Writing Is a Lonely Life 孤寂成就写作

 

 

导言阅读

欧内斯特·海明威（1899—1961），美国小说家。中学毕业后开始在《星报》做新闻记者工作。代表作有《太阳照样升起》、《永别了，武器》、《丧钟为谁而鸣》、《老人与海》。1954年获得第五十四届诺贝尔文学奖。海明威被誉为美利坚民族的精神丰碑，并且是“新闻体”小说的创始人，他的笔锋一向以“文坛硬汉”著称。本篇为海明威在授奖仪式上的演讲词，海明威本人未出席这次授奖仪式，此文由当时美国大使约翰·C．卡波特代读。

演讲实录

Having no facility for speech-making and no command of oratory¹ nor any domination ofrhetoric, I wish to thank the administrators³ of the generosity⁴ of Alfred Nobel for this Prize. Nowriter who knows the great writers who did not receive the Prize can accept it other than withhumility . There is no need to list these writers. Everyone here may make his own list according tohis knowledge and his conscience .

It would be impossible for me to ask the Ambassador of my country to read a speech inwhich a writer said all of the things which are in his heart. Things may not be immediatelydiscernible in what a man writes, and in this sometimes he is fortunate; but eventually they arequite clear and by these and the degree of alchemy that he possesses he will endure or beforgotten.

Writing, at its best, is a lonely life. Organizations for writers palliate the writer's lonelinessbut I doubt if they improve his writing. He grows in public stature⁶ as he sheds his loneliness andoften his work deteriorates⁸ . For he does his work alone and if he is a good enough writer he mustface eternity⁹ , or the lack of it, each day.

For a true writer each book should be a new beginning where he tries again for somethingthat is beyond attainment¹⁰ . He should always try for something that has never been done or thatothers have tried and failed. Then sometimes, with great luck, he will succeed.

How simple the writing of literature would be if it were only necessary to write in anotherway what has been well written. It is because we have had such great writers in the past that awriter is driven far out past where he can go, out to where no one can help him.

I have spoken too long for a writer. A writer should write what he has to say and not speak it.

Again I thank you.

参考译文

我不善辞令，缺乏演说的才能，只想感谢阿尔弗雷德·诺贝尔评奖委员会的委员们慷慨授予我这项奖金。没有一个作家，当他知道在他以前不少伟大的作家并没有获得此项奖金的时候，能够心安理得地领奖而不感到受之有愧。这里无须一一列举这些作家的名字。在座的每一个人，都可以根据他的学识和良心列出自己的名单来。

要求我国的大使在这儿宣读一篇演说，把一个作家心中所感受到的一切都说尽是不可能的。一个人作品中的一些东西可能不会马上被人理解，在这点上，他有时是幸运的；但是它们终究会清晰起来，根据它们以及作家所具有的点石成金的本领之大小，他将青史留名或被人遗忘。

写作，在最成功的时候，是一种孤寂的生涯。作家的组织固然可以排遣他们的孤独，但是我怀疑它们未必能够促进作家的创作。一个在公众关注中成长起来的作家，自然可以免除孤苦寂寥之虑，但他的作品往往流于平庸。而一个在岑寂中独立工作的作家，假若他确实不同凡响，就必须天天面对永恒的东西，或者面对缺乏永恒的状况。

对于一个真正的作家来说，每一本书都应该成为他继续探索那些尚未到达的领域的一个新起点。他应该永远尝试去做那些从来没有人做过或者他人没有做成的事。这样他就会有幸获得成功。

如果将已经写好的作品仅仅换一种方法又重新写出来，那么文学创作就显得太轻而易举了。我们的前辈大师们留下了伟大的业绩，正因为如此，一个普通作家常被他们逼人的光辉驱赶到远离他可能到达的地方；陷于孤立无援的境地。

作为一个作家，我讲的已经太多了。作家应当把自己要说的话写下来，而不是说出来。再一次谢谢大家。

Vocabulary Bank

1. facility ［f?'siliti ］n 技能，技巧

He plays the piano with surprising facility.

他弹奏钢琴神乎其技。

2. oratory ［'?r?t?ri ］n 演讲术，雄辩术

His oratory soon had the crowd booing his opponents.

他能言善辩，很快就让人群向他的对手大喝倒彩。

3. domination ［d?mi'nei??n ］n 支配，控制

His defeat ended American domination of the sport.

他的失利结束了美国在该项运动中称霸的地位。

4. administrator² ［?d'ministreit? ］n 管理人员，行政人员She's an excellent administrator.

她是个优秀的管理人员。

5. humility⁵ ［hju:'militi ］n 谦虚的态度，谦逊I say this in all humility.

我说的决不过分。

6. conscience ［'k?n??ns ］n 良心，是非感

I must go. It's a matter of conscience.

我必须去，这是有关良心的事。

7. discernible ［di's?:n?bl, di'z?:n?bl ］adj 依稀可辨的Far away the outline of the island is just discernible.

远处的那座岛只看得清大致轮廓。

8. stature ［'st??? ］n （凭才能，成就而获得的）名望He was a scientist of international stature.

他是位有国际声望的科学家。

9. shed ［?ed ］v 去掉，除掉

You must learn to shed your inhibitions.

你应该尽量摆脱抑制心态。

10. deteriorate⁷ ［di'ti?ri?reit ］v 变坏，变质The discussion deteriorated¹¹ into a bitter quarrel.

