沉默歲月與《在德黑蘭讀<洛麗塔>》
因為Ls 和 gonewithwind兩位誇我文筆好,決定整理下過去的文字。
那個時期,生活於我,有種魔幻主義的光色。我很難說,那具體是怎樣的,事實上,我也一直保持緘默,未曾對人吐露,那極為孤獨的歲月。那種與身邊所有的人,都身處不同世界的感受。
每一天工作結束後,都是一個人行動,去廣州圖書館,方所書店,三聯書店,爬山,去沙面,去古老的建築,聽講座,步量城市。可是孤獨就這麼無法抑制的,細細密密地滋長咬噬。看大量的書籍,步行,暢想腦海中的一切,在月色里歡笑,看廣州塔在河對面閃耀,風吹著三角梅的葉子,雨水落下,熱烈的空氣,路邊的茉莉花,蘭州拉麵的阿娘和弟弟,實驗室裡層層疊疊的玻璃瓶········
大概是第三個月,夏天傍晚,下班後,坐車去方所書店。出門經過棕櫚樹,枯萎的蜘蛛蘭,茂盛的香樟。彷彿瞬間從一個靜寂世界,轉入人潮洶湧。
方所書店,燈光微黃,人流涌動,其實即便來了,也不過還是看書。最前排的推薦書籍,封面是戴頭巾的女孩,眉目清澈,阿扎爾·納菲西《在德黑蘭讀《洛麗塔》:以閱讀來記憶》。看了幾頁,捕捉文字的感覺,書籍昂貴,工資極少,獨自在外,那段時間很少買書的我,在那一瞬,想抓住這種擁有的感覺,便付款買下,握在手中。
書中經過翻譯的語言,有了些許沉重,作者從自由的美國回到伊朗,已經是截然不同的世界,在秘密中對抗,在兩年的時間中,暗中教授七位學生文學,以文學為自由。
無論是當時,還是現在,我對這本書,其實都沒有異常的喜歡,但納菲西作為文學教授,無疑是有很強的文學素養和表達力的,某種程度上,也迎合了美國對伊朗的態度,西方資本主義和經濟社會,對於宗教世界的判斷和抨擊。因此,這本書登上《紐約時報》排行榜,獲得多次報道和大獎。
十月份一次偶然,在一個微信群里分享這本書籍。那時已經辭職回家,在家中陷入了對現在和未來的焦慮,一整天想著如何分享,在分享前半小時,掙扎著寫完書評,在群里一句一句輸出。便是下面的文字。
在德黑蘭讀《洛麗塔》:以閱讀來記憶
1979年後的德黑蘭,政治氛圍嚴苛,女性被迫穿上黑袍戴面紗,大學裡男女分班,許多教授受到懲治。在這樣的德黑蘭閱讀禁書,本身代表著一種對自由意志的追求和反抗。
書的主題在於極權之下,人們對自由的渴望,而不論極權是以何名義,真正的民主在於對自由表達、生存、幸福的追求。
出生於伊朗女的學者阿扎爾·納菲西,在美國求學歸來,遇到國內的伊斯蘭革命。阿亞圖拉霍梅尼掌權,推動伊斯蘭革命,女性被迫戴上頭巾,穿黑袍,不準與陌生男性接觸,男女分班,教授受到懲治,文學藝術被禁止。
以作者的話來說,「不管我們是誰,我們已成為別人夢想中虛構的假象,至於我們信仰什麼宗教,願不願意戴面紗,遵不遵守某些教條,根本不重要」。
阿亞圖拉以他那段虛幻的過去的形象來重塑民眾。
在此種情況下,作者辭去大學教職,秘密在家中教學7名最優秀的女學生西方文學。其中涉及的《洛麗塔》、《了不起的蓋茨比》、《一千零一夜》和《傲慢與偏見》等多部作品。
「虛構的荒謬本質宰制著我們的生活」,這是貫穿全書的論調,民主被剝奪,人們失去自由表達的權利。
在此時的德黑蘭閱讀《洛麗塔》具有非凡意義,代表著一場自由意志的巨大冒險。政治氛圍嚴苛,文學班一旦被發現,老師和女學生都將陷入險境。即便在這種環境下,人們對文學——即自由思想,真正民主的追求——顯得異常重要。
《洛麗塔》講的是老男人佔有未成年少女的故事,通過控制少女以滿足自己對往昔歲月的緬懷。作者認為,《洛麗塔》最迫切的真相不在於十二歲少女被老色鬼亨伯特強暴,而在於 一個人的生命遭另一人剝奪。
《洛》不是對共和國政權的批判,但它反對一切違反民主的極權思想本質。對於亨伯特,真正令他著迷的不是洛麗塔本身,而是自己創造和想像出來的洛麗塔,一個沒有意志、知覺,缺乏真正的生命。
如同伊朗的真實,革命前人們的自由和現代化進程,以及民眾的意志在掌權者手中不存在一樣。
閱讀成為了作者、及女學生反抗現實的窗口,在此中構建了一個與現實截然不同的精神世界。作者的反抗不在於政治立場,而是為伸張個人的生存權。在重重鉗制之下,女學生們不放棄任何表達不服從的機會,頭巾下露出的髮絲,手上塗指甲油,在文學班自由的談論愛情與婚姻。
文學班共開設兩年,從1995-1997年間,後作者離開伊朗定居美國,並寫此書,隱去人物真實名字。
「一個人若要擁有完整生命,必須能夠公開塑造和表達內心的世界、夢想、思想與慾望。」
「不然我們怎知自己存在過,有感覺,有慾望,會怨恨,也會恐懼?」
最終,書中要探討的,已非伊朗,伊斯蘭,宗教可以是虔誠的,也可能淪為政治工具。而身處在其中的人,需要的是能夠公開表達自己的世界,能夠在公眾與私人領域之間對話,即民主。
後來還寫了英文書評。
Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books
author: Azar Nafis
The author is a female scholar studied western literature in US.She encountered Islamic Revolution when backed Iran.In 1979, Ayatoallah Khomeini launched the revolution, women were forced to cover themselves with black from heads to toes and prohibited to talk with strange men. Music, movie were forbidden or under monitoring.The author taught literature in university ,however,in very repressive atmosphere and under political pressure. So the author left her job and started her secret literature courses with 7 of her most brilliant female students.
