末世中的烏托邦

◎ 賞析 / 陳榕

保羅·奧斯特(Paul Auster) 1947年出生于美國新澤西州一個猶太中產階級家庭。1965年，他考取了哥倫比亞大學，在就讀期間曾到巴黎短暫游學。1970年，他獲得哥倫比亞大學碩士學位，畢業后當過海員，做過編劇，翻譯過法國詩歌。1985年，奧斯特發表了小說《玻璃之城》(City of Glass)，1986年又相繼發表了《幽靈》(Ghosts)與《密室》(The Locked Room)。這三部小說合稱《紐約三部曲》(New York Trilogy)，使他在美國文壇一舉成名。《末世之城》(In the Country of Last Things)出版于1987年，之后他還出版了《幻影書》(The Book of Illusions)、《預言之夜》(Oracle Night)等小說。奧斯特被譽為美國當代最有知識分子氣質的小說家之一。他的作品具有魔幻色彩，充滿了新穎的想象和深刻的哲學思考。

Excerpts1)

There are the last things， she wrote. One by one they disappear and never come back. I can tell you of the ones I have seen， of the ones that are no more， but I doubt there will be time. It is all happening too fast now， and I cannot keep up.

I don’t expect you to understand. You have seen none of this， and even if you tried， you could not imagine it. These are the last things. A house is there one day， and the next day it is gone. A street you walked down yesterday is no longer there today. Even the weather is in constant flux. A day of sun followed by a day of rain， a day of snow followed by a day of fog， warm then cool， wind then stillness， a stretch of bitter cold， and then today， in the middle of winter， an afternoon of fragrant light， warm to the point of merely sweaters. When you live in the city， you learn to take nothing for granted. Close your eyes for a moment， turn around to look at something else， and the thing that was before you is suddenly gone. Nothing lasts， you see， not even the thoughts inside you. And you mustn’t waste your time looking for them. Once a thing is gone， that is the end of it.

This is how I live， her letter continued. I don’t eat much. Just enough to keep me going from step to step， and no more. At times my weakness is so great， I feel the next step will never come. But I manage. In spite of the lapses2)， I keep myself going. You should see how well I manage.

The streets of the city are everywhere， and no two streets are the same. I put one foot in front of the other， and then the other foot in front of the first， and then hope I can do it again. Nothing more than that. You must understand how it is with me now. I move. I breathe what air is given me. I eat as little as I can. No matter what anyone says， the only thing that counts is staying on your feet.

You remember what you said to me before I left. William3) has disappeared， you said， and no matter how hard I looked， I would never find him. Those were your words. And then I told you that I didn’t care what you said， that I was going to find my brother. And then I got on that terrible boat and left you. How long ago was that? I can’t remember anymore. Years and years， I think. But that is only a guess. I make no bones about4) it. I’ve lost track， and nothing will ever set it right for me.

This much is certain. If not for my hunger， I wouldn’t be able to go on. You must get used to doing with as little as you can. By wanting less， you are content with less， and the less you need， the better off5) you are. That is what the city does to you. It turns your thoughts inside out6). It makes you want to live， and at the same time it tries to take your life away from you. There is no escape from this. Either you do or you don’t. And if you do， you can’t be sure of doing it the next time. And if you don’t， you never will again.

I am not sure why I am writing to you now. To be honest， I have barely thought of you since I got here. But suddenly， after all this time， I feel there is something to say， and if I don’t quickly write it down， my head will burst. It doesn’t matter if you read it. It doesn’t even matter if I send it—assuming that could be done. Perhaps it comes down to this. I am writing to you because you know nothing. Because you are far away from me and know nothing.

There are people so thin， she wrote， they are sometimes blown away. The winds in the city are ferocious7)， always gusting8) off the river and singing in your ears， always buffeting9) you back and forth， always swirling papers and garbage in your path. It’s not uncommon to see the thinnest people moving about in twos and threes， sometimes whole families， bound together by ropes and chains， to ballast10) one another against the blasts11). Others give up trying to go out altogether， hugging to the doorways and alcoves12)， until even the fairest sky seems a threat. Better to wait quietly in their corner， they think， than to be dashed against the stones. It is also possible to become so good at not eating that eventually you can eat nothing at all.

