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“让我带你跟上时代(Let me bring you right up to date.)。你将会爱上那些书,虽然多拉从未爱上过它们。我有他全部的十二本书,正如我想我曾告诉过你的。他是莱茵兰天主教徒(Rhineland Catholic),当还是个年轻人时被迫转入本笃修道会(Benedictines),并与他兄弟的妻子——布兰奇·德·王尔德——相爱了。她在写字间为这些书排序,令它们恢复到最初那样,她秘密地和她的修道士情人联系。我有布兰奇和她的朋友埃莉诺(Eleanor)之间的信件。我有某些来自他们自己的诗的密码。 最悲哀的是,我有布兰奇在怀肯被处死后写给埃莉诺的信。她写了信偷偷带给埃莉诺,然后埃莉诺把它们寄给戴安(Diane),那是另一个女人,但是在她手上只有少量现存的残片。 这是种屈服(This is what went down)。他们曾在德·王尔德城堡的花园里执行他们的仪式时见过面。那完全不是修道院的花园,如我曾想象过的。我不知道怀肯是怎样拥有那里的,但是在某些信件中很少提及表明他只是从修道院(monastery)逃脱出去,并沿着一条秘密道路进入他兄弟的房子。 这有意义(made sense),当然。他们一直等到达米恩·德·王尔德结束做一切计数或?,然后他们见面,围着喷泉跳着他们的舞蹈,并且做爱(They'd wait till Damien de Wilde was off doing whatever such counts or dukes did, and then they'd meet, do their dance around the fountain, and make love.)。 怀肯轮流睡过了每一个女人;抑或有时他们庆祝各式各样的图案(Wynken bedded each of the women in turn; or sometimes they celebrated various patterns.)。所有这一切或多或少被记录在书中。嗯,他们被捕了。 达米恩当着女人们的面阉割(castrated)并刺穿(stabbed)了怀肯,令她们彻底崩溃了。他保留了(怀肯的)遗骸!然后,多日的审问(interrogation)之后,惊恐万状的女人们被迫忏悔她们对怀肯的爱,以及他是怎样超越那些书籍与(她们)沟通;(怀肯的)的兄弟拿走了所有的那些书,怀肯·德·王尔德的全部的十二本书,这位艺术家曾创造出来的一切,你理解——” “他的不朽的名声。”我耳语着。 “完全正确,他的子孙后代(progeny)!他的书!达米恩把它们和怀肯的尸体埋在那些书中所有的小画面中都能发现的城堡花园的喷泉处!布兰奇每天都能在她的窗户鸟瞰到它,那怀肯躺下来沉睡的地方。没有审讯(trial),没有异端邪说(heresy),没有执行(execution),没什么能比的上那个(nothing like that)。他只是谋杀了他的兄弟,就是那么简单。他可能付了大量的钱给修道院。谁知道呢,如果那是必要的?修道院的僧侣们爱怀肯吗?修道院现在已经是废墟了,成为了观光客们会前来观光的画面。至于那城堡,它在第一次世界大战中炸得灰飞烟灭了。” “啊。但是那之后发什么了什么,那些书是怎么从棺材(coffin)里拿出来的?你有副本吗?你谈到……” “不,我有每一本的原稿。我无意中发现(come across)了副本,原始的副本,在埃莉诺的命令(behest)下制作的,布兰奇的堂(表)姐妹和闺中密友(confidante),但是就我所知她们停止了保留副本的习惯。那只有十二本书。并且我不知道她们是怎样重现的(And I don't know how they surfaced.)。我只能猜测。” “你的猜测是什么?” “我认为了布兰奇在夜晚离开了其他女人,挖出了尸体,并且把书拿出了棺材,或者如此此类可怜的怀肯的遗骸所放置着的地方,然后把一切按照原样复原。” “你认为她们那样做了?” “是的,我认为她们做了。我能看见她们做了,在花园的烛光下,看见她们挖掘着,五个女人一起。你难道看不见吗?” “是的。” “我认为她们这么做是因为她们感觉到了我所做的方式!她们热爱那些书的美丽和完美。莱斯特,她们知道它们是珍宝,这种热烈的痴迷的力量就是爱的力量(and such is the power of obsession arid such is the power of love)。而且,谁知道呢,也许她们想要怀肯的骨头。这是可以想象的(conceivable)。也许一个女人拿走了一条大腿骨和他指骨,还有,啊,我不知道。” 突然一个恐怖(ghastly)的画面出现了,进入了我的脑海中(arid it put me in mind),没有一秒钟的犹豫(hesitation),罗杰的双手,我粗枝大叶地用厨房用刀斩断并丢弃的,包裹在塑料袋中的。我瞪着在我面前的那双手的图像,忙碌的,摩挲(fretting)着玻璃杯的边缘,焦虑地轻敲着吧台。 “你能追溯那些书的行踪到多远?”我问。
2008-11-13 星期四(Thursday) 多云
注①:In Biblical studies, pseudepigrapha refers particularly to works which purport to be written by noted authorities in either the Old and New Testaments or by persons involved in Jewish or Christian religious study or history. These works can also be written about Biblical matters, often in such a way that they appear to be as authoritative as works which have been included in the many versions of the Judeo-Christian scriptures. Many such works were also referred to as Apocrypha, which originally connoted "secret writings", those that were rejected for liturgical public reading. An example of a text that is both apocryphal and pseudepigraphical is the Odes of Solomon, pseudepigraphical because it was not actually written by Solomon but instead is a collection of early Christian (first to second century) hymns and poems, originally written not in Hebrew, and apocryphal because not accepted in either the Tanach or the New Testament. But Protestants have also applied the word Apocrypha to texts found in the Roman Catholic and Orthodox scriptures which were not found in Hebrew manuscripts. Roman Catholics called those texts "deuterocanonical". Accordingly, there arose in some Protestant Biblical scholarship an extended use of the term pseudepigrapha for works that appeared as though they ought to be part of the Bibical canon, because of the authorship ascribed to them, but which stood outside both the Biblical canons recognized by Protestants and Catholics. These works were also outside the particular set of books that Roman Catholics called deuterocanonical and to which Protestants had generally applied the term Apocryphal. To confuse the matter even more, Orthodox Christians accept books as canonical that Roman Catholics and most Protestant denominations consider pseudepigraphical or at best of much less authority. There exist also churches that reject some of the books that Roman Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants accept. The same is true of some Jewish sects. See also Apocrypha for more information. There is a tendency not to use the word pseudepigrapha when describing works later than about 300 AD when referring to Biblical matters. But the late-appearing Gospel of Barnabas, Apocalypse of Pseudo-Methodius, the Pseudo-Apuleius (author of a fifth-century herbal ascribed to Apuleius), and the author traditionally referred to as the "Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite", are classic examples of pseudepigraphy. In the fifth century the moralist Salvian published Contra avaritiam under the name of Timothy; the letter in which he explained to his former pupil, Bishop Salonius, his motives for so doing survives. There is also a category of modern pseudepigrapha. Examples of Old Testament pseudepigrapha are the Ethiopian Book of Enoch, Jubilees (both of which are canonical in the Abyssinian Church of Ethiopia); the Life of Adam and Eve and the Pseudo-Philo. Examples of New Testament pseudepigrapha (but in these cases also likely to be called New Testament Apocrypha) are the Gospel of Peter and the attribution of the Epistle to the Laodiceans to Paul. Further examples of New Testament pseudepigrapha include the aforementioned Gospel of Barnabas, and the Gospel of Judas, which begins by presenting itself as "the secret account of the revelation that Jesus spoke in conversation with Judas Iscariot". 注②:Apocrypha (from the Greek word ἀπόκρυφα, meaning "those having been hidden away") are texts of uncertain authenticity, or writings where the authorship is questioned. When used in the specific context of Judeo-Christian theology, the term apocrypha refers to any collection of scriptural texts that falls outside the canon. Given that different denominations have different ideas about what constitutes canonical scripture, there are several different versions of the apocrypha. During sixteenth-century controversies over the biblical canon the word "apocrypha" acquired a negative connotation, and it has become a synonym for "spurious" or "false". This usage usually involves fictitious or legendary accounts that are plausible enough to commonly be considered as truth. 