快樂的死亡 

      ——陸文夫 

  作家有三種死法。一曰自然的死，二曰痛苦的死，三曰快樂的死。 

  自然的死屬于心臟停止跳動(1)，是一種普遍的死亡形式，沒有特色， 可以略而不議。快樂的死和痛苦的死不屬于心臟停止跳動，是人還活著，作品已經、或幾乎是沒有了！ 

  作家沒有了作品，可以看作是個人藝術生命的死亡、職業的停頓。其中有些人是因為年事已高，力不從心(2)。這不是藝術的死亡，而是藝術的離休，他自己無可自責，社會也會尊重(3)他在藝術上曾經作出的貢獻。 

  痛苦的死亡卻不然，即當一個作家的體力和腦力(4)還能勝任創作的時候，作品已經沒有了，其原因主要是由于各種苦難和折磨（包括自我折磨）所造成。折磨毀了他的才華，苦難消沉了意志，作為人來說他還活著，作為作家來說卻正在或已死去。這種死亡他自己感到很痛苦，別人看了心里也很難受。 

  快樂的死亡卻很快樂，不僅他自己感到快樂，別人看來也很快樂。昨天看見他大會上做報告，下面掌聲如雷；今天又看見他參加宴會，為這為那地頻頻舉杯(5)。昨天聽見他在高朋中大發議論，語驚四座，今天又聽見他在那些開不完的座談會上重復昨天的意見。昨天看見他在北京的街頭，今天又看見他飛到了廣州……只是看不到或很少看到他的作品發表哪里。 

  我不害怕自然的死，因為害怕也沒用，人人不可避免。我也不太害怕痛苦的死，因為那時代已經過去(6)。我最害怕的就是那快樂的死，毫無痛苦，十分熱鬧，甚至還有點轟轟烈烈。自己很難控制，即很難控制在一定的范圍之內。因為我覺得喝酒不一定完全是壞事，少喝一點可以舒筋活血，據說對心血管也是有幫助的。作家不能當隱士，適當的社會活動和文學活動可以開闊眼界，活躍思想，對創作也是有幫助的(7)。可是怎么才能不酗酒、不作酒鬼，這有益的定量究竟是多少呢？怕就怕三杯下肚，豪情大發，嘟嘟嘟，來個瓶底朝天，而且一頓喝不上便情緒不高，頗有怨言，甚至會到處去找酒喝。嗚呼，快樂地死去！

注釋 

作者陸文夫（1927- ）是小說家，此文寫于1985年4月，是一篇有很強現實針對性的雜感。 

(1)“心臟停止跳動”譯為the discontinuation of heartbeat，其中discontinuation也可譯為absence或stoppage等。又heartbeat在此為不可數名詞，故前面不用冠詞。 

(2)“年事已高，力不從心”譯為too old to be equal to the task，其中to be equal to的意思是to have enough strength for。 

(3)“社會也會尊重”譯為society at large will pay tribute to，其中短語at large作in general解，用來強調society，意即“整個社會”。 

(4)“體力和腦力”譯為in mind and body，也可譯為mentally and physically。 

(5)“為這為那地頻頻舉杯”譯為drinking nonstop this and that，也可譯為proposing repeated toasts to this and that。其中nonstop意同now and then或again and again等，但略帶諷刺味道。 

(6)“因為那時代已經過去”譯為for it is something belonging to a bygone age，其中bygone age指建國后的一段極左時期，包括“文革”時期。 

(7)“對創作也是有幫助的”譯為stands to benefit in writing，其中stands作“處于某種狀態”（to be in a particular state）解。 

Happy Death 

        ——Lu Wenfu 

    A writer can die three kinds of death: natural death, painful death, happy death. 

    Natural death, caused by the discontinuation of heartbeat, is a common form of death with no characteristics of its own, and therefore may as well be left out without any comment. In the case of happy death and painful death, which are not caused by the discontinuation of heartbeat, the writer, alive as he is, has stopped or almost stopped writing! 

    When a writer no longer produces any works, it is tantamount to the death of his artistic life or the end of his career. Some writers lay down their pens because they are too old to be equal to the task. We call it retirement from art rather than death of art. They have nothing to blame themselves for. And society at large will pay tribute to the contributions they have already made to art. 

     Painful death is quiet another matter. It occurs when a writer abandons writing even though he is still sound in mind and body. It results mainly from various kinds of sufferings and torments (including self-inflicted torments). Torments ruin his talent while sufferings demoralize him.     Though still alive as a man, he is dying or already dead as a writer. This kind of death causes not only much pain to the writer himself, but much sadness to other people as well. 

     Happy death is a joyful thing, bring happiness to both the writer himself and other people.    Yesterday we saw him addressing a big meeting amidst thunderous applause, and today we saw him attending a banquet, drinking nonstop to this and that. Yesterday we heard him talking volubly to a gathering of distinguished guests, capturing the attention of all present, and today we heard him repeating himself at one of those endless forums. Yesterday we met him on a Beijing street, and today we saw him flying to Guangzhou… But never or every seldom do we find his new works seeing the light of today. 

    I do not fear natural death for nobody can avoid it, hence no use fearing. Nor do I fear painful death for it is something belonging to a bygone age. What I fear most is happy death, which is absolutely painless and full of bustle, excitement and even dramatic spectacle. It is difficult to exercise self-control, that is, difficult to keep within limits. Drinking is, to my mind, not always bad because a few spots may help blood circulation and is, as they say, good for the heart and blood vessels. Being no hermit, a writer stands to benefit in writing as long as he gets properly involved with social and literary activities to widen his field of vision and stimulate his thinking. But how can he avoid excessive drinking or becoming of drunkard? What is the safety limit in this respect?   The trouble is after three cups of alcohol he will get wild and unrestrained and end in gulping down a whole bottle. One meal without liquor will upset him and set him complaining and searching around for drink. Alas, just to end up dying happily!