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忆来唯把旧书谈：《简爱》中的一段话

已有 1460 次阅读 2023-9-14 22:51 |个人分类:休闲阅读|系统分类:人文社科

木心的《文学回忆录》称《简爱》“一是情操高尚，二是适合年轻人读，是爱情的好的教科书。(p. 534)”“西方就有这好处：有这样健康的爱情教科书。中国要么道德教训，要么淫书；要么帝王将相画，要么春宫图。(p. 535)”我当年阅读时并没有觉得情操高尚，对爱情描写也是似懂非懂。所受到《简爱》影响，或许可概括为：掌控自身的理性精神、内敛但明确的边界感和谦卑但不失尊严的交往态度。

我印象最深的是这样一段话，是男主人公罗切斯特对简的描述。最早读的是祝庆英的译本：

“如果自尊和环境需要，我可以一个人生活。我不会出卖灵魂去换取欢乐。我生来就有一个内在的宝库，让我能够活着，哪怕一切外在的乐趣会给剥夺，或者只能用我出不起的代价，才能获得。……理智稳坐着，握紧缰绳，绝不会听任感情脱缰而跑，任其堕入荒谷。热情可以狂野地肆虐，像真正的异教徒那样，因为他们是异教徒，欲望也可以想象出种种空幻的东西，但是，判断力将在每一场争论中裁决，在每个决议中投票。暴风、地震、大火可以过去，但是我将听从那解释良心命令的细微声音的指引。”

后来读英文原文，

“I can live alone, if self-respect and circumstances require me so to do. I need not sell my soul to buy bliss. I have an inward treasure born with me, which can keep me alive if all extraneous delights should be withheld, or offered only at a price I cannot afford to give. ……Reason sits firm and holds the reins, and she will not let the feelings burst away and hurry her to wild chasms. The passions may rage furiously, like true heathens, as they are; and the desires may imagine all sorts of vain things: but judgment shall still have the last word in every argument, and the casting vote in every decision. Strong wind, earthquake-shock, and fire may pass by: but I shall follow the guiding of that still small voice which interprets the dictates of conscience.”

这就是honesty，这就是integrity。Judgment shall still have the last word in every argument, and the casting vote in every decision. I shall follow the guiding of that still small voice which interprets the dictates of conscience.

从文风看这些话有些过于矫情。但在小说情景中，堪称情场高手的中年男士在忽悠他雇用的家庭女教师，应该是这种风格。

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