(一). 日本文化裏有了大量的中國文化的滲透。眾所周知，中國曆史上尤其在唐朝非常強盛，被日本崇尚學習。小說中的很多東西我都能找到中國文化的根源，從最簡單的度量單位ri=裏，three sticks=三柱香的時間，一天有12個時辰，到風月場 (Floating World), 花柳巷( Willow World) ，pillow (sex=同床共枕), 雲雨(the Clouds and the Rain) , 到cha=茶，到禪 (If you want peace you must learn to drink cha from an empty cup.)，到儒家思想的滲透。比如，君臣的關係，對君主的愚忠、服從。“君要臣死，臣不得不死；父要子死，子不得不死”的觀念等。在當時的日本，郡主可以賜武士死，一家之主操縱著一家老少的生死權，父親可以有權讓兒子女兒去死。女子在家的地位微不足道、命賤如草，要絕對服從丈夫。如丈夫要其死，她不得不死，別無選擇。
日本武士視金錢為糞土，家裏的錢財開銷由太太掌控，武士隻專心侍奉郡主。他們鄙夷洋人的金錢至上，為錢而戰，他們隻為忠誠而戰。“他們無所畏懼，不怕死，如果上級命令他們去死，他們會毫不猶豫地剖腹自殺。他們的殺人和死亡就像我們拉尿一樣簡單” (They kill and die as easily as we piss.)。正如Mariko曾經告訴Blackthorne的, “愛是基督教裏的一個字眼，一個概念，一種理念。我們的字典裏沒有'愛'這個字，隻有職責、忠誠、尊嚴、尊重、欲望。”
小說中的郡王Toranaga有八個妾。他甚至收養別人的遺孀為妾，八個裏麵其中有一個為他生下兒子後便遁隱農莊。郡主的權利很大，這不僅表現在日常事務中，還表現在他可以主宰下屬的婚姻，命令其與某女子結婚，或與妻子離婚，也可以隨意賜任何一女子與武士做妻或妾。他們的婚姻、子女的婚姻可以是政治聯姻，或許沒有愛的基礎, 但是可以娶妾、可以離婚。相比較，在西方基督教的影響和約束下，西洋人把離婚當成是道德犯罪(moral sin)，死守婚姻，從一而終，這點在日本人眼裏覺得不可理喻。(Mistakes happen, people change, that's karma. Foolish to be stuck forever, man or woman. )
小說中出現頻率最高的一個詞是karma, 宿命論的觀點貫穿整部小說。Karma is karma. 人無法與命運抗爭，無法逃脫命運的安排，一切自有天意。
She watched his tall, firm stride and would have wept aloud, her heart near breaking, but then, as always, she heard the so-many-times-said words in her memory, kindly spoken, wisely spoken. “Why do you weep, child? We of the Floating World live only for the moment, giving all our time to the pleasures of cherry blossoms and snow and maple leaves, the calling of a cricket, the beauty of the moon, waning and growing and being reborn, singing our songs and drinking cha and sake, knowing perfumes and the touch of silks, caressing for pleasure, and drifting, always drifting. Listen, child: never sad, always drifting as a lily on the current in the stream of life.
He did not look back at her because there was no need. He knew that he had left all his life’s passion, and everything that he had adored, at her feet. He was sure he would never know passion again, the spirit-joining ecstasy that ignited man and woman. But this did not displease him. On the contrary, he thought with a newfound icy clarity, I bless Toranaga for releasing me from servitude. Now nothing binds me. Neither father nor mother nor Kiku. Now I can be patient too. I’m twenty-one. I am almost daimyo of Izu, and I’ve a world to conquer.
Our journey here has brought me more joy than I have the right to expect in twenty life-times.
He saw Kiku coming across the sun-baked courtyard, her little feet in white tabi, almost dancing, so sweet and elegant with her silks and crimson sunshade, the envy of every man in sight. Ah, Kiku, he thought, I cannot afford that envy, so sorry. I can’t afford you in this life, so sorry. You should have remained where you were in the Floating World, courtesan of the First Class. Or even better, gei-sha. What a fine idea that old hag came up with! Then you’d be safe, the property of many, the adored of many, the central point of tragic suicides and violent quarrels and wonderful assignations, fawned on and feared, showered with money that you’d treat with disdain, a legend-while your beauty lasts. But now? Now I can’t keep you, so sorry. Any samurai I give you to as consort takes to his bed a double-edged knife: a complete distraction and the envy of every other man.