这场讨论演变成了激烈的争吵。

11. eternity ［i:'t?:niti ］n 永恒，永生

He gave her an eternity ring when their son was born.

他们的儿子出世后他送给她一枚表示永恒的戒指。

12. attainment ［?'teinm?nt ］n 达到，到达

The attainment of her ambitions was still a dream.

她要实现抱负仍是梦想。

Language Guide

Alfred Nobel

阿尔弗雷德·诺贝尔

阿尔弗雷德·伯恩哈德·诺贝尔（Alfred Bernhard Nobel, 1833－1896），瑞典化学家，工程师，发明家，军工装备制造商，矽藻土炸药（Dynamite）的发明者。他曾拥有Bofors军工厂，主要生产军火；还曾拥有一座钢铁厂。在他的遗嘱中，他利用他的巨大财富创立了诺贝尔奖，获奖者的杰出成就表现在物理、化学、医学、文学和致力于推动世界和平，各种诺贝尔奖项均以诺贝尔的名字命名。人造元素锘（Nobelium）也是以他的名字命名的。

Nobel Prize in Literature

诺贝尔文学奖

诺贝尔在1895年11月27日写下遗嘱，捐献全部财产3122万余瑞典克朗设立基金，每年把利息作为奖金，授予“一年来对人类作出最大贡献的人”。根据他的遗嘱，瑞典政府于同年建立“诺贝尔基金会”，负责把基金的年利息按五等份授予，文学奖就是其中之一，其表彰对象为创作出理想倾向的最佳作品的人。2012年，中国籍作家莫言获得诺贝尔文学奖。

Grammar Master

other than在英语里很常见，含义较多，用法灵活。当other than = except，but，apartfrom时，表示“除……以外”。

例　There is nobody here other than me.

这里除了我以外没有别人。

例　Someone other than your brother should be appointed manager.

应当任命一个除了你兄弟之外的人当经理。

当other than = besides时，表示“除……以外，还……”。

例　English is now spoken in many countries other than England.

除英国外，其他许多国家都讲英语。

例　There were three people at the meeting other than Mr. Day.

除戴先生以外，还有三个人参加了会议。

当other than = not，instead of，rather than时，表示“不，非，而不是”。

例　I borrowed some books other than novels.

我借了几本书，都不是小说书。

当other than = in any other way than时，表示“用除此以外别的方式”。

例　You can't get there other than by swimming.

除了游过去之外，你没有别的方法到达那儿。

 

1 oratory   

n.演讲术；词藻华丽的言辞

参考例句：

• I admire the oratory of some politicians.我佩服某些政治家的辩才。
• He dazzled the crowd with his oratory.他的雄辩口才使听众赞叹不已。

2 administrator   

n.经营管理者，行政官员

参考例句：

• The role of administrator absorbed much of Ben's energy.行政职务耗掉本很多精力。
• He has proved himself capable as administrator.他表现出管理才能。

3 administrators   

n.管理者( administrator的名词复数 )；有管理（或行政）才能的人；（由遗嘱检验法庭指定的）遗产管理人；奉派暂管主教教区的牧师

参考例句：

• He had administrators under him but took the crucial decisions himself. 他手下有管理人员，但重要的决策仍由他自己来做。 来自辞典例句
• Administrators have their own methods of social intercourse. 办行政的人有他们的社交方式。 来自汉英文学 - 围城

4 generosity   

n.大度，慷慨，慷慨的行为

参考例句：

• We should match their generosity with our own.我们应该像他们一样慷慨大方。
• We adore them for their generosity.我们钦佩他们的慷慨。

5 humility   

n.谦逊，谦恭

参考例句：

• Humility often gains more than pride.谦逊往往比骄傲收益更多。
• His voice was still soft and filled with specious humility.他的声音还是那么温和，甚至有点谦卑。

6 stature   

n.（高度）水平，（高度）境界，身高，身材

参考例句：

• He is five feet five inches in stature.他身高5英尺5英寸。
• The dress models are tall of stature.时装模特儿的身材都较高。

7 deteriorate   

v.变坏；恶化；退化

参考例句：

• Do you think relations between China and Japan will continue to deteriorate?你认为中日关系会继续恶化吗？
• He held that this would only cause the situation to deteriorate further.他认为，这只会使局势更加恶化。

8 deteriorates   

恶化，变坏( deteriorate的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• After a few years' planting, the quality of the potato crop deteriorates. 土豆种了几年之后就会退化。
• Virus activity deteriorates in plasma stored at room temperature. 在室温下储藏的血浆中病毒活动逐渐衰退。

9 eternity   

n.不朽，来世；永恒，无穷

参考例句：

• The dull play seemed to last an eternity.这场乏味的剧似乎演个没完没了。
• Finally,Ying Tai and Shan Bo could be together for all of eternity.英台和山伯终能双宿双飞，永世相随。

10 attainment   

n.达到，到达；［常pl.］成就，造诣

参考例句：

• We congratulated her upon her attainment to so great an age.我们祝贺她高寿。
• The attainment of the success is not easy.成功的取得并不容易。

11 deteriorated   

恶化，变坏( deteriorate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Her health deteriorated rapidly, and she died shortly afterwards. 她的健康状况急剧恶化，不久便去世了。
• His condition steadily deteriorated. 他的病情恶化，日甚一日。