《小说写作的指路明灯》

【导读】

作者戈德文•史密斯（1823-1910）是英国教育家、历史学家。本文发表于1871年沃尔特•司各特诞辰一百周年的纪念会上。沃尔特•司各特（1771-1832）是苏格兰小说家和诗人，近代西欧历史小说的创始人，是19世纪英国浪漫主义时期占有特殊地位的作家，他善于运用历史资料和民间传说构成历史小说，把浪漫主义和现实主义手法结合起来，反映时代特色。马克思在1866年3月2日给恩格斯的信中说他的病使他不能阅读任何东西，除了阅读司各脱的作品。

【箴言】

他没有把道德目标摆在自己前面，也没有规定道德条规。但他那勇敢、纯洁，真诚的心就是心灵自身的准绳。

让小说的作者向我们描写人类的一切吧。写喜剧，也写悲剧，写崇高的一面，也写荒唐可笑的一面。但是，请不要降低人物的标准，也不要降低生命的目标。

【正文】

罗斯金点燃了建筑学的七盏明灯，引导建筑家在高尚的艺术实践中一步步向前。看来，现在是为小说家点燃明灯以指引道路的时候了。请想一想，现在的小说家有多大的影响力，而其中有些人是怎样利用这种影响力的！想想有多少人除了小说以外，什么都不看；再仔细看看他们读的小说内容！我曾看见一个年轻人的全部藏书是三、四十本平装书，都是些精神毒品。有一天，我在英国浏览过三个车站书亭，其中几乎没有一个书亭里的书是指名作者的小说。那是一堆堆无名作家粗制滥造的糟粕，封面是低下、花花绿绿的木刻画。画面上的内容无疑在书里应有尽有。每天用这种精神食粮添塞，喂养出来的民族心灵，会变成什么样子？我们今天在此集会纪念的这位天才，我以为他所发出的火焰比任何人都更纯净、更明亮，更适合用于点燃那照亮小说写作道路的明灯。司各脱不喜欢道德说教。赞美上天，他没有那样做。他没有把道德目标摆在自己前面，也没有规定道德条规。但他那勇敢、纯洁，真诚的心就是心灵自身的准绳。我们研究他做的事，就可以为所有愿意听从他召唤的人找出一条应该遵循的法则。如果说罗斯金曾经给建筑点起了七盏明灯，那么，司各脱也会为小说点起七盏明灯。

第一是现实之灯。小说家必须忠实地研究人类的本性，以此作为他写作的基础。……因为有些作家，包括有些巡回图书馆最熟悉的作家，虽然在他们的作品里写了那些东西，但他们都很可以白天整天躺在床上，晚上起来用绿茶刺激写作。他们大概把这称为艺术创作吧。是的，创作得过了头了。司各脱可不是这样做的，他所勾画的人类本性，都是他从各个柔和而简朴的侧面亲眼看到的。他观察平民、牧羊人、苏格兰高地人和低地人、边境居民、岛上居民，从他们中看到人类的天性。他和人类的天性有密切接触。与人相处时，他带来欢乐，赢得人心，好象身上有灵符法宝，使人类的天性向他开放。他用明亮的眼光和包容一切的心胸对人类的天性进行透彻的探究。如果写的背景是过去的时代，他就实实在在地钻研历史……

第二是理想之灯。小说家的素材必须真实，必须通过小说家对人类生活的亲身体验而收集得来。这些素材又必须经过想象的冶炼，符合理想。……自然，这种理想化的能力是一种伟大的天赋。荷马、莎士比亚、华特·司各脱正是由于有了这种天赋才不同于常人。……司各脱的小说人物从没有夸张到怪诞或滑稽程度。他的人物充满了自然。但这是普通天性的自然。因此，这些人物在普天下人们的心中占有自己的地位，并能永远保持这个地位。请注意，甚至是历史小说，司各脱依然用理想化的写法。……

第三是公正之灯，小说家必须以无偏私无成见的眼光看待人类。他必须和历史学家一样怀有最深厚的同情心，不受宗派情绪的影响。不论任何地方，他必须在邪恶中看到善良，在善良中看到邪恶。如果他没有一颗公正的心，他就做不到这一点。司各脱公正的心在其历史小说里受到严峻的考验，但也表现得最明显，尽管这在他的所有作品里都明显地表现出来……

第四是忘我之灯。强调个人比偏私还要低级。……然而小说家却往往把个人的虚荣心、好恶和狂热放到小说里去，贬低了小说的价值。……司各脱不仅不强调个人，而且我们也很难想象他会这样。我们无法想象他会沉湎于自我中心或非非之想或党派之争，以致贬低他的艺术。我们更不能想象以他高尚豪爽的品格，会将艺术当作暗箭，伤害别人。