To weep lost lovers and lost youth in barrels of sake, watered with tears.
From which life you were born-the rare, sudden flower that appears in the wilderness for no reason other than karma, to blossom quickly and to vanish quickly.
You keep her for the rest of your life, his secret heart told him. She merits it. Don’t fool yourself like you fool others. The truth is you could keep her easily, taking her a little, leaving her a lot, just like your favorite Tetsu-ko, or Kogo. Isn’t Kiku just a falcon to you? Prized yes, unique yes, but just a falcon that you feed from your fist, to fly at a prey and call back with a lure, to cast adrift after a season or two, to vanish forever? Don’t lie to yourself, that’s fatal. Why not keep her? She’s only just another falcon, though very special, very high-flying, very beautiful to watch, but nothing more, rare certainly, unique certainly, and, oh, so pillowable…
回複 '7grizzly' 的評論 : Thank you, my friend, for your opinion. That is the reason I questioned. I think it is not the word "conscientiousless" he used. So the proper translation should be "麻木不仁”. Many thanks again. Have a great weekend!
7grizzly 發表評論於
回複 '暖冬cool夏' 的評論 :
If the author used "consciousless," I think it would mean unaware. It's not moral or immoral, but amoral.
"沒有良心" makes a moral judgement and therefore does not mean the same thing.
暖冬cool夏 發表評論於
回複 '7grizzly' 的評論 : Thanks, my friend, for your kind words. Thank you for the clarification of Karma, a big heated topic. I was surprised too that enmity between Catholic Christianity and Protestant could be as such. By the way, did I use the word "consciousless"correctly? I remember this word from the novel, but couldn't find back in my notes. Plus the dictionary doesn't seem to carry it. Again, thank you for initiating this book, and thank you for being there!
7grizzly 發表評論於
> 就這麽長的一部小說寫一篇好的讀後感並非易事
Indeed but you did it. Very informative and well-written. Great job!
I think karma is through Bodhidarma (達摩祖師）by way of China. The
Japanese elite seemed to take the Hindu/Buddhism ideas very seriously.
Another thing from the book that impressed me was the enmity between
British/Dutch/Protestant and Spanish/Portuguese/Catholic during that period.
暖冬讀書認真的態度令人敬佩。大概我上一次讀長篇小說還是二十年前了。而且都是些NEW YORK Timm best seller 的暢銷小說。你這樣的經典之作我恐怕讀不懂。
日本人的文化是有些特別。 consciousless 這是個詞用得很準。貌似自律、禮節、溫和的大和民族，大武士道精神的鼓舞下，殺人、傷己。極大地超出了常人的正常思維。有時就會變成對人類的傷害。
暖mm你太偉大了，能從頭到尾讀完這部長篇本身就是一個巨大的工程，再把它貫穿起來並引申出去寫成這麽一篇評論文，真的讓我佩服得五體投地。謝謝暖mm化這麽多心思介紹這本書，我可是認認真真地讀完了你的讀後感，現在對日本的文化也算有了點了解。Karma這個單詞確實很有意思，我都懷疑是不是從中文偷過去的。：） just kidding. 但從某種意義上來說人確實是難以與命運抗爭的，一個民族也是。不過我們還是要positive一點，宿命論要不得。：）
(一). 日本文化裏有了大量的中國文化的滲透。眾所周知，中國曆史上尤其在唐朝非常強盛，被日本崇尚學習。小說中的很多東西我都能找到中國文化的根源，從最簡單的度量單位ri=裏，three sticks=三柱香的時間，一天有12個時辰，到風月場 (Floating World), 花柳巷( Willow World) ，pillow (sex=同床共枕), 雲雨(the Clouds and the Rain) , 到cha=茶，到禪 (If you want peace you must learn to drink cha from an empty cup.)，到儒家思想的滲透。比如，君臣的關係，對君主的愚忠、服從。“君要臣死，臣不得不死；父要子死，子不得不死”的觀念等。在當時的日本，郡主可以賜武士死，一家之主操縱著一家老少的生死權，父親可以有權讓兒子女兒去死。女子在家的地位微不足道、命賤如草，要絕對服從丈夫。如丈夫要其死，她不得不死，別無選擇。
日本武士視金錢為糞土，家裏的錢財開銷由太太掌控，武士隻專心侍奉郡主。他們鄙夷洋人的金錢至上，為錢而戰，他們隻為忠誠而戰。“他們無所畏懼，不怕死，如果上級命令他們去死，他們會毫不猶豫地剖腹自殺。他們的殺人和死亡就像我們拉尿一樣簡單” (They kill and die as easily as we piss.)。正如Mariko曾經告訴Blackthorne的, “愛是基督教裏的一個字眼，一個概念，一種理念。我們的字典裏沒有'愛'這個字，隻有職責、忠誠、尊嚴、尊重、欲望。”
