Christopher Isherwood - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Christopher William Bradshaw Isherwood (26 August 1904 – 4 January 1986) was a British novelist. Contents. 1 Early life and work; 2 Life in the United States ...這篇在 Christopher Isherwood 作品中沒有特別地位. 不過因為有卞先生的翻譯讀過罷了.
他和W. H. Auden 合著的訪戰爭中的中國一書據說很好. 1970年代還有修改版......
紫羅蘭姑娘 Prater Violet 衣修午德 C. Isherwood
這翻譯本從1980的工人出版社
到2000的 卞之琳譯文集上冊
現在很容易找到
衣修午德親口告訴卞之琳 書中角色導演之本尊為 Berthold Viertel
衣修午德 推薦的歸 可能是 Back Wikipedia article "Henry Green"
| 主要作者 | Isherwood, Christopher, 1904- |
| 書名/作者 | Prater violet : a novel / by Christopher Isherwood |
| 出版項 | Minneapolis : University of Minnesota Press, 2001 |
| 版本項 | 1st University of Minnesota Press ed |
| Originally published: New York : Random House, c1945 | |
| 國科會補助人文及社會科學研究圖書計畫 (2768332) |
紫羅蘭姑娘
- 作者：（英）克里斯托弗‧衣修午德 著
- 出版社：安徽教育出版社
- 出版日期：2007年04月01日
《紫羅蘭姑娘》是英國著名作家克里斯托弗 衣修午德的作品，是西歐現代主義文學的名家佳作，卞之琳先生將之翻譯，為中國讀者提供認識西歐文學的資料。《紫 羅蘭姑娘》這一個書名多少是一種假裝，正如紫羅蘭成了賣花女的名字。名為一事，故事為另一事。一個表演風流的維也納的小歌劇，由一位奧國藝術家導演，在英 國拍影片，就在奧國納粹發難登台的那些最風流的日子。片子行將采用原戲的名稱——《紫羅蘭姑娘》。
卞之琳 （1910-2000.12.4）中國著名詩人、翻譯家、文學研究家。曾用筆名季陵,祖籍江蘇溧水，1910年生于江蘇海門。1933年畢業于北平 北京大學英文系，曾任北京大學西語系教授(1949-1952)。卞之琳一生翻譯了大量世界名著，譯著包括《莎士比亞悲劇四種》、《窄門》、《浪子回家 集》、《紫羅蘭姑娘》、《英國詩選》等。此外，他還創作了《雕蟲紀歷1933—1958》、《十年詩草1930-1939》等詩作，以及《莎士比亞悲劇論 痕》、《布萊希特戲劇印象記》等一批重要著作。2000年１月，卞之琳獲得了首屆“中國詩人獎──終生成就獎”。
序
克里斯托弗‧衣修午德的小說《紫羅蘭姑娘》英文原本初版在
1945年10月，我的中譯本1947年2月在上海文化生活出版社出版(稍有節略的譯文1946
年先在上海《文藝復興》雜志上發表過)，距今已經三十五六年了。從前讀過這個譯本的朋友們願意重見到它，出版社借到一本讀了，也願意重印它。現在就據原文
校對修訂了一遍，交出付排。
譯本原有我寫的序文。作者對它還滿意o(他接到我寄給他看的序文英文稿後，回信說︰“如果譯文跟你的序文一樣好，那麼我就不能再求更好了”。)但是三十多年過去了，譯本新版問世，我自然有責任在書前再另外說幾句話。
20 世紀30年代到40年代變化很大，50年代以來又有了新的變化。就衣修午德說，也是如此。《紫羅蘭姑娘》出版將近10年後，才又陸續出版了小說《黃昏 的世界》(1954)、《單人》(1964)、《河畔的相會》(1967)等和三本自傳性著作。小說內容多寫同性愛和印度吠檀多宗教哲學。他自己在回憶錄 式的著作里把30年代反法西斯的進步政治動機都加以否定。但是衣修午德，在30年代和奧頓以及另外一批左傾過的同代作家一樣，因為客觀真實、歷史事實在那 里，要否定自己過去作品的意義和作用，還是不能由自己後來的主觀願望否定得了。就以《紫羅蘭姑娘》而論，盡管經過了作者多少年沉默，經過了第二次世界大 戰，它的基本精神還是和他在30年代的一致。
《紫羅蘭姑娘》基本上還是像30年代的衣修午德小說。當然，其中就有 些30年代中期以前西方知識分子還少有的幻滅感與憂郁感，他們還沒有清醒感受到的兩難 處境。尤其是其中染上了一層30年代結束以前西方很少流行的印度哲學的色彩。而這點所引起的我寫原序當時的一些反應，也就使我在序文里寫了一些“玄”話或 者廢話。但是序文的主要內容似乎還沒有什麼大錯，雖然我自己也早已不同于三十多年前的自己了。
