Society that it should?force them to do so. Society takes upon itself the?right to inflict appalling punishments on the?individual, but it also has the supreme vice of?shallowness, and fails to realise what it has done.?When the man’s punishment is over, it leaves him to himself: that is to say it abandons him at the?very moment when its highest duty towards him?begins. It is really ashamed of its own actions,?and shuns those whom it has punished, as people?shun a creditor whose debt they cannot pay, or?one on whom they have inflicted an irreparable,?an irredeemable wrong. I claim on my side that if I realise what I have suffered, Society should?realise what it has inflicted on me: and that there?should be no bitterness or hate on either side.
【朱純深譯本】
不少人出獄后還帶著他們的囚牢踏入外面的天地，當(dāng)作恥辱秘密地藏在心底，最終就像一頭頭什么東西中了毒似的，可憐兮兮地爬進(jìn)哪個(gè)洞里死了。他們落到這步田地真是可悲，而社會(huì)把他們逼成這樣，很不應(yīng)該，太不應(yīng)該了。社會(huì)自認(rèn)有權(quán)對(duì)個(gè)人施以令人發(fā)指的懲罰，可它也表現(xiàn)了浮淺這一大惡，領(lǐng)悟不到自己干下了什么事。當(dāng)那個(gè)人受過懲罰之后，社會(huì)就撇下他不管了，也就是說把他拋棄了，而這時(shí)，社會(huì)對(duì)那個(gè)人所負(fù)的最責(zé)無旁貸的義務(wù)才剛開始呢。社會(huì)真的是愧對(duì)自己的行為， 避而不敢面對(duì)它懲罰過的人，就像有人欠了債還不起就躲起來，或者給人造成了不可挽回、無可補(bǔ)救的損害后就逃之夭夭。我從我這方面要求，如果我領(lǐng)悟了自己所受的苦，那社會(huì)也該領(lǐng)悟它對(duì)我所施的懲罰，于是雙方就不得再胸懷芥蒂、心存仇恨了。
【讀書筆記】
1、at length?最終；詳盡地；啰嗦地
【舉例】At length, we began to understand what he wanted.?最終我們總算弄明白了他想要什么。
He talked at length about his family.?他詳盡地談了他的家庭。
She spoke at length about nothing at all. 她啰嗦了半天，根本沒說出什么名堂。?
2、wretched?a.不幸的；可憐的；討厭的；極壞的
【舉例】The wretched man has lost his left leg in the war.?這不幸的人在戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)中失去了左腿。
What wretched weather!?多么討厭的天氣！
wretched health 極差的健康狀況
3、inflict?v.給予(打擊等)；使遭受(損傷、苦痛)；強(qiáng)加
【舉例】He had no idea of the anguish he could inflict with only one sentence.?他根本沒想到他只消一句話就會(huì)給人帶來痛苦。
I try hard not to inflict my values on them.??我盡量不把自己的價(jià)值觀強(qiáng)加給他們。
4、shun?v.(故意或習(xí)慣地)回避；逃避
【舉例】shun this storm?避開這場(chǎng)風(fēng)暴
shun publicity 避免拋頭露面
He was shuned by his former friends.?他的老朋友們都躲著他。