上年聖誕的目標是讀完《紅樓夢》,今年聖誕想多讀些英國文學作品,碰巧聽BBC sound的Podcast分析Charles Dickens的《聖誕頌歌》(
Charles Dickens - A Christmas Carol - BBC Sounds),說這本作品影響了英國慶祝聖誕的方式。監考期間,亦留意到《聖誕頌歌》是經常在英國文學科出現的分析文本,便決定在今年聖誕前讀完此書,更深入了解英國的聖誕傳統。
我沒有認真讀過Charles Dickens的作品,認識他的著作亦主要透過電影和別人的分析文章,初來英國在倫敦遊覽期間,亦參訪過他的故居,看到珍貴的手稿及創作《聖誕頌歌》的房間。今天一讀,才發現狄更斯的寫作風格非常親切,就像站在你面前說故事的感覺,不斷跟讀者交談,內容亦不乏精僻的語句,若我再年輕一些,記性好一點的話,便能夠背誦某些句子,改善英語的表達能力。
《聖誕頌歌》的第一章主要描述主角Scrooge的貪婪和厭世,狄更斯用了大量比喻刻劃他的個性,如:
He was a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone.
Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire
Secre, and self-constained, and solitary as an oyster.
The cold within him froze his old features, nipped his pointed nose, shrivelled his cheek, stiffened his gait;
made his eyes red, his thin lips blue; and spoke out shrewdly in his grating voice
幾句說話,便將Scrooge的樣貌和個性表現無遺,比喻運用亦非常清晰。
由於是平安夜,環境冰冷,但冷不過他的內心:
No warmth could warm, no wintry wether chill im.
No wing that blew was biterer than he,
No falling snow was more intent upon its purpose,
no pelting rain less open to entrety.
Foul weather didn't know where to have him.
The heaviest rain, and snow, and hail, and sleet could boast of the advantage over him in only one respect.
They often 'came down' handsomely, and Scrooge never did.
一系列的排比,將冰冷的外在環境與Scrooge的冷漠並置,但環境再冷,亦冷不過Scrooge的內心。主角如此出場,給我留下深刻的印象,這是文學獨有的藝術形式。
之後Scrooge的侄子探望他,祝他聖誕快樂,但Scrooge的反應卻非常逗趣。想會想到別人跟你說Merry Christmas之後,他竟然回應:Good afternoon!哈,聖誕有什麼好快樂的呢。他寧願說「午安」。對他來說,「午安」比聖誕快樂更貼近現實。
不能不配服狄更斯細微的觀察,不斷重覆、帶點諷刺的「午安」,將Scrooge的厭世態度推到極致。好看。
今天的晨曦