—— 讀王爾德《漁夫和他的靈魂》 童年時(shí)看海的女兒，那種刀鋒上舞蹈的痛苦和化成泡沫的她的無盡的悲哀總揮之不去，隨日子沉潛后便成了一條地下的暗河，在看不見的地方悄然流淌。如今回頭再看這個(gè)故事，注意力已經(jīng)和孩提時(shí)大不相同。海的女兒生活的世界美得無以倫比，可小美人魚卻無比向往那個(gè)屬于“人”的世間。為了能浮出水面，她日盼夜望，十五年后終于等到那一天，看到一個(gè)完全不同于海底的絢麗世界——灑滿陽光的大地萬物，綴滿寶石的璀璨星空，成片的飛鳥給藍(lán)天覆上一層潔白的面紗……外祖母告訴她，人升入美好輝煌的天堂的神奇體驗(yàn)，有如美人魚浮出水面頭次看到人間一般。但美人魚是看不到天堂的，因?yàn)樗齻儾幌袢祟惸菢訐碛徐`魂。人死后魂可以升入天堂，但美人魚死后就如同海草那樣永遠(yuǎn)化為泡沫。 小美人魚為此變得悲傷——“為什么我們沒有不朽的靈魂呢？我寧愿犧牲自己那幾百年的壽命，哪怕只能換取一天能作為一個(gè)人類那樣生活，并換來看到天堂的希望?！?/span>('Why have not we an immortal soul?' asked the little mermaid mournfully; 'I would give gladly all the hundreds of years that I have to live, to be a human being only for one day, and to have the hope of knowing the happiness of that glorious world above the stars.' ) 王爾德的童話里同樣也寫到了美人魚和人的靈魂，但故事到了他的筆下卻起了顛覆性的戲劇變化。漁夫愛上了那代表了美，代表了神奇絢麗的異端世界的美人魚，可是她沒有靈魂，死后就會(huì)化為塵土，既不會(huì)上天堂也不會(huì)下地獄。如果漁夫想和人魚生活在一起，就必須放棄自己的靈魂。而漁夫?yàn)榇司购敛华q豫：'Of what use is my soul to me? I cannot see it. I may not touch it. I do not know it.''For her body I would give my soul, and for her love I would surrender heaven.' 讀者看到這里可能大都會(huì)不自禁的搖頭，瞧，這人要拋棄他的靈魂了，多可怕！牧師聽到他這個(gè)要求自然痛心疾首——靈魂是無價(jià)的，是上帝賦予一個(gè)人最高貴的組成，而海族是野蠻的獸，他們并不懂得善和惡。跟隨他們你也會(huì)像他們一樣迷失！ 但漁夫回答說：'Father, the Fauns live in the forest and are glad, and on the rocks sit the Mermen with their harps of red gold. Let me be as they are, I beseech thee, for their days are as the days of flowers. And as for my soul, what doth my soul profit me, if it stand between me and the thing that I love?' 他這樣認(rèn)為：不論是森林族，還是海族，你說他們是獸也好，不分善惡也好，但他們生活得如此快樂，日子像鮮花一樣美好。我就是向往那樣美的事物，如果我的靈魂阻礙我得到它們，那我要靈魂來干什么？ 更可怕的是他同樣也想到向女巫求助，可連女巫聽到這個(gè)要求也顫栗得臉色發(fā)白。她住在荒涼的地方，擁有高超的巫術(shù)，舉手投足間就可以殺人和帶給人無盡的誘惑。在漁夫的堅(jiān)持下她答應(yīng)了，并提出交換的條件，這時(shí)，周圍的環(huán)境安靜得甚至讓人透不過氣來：'Then she peered all round, and listened. A blue bird rose screaming from its nest and circled over the dunes, and three spotted birds rustled through the coarse grey grass and whistled to each other. There was no other sound save the sound of a wave fretting the smooth pebbles below. 令人疑惑的是，她提出的交換的條件僅僅只是在安息日的月圓之夜，和漁夫跳一場舞，在她的主人面前。She moved out into the sunlight, and through her red hair rippled the wind. 這是一個(gè)年輕的女巫，甚至還長得不錯(cuò)。知道漁夫要來之前她笑了，披開自己的紅色長發(fā)，手持一枝毒花在門口迎接他。而等漁夫走后她又懊惱的對(duì)著鏡子，“我和美人魚一樣漂亮，他本該是我的?！?/span> 《海的女兒》里面細(xì)致的描繪了女巫世界的丑陋和邪惡，與美人魚的世界形成了劇烈的反差。而王爾德對(duì)他筆下的女巫和她的主人(雖然沒有明確說明是誰，但可以猜得出來那個(gè)He應(yīng)該就是魔鬼撒旦。)卻不帶任何先入為主的感情或道德判斷——他們邪氣十足，卻又處處透露出某種神秘而詭異的美，完全無法分辨他們的善惡和漁夫未卜的前途。 最后漁夫從女巫那獲得可以切割靈魂的匕首，甚至沒有付出多大的代價(jià)。在漁夫即將舍棄靈魂的一刻，終于看到對(duì)漁夫的唯一的一次外形描寫：Bronze-limbed and well-knit, like a statue wrought by a Grecian, he stood on the sand with his back to the moon, and out of the foam came white arms that beckoned to him, and out of the waves rose dim forms that did him homage. Before him lay his shadow, which was the body of his soul, and behind him hung the moon in the honey- coloured air. 