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| 2017/05/26 05:01:39瀏覽453｜回應0｜推薦8 | |
| 【書摘】蓋爾芒特家那邊—外祖母之死 (Death of Grandmother) 3-1 Nous disons bien que l’heure de la mort est incertaine, mais quand nous disons cela, nous nous représentons cette heure comme située dans un espace vague et lointain, nous ne pensons pas qu’elle ait un rapport quelconque avec la journée déjà commencée et puisse signifier que la mort – ou sa première prise de possession partielle de nous, après laquelle elle ne nous lâchera plus – pourra se produire dans cet après-midi même, si peu incertain, cet après-midi où l’emploi de toutes les heures est réglé d’avance. On tient à sa promenade pour avoir dans un mois le total de bon air nécessaire, on a hésité sur le choix d’un manteau à emporter, du cocher à appeler, on est en fiacre, la journée est tout entière devant vous, courte, parce qu’on veut être rentré à temps pour recevoir une amie ; on voudrait qu’il fît aussi beau le lendemain ; et on ne se doute pas que la mort, qui cheminait en vous dans un autre plan, au milieu d’une impénétrable obscurité, a choisi précisément ce jour-là pour entrer en scène, dans quelques minutes, à peu près à l’instant où la voiture atteindra les Champs-Élysées. (l’édition Gallimard, Paris, 1946-47) 人們常說，死亡的日期是不確知的，但是，這種說法實際上已把死亡的時間確定在一個朦朧而遙遠的範圍內，不以為它同已開始的一天有著某種聯繫，甚至我們會在這個每小時都有了安排的非常確定的下午死去，或者死亡就要第一次部分地占有我們，從此對我們窮追不捨。你堅持散步，期待一個月後會有令人滿意的氣色。你躊躇不定，不知道該穿哪件大衣，該叫哪輛出租馬車。你上了馬車，你面前的這一天是完整的，短暫的，因為你想按時趕回來會一個女友。你希望明天也是個晴天。殊不知死亡正在你的另一個平面上，在冥冥的黑暗中緩緩行進，恰好選擇了這一天，就在幾分鐘後你的馬車到達香榭麗舍大街的那一刻粉墨登場。 (p.350~351 追憶似水年華 III蓋爾芒特家那邊 聯經版 1992) We may, indeed, say that the hour of death is uncertain, but when we say so we represent that hour to ourselves as situated in a vague and remote expanse of time, it never occurs to us that it can have any connexion with the day that has already dawned, or may signify that death—or its first assault and partial possession of us, after which it will never leave hold of us again—may occur this very afternoon, so far from uncertain, this afternoon every hour of which has already been allotted to some occupation. You make a point of taking your drive every day so that in a month’s time you will have had the full benefit of the fresh air; you have hesitated over which cloak you will take, which cabman to call, you are in the cab, the whole day lies before you, short because you have to be at home early, as a friend is coming to see you; you hope that it will be as fine again to-morrow; and you have no suspicion that death, which has been making its way towards you along another plane, shrouded in an impenetrable darkness, has chosen precisely this day of all days to make its appearance, in a few minutes’ time, more or less, at the moment when the carriage has reached the Champs-Elysées. (Translated by C. K. Scott Moncrieff) We make a point of telling ourselves that death can come at any moment, but when we do so we think of that moment as something vague and distant, not as something that can have anything to do with the day that has already begun or might mean that death－or the first signs of its partial possession of us, after which it will never loosen its hold again－will occur this very afternoon, the almost inevitable afternoon, with its hourly activities prescribed in advance. We look forward to our daily outing as a means of getting our month’s supply of fresh air; we have hesitated over which coat to wear, which cabman to hail; we are in the cab, the whole day s spread before us－a short one, because we need to get back home early enough for the visit of a friend－we hope that it will be as fine again tomorrow; and we have no suspicion that death, accompanying us in some obscure way, has chosen this very day to make its appearance in a few minutes, roughly at the moment when the carriage reaches the Champs- Élysées. (Translated by Mark Treharne) |
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| ( 知識學習｜隨堂筆記 ) |