注③:aint Augustine (Latin: Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis;) (November 13, 354 – August 28, 430), Bishop of Hippo Regius, was a philosopher and theologian. Augustine, a Latin church father, is one of the most important figures in the development of Western Christianity. Augustine was heavily influenced by the Neo-Platonism of Plotinus. He framed the concepts of original sin and just war. When the Roman Empire in the West was starting to disintegrate, Augustine developed the concept of the Church as a spiritual City of God, distinct from the material City of Man. His thought profoundly influenced the medieval worldview. Augustine was born in the city of Tagaste, the present day Souk Ahras, Algeria, to a Catholic mother named Monica. He was educated in North Africa and resisted his mother's pleas to become Christian. Living as a pagan intellectual, he took a concubine and became a Manichean. Later he converted to the Catholic Church, became a bishop, and opposed heresies, such as the belief that people can have the ability to choose to be good to such a degree as to merit salvation without divine aid (Pelagianism). His works—including The Confessions, which is often called the first Western autobiography—are still read around the world. In Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion, he is a saint and pre-eminent Doctor of the Church, and the patron of the Augustinian religious order; his memorial is celebrated 28 August. Many Protestants, especially Calvinists, consider him to be one of the theological fathers of Reformation teaching on salvation and divine grace. In the Eastern Orthodox Church he is blessed, and his feast day is celebrated on 15 June, though a minority are of the opinion that he is a heretic, primarily because of his statements concerning what became known as the filioque clause. Among the Orthodox he is called Blessed Augustine, or St. Augustine the Blessed. 注④:Marcion (Μαρκίων) (ca. 110-160) was a Christian theologian who was excommunicated by the Early Christian church at Rome as a heretic. His teachings were influential during the 2nd century and a few centuries after, rivaling that of the Church of Rome. As he offered an alternative theology to the Canonical, Proto-orthodox, Trinitarian and Christological views of the Roman Church, the early Church Fathers denounced him sharply; their views dominate Christianity today. Marcion is sometimes referred to as one of the gnostics, but from what assessment of his lost writings can be gleaned from his mainstream opponents, his teachings were quite different in nature. His canon included ten Pauline Epistles and one gospel called the Gospel of Marcion, a rejection of the whole Hebrew Bible, and did not include the rest of the books later incorporated into the canonical New Testament. He propounded a Christianity free from Jewish doctrines with Paul as the reliable source of authentic doctrine. Paul was, according to Marcion, the only apostle who had rightly understood the new message of salvation as delivered by Christ. 注⑤:Moses Maimonides:摩西·迈蒙尼德(1135-1204),中世纪犹太人中首屈一指的思想家、哲学家。他出生在西班牙的科尔多瓦,后来辗转来到埃及,成为埃及穆斯林统治者萨拉丁的私人医生,同时也是当地犹太社团的领袖。他不但在哲学、神学方面卓有建树,而且还长于数学、医学。他给后世留下了许多部著作,中期最重要的有两部:一部是他历时30年写成的神学巨著《密西拿托拉》,对犹太教律法、教义、传统作了全面的阐述;另一部是他在晚年完成的哲学经典《困惑指南》,他从亚里士多德的理性主义出发,对上帝、宇宙、律法、先知、人类知识等问题进行了深入系统的研究。《困惑指南》出版后,很快被译为多种欧洲文字,对中世纪欧洲哲学思想的发展产生了重要的影响。由于他在犹太宗教和哲学方面的巨大贡献,迈蒙尼德被誉为继古代把犹太人带出埃及的摩西之后的“第二摩西”。
“她谈论现在的不育(sterility),以及人们如何需要避讳(ineffable)。她指向猖獗(rampant)的犯罪和漫无目标(goalless)的年轻人。她准备在一个没有人会伤害其他人的地方创建一个宗教。这是个美国梦。她理解圣经的内涵和外在,她囊括了所有的圣经仿伪品(Pseudepigrapha①),新约外传(Apocrypha②),奥古斯汀(Augustine③)、马西翁(Marcion④)、摩西·迈蒙尼德(Moses Maimonides⑤)的著作;让她承认禁欲毁了基督教,这(观点)几乎不会出自于她,当然,听从她的女人们更从她,你知道(she's convinced that the prohibition against sex destroyed Christianity, which is hardly original with her, of course, and certainly appeals to the women who listen to her, you know. . . .)……” “是,我理解这一切,但是她认为必须有一些同情怀肯(but she must have felt some sympathy for Wynken)。” “怀肯的书于她不像是它们对我而言是一系列的异象(visions)。” “我明白。” “并且顺便说一句,怀肯的书不仅仅是完美,它们在很多方面都是独一无二的。怀肯在古腾堡印刷机(Gutenberg printing press)(发明)前的二十五年里完成了他的著作。怀肯还做完一切(Yet Wynken did everything.)。他是个抄写员(scribe),rubicator,就是说,是这些充满想象力的信的创造者,也是微图画家(miniaturist),添加上这全部在伊甸园嬉戏的裸体人物,还有爬满每一页的常春藤和葡萄藤(who added all the naked people frolicking in Eden and the ivy and vine crawling over every page)。当写字间按这些用途分隔开来,他不得不每次都自己完成每一步(He had to do every step himself at a time when scriptoria divided up these functions.)。 让我结束怀肯。你的脑海中现在有多拉。让我转到怀肯。是的,你必须得到那些书。” “好极了。”我沉闷(dismally)地说。
2008-10-20 星期一(Monday) 多云
“聪明的女子想要听到聪明的女子凝听她(Smart females who want to hear smart females listen to her.)。但是她的开端对每个人都有吸引力。你无法在这个世界造出它,如果你只和一个性别的人说话。那不可能。如我所知,就我所了解的那些市场商人,华尔街的天才们,还有我也是,毫无疑问(Even I know that, the marketeer in me knows that, the Wall Street genius, and I am that, too, have no doubt.)。她吸引到了每个人。啊,要是我有那最后两年去重新装修多好,要是我能在她发现之前开动教堂多好(Oh, if I only had those last two years to do over, if only I could have launched the church before she discovered—)—— 不,一旦教堂足够大,丑闻就无关紧要了。那只是个陷阱。她仍然年幼,当你年幼时,一个丑闻会让你深陷其中(a scandal can do you in)!”他再一次摇着头,气愤地。他变得太过于激动不安了(agitated),但是来自于他的图像只是变得更加清晰了(but the image of him only grew stronger)。 “我不能允许多拉被毁掉……”他的嗓音又变得飘忽不定(drifted off)。他战栗着。他看着我: “会到什么样的地步(What does it come to),莱斯特?”他问。 “多拉自己必须生存下来,”我说。“在你的死亡发现之后她必须保留着她的信仰!” “是的。我是她最大的敌人,不管是生存还是死亡。而她的教堂,你知道,她行走在边缘上(she walks a thin line);她不是清教徒(puritan),我的女儿。她认为怀肯是个异教徒,但是她不知道她因肉体而产生的现代性的同情有多少正是怀肯所谈论的。” “我明白。但是怀肯怎么样,我也本该被怀肯救赎吗?我该拿怀肯怎么办才好呢(What do I do with Wynken?)?” “事实上,她在她的方向上是个天才,”他继续,不理会我。“那就是当我称她为神学者(theologian)时的意思。她几乎完成掌握希腊语、拉丁语和希伯来语这样不可能的事情,即使她不像别的小孩那样是双语的(She's done the near impossible thing of mastering Greek and Latin and Hebrew,even though she was not bilingual as a small child.)。你知道这有多难。” “是,对我们来说不是这么回事(it's not that way for us),但……”我停下了。一个恐怖的想法伴随着强大的力量出现在我的脑海。 这想法打断了一切。 把罗杰创造成不朽者已经太晚了。他已经死了! 我从未意识到我一直以来的傲慢(assuming),一直以来,就如我们谈论的和他倾泻而出的故事,我愿意,如果我想去那么做,确实地把他带给我,让他留存在这里,从开始就制止他(that I could, if I wanted to, actually bring him to me, and keep him here, and stop him from going on)。但是突然我受到强烈震撼地想起了罗杰是个鬼魂!我正在与之谈话的这个人已经死了。 形势是如此令人痛苦地可怕,令人沮丧且完全不合常规,我被吓坏了并几乎快要呻吟出来,如果我不是不得不加以掩饰他将继续说下去(The situation was so hideously painful and frustrating and utterly abnormal that I was thunderstruck and might have begun to groan, if I hadn't had to cover it up so that he would go on.)。 “你怎么了?”他问。 “没事。和我多谈谈多拉。告诉我多拉说过的种种事情。”
2008-10-17 星期五(Friday) 多云
