1891年，處在寫作生涯巔峰期的王爾德遇見了阿爾弗雷德·“波西”·道格拉斯(Alfred "Bosie" Douglas)，兩人很快成為了同性戀人。四年后，因?yàn)檫@段“不敢說出名字的愛”，王爾德被判“有傷 風(fēng)化”罪而入獄。在獄中，王爾德開始反思從前的生活，思索痛苦和人生的意義，藝術(shù)和愛的真諦，最終將那些痛苦的淚水都化作優(yōu) 美而深沉的文字，寫成了這封名為"de profundis"(從深處)的長信。

作者簡介：奧斯卡·王爾德(Oscar Wilde, 1854-1900)，英國維多利亞時(shí)代著名作家，“唯美主義運(yùn)動”的領(lǐng)軍人物，倡導(dǎo)“為藝術(shù)而藝術(shù)”(Art for art's sake)。他的代表作有戲劇《莎樂美》(Salome)《認(rèn)真的重要性》(The Importance of Being Earnest)，童話《快樂王子》(The Happy Prince) 《夜鶯與玫瑰》(The Nightingale and the Rose) ，小說《道連·格雷的畫像》(The Picture of Dorian Gray)，以及書信《自深深處》(De Profundis)等。

【原著選段】

And those who quit their proper sphere change their surroundings merely, not their natures. They do?not acquire the thoughts or passions appropriate to?the sphere they enter. It is not in their power to do so.?Emotional forces, as I say somewhere in?Intentions, are as limited in extent and duration?as the forces of physical energy. The little cup that?is made to hold so much can hold so much and no?more, though all the purple?vats?of Burgundy be?filled with wine to the brim, and the treaders stand?knee-deep in the gathered grapes of the stony?vineyards of Spain. There is no error more common?than that of thinking that those who are the causes or?occasions of great tragedies share in the feelings?suitable to the tragic mood: no error more fatal than?expecting it of them. The martyr in his “shirt of?flame” may be looking on the face of God,?but to him who is piling the?faggots?or loosening?the logs for the blast the whole scene is no more than the slaying of an ox is to the butcher, or the?felling of a tree to the charcoal-burner in the?forest, or the fall of a flower to one who is mowing?down the grass with a scythe. Great passions?are for the great of soul, and great events can be seen?only by those who are on a level with them.

【朱純深譯本】

那些舍棄了他們正當(dāng)?shù)姆秶娜耍淖兊牟贿^是他們的周圍環(huán)境，而非他們的本性。他們并沒有獲得所進(jìn)入的那個范圍要求的思想或激情。他們做不到這一點(diǎn)。情感力量正如我在《意圖》一書里什么地方說的，在時(shí)空范圍上同物理能量的力一樣有限。小小一個杯子，造出來為了裝這一點(diǎn)便只能裝這一點(diǎn)， 再多就不行了， 哪怕是勃艮第紫色的酒桶個個裝滿了葡萄酒，西班牙嶙峋的葡萄園采摘的葡萄堆到了踩榨工人的膝蓋。最普遍的錯誤莫過于以為那些引起或促成偉大悲劇的人，都同樣懷著與那悲劇氣氛相合的情感：沒有比這個要他們情感相通的錯誤更致命了。那披著“ 火之裳” 的殉道者也許在仰望著上帝的臉，但是對那個在堆放柴捆、松木條要執(zhí)行火刑的人，整個場面不過如屠夫殺死一條牛、燒炭人伐倒一棵樹、揮鐮割草的人劈落一朵花罷了。偉大的激情是留給偉大的靈魂的，偉大的事件只有與之水平相當(dāng)?shù)娜瞬拍芾斫狻?/p>

【讀書筆記】

1、appropriate?a.合適的；相稱的(+to/for)
【舉例】a flashy style appropriate to Paris?與巴黎相稱的浮華形式
Plain, simple clothes are appropriate for school wasr.?簡樸的服裝適合上學(xué)時(shí)穿。

2、occasion n.起因；理由
【舉例】There's no occasion to complain.?沒有理由抱怨。
The real causes of the strike are not clear, but the occasion was the dismissal of three workmen.?罷工的真正原因尚不清楚，但起因是3個工人的解雇。

3、slay?v.（書面語）殺死；（常用被動語態(tài)，用于新聞報(bào)道）殺害
【舉例】slay one's enemy?殺死敵人
Two visitors were brutually slain yesterday.?昨天有兩名游客慘遭殺害。

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