《小人物日记》：凡俗者的幸福人生
企业
教育
2024-11-10 08:01
北京
乔治·格罗史密斯(George Grossmith, 1847～1912)和威登·格罗史密斯(Weedon Grossmith, 1854～1919)是一对兄弟，哥哥是知名的喜剧演员兼作家，弟弟是成功的作家兼画家。他们兄弟联手，完成了《小人物日记》(The Diary of a Nobody, 1892)这部日记体小说。小说以诙谐的语言，充满趣味的细节选取，创造出普特尔先生(Mr. Pooter)这样一位生动的文学人物。这部小说不仅在英国畅销百年，也得到了我国钱锺书先生的格外推荐，他称该书“设想之巧，世间真实情事皆不能出其范围”。
普特尔先生是谁？他是一位不折不扣的小人物。没有显赫的事业，也不曾改写过历史，在一家中等规模的公司默默无闻工作了一辈子。然而，这位普特尔先生却也鼎鼎大名。他是《小人物日记》的主角，百余年来，深受英国读者的喜爱。他的形象是如此深入人心，英语中专门有个词Pooterish (妄自尊大和世俗的)是为他发明的，形容以他为代表的保守的中产阶级。他藉此进入日常词汇，成为英国文化永久的一个部分。
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这位既是小人物，却享有不凡声誉的普特尔先生，是英国一对兄弟作家乔治•格罗史密斯和威登•格罗史密斯的创造。让普特尔先生扬名的是这对兄弟假托他的名义写的一部日记。日记的发端是这位普特尔先生的一点小小的野心——那些重要的历史人物的日记 被人们反复阅读，为什么他的日记不能享受同样的待遇？为此，他开始了一年零三个月的日记生涯。在他的日记中，找不到跌宕起伏的浪漫故事，只有他和老妻卡丽相互欣赏、相互关怀的真情。当然，和所有的平常夫妻一样，他们也吵架；不过，吵架后，他会买上一只小小的银镯子当做赔罪的礼物，并附上一张爱意浓厚的字条。日记中，找不到耳熟能详的社会名流，出现频率最高的是普特尔先生的好友高英先生和卡明斯先生。高英先生为人吝啬，又故作大方；卡明斯先生则喜欢感叹自己运气不佳，抱怨朋友们对他重视不够。他们在普特尔家里出出入入，和他一样，都是普通中产阶级的一员。日记里，也不见惊天动地的大事件。日记里，也不见惊天动地的大事件。门铃的拉柄断了，给家里的浴缸上漆，在小花园里种蔬菜——这些小事都能成为日记详细叙述的对象。其中最具震撼性的大事，要算是普特尔先生收到了参加市长官邸舞会的邀请。为此，他不仅激动地搂着妻子在屋里旋转舞蹈，还特地在朋友间“广而告之”，并将邀请函寄给岳母品鉴。为了参加舞会，他添置了新装，连听布道时都魂不守舍。美中不足的是，公司里令他鄙夷的同事也得到了相同的邀请，而且在舞会当晚，他穿着新皮靴跳舞时还摔了一大跤。不过，其后，他依然期待报纸会登载他曾参加舞会的荣耀消息，可报社偏偏先是将他的名字遗漏，后来补上时又将他的名字拼错。为此他两度去信抗议，换来的是报纸的一番刻意嘲笑：“我们收到查尔斯•朴特尔先生及太太的两封来信，要求我们宣布他们曾出席市长官邸舞会这一重要事实。”下面节选部分讲述的就是普特尔先生收到请帖并参加舞会这件事。
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这样一位有些迂腐、有些笨拙的普特尔先生，无疑是个让人忍俊不禁的角色。然而，同样是他，却也触动了我们心灵深处最温情的部分。普特尔先生有点小心眼，朋友说话口无遮拦时，他常常会觉得受到伤害；但他从不记仇，为人宽厚真诚，他的家里是朋友们的聚会之地，笑声不断。普特尔先生有些虚荣，渴望能够变成社会名流，但他从来不曾为赢得名声而伤害他人，对生活更是常怀满足感激之心。普特尔先生生活节俭，甚至有些吝啬，他发现送往洗衣店清洗的手帕掉色了，就会郑重要求洗衣女工全额赔偿九个便士的买手帕钱；然而，当他妻子提醒他手帕买的是减价货，只值六便士时，他立即坚持退回了那多要的三个便士。普特尔先生为人过于保守，而且相当谨小慎微，上班迟到一次，就够他惴惴不安很久；可是和他那行为张扬、不受传统道德约束的儿子卢品相比，他更敬业，更有道德感，也更富有同情心。
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小说的英文标题中，用“nobody”来形容普特尔先生，隐含之意是说像普特尔先生这样的小人物，不折不扣是芸芸众生中没有特色的一员，在大人物们的眼中，实在可以被视若无物。然而，恰恰因为他的普通，普特尔先生成了我们每个平凡人的代表。我们或许也会像普特尔先生一样，为搬到新家而快乐自豪，为日常开支精打细算，为出门度假详细计划，为工作焦虑，为孩子取得的成绩自豪，为做错了事情、说错了话懊恼……生活是一地鸡毛似的琐碎，看不到惊涛骇浪的风景，缺少形而上的升腾的崇高感，但在这份扎实的、物质的、形而下的普通生活中，也时时能够看到金沙般闪现的快乐。读普特尔先生的故事，就像是照哈哈镜。这面哈哈镜放大了生活的幽默与庸常。普特尔先生的笑容是夸张的，举止是笨拙的，然而，他就是我们，是我们在哈哈镜里照见的模样，映衬着我们凡俗人生中点点滴滴的小烦恼与细水长流的幸福感。April 30. —Perfectly astounded at receiving an invitation for Carrie and myself from the Lord and Lady Mayoress to the Mansion House, to “meet the Representatives of Trades and Commerce.” My heart beat like that of a schoolboy’s. Carrie and I read the invitation over two or three times. I could scarcely eat my breakfast. I said—and I felt it from the bottom of my heart, —“Carrie darling, I was a proud man when I led you down the aisle1) of the church on our wedding-day; that pride will be equalled, if not surpassed, when I lead my dear, pretty wife up to the Lord and Lady Mayoress at the Mansion House.” I saw the tears in Carrie’s eyes, and she said: “Charlie dear, it is I who have to be proud of you. And I am very, very proud of you. You have called me pretty; and as long as I am pretty in your eyes, I am happy. You, dear old Charlie, are not handsome, but you are GOOD, which is far more noble.” I gave her a kiss, and she said: “I wonder if there will be any dancing? I have not danced with you for years.”