“两年前,”他叹息着。“一些新闻报道!和她没有关系,你知道,但是对于她,我的补偿永远被吹走了(my cover was blown forever)。她被怀疑了(suspecting)。这是不可避免的,她说,她理解到我的钱不干净。” 他摇着他的头。“不干净,”他开始说。他继续。“最后一件她让我为她买的东西是那女修道院。为这建筑花了一百万。一百万用来把内部现代的亵渎神明的装修全部推翻重装,令它效仿十九世纪八十年代供修女使用的风格,小礼拜堂、餐厅、宿舍房间还有宽敞的走廊……(And one million to gut it of all the modern desecrations and leave it the way it had been for the nuns in the 1880s, with chapel and refectory and dormitory rooms and wide corridors...) 但即使是那样,她仍是不情愿(reluctance)地接受了。至于艺术品,忘了吧(As for the artwork, forget it.)。她可能从不从我这里拿她所需要的在那里教育她的信众的钱,她的命令或诸如此类该死的电视布道者这么宣称(her order or whatever the hell a televangelist calls it)。有线电视连接和我将会做的事相比微不足道,在地基上修缮女修道院(The cable TV connection is nothing compared to what I could have made it, fixing up that convent as the base.)。那些收藏品——雕像、圣像——想象下。‘我会令你像比利·格雷厄姆(Billy Graham①)或杰里·福尔韦尔(Jerry Falwell②)一样伟大,亲爱的,’我对她说。‘你不能因为我的钱而感到厌恶,不要看在耶稣基督的面上(not for Jesus' sake)!’” 他绝望地摇着头。“她现在和我见面只是出于同情,我美丽的女儿有无限的供给(and of that my beautiful daughter has an endless supply)。有时她会拿一件小礼物。今晚,她没有。有一次当这节目差不多失败时,她接受了刚好够节目度过最困难时期(的钱)(Once when the program almost went under, she accepted just enough to get it over the hump.)。但是我的圣徒和天使(的雕像),她没有碰它们。我的书,我的宝藏,她都不看它们。 当然,我们俩都知道这对她的名誉造成威胁(we both knew the threat to her reputation)。你除掉我是帮了(她)(You've helped by eliminating me.)。但是我的新闻很快会消失,必定如此。‘电视布道者由毒枭(cocaine king)提供经费。’她能把秘密保持多久?(电视节目)会因我的死而幸存,她会因我的死而得以幸存。无论如何(At all costs!)!莱斯特,你听到了我所说的。” “我正在听着你说的,罗杰,听到了你说的每个字。他们还没对她产生影响,我能向你保证(I can assiire you,我当成assure来翻的,=口=)。” “我的敌人更加冷酷无情。而政府……谁知道这该死的政府是谁或政府究竟在干什么(who knows who the hell the government is or what the hell the government does)。” “她害怕这种丑闻(scandal)?” “不。心灰意懒(brokenhearted),是的,害怕丑闻,决不。她已带走即将到来的(She'd take what would come.)。她想要的就是我放弃一切!那变成了她的攻击。她不在乎这世界可能发现我们是父女。她想要我弃绝一切。她因我而担惊受怕,就像一个歹徒(gangster)的女儿那样,就像一个歹徒的妻子那般。 ‘就让我建造教堂吧,’我继续恳求着。‘用那些钱。’那电视节目证明了她的斗志(mettle)。但是不再……事物在她周围变成废墟(Things are in ruins around her.)。她有一个小小的每周三次的一小时的节目。通向天堂的阶梯她独自一人攀登。我身在局外。她依赖她的观众带来她所需要的数百万。 而她引用的女性神秘主义,你曾听过她朗读它们,宾根的希尔德嘉德(Hildegard of Bingen③),还有诺威奇的朱利安(Julian of Norwich④)。大德兰(Teresa of Avila⑤)。你曾读过这些女人(的著作)吗?” “她们全部(我都读过)。”我说。 注①:William Franklin Graham Jr., KBE (born November 7, 1918) better known as Billy Graham, is an evangelist and an Evangelical Christian. He has been a spiritual adviser to multiple U.S. presidents[1] and was number seven on Gallup's list of admired people for the 20th century. He is a Southern Baptist. Graham has preached in person to more people around the world than any Protestant who has ever lived. As of 1993, more than 2.5 million people had stepped forward at his crusades to accept Jesus Christ as their personal saviour. As of 2002, Graham's lifetime audience, including radio and television broadcasts, topped two billion. 注②:Jerry Lamon Falwell, Sr. (August 11, 1933 – May 15, 2007) was an American evangelical Christian pastor, televangelist, and a controversial conservative commentator. He was the founding pastor of the Thomas Road Baptist Church, a megachurch in Lynchburg, Virginia. He founded Liberty University in 1971 and co-founded the Moral Majority in 1979. Falwell led services at Thomas Road for many years. During his tenure, it changed affiliations from Baptist Bible Fellowship International to the mainly conservative Southern Baptist Convention, and Falwell himself ended his self-identification with fundamentalism in favor of evangelicalism. Falwell's legacy today is strongly mixed, and often a source of heated controversy. Supporters praise his advancement of his socially conservative message. Many of his detractors have accused him of hate speech and an "agent of intolerance", finding fault with his views on LGBT people, Judaism and Islam, his support of racial segregation during the Civil Rights Movement, and his controversial statements blaming gays, feminists, pagans and abortionists for the September 11 attacks. These controversies, however, never bothered him during his lifetime, and he often stated, "I'm not called to be popular; I'm called to be faithful." 注③:Hildegard of Bingen (German: Hildegard von Bingen; Latin: Hildegardis Bingensis; 1098 – 17 September 1179), also known as Blessed Hildegard and Saint Hildegard, was a German abbess, author, counselor, linguist, naturalist, scientist, philosopher, physician, herbalist, poet, visionary and composer. Elected a magistra by her fellow nuns in 1136, she founded the monasteries of Rupertsberg in 1150 and Eibingen in 1165. She is the first composer with an extant biography. One of her works, the Ordo Virtutum, is quite possibly the first staged liturgical drama, and may be considered a distant precursor to opera. She wrote theological, botanical and medicinal texts, as well as letters, liturgical songs, poems, and the first surviving morality play, while supervising brilliant miniature Illuminations. 注④:Julian of Norwich (c. November 8, 1342 – c. 1416) is considered one of the greatest English mystics. Little is known of her life aside from her writings. Even her name is uncertain, the name "Julian" coming from the Church of St Julian in Norwich, where she was an anchoress, meaning that she was walled into the church behind the altar during a mass for the dead. At the age of 30, suffering from a severe illness and believing she was on her deathbed, Julian had a series of intense visions of Jesus Christ. (They ended by the time she overcame her illness on May 13, 1373.) She recorded these visions soon after having them, and then again twenty years later in far more theological depth. They are the source of her major work, called Sixteen Revelations of Divine Love (circa 1393). This is believed to be the first book written by a woman in the English language. Julian became well known throughout England as a spiritual authority: Margery Kempe mentions going to Norwich to speak with Julian. Although she lived in a time of turmoil, Julian's theology was optimistic, speaking of God's love in terms of joy and compassion as opposed to law and duty. For Julian, suffering was not a punishment that God inflicted, as was the common understanding. She believed that God loved and wanted to save everyone. Popular theology magnified by current events including the Black Death and a series of peasant revolts assumed that God was punishing the wicked. In response, Julian suggested a far more chimerical theology, which some say leaned towards universal salvation. Because she believed that behind the reality of hell is yet a greater mystery of God's love, she has also been referred to in modern times as a proto-universalist, though she herself never actually claimed more than hope that all might be saved.[citation needed] Even though her views were not typical, local authorities did not challenge either her theology or her authority to make such religious claims because of her status as an anchoress. 注⑤:Saint Teresa of Ávila, also called Saint Teresa of Jesus, baptized as Teresa de Cepeda y Ahumada, (March 28, 1515, at Gotarrendura (Ávila), Old Castile, Spain – October 4, 1582, at Alba de Tormes, Salamanca, Spain) was a prominent Spanish mystic, Carmelite nun, and writer of the Counter Reformation. She was a reformer of the Carmelite Order and is considered to be, along with John of the Cross, a founder of the Discalced Carmelites. In 1970 she was named a Doctor of the Church.
