经济学人13:舞台上的布尔加科夫和斯大林

 　　Books and Arts; Book Review;Bulgakov and Stalin on stage；

　　文艺；书评；舞台上的布尔加科夫与斯大林；

　　Men and monsters；Two new plays explore the relationship between art and tyranny；

　　人与怪物；探讨艺术与极权统治之间关系的两部新剧;

　　Even without the constraints¹ of censorship, Stalin's reign² lends itself to surrealism. How else to convey its mad caprices, the incomprehensible scale of his cruelty and the spiralling paranoia³? Two new London productions that, coincidentally, involve Stalin and the novelist Mikhail Bulgakov, make apt use of surreal fantasia. Catch either, or ideally both, if you can.

　　即便没有审查制度，斯大林的统治之下，艺术也会走向超现实主义。不然还有什么方式，可以表达其统治的反复无常，以及其人不可理解的残酷程度和日益增强的偏执呢？伦敦最近的两部新剧，恰好以超现实的幻想曲，让斯大林和小说家米哈?布尔加科夫走到了一起。两者中任一方面都值得玩味，如果你能，也可以兼顾双方。

　　The new version of “The Master and Margarita” by Complicite, a British company justly renowned⁴ for its daring theatre, is set to tour Europe after a short, triumphant⁵ run at the Barbican. The unwieldy zaniness of Bulgakov's great novel—whose action involves the devil and his retinue⁶ visiting Stalin's Moscow, the blighted⁷ affair of the eponymous characters, and the master's novel about Pontius Pilate and Jesus—somehow hasn't deterred⁸ stage adaptations. In this one, Simon McBurney, Complicite's director, doubles down: rather than trying to simplify, he mashes⁹ up the stories, echoing and embellishing¹⁰ them in multimedia¹¹. There are projections¹², sound loops, puppetry and nudity: a painfully emaciated¹³ Christ; a flying, nude¹⁴ Margarita.

　　以大胆的舞台著称的英国Complicite公司推出了新版《大师与玛格丽特》，在巴比肯的短暂上演大获成功，计划接下来去欧洲巡演。布尔加科夫这本伟大的小说带有一种不受支配的癫狂：魔鬼极其随从造访斯大林的莫斯科，同名人物的事迹以及大师所著关于比拉多和耶稣的故事。但这些都没有阻碍舞台剧本的改写。Complicite公司的总监Simon McBurney认为，不应当简化原著，而是把整个故事融为一体，并通过多媒体手段加以呼应和装饰。电脑投影，环绕音响，木偶人像和大胆裸露都得以应用。瘦骨嶙峋的耶稣痛苦地受难，还有赤身裸体悬在空中的玛格丽特。

　　The result is a dark carnival¹⁵ of theatrical¹⁶ effects, which is demanding, sometimes overwhelming, only occasionally misfiring. Like readers of the book, some members of the audience may yearn¹⁷ for more of the comic demons¹⁸, in particular the giant, lecherous¹⁹ cat. But the overall impact highlights the novel's underlying²⁰ themes: the hypocrisy²¹ of many but compassion²² of some; the way craven people get the callous²³ rulers they deserve, yet now and then rise to a nobility that deserves better.

　　这一切的结果便是各种舞台特效在黑暗中的狂欢。全场气氛被跳动起来，有时甚至无法抵抗，只有某些时刻会显得过火。和原著的读者一样，现场的一些观众可能也会渴望看到更多动画制作的怪物，尤其是那只巨大的充满色情意味的猫。但总体效果还是突出了小说暗藏的主题：多数人的伪善和少数人的悲悯；懦弱的民众服从暴君是自食其果，虽然不时的那点高尚，似乎值得更好的统治。

　　“Collaborators”, a coruscating²⁴ new play at the National Theatre, imagines a relationship between Stalin and Bulgakov himself. Directed by Sir Nicholas Hytner and written by John Hodge, previously²⁵ best known as the screenwriter for “Shallow Grave” and “Trainspotting”, the production will soon transfer to the National's main Olivier stage after opening at the smaller Cottesloe. Bulgakov (Alex Jennings) is coerced²⁶ to write a play about the dictator's early years to celebrate his 60th birthday. In return, along with his life and his wife's, he is promised the un-banning of his subversive²⁷ drama about Molière—grotesque, masked scenes from which intrude²⁸ on the main story, as do comically appalling²⁹ passages from the Stalin tribute.