他確實(shí)強(qiáng)壯而富美感，難怪美人魚愛他，連女巫都會(huì)看上他?？墒莵G棄靈魂是怎樣可怕的代價(jià)呢？這個(gè)場面的烘托卻讓讀者看不到任何的答案。 而這時(shí)，故事的另一個(gè)主角——漁夫的靈魂才正式登場。懇求漁夫失敗后，他又希望能漁 'With what should I love my love if I gave thee my heart?' 他為了愛，為了追求美，可以連靈魂都不要，但是他卻不能沒有心。因?yàn)槿绻麤]有心，就無法去愛。 靈魂哭泣著離開了，并懇求每年能見漁夫一次，'It may be that thou wilt have need of me.' 看到這里我們才發(fā)現(xiàn)，原來故事的精彩才剛剛開始。離開漁夫的靈魂開始了神秘的旅途，隨著他的腳印仿佛走進(jìn)了一千零一夜的世界。第一年他往東走，經(jīng)歷各種奇遇后來到一座伊斯蘭的神廟里，經(jīng)過一番智斗和力斗后，牧師告訴他，'There is no god but this mirror that thou seest, for this is the Mirror of Wisdom. And it reflecteth all things that are in heaven and on earth, save only the face of him who looketh into it. This it reflecteth not, so that he who looketh into it may be wise. Many other mirrors are there, but they are mirrors of Opinion. This only is the Mirror of Wisdom. And they who possess this mirror know everything, nor is there anything hidden from them. And they who possess it not have not Wisdom. Therefore is it the god, and we worship it.' 這個(gè)關(guān)于智慧鏡子的寓意很有意思。我的理解是，如果說各種文藝作品像一面鏡子，平庸的鏡子只能讓觀者從鏡子里面看到自己和自己周圍的一隅，而還有很多“鏡子”只不過是作者用來來表達(dá)自己的觀點(diǎn)的工具。但真正能讓人獲得智慧的鏡子是能盡可能客觀的展現(xiàn)這個(gè)世界的一切，不偏不倚，不片面。僅僅只是希望從別人的作品來獲取觀點(diǎn)是沒有智慧的，智慧只能從自己對(duì)這個(gè)世界開闊又細(xì)膩的審視中產(chǎn)生。 所以王爾德很有禮貌，讀他的童話我從不覺得他想向讀者灌輸什么，只是藝術(shù)的展現(xiàn)而已。 當(dāng)然，如果有這樣一面鏡子，能完完整整的呈現(xiàn)這個(gè)復(fù)雜又豐富的世界，那便是擁有上帝般的目光和智慧了。而上帝的目光中，恰恰是不需要有自己的。 但是漁夫拒絕了靈魂的邀請(qǐng)，比起擁有上帝般的智慧，他堅(jiān)持選擇愛，對(duì)美的愛：'Love is better than Wisdom,' he cried, 'and the little Mermaid loves me.''Nay, but there is nothing better than Wisdom,' said the Soul.'Love is better,' answered the young Fisherman 第二年靈魂往南走，繼續(xù)另一段奇異的旅途。不得不說這兩個(gè)故事里的故事非常迷人，魅力絕不亞于一千零一夜的著名故事，像棵巨大的樹，離開主干的旁枝錯(cuò)節(jié)也能開出神奇的花兒來。 這次是可以贏得比所有的國王還要富有的財(cái)富，但漁夫依舊拒絕了：'Love is better than Riches,' he cried, 'and the little Mermaid loves me.''Nay, but there is nothing better than Riches,' said the Soul.'Love is better,' answered the young Fisherman 第三年，我正猜靈魂是不是該往西走，繼續(xù)一段新的神奇旅程，結(jié)果靈魂的故事很簡潔樸素，他說他看到了跳舞女人美麗的腳踝，漁夫聽到卻動(dòng)心了——美人魚沒有腳，不能跳舞。上帝般的智慧沒能誘惑他，富可敵國的財(cái)富同樣沒使他動(dòng)搖，但面對(duì)美的誘惑，他低頭了。“只是一天而已，我很快就會(huì)回到我的愛人身邊的。”假使他能遇到比美人魚的世界還要美的誘惑，他還會(huì)堅(jiān)持他的愛嗎？沒有人知道，因?yàn)榻酉聛戆l(fā)生的事情完全兩樣。 靈魂欺騙了他。 他不斷哄騙漁夫，并攛掇他欺凌弱小，偷竊，甚至為了搶劫準(zhǔn)備殺死幫助自己的好心人。恩人憤怒地質(zhì)問他：'Dost thou return evil for good, and pay with the shedding of blood for the kindness that I have shown thee?' 漁夫倉皇的逃離了那個(gè)開著火紅石榴花的花園，面對(duì)升起的黎明之星，他對(duì)自己的罪行頓足捶胸，并質(zhì)疑自己的靈魂，為什么要讓我做這些邪惡的事情？靈魂回答說，因?yàn)槲覜]有心。'When thou didst send me forth into the world thou gavest me no heart, so I learned to do all these things and love them.' 出賣自己的靈魂是多么可怕的事情。