(一). 日本文化里有了大量的中国文化的渗透。众所周知，中国历史上尤其在唐朝非常强盛，被日本崇尚学习。小说中的很多东西我都能找到中国文化的根源，从最简单的度量单位ri=里，three sticks=三柱香的时间，一天有12个时辰，到风月场 (Floating World), 花柳巷( Willow World) ，pillow (sex=同床共枕), 云雨(the Clouds and the Rain) , 到cha=茶，到禅 (If you want peace you must learn to drink cha from an empty cup.)，到儒家思想的渗透。比如，君臣的关系，对君主的愚忠、服从。“君要臣死，臣不得不死；父要子死，子不得不死”的观念等。在当时的日本，郡主可以赐武士死，一家之主操纵着一家老少的生死权，父亲可以有权让儿子女儿去死。女子在家的地位微不足道、命贱如草，要绝对服从丈夫。如丈夫要其死，她不得不死，别无选择。
日本武士视金钱为粪土，家里的钱财开销由太太掌控，武士只专心侍奉郡主。他们鄙夷洋人的金钱至上，为钱而战，他们只为忠诚而战。“他们无所畏惧，不怕死，如果上级命令他们去死，他们会毫不犹豫地剖腹自杀。他们的杀人和死亡就像我们拉尿一样简单” (They kill and die as easily as we piss.)。正如Mariko曾经告诉Blackthorne的, “爱是基督教里的一个字眼，一个概念，一种理念。我们的字典里没有'爱'这个字，只有职责、忠诚、尊严、尊重、欲望。”
小说中的郡王Toranaga有八个妾。他甚至收养别人的遗孀为妾，八个里面其中有一个为他生下儿子后便遁隐农庄。郡主的权利很大，这不仅表现在日常事务中，还表现在他可以主宰下属的婚姻，命令其与某女子结婚，或与妻子离婚，也可以随意赐任何一女子与武士做妻或妾。他们的婚姻、子女的婚姻可以是政治联姻，或许没有爱的基础, 但是可以娶妾、可以离婚。相比较，在西方基督教的影响和约束下，西洋人把离婚当成是道德犯罪(moral sin)，死守婚姻，从一而终，这点在日本人眼里觉得不可理喻。(Mistakes happen, people change, that's karma. Foolish to be stuck forever, man or woman. )
小说中出现频率最高的一个词是karma, 宿命论的观点贯穿整部小说。Karma is karma. 人无法与命运抗争，无法逃脱命运的安排，一切自有天意。
She watched his tall, firm stride and would have wept aloud, her heart near breaking, but then, as always, she heard the so-many-times-said words in her memory, kindly spoken, wisely spoken. “Why do you weep, child? We of the Floating World live only for the moment, giving all our time to the pleasures of cherry blossoms and snow and maple leaves, the calling of a cricket, the beauty of the moon, waning and growing and being reborn, singing our songs and drinking cha and sake, knowing perfumes and the touch of silks, caressing for pleasure, and drifting, always drifting. Listen, child: never sad, always drifting as a lily on the current in the stream of life.
He did not look back at her because there was no need. He knew that he had left all his life’s passion, and everything that he had adored, at her feet. He was sure he would never know passion again, the spirit-joining ecstasy that ignited man and woman. But this did not displease him. On the contrary, he thought with a newfound icy clarity, I bless Toranaga for releasing me from servitude. Now nothing binds me. Neither father nor mother nor Kiku. Now I can be patient too. I’m twenty-one. I am almost daimyo of Izu, and I’ve a world to conquer.
Our journey here has brought me more joy than I have the right to expect in twenty life-times.
He saw Kiku coming across the sun-baked courtyard, her little feet in white tabi, almost dancing, so sweet and elegant with her silks and crimson sunshade, the envy of every man in sight. Ah, Kiku, he thought, I cannot afford that envy, so sorry. I can’t afford you in this life, so sorry. You should have remained where you were in the Floating World, courtesan of the First Class. Or even better, gei-sha. What a fine idea that old hag came up with! Then you’d be safe, the property of many, the adored of many, the central point of tragic suicides and violent quarrels and wonderful assignations, fawned on and feared, showered with money that you’d treat with disdain, a legend-while your beauty lasts. But now? Now I can’t keep you, so sorry. Any samurai I give you to as consort takes to his bed a double-edged knife: a complete distraction and the envy of every other man.
To weep lost lovers and lost youth in barrels of sake, watered with tears.
From which life you were born-the rare, sudden flower that appears in the wilderness for no reason other than karma, to blossom quickly and to vanish quickly.
You keep her for the rest of your life, his secret heart told him. She merits it. Don’t fool yourself like you fool others. The truth is you could keep her easily, taking her a little, leaving her a lot, just like your favorite Tetsu-ko, or Kogo. Isn’t Kiku just a falcon to you? Prized yes, unique yes, but just a falcon that you feed from your fist, to fly at a prey and call back with a lure, to cast adrift after a season or two, to vanish forever? Don’t lie to yourself, that’s fatal. Why not keep her? She’s only just another falcon, though very special, very high-flying, very beautiful to watch, but nothing more, rare certainly, unique certainly, and, oh, so pillowable…
回复 '7grizzly' 的评论 : Thank you, my friend, for your opinion. That is the reason I questioned. I think it is not the word "conscientiousless" he used. So the proper translation should be "麻木不仁”. Many thanks again. Have a great weekend!
7grizzly 发表评论于
回复 '暖冬cool夏' 的评论 :
If the author used "consciousless," I think it would mean unaware. It's not moral or immoral, but amoral.
"没有良心" makes a moral judgement and therefore does not mean the same thing.
暖冬cool夏 发表评论于
回复 '7grizzly' 的评论 : Thanks, my friend, for your kind words. Thank you for the clarification of Karma, a big heated topic. I was surprised too that enmity between Catholic Christianity and Protestant could be as such. By the way, did I use the word "consciousless"correctly? I remember this word from the novel, but couldn't find back in my notes. Plus the dictionary doesn't seem to carry it. Again, thank you for initiating this book, and thank you for being there!
7grizzly 发表评论于
> 就这么长的一部小说写一篇好的读后感并非易事
Indeed but you did it. Very informative and well-written. Great job!
I think karma is through Bodhidarma (达摩祖师）by way of China. The
Japanese elite seemed to take the Hindu/Buddhism ideas very seriously.
Another thing from the book that impressed me was the enmity between
British/Dutch/Protestant and Spanish/Portuguese/Catholic during that period.
暖冬读书认真的态度令人敬佩。大概我上一次读长篇小说还是二十年前了。而且都是些NEW YORK Timm best seller 的畅销小说。你这样的经典之作我恐怕读不懂。
日本人的文化是有些特别。 consciousless 这是个词用得很准。貌似自律、礼节、温和的大和民族，大武士道精神的鼓舞下，杀人、伤己。极大地超出了常人的正常思维。有时就会变成对人类的伤害。
暖mm你太伟大了，能从头到尾读完这部长篇本身就是一个巨大的工程，再把它贯穿起来并引申出去写成这么一篇评论文，真的让我佩服得五体投地。谢谢暖mm化这么多心思介绍这本书，我可是认认真真地读完了你的读后感，现在对日本的文化也算有了点了解。Karma这个单词确实很有意思，我都怀疑是不是从中文偷过去的。：） just kidding. 但从某种意义上来说人确实是难以与命运抗争的，一个民族也是。不过我们还是要positive一点，宿命论要不得。：）