For the author ,Ayatoallah attempted to establish his religion kingdom by controlling Irani people』 life based on his image of Islam.Howerver, religion became the tool of politic and damaged the democracy process.
Reading Lolita, Pride and Prejudice and other banned books became a window for the author toward another dream world, which was completely different with the cruel reality.Through this window,the author and students constructed their own inner world.However,the great contrast between reality and inner world may become a confusion and split.
Reading Lolita in Tehran in such Iran was the symbol of revolt, was the voice of freedom.The story of Lolita talked about an old man possessed a juvenile girl to pursue his youth.For the author,what she stressed wasn"t that an old man raped a 12 year old girl but the fact that the deprivation of a person』s life by another.For the old man Humbert ,Lolita didn"t have consciousness and will, but a reflection of his dream. And what the Ayatoallah was doing was the same.The modern Iran before revolution and free will of Iranians seemed to be not exist for the hierarch.
What the author tried to express through Lolita is not about criticizing the regime but the essence of totalitarianism hidden behind the regime which violated democracy.
The gloomy religious environment endowed the literature class special significance and serious political implication.
Through literature, they still realize they are alive human being with emotion and thinking.No matter how tense the situation is,they are seeking limited space of life for breathe and expression.
In Iranian Islamic revolution, appearance of a person cant be the sign of religious piousness but the product of political force.Before revolution, a female wore hijab could be her guard of lslam, but revolution distorted the original intention.
So the whole book is the author』s voice for freedom to express inner world, dream ,thoughts and desire,to have private space in public life,to have a full life.While in that Iran,to believe region or not,to wear hijab or not,to follow religious doctrine or not doesnt important but only the way to fulfill the powerful hierarchy.
TAG:文艷的城市生活 |