2008-10-14 星期二(Tuesday) 晴
“我送多拉去学校。在那时我赚了很多、很多钱。我不得不在我和我女儿之间隔着数英里(I had to put lots of miles between me and my daughter.)。我给多拉转了三次校,全都在毕业之前,这对她很难,但是她没有问我关于这策略的问题,或者是环绕着我们会面的秘密(I switched Dora among three schools overall before graduation, which was hard for her, but she didn't question me about these maneuvers, or the secrecy surrounding our meetings.)。我让她相信我总是处于冲去佛罗伦萨从正在进行破坏的白痴手里拯救一副壁画(fresco)的边缘上,或者去罗马探索一座刚刚被发现的地下墓穴(catacomb)。 当多拉开始对宗教产生了庄严的兴趣(to take a serious interest in religion)时,我认为它是精神上的优雅,你知道。我认为我正在增长的雕像和书籍藏品给她带来了启发。当她在十八岁告诉我她将被哈佛大学(Harvard)录取,她打算去学比较宗教学(comparative religion)时,我感到有趣(amused)。我做出了常见的性别歧视的臆断(sexist assumption):学你想学的然后嫁给一个有钱人。让我给你展示下我最近的圣像或雕像。 但是多拉的热诚和神学上的爱好(theological bent)发展得超越了我曾经历过的任何东西。多拉准备在她十九岁时去圣地(Holy Land)。她在毕业前回来了两次。她用接下来的两年学习全世界的宗教。然后她在她的电视节目上提议她全部的主张(Then she proposed the entire idea of her television program):她想与人们交谈。有线电视(Cable)令所有那些宗教频道变得有可能。你可以收看这个牧师(minister)或是那个天主教神父(Catholic priest)。” ‘你对这是认真的?’我问。我完全不了解她信仰的一切。但是她坚持自己那些我从没真正理解但又在某种程度上支持的原则(But she was out to be true to ideals that I had never fully understood myself yet somehow passed on to her.)。 ‘爹地,你能在电视上看到我一小时,每周三次,而钱会按照我要想的方式来用,’她说,‘你将会看到发生什么。’她开始谈论各种各样的伦理问题,在当今世界我们如何拯救我们的灵魂。她想象(envision)简短的演讲或布道(sermons),因狂喜的歌唱和舞蹈而强化(punctuated by ecstatic singing and dancing)。那堕胎的争论点——她在两方面都做了正确的热烈的符合逻辑的演讲(The abortion issue—she makes impassioned logical speeches that both sides are right!)!她解释为何每个生命都是神圣不可侵犯(sacrosanct)的,然而一个女人必须有自己身体的统治权。” “我曾看过这个节目。” “你意识到七十五个不同的有线电视网络精选了这个节目!你意识到我死亡的新闻可能是我女儿的教堂发出的(You realize what news of my death may do to my daughter's church?)?” 他暂停了下,思考着,然后像之前那样急速快攻般继续着(then resumed as rapid-fire as before)。 “你知道,我不认为我曾有过宗教的热望(aspiration),一种精神的目标,可以这么说,不是过分沉溺于某种唯物主义和魅惑的事物(that wasn't drenched in something materialistic and glamorous),你理解我的意思吗?” “当然。” “但是对于多拉,是不同的。多拉真的太不在乎物质的东西了。圣物、圣像(the relics, the icons),它们对多拉意味着什么?多拉相信上帝以不可能的心理和智慧的不平等为背景而存在(Dora believes against impossible psychological and intellectual odds that God exists.)。”他再次停下来,遗憾(regret)地摇着他的头。 “你之前对我说的话是对的。我是个获取不义之财的诈骗者(racketeer)。即使对我挚爱的怀肯来说我是个天使,这就是人们常说的一个议事日程(Even for my beloved Wynken I had an angle, what they call now an agenda.)。多拉不是个诈骗者。” 我记得他在酒吧间的评论,“我想我把我的灵魂卖给了像这样的地方。”我了解他在说这话时正在谈论什么。我现在知道了。 “让我回到这个故事上。不久前,正如我告诉过你的,我放弃了世俗的宗教信仰。那时多拉认真地开始了,好多年我已经没有那些野心勃勃的想法了。我有多拉。而且我有对怀肯的痴迷。我追求获得更多怀肯的书,并管理我的各种各样的藏品,(我)购买了当时清楚地提及了怀肯·德·王尔德和布兰·德·王尔德以及她的丈夫,达赫尼安的五封不同的信(and managed through my various connections to purchase five different letters of the period which made clear mention of Wynken de Wilde and Blanche De Wilde and her husband,Darnien,as well.)。我有搜寻者为我在欧洲和美国挖掘。莱茵河神秘学派(Rhineland mysticism①),深入研究着它。 我的研究人员在几个德文的文本里找到了一个怀肯的故事的胶囊版本(a capsule version of Wynken's story,-_-b,神啊,这句话什么意思啊?我都硬着头皮这么乱翻了……ORZ)。某些关于女子练习为月亮女神戴安娜做举行的仪式(rites),巫术。怀肯被修道院的僧侣拖走并当众被控有罪(Wynken dragged out of the monastery and publicly accused.)。这些审讯(trial)的记录,无论如何,遗失了。 (审讯记录)在第二次世界大战之后没有保存下来。但是在别的地方有其他的文件,隐藏在信件中。一旦你有了怀肯的密码文字——一旦你了解在寻找什么——你就找对了路。 当我空闲时我坐下来看着怀肯的小裸体人儿们,我记下了他的情诗。我清楚(地记得)他的诗以至于我都能颂唱出它们。当我在每个周末看见多拉——我们在任何可能的时候在某处会面——我会向多拉背诵(recite)它们而且可能会向她展示我最近的发现。 她容忍我的如她所说的‘对于自由性爱和神秘主义像着了火似的嬉皮式的翻译(Burnt-put hippie version of free love and mysticism)’。‘我爱你,罗杰,’她说。‘但是你太过浪漫了以至于在某种程度上把这些坏教士想象成了圣人(But you're so romantic to think this bad priest was some sort of saint.)。他所做的全部就是和那些女人睡觉,不是吗?而这些书与其他的沟通的方式……当集会时(And the books were ways of communicating among the others . . . when to meet.)。’ ‘啊,但是多拉,’我会说,‘在怀肯·德·王尔德那没有恶毒的或丑恶的字眼。你自己看看。’当时我有六本书。全都是关于爱的。我现在的翻译者,一个哥伦比亚大学(Columbia)的教授,为诗歌中的神秘主义而感到惊奇,它们是怎样混杂了对上帝和肉体的爱啊。多拉不会赞成(Dora didn't buy it.)。但是多拉已经着迷于她自己的宗教问题。 多拉正在阅读保罗·田立克(Paul Tillich②)和威廉·詹姆斯(William James③)还有伊拉斯谟(Erasmus④)以及当今世上各国的众多书籍。” “假如我从她那里得到怀肯的那些书,多拉不在乎?” “不,她不会碰我的任何收藏品,现在不会!”他说。 “然而你想我去保护所有这些东西。”我说。 注①:German mysticism, sometimes called Dominican mysticism or Rhineland mysticism, was a late medieval Christian mystical movement, that was especially prominent within the Dominican order and in Germany. Although its origins can be traced back to Hildegard of Bingen, it is mostly represented by Meister Eckhart, Johannes Tauler, and Henry Suso. Other notable figures include Rulman Merswin and Margaretha Ebner, and the Friends of God. This movement often seems to stand in stark contrast with scholasticism and German Theology, but the relationship between scholasticism and German mysticism is debated. Viewed as a predecessor of the reformation, the contrast becomes very apparent. For example, the use of an approachable vernacular stands in stark contrast to the constrained Latin of the Scholastics, the increased focus on the laity stands in contrast to the more deeply sacramental understanding of the Church, and these elements are both taken up and transformed in the writings of Martin Luther. German mysticism can also be viewed as a practical application of Scholasticism. Though Meister Eckhart is most well-known for his popular German sermons, he also wrote a lengthy philosophical exposition of the same teachings in Latin. Some scholars have read him as a rather orthodox Thomist, seeing his mysticism as flowing naturally from established teachings through Eckhart's own idiosyncrasies and exaggerations. 