It is even worse for the ones who fight their hunger. Thinking about food too much can only lead to trouble. These are the ones who are obsessed， who refuse to give in to the facts. They prowl13) the streets at all hours， scavenging14) for morsels15)， taking enormous risks for even the smallest crumb16). No matter how much they are able to find， it will never be enough. They eat without ever filling themselves， tearing into their food with animal haste， their bony fingers picking， their quivering jaws never shut. Most of it dribbles17) down their chins， and what they manage to swallow， they usually throw up again in a few minutes. It is a slow death， as if food were a fire， a madness， burning them up from within. They think they are eating to stay alive， but in the end they are the ones who are eaten.

1.節選部分選自小說的開頭部分，主人公安娜以給朋友寫信的方式，描述了事情發生的背景和自身所處的惡劣生存環境。

2.lapse [laelig;ps] n. 退步，后退

3.William：威廉，小說中安娜的哥哥

4.make no bones about：坦率地承認，對……不加隱瞞

5.better off：境況好起來的

6.inside out：徹底地

7.ferocious [f#601;#712;r#601;#650;#643;#601;s] adj. 十分強烈的

8.gust [ɡ#652;st] vi. 一陣陣地勁吹

9.buffet [#712;b#652;f#618;t] vt. 連續猛擊

10.ballast [#712;baelig;l#601;st] vt. 使穩定

11.blast [blɑ#720;st] n. 狂風，暴風

12.alcove [#712;aelig;lk#601;#650;v] n. 凹室

13.prowl [pra#650;l] vt. (為覓食等)潛行；(仔細地)搜尋

14.scavenge [#712;skaelig;v#618;nd#658;] vt. (從丟棄物中)撿(有用之物)；在……中搜尋有用之物

15.morsel [#712;m#596;#720;(r)s(#601;)l] n. (食物的)一口，一小份

16.crumb [kr#652;m] n. 碎屑；面包屑；糕餅屑

17.dribble [#712;dr#618;b(#601;)l] vi. 滴下；一點一滴地落下

作品欣賞

1516年，英國作家托馬斯·莫爾出版了小說《烏托邦》(Utopia)。在這部小說中，他描繪了一個民主、平等、沒有紛爭的世界。這個美麗新世界寄托了身處封建君主統治下的莫爾對理想社會的構想。莫爾創造的“Utopia”(烏托邦)這個詞來自兩個希臘詞匯“ou”與“topos”。其中“ou”表示“沒有”，“topos”表示“地方”。不過，“ou”在英文中的諧音“eu-”又表示“美好”。所以烏托邦既是美好的國度，又是在這個世界上難以尋覓的“烏有鄉”。

后來，人們開始用“烏托邦小說”來泛指文學中那些想象幸福世界的作品。人們有感于現存世界的種種弊病，用烏托邦小說來憧憬出一個完美的未來社會。然而，并不是所有人都如此樂觀，也并不是所有人都相信這個世界會越變越好，世上還有很多對事態發展持懷疑態度的人。這些懷疑主義者反其道而行之，用“反烏托邦小說”勾勒出人間的劫難和丑惡。在這些小說里，我們乘著時間的列車前行奔馳，沒有抵達天堂，而是來至地獄的入口。

《末世之城》便是這樣一部反烏托邦小說。小說沒有標明故事發生的年代，但根據作者的描述，我們能猜測出是在未來的某個時空。小說主人公是一位名叫安娜的女性。書稿是她寫給朋友的長信。為了找到失蹤的哥哥，安娜來到了紐約。此時的紐約已經是一座末世之城。所有的工業都被摧毀，生產中斷。人們只能依靠殘存的物資生活，大量的人口在疾病或饑餓中死去。為了生存，安娜做了一名拾荒人，并因此遇到了一位名叫伊莎貝的老婦人，和她結下了如同母女般的情誼。伊莎貝病故后，安娜流浪到紐約市國家圖書館，遇到了新聞記者薩姆，兩個人墜入愛河，之后安娜懷了孕。不幸的是，安娜遭人蒙騙，被拐賣到了以販賣人肉為生的地下屠宰場。為了從屠宰場逃生，安娜破窗而出，結果孩子流產，但幸運的是，她被慈善院“沃朋之家”的工作人員救助和收留。小說的結尾，安娜和愛人薩姆以及“沃朋之家”的主人維多利亞等決定結伴離開紐約，但前路關卡重重，成功希望渺茫。