而王爾德在這里卻像在說，What is more terrible than a human without a soul, is a soul without a heart. （比起沒有靈魂，更可怕的，是沒有心） 海里的生靈，森林里的族群，他們是那么的優(yōu)雅，美好，雖然沒有人的靈魂，但他們有心。為了美我可以連靈魂都不要，但我不能沒有心。 沒有心的靈魂繼續(xù)攛掇漁夫：'there is no pain that thou shalt not give away, nor any pleasure that thou shalt not receive.' 漁夫斷然拒絕：'Nay, but thou art evil, and hast made me forget my love, and hast tempted me with temptations, and hast set my feet in the ways of sin.' 但漁夫這時(shí)候才發(fā)現(xiàn)，他再無法把靈魂切割開，因?yàn)槲着奈仔g(shù)只能生效一次。他再也回不去了?？v使這樣，他依然選擇回去。他回到遇見美人魚的港灣，呼喚她，向她懺悔自己的一切罪行。 靈魂想盡了一切辦法誘惑他，引起欲望的，邪惡的，可怕的：'For what is this trouble of thine about the things of sin? Is that which is pleasant to eat not made for the eater? Is there poison in that which is sweet to drink? ' 漁夫不為所動(dòng)，不再理睬靈魂天花亂墜般的任何誘惑。他回到海灣邊，日夜呼喚他心愛的人魚。經(jīng)歷過邪惡和墮落的巨大反差后，他終于真正體會(huì)到曾經(jīng)的美好是多么的可貴，這時(shí)候的他才實(shí)現(xiàn)對(duì)愛完整的忠誠，而不僅僅是因?yàn)槊馈?/span> 一年后靈魂又試圖又善來誘惑他放棄，世界上有那數(shù)不清的不幸需要去救助，你為何就呆在這里作徒勞的等待？'Wherefore shouldst thou tarry here calling to thy love, seeing she comes not to thy call? And what is love, that thou shouldst set this high store upon it?' 漁夫依然不為所動(dòng)：But the young Fisherman answered it nought, so great was the power of his love. And every morning he called to the Mermaid, and every noon he called to her again, and at night-time he spake her name. Yet never did she rise out of the sea to meet him, nor in any place of the sea could he find her, though he sought for her in the rivers of the sea, and in the valleys that are under the waves, in the sea that the night makes purple, and in the sea that the dawn leaves grey. 我喜歡這段素描，那樣的美，而又凄涼。 故事終于來到最有張力最悲劇性的一刻，無盡絕望的守望后，漁夫終于等到了他的愛人——的遺體。He flung himself down beside it on the sand, weeping as one trembling with joy.And to the dead thing he made confession. Into the shells of its ears he poured the harsh wine of his tale.Bitter, bitter was his joy, and full of strange gladness was his pain. 這種令人瘋狂的痛苦終于使得他無盡的絕望得到救贖：'Love is better than wisdom, and more precious than riches, and fairer than the feet of the daughters of men. The fires cannot destroy it, nor can the waters quench it. I called on thee at dawn, and thou didst not come to my call. The moon heard thy name, yet hadst thou no heed of me. For evilly had I left thee, and to my own hurt had I wandered away. Yet ever did thy love abide with me, and ever was it strong, nor did aught prevail against it, though I have looked upon evil and looked upon good. And now that thou art dead, surely I will die with thee also.' 我時(shí)常想，如果要用一個(gè)畫面來描繪這個(gè)故事，我會(huì)選擇漁夫在海灘上懷抱著人魚的遺體，洶涌的海浪席卷過來，即將吞沒他的一刻。那時(shí)他的心已經(jīng)碎了，靈魂終于重新和他合為一體。 故事的結(jié)局也安排得同樣完美。在漁夫和人魚墳?zāi)股祥_出從未有過的奇異的花終于讓牧師感到敬畏，他改變了觀點(diǎn)，沒有靈魂的生靈同樣也應(yīng)該獲得上帝的祝福，the God whose name is Love. 只是奇葩只開一遍，美好的事物再不會(huì)重來。