注②:Paul Tillich:保罗·田立克,1886年8月20日生于德国,1965年10月22日逝于美国。田立克是一位新教神学家、新正统神学家、新保罗主义者并且经常被认为存在主义神学家,甚至被视为美国的存在主义者的代表人物。他在神学上使用的“相互关联法”影响颇大,简单说 就是认为神学应把把基督启示和人的处境关联起来,因此也有人称此 为“处境神学”。 内地译作保罗·蒂利希,但是“田立克”一名乃是经Paul Tillich本人选择出的三个(对他而言)容易书写之中文字——要以做为其中文名字的,故华语世界的神学研究者不妨尊重其意愿延用“田立克”一译名。 注③:William James :威廉·詹姆斯(1842-1910)美国本土第一位哲学家和心理学家,也是教育学家,实用主义哲学的倡导人,美国机能主义心理学派创始人之一,也是美国最早的实验心理学家之一。詹姆斯出生于美国纽约一个著名的富豪之家。1860年在詹姆斯18岁时,曾一度决心成为一名画家,在波士顿学画一年后,1861年转入了哈佛大学劳伦斯理学院学习化学和解剖学,后又改学医学。1865年获得了一次随动物学家阿家西斯赴巴西亚马孙河作动物学调查的机会。在这次旅行中,他曾尝试过以生物学作为自己的终身事业,但他发现自己不能忍受这个领域所要求的正确而有秩序的资料收集、归类工作。于是他又恢复了医学的学习。1867年赴德国,就学于赫尔姆霍茨,熟悉了哲学、心理学。1869年詹姆斯在哈佛大学获得医学博士学位。1872年他接受了哈佛大学生理学讲师职位,由于研究神经系统生理学及其他与心理学有关的生理学问题,开始转向心理学问题的研究。1875—1876年詹姆斯开设了他的第一门心理学课程即《生理学和心理学的关系》。1875年詹姆斯从校方获得了300美元为其心理学课程购置实验室和演示设备,从而建立了供其教学示范用的心理学实验室。1878年詹姆斯与出版社签定了出版《心理学原理》一书的合同。1884年他发起组织“美国心理研究协会”,在《心灵》杂志上发表他关于情绪的学说。1885年开始任哲学教授。1889年又改任心理学教授。1890年他的著名的《心理学原理》出版了,这是詹姆斯最重要的心理学著作。1894年和1904年詹姆斯两次当选为美国心理学会主席。1907年辞去哈佛大学职务,悉心研究哲学。1910年8月26日病逝于美国新罕布什尔。 詹姆斯非常重视心理生活在有机体适应现实中的作用。他反对把意识只看作一种与某些生理过程平行的副现象,主张意识的功用在于指引有机体达到生存所必须的目的。这是他从达尔文关于生存竞争学说中推演出来的。他强调人的非理性方面。认为信仰是由情绪的因素决定的,推理和概念的形成受到种种需要和欲望的影响;信仰、概念、推理的作用是为了满足欲望,追求行为的成功。这些见解,也反映出他的实用主义心理学的倾向。他还对意识的存在状态加以研究和规定。认为意识不是一些割裂的片断,而是一种整体的经验,一种川流不息的状态,所以叫做"意识流"。此外,关于情绪的学说在詹姆斯心理学体系中占有重要地位。詹姆斯认为生理变化先于情绪体验。生理变化所引起的内导冲动传到大脑皮层时所引起的感觉就是情绪,如恐惧。没有生理变化,便没有情绪体验。例如,心率增加或肌肉紧张,导致人的情绪体验。由于这一理论同时为丹麦生理学家C.G.兰格发现,因此被命名为“詹姆斯-兰格理论”。 詹姆斯主要心理学著作包括:《心理学简编》(1892)、《对教师讲心理学》(1899)、《宗教经验之种种》(19O1~19O2)主要哲学著作包括:《实用主义》(19O7)、《多元的宇宙》(19O9)、《真理的意义》(19O9)等。 注④:Desiderius Erasmus:伊拉斯谟(约1466~1536),意思是“渴望被爱的人”,荷兰哲学家,16世纪初欧洲人文主义运动主要代表人物。约1466年10月生于鹿特丹一个神甫家庭。青年时代入修道院。1492年成为神甫。1495年去巴黎深造,开始接触一些人文主义者。1499年去英国,结识空想社会主义者T·莫尔。后攻读希腊语和研究宗教改革问题。1506年赴意大利,因对教会不满于1509年返回英国,发表《愚人颂(The Praise of The Folly)》,仅花七天时间完成,是对当时的主流思想与教义的极大挑衅,强烈指责教会和贵族的腐败,嘲笑经验哲学家和僧侣们愚昧无知的空谈。1511~1514年在剑桥大学任教。1514年,修道院要求伊拉斯谟回院,经教皇同意,伊拉斯谟保持了对修道院的独立性。1516年发表《希腊语圣经新约批注》,对当时的宗教理论进行了深刻的批判。同年回荷兰。后任查理五世顾问,编写教育亲王的教材,还著书指责战争。1521年前往巴塞尔,继续发表著作。M·路德领导的宗教改革爆发后,伊拉斯谟觉得关于“文学的黄金时代”即将到来的美梦破灭了,于1524年写了《论自由意志》并同路德通信,批评路德。1529年宗教改革浪潮席卷巴塞尔时,去弗赖堡。1536年回到巴塞尔。同年7月12日逝世。他知识渊博,忠于教育事业,一生始终追求个人自由和人格尊严,但忽视自然科学,在政治上对反动势力只会讽刺,而没有像路德那样发动人民。
2008-10-9 星期四(Thursday) 多云
“与此同时,泰莉和我开始憎恨彼此。当上课时间到来的时候,我们就那样打起架来(so did the fights)。打架可真见鬼(The fights were hell.)。我想要多拉去圣心学院(Sacred Heart Academy①),上舞蹈课、音乐课,在欧洲离开我两周。泰莉恨我。我不会将她的小女孩变成一个惹人嫌的人(snot)。泰莉已经准备搬出在查尔斯大道的房子,宣称它又老旧又恐怖(creepy),并定居在某条湿漉漉的郊外的毫无装饰的街道上的一座牧场风格的空旷的小屋里(and settled for a shack of a ranch-style tract home on some naked street in the soggy suburbs)!因此我的孩子已经从花园区和那一切色彩中被夺走了,住在最古老的建筑物就是当地7-11便利店这样的一个地方(and settled in a place where the nearest architectural curiosity was the local 7-Eleven)。 我渐渐变得绝望而多拉渐渐长大,可能已经大到能成功地从她母亲那偷东西,一位她不得不用一种非常给予保护和仁慈的方式来爱的人(old enough perhaps to be stolen effectively from her mother, whom she did love in a very protective and kind way)。某些沉默的东西在那两者之间,你知道,交谈与之毫无关系(talking had nothing to do with it)。而泰莉为多拉感到自豪。” “然后这个男朋友出现在了画面中。” “是的。如果我在稍后的日子去城里(come to town),我的女儿和我的妻子可能会离开。她匆匆离开了我(She was skipping out on me!)!让我慷慨给予的支票见鬼去吧。她和她破产的电工男朋友一起去了佛罗里达! 多拉什么也不知道,在外面的街区里玩耍。他们都被塞满了(They were all packed!)!我枪击了泰莉和(她的)男朋友,就在梅泰里那愚蠢的小屋村住宅里,泰莉宁可选择在那培养我的女儿,也不愿在查理斯大道(right in that stupid little tract house in Metairie where Terry had chosen to bring up my daughter rather than on St. Charles Avenue)。 (我)枪击了他们两个。令鲜血满溢她铺满了全部地板的聚酯地毯(polyester wall-to-wall carpet),还有她覆盖胶木(Formica-top)的厨房早餐台。” “我可以想象。” “我把他们俩都扔进了沼泽地(swamps)。距离我直接着手处理类似的事情已经很久了,但是没关系,十分简单。那电工的卡车无论什么时候都在车库里,我把他们装入袋子里,并把他们拖了出去,放入了卡车的后面。我设法在某处丢弃他们,在杰佛逊公路(Jefferson Highway)之外,我甚至不知道我是在哪儿丢弃他们的。不,也许是在‘主厨说谎者’高速公路(Chef Menteur)之外。是的,就是在‘主厨说谎者’高速公路。大约在干涸的瑞格斯河(die Rigules River)上某个老堡垒(forts)里。他们只是消失在沼泽的腐泥(muck)里。” “我无法看到这一幕。我曾被自己扔弃在沼泽里。” 他太过兴奋都没听见我的呢喃。他继续着。 “然后我为了多拉而回去了,多拉那时坐在台阶上,她的手肘(elbow)放在她的膝盖上想知道为什么没有人在家,而门锁着所以她无法进去,她开始尖叫,‘爹地!我知道你一定会回来。我知道你会的!’那一刻她看着我。我不能冒险进去拿她的衣服。我不想她看见那些血。我带着她进了那男朋友的敞篷小货车(pickup truck),然后我们驾车离开了新奥尔良,我们把卡车留在了华盛顿西雅图。那是我和多拉穿越国境的远行(cross-country odyssey)。 那些英里,(充满了)疯狂,只是我们两个在一起不停地说啊说。我想我在试图告诉多拉我所学到的每件事。