　　在国家剧院上演的《合作者们》也是一部引人注意的新剧，假想了斯大林与布尔加科夫之间的故事。导演是Nicholas Hytner，编剧是John Hodge，之前凭借《浅坟》和《猜火车》为人所知。这部新剧在Cottesloe开演之后，很快会转至更大的国家奥利弗主剧院演出。剧中布尔加科夫（Alex Jennings饰）被迫写一部关于独裁者早年经历的剧本，以庆祝他的60岁诞辰。回报就是他得到允诺，他关于莫里哀的反动剧作不会被禁演。于是这个剧作中的奇怪晦涩的场景会不时插入到为斯大林献礼的剧作中，传达出既滑稽又恐怖的信息。

　　That, in the event, is written by Stalin, who summons Bulgakov to secret meetings. The actual Bulgakov did write a never-performed play about Stalin's youth; Stalin telephoned and took an interest in him, though there is no record that they met. Simon Russell Beale (pictured above) is a chillingly hilarious³⁰ Stalin; substituting a West Country burr for the original Georgian accent, he is cunning and charming, manipulative, menacing and intellectually insecure. While Stalin hammers out the script, Bulgakov, struggling with his compromises and conscience, is obliged do his collaborator's paperwork, which slides from steel-factory targets, to grain allocations, to death quotas³¹.

　　这一段在剧中，是由斯大林所写，他召见布尔加科夫密见。现实中布尔加科夫的确写过一部关于斯大林青年时期经历的剧本，但从未被搬上舞台。斯大林和他通过电话并表示过赞赏，但并没有他们会面的记录。Simon Russell Beale（如图）扮演了一个冷酷却又惹人发笑的斯大林，用西方粗喉音代替了他原来的乔治亚时期的口音。他世故圆滑，富于魅力，控制欲强，具有威慑力同时又反复无常。在剧中，当斯大林敲定剧本台词时，布尔加科夫在妥协和良知之间摇摆挣扎，但不得不完成这一合作的剧本，内容涉及炼钢厂目标，谷物分配，甚至死刑名额。

　　Both productions explore the relationship between tyranny and creativity: the artistic³² kind, but also the humbler urge to create private love and lives in crushing times. “The Master and Margarita” proclaims that “manuscripts don't burn”. “Collaborators” is less sure of art's resilience: “the monster always wins”, Stalin insists. “Collaborators” hints at the structural³³ similarities between writing and governing. Both are lonely work, requiring the imposition of an arbitrary order on unseen, notional individuals—only, in the case of the tyrant³⁴, the people are real.

　　两部新剧都探讨了集权统治和艺术创造之间的关系：在集权压制的时代，关于个人情爱和生活的艺术创作的动力极其微弱。《大师与玛格丽特》宣称“手稿不可被真正焚毁”。《合作者们》则并未如此确定艺术的自我恢复能力，毕竟“怪物们总是胜利”，这是剧中斯大林坚持的台词。这两部作品都算是脱离现实，涉及到对那些未见的个体施加强制命令，只有在暴君统治之下，居中的人民才活在真实当中。

1 constraints   

强制( constraint的名词复数 )； 限制； 约束

参考例句：

• Data and constraints can easily be changed to test theories. 信息库中的数据和限制条件可以轻易地改变以检验假设。 来自英汉非文学 - 科学史
• What are the constraints that each of these imply for any design? 这每种产品的要求和约束对于设计意味着什么？ 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

2 reign   

n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势

参考例句：

• The reign of Queen Elizabeth lapped over into the seventeenth century.伊丽莎白王朝延至17世纪。
• The reign of Zhu Yuanzhang lasted about 31 years.朱元璋统治了大约三十一年。

