[转]读书笔记:James Joyce:Eveline

怀抱花朵的孩子

读书笔记:James Joyce:Eveline

作者:screaming
联系地址:therapy@sohu.com

James Joyce一直以意识流之父著称世界.恰好今年大三课程有入选他的作品,于是得以一读.Eveline是属于他的短篇小说集Dubliners的一篇,其他的有The Dead(就是新青年的阿三版主引为引子的那篇小说),The Sisters等著名短篇.

下面将就阅读James Joyce的Eveline写一些心得体会.

首先必须注意的是,James Joyce在行文方式上完全推翻了古典文学的做法,不再注重情节的推进,相反,更强调语言与人物本身.这点从他的大段的独白式心理描写,白描的场景及大量的静态画面描述上可以很清楚地看出来.

引1.
She sat at the window watching the evening invade the avenue. Her head was leaned against the window curtains, and in her nostrils was the odour of dusty cretonne. She was tired.

Few people passed. The man out of the last house passed on his way home; she heard his footsteps clacking along the concrete pavement and afterwards crunching on the cinder path before the new red houses. One time there used to be a field there in which they used to play every evening with other people's children.

她坐在窗前看着夜色逐渐侵入这条街道.她的头靠在窗帘上,鼻孔里满是积满尘土的棉布的味道.她累了.

很少有人经过.后面屋子的男人刚刚经过,正向自己家走去.她听见他的脚步声在混凝土地面上的咔咔的响声,然后是在新的红屋前的土路上咯咯支支的声音.那里曾经有一片空地,以前他们每晚都与其他人的孩子们在那里玩耍.

(因是随手写的读书笔记,翻译并未特别思量,有不确切的地方请见谅)

这段文字以白描的手法描写了一个场景,在这里,人物是静态的,她在体会这种暗暗滋生的,正在萌发的夜色与孤独.其后便是大段的主角对过去时光的追忆.以古典式小说的观点来看,这种描写是脱俗的.它并没有以复杂的语句来强化读者对场景的概念.相反,在这段具体描写中,除了开场便以情景定下基调的景物描写外,看似无谓的细节变成了主角:强调了女主人公的静态,并以过路男人的动态来加强这种静态.对男人的行为并没有具体的动作描写,而是站在女主人公的立场上来描写她听到了什么.这从一个客观上也具体表现出了女主人公此时的孤独.她在细细聆听着男人的举止,而一个过分陷于自己思维的人是不会有如此注意力去观察旁边事物.那么,随着她的思绪,她开始回忆起一系列的事情.这段文字的首要任务已经完成:它给文章定下了颜色,基调,并将读者引到了一个开端处.

必须指出的是该段翻译并没有完全按照原文的格式,标点符号来翻译.而这对Joyce的文章来说很重要.他的结构并不是普通概念上的,而大量运用了短句,有力的排比句,翻译为中文时则由于语言本身的差异和译者的水平限制,在语言上的美感或多或少会有损失.

引2.
Then a man from Belfast bought the field and built houses in it - not like their little brown houses, but bright brick houses with shining roofs. The children of the avenue used to play together in that field - the Devines, the Waters, the Dunns, little Keogh the cripple, she and her brothers and sisters. Ernest, however, never played: he was too grown up.Her father used often to hunt them in out of the field with his blackthorn stick;* but usually little Keogh used to keep nix and call out when he saw her father coming. *Still they seemed to have been rather happy then. Her father was not so bad then; and besides, her mother was alive. That was a long time ago; she and her brothers and sisters were all grown up; her mother was dead. Tizzie Dunn was dead, too, and the Waters had gone back to England. Everything changes. Now she was going to go away like the others, to leave her home.

然后一个来自贝尔法斯特的人买下了那块地并且盖起了房子----不像他们那些棕色的小房子,而是有着闪闪的屋顶的明亮的砖房.那条街的孩子们曾经在那里一起玩耍----Devine家的孩子们,Water家的孩子们,Dunn家的,还有小瘸子Keogh,还有她和她的兄妹.但是Ernest从来没有一起玩耍过:他已经长太大了.她的父亲会经常用他木拐杖去把他们赶出来,*但通常小Keogjh都会在看见她父亲时毫无保留地大喊起来.*那时他们看起来很快乐.她的父亲还不那么糟糕,除此而外,她的母亲也还活着.这都是很久以前的事了.她和她的兄弟姐妹都已经长大,她的母亲死了.Tizzie和Dunn也死了,而Water一家已经回了英格兰.所有的东西都改变了.现在她也要像其他人一样离开,离开她的家.