没有罪恶和自我毁灭(self-destructive),没有什么将把黑暗带到她身边,只有美好的东西,我所学到的关于美德(virtue)和诚实还有什么是败德的人(corrupts people),以及什么是值得做的。 ‘你不能在一生中只是简单的什么也不做,多拉,’我继续说,‘你不能只用你找到的方式活在这世上('You can't just leave this world the way you found it)。’我甚至告诉她当我年轻时我是怎样成为一名宗教领袖的,还有我现在收集美丽的东西是什么,来自遍及欧洲和亚洲(Orient)的教堂艺术品。我处理这些,保存着我想要的少量的碎片。 我领导着她去相信,当然,那些让我变得富有,而到那时为止,说也奇怪(oddly enough),它部分是真实的。” “然后她知道你杀死了泰莉。” “不。这一次你得到了一个错误的想法(You got the wrong idea on that one.)。所有那些画面在我的脑海中翻滚着(tumbling)。当你猎取我的鲜血时我感受到了这个。那不是它。她知道我摆脱了泰莉,或我放泰莉自由了(She knew I'd gotten rid of Terry, or I'd freed her from Terry),而现在她将永远能和她爹地在一起了,并在爹地远走高飞时和他一起(and fly away with Daddy when Daddy flew away)。知道爹地谋杀了泰莉是从一件不同的事上。那是她不知道的。当她十二岁时的一次,她叫喊着,湿透了(sobbing),并说,‘爹地,能请你告诉我母亲在哪里吗,当她和那家伙去佛罗里达时去了哪里。’我开演了(I played it off),我不想告诉她泰莉已经死了。谢天谢地有电话。我在电话里做得很好(I do very well on the phone.)。我喜欢那样。那就像接听收音一样(It's like being on the radio.)。 但是回到多拉六岁时。爹地带多拉去纽约并在购物广场(the Plaza)买了套套装。那之后,多拉想要的每件东西爹地都会买。” “即使那样她还是为泰莉哭泣?” “是啊。并且她可能是唯一曾这么做的人。在婚礼前,泰莉的母亲曾告诉我泰莉是个荡妇(slut)。她们彼此憎恨。泰莉的父亲曾是个警察。他是个不错的家伙。但是他也不喜欢他的女儿。泰莉不是个好人。泰莉天性卑鄙(Terry was mean by nature);泰莉从不是个在街上偶然相遇(bump into in the street)的好人,更别提去了解、需要或是拥有了。 她的家人回到那里,认为她会很快离开佛罗里达并把多拉遗弃给我(Her family back there thought she'd run off to Florida and abandoned Dora to me.)。那就是直到那老男人和妇人——泰莉的父母——去世的那天,他们曾知道的全部(That's all they ever knew till the day the old man and woman died, Terry's parents.)。还有些其他的亲戚。他们仍相信那些。但是他们不知道我是谁,真的,这解释起来全都相当困难。当然如今可能他们已经看到了在报纸或杂志上的文章。我不知道,那不重要。多拉为她的母亲哭泣,是的。但是在她十二岁我告诉她那个大谎言之后,她再也没有问过任何事情了。 但是泰莉对朵拉的奉献般的挚爱如同任何哺乳动物的(mammalian)母亲般完美!出于本能的;如同护士般的(nurselike);杀菌剂(antiseptic)。她用四组食物来喂养多拉(She'd feed Dora from the four food groups.)。她为多拉穿上漂亮衣服,带她去舞蹈学校,并坐在那里和其他母亲闲聊(gossip)。她为多拉而骄傲。但是她很少和多拉说话。我想她们不用眼神交流就能过日子(I think they could go for days without their eyes meeting.)。那是属于哺乳动物的(It was mammalian.)。并且由于泰莉,或许每件事都像是如此。” “这真是有趣,你因像这样的一个人而陷入混乱(get mixed up),你知道。” “不,才不是有趣。命运。我们创造了多拉。她给予多拉嗓音和美貌。而且多拉身上有些东西是来自泰莉的,像是强硬(hardness),但是那是个太过无情的词了。多拉是我们的混合物,真的,一个最好的混合物。” “哦,你给予了她你所有的最极致的美(you gave her your own beauty top)。” “是的,但是当基因碰撞(genes collided)时有些事更加有趣而且更常发生(marketable happened)。你已经见过我的女儿了。我女儿很上镜,并且在一瞬间的闪光和我给她的冲击之下,那有来泰莉的稳健(My daughter is photogenic, and beneath the flash and dash I gave her, there is the steadiness of Terry.)。她比电视广播更能改变(converts)人们的信仰。‘而什么是基督真正的讯息!’她声明,直直盯着照相机。‘基督是你见到的每一个陌生人,贫穷、饥饿、患病,在隔壁的人们!’而观众们相信了。 我见到过。我看着她。她能够达到最顶端。” 他叹息着。 注①:Sacred Heart Academy:福临特里奇圣心学院(Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy,简称FSHA)位于美国加利福尼亚州,成立于1931年,是一所天主教寄宿制女校,其使命是通过全面的大学预备课程来教育女青年。在这里,她们得到活跃的宗教团体的培育,诚实与慈爱是最高的价值观念。
2008-9-25 星期四(Thursday) 晴
“这持续了两周。她不愿去仁慈医院(Mercy Hospital)。我雇用护士不分昼夜(round the clock)就是为了做支援,你知道,如此一来当我感到害怕时,她们可以检查她的生命迹象(vital signs)。我为她演奏音乐。所有可预测的(predictable)东西,与她大声朗诵玫瑰经(rosary①)。司通见惯的临终场景。从下午两点到四点她允许(tolerated)探访。年长的亲戚们来了。‘罗杰在哪?’我站在(她的)视线之外。” “你没有因她的苦难而觉得撕心裂肺(You weren't torn to pieces by her suffering.)。” “我没有为此而疯狂,我可以这样告诉你。她的癌症扩散到她的全身,再多的钱也救不了她(no amount of money could save her)。我想要她快些(死),而我无法忍受目睹它,不,但总会有完全冷酷无情的一面对我说‘做你必须去做的’。我留在那间房里夜以继日(day in and day out)地整晚整晚地失眠,直到她死去。 她和那些鬼魂说了很多话,但我看不见也听不到它们。我只是一直说,‘小理查,来带走她吧。米奇舅舅,假如她不能恢复,来带走她吧。’ 但在结束之前泰莉来了,一个有实际经验却无正式训练的护士(a practical nurse),就像他们那样宣称她们的一样,因为注册过的护士是那样供不应求,当我们找不到合法登记的护士时,她们可以替代(who had to fill in when we could not get the registered nurse because they were in such demand)。泰莉,五呎七吋,金发碧眼,我所看得上眼的最廉价和诱惑人的货(the cheapest and most alluring piece of goods I had ever laid eyes on)。能理解吧。这个问题在于所有事都恰如其分地紧密地结合在一起。这女孩是一件闪亮的完美垃圾(The girl was a shining perfect piece of trash.)。” 我微笑着。“粉色的手指甲,还有湿润的粉色唇膏。”我在他脑海中见过她的光彩。 “每个细节都以年轻小伙子为目标(target)。口香糖(chewing gum),金色的脚链(anklet),彩绘的脚指甲(toenail),她就在病房那里脱下她的鞋让我看见脚指甲的方式,展现乳沟的方式(the way the cleavage showed),你知道,在她的白色尼龙制服底下。还有她愚蠢、厚眼睑(heavy-lidded)的眼睛,漂亮地描画着美宝莲的眼线(eye pencil)和睫毛膏(mascara)。她在那儿,在我面前锉着她的指甲!但是我告诉你,我从没见过什么是如此完全领悟的、精巧的(finished),啊,啊,我能说什么!她是个尤物(masterpiece)。” 我笑了,他也笑了,但他继续说。 “我发现她令人无法抗拒(irresistible)。她是只无毛的小动物。我开始抓住每个机会和她做那事。当母亲睡觉的时候,我们在浴室里站着做。有一两次我们下了大厅在其中的一间空房间里;我们从不超过二十分钟!我控制着我们的时间(I timed us!)!她办事时,她粉色的内裤缠在她的脚踝上!她闻起来像蓝色华尔滋香水(Blue Waltz perfume)。” 我露出了轻柔的笑容。 “我曾了解你所说的吗,”我思索着。“并认为你明白这点,你为她倾心而你明白这点。” “好吧,我离我纽约的女人和男孩们以及一切有两千英哩,诸如此类毫无价值的权力是和买卖连在一道的,你知道,可笑愚蠢的保镖们快跑着(scurrying)去为你打开门,女孩们在豪华轿车的后座里告诉你她们爱你,只是因为她们在那晚之前听说你枪击了某人。而这么多的性,就在这其中的某刻,你得到了从未有过的最棒的口交(oral job),现在你再也无法把你的心思放在那之上了。” “我们比我想象的更加相像。我活在赐予我天赋的谎言中(I've lived a lie with the gifts given me.)。” “你的意思是什么?”他问。 “没有时间。你不需要知道关于我(的事)。泰莉怎么了?多拉是怎么有的(How did Dora happen?)?” “我令泰莉怀孕了。我料想她会吃口服避孕药(She was supposed to be on the Pill.)。她认为我很有钱!这和我是否爱她或她是否爱我无关。我的意思是,这是我所知最无语和最单纯的人类,泰莉(I mean this was one of the dumbest and most simpleminded humans I have ever known, Terry.)