
Flickr上竟然真的讓我找到了奧斯特理茲(Austerlitz)的天空,真神奇!(taken by youplayawhat @Flickr)
聽說國家台灣文學館即將展出俄羅斯文學三巨人特展,我高興得像是要與久違的舊友重逢一般。因為,所展出的這幾張百年故紙的主人們,曾經寫出那樣動人的文字,深深撼動我年少的靈魂!
喜歡舊俄小說,其實是從杜斯妥也夫斯基開始的。還記得是高一的冬天,癈寢忘食的在三天內讀完了《白痴》,那令人悲痛的結局使我有如遭雷殛一般,震顫久久不能自已。甚至從那時開始,就立下了要學俄文的願望,慚愧至今未能實現。

托爾斯泰 1880s 圖片出處:http://www.bl.uk/jerwood/jerwoodpublic4.html
當時的我有點小固執,堅持愛讀大部頭的書,又喜歡躺在床上看書,使得舉起厚重書冊的雙臂酸痛不已。不記得是怎麼開始讀起托爾斯泰的,想來多半也是因為青春期個性彆扭,老愛挑跟同學品味不同的書來看。
原本以為書名叫做《戰爭與和平》,應當是要很嚴肅枯燥乏味,然而大文豪下筆如有神,讓我一頭栽進百餘年前的俄羅斯,神馳於衣香鬢影的貴族晚宴、雪夜農莊、和兵馬雜沓的戰場之間。
印象中喜愛的段落太多,竟不知從何談起。比如尼可萊和娜塔莎兄妹在伯伯家的那場披肩舞,兩人乘坐雪橇在雪夜裡奔馳時的溫馨。榮枯的橡樹所反映出的安德來公爵的心境轉變:由乾枯垂死的不滿憤怒到枝枒開展的愉快擺盪。
肥胖又羞怯笨拙的彼埃爾總是被形容得極為可親,被庫拉根家逼婚的那一章又特別滑稽(在BBC拍的連續劇中,彼埃爾一角由Anthony Hopkins出飾)。當他想刺殺拿破崙的行動無可避免的失敗後,仰天長笑,嘲弄自己「不朽的靈魂」的一幕也讓我印象深刻。
公爵小姐瑪麗則是書中最動人的醜女,托翁一方面強調著她平庸的容貌,一方面又描繪著她優雅的舉止與靈魂深遂的藍眼睛如何的懾人目光,讓人全然忘卻她的平凡。
想來抄抄幾段我很喜愛的句子,從書架上抽出塵封的書冊,才發現年輕時買書看書生吞活剝,全然不重視版本譯筆。現在翻閱起來,自認為還可以翻得比原譯者高明一些。不如,就抄抄線上英譯本,自己來習作一番。
電影版的Natasha由Audrey Hepburn出飾
戰後彼埃爾去拜訪瑪麗時,並沒有認出坐在旁邊的黑衣女子,直到瑪麗窘迫不安的告訴他這是娜塔莎:
Pierre looked again at the companion's pale, delicate face with its black eyes and peculiar mouth, and something near to him, long forgotten and more than sweet, looked at him from those attentive eyes.
"But no, it can't be!" he thought. "This stern, thin, pale face that looks so much older! It cannot be she. It merely reminds me of her." But at that moment Princess Mary said, "Natasha!" And with difficulty, effort, and stress, like the opening of a door grown rusty on its hinges, a smile appeared on the face with the attentive eyes, and from that opening door came a breath of fragrance which suffused Pierre with a happiness he had long forgotten and of which he had not even been thinking- especially at that moment. It suffused him, seized him, and enveloped him completely. When she smiled doubt was no longer possible, it was Natasha and he loved her.
「那個有注意的眼睛的面孔困難地費力地好像打開鉸鏈生鏽的門一樣微笑了,從這道打開的門中忽然發出了一陣香氣,並且彼埃爾感覺到那早已遺忘的幸福,這幸福是他,尤其在那時候,沒有想到的。這幸福發出襲擊並且全部吞沒了他。」 --原譯者譯文。
「從那張有著專注眼神的臉上,艱難費力地、有如打開一扇鉸鏈生鏽的門似的展開了一抹微笑,而從那開展的門中飄進了一縷香氣,以一種彼埃爾早已忘卻的、而且當下全然未曾料想到的幸福浸潤著他的全身,這幸福徹徹底底的淹沒、攫取並且籠罩了他。」 --Arkun譯文。
而我最鍾愛的,是安德來在奧斯特理茲戰場倒下時面對崇高靜謐的天空的心情。前一刻他還專注於戰場上的殺伐,卻因為受傷倒下,視線所及瞬間從慌亂血腥的殺戮戰場切換而成為從容浮動的白雲穹蒼。
"What's this? Am I falling? My legs are giving way," thought he, and fell on his back. He opened his eyes, hoping to see how the struggle of the Frenchmen with the gunners ended, whether the red-haired gunner had been killed or not and whether the cannon had been captured or saved. But he saw nothing. Above him there was now nothing but the sky- the lofty sky, not clear yet still immeasurably lofty, with gray clouds gliding slowly across it. "How quiet, peaceful, and solemn; not at all as I ran," thought Prince Andrew- "not as we ran, shouting and fighting, not at all as the gunner and the Frenchman with frightened and angry faces struggled for the mop: how differently do those clouds glide across that lofty infinite sky! How was it I did not see that lofty sky before? And how happy I am to have found it at last! Yes! All is vanity, all falsehood, except that infinite sky. There is nothing, nothing, but that. But even it does not exist, there is nothing but quiet and peace. Thank God!"
「在他的頭上只有天空──崇高的天,不算晴朗,但仍然無限崇高,灰色的雲緩慢的在天際飄移。『多麼寧靜、安祥而靜穆啊!一點都不像我這樣的跑著』安德來公爵這麼思忖著:『不像我們這樣的奔跑,喊叫和打鬥,一點也不像那個炮兵和法國人為了爭奪炮帚而面目驚恐憤怒:這些雲飄過無盡的天空時是多麼的不同啊!為什麼我以前都沒看過這樣崇高的天空呢?我多麼高興自己終於發現了它!是的,一切都是空虛,都是謊言,只除了這無盡的天空。除了這天空,再沒有別的事物了。然而即使天空也是不存在的,除了寧靜安祥之外,再沒有別的事物了。感謝上帝!』--Arkun譯文。
這一幕在我飽受聯考壓力荼毒的歲月中,像是從氣悶的密室中忽然踏進森林時呼吸進的滿懷清新,撫慰著一個苦悶的高中生。
當生活受到艱難勞苦的交相催逼時,如果能就地躺下,凝望天空,或可找到一絲心安的盼望。