分析:这段文字是接续引1的.(引文中加*的部分翻译时有些疑虑,nix在俗语中是nothing的意思,而我不确定这个翻译是否确切.幸好不影响整文分析.)这个时候Joyce开始展开叙述.值得注意的是他的写作立脚点.他并非以一个旁观的第三者身份来描述,而是以女主人公的思维的代言人来描述的这些回忆.这种独白式的描写很容易使读者将自己代入到女主人公的思维当中,同时也进一步跟随着作者本人的思路逐渐展开感受的触角.

这段看似不动声色的描写的内在力量是惊人的.它以平淡的语气讲述女主人公幼年的经历,玩耍的快乐,并暗示了她曾经遭受过父亲的暴力.而这种暴力似乎也没那么恐怖,因为小Keogh会事先发出警报.那么,这一切就像一场游戏一样,虽然带着压抑,但更多的还是快乐.而作者此时漫不经心地抛出了成长后的现实:她的母亲死了,父亲也越来越糟糕(从这段引文的暗示和下文来看,她曾经遭受严重的家庭暴力).Tizzie和Dunn都死了,而Water一家也回到的英格兰.那块空地被人买下盖了房子,已经不复存在.而最后一句的力量将读者从她的回忆中猛然拉到她现在所处的现实:她也要走了,像其他人那样,离开家.

引3:
She had consented to go away, to leave her home. Was that wise? She tried to weigh each side of the question. In her home anyway she had shelter and food; she had those whom she had known all her life about her. Of course she had to work hard, both in the house and at business. What would they say of her in the Stores when they found out that she had run away with a fellow? Say she was a fool, perhaps; and her place would be filled up by advertisement. Miss Gavan would be glad. She had always had an edge on her, especially whenever there were people listening.

`Miss Hill, don't you see these ladies are waiting?'

`Look lively, Miss Hill, please.'

She would not cry many tears at leaving the Stores.

她很想离开,离开她的家.这样明智吗?她试图衡量问题的两个方面.在家里至少她还有栖身之地和食物,她还有那些已经互相熟识了一辈子的人.当然她得努力工作,不管是在家里还是在工作上.在商店里,如果他们发现她和一个人跑了又会说什么?也许会说她是个傻瓜,而她的位置也会很快被广告招聘来的人所替代.Gavan小姐会很高兴.她从来都与她格格不入,特别是有人在场的时候

"Hill小姐,你没看到那些女士们在等着么."
"你就不能看起来高兴点,Hill小姐."

她不会为离开商店而哭泣.

分析:
这段文字仍然以冰冷独白逐渐叙述,揭示出她的工作背景与生活背景:她在一家商店工作,那里有个女主人总是与她过不去.那里的人对她并不友好,而她并不会为即将离开而悲伤.
值得注意的是,Joyce在引用商店女主人的话时直接引用原话,而并没有以第三者的身份加以详细的描述.也并没有对女主人公的心理活动加以描述.而正像我们所说的,没有态度本身即是态度.这种冷漠的叙述方式正符合女主人公孤独,冷漠,决绝的心态.从而也将读者拉入到现实与意识交汇的地方.

引文4:
She stood up in a sudden impulse of terror. Escape! She must escape! Frank would save her. He would give her life, perhaps love, too. But she wanted to live. Why should she be unhappy? She had a right to happiness. Frank would take her in his arms, fold her in his arms. He would save her.

She stood among the swaying crowd in the station at the North Wall. He held her hand and she knew that he was speaking to her, saying something about the passage over and over again. The station was full of soldiers with brown baggages. Through the wide doors of the sheds she caught a glimpse of the black mass of the boat, lying in beside the quay wall, with illumined portholes. She answered nothing. She felt her cheek pale and cold and, out of a maze of distress, she prayed to God to direct her, to show her what was her duty. The boat blew a long mournful whistle into the mist. If she went, tomorrow she would be on the sea with Frank, steaming towards Buenos Aires. Their passage had been booked. Could she still draw back after all he had done for her? Her distress awoke a nausea in her body and she kept moving her lips in silent fervent prayer.

她在一股突如其来的恐惧感中站了起来.逃开!她必须逃开!Frank会救了她.他会给她生活,或者还有爱情.但她想活着.她为什么必须不开心?她有幸福的权利,Frank会把她揽在怀里,把她抱在怀里.他会救了她.

她在North Wall火车站摇动的人群里站着.他握着她的手,她知道他在对她说着话,一次又一次地重复讲着关于路途的一些事情.火车站里挤满了带着棕色包裹的士兵.穿过货仓敞开的大门她一眼瞥到船的黑影,停泊在靠着港口的墙上,窗口中透出了灯火.她一句也没有回答,她感到她的脸颊变得苍白冰冷,在一片充满不安全感的混沌中,她祈祷着上帝来引导她,告诉她什么是她的责任.船在雾中发出一声长长的痛苦的哀鸣.如果她走的话,明天她就会与Frank一起在海上了,驶向Buenos Aires.他们的旅程已经登记了.在他为她做了如此之多的事情以后,她还可以回头吗?恐惧感使她的胃痉挛起来.她不停动着嘴唇,沉默专注地祈祷着.

