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查泰莱夫人的花(一)情欲的苏醒

(2021-05-07 11:48:00) 下一个

在朋友的建议下,我从手机里下载了喜马拉雅听书软件,每晚临睡前都要听半小时的免费世界名著联播。

最近开始收听英国作家D·H·劳伦斯于1928年发表的生前最后一部小说《查泰莱夫人的情人》(Lady Chatterley's Lover)。曾几何时,这部小说因多段赤裸裸的性描写而被视为“有伤风化”,一禁就是几十年。然而期间不断有人偷偷传阅,此书成了很多人的性启蒙科普。随着观念的转变,上世纪九十年代,这部小说的英文版已经堂而皇之摆在福州的外文书店了。我出国前阅读了原版,并没有感觉劳伦斯在刻意渲染情色,他只是在宣传自己的观点,即真正的爱情是一种美好的身心交融的过程。

劳伦斯热爱大自然,有着丰富的植物学知识,他对工业文明持批评态度,一直试图在小说中构建人与自然之间和谐的生态环境。他笔下的自然景物和一草一木无不抒发了他的自然主义观点。我在温哥华生活了二十多年,渐渐熟悉了这个城市里的大多数野花与园艺花,其中不少花草的原生地在欧洲。收听中文版的《查泰莱夫人的情人》时,我便格外留心那些自然景观描写片段。

凯叔在朗诵小说的第八章时,好几处念到了“白头翁”这种野花,而且林中苍白的白多翁花似乎还多不胜数。这让我很纳闷,首先,白头翁的花朵多为蓝紫色,只有春末花谢后才结出白色的毛绒绒状的瘦果。其次,白头翁在英国森林里的数量分布并不多,甚至在某些地区是濒危物种,怎会多到“无数”(endless)呢?

为此我特地从网站上找到了英文原版,重读了部分章节,发现翻译家把英国林中土生的白色林地银莲花(wood anemone, 学名Anemonoides nemorosa)译成了“白头翁”(也是银莲花家族的)。当时没有互联网,资料查阅不便,翻译家不是植物学家,只能凭着自己的理解翻译那些花草的名字,所以把好几种野花都译错了名字。

我重新将相关段落翻译成中文,并作了解读。

第八章一开始,说的是三月份的一个刮风天,护工博尔顿太太( Mrs. Bolton)建议康妮(Connie, 即查泰莱夫人)到林子里走走,去看看守林人小屋后面的野水仙花(Wild daffodils)。博尔顿太太说, 那是一幅最美丽的景象,野水仙是一种令人愉快的花,可以采一些回来放进房间里。康妮突然想起了守林人梅勒斯(Mellors)“纤细白皙的身体,就像一枝肉眼看不见的花朵的寂寞雌蕊!”(his thin, white body, like a lonely pistil of an invisible flower!)

于是,“她更有力气了,可以走得更加轻快,树林里的风穿过树皮后贴在她身上,不会那么令人疲乏。她要忘记,忘记世界,以及所有可怕的,行尸走肉的人们。‘你必须重生!我相信肉体的复活!除非一粒麦子掉到地上死了,否则它一定会发芽的。当番红花冒出来时,我也将出现并看见太阳! ’ 在三月的风中,无休无止的词句从她的意识里席卷而过。”

(She was stronger, she could walk better, and in the wood the wind would not be so tiring as it was across the bark, flatten against her. She wanted to forget, to forget the world, and all the dreadful, carrion-bodied people. "Ye must be born again! I believe in the resurrection of the body! Except a grain of wheat fall into the earth and die, it shall by no means bring forth. When the crocus cometh forth I too will emerge and see the sun!" In the wind of March endless phrases swept through her consciousness.)

“一阵阵的阳光射来,奇异的耀眼,照亮了林缘的榛树下的小白屈菜,使它们闪着黄色的光。树林寂静着,愈发寂静,但被一阵阵穿透的阳光照得惴惴不安。第一波风花长出来了,无数苍白的小银莲花散落在摇摇欲坠的地面上,整片林子都显得苍白。‘你的呼吸使世界变得苍白。’但这一次是珀耳塞福涅的呼吸。她在一个寒冷的早晨从地狱里出来。风呼着冷气袭来,头顶上盘旋的是那纠缠在树枝间的愤怒的风。 那风,和押沙龙一样,也被抓住了,试图将自己解脱出来。银莲花看起来很冷,在绿色的克里诺林裙子上耸着白色裸肩。可是它们忍得住。路边也有一些惨淡的小报春花,乍开着黄色的花蕾。”

(Little gusts of sunshine blew, strangely bright, and lit up the celandines at the wood's edge, under the hazel-rods, they spangled out bright and yellow. And the wood was still, stiller, but yet gusty with crossing sun. The first windflowers were out, and all the wood seemed pale with the pallor of endless little anemones, sprinkling the shaken floor. "The world has grown pale with thy breath." But it was the breath of Persephone, this time; she was out of hell on a cold morning. Cold breaths of wind came, and overhead there was an anger of entangled wind caught among the twigs. It, too, was caught and trying to tear itself free, the wind, like Absalom. How cold the anemones looked, bobbing their naked white shoulders over crinoline skirts of green. But they stood it. A few first bleached little primroses too, by the path, and yellow buds unfolding themselves.)

