读《魂断威尼斯》
这两天不上班,除了必要的事情 ,我停下了所有的家务活,专心致志看《魂断威尼斯》。现在终于看完了。
这是作家托马斯曼的一部中篇小说,是他最成功的作品之一,曾被改编为同名电影。作品讲了一个德国作家,在看到一个奇怪的陌生人之后,萌生了出去旅游的念头,然后前往威尼斯,由于某种机缘巧合滞留在那里,爱上了一个金发碧眼的男孩,在欲望与美德的纠结交织中,在不断地追逐中精疲力竭。最后在不健康的令人烦闷的空气中,污浊的布满病菌的环境中,染上瘟疫,走向死亡。
故事情节极其简单。作者擅长生动细致地刻画人物内心,极尽耐心地描绘人物的外貌细节。开头的神秘的陌生人的穿着,甚至他的红睫毛都给我留下了深刻的印象。神秘的宗教色彩和贯穿始终的宿命论深深地吸引着我。那个陌生人仿佛地狱招魂的鬼魅,冥冥之中给主人公指明了未来的走向,揭示了既定的命运。
那个男孩一出现,作者就不惜笔墨,着力刻画他的一颦一笑,一举一动,身上的衣服裤子,甚至衣领胸花和领带领结。我半认半猜,努力地揭开异国文字的面纱,使脑海中一幅幅模糊的画面逐渐变得清晰。
作者这样写到:…and a long haired boy of about fourteen. With astonishment Aschenbach noticed that the boy was entirely beautiful. His contenance,pale and graceful reserved , was surrounded by ringlets of honey colored hair, and with its straight nose, its enchanting mouth, its expression of sweet and divine gravity,it recalled Greek sculpture of the noblest period;yet despite the purest formal perfection,it had such unique persnal charm that he who now contemplated it felt he had never beheld.in nature or in art,anything so consummately successful…(一个大约十四岁的长发男孩。安森巴哈惊讶地注意到这个男孩长得非常漂亮。他的面容苍白而优雅娴静,周围簇拥着一缕缕蜜色的卷发,直挺的鼻梁,迷人的嘴巴,甜蜜而神圣庄严的表情,让人想起希腊贵族时代的雕塑。然而,除了形式上具有最纯粹的完美,他还具有如此独特的个人魅力,以至于现在仔细观察他的人感到,无论是在自然界还是在艺术领域,他都从未见过如此完美的作品…)
His beautiful hair fell in curls over his forehead, over his ears , and still lower over his neck . The English sailor's suit,with its full sleeves tapering down to fit the fine wrists of his still childlike yet slender hands , and with its lanyards and bows and embroideries , enchanted his delicate shape with an air of richness and indulgence.He was sitting, in semprofile to Aschenbach's gaze , with one foot in its patent leather shoe advanceed in front of his basket chair, with his cheek nestling against the closed hand , in a posture of relaxed dignity, without a trace of the almost servile stiffness to which his sisters seemed to have accustomed themselves…(他的美丽的头发蜷曲地挂在他的额头上,搭在他的耳朵上,甚至更低的落在他的脖子上。一套英国水手服,宽大的袖子松松地垂下到他的孩子气的纤细的手腕上,还有系带、蝴蝶结和刺绣,使他那精致的身形显得富贵又舒展。他坐着,在奥森八哈的注视下露出半侧的轮廓,一只脚穿着漆皮鞋,放在另一只的前面一只胳膊肘支在圈椅的扶手上,他的脸颊贴在那只握着的手上,摆出一种轻松优雅的姿势,丝毫也没有他的姐姐们的那种似乎已经习惯了的近乎奴性的僵硬…)
是的,就是这样,整部作品就像一场独角戏,主人公默默地观察、冥想、思潮翻涌。
潮湿闷热的海边空气,不祥的风向,空气中弥漫的难闻的气味,这些本来都提醒他离开是明智之举。但是情感欲望和冷静理智相互斗争,机缘巧合,在他的离开仿佛顺理成章时,行李地址的填写错误给了他重新返回酒店的充足理由。于是,他开心,甚至狂喜。进而确认了内心深处不愿离开的原因:他爱上了这个小男孩。他不断地追随着这个波兰家庭,远远地不懈地守护着这个小男孩。街道、码头、拱桥上、餐厅、电梯、客房的门口…
我有点懂,有点不懂,更多的是迷茫,但这并不影响我喜欢。艺术家的思想、感官、情欲、理智以及痛苦幸福,都深深地吸引着我如饥似渴地连蒙带猜地囫囵吞枣般地看完了他。
最后,他死了,染上了瘟疫,吃了一个带毒的熟透了的草莓。在沙滩上坐在摇椅里,他看着身着唯一一套淡黄色浴袍的美丽男孩,看着他优雅地转身,两手向前张开伸展画圈,又把手轻支在臀部,好看地扭动,涉水远去…"and as so often, he set out to follow him."(像往常一样,他开始跟着他。)
Minutes passed,after he had collapsed sideways in his chair, before anyone hurried to his assistance. He was carried to his room. And later that some day the world was respectfully shoked to receive the news of his death.(几分钟过去了,他瘫倒在椅子上以后,才有人赶来帮助他。他被抬进了自己的房间。就在同一天晚些时候,全世界都被他去世的消息震惊了!)
有人评论,托马斯·曼用主人公的死亡来提醒所有的艺术家:无论走向哪个极端都将遭遇致命的危险。