2006-05-16 16:25:39JOlie~
A clean, well-lighted place -- 我最愛的短篇故事
我修了一門課"性別與法律"!會選這門課主要是因為上學期有一堂必修"文學入門",老師上英文文學的方法很特別!他不照本宣科!重點也不在於該文章的文法或是用辭有多優美...重點在於作者在文章中所透露的意義為何?
文學入門這堂課,我印象最深的是一篇海明威的作品--A Clean Well-Lighted Place! 這篇文章很簡潔,用字也很簡單!沒花多少時間就看完了!當我預習完這篇文章,我沒有任何感受!只覺得這是個奇怪的敘事短篇故事!
但這個短篇故事,一到了老師手上,成了一篇處處有人生道理的文章! 兩個waiters的對話中,看出兩個截然不同的個性! 開頭的對話:
"Last week he tried to commit suicide," one waiter said.
"Why?"
"He was in despair."
"What about?"
"Nothing."
"How do you know it was nothing?"
"He has plenty of money."
看出兩人對money & life有不同的看法,money & life也對他們有不同的意義!
Money 不是人生的全部! 即使一個富有的人,也不見得有富有的精神生活! 有時候人生許多事情都不是你想要的!你做的工作不是因為你愛工作,而是你必須工作!因為你要養活自己養活家人!甚至你活著是為了愛你的人而活著!而人生有這麼多的"非意願",要怎麼讓自己活下去呢? 就像是故事中的人物所需要的--A clean, well-lighted place. 有時候就是這麼一個簡單的需求,作為人生喘息的地方! 而沉重的人生才能繼續下去~ 否則也只能告訴自己,一切的失意都是正常的! 每個人都有這個經驗吧!
"A clean, well-lighted cafe was a very different thing. Now, without thinking further, he would go home to his room. He would lie in the bed and finally, with daylight, he would go to sleep. After all, he said to himself, it's probably only insomnia. Many must have it."
文學入門這堂課,我印象最深的是一篇海明威的作品--A Clean Well-Lighted Place! 這篇文章很簡潔,用字也很簡單!沒花多少時間就看完了!當我預習完這篇文章,我沒有任何感受!只覺得這是個奇怪的敘事短篇故事!
但這個短篇故事,一到了老師手上,成了一篇處處有人生道理的文章! 兩個waiters的對話中,看出兩個截然不同的個性! 開頭的對話:
"Last week he tried to commit suicide," one waiter said.
"Why?"
"He was in despair."
"What about?"
"Nothing."
"How do you know it was nothing?"
"He has plenty of money."
看出兩人對money & life有不同的看法,money & life也對他們有不同的意義!
Money 不是人生的全部! 即使一個富有的人,也不見得有富有的精神生活! 有時候人生許多事情都不是你想要的!你做的工作不是因為你愛工作,而是你必須工作!因為你要養活自己養活家人!甚至你活著是為了愛你的人而活著!而人生有這麼多的"非意願",要怎麼讓自己活下去呢? 就像是故事中的人物所需要的--A clean, well-lighted place. 有時候就是這麼一個簡單的需求,作為人生喘息的地方! 而沉重的人生才能繼續下去~ 否則也只能告訴自己,一切的失意都是正常的! 每個人都有這個經驗吧!
"A clean, well-lighted cafe was a very different thing. Now, without thinking further, he would go home to his room. He would lie in the bed and finally, with daylight, he would go to sleep. After all, he said to himself, it's probably only insomnia. Many must have it."
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