小說中的郡王Toranaga有八個妾。他甚至收養別人的遺孀為妾，八個裏麵其中有一個為他生下兒子後便遁隱農莊。郡主的權利很大，這不僅表現在日常事務中，還表現在他可以主宰下屬的婚姻，命令其與某女子結婚，或與妻子離婚，也可以隨意賜任何一女子與武士做妻或妾。他們的婚姻、子女的婚姻可以是政治聯姻，或許沒有愛的基礎, 但是可以娶妾、可以離婚。相比較，在西方基督教的影響和約束下，西洋人把離婚當成是道德犯罪(moral sin)，死守婚姻，從一而終，這點在日本人眼裏覺得不可理喻。(Mistakes happen, people change, that's karma. Foolish to be stuck forever, man or woman. )
小說中出現頻率最高的一個詞是karma, 宿命論的觀點貫穿整部小說。Karma is karma. 人無法與命運抗爭，無法逃脫命運的安排，一切自有天意。
She watched his tall, firm stride and would have wept aloud, her heart near breaking, but then, as always, she heard the so-many-times-said words in her memory, kindly spoken, wisely spoken. “Why do you weep, child? We of the Floating World live only for the moment, giving all our time to the pleasures of cherry blossoms and snow and maple leaves, the calling of a cricket, the beauty of the moon, waning and growing and being reborn, singing our songs and drinking cha and sake, knowing perfumes and the touch of silks, caressing for pleasure, and drifting, always drifting. Listen, child: never sad, always drifting as a lily on the current in the stream of life.
He did not look back at her because there was no need. He knew that he had left all his life’s passion, and everything that he had adored, at her feet. He was sure he would never know passion again, the spirit-joining ecstasy that ignited man and woman. But this did not displease him. On the contrary, he thought with a newfound icy clarity, I bless Toranaga for releasing me from servitude. Now nothing binds me. Neither father nor mother nor Kiku. Now I can be patient too. I’m twenty-one. I am almost daimyo of Izu, and I’ve a world to conquer.
Our journey here has brought me more joy than I have the right to expect in twenty life-times.
He saw Kiku coming across the sun-baked courtyard, her little feet in white tabi, almost dancing, so sweet and elegant with her silks and crimson sunshade, the envy of every man in sight. Ah, Kiku, he thought, I cannot afford that envy, so sorry. I can’t afford you in this life, so sorry. You should have remained where you were in the Floating World, courtesan of the First Class. Or even better, gei-sha. What a fine idea that old hag came up with! Then you’d be safe, the property of many, the adored of many, the central point of tragic suicides and violent quarrels and wonderful assignations, fawned on and feared, showered with money that you’d treat with disdain, a legend-while your beauty lasts. But now? Now I can’t keep you, so sorry. Any samurai I give you to as consort takes to his bed a double-edged knife: a complete distraction and the envy of every other man.
To weep lost lovers and lost youth in barrels of sake, watered with tears.
From which life you were born-the rare, sudden flower that appears in the wilderness for no reason other than karma, to blossom quickly and to vanish quickly.
You keep her for the rest of your life, his secret heart told him. She merits it. Don’t fool yourself like you fool others. The truth is you could keep her easily, taking her a little, leaving her a lot, just like your favorite Tetsu-ko, or Kogo. Isn’t Kiku just a falcon to you? Prized yes, unique yes, but just a falcon that you feed from your fist, to fly at a prey and call back with a lure, to cast adrift after a season or two, to vanish forever? Don’t lie to yourself, that’s fatal. Why not keep her? She’s only just another falcon, though very special, very high-flying, very beautiful to watch, but nothing more, rare certainly, unique certainly, and, oh, so pillowable…