第五是纯洁之灯。……不洁的小说已经给世界带来不幸，还将带来更大的不幸。司各脱的纯洁，不是修道院式的清白纯洁和未经世事的简单纯洁，而是一个堂堂男子的纯洁；他见过世面，与世人相处，认得清善与恶。然而作为一个真正的正派人，他憎恶淫猥，也教导我们憎恶淫猥。

第六是人性之灯……司各脱绝不描写流血和淫秽的东西。他不会让这些东西玷污他崇高的作品。……司各脱知道，除非要表现人类的英雄主义，要完整的展开一个人物的性格，要唤醒高尚而无害的情操，否则，一个小说家无权将恐怖的场面展示给读者。只有缺少天资和写作技巧的小说家，才不得不用恐怖情节来蹂躏人性……

第七是高尚之灯……让小说的作者向我们描写人类的一切吧。写喜剧，也写悲剧，写崇高的一面，也写荒唐可笑的一面。但是，请不要降低人物的标准，也不要降低生命的目标。……司各脱和莎士比亚一样，不管小说的线索把他引向何处，他永远为我们树立他熟知的典范，一个理想的高尚正派的人。假如有人说这种框框太窄，影响小说的发展，那么我的回答是，这里有足够广阔的空间，可以容纳世人享受不尽的最崇高的悲剧、最深沉的哀伤、最开怀的幽默、最多样的人物和最动人的情节……

人物——约翰•罗斯金（John Ruskin,1819-1900）

英国批评家与理论家。他的艺术理论在19世纪中叶对英国有极大的影响，他的名著《建筑学的七盏明灯》（The Seven Lamps of Architecture）于1849年问世。

原文鉴赏

I. The Lamp of Reality. The novelist must ground his work in faithful study of human nature….For some writers, and writers dear to the circulating libraries too, might, for all that appears in their works, lie in bed all day, and write by night under the excitement of green tea. Creative art, I suppose they call this, and it is creative with a vengeance. Not so, Scott. The numan nature which he paints, he has seen in all its phases, gentle and simple, in burgher and shepherd, Highlander, Lowlander, Borderer, and Islesman; he had come into close contact with it; he had opened it to himself by the talisman of his joyous and winning presence; he had studied it thoroughly with a clear eye and an all-embracing heart. When his scenes are laid in the past, he has honestly studied history……

II. The Lamp of Ideality. The materials of the novelist must be real; they must be gathered from the field of humanity by his actual observation. But they must pass through the crucible of the imagination; they must be idealized…Of course, this power of idealization is the great gift of genius. It is that which distinguishes Homer, Shakespeare, and Walter Scott from ordinary men….Scott’s character are never monsters and caricatures.They are full of nature, but it is universal nature. Therefore they have their place in the universal heart, and will keep their place forever. And mark that even in his historical novels he is still ideal….

III. The Lamp of Impartiality. The novelist must look on humanity without partiality or prejudice. His sympathy, like that of the historian, must be unbounded, and untainted by sect or party. He must see everywhere the good that is mixed with evil, the evil that is mixed with good. And this he will not do, unless his heart be right. It is in Scott’s historical novels that his impartiality is most severely tried and is most apparent, though it is apparent in all his works…

IV.The Lamp of Impersonality. Personality is lower than partiality…Novelists, however, often debase fiction by obtruding their personal vanities, favoritisms, fanaticisms, and antipathies….Not only is Scott not personal, but we cannot conceive his being so. We cannot think possible that he should degrade his art by the indulgence of egotism, or crotchets, or party piques. Least of all can we think it possible that his high and gallant nature should use art as a cover for striking a foul blow.

V. The Lamp of Purity….Impure novels have brought and bringing much misery on the world. Scott’s purity is not that of cloistered innocence and inexperience, it is the manly purity of one who had seen the world, mingled with men of the world, known evil as well as good; but who, being a true gentleman, abhorred filth, and teaches us to abhor it too.

VI. The Lamp of Humanity…Scott would have recoiled from the blood as well as from the ordure, he would have allowed neither to have defiled his noble page…He knew that a novelist had no right even to introduce the terrible except for the purpose of exhibiting human heroism, developing character, awakening emotions which, when awakened, dignify and save from harm. It is want of genius and of knowledge of their craft that drives novelists to outrage humanity with horrors…

VII.The Lamp of Chivalry…. Let the writer of fiction give us humanity in all its phases, the comic as well as the tragic, the ridiculous as well as the sublime; but let him not lower the standard of character or the aim of life….Scott, like Shakespeare, wherever the thread of his fiction may lead him, always keeps before himself and us the highest ideal which he knew, the ideal of a gentleman. If any one says there are narrow bounds wherein to confine fiction, I answer there has been room enough within them for the highest tragedy, the deepest pathos, the broadest humor, the widest range of character, the most moving incident that the world has ever enjoyed…