藻海无边（节选）Wide Sargasso Sea（excerpt）by Jean Rhys
文章点睛
《梦回藻海》（Wide Sargasso Sea）是Jean Rhys对夏洛特？勃朗特《简？爱》的重写，也是她在76岁高龄之际写下的最后一部作品。故事从罗切斯特的第一任妻子贝莎？梅森的角度展开，描写了这个混血儿悲剧性的一生，结局与《简？爱》中Thornfied Hall庄园大火重叠，将两部作品的情节链接起来。小说的背景分设两处，既有加勒比海岸郁郁葱葱的热带自然风光又有位于英格兰的荒凉萧瑟的Great House。安东尼特是小说的主人公，小说第一和第三部分的叙事者。她同时也是夏洛特？布朗特的小说《简？爱》中的贝莎，那位被囚禁在罗切斯特家中阁楼上的疯女人。克里斯多芬是一个西印度群岛上信奉伏都教的女子，来自马提尼克岛，一直以来是安东尼特母亲安妮特的仆人。她的谈吐和穿戴都与牙买加妇女不同，因此也是个********的人。
小说探讨了依赖性和奴隶制之间的关系。即便奴隶制已被官方废除，但束缚通过依赖依旧是一种奴役，捆住了之前的奴隶们，也同时捆住了女人们。
They， say when trouble comes close ranks，and so the white people did.But we were not in their ranks[1].The Jamaican[2]ladies had never approved of my mother，“Because she pretty like pretty self”Christophine said.
She was my father’s second wife，far too young for him they thought，and，worse still，a Martinique[3]girl.When I asked her why so few people came to see us，she told me that the road from Spanish Town to Coulibri Estate where we lived was very bad and that road repairing was now a thing of past.（My father，visitors，horses，feeling safe in bed-all belonged to the past.）
Another， day I heard her talking to Mr Luttrell，our neighbour and her only friend.“Of course they have their own misfortunes[4].Still waiting for this compensation[5]the English promised when the Emancipation Act[6]was passed.Some will wait for a long time.”
How， could she know that Mr Luttrell would be the first who grew tired of waiting？One calm evening he shot his dog，swam out to sea and was gone for always.No agent came from England to look after his property-Nelson’s Rest is called and strangers from Spanish Town rode up to gossip[7]and discuss the tragedy.
“Live at Nelson’s Rest？Not for love or money.An unlucky place.”
Mr Luttrell’s house was left empty，shutters[8]banging in the wind.Soon the black people said it was haunted[9]，they wouldn’t go near it.And no one came near us.
I got used to a solitary life，but my mother still planned and hoped-perhaps she had to hope every time she passed a looking glass.
She ，still rode about every morning not caring that the black people stood about in groups to jeer at[10]her，especially after her riding clothes grew shappy[11]（they notice clothes，they know about money）。
Then one day，very early，I saw her horse lying down under the frangipani[12]tree.I went up to him but he was not sick，he was dead and his eyes were black with flies.I ran away and did not speak of it for I thought if I told no one it might not be true.But later that day，Godfrey found him，he had been poisoned.“Now we are marooned[13]，”my mother said，“now what will become of us？”
Godfrey said，“I can’t watch the horse night and day.I too old now.When the old time go，let it go.No use to grab at it.The lord make no distinction between black and white，black and white the same for Him.Rest yourself in peace for the righteous[14]are not forsaken[15]。”But she couldn’t.She was young.How could she not try for all the things that had gone so suddenly，so without warning.“You’re blind when you want to be blind，”she said ferociously[16]，“and you’re deaf when you want to be deaf.The old hypocrite[17]，”she kept saying.“He knew what they were going to do.”“The devil prince of this world，”Godfrey said，“but this world don’t last so long for mortal man.”
She p，ersuaded a Spanish Town doctor to visit my younger brother Pierre who staggered[18]when he walked and couldn’t speak distinctly.I don’t know what the doctor told her or what she said to him but he never came again and after that she changed.Suddenly，not gradually.She grew thin and silent，and at last she refused to leave the house at all.
