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(shuō)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(zhǎng)信。

作者簡(jiǎn)介：奧斯卡·王爾德(Oscar Wilde, 1854-1900)，英國(guó)維多利亞時(shí)代著名作家，“唯美主義 運(yùn)動(dòng)”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(shuō)《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】

It?seems to me that we all look at Nature too much, and?live with her too little. I discern great sanity in the?Greek attitude. They never chattered about sunsets,?or discussed whether the shadows on the grass were?really mauve or not. But they saw that the sea was?for the swimmer, and the sand for the feet of the?runner. They loved the trees for the shadow that?they cast, and the forest for its silence at noon.?The vineyard-dresser wreathed his hair with ivy?that he might keep off the rays of the sun as he?stooped over the young shoots, and for the?artist and the athlete, the two types that Greece gave?us, they plaited into?garlands?the leaves of the bitter?laurel and of the wild parsley which else had?been of no service to man.
We call ourselves a utilitarian age, and we do?not know the uses of any single thing. We have?forgotten that Water can cleanse, and Fire?purify, and that the Earth is mother to us all. As?a consequence our Art is of the Moon and plays?with shadows, while Greek art is of the Sun and?deals directly with things. I feel sure that in?elemental forces there is purification, and I want to?go back to them and live in their presence.?

【朱純深譯本】

對(duì)自然，我覺得我們似乎都遠(yuǎn)觀過(guò)甚，而與之相處又太少。我從希臘人的態(tài)度中悟出了大智大慧。他們從來(lái)不為夕陽(yáng)西下而喋喋不休，也不討論草上的影子是否真是紫紅色的。但他們看到了，大海是給人游泳的，沙地是給人奔跑的。他們喜歡樹因?yàn)樗鱿铝司G蔭，他們喜歡樹林因?yàn)樗玳g的幽靜。剪修葡萄園的人用長(zhǎng)春藤編成發(fā)冠，好在他弓身照料幼苗時(shí)遮擋日曬，而藝術(shù)家和運(yùn)動(dòng)員，對(duì)這兩類我們得之于希臘的人，他們獻(xiàn)上用苦澀的桂葉和野歐芹編成的桂冠，要不這兩樣?xùn)|西對(duì)人類就沒別的用處了。
我們稱我們的時(shí)代為注重實(shí)用的時(shí)代， 可沒有一樣?xùn)|西的用途弄得明白。我們已經(jīng)忘了，水可以洗濯潔凈，火可以精煉提純，大地是每個(gè)人的母親。其結(jié)果是，我們的藝術(shù)關(guān)注的是月亮，玩的是影子，而古希臘的藝術(shù)關(guān)注的是太陽(yáng)，處理的是實(shí)體。我確實(shí)感到自然力中蘊(yùn)含著凈化，我想回返它們當(dāng)中， 在蒼茫天地間生活。

【讀書筆記】

1、sanity?n.精神健全；明智；通情達(dá)理
【舉例】No one could have come out of that disaster with his sanity.?
經(jīng)過(guò)那場(chǎng)災(zāi)難，誰(shuí)也不可能保持精神正常。
I question the sanity of huge amounts of money spent for defence.?
我懷疑把大筆的經(jīng)費(fèi)花在防務(wù)上是否明智。
【相關(guān)詞匯】
sane a.心智健全的；精神正常的；明智的；合理的
insane a.精神錯(cuò)亂的；瘋狂的；荒唐的
insanity n.精神錯(cuò)亂；瘋狂；荒唐的事

2、wreathe v.把……編成花環(huán)；用花環(huán)裝飾；環(huán)繞，纏繞
【舉例】wreathe a garland?編花環(huán)
The inside of the house was wreathed in holiday decoration.?屋內(nèi)裝飾著節(jié)日的花環(huán)。
The hollow was wreathed in mist.?山谷里霧氣縈繞。

3、stoop?v.俯身；屈尊；墮落
【舉例】stoop over a desk?俯身在書桌前
Don't stoop to argue with him.?別自降身份去跟他爭(zhēng)吵。
She stooped to cheating.?她自甘墮落去行騙。

4、of service to 對(duì)……有用；對(duì)……有幫助
【舉例】Can I be of any service to you? 我能幫你什么忙嗎？
His professional knowledge has been of great service to us. 他的專業(yè)知識(shí)對(duì)我們大有裨益。

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