。我想知道,如果你得供养愚昧又无趣的人,是否会为此感到烦扰。” “多拉就是那个婴儿。” “是的。如果我不娶她的话,泰莉想打掉她。我做了一个协议(bargain)。结婚时十万美元(One hundred grand)(我用一个化名(alias),除了在书面形式上,它从未合法过,而那是天赐之福,因为多拉和我无论怎样也不会存在法定关系)和婴儿出生时十万美元。之后我会和她离婚,我想要的只是我的女儿。 ‘我们的女儿,’她说。 ‘当然,我们的女儿,’我说。我多蠢啊。我竟没有料到,这么明显简单的事情,我没料到的是这个女人,这个小指甲挫,口香糖,涂着睫毛膏的护士,穿着她的胶底鞋,戴着结婚钻戒,会对她的孩子有天生的母性(this little nail-filing, gum-chewing, mascara wearing nurse in her rubber-soled shoes and diamond wedding ring, would naturally feel for her own child)。她是愚蠢,但她是只哺乳动物(mammal),而她不打算让任何人带走她的孩子。真见鬼(Like hell.)。我只落得了个探望权(I wound up with visitation rights.)。 六年来我抓住每个机会在新奥尔良飞进飞出,只为了把多拉抱进我的怀里,和她说话,在傍晚和她散步。而你要理解,这孩子是我的!我是说她从一开始就是我的骨肉(I mean she was flesh of my flesh from the start.)。当她看见我在街区的尽头,就开始向我跑来。她飞入我的怀里。 我们会乘计程车去街区(the Quarter),经过古教会(the Cabildo);她崇拜它;那座大教堂(the cathedral),当然。然后我们会到食品中心(the Central Grocery)找玛法列特(muffaletas②) 。你知道,或者你可能不知道,那夹满橄榄的大三明治……” “我知道。” “——我一到那里她就会告诉一周来发生的每件事。我和她一起在街上跳舞。对她唱歌。啊,她从一开始就有那样美妙的嗓音。我没有一副好嗓子。我母亲有副好嗓子,而泰莉也是。这孩子得到了这副嗓子。还有她所有的心灵。我们一起乘坐着渡轮(ferry)横渡河流返航,还唱着歌,当我们站在栏杆边时。我带她到福尔摩斯商场(D. H. Holmes)给她买漂亮衣服。她母亲从不介意那些漂亮衣服,当然我会聪明地为泰莉会挑选一些东西,你知道,一件缀满蕾丝的胸罩或一套来自巴黎的化妆品,又或是些每盎司卖一百美元的香水。除了蓝色华尔兹之外的任何东西!但是多拉和我那么开心。有时我想,假如我能在几天内就见到多拉,任何事情我都能忍受。” “她善于言辞并充满想象力,和你是一路人(the way you were)。” “正是如此,充满了梦想和愿景(vision)。多拉并不像孩子般天真(naif),现在,你必须了解。多拉是神学家(theologian)。那是令人惊异的部分。是对某种公开展示的渴望吗(The desire for something spectacular?)?我生就(engender)了她,但是那对上帝的信仰,对神学的信仰?我不知道那是来自哪里。” 神学。这个词令我停顿了下来。 注①:Rosary:玫瑰经。古代修士每日有诵念50首圣咏之习惯。中世纪圣母敬礼流行,修士用以献给圣母,犹如一串玫瑰花,故称玫瑰经。一般教友不谙(拉丁文)圣咏,遂以50次圣母经代替,并以串珠计数,谓之(玫瑰)念珠 Beads。念珠每串53小珠,6大珠及一苦像,每小珠念圣母经,大珠念天主经及圣三光荣颂,并默想耶稣及圣母之事迹,每串又分欢喜、痛苦、荣福各五端,教宗若望保禄二世又增添了“光明”使得玫瑰经更加完整。参阅corona。Rosary 又称Rosarium。 注②:muffaletas:玛法列特,新奥尔良当地美食,是潜艇堡三明治的一种,圆圆的大面包中央夹着美味橄榄。
2008-9-23 星期二(Tuesday) 多云
“那是折磨吗,你对我做了什么?”他问。“我不记得那其中包含着痛苦,只有我对即将死去而感到的愤怒。不管怎样,我为了钱在长岛杀了这个男人。这对我来说没有任何意义。我在之后甚至感受不到救赎(relief),只有一种力量,你知道,对于成就(of accomplishment),而我想立即再测试一次并且做了。” “于是你走上了你的路。” “显而易见。并且也是我的风格。消息传了出去。如果任务(task)看起来是不可能(完成)的,找罗杰。我打扮得像个年轻医生一样混进医院,名牌挂在我的外套上,剪贴板拿在我的手里,在任何一个聪明人面前把某个声名显赫的家伙击毙在他的床上(shoot some marked guy dead in his bed before anyone was the wiser)。我那样做了,事实上。 但是,能理解吗,我没有因为当了职业杀手(hit man)而使自己富有。首先是海洛因,接着是可卡因,还有和可卡因一起回来的那些我一开始就认识的某些完全一样的牛仔们,用一样的模式、一样的航线、一样的飞机来运输可卡因飞越边境(and with the cocaine it was going back to some of the very same cowboys I'd known in the beginning, who flew the cocaine over the border same fashion, same routes, same planes!)!你知道这段历史。今天的每个人都知道。早期的毒贩(dope dealers)他们的手法粗糙。和政府的家伙们玩‘警察与小偷’的游戏(It was 'cops and robbers' with the government guys.)。飞机会赶超(outrun)政府的飞机,当飞机卸货(landed)时,有时他们装了太多可卡因以致于驾驶员无法离开驾驶舱(cockpit),我们会把货倾泻而出(run out and get the stuff),装载货物,然后离开那鬼地方。” “正如我听说过的那样。” “现在天才们在商业中,人们知道如何使用无人可追踪的手机、计算机和洗钱技巧(people who know how to use cellular phones and computers and laundering techniques for money which no one can trace)。那又怎样?我可是瘾君子中的天才!有时候整件事就像移动家具一样笨重麻烦(cumbersome),我告诉你。我步入那里,组织计划,挑选我的心腹(confidant)和骡子(mule),你知道,为了穿越边境,甚至在可卡因曾在街上偶然发现之前(and even before cocaine ever hit the streets),可以这么说,我在纽约和旧金山为那些富人干得漂亮极了,你知道,那种你亲自递送的顾客。他们甚至从不需要离开他们的豪宅(palatial homes)。你接到电话。你露面。你的货很纯。他们喜欢你。但我不得不搬离那里。我并不打算完全依赖于此(I wasn't going to be dependent upon that.)。 我太过聪明了。我做了一些对我而言正大光明的不动产(real-estate)买卖,手中有大量现金,而你知道那个时期恰逢苦不堪言的通货膨胀(hellish inflation)。我真的一穷二白(clean up)了。” “但泰莉是怎么被卷入其中的,还有多拉呢?” “纯属偶然(Pure fluke)。或是命运。谁知道呢?回家去新奥尔良去看我的母亲,和泰莉肌肤相亲而令她怀了孕(brushed up against Terry and got her pregnant)。该死的蠢货。 我那时二十二岁,我母亲这次真的快死了。我母亲说,‘罗杰,拜托回家来。’那个脸上全是裂痕(般的皱纹)的白痴男友已经死了。她完全孤寂一人。我一直送给她大笔的钱。 那栋寄宿公寓现在是她的私人住宅了,她有两个女佣及一名司机,每当她有所要求就用凯迪拉克载她到镇上兜风。她无比享受它,从不问有关钱的任何问题,而我当然已经在收集怀肯。那时我已经不止拥有怀肯的两本书,还有我在纽约的藏宝库(treasure storehouse)业已存在,但我们晚点再谈。暂且把怀肯放在脑后。 我母亲从未真正要求过我任何事。现在她有了楼上自己的大卧室。她说她和所有之前去世的人交谈,她可怜的死去的甜心大哥米奇,她死了的姐姐,爱丽丝,她的母亲,爱尔兰女佣——我们家族的创始者,你可能这么说——住在这栋由疯女士遗赠的房子的人(to whom the house had been willed by the crazy lady who lived there)。我母亲也和小理查说了很多话。那是个四岁时就夭折的兄弟。破伤风(Lockjaw①)——小理查。她说小理查围着她走来走去,告诉她是上路的时候了。 但她想要我回家。她想要我在房间里。我知道这一切。我理解。她坐在垂死的房客身边。我除了老首领之外也坐在过其他人身边。所以我回家了。 没有人知道我是哪来的笨蛋(Nobody knew where I was headed),或者我的真名,或是我来自哪里。所以(我)轻松地逃离了纽约。我去到圣查尔斯大道的房子并坐在病房里陪她,举着小呕吐杯(vomit cup)到她的下巴,擦拭她的口水(spittle),在中介没有护士可以派来时,试着把她架到便盆(bedpan)上。我们得到了援助,是的,但她不想要援助,你知道。她不想要有色人种的女孩,如同她打电话时所说的。或者是那可怕的护士。而我进行了不可思议的探索并发现这些事情不令我太厌恶。我洗了如此多的被单(sheets)。当然有台机器可以把它们放进去,但我为她一次又一次地换它们。我不介意。也许我从来就不正常。不管怎样,我仅仅是在做必须做的。我冲洗那便盆上千次,把它擦干,喷淋药粉在它上面,然后把它放在床边。没有污物的臭味是一切最后的永恒(There is no foul smell which lasts forever after all.)。” “至少不是在这世上。”我嘟囔着。但他没听见我,感谢上帝。 注①:Lockjaw:破伤风,牙关紧闭症,咀嚼肌痉挛,为破伤风之早期症状。破伤风英文对照——tetanus;lockjaw;tetanic。
2008-9-16 星期二(Tuesday) 多云