如今我把小說正文校 讀一遍(我自己的著譯出書後向來再懶得通讀一遍，現在我還是第一次據原文校讀一全本譯書)，像過去讀過而近年來又找去重讀的一位小說藝 術家朋友一樣，還是很能欣賞其中表現的小說創作藝術。中心人物柏格曼形象鮮明、生動；他是當時中、小資產階級出身的有才華的藝術家的典型而具有個性；通過 他表現了當時具有進步傾向而未能擺脫既定身份的知識分子的典型尷尬境地。不僅中心人物，不僅也作為小說人物兼故事講述者的“衣修午德”，有點自我嘲弄的， 十分逼真，周圍人物，也都躍然紙上。衣修午德能用三筆兩筆、三言兩語，描寫出一個人物。三四十年代間曾有人說過，他在人物塑造方面是英國狄更斯以後的第一 人，寄予極大的期望(不容諱言，後來這種期望是落空了)。例如季米特洛夫的形象，在法庭上，只有幾句話，一個手勢，就活生生地“站起來”了。其他許多配角 也都被寫得聞其聲如見其人。衣修午德在全書中著墨不多就能把西方攝影場生活寫得十分酣暢，淋灕盡致，同時又從容不迫，還可以借人物發議論，抒情。文筆明 淨，一點也不拖泥帶水。
譯本原有我寫的序文。作者對它還滿意o(他接到我寄給他看的序文英文稿後，回信說︰“如果譯文跟你的序文一樣好，那麼我就不能再求更好了”。)但是三十多年過去了，譯本新版問世，我自然有責任在書前再另外說幾句話。
20 世紀30年代到40年代變化很大，50年代以來又有了新的變化。就衣修午德說，也是如此。《紫羅蘭姑娘》出版將近10年後，才又陸續出版了小說《黃昏 的世界》(1954)、《單人》(1964)、《河畔的相會》(1967)等和三本自傳性著作。小說內容多寫同性愛和印度吠檀多宗教哲學。他自己在回憶錄 式的著作里把30年代反法西斯的進步政治動機都加以否定。但是衣修午德，在30年代和奧頓以及另外一批左傾過的同代作家一樣，因為客觀真實、歷史事實在那 里，要否定自己過去作品的意義和作用，還是不能由自己後來的主觀願望否定得了。就以《紫羅蘭姑娘》而論，盡管經過了作者多少年沉默，經過了第二次世界大 戰，它的基本精神還是和他在30年代的一致。
《紫羅蘭姑娘》基本上還是像30年代的衣修午德小說。當然，其中就有 些30年代中期以前西方知識分子還少有的幻滅感與憂郁感，他們還沒有清醒感受到的兩難 處境。尤其是其中染上了一層30年代結束以前西方很少流行的印度哲學的色彩。而這點所引起的我寫原序當時的一些反應，也就使我在序文里寫了一些“玄”話或 者廢話。但是序文的主要內容似乎還沒有什麼大錯，雖然我自己也早已不同于三十多年前的自己了。
如今我把小說正文校 讀一遍(我自己的著譯出書後向來再懶得通讀一遍，現在我還是第一次據原文校讀一全本譯書)，像過去讀過而近年來又找去重讀的一位小說藝 術家朋友一樣，還是很能欣賞其中表現的小說創作藝術。中心人物柏格曼形象鮮明、生動；他是當時中、小資產階級出身的有才華的藝術家的典型而具有個性；通過 他表現了當時具有進步傾向而未能擺脫既定身份的知識分子的典型尷尬境地。不僅中心人物，不僅也作為小說人物兼故事講述者的“衣修午德”，有點自我嘲弄的， 十分逼真，周圍人物，也都躍然紙上。衣修午德能用三筆兩筆、三言兩語，描寫出一個人物。三四十年代間曾有人說過，他在人物塑造方面是英國狄更斯以後的第一 人，寄予極大的期望(不容諱言，後來這種期望是落空了)。例如季米特洛夫的形象，在法庭上，只有幾句話，一個手勢，就活生生地“站起來”了。其他許多配角 也都被寫得聞其聲如見其人。衣修午德在全書中著墨不多就能把西方攝影場生活寫得十分酣暢，淋灕盡致，同時又從容不迫，還可以借人物發議論，抒情。文筆明 淨，一點也不拖泥帶水。
Prater Violet is Christopher Isherwood's fictional first person account of film-making. The Prater is a large park and amusement park in Vienna, a city important to characters in the novel for several reasons. Though Isherwood broke onto the literary scene as a novelist, he eventually worked in Hollywood as a screenwriter. In this novel, Isherwood comments on life, art, commercialization of art, and Nazism.