Our ，garden was large and beautiful as that garden in the Bible-the tree of life grew there.But it had gone wide.The paths were overgrown and a smell of dead flowers mixed with the fresh living smell.Underneath the tree ferns，tall as forest tree ferns，the light was green.Orchids flourished out of reach or for some reason not to be touched.One was snaky looking，another like an octopus[19]with long thin brown tentacles[20]bare of leaves hanging from a twisted root.Twice a year the octopus orchid flowered-then not an inch of tentacle showed.It was a bell-shaped mass of white，mauve[21]，deep purples，wonderful to see.The scent was very sweet and strong.I never went near it.
All， Coulibri Estate had gone wild like the garden，gone to bush.No more slavery-why should anybody work？This never saddened me.I did not remember the place when it was prosperous.
My mother ，usually walked up and down the glacis[22]，a paved roofed-in terrace[23]which ran the length of the house and sloped upwards to a clump of bamboos.Standing by the bamboos she had a clear view to the sea，but anyone passing could stare at her.They stared，sometimes they laughed.Long after the sound was far away and faint she kept her eyes shut and her hands clenched.A frown came between her black eyebrows，deep-it might have been cut with a knife.I hated this frown and once I touched her forehead trying to smooth it.But she pushed me away，not roughly but calmly，coldly，without a word，as if she had decided once and for all that I was useless to her.She wanted to sit with Pierre or walk where she pleased without being pestered[24]，she wanted peace and quiet.I was old enough to look after myself.“Oh，let me alone，”she would say，“let me alone，”and after I knew that she talked aloud to herself I was a little afraid of her.
So， I spent most of my time in the kitchen which was in an outbuilding some way off.Christophine slept in the little room next to it.
When evening came ，she sang to me if she was in the mood.I couldn’t always understand her patois[25]songs-she also came from Martinique-but she taught me the one that meant“The little ones grow old，the children leave us，will they come back？”and the one about the cedar[26]tree flowers which only last for a day.
The music was gay ，but the words were sad and her voice often quavered[27]and broke on the high note.“Adieu[28]。”Not adieu as we said it，but adieu，which made more sense after all.The loving man was lonely，the girl was deserted，the children never came back.Adieu.
Her songs were not like ，Jamaican songs，and she was not like the other women.
She was much blacker-blue-black with a thin face and straight features.She wore a black dress，heavy gold earrings and a yellow handkerchief-carefully tied with the two high points in front.No other negro woman wore black，or tied her handkerchief Martinique fashion.She had a quiet voice and a quiet laugh（when she did laugh），and though she could speak good English if she wanted to，and French as well as patois，she took care to talk as they talked.But they would have nothing to do with her and she never saw her son who worked in Spanish Town.She had only one friend-a woman called Maillotte，and Maillotte was not a Jamaican.
The girls， from the bayside who sometimes helped with the washing and cleaning were terrified of her.That，I soon discovered，was why they came at all-for she never paid them.Yet they brought presents of fruit and vegetables and after dark I often heard low voices from the kitchen.
So I asked about Christophine.Was she very old？Had she always been with us？
“She was your father’s wedding present to me-one of his presents.He thought I would be pleased with a Martinique girl.I don’t know how old she was when they brought her to Jamaica，quite young.I don’t know how old she is now.Does it matter？Why do you pester and bother me about all these things that happened long ago？Christophine stayed with me because she wanted to stay.She had her own very good reasons you may be sure.I dare say we would have died if she’d turned against us and that would have been a better fate.To die and be forgotten and at peace.Not to know that one is abandoned，lied about，helpless.All the ones who died-who says a good word for them now？”
“Godfrey stayed too，”I said.“And Sass.”
“They stayed，”she said angrily，“because they wanted somewhere to sleep and something to eat.That boy Sass！When his mother pranced[29]off and left him here-a great deal she cared-why he was a little skeleton.Now he’s growing into a big strong boy and away he goes.We shan’t see him again.Godfrey is a rascal[30].These new ones aren’t too kind to old people and he knows it.That’s why he stays.Doesn’t do a thing but eats enough for a couple of horses.Pretends he’s deaf.He isn’t deaf-he doesn’t want to hear.What a devil he is！”
“Why don’t you tell him to find somewhere else to live？”I said and she laughed.