“嗯,那是在我的人生历程发生变化之后。我首先打算去自首(go to the police),打算去找教士,真见鬼,打电话给我母亲,我的人生结束了,打电话给凯文神父,把所有大麻冲进厕所,人生结束了,冲着邻居尖叫,类似种种的一切。 然后我只是关上房门,布鲁和我坐着,我大约讲了一小时话,布鲁一言不发。我说话。我祈祷,同时,没有人在外面的车中等那两人,但如果响起敲门声我已经准备好了,因为我现在有他们的枪了,而且枪里有许多子弹,我正对着门坐着。 而当我说着话、等待着、注视着,并让那两具尸体躺在那里,而布鲁仅仅瞪着空中,就好像只是一场糟糕的迷幻药制幻旅程(as if it had been a bad LSD① trip),我对自己说要把这该死的从这里弄出去。我为什么要因为那两具尸体而让我的余生在监狱里?花了差不多一小时描述这个逻辑。” “好。” “我们迅速地清理那房间(pad),带走属于我们的每件东西,打电话给另外两名乐手,在车站给他们收拣他们的行李。说一场毒品突击检查很快就要来了(Said it was a drug bust coming down.)。他们永远不知道发生了什么。那个地方到处是我们所有的聚会、纵酒狂欢和午夜即兴演出(jam sessions)留下的指纹,没有人将会找到我们。我们之中没有人曾登上过报纸。除此之外,我留下了枪。 而且我还做了些别的事情,我拿光了那些家伙的钱。布鲁一分钱也不想要,但我需要钱离开那里。 我们决裂(split up)了。我再也没见过布鲁。我(也再)没见过奥利(Ollie)或泰德(Ted),另外那两名乐手。我想他们去洛杉矶实现梦想了(make it big)。我想布鲁很可能成了个嗑药狂(a drug crazy)。我不确定。我继续下去。自那件事发生的一瞬间,我完全截然不同了。我和平常再也不一样了。” “是什么令你不同了?”我问。“你改变的根源是什么,我的意思是,有什么特别的?你享受它吗?” “不,完全不是。它一点也不好玩。它是一件成就。但它不有趣。我从不感到它有乐趣。它是工作,杀人,它是污秽、麻烦的(messy)。它是份苦差事。杀人对你来说很有趣,但另一方面来说你不是人类。不,它不是那样的。事实上当时的情况有那样做的可能(It was the fact that it had been possible to do it),只要走向那狗娘养的并做些出乎意料的举动,就像那样从他手中夺走枪,因为这是他所能预料到的最后一件事,接着毫不犹豫(without hesitation)地杀了他们俩。他们一定是在惊讶中死去的。” “他们以为你们是孩子。” “他们以为我们是梦想家!而我是个梦想家,我一路上都想着要去纽约,我一定有着伟大的命运,我会变得伟大,而这威力,这股可以轻易击毙两个人的威力是我力量的呈现(this power to simply shoot down two people had been the epiphany of my strength)!” “来自于上帝,这神迹的显现(From God, this epiphany②.)。” “不,来自于宿命(fate),来自于命运(destiny)。我告诉过你我对上帝从没真正有过任何感觉。你知道他们在天主教教会所说的,假如你对圣母玛利亚感觉不到献身般的热爱,好吧,他们会为你的灵魂担忧。我对她从来没有任何热爱。我从来没对任何真人神祇(real personal deity)和圣徒有任何挚爱。我从来都感受不到。那就是为什么多拉的发展尤其令我吃惊,多拉是如此绝对地诚挚(sincere)。但我们会谈到那里的。当我到达纽约时,我知道我的邪 教将会成为这个世界(I knew my cult was to be of this world),你知道,大量的追随者、权力、奢华舒适(lavish comforts),还有在这个世界里的肆无忌惮(the licentiousness of this world)。” “是的,我明白。” “那曾是怀肯的愿景(That had been Wynken's vision)。怀肯已向他的女信徒们传达了这些,等待下一个世界到来毫无意义(there was no point in waiting until the next world)。你必须现在就去做所有事,每一种罪……这是异教徒的常见观念,不是吗?” “是的,多少有些吧。或正如他们的敌人所说的。” “下一场杀戮我纯粹是为了钱。那是个合约。我是城里最有抱负(ambitious )的男孩。我再次经营着其他某支乐团,一群无人问津的人(a bunch of no-accounts),我们没有获得成功(make it),虽然别的摇滚明星们能一夜成名(making it overnight)。我又吸毒了,并因此而变得更加聪明绝顶(and was being a hell of a lot smarter about it),并且对此发展出一种个人厌恶(and developing a personal distaste for it)。这是真正的往日时光,当人们用小飞机运输大麻飞越边境,几乎就像牛仔的冒险。 而消息传来,这个在当地权利掮客的狗屎名单上的特殊男人,愿意付给任何人三万元买凶(And the word came down that this particular man was on the shit list of a local power broker who'd pay anyone thirty thousand dollars for the killing.)。这家伙自个儿特别凶残。所有人都害怕他。他知道他们想杀了他。他在光天化日(in broad daylight)下四处走动,每个人都害怕得不敢动弹。 我猜每个人都指望着别的什么人会下手。这些人是怎样连接到一起的,是为了什么,是为了什么人,我不知道。我只知道那家伙是场赌博游戏(I just knew the guy was game),你明白吗?我确信。 我为此想出了个办法(I figured a way to do it.)。我那时十九岁——我像个大学男生般穿着圆领毛衣(crew-neck sweater),运动上衣,法兰绒宽松长裤(flannel slacks),把头发剪成普林斯顿的风格(Princeton style),随身带着几本书。我查出那男人在长岛住着的地方,在一天傍晚当他走出他的车,我在他的后车道直冲着他走去,并且在离他妻儿们吃饭的室内五呎外射杀了他。” 他又停下来,接着十分严肃地说(perfect gravity),“这令一种特殊的动物做出如此凶残的事情。而且完全感觉不到任何懊悔(remorse)。” “你并没有用我折磨你的方式来折磨他,”我温柔地说。“你知道自己做的每一件事,不是吗?你完全了解!当我跟踪你时没有获取到整个画面。我把你想象的更加亲密乖张(intimately perverse),完全专注于你自己的罗曼史中。一个扭曲的自欺欺人者(An arch self-deceiver.)。” 注①:LSD,Lysergic Acid Diethylamide(麦角酸二乙基酰胺)致幻剂 1938年瑞士化学家艾伯特·霍夫曼利用黑麦麦角中所含的麦角胺、麦角新碱,首次合成了麦角酸二乙基酰胺(Lysergids,简称LSD)。这是一种无色无嗅无味的液体,属于半合成的生物碱类物质,是当时27种同族化合物中的第25位,因此得名麦角酸二乙基酰胺25号。1943年有一位化学家偶然吞服了LSD才发现其独特的作用,当他吞服后开始经历现在称之为“旅游”(指精神恍惚)过程时,他感到眩晕、对光感受强烈。当他合上双眼,他看到了连串极其生动活泼、充满幻想色彩的图案,并像万花洞里见到的一样不断变幻着斑斓的色彩,此过程大体持续两小时。迷幻剂的常规剂量约为100~200微克。作试验的服用者,在达到一定的耐受程度之后,可以服用高达2000微克的剂量。60年代进入非法市场时,一般是将其滴在一些能吸收的物品如方糖、吸墨水纸和药理上惰性的粉末(这种粉末然后被用来充填空的明胶胶囊)等基质上。在交易市场上常见的剂量形式是所谓的窗格,即常见的剂量形式是各种大小、形状的小药丸、片剂或者胶囊,颜色有米色、白色或彩色。迷幻剂本身则常是无色、无味、无嗅的液体。片剂的含量相差很大,从20~500微克不等,但最流行的一种直径为1.6毫米的圆形片剂含量较一致,约为100微克。吸毒者常把自服迷幻剂称作“滴酸”。80年代,纸型剂量在非法市场上很常见,此时的纸型剂量与原先的不同。原先的纸型剂量是先将迷幻剂滴到纸上制成,而新的纸型剂量是将预先印好的纸张浸入迷幻剂溶液制得,这样含量较一致,每片呈正方形,大小约5平方毫米,含量30~50微克。迄今发现的浸过迷幻剂的药纸有各种各样的设计,包括抽象艺术和动画图片、邮票和纹身花纹,这些新的设计,特别受青年吸毒者的欢迎。 致死量目前还不清楚,尚未发现对此药物的机体上瘾者。服用后一般30~60分钟到达血液循环,不久被散布到全身各部位细胞中,脑细胞中沉积很少,大部分沉积于小肠、肝脾及肾脏内(脑细胞中只沉积2%),而后被肌体一点一点地排泄掉。注射这种毒品,30~60分钟便出现早期反应,两小时后最为严重,6小时后基本上就不再发展,其病理作用时间可保持到12小时左右。麦角酸二乙基酰胺在人体的早期反应是:视觉增强,呈青绿色的暖色调,情绪不稳,幻觉多变,周围物品成了幻想的东西,轮廓外形夸张,距离拉长或缩短,明暗对比立体感增强,视觉极速变化不规律。能提高听觉、嗅觉和触觉的敏感性,借助这种药物,人们可以感受到音乐,借助光线可以听到声音。在心血管和消化系统的症状是:心动过速、恶心、头晕、血管扩张、震颤、手掌出冷汗,有时还会有战栗。 注②:Epiphany n. 主显节, 出现 A Christian feast celebrating the manifestation of the divine nature of Jesus to the Gentiles as represented by the Magi. 主现节:一基督教节日,纪念耶稣向以东方三圣为代表并向异教人民显圣 January 6, on which this feast is traditionally observed. 主现日:1月6日,主现节一贯定在该日 A revelatory manifestation of a divine being. 神灵的显现 A sudden manifestation of the essence or meaning of something. 事物本质或意义的突然显露 A comprehension or perception of reality by means of a sudden intuitive realization. 对现实真谛的顿悟或洞察
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