TEXT70Comebackman重生（陈继龙编译）Oct12th2006FromTheEconomistprinteditionTHEtruecritic,VladimirNabokovonceo_______①,readsnotwithhisbrainbutwithhisbackbone.Hewaitsforthe“tell-taletingledownthespine”whichalertshimtogoodwriting.Aftermorethanadecademessingaboutwritingsomefineessaysandautobiographymixedinwithpoorfictionandsomequestionablehistory,（1）MartinAmishassuddenly—andunexpectedly,eventohispublishers—turnedinaworkofrealworth,anovelthatnotsomuchmakesthespinetingleastheheartraceatitspassionandrichness.弗拉基米尔·纳波可夫曾说，真正的评论家读书时用的不是大脑，而是脊梁骨。他守候着让人惊喜交集的故事的到来，让他惊觉原来这是一本妙作。过去十余年间，马丁·埃米斯一直在为撰写几篇优秀论文和一本夹杂着拙劣的小说和某些不可靠的历史记载的自传而折腾不停，如今他却突然——甚至连他的出版商都意想不到地是——献出了一部真正有价值的著作，一部富于激情、有血有肉的小说，让人感到与其说是惊喜交集还不如说是心如潮涌。TheenemiesofthepeoplewhomtheSovietauthoritiessenttocampsinthegulag[1]were,onrareoccasions,permittedconjugal[2]visits.（2）Valiantwomenwouldtravelhugedistances,thejacketsleevesays,someforweeksorevenmonths,inthehopeofspendinganightàdeux[3]intheHouseofMeetings.Writtenasadeathbedlettertoawell-feddaughternowlivingintheWest,“HouseofMeetings”tellsthetale—andtragicconsequences—ofonesuche________②.被苏联当局关押在古拉格集中营的敌人获准各自的丈夫或妻子前来探望，可这种机会很难得。该书的封套上写道，勇敢的女人们不远万里而来，有时候行程数周甚至数月，希望夫妇二人能够在“见面屋”共度一个晚上。《见面屋》一书读起来好像是写给如今生活在西方、丰衣足食的女儿的临终遗书，可它讲述的却是一个夫妻如此邂逅的故事，结局悲惨。Twobrothersfallinlovewiththesamegirl,Zoya,a19-year-oldJewess,inaMoscowthatisreadyingforapogrom[4]sometimebetweenthesecondworldwarandthedeathofStalin.ShemarriesLev,theyounger.“Mylittlebrothercametothecampin1948,”thestorybegins.“Iwasalreadythere.”在二战之后、斯大林死前的某个时候，在血雨腥风即将来临的莫斯科，有两个兄弟同时爱上了一个名叫卓娅的19岁犹太女孩。她嫁给了弟弟列弗。故事开篇写道：“1948年，我的弟弟来到了集中营。我已经在那儿了。”Thecampissituatedjustnorthofthe69thparallel[5],insidetheA______③circle.AsZoyamakesthejourneyfromMoscow,itisthenarrator'sjobtopreparetheHouseofMeetingsforLevandhisbride.Theyhadbeenmarriedforeightyears,butthiswouldbetheirfirstnighttogetherasmanandwife.Thenarratoroffersthemathermosofvodka,twocandlesandsixcigarettes(“rolledoutofthestatenewspaper”).（3）Thetriangularromance,however,isbutacome-hither[6]tothenovel'sweightierthemes,whichareallaboutrust,ruinanddecay—allmetaphorsforageing.集中营位于北纬69度正北方、北极圈以内。卓娅从莫斯科启程后，“我”（故事是第一人称写的，下同）开始为列弗与其新娘张罗“见面屋”。他们结婚八年，但这将是他们以丈夫和妻子的身份住在一起的第一夜。“我”为他们准备了一暖瓶的伏特加、两支蜡烛和六根雪茄（“用报纸卷成的”）。然而，这段三角恋情的描写无非是为了将读者引向这部小说那些更为沉重的主题，如锈蚀、废墟以及腐朽，一切都隐喻着年华的逝去。ThecompulsivevividnessofMrAmis'sstylemayhaveannoyedhisfather,butheputsittogoodusehere.Lev'sf_______④seemtohavebeen“throwntogetherinattentively,asifinthedark.Evenhisearsseemedtobelongtotwocompletelydifferentpeople.”Asmoker,heeatswithacigaretteinthehandthatholdstheknife:“Whenhewenttostubitout,themovementwasbutastepontheroadtolightinganother.”Thereislittleromanceinthebook.Thesex,whenitappears,comesa...