(林地银莲花)

(番红花)

(小白屈菜)

(报春花)

“风在头顶上吼叫着,只有冷气流降到下面。康妮在树林里异常兴奋,双颊泛起潮红,双眼闪着蓝光。她蹒跚地走着,摘了几朵报春花和第一波紫香堇,紫香堇闻起来又香又冷,又香又冷。她只管走着,不知自己漂到哪儿了。

直到她来到树林尽头的空地,才看到绿色的石头小屋,它看上去几乎是玫瑰色的,就像蘑菇下面的菌肉颜色,石头在阳光的照射下变暖了。紧闭的门边,有一些迎春花闪着黄色的光辉。但是寂静无声,烟囱里不冒烟,也没有狗吠声。

她安静地绕到后面,那儿地势是隆起的。她有一个借口,要去看水仙花。 ”

(The roaring and swaying was overhead, only cold currents came down below. Connie was strangely excited in the wood, and the colour flew in her cheeks, and burned blue in her eyes. She walked ploddingly, picking a few primroses and the first violets, that smelled sweet and cold, sweet and cold. And she drifted on without knowing where she was.

Till she came to the clearing, at the end of the wood, and saw the green-stained stone cottage, looking almost rosy, like the flesh underneath a mushroom, its stone warmed in a burst of sun. And there was a sparkle of yellow jasmine by the door; the closed door. But no sound; no smoke from the chimney; no dog barking.

She went quietly round to the back, where the bank rose up; she had an excuse, to see the daffodils.)

(迎春花)

“它们在那里儿,这些短梗的花朵,沙沙作响,飘飘颤抖,如此明亮而活泼,它们都在躲避着风,却无处藏匿着它们的脸。

它们在困境中摇动着明亮的、阳光色的小碎布花瓣。也许它们真的很喜欢这样,很喜欢折腾。

康妮背靠着一株小松树坐下,这小松树在她的身后摇摆着一种奇异的、有弹性的,有力量的,向上的生命。直耸的、有生命的东西,它的树冠在阳光下!她看着水仙花在阳光下变成金黄色,这阳光把她的手和膝盖都温暖起来。她甚至闻到了淡淡的柏油味的花香。然后,如此的寂寞和孤独,她似乎押注进了自己命运的川流之中。她被一条绳子系着,在它的系泊处如一条小船颠簸着摇晃着。现在,她散漫而漂荡着。

寒气把阳光赶走了,水仙花默默地浸没在阴影中。因此,它们在白天和漫长寒冷的夜晚浸没着。纤弱却又强悍!

她站了起来,觉得有点僵直,采了几朵水仙花,回去了。她讨厌折花,但只要一两朵伴她回去。她将不得不回勒格贝去,回勒格贝的墙里去。如今她多么讨厌它,尤其是它的坚厚的墙。墙!总是围墙!虽然在这样的风里有人需要这些墙。 ”

(And they were there, the short-stemmed flowers, rustling and fluttering and shivering, so bright and alive, but with nowhere to hide their faces, as they turned them away from the wind.

They shook their bright, sunny little rags in bouts of distress. But perhaps they liked it really; perhaps they really liked the tossing.

Constance sat down with her back to a young pine-tree, that swayed against her with curious life, elastic, and powerful, rising up. The erect, alive thing, with its top in the sun! And she watched the daffodils turn golden, in a burst of sun that was warm on her hands and lap. Even she caught the faint, tarry scent of the flowers. And then, being so still and alone, she seemed to bet into the current of her own proper destiny. She had been fastened by a rope, and jagging and snarring like a boat at its moorings; now she was loose and adrift.

The sunshine gave way to chill; the daffodils were in shadow, dipping silently. So they would dip through the day and the long cold night. So strong in their frailty!

She rose, a little stiff, took a few daffodils, and went down. She hated breaking the flowers, but she wanted just one or two to go with her. She would have to go back to Wragby and its walls, and now she hated it, especially its thick walls. Walls! Always walls! Yet one needed them in this wind.)