“He wouldn’t go.He’d probably try to force us out.I’ve learned to let sleeping curs[31]lie，”she said.
“Would Christophine go if you told her to？”I thought.But I didn’t say it.I was afraid to say it.
It was too hot that afternoon.I could see the beads of perspiration[32]on her upper lip and the dark circles under her eyes.I started to fan her，but she turned her head away.She might rest if I left her alone，she said.
Once ，I would have gone back quietly to watch her asleep on the blue sofa-once I made excuses to be near her when she brushed her hair，a soft black cloak to cover me，hide me，keep me safe.
But not any longer.Not any more.
琼？丽斯
常言道：“麻烦造就团结”，白人就是这样，但是我们不在他们的“团”中。而牙买加的女人们也从来没有承认过我的母亲，“因为她美得如同美丽本身”，克里斯多芬这样说。
她是我父亲的第二个妻子，尽管她比他小很多。更糟的是，她是个马提尼姑娘。当我问她为什么很少有人来看我们的时候，她告诉我从西班牙镇到我们住的库利布里省的路非常糟糕，而且这条路的修缮已经是过去的事了。（我的父亲、游客、马群、安全地躺在床上，也已经是过去的事。）
有一天我听到她和卢迪尔先生的谈话，他是我们的邻居和仅有的友人。“他们自然是不幸的，一直等着解放条例颁布后英国的补偿。有些人甚至等了很久。”
她是怎么知道卢迪尔先生是最早厌倦等待的呢？一个平静的夜里他射杀了他的狗，游出了海，然后永远地消失了。没有任何英国方面的负责人来照料他的遗产―在尼尔森罗斯特―只有被带到西班牙镇的关于此事的谣言和谈资。
“生活在尼尔森罗斯特？不是为了爱或者金钱。这里只是个不幸的地方。”
卢迪尔先生的房子空了，窗门在风中撞得梆梆作响。不久就有黑人说那房子闹鬼，再没有人靠近那里，也没有人会靠近我们。
我开始习惯孤独的生活，但是我的母亲依旧计划着，期待着―每当她看着镜子也许她必须去期待些什么。
她每天早上依旧到附近去骑马，不去在乎黑人们背后的指指点点，尤其是当她的衣服变得越发破旧的时候。（他们注意到了衣服，自然便明白钱的问题）
然后有一天清晨，我看见她的马倒在赤素馨花树下面。我走过去，发现它并非生病，而是死了，它的黑眼珠旁飞着苍蝇。我慌忙地跑开，没有跟任何人提及这件事，仿佛这样我就可以当它没有发生过。但那天稍晚的时候，古德弗瑞发现了它，它是被毒死的。“我们现在身陷绝境了，”我的母亲说，“我们会变成什么样？”
古德弗瑞说：“我不能时时刻刻地看着马。我太老了。当旧日已逝，便让它逝去吧，紧抓着不放并没有意义。主平等地创造了黑人和白人，黑人和白人对他来说是平等的。接受这公正才能让你自己平静。”但是她不能，她还年轻。怎样才能不让她去试着挽回这突然的、没有任何预警就消失的一切？“当你想要瞎的时候你就会瞎，”她残忍地说，“而你想要聋的时候你就会聋，虚伪的老头！”她一直这么说。“他知道他们会做什么。”“邪恶世界的王啊，”古德弗瑞说，“这个世界不会为已死之人逗留太久。”