分析:女主人公此时已经决定要逃离自己的生活,逃离恐惧,不安,和平庸的生活.她把所有希望寄托在了Frank身上.而这种赌徒式的孤注一掷使她又感到恐惧.所有的场景描写就是在这种不安中进行的.带着棕色包裹的大群士兵,黑糊糊的船的轮廓,连汽笛声听起来都如此凄厉痛苦.所有叙述仍然是那种冷漠的口吻,通过女主人公对事物的主观感受来暗示她的心理活动并辅助以动作描写.必须注意到Joyce的描写从头到尾都是在一种静态环境中进行的.时间好象已经凝固了,只留下这一刻的痛苦去品尝.这种细致的,对细节的迷恋恰恰是之后的意识流小说所特有的一种特色,包括追忆似水年华,北回归线,甚至格里耶的电影均有大量的此类手法出现.

引文5.
A bell clanged upon her heart. She felt him seize her hand: `Come!'

*All the seas of the world tumbled about her heart.* He was drawing her into them: he would drown her. She gripped with both hands at the iron railing.

`Come!'

No! No! No! It was impossible. Her hands clutched the iron in frenzy. Amid the seas she sent a cry of anguish.

`Eveline! Evvy!'

He rushed beyond the barrier and called to her to follow. He was shouted at to go on, but he still called to her. She set her white face to him, passive, like a helpless animal. Her eyes gave him no sign of love or farewell or recognition.

一声铃响重重敲打在她心头.她感到他拉着她的手说道:"来."

*这世界上所有事情积聚起来,像海洋一样庞大,扰乱了她的心.*他在将她拉进去:他会使她淹死.她用两只手拉住铁轨.

"来!"
不!不!不!这不可能.她的手疯狂,痉孪地死死拉住铁轨.在这片海洋当中她发出一声痛苦的嚎叫.

"Eveline!Evvy!"
他冲过界限喊着她,要她跟上来.人们对着他叫喊,要他快走.但他仍然喊着她.她转过头去对着他,毫无表情,像只无助的动物.她的眼睛里没有一丝爱或者离别或者认识的痕迹.

分析:
这段文字仍然具有以上几部分的特点.特别值得注意的仍是最后一句,在之前所有的铺垫以后,最后一句爆发出语言最大的力量:她的眼中没有了爱,没有了离别,也没有了认识的痕迹.关键在于,汉语中这种语句关系是递进的.而在英语语言中,它们的关系是平等排列的,也因此显得更富有冲击力.

注意*部分我实在找不到合适的翻译.言辞勉强,不知道中译本是怎么翻译的.

总结部分:

仔细对比英文与中文的不同之处,会很遗憾地发现Joyce的语言魅力正在于不断加重力度的长句,及细碎的,排比短句.而这些言辞在翻译为中文时总会为中文过强的逻辑结构和译者水平所累.观察James Joyce的作品就会发现,他在叙述上创造了一种在当时独一无二的方式:代替主人公,以大量独白,白描来描写情景,心理活动.言辞看似冷漠,但在深处蕴涵着力量.而这力量恰恰来自直面现实的勇气:它并没有诗化生活,而是以冷淡的话直接揭露出现实的伤疤.同时他在写作的立脚点上,深刻地挖掘了人性的可能性.它所带来的冲击力是庞大的,也是James Joyce的短篇小说尽管文字简练,诗意,但同时充满残酷的力度的原因.他在1904年也就是他22岁的时候已经完成了这部短篇小说集,确实值得尊敬.

相比较四十年代的北回归线,亨利米勒这样写到:
鲍里斯刚刚总结了他的看法。他是一个天气预报专家。他说，天气会继续坏下
去，会有更多的灾难、更多的死人、更多的绝望。无论哪儿都没有一
点要发生变化的迹象。时光之癌症正在吞噬我们。我们的英雄或者已
经自杀，或者正在自杀。如此说来，这个英雄不是时间，却是永恒。
我们必须步调一致、前赴后继地朝着死亡的监牢奔去。无法逃脱。天
气也不会变。

这部首先在法国出版的小说显然将James Joyce式的语言走得更远.这次对James Joyce的分析主要集中在语言对比与结构部分.下次话题将是对北回归线的分析.将试图对作者写作心理做一分析.