(水仙花)

 

(紫香堇)

第八章是整本小说起承转合的重要章节,标志着查泰莱夫人与守林人梅勒斯情爱关系的开始。梅勒斯纤细白皙的身体被康妮想象为“一枝肉眼看不见的花朵的寂寞雌蕊”,下意识里,她已把梅勒斯当成潜在的能让自己受孕的男人。她走进三月的丛林里,万物正在复苏,身边的一草一木都暗示着她的性意识的苏醒。“除非一粒麦子掉到地上死了,否则它绝不会发芽的”,这句话引自圣经中的《约翰福音》第12章,第24节的原文是:“我实实在在地告诉你们,一粒麦子不落在地里死了,仍旧是一粒,若是死了,就结出许多子粒来。”(Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.)主耶稣在告诉世人,若自己不被钉死在十字架上,他里面的生命就不能被释放、繁殖。十字架的最终目的是死而复活。

康妮把自己比作了渴望见到太阳的番红花,可是她的内心还缺些温暖,如裸露着肩膀的苍白的银莲花。

为什么苍白的银莲花与冥后珀耳塞福涅有关呢?根据古罗马作家奥维德(Ovid,公元前43-公元17/18)的《变形记》(Metamorphoses),密耳拉(Myrrha)在夜晚偷偷与国王父亲乱伦,共住九个晚上。父亲发现了她的身份,大怒之下提剑追斩她。众神将密耳拉变成了末药树,并以树的形式生下了阿多尼斯(Adonis)。维纳斯找到了婴儿,交由珀耳塞福涅抚养。阿多尼斯成长一位异常俊美的年轻人,维纳斯和珀耳塞福涅同时爱上了他。最终宙斯宣布,阿多尼斯每年三分之一的时间与维纳斯度过,三分之一的时间呆在冥后身边,剩下的三分之一时间由他自己决定。他选择与维纳斯在一起。阿多尼斯后来被野猪捅死,伤心欲绝的维纳斯把他变成了一朵银莲花(anemone),又称“风花”(wind flower)。因此珀耳塞福涅最后还是获得了阿多尼斯,他的阴影被永远转入冥界。

希腊神话中的银莲花是地中海地区常见的鲜红色王冠银莲花(crown anemone, 学名Anemone coronaria ),而英国本土的林地银莲花是白色的,“呼吸使世界变得苍白”。但这一次银莲花吐出的是“珀耳塞福涅的呼吸”,表明冥后从地狱回到人间,大地返春欣欣向荣。这里又牵扯到大家耳熟能详的一个希腊神话传说,即珀耳塞福涅被冥王劫持到冥府后,宙斯最终与冥王达成协议,她每年一半的时间在地下陪着丈夫,另一半时间回到大地陪着母亲德墨忒尔(Demeter,农业女神)。每当女儿留居冥土时,得墨忒尔便愁眉不展,大地一片萧条,便成了冬季。而女儿一旦和她团聚,女神便喜笑颜开,世界也重现草木复苏和群芳争艳的景象。

一路经过多种野花后,康妮终于来到了守林人的小屋,在屋后找到了野水仙。野水仙代表着康妮目前所处的情感困境,外表纤弱内心却强悍的她想尽力隐藏自己的欲望,却无法压抑最真实的本能。如何解决这个问题呢?她背靠着一棵小松树坐下,这个“直耸的、有生命的东西”隐喻男人勃起的生殖器,令寂寞孤独的她产生了性幻想,自己仿如一艘小船,在与男人交合的过程颠簸摇晃着。

作者通过对早春森林的描写,暗示康妮与梅勒斯注定要发生充满激情和肉欲的情感纠葛,唯有如此才能重新点燃她对生活的渴望。

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阅读 ()评论 (7)
评论
spot321 回复 悄悄话 其实这故事写得一点也不色情,我个人感觉很文艺了。~~
采薇儿 回复 悄悄话 想起齐豫唱过Wind flowers
江郎山闲话 回复 悄悄话 谢谢博主好文,花花世界,愿有情的夫妻心中花花盛开,性爱美满。
江郎山闲话 回复 悄悄话 大家能想象,一个公司组织员工一起看《查泰莱夫人的情人》电影。当年我研究生毕业不久,还没有谈恋爱,大屏幕性爱的场面,还是很热血沸腾,真是折磨单身汉!结束后灯光一片,估计面红耳赤,都不好意思。
张爱玲写道:"到女人心里的路通过阴道"。梅勒斯做到了。作丈夫的你,你呢?
南小鹿 回复 悄悄话 回复 '雨弦' 的评论 : 你翻译的对,我疏忽了。文章刚发,系统上还不能改,我会稍后修正的。谢谢。
雨弦 回复 悄悄话 想了一下,我说常人认为死就是消失了,不见了,这样说并不确切。应该说成,常人以为死就是没有生命力了,但“死”在圣经中的其中一个意思是指隔离、不能相见、不能交通的意思。
雨弦 回复 悄悄话 “Except a grain of wheat fall into the earth and die, it shall by no means bring forth. ” 不应该翻译成 “除非一粒麦子掉到地上死了,否则它一定会发芽的。” 应该是“ 除非一粒麦子掉到地上死了,否则它不会发芽”。我知道为什么你特意要那么翻译,对很多人来说“死”就是没了,消失了,既然如此又怎能发芽呢?这句话源自圣经,说的是必须先死才有复活,自然界所有的种子都是这样。

特别喜欢读你的文章,充满诗情画意,能学不少知识,虽然我总也记不住。
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