她请了医生来看弟弟，他走路蹒跚，辞不达意。我不知道医生对她说了什么，也不知道她对医生说了什么但是医生再也没有来过。而在那之后她变了。突然地，非是一点一滴地改变。她变得消瘦而沉默，到了最后她拒绝走出屋子一步。
我们的花园又大又漂亮，好像《圣经》中的一样―生命之树在那里生长着。但是它开始疯长，遮蔽了小径，枯萎的花的味道和活着的生物的味道混合着。像山一样高的蕨类植物下面，连阳光都是绿色的。兰花高到够不着，或许是故意让人够不着的：其中有一株长得跟蛇似的，还有一株像只章鱼，从扭曲的根部垂下****的叶子，仿佛瘦长的触手，每两年开一次花，然后再没有一寸触手长出来，它开着白色、淡紫和深紫的铃状花朵，十分神奇，味道又甜又浓，我从来没靠近过。
整个库利布里就像这花园一样疯长着，变成了丛林。既然再没有奴隶了―那谁还要需要去工作？只有这一点从来没有让我伤心过，反正我不记得它兴旺时的样子。
我的母亲常常在“格拉斯”上走来走去，它铺在整个屋子的前面，一直延伸到长着一片竹子的坡上。站在竹子旁边，她能够够清楚地看到海，但是那些经过的人也能看到她。他们看她，有时候还笑她。等那笑声不久后远去模糊，她便闭上眼，紧紧地绞住手。一道深深的纹路在她黑色的眉毛之间蹙起，仿佛刀刻。我讨厌这褶皱，有一次我试图摸她的额头去抚平它，但她推开了我，并不粗暴，却是平静地，冷酷地，不发一言，好像她已经认定我对她来说没有用处。她想和皮埃尔坐在一起，或者去无人打扰的，任何一个安静平和的地方。我已经大到能够照顾好自己。“噢，让我一个人呆着”，她会说，“让我一个人呆着，”然后我知道她只是在大声对自己说话，而我让她害怕。
所以大多数时间我都在不远处外屋的厨房呆着，克里斯多芬睡在隔壁。
当她心情好的时候会给我唱歌，我老是不明白她歌里的方言―她也是马提尼来的―但是她教我唱那首“少年已长成，不日即远去，何日方归来？”还有那首关于只长一天的香柏树的歌。乐调是欢快的，但是歌词很悲伤，而且当她唱到高音，她的声音总是颤抖而破损。“别了。”并不是我们平日说的那样，而是“在上帝处见”，这有更深的含义。孤独的爱人，被抛弃的少女，永不归来的少年―在上帝处见。
她的歌并不像通常的牙买加歌曲，她也不同于一般的女人。她长得更黑，有着蓝黑色的脸和笔直的身板。她穿黑色的裙子，戴着沉重的金耳环和黄头巾―仔细地系成两端束在额头前。没有别的黑人女子穿黑色，或者像她那样用马提尼的方式来系头巾。她有安静的嗓音和安静的笑容（当她笑的时候），而且只要她想，她可以流畅地说英语、法语或者是方言，在那些人说话的时候，她也谨慎地说着。那些人拿她无可奈何，她也不去看她在西班牙镇工作的儿子，她只有一个朋友―一个叫做玛尤洛特的女人，玛尤洛特不是牙买加人。
海岸边上帮她洗衣服的姑娘们有时候很害怕她，我很快发现了原因―她从来不付工钱给她们，但是她们还是会带着礼物和果蔬过来，而且晚上我常常会听见厨房里传来低喃。
于是我便问起克里斯多芬。她很老了么？她是一直都和我们在一起的么？
“他是你父亲送我的结婚礼物之一。他觉得与一个马提尼女人在一起我会比较开心。我不知道她被带来牙买加的时候几岁，应该很年轻。我不知道她现在多少岁了。这很重要么？为什么你老是用这些陈年旧事来烦我？克里斯多芬和我在一起因为她想和我在一起。你肯定知道她有自己的充足理由。我敢说当她与我们敌对的时候我们一定会死掉，这也许还更好些―死掉，被遗忘，安息。不会去想谁被抛弃，无助地躺着―那些死掉的人―谁会为他们说些好话？”
“古德弗瑞也留了下来，”我说，“还有萨斯。”
