善良是一粒种子:种下一粒善良的种子

　　查尔斯·狄更斯(Charles Dickens, 1812～1870)是19世纪英国批判现实主义小说家。他出生于英国一个小职员家庭，12岁时因家庭背负债务被迫在鞋油作坊做工，24岁出版第一部作品《博兹札记》(Sketches by Boz)和第一部长篇小说《匹克威克外传》(The Pickwick Papers)，均受到广泛好评。在其后三十余年的创作生涯中，狄更斯撰写了多部长篇小说，代表作有《雾都孤儿》(Oliver Twist)、《大卫·科波菲尔》(David Copperfield)、《荒凉山庄》(Bleak House)、《艰难时世》(Hard Times)、《小杜丽》(Little Dorrit)、《双城记》(A Tale of Two Cities)、《远大前程》(Great Expectations)等。狄更斯的每一部作品出版时都在英国及海外读者中引起轰动效应，他因此被称为“最受大众欢迎的英国小说家”。《远大前程》是狄更斯晚年完成的一部小说。透过小说中主人公跌宕起伏的命运，狄更斯表达了自己对生命和人性的看法。该小说百年来被多次改编成电影、电视剧及舞台剧。
　　Excerpts1)
　　As I had grown accustomed to my expectations, I had insensibly begun to notice their effect upon myself and those around me. Their influence on my own character I disguised from my recognition as much as possible, but I knew very well that it was not all good. I lived in a state of chronic uneasiness respecting my behavior to Joe2). My conscience was not by any means comfortable about Biddy3). When I woke up in the night, like Camilla4), I used to think, with a weariness on my spirits, that I should have been happier and better if I had never seen Miss Havisham5)’s face, and had risen to manhood content to be partners with Joe in the honest old forge6). Many a time of an evening, when I sat alone looking at the fire, I thought, after all there was no fire like the forge fire and the kitchen fire at home.
　　Yet Estella7) was so inseparable from all my restlessness and disquiet of mind, that I really fell into confusion as to the limits of my own part in its production. That is to say, supposing I had had no expectations, and yet had had Estella to think of, I could not make out to my satisfaction that I should have done much better. Now, concerning the influence of my position on others, I was in no such difficulty, and so I perceived—though dimly enough perhaps—that it was not beneficial to anybody, and, above all, that it was not beneficial to Herbert8). My lavish habits led his easy nature into expenses that he could not afford, corrupted the simplicity of his life, and disturbed his peace with anxieties and regrets. I was not at all remorseful9) for having unwittingly set those other branches of the Pocket family10) to the poor arts they practised; because such littlenesses were their natural bent, and would have been evoked by anybody else, if I had left them slumbering11). But Herbert’s was a very different case, and it often caused me a twinge12) to think that I had done him evil service in crowding his sparely furnished chambers with incongruous13) upholstery14) work, and placing the Canary-breasted Avenger15) at his disposal. 　　So now, as an infallible way of making little ease great ease, I began to contract a quantity of debt. I could hardly begin but Herbert must begin too, so he soon followed. At Startop16)’s suggestion, we put ourselves down for election into a club called The Finches of the Grove: the object of which institution I have never divined, if it were not that the members should dine expensively once a fortnight, to quarrel among themselves as much as possible after dinner, and to cause six waiters to get drunk on the stairs. I know that these gratifying social ends were so invariably accomplished, that Herbert and I understood nothing else to be referred to in the first standing toast of the society: which ran “Gentlemen, may the present promotion of good feeling ever reign predominant among the Finches of the Grove.”
　　The Finches spent their money foolishly (the Hotel we dined at was in Covent Garden), and the first Finch I saw when I had the honor of joining the Grove was Bentley Drummle17), at that time floundering about town in a cab of his own, and doing a great deal of damage to the posts at the street corners. Occasionally, he shot himself out of his equipage18) headforemost over the apron; and I saw him on one occasion deliver himself at the door of the Grove in this unintentional way—like coals. But here I anticipate a little, for I was not a Finch, and could not be, according to the sacred laws of the society, until I came of age.
　　In my confidence in my own resources, I would willingly have taken Herbert’s expenses on myself; but Herbert was proud, and I could make no such proposal to him. So he got into difficulties in every direction, and continued to look about him. When we gradually fell into keeping late hours and late company, I noticed that he looked about him with a desponding eye at breakfast-time; that he began to look about him more hopefully about mid-day; that he drooped when he came into dinner; that he seemed to descry19) Capital in the distance, rather clearly, after dinner; that he all but realized Capital towards midnight; and that at about two o’clock in the morning, he became so deeply despondent again as to talk of buying a rifle and going to America, with a general purpose of compelling buffaloes to make his fortune.
