美国国家公共电台 NPR--Untangling the contradictions of crime novelist Patricia Highsmith

Untangling the contradictions of crime novelist Patricia Highsmith

Transcript¹

In Alfred Hitchcock's 1951 movie Strangers on a Train, a man strikes up a conversation with a seatmate, leading to an indecent proposal. In Anthony Minghella's 1999 film The Talented Mr. Ripley, a grifter befriends a spoiled playboy, then offs him when the relationship gets complicated.

Literary critic Terry Castle says most people know Patricia Highsmith's writing through screen adaptations, but her original stories are even more chilling and compelling. "The main characters do not make sense. They seem to behave irrationally² at certain points, rationally at other points. They do good things and then they do absolutely horrific things."

The same might be said of Highsmith. Her story begins in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1921. Abandoned by her father in infancy³, a love-hate relationship with her mother left deeper scars. As Castle explains, "Her mother was very ambivalent⁴ about having her in the first place, and one of Highsmith's favorite stories to tell was that her mother had tried to abort⁵ her by ingesting turpentine."

As a student at Barnard College, Highsmith wrote short stories. Rebuffed by the literary establishment, she initially⁶ made her living writing comic books, which she considered akin⁷ to writing B-movies. Caped⁸ superheroes didn't align⁹ with the world of smoke and shadows, code words and double-identities that drew her interest.

When she wasn't writing, Highsmith frequented bars like Spivy's Rooftop, where Bertha Levine, also known as Madame Spivy, entertained a mix of New York's gay and literary worlds with an air of discretion¹⁰.

"Highsmith was very beautiful as a young woman and charismatic," Castle says, "and she was enthusiastically homosexual, but at the same time that feeling was counterbalanced by shame and guilt¹¹."

Two years after Highsmith's 1950 debut¹² novel Strangers on a Train became a bestseller, she wrote The Price of Salt, a lesbian love story between a glamorous¹³ housewife and a young shopgirl inspired by her own chance encounter with a customer at a department store where she had taken a holiday job.

Rather than ending in murder or marriage, the protagonists¹⁴ got away with the possibility of a happy ending — a first in an era where lesbianism was considered deviant, even criminal. To safeguard her career, Highsmith published the book under the alias¹⁵ Claire Morgan, not officially claiming it as her own until it was republished as Carol in 1990.

The original paperback¹⁶ became an underground classic, selling more than a million copies, but mainstream¹⁷ fame eluded¹⁸ her. Swiss filmmaker Eva Vitija says Highsmith had more in common with Dostoyevsky than Mickey Spillane. "In the U.S. she was kind of put into the box of mystery and crime novelist and her writing didn't really fit that."

Starting in the early 1960s, Highsmith zigzagged¹⁹ across Europe, writing, drinking and pursuing ill-fated affairs. Throughout her career, Highsmith would write more than 20 novels as well as short stories, essays and articles. She also kept voluminous notebooks and diaries.

Highsmith's final years were spent in Switzerland, where she lived in a brutalist bunker of her design with her many cats, snails²⁰ and disappointments. She died from cancer in 1995, before the resurgence²¹ of interest in her work sparked by the 1999 film adaption of The Talented Mr. Ripley and then Todd Haynes' 2015 adaption of Carol. Today there is even an online "choose your own Highsmith" book recommendation engine.

At the same time, Highsmith's legacy²² has been tarnished²³ by a series of unflattering posthumous²⁴ disclosures in biographies by Andrew Wilson (2003), Joan Schenkar (2009) and Richard Bradford (2021), as well as the 2021 publication of selections from her diaries and notebooks — 1,000 pages whittled²⁵ down from some 8,000 pages that had been tucked away in her closet.

Some of those pages reveal a bitter, hateful woman whose rants²⁶ are filled with racism²⁷, antisemitism and misogyny. Yet filmmaker Eva Vitija says that person contradicts another Highsmith she saw there, a hopeful, romantic writer in perpetual search of love. Intrigued²⁸, Vitija set about finding some of Highsmith's former lovers. Her documentary Loving Highsmith, which opens in theaters next month, pairs Highsmith's diary entries with the testimony²⁹ of those paramours, such as the writer Marijane Meaker, who says Highsmith was "easy to love, let's put it that way."

In contrast, Grace Ellis and Hannah Templer's new graphic³⁰ novel, Flung Out of Space, points to other evidence, such as an annotated³¹ "love chart" that Highsmith once used to rank her conquests, to arrive at a different conclusion. The medium Ellis and Templer use to tell her story rubs up against Highsmith's fraught³² history with comics. Her bigotry³³ is addressed head-on in the book's forward, with Ellis noting that leaning into the subject's complexity³⁴ is essential to recognizing her humanity, however flawed.

