观猹者效应

The lesser evil

Empty as death and slow as pain
The days went by on leaden feet;
And parson's week had come again
As I walked down the little street.

Without, the weary doves were calling,
The sun burned on the banks of mud;
Within, old maids were caterwauling
A dismal tale of thorns and blood.

I thought of all the church bells ringing
In towns that Christian folks were in;
I heard the godly maidens singing;
I turned into the house of sin.

The house of sin was dark and mean,
With dying flowers round the doors;
They spat the betel juice between
The rotten bamboo of the floors.

Why did I come, the woman cried
So seldom to her bed of ease?
When I was not, her spirit died
And would I give her ten rupees.

The weeks went by, and many a day
That black-haired woman did implore
Me as I hurried on my way
To come more often than before.

The days went by like dead leaves falling,
And parson's week came round again.
Once more devout old maids were bawling
Their ugly rhymes of death and pain.

The woman waited for me there
As down the little street I trod,
And musing on her oily hair,
I turned into the house of God.

Author, Title:
• George Orwell: “The lesser evil”.
First published: 1924

政府一方面一再無視國際社會譴責它侵犯人權的聲音,千篇一律地強調國情獨特,拒絕「屈服於外部壓力」,一方面又確確實實「屈服於」內部壓力,做出了一些讓許多人大跌眼鏡、性質難以界定的事情。不用説,黨並未允許民主在中國立足,與此同時,幾乎所有人如今都會同意,中國人向來對西式民主不怎麼感冒,更何況,再怎麼説,沒有哪個中國人——包括天安門廣場上的那些 學生——真正懂得民主的涵義。黨固然不打算給民眾更多的政治自由,但卻已經給了他們更多的經濟自由,所有人又都知道,經濟自由不可能止步於經濟層面。

然而,自詡為一位英勇的世界公民,暢遊在文化和地理上的深廣鴻溝,這一種飄飄然的自我形象,根本不能反映身處其中的真實感受。籌備和撰寫本書的過程中,我漸漸認識到,至少是對我而言,在大洲之間飛來飛去的生活看似風光,不用徹底依附單一民族與文化的生活看似自由,與之俱來的卻是巨大的代價。因為這種生活,我不得不日復一日地掂量、拷問、澄清我多重的人格和聲音,我愛憎交織的情感,還有我雙重的視角, 不得不面臨種種十分痛苦甚或撕心裂肺的困惑,這些苦楚,我到現在也不敢細細思量。

查建英《中国波普》

看完了，好在之前读过奥威尔传记，能看出这本处女作中的很多自传色彩；一个敏感矛盾，一边痛恨自己的虚伪、一边难以放弃自己的虚伪的奥威尔。
不过也是照样的冷峻，尤其在男女关系方面，不断地试图表达“这所谓的爱不过是因地制宜而生的幻觉”。

看了几章《缅甸岁月》，译者处理对话的手法不大对劲（比如频繁地在句末加上 啊！），我怎么看怎么像诗朗诵