本周,Art Matters将会介绍19世纪美国文艺界的代表人物。每周一以诗做为起点,因为诗是一切文学艺术的最高形式。 美国诗人沃尔特·惠特曼(1819-1892)很大程度上是一个自学成材的人。他熟读荷马、但丁和莎士比亚,当然,还有圣经。他做过印刷工人、记者和自由撰稿人,无论何时都没有停下过写作、演讲和对社会的关注。1855年,第一版草叶集由他自费出版,这时还只是一本只有12首诗的小册子。第二年,包含33首诗作的第二版出版。终其一生,惠特曼都在不断重写和扩充这部诗集,直到去世的那一年。最终版草叶集一共有383首诗作。 1855年一经出版,草叶集就在批评界引起轰动。当时的评论家说:”此书写法前所未见,我实在无法用惯常的评论语言描述。“由于在写作手法和写作主题上的开创性,以及对新美国的民主和个人史诗般的歌唱,草叶集对美国文学产生了巨大影响,成为美国历史上最伟大的诗集之一。它对世俗生活和个人奋斗的歌颂、对美国微观生活和价值观演变的展现、对农奴制的抨击,对未来高昂的乐观态度,甚至被认为是美国流行文化的开端。而草叶集,也成为了代表当时美国时代精神的作品。 惠特曼是一个热爱自然,嫉恶如仇,充满生命激情的人,从他的一段文字中可以看出: 'This is what you shall do: Love the earth and sun and the animals, despise riches, give alms to every one that asks, stand up for the stupid and crazy, devote your income and labor to others, hate tyrants, argue not concerning god, have patience and indulgence toward the people, take off your hat to nothing known or unknown or to any man or number of men, go freely with powerful uneducated persons and with the young and with the mothers of families, read these leaves in the open air every season of every year of your life, re-examine all you have been told at school or church or in any book, dismiss whatever insults your own soul, and your very flesh shall be a great poem and have the richest fluency not only in its words but in the silent lines of its lips and face and between the lashes of your eyes and in every motion and joint of your body...........' (你该爱大地,爱阳光,爱动物;你该轻视财富,为每一个需要的人提供帮助,维护笨蛋和疯子,把自己的收入和劳动都奉献给他人。你该仇视暴君,说服不关心上帝的人,对人拥有耐心和宽容。对一切已知或未知之事,对一切个人或群体,保持虔敬。与那些未经教化却充满能量的人一起,和年轻人、母亲们在起,在清新的空气中每天去阅读这些书页吧,重新审视学校和教会曾经告诉你的一切,摒弃一切损害灵魂之物。你的肉身就是一首伟大的诗,不仅在你轻声慢语,更在你静默的双唇之间,在你红润的脸颊,也在你善感的睫毛,在你每个动作,在你每处关节……) 以下是本期音频的文本,该音频在网易云音乐和喜马拉雅的翻转电台同步更新。 As I Ponder'd in Silence As I ponder'd in silence, Returning upon my poems, considering, lingering long, A Phantom arose before me with distrustful aspect, Terrible in beauty, age, and power, The genius of poets of old lands, As to me directing like flame its eyes, With finger pointing to many immortal songs, And menacing voice, What singest thou? it said, Know'st thou not there is but one theme for ever-enduring bards? And that is the theme of War, the fortune of battles, The making of perfect soldiers. Be it so, then I answer'd, I too haughty Shade also sing war, and a longer and greater one than any, Waged in my book with varying fortune, with flight, advance and retreat, victory deferr'd and wavering, (Yet me thinks certain, or as good as certain, at the last,) the field the world, For life and death, for the Body and for the eternal Soul, Lo, I too am come, chanting the chant of battles, I above all promote brave soldiers. 我正静静沉思 (译文:迷路之鹿) 我正静静沉思, 回顾曾写下的诗句,反复推敲,一再斟酌 一个古老幽灵突然显现,年高望重,容貌惊人 旧大陆伟大诗人的精神幻化而成 他双目炯炯,满面狐疑 手指指向那些不朽诗篇 他向我发问,振聋发聩 你在歌颂什么?你可知道不朽的诗人只歌颂一个主题 征战沙场,驰骋命运,造就完美战士 本来如此,我回答他 你这傲慢的魅影 我也在歌颂一场战争,前所末有,纵贯千秋 命运在我书中交错, 生与死、灵与肉,这或许是更伟大的战役 逃离、进击、撤退,胜利的曙光忽明忽暗,遥遥无期 (但我几乎能肯定结局)这片战场无处不在, 我也是在谱写战争的颂歌啊 歌唱无数勇敢的战士 当诸神陷入混战,艺术是最后的救赎 |
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