在這部小說中，未來的紐約是一座黑暗的城市：氣候反復無常，人們沒有御寒的衣物；機器停止了轉動，人們缺乏最基本的日常消費品；一座座樓房在傾塌，人們找不到溫暖的居所；食物成了最珍貴的私有物資，人們在饑餓的啃噬中痛苦地死去。在這樣一座城市里，生存成了每天被拉長的痛苦。為了早日得到解脫，人們發明了各種快速死亡的方式。有人請醫生幫忙實施安樂死。有人服用大劑量毒品，想讓死亡來到的那一刻充滿虛幻的快感。有人甚至發明了新穎的集體自殺的方式，比如“跑死族”，大家一起拖著虛弱的身體狂奔，在心臟不能承受負荷的一剎那倒地身亡。

更為可怕的是，惡劣的生存環境放大了人性的惡。為了一點食物，人們可以自相殘殺。為了換取自身的生存，人們可以互相出賣。城市里還有地下屠宰場，將活人誘騙到那里殺掉，將人肉作為食物售賣。《末世之城》的結尾沒有出現好人有好報的預言。主人公和朋友們打算集體出逃，不過他們心里明白自己一定會被政府設立的路障攔下來。

然而，越是丑陋、邪惡的環境，越容易反襯出人性的美好。安娜在末世之城里的遭遇就說明了這一點。她先后落腳了三個地方：拾荒老婦人伊莎貝的家、作為文明象征的圖書館，還有福利機構“沃朋之家”。這三個地方是這個末世之城里的浮島，為安娜提供了一個個可以棲身受佑護的烏托邦。安娜只身進城，居無定所，是素昧平生的伊莎貝收留了她，給了她母親式的呵護和關愛。安娜沒有找到哥哥，但是接替哥哥在紐約記者站工作的薩姆給了她愛情和溫暖。兩個年輕人用身體的依偎和精神的交流來抵抗苦難和黑暗。安娜流產后，在救治她的“沃朋之家”結識了一群志同道合的朋友。他們將僅有的糧食分給饑餓的陌生人共享，用稀缺的藥物給倒在路邊的病人提供救治。行善使他們淪為赤貧，即便如此，他們相互扶持，從來沒有改變過志向。

第二次世界大戰之后，文學領域誕生了一批反烏托邦小說經典。威廉·戈爾丁的《蠅王》(Lord of the Flies)*描寫了一群十幾歲的孩子流落到荒島的經歷。缺少了文明的束縛，他們回歸野性，相互捕獵，將荒島變成了殺人場。這是人性惡的集中體現。喬治·奧威爾的《一九八四》(1984)描寫了一個鐵牢籠似的世界。在“老大哥”的領導下，人與人之間相互監視，自由成了奢望，愛情不被允許，藝術是違禁品，連讀一本莎士比亞的著作都是罪過。這是極權主義的深沉噩夢。《末世之城》同樣充滿了反烏托邦式的想象，但與《蠅王》不同，它讓你看到人與人之間仍存在著關愛的可能；和《一九八四》也不同，它讓你看到人可以決定自己的行動，即便不能逃脫困境，也可以決定如何有尊嚴地活下去以及如何有尊嚴地面對死亡。

在《末世之城》中，我們真切地感受到了這座城市行將毀滅。一切都將耗盡。一切都將失去。食物吃完，衣服穿破，人衰竭而死，尸體被政府收走，拉到火化場焚毀，最后冷卻成冰涼的一堆灰燼。但是，小說也讓我們看到了一絲光亮，讓我們明白：在這個世界上，還有一座座小小的烏托邦，那里收藏著人類永恒的信仰和理想。