“他们留下来了。”她愤怒地说，“因为他们想要个吃和睡的地方。那个萨斯小子！他母亲屁颠屁颠地跑了把他扔在这儿―她根本不在乎―他的骨骼太小了。现在他长得又高又壮，然后就要离开了，我们再也不会看到他。古德弗瑞是个流氓，他知道那些新来的人对老头不好，这就是他为什么留下的原因。屁事不做却可以吃掉两匹马的粮食，装成一副聋子的模样。他才没聋呢―只是他根本不想听见！好个卑鄙的家伙！”
“为什么你不叫他别处讨生活呢？”我说，她笑了。
“他不会走，他只是想要逼迫我们出去。我已经学会了让那些睡着的老狗躺着了。”她说。
“如果你让克里斯多芬走她会走么？”我想。但是我没说，我害怕说。
那个下午很热，我能看见她上嘴唇的汗珠和黑色的眼袋。我想要给她扇风，但是她把头转到了一旁。如果我让她一个人呆着她大概能休息，她说。
我曾经能够悄悄地返回看她躺在蓝色沙发上的睡颜；我曾经能找些借口在她梳头的时候靠近她，黑发如斗篷一样覆盖着我，隐蔽着我，使我感到安全。
但是再不会有了，再不会有。
作者简介
About the Author
Jean Rhys：琼？丽斯，（1890-1979）出生于多米尼加的向风群岛，属英国克里奥尔后裔。《藻海无边》是她1965年发表的中篇小说。丽斯在这部小说里不仅改写了名著《简？爱》中男主人公罗切斯特的疯妻子这个角色，揭露了造成伯莎？梅森（安托万内特）这个克里奥尔姑娘不幸命运的根源，还反映了19世纪末加勒比海西印度群岛殖民者后裔克里奥尔人处于英国白人文化与当地黑人文化的夹层中，没有家园，身份不明，没有归宿，不知何去何从的主题。小说采用了多视角多声部的叙事方式和大量的象征手法，形成了与丽斯前4部小说迥然不同的艺术风格。
V
词汇扫雷
ocabulary
1.rank：地位，等级
2.Jamaican：牙买加人（的）
3.Martinique：马提尼克岛（拉丁美洲）
4.misfortune：不幸
5.Emancipation Act：解禁法案，1834年8月1日在历经了五十多年关于蓄奴制的道德准则和盈利制度的激烈论战后，解禁法案终于在英国得到实施。它并未废除奴役，但让人看到了通向自由的首线曙光。
6.compensation：赔偿
7.gossip：八卦，说长道短
8.shutter：百叶窗，窗板
9.haunted：闹鬼的
10.jeer at：嘲笑
11.shappy：衣衫褴褛
12.frangipani：鸡蛋花
13.marooned：被放逐的
14.righteous：正直的，正派的
15.forsake：抛弃，丢弃
16.ferociously：暴怒地
17.hypocrite：伪君子
18.stagger：摇摇晃晃
19.octopus：章鱼
20.tentacle：触须
21.mauve：淡紫色
22.glacis：斜堤
23.terrace：台阶
24.pestered：烦恼的
25.patois：方言
26.cedar：雪松
27.quaver：颤抖
28.adieu：德语，再见
29.prance：欢蹦乱跳，腾跃
30.rascal：无赖
31.cur：野狗，坏蛋
32.perspiration：汗水
小编点评
丽斯是在人生境遇的低谷写就了这部小说，如果不是有识之士把她残缺的手稿从她潦倒的境遇中抢救出来，也就不会有此书的问世。小说的基调无疑是现实、沉重的，凝聚了作者后半生的辛酸经历和人生感悟。
《藻海无边》，创造性地改写了这个经由男主人公罗切斯特之口讲述出来的疯女人伯莎？梅森的故事，使她成为一个被欺骗、被利用、被剥夺与被抛弃的女人对买卖婚姻与男权统治的有力控诉。它是西方公认的《简？爱》续集，如果西方文化界不认为罗切斯特是压迫者，欺骗者，不认为罗切斯特具有冷酷，生活放荡，道德责任缺失等等人格缺陷，不认为伯莎是受害者，那么，它是不会承认《藻海无边》作为“《简？爱》唯一正式的续集”这一文学地位的。