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I cannot tell what induced me to do it, but I seized her round the waist, and we were silly enough to be executing a wild kind of polka2) when Sarah3) entered, grinning, and said: “There is a man, mum4), at the door who wants to know if you want any good coals.” Most annoyed at this. Spent the evening in answering, and tearing up again, the reply to the Mansion House, having left word with Sarah if Gowing5) or Cummings6) called we were not at home. Must consult Mr. Perkupp7) how to answer the Lord Mayor’s invitation. May 1. —Carrie said: “I should like to send mother the invitation to look at.” I consented, as soon as I had answered it. I told Mr. Perkupp, at the office, with a feeling of pride, that we had received an invitation to the Mansion House; and he said, to my astonishment, that he himself gave in my name to the Lord Mayor’s secretary. I felt this rather discounted the value of the invitation, but I thanked him; and in reply to me, he described how I was to answer it. I felt the reply was too simple; but of course Mr. Perkupp knows best. May 2. —Sent my dress-coat and trousers to the little tailor’s round the corner, to have the creases8) taken out. Told Gowing not to call next Monday, as we were going to the Mansion House. Sent similar note to Cummings. May 3. —Carrie went to Mrs. James9), at Sutton, to consult about her dress for next Monday. While speaking incidentally to Spotch, one of our head clerks, about the Mansion House, he said: “Oh, I’m asked, but don’t think I shall go.” When a vulgar man like Spotch is asked, I feel my invitation is considerably discounted. In the evening, while I was out, the little tailor brought round my coat and trousers, and because Sarah had not a shilling to pay for the pressing, he took them away again. May 4. —Carrie’s mother returned the Lord Mayor’s invitation, which was sent to her to look at, with apologies for having upset a glass of port over it. I was too angry to say anything. May 5. —Bought a pair of lavender kid gloves10) for next Monday, and two white ties, in case one got spoiled in the tying. May 6. Sunday. —A very dull sermon11), during which, I regret to say, I twice thought of the Mansion House reception tomorrow. May 7. —A big red-letter12) day; viz.13), the Lord Mayor’s reception. … Crowds arrived, and I shall never forget the grand sight. My humble pen can never describe it. …May 8. —I woke up with a most terrible headache. I could scarcely see, and the back of my neck was as if I had given it a crick14). I thought first of sending for a doctor; but I did not think it necessary. …May 9. —Still a little shaky, with black specks15). The BLACKFRIARS BI-WEEKLY NEWS contains a long list of the guests at the Mansion House Ball. Disappointed to find our names omitted, though Farmerson16)’s is in plainly enough with M.L.L. after it, whatever that may mean. More than vexed17), because we had ordered a dozen copies to send to our friends. Wrote to the BLACKFRIARS BI-WEEKLY NEWS, pointing out their omission. …May 12. —Got a single copy of the BLACKFRIARS BI-WEEKLY NEWS. There was a short list of several names they had omitted; but the stupid people had mentioned our names as “Mr. and Mrs. C. Porter.” Most annoying! Wrote again and I took particular care to write our name in capital letters, POOTER, so that there should be no possible mistake this time. May 16. —Absolutely disgusted on opening the BLACKFRIARS BI-WEEKLY NEWS of today, to find the following paragraph: “We have received two letters from Mr. and Mrs. Charles Pewter, requesting us to announce the important fact that they were at the Mansion House Ball.” I tore up the paper and threw it in the waste-paper basket. My time is far too valuable to bother about such trifles. 1. aisle：n. 走廊，过道
2.polka：n. 波尔卡舞，一种起源于捷克名族的轻快舞蹈
3.Sarah：萨拉，普特尔先生家的女仆
4.mum：n.〈粗〉太太，夫人［madam的变体］
5.Gowing：高英，普特尔先生的好友
6.Cummings：卡明斯，普特尔先生的好友
7.Mr. Perkupp：波卡普，普特尔先生公司的负责人
8.crease：n. 皱折，折痕
9.Mrs. James：詹姆斯太太，普特尔太太的好友
10.kid gloves：n. 小山羊皮手套
11.sermon：n. 布道
12.red-letter：(日子)值得纪念的，有特殊意义的；喜庆的
13.viz.：abbr.〈拉〉即，就是
14.crick：n. (颈或背的)痛性痉挛，痛痉
15.speck：n. 斑点
16.Farmerson：法默森，一位五金商人
17.vexed：adj. 焦急的
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