　　I was usually at Hammersmith20) about half the week, and when I was at Hammersmith I haunted Richmond21), whereof separately by and by. Herbert would often come to Hammersmith when I was there, and I think at those seasons his father would occasionally have some passing perception that the opening he was looking for had not appeared yet. But in the general tumbling up of the family, his tumbling out in life somewhere was a thing to transact itself somehow. In the meantime Mr. Pocket22) grew grayer, and tried oftener to lift himself out of his perplexities by the hair. While Mrs. Pocket23) tripped up the family with her footstool, read her book of dignities, lost her pocket-handkerchief, told us about her grandpapa, and taught the young idea how to shoot, by shooting it into bed whenever it attracted her notice. 　　As I am now generalizing a period of my life with the object of clearing my way before me, I can scarcely do so better than by at once completing the description of our usual manners and customs at Barnard’s Inn24).
　　We spent as much money as we could, and got as little for it as people could make up their minds to give us. We were always more or less miserable, and most of our acquaintance were in the same condition. There was a gay fiction among us that we were constantly enjoying ourselves, and a skeleton truth that we never did. To the best of my belief, our case was in the last aspect a rather common one.
　　1. 节选部分选自小说第34章，是主人公皮普的一段自述，回忆了自己进城来的生活状况。
　　2. Joe：乔，小说中皮普的姐夫，是一名铁匠。
　　3. Biddy：毕蒂，一位善良、聪明的女孩，是小说中皮普的朋友。
　　4. Camilla：卡米拉，一位饶舌的老女人，是小说中郝薇香小姐的亲戚，只在乎郝薇香的财产。
　　5. Miss Havisham：郝薇香小姐，小说中一个性格十分乖戾的女人，年轻时曾受过感情创伤。
　　6. forge [f??(r)d?] n. 铁匠铺
　　7. Estella：艾丝黛拉，小说中郝薇香小姐的养女，是皮普一直喜欢的女子。
　　8. Herbert：赫伯特，小说中郝薇香小姐财产的未来继承人，是皮普在城里的室友。
　　9. remorseful [r??m??(r)sf(?)l] adj. 懊悔的；(充满)悔恨的；自责的
　　10. Pocket family：朴凯特家，即赫伯特一家，是小说中郝薇香小姐的亲戚。
　　11. slumber [?sl?mb?(r)] vi. 睡眠；蛰伏
　　12. twinge [tw?nd?] n. 痛苦；难过；内疚
　　13. incongruous [?n?k??ɡru?s] adj. 不协调的；不一致的；不和谐的
　　14. upholstery [?p?h??lst(?)ri] n. 家具装饰材料；帷帘织物
　　15. Canary-breasted Avenger：指赫伯特的仆人
　　16. Startop：史塔舵，小说中皮普在城里的同学，对皮普很友好。
　　17. Bentley Drummle：本特利·蛛穆尔，小说中一个粗俗、无知的年轻人，家中富有，后来迎娶了艾丝黛拉，最后死于意外。
　　18. equipage [??kw?p?d?] n. 马车(尤指带有穿制服的随从、车夫的豪华马车)
　　19. descry [d??skra?] vt. 察看，发现，远远看到