3 paranoia   

n.妄想狂，偏执狂；多疑症

参考例句：

• Her passion for cleanliness borders on paranoia.她的洁癖近乎偏执。
• The push for reform is also motivated by political paranoia.竞选的改革运动也受到政治偏执狂症的推动。

4 renowned   

adj.著名的，有名望的，声誉鹊起的

参考例句：

• He is one of the world's renowned writers.他是世界上知名的作家之一。
• She is renowned for her advocacy of human rights.她以提倡人权而闻名。

5 triumphant   

adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的

参考例句：

• The army made a triumphant entry into the enemy's capital.部队胜利地进入了敌方首都。
• There was a positively triumphant note in her voice.她的声音里带有一种极为得意的语气。

6 retinue   

n.侍从；随员

参考例句：

• The duchess arrived,surrounded by her retinue of servants.公爵夫人在大批随从人马的簇拥下到达了。
• The king's retinue accompanied him on the journey.国王的侍从在旅途上陪伴着他。

7 blighted   

adj.枯萎的，摧毁的

参考例句：

• Blighted stems often canker.有病的茎往往溃烂。
• She threw away a blighted rose.她把枯萎的玫瑰花扔掉了。

8 deterred   

v.阻止，制止( deter的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• I told him I wasn't interested, but he wasn't deterred. 我已告诉他我不感兴趣，可他却不罢休。
• Jeremy was not deterred by this criticism. 杰里米没有因这一批评而却步。 来自辞典例句

9 mashes   

（水、谷物等混合而成的）糊状物( mash的名词复数 )

参考例句：

10 embellishing   

v.美化( embellish的现在分词 )；装饰；修饰；润色

参考例句：

• He kept embellishing it in his mind, building up the laughs. 他在心里不断地为它添油加醋，增加笑料。 来自辞典例句
• Bumper's each angle is embellishing the small air vent, manifested complete bikes's width to increase. 保险杠的每个角都点缀着小的通风孔，体现了整车的宽度增加。 来自互联网

11 multimedia   

adj.多种手段的，多媒体的；n.多媒体

参考例句：

• Multimedia is the combination of computer and video technology.多媒体是计算机和视频技术的结合。
• Adam raised the issue of multimedia applications and much useful discussion ensued.亚当提出了多媒体应用的问题，从而引发了许多有益的讨论。

12 projections   

预测( projection的名词复数 )； 投影； 投掷； 突起物

参考例句：

• Their sales projections are a total thumbsuck. 他们的销售量预测纯属估计。
• The council has revised its projections of funding requirements upwards. 地方议会调高了对资金需求的预测。

13 emaciated   

adj.衰弱的，消瘦的

参考例句：

• A long time illness made him sallow and emaciated.长期患病使他面黄肌瘦。
• In the light of a single candle,she can see his emaciated face.借着烛光，她能看到他的被憔悴的面孔。

14 nude   

adj.裸体的；n.裸体者，裸体艺术品

参考例句：

• It's a painting of the Duchess of Alba in the nude.这是一幅阿尔巴公爵夫人的裸体肖像画。
• She doesn't like nude swimming.她不喜欢裸泳。

15 carnival   

n.嘉年华会，狂欢，狂欢节，巡回表演

参考例句：

• I got some good shots of the carnival.我有几个狂欢节的精彩镜头。
• Our street puts on a carnival every year.我们街的居民每年举行一次嘉年华会。

16 theatrical   

adj.剧场的，演戏的；做戏似的，做作的

参考例句：

• The final scene was dismayingly lacking in theatrical effect.最后一场缺乏戏剧效果，叫人失望。
• She always makes some theatrical gesture.她老在做些夸张的手势。

17 yearn   

v.想念；怀念；渴望

参考例句：

• We yearn to surrender our entire being.我们渴望着放纵我们整个的生命。
• Many people living in big cities yearn for an idyllic country life.现在的很多都市人向往那种田园化的生活。

18 demons   

n.恶人( demon的名词复数 )；恶魔；精力过人的人；邪念

参考例句：

• demons torturing the sinners in Hell 地狱里折磨罪人的魔鬼
• He is plagued by demons which go back to his traumatic childhood. 他为心魔所困扰，那可追溯至他饱受创伤的童年。 来自《简明英汉词典》