Structure
Written in one continuous, expressive breath Prater Violet follows Isherwood's involvement in the creation of an eponymous film. Much of the novel records the remarks of film industry workers and Isherwood's conversations with a brilliant Austrian film director, Friedrich Bergmann. Only at the conclusion of the novel does Isherwood significantly separate his voice from dialogue to provide a deeper philosophic commentary on his frustration with life. He asks, "What makes you go on living? Why don't you kill yourself? Why is all this bearable? What makes you bear it?" (154).Plot introduction
Set in pre-World War II era England, both Nazism and filmmaking are on the rise. Characters in Prater Violet are used to personify various aspects of the enigmatic creative process. Isherwood also uses his characters to express the varying views about Hitler, mainly the alarming measure of indifference prevalent during the 1930s.Characters in Prater Violet
The main character, Isherwood himself, is a moderately successful author of fiction. He is a detailed observer of the filmmaking process and the gathering war. Eventually Isherwood confronts his rather passive role in life with frustration.He finds his only consolation to be dramatic personalities in his life such as Friedrich Bergmann. Bergmann is a loquacious and hand-talking muse for Isherwood. Just as Isherwood translates Bergmann's poor English into film script, Isherwood comes to understand the true horror of Nazism through Bergmann's fear for family in Austria.
As Hitler lays the foundation for war, movie executives such as Mr. Chatsworth stress over the timely production of the film Prater Violet. Ashmeade (whom we are led to believe is Isherwood's first meaningless lover) and Dorothy (the secretary) both fade into a cast of minor characters who fail to comprehend the truth of life.
The only exception to this monochrome cast is Lawrence Dwight, the chief film editor of Imperial Bulldog Pictures. Dwight sees life as a quest for efficiency through establishing patterns. He represents Nazi ideology in life and art.
Major themes
Efficiency. Art. the Creative Process. Film-as-art. Film-as-entertainment. Nazism. Love.Based on Isherwood's real-life film work
Prater Violet is based on Isherwood's experience as a screenwriter for the British Gaumont film Little Friend (1934), directed by Berthold Viertel and starring Nova Pilbeam. (Source: Author's diaries and memoirs)紐約時報戲劇Prater Violet評論
THEATER REVIEW; An Isherwood Story, In His Words and Spirit
Published: December 5, 1998, Saturday
Few novels of late have made the transition to the stage as gracefully as ''Prater Violet,'' Christopher Isherwood's semi-autobiographical account of his exploits in the British film industry of the 1930's. In an endearing production at the Salon Theater, the director Will Pomerantz, who also adapted the book, stays true to Isherwood's spirit. The result is an evening of theater with bags of English charm.
The play, performed by six hard-working cast members assuming a total of 42 roles, could hardly be more faithful to the nimble work by Isherwood, who also wrote ''Berlin Stories,'' on which ''Cabaret'' is based. The dialogue and narration in ''Prater Violet'' are lifted virtually verbatim from the 127-page novella, a chronicle of the making of a silly movie musical in 1933 by a high-principled Austrian Jew named Friedrich Bergmann, who takes on Isherwood as a neophyte screenwriter.
The author's refined command of language and clinical powers of observation have eased Mr. Pomerantz's burden. The characters, down to the smallest bit parts, are zesty creations that fill out the genially ironic plot, one that initially seems as frivolous as the sappy talkie, also called ''Prater Violet,'' that they are filming on a back lot in London. (A prater is a town square where public festivals occur.)
But as the relationship deepens between Bergmann (Dylan Green), worried about the growing power of the Nazis, and Isherwood (Kameron Steele), worried about the well-being of his new-found friend, so does the play. What begins as rather rarefied English drollery ends as a contemplation on the meaning of companionship.
Mr. Pomerantz has a way with the period. Aided by Troy Hourie's sets and Lap-Chi Chu's lighting (and a cast that also plays stage crew), the director puts a minimum of resources to maximum advantage; the film studio, for instance, is brought to life by