Interior pages from Flung Out of Space: Inspired by the Indecent Adventures of Patricia Highsmith, by Grace Ellis and Hannah Templer

Illustration: Hannah Templer for Abrams ComicArts, 2022

One panel shows Highsmith seeking conversion³⁵ therapy to cure her attraction to women; another shows her picking up women in the group therapy sessions. Ellis explains that Highsmith's shame and subversion³⁶ were both fueled by societal blinders. "How many groups could you possibly be in as a lesbian in the '40s and '50s and know for certain that everyone in that group is also a lesbian?"

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 irrationally   

ad.不理性地

参考例句：

• They reacted irrationally to the challenge of Russian power. 他们对俄军的挑衅做出了很不理智的反应。
• The market is irrationally, right? 市场的走势是不是有点失去了理性？

3 infancy   

n.婴儿期；幼年期；初期

参考例句：

• He came to England in his infancy.他幼年时期来到英国。
• Their research is only in its infancy.他们的研究处于初级阶段。

4 ambivalent   

adj.含糊不定的；(态度等)矛盾的

参考例句：

• She remained ambivalent about her marriage.她对于自己的婚事仍然拿不定主意。
• Although she professed fear of the Russians,she seemed to have ambivalent feelings toward Philby himself.虽然她承认害怕俄国人，然而她似乎对菲尔比本人有一种矛盾的感情。

5 abort   

v.使流产，堕胎；中止；中止(工作、计划等)

参考例句：

• The captain instructed them to abort the mission.上尉指示他们中止执行任务。
• With this button the user can abort the audio sequence.用户可以用该按钮终止音频序列。

6 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

7 akin   

adj.同族的，类似的

参考例句：

• She painted flowers and birds pictures akin to those of earlier feminine painters.她画一些同早期女画家类似的花鸟画。
• Listening to his life story is akin to reading a good adventure novel.听他的人生故事犹如阅读一本精彩的冒险小说。

8 caped   

披斗篷的

参考例句：

9 align   

vt.使成一线，结盟，调节；vi.成一线，结盟

参考例句：

• Align the ruler and the middle of the paper.使尺子与纸张的中部成一条直线。
• There are signs that the prime minister is aligning himself with the liberals.有迹象表明首相正在与自由党人结盟。

10 discretion   

n.谨慎；随意处理

参考例句：

• You must show discretion in choosing your friend.你择友时必须慎重。
• Please use your best discretion to handle the matter.请慎重处理此事。

11 guilt   

n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责

参考例句：

• She tried to cover up her guilt by lying.她企图用谎言掩饰自己的罪行。
• Don't lay a guilt trip on your child about schoolwork.别因为功课责备孩子而使他觉得很内疚。

12 debut   

n.首次演出，初次露面

参考例句：

• That same year he made his Broadway debut, playing a suave radio journalist.在那同一年里，他初次在百老汇登台，扮演一个温文而雅的电台记者。
• The actress made her debut in the new comedy.这位演员在那出新喜剧中首次登台演出。

13 glamorous   

adj.富有魅力的；美丽动人的；令人向往的

参考例句：

• The south coast is less glamorous but full of clean and attractive hotels.南海岸魅力稍逊，但却有很多干净漂亮的宾馆。
• It is hard work and not a glamorous job as portrayed by the media.这是份苦差，并非像媒体描绘的那般令人向往。

14 protagonists   

n.（戏剧的）主角( protagonist的名词复数 )；（故事的）主人公；现实事件（尤指冲突和争端的）主要参与者；领导者

参考例句：

• Mrs Pankhurst was one of the chief protagonists of women's rights. 潘克赫斯特太太是女权的主要倡导者之一。 来自辞典例句
• This reflects that Feng Menglong heartily sympathized with these protagonists. 这反映出冯梦龙由衷地同情书中的这些主要人物。 来自互联网

15 alias   

n.化名；别名；adv.又名

参考例句：

• His real name was Johnson,but he often went by the alias of Smith.他的真名是约翰逊，但是他常常用化名史密斯。
• You can replace this automatically generated alias with a more meaningful one.可用更有意义的名称替换这一自动生成的别名。

16 paperback   

n.平装本，简装本

参考例句：

• A paperback edition is now available at bookshops.平装本现在在书店可以买到。
• Many books that are out of print are reissued in paperback form.许多绝版的书籍又以平装本形式重新出现。

17 mainstream   

n.（思想或行为的）主流；adj.主流的

参考例句：

• Their views lie outside the mainstream of current medical opinion.他们的观点不属于当今医学界观点的主流。
• Polls are still largely reflects the mainstream sentiment.民调还在很大程度上反映了社会主流情绪。

18 eluded   

v.（尤指机敏地）避开( elude的过去式和过去分词 )；逃避；躲避；使达不到

参考例句：

• The sly fox nimbly eluded the dogs. 那只狡猾的狐狸灵活地躲避开那群狗。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The criminal eluded the police. 那个罪犯甩掉了警察的追捕。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