19 lecherous   

adj.好色的；淫邪的

参考例句：

• Her husband was described in court as a lecherous scoundrel.她的丈夫在法庭上被描绘成一个好色的无赖。
• Men enjoy all the beautiful bones,but do not mistake him lecherous.男人骨子里全都喜欢美女，但千万别误以为他好色。

20 underlying   

adj.在下面的，含蓄的，潜在的

参考例句：

• The underlying theme of the novel is very serious.小说隐含的主题是十分严肃的。
• This word has its underlying meaning.这个单词有它潜在的含义。

21 hypocrisy   

n.伪善，虚伪

参考例句：

• He railed against hypocrisy and greed.他痛斥伪善和贪婪的行为。
• He accused newspapers of hypocrisy in their treatment of the story.他指责了报纸在报道该新闻时的虚伪。

22 compassion   

n.同情，怜悯

参考例句：

• He could not help having compassion for the poor creature.他情不自禁地怜悯起那个可怜的人来。
• Her heart was filled with compassion for the motherless children.她对于没有母亲的孩子们充满了怜悯心。

23 callous   

adj.无情的，冷淡的，硬结的，起老茧的

参考例句：

• He is callous about the safety of his workers.他对他工人的安全毫不关心。
• She was selfish,arrogant and often callous.她自私傲慢，而且往往冷酷无情。

24 coruscating   

v.闪光，闪烁( coruscate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• His helmet kept coruscating. 他的钢盔在闪闪发光。 来自辞典例句
• The barge chugs around an island, the morning sun now coruscating brilliantly off the water's surface. 游艇在海岛周围转了转，早晨的阳光照在水面上，波光粼粼。 来自互联网

25 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

26 coerced   

v.迫使做( coerce的过去式和过去分词 )；强迫；（以武力、惩罚、威胁等手段）控制；支配

参考例句：

• They were coerced into negotiating a settlement. 他们被迫通过谈判解决。
• He was coerced into making a confession. 他被迫招供。 来自《简明英汉词典》

27 subversive   

adj.颠覆性的，破坏性的；n.破坏份子，危险份子

参考例句：

• She was seen as a potentially subversive within the party.她被看成党内潜在的颠覆分子。
• The police is investigating subversive group in the student organization.警方正调查学生组织中的搞颠覆阴谋的集团。

28 intrude   

vi.闯入；侵入；打扰，侵扰

参考例句：

• I do not want to intrude if you are busy.如果你忙我就不打扰你了。
• I don't want to intrude on your meeting.我不想打扰你们的会议。

29 appalling   

adj.骇人听闻的，令人震惊的，可怕的

参考例句：

• The search was hampered by appalling weather conditions.恶劣的天气妨碍了搜寻工作。
• Nothing can extenuate such appalling behaviour.这种骇人听闻的行径罪无可恕。

30 hilarious   

adj.充满笑声的，欢闹的；[反]depressed

参考例句：

• The party got quite hilarious after they brought more wine.在他们又拿来更多的酒之后，派对变得更加热闹起来。
• We stop laughing because the show was so hilarious.我们笑个不停，因为那个节目太搞笑了。

31 quotas   

（正式限定的）定量( quota的名词复数 )； 定额； 指标； 摊派

参考例句：

• In fulfilling the production quotas, John made rings round all his fellow workers. 约翰完成生产定额大大超过他的同事们。
• Quotas of the means of production are allocated by the higher administrative bodies to the lower ones. 物资指标按隶属关系分配。

32 artistic   

adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的

参考例句：

• The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。
• These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。

33 structural   

adj.构造的，组织的，建筑（用）的

参考例句：

• The storm caused no structural damage.风暴没有造成建筑结构方面的破坏。
• The North American continent is made up of three great structural entities.北美大陆是由三个构造单元组成的。

34 tyrant   

n.暴君，专制的君主，残暴的人

参考例句：

• The country was ruled by a despotic tyrant.该国处在一个专制暴君的统治之下。
• The tyrant was deaf to the entreaties of the slaves.暴君听不到奴隶们的哀鸣。