2008年2月2日星期六

尹丽川与 Joseph Addison

尹丽川,短篇小说“爱情沙尘暴”,出自其小说集《十三不靠》(台北:大块文化出版有限公司,2003)。

Joseph Addison, The Spectator 367 (Thursday, May 1, 1712).


尹丽川的短篇小说“爱情沙尘暴”(我这里只认文字不认道德标签)风格冷峻,结构讲究,读起来让我觉得有后劲儿。其第二节对精神/抽象和物质/垃圾的关系进行了似是而非的反讽。这里面我最关注的,是对于纸张与写作的漫想:白纸与废纸是如何循环往复的?何为精神,何为物质?“道”无所不在。谈论垃圾道”,也是论道的一种。第二节全文如下:

2

“众所周知……”播音员大姐一脸正气……

众所周知,众所周知是一个众所周知的词。那天晚上我在电脑上打出这句话,抽了一根烟,就睡觉去了。我发现酒吧生活就像众所周知一样。众所周知,这真没什么好写的。

第二天清晨,老实说,是上午,我起床后对着窗外灰蒙蒙的天气,抽掉了烟盒里最后一根烟。烟盒当即被扔进垃圾袋,垃圾袋当即被扔进垃圾道,掉在楼下的垃圾场。 一位看不出年岁的黝黑的妇人正在仔细查看,她身材结实瘦小,符合拾破烂者的传统形象,便于钻进塔楼一角低矮的垃圾之门。她穿着藏蓝色的秋衣秋裤,赤脚套着稍有些肥大的军绿胶鞋,背着箩筐,用铁杆和右手检阅此楼居民的生活。轮到我的袋子:泡烂的方便面残余、苹果皮、牛奶袋、大量的手纸、两个小青岛瓶,一个精子发霉的安全套、两个空烟盒。她取出青岛和烟盒。青岛该去回收站,烟盒瘪掉了,只配去废纸收购站。罗列的名字和电话号码将被机器碾得粉碎,混入一锅黏乎乎的纸浆,加工成洁白无字的新纸,再被写上另一些名字们和电话号码们。

拾破烂的妇人拾起有用的垃圾后,背上箩筐,一摇一摆地去别的楼检阅别的人家的生活了。我的垃圾袋中那个精子发霉的安全套,被她毫不吝惜地抛弃了。可见她分不出良莠,没什么水平——假若有位小说家路过这片垃圾,其收获定然有所不同,尤其是明眼的言情小说家,一眼就能看出两个青岛酒瓶和一个安全套的关系,并再生成一篇或数篇小说。看来体力劳动者和脑力劳动者确有着质的不同,前者看重物质,后者看重物质的抽象关系:前者将废纸变成白纸,后者在白纸上写字让白纸重新 变成废纸;前者重新把废纸变成白纸,后者再重新……(我不能再写下去,否则有赚稿费之嫌。)

何况,酒瓶与安全套的关系是经典性的、可重复咀嚼的。纵然已有千百万人写过酒色不分家的故事,这并不妨碍我,作为一名脑力劳动者,就地取材,再写一遍,寄给一家《XX青春月刊》。我楼上住着的那两个形迹可疑的女孩买了翻了,精神愉悦后就把月刊看成了物质,撕下来几张擦桌子。桌子擦干净了,纸很脏,就被扔进了垃圾道。

楼下,拾破烂的妇人遇到了印有我写的小说的那几张纸。妇人一眼看穿,这都是垃圾,不过还行,可以卖钱。应该声明,她的眼光是物质的、功利的,不足取。不过,也是唯物论的。啤酒与性的关系,终究会变成物质,而物质最终都是垃圾。所以脑力劳动者说,精神第一,精神永存。


偶然在十八世纪初英国散文名家Addison Steele 撰写并经营的 The Spectator (《旁观者》)杂志里发现了一篇文字,其中对写作与废纸的关系也漫谈了一番。Addison 对自己的杂志颇有成就感——不仅是因为里面的文章好,还因为单单是该杂志的用纸一项就给很多人提供了饭碗,从造纸、印刷、零售,再到废纸再利用。那时杂货铺、食品店、肉店的包装纸都是用废纸,而印刷 The Spectator 的纸张质量上乘,所以废旧的杂志广为商家购买用作包装,更为街坊四邻广为搜求,用来包裹香料和羊肉馅饼!作为一个文化人和经营者,Addison 对自己的社会公益贡献很得意:“简而言之,当我想象一捆破布变成一刀《旁观者》的全过程,我发现每一步都提供了很多劳力的就业。所以,当我为《旁观者》撰写一篇文章的时候,我觉得我简直是在为芸芸众生提供面包。”这些话都印在1712年五月一日的一期 The Spectator 上。[1]既然能得以保存了下来到现在,就说明好的文字比羊肉馅饼更不朽,但另一方面,它也仍然要依赖今天的物质载体才可以继续不朽下去。



[1] 我把其中有意思的部分摘引出来了:

I have often pleased my self with considering the two kinds of Benefits which accrue to the Publick from these my Speculations, and which, were I to speak after the manner of Logicians, I would distinguish into the Material and the Formal. By the latter I understand those Advantages which my Readers receive, as their Minds are either improv'd or delighted by these my daily Labours; but having already several times descanted on my Endeavours in this Light, I shall at present wholly confine my self to the Consideration of the former. By the Word Material I mean those Benefits which arise to the Publick from these my Speculations, as they consume a considerable quantity of our Paper Manufacture, employ our Artisans in Printing, and find Business for great Numbers of Indigent Persons.

Our Paper-Manufacture takes into it several mean Materials which could be put to no other use, and affords Work for several Hands in the collecting of them, which are incapable of any other Employment. Those poor Retailers, whom we see so busy in every Street, deliver in their respective Gleanings to the Merchant. The Merchant carries them in Loads to the Paper-Mill, where they pass thro' a fresh Set of Hands, and give life to another Trade. Those who have Mills on their Estates, by this means considerably raise their Rents, and the whole Nation is in a great measure supply'd with a Manufacture, for which formerly she was obliged to her Neighbours.

The Materials are no sooner wrought into Paper, but they are distributed among the Presses, where they again set innumerable Artists at Work, and furnish Business to another Mystery. From hence, accordingly as they are stain'd with News or Politicks, they fly thro' the Town in Post-Men, Post-Boys, Daily-Courants, Reviews, Medleys, and Examiners. Men, Women, and Children contend who shall be the first Bearers of them, and get their daily Sustenance by spreading them. In short, when I trace in my Mind a Bundle of Rags to a Quire of Spectators, I find so many Hands employ'd in every Step they take thro their whole Progress, that while I am writing a Spectator, I fancy my self providing Bread for a Multitude.

If I do not take care to obviate some of my witty Readers, they will be apt to tell me, that my Paper, after it is thus printed and published, is still beneficial to the Publick on several Occasions. I must confess I have lighted my Pipe with my own Works for this Twelve-month past: My Landlady often sends up her little Daughter to desire some of my old Spectators, and has frequently told me, that the Paper they are printed on is the best in the World to wrap Spice in. They likewise make a good Foundation for a Mutton pye, as I have more than once experienced, and were very much sought for, last Christmas, by the whole Neighbourhood.

© Copyright by Dun Wang (王敦). All rights reserved. 著作权拥有者:Dun Wang (王敦)。

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