19 zigzagged   

adj.呈之字形移动的v.弯弯曲曲地走路，曲折地前进( zigzag的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The office buildings were slightly zigzagged to fit available ground space. 办公大楼为了配合可用的地皮建造得略呈之字形。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• The lightning zigzagged through the church yard. 闪电呈之字形划过教堂的院子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

20 snails   

n.蜗牛；迟钝的人；蜗牛( snail的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• I think I'll try the snails for lunch—I'm feeling adventurous today. 我想我午餐要尝一下蜗牛——我今天很想冒险。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Most snails have shells on their backs. 大多数蜗牛背上有壳。 来自《简明英汉词典》

21 resurgence   

n.再起，复活，再现

参考例句：

• A resurgence of his grief swept over Nim.悲痛又涌上了尼姆的心头。
• Police say drugs traffickers are behind the resurgence of violence.警方说毒贩是暴力活动重新抬头的罪魁祸首。

22 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。

23 tarnished   

（通常指金属）（使）失去光泽，（使）变灰暗( tarnish的过去式和过去分词 )； 玷污，败坏

参考例句：

• The mirrors had tarnished with age. 这些镜子因年深日久而照影不清楚。
• His bad behaviour has tarnished the good name of the school. 他行为不轨，败坏了学校的声誉。

24 posthumous   

adj.遗腹的；父亡后出生的；死后的，身后的

参考例句：

• He received a posthumous award for bravery.他表现勇敢，死后受到了嘉奖。
• The legendary actor received a posthumous achievement award.这位传奇男星在过世后获得终身成就奖的肯定。

25 whittled   

v.切，削（木头），使逐渐变小( whittle的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He whittled a simple toy from the piece of wood. 他把那块木头削成了一个简易的玩具。
• The government's majority has been whittled down to eight. 政府多数票减少到了八票。

26 rants   

n.夸夸其谈( rant的名词复数 )；大叫大嚷地以…说教；气愤地)大叫大嚷；不停地大声抱怨v.夸夸其谈( rant的第三人称单数 )；大叫大嚷地以…说教；气愤地)大叫大嚷；不停地大声抱怨

参考例句：

• This actor rants his lines. 这演员背台词拿腔拿调。 来自辞典例句
• Parents might also profit from eliminating the rants. 改掉大声叫骂的习惯，家长们也会受益。 来自互联网

27 racism   

n.民族主义；种族歧视(意识)

参考例句：

• He said that racism is endemic in this country.他说种族主义在该国很普遍。
• Racism causes political instability and violence.种族主义道致政治动荡和暴力事件。

28 intrigued   

adj.好奇的，被迷住了的v.搞阴谋诡计(intrigue的过去式)；激起…的兴趣或好奇心；“intrigue”的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• You've really intrigued me—tell me more! 你说的真有意思—再给我讲一些吧！
• He was intrigued by her story. 他被她的故事迷住了。

29 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

30 graphic   

adj.生动的，形象的，绘画的，文字的，图表的

参考例句：

• The book gave a graphic description of the war.这本书生动地描述了战争的情况。
• Distinguish important text items in lists with graphic icons.用图标来区分重要的文本项。

31 annotated   

v.注解，注释( annotate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Thematic maps should always be annotated with the source and date of the topical information. 各类专题地图，均应注明专题资料来源和日期。 来自辞典例句
• And this is the version annotated by Umberto de Bologna. 并且这是有安博多-德-波罗格那注释的版本。 来自电影对白

32 fraught   

adj.充满…的，伴有(危险等)的；忧虑的

参考例句：

• The coming months will be fraught with fateful decisions.未来数月将充满重大的决定。
• There's no need to look so fraught!用不着那么愁眉苦脸的！

33 bigotry   

n.偏见，偏执，持偏见的行为[态度]等

参考例句：

• She tried to dissociate herself from the bigotry in her past.她力图使自己摆脱她以前的偏见。
• At least we can proceed in this matter without bigotry.目前这件事咱们至少可以毫无偏见地进行下去。

34 complexity   

n.复杂(性)，复杂的事物

参考例句：

• Only now did he understand the full complexity of the problem.直到现在他才明白这一问题的全部复杂性。
• The complexity of the road map puzzled me.错综复杂的公路图把我搞糊涂了。

35 conversion   

n.转化，转换，转变

参考例句：

• He underwent quite a conversion.他彻底变了。
• Waste conversion is a part of the production process.废物处理是生产过程的一个组成部分。

36 subversion   

n.颠覆，破坏

参考例句：

• He was arrested in parliament on charges of subversion for organizing the demonstration.他因组织示威活动在议会上被以颠覆破坏罪名逮捕。
• It had a cultural identity relatively immune to subversion from neighboring countries.它的文化同一性使它相对地不易被邻国所颠覆。