　　20. Hammersmith：哈默史密斯，英国地名，小说中朴凯特家所居住的地方
　　21. Richmond：里士满，英国地名，小说中艾丝黛拉后来进城寄居的地方
　　22. Mr. Pocket：朴凯特先生，小说中赫伯特的父亲，郝薇香小姐的表兄。他和其他的亲戚不一样，并不觊觎郝薇香小姐的财产。
　　23. Mrs. Pocket：朴凯特太太，小说中赫伯特的母亲
　　24. Barnard’s Inn：巴那尔德旅馆，小说中皮普在城里的住处
　　作品赏析
　　在英文中，“expectation”和“hope”一样，都表示“希望”，但是“expectation”更包含着一种预期。我们在眺望人生，不仅在希冀，同时也相信它的未来一定会延伸至某个方向。狄更斯的小说《远大前程》正是一则关于人生的自我预期和未来命运走向的故事。一天，在姐夫乔的铁匠铺当学徒的青年皮普突然被告知，有匿名恩主赠予了他一大笔财产，即日起他就可以启程前往伦敦，学习过“上等人”的生活。至于恩主是谁，在皮普看来，必然是他认识的唯一一位有钱人——郝薇香小姐。年近五旬的郝薇香年轻时曾经历感情创伤，婚礼当天新郎卷走财产失踪。她为此仇恨世界，性格变得十分乖戾，过起了隐居生活，并收养了一个名叫艾丝黛拉的女孩，而皮普幼年时曾作为艾丝黛拉的玩伴被带入郝薇香的别墅，自此与郝薇香和艾丝黛拉相识。
　　得到远大“钱”程的皮普开始幻想郝薇香为自己安排的锦绣前程：接手郝薇香的阴森大宅，“重新把阳光引进黑暗的房间……像传奇的年轻骑士一样，做出光辉的事业，然后和公主(艾丝黛拉)成婚”。然而，皮普的故事并没有朝着他所希冀的方向发展：来到伦敦的皮普很快就因为虚荣挥霍而负债累累；艾丝黛拉并没有爱上皮普，而是嫁给了一个著名的恶少；更有讽刺意味的是，皮普的恩主根本不是郝薇香，而是他七岁时偶遇的逃犯马格韦契。后来，偷偷回国的马格韦契在试图再次出逃的途中因重伤身亡，财产被全部充公。所以，皮普的“远大前程”最终被证明是黄粱梦一场。
　　《远大前程》自1860年底开始连载，1861年结集出版，连载期间杂志的周销量突破了十万册，被评论家公认为狄更斯后期作品重返巅峰的代表作。当时的狄更斯已经48岁，此时的他在语言运用上炉火纯青，叙述手法上精益求精，结构安排和悬念设置上驾轻就熟，但是其作品的主题却越来越黑暗：《荒凉山庄》和《艰难时世》的名字听起来就不是轻快的作品，《小杜丽》中的世界像是一座阴森森的大监狱，《双城记》则是血淋淋的革命和断头台。到了《远大前程》，萧伯纳曾评论说，这是一部从头到尾充满悲伤的故事。的确，狄更斯的早期作品幽默而乐观，《远大前程》则写尽了人世间的浮华泡影、爱情的创痛以及理想在现实中的挫败。然而，当我们纵观皮普的人生经历，会发现虽然他没能一步步登上“人生辉煌的顶点”，却自始至终保持着助人的天性，在灰暗的生活里撒播下一粒粒善良的种子。这些种子在周围人们荒芜的心灵中生根发芽，长出的绿荫也给予了他佑护，使他的灵魂找到了归宿。 　　皮普第一颗善良的种子种在了逃犯马格韦契身上。小说一开始，脚戴镣铐的马格韦契在沼泽地巧遇皮普。马格韦契恫吓皮普，要他为自己带锉刀和食物。皮普不仅为饥寒交迫的马格韦契带来了锉刀和面包，还带来了猪肉馅饼和白兰地。成年后，皮普再次与马格韦契相遇。这一次，皮普为马格韦契找到了他之前以为早已夭折的女儿，原来就是艾丝黛拉。临终前，重伤不治的马格韦契躺在病床上，皮普握着他的手，告诉他，他的女儿尚在人世，已经长成了美丽的女子，生活安康。如果说七岁的皮普凭着童真的同情心净化了马格韦契的心，那么成年后的皮普则是凭着温柔的善意又一次超度了这个曾经罪恶的灵魂。在《远大前程》中，马格韦契改变了皮普的人生轨迹。没有他的资助，皮普无法接受教育，也无法成为伦敦这座大都市的一员。但是，因果之初，是皮普用善良修正了马格韦契对世界的绝望，使他重又相信人性，决心回报皮普，让皮普知道“那条曾经在粪堆上荡来荡去的狗也有今日，他曾经蒙你搭救，如今他昂起了头，还培养了一个上等人”。
　　皮普善良的种子也种在了艾丝黛拉和郝薇香身上。艾丝黛拉让从小就喜欢她的皮普尝尽了心碎的滋味，但皮普却宽容她的冷漠，理解她的高傲无情源于郝薇香对她心灵的扭曲，始终温柔地爱着她。郝薇香冷漠自私，仇恨整个世界，最终却被皮普对艾丝黛拉的一片深情所感动，理解了爱的本质，幡然悔悟。临终前，解开心魔的郝薇香同意资助皮普的好友赫伯特。而这一因果，也使小说结尾身无分文、走投无路的皮普得以获得好友的庇护，重新找到了生活的希望。
　　“种善因，结善果。”如果要探究皮普身上的善良从何而来，对比高高在上、人情淡薄的达官显贵，这善的源头要追向一群生活在社会中下层的普通人：憨厚淳朴的铁匠乔养育了皮普；知恩图报的马格韦契资助了皮普；单纯善良的毕蒂给皮普带来了友谊和慰藉。正是这些普通人向皮普证明了存在的意义不在于“远大前程”，而在于平淡朴素的真诚。
　　《远大前程》中，皮普并没有像他幻想的那样，踏上财富与名望铺就的金光大道，而是成了一个普通人。然而，凭借自己播撒下的善良种子，他改变了身边的人，也为自己找到了一条看似平淡艰辛却更加接近本真的路。《远大前程》代表了狄更斯在人生后期对生命价值最深刻的审视。从这个意义上来说，皮普也是狄更斯种下的一颗善良的种子。在物欲膨胀、人性异化的今天，重新阅读《远大前程》，与一百五十多年前的狄更斯对谈，我们将会发现“远大前程”的召唤固然令人热血沸腾，但它很可能只是海市蜃楼的幻景。人生的真谛是脚踏实地地生活，相信善，传播善，在照亮这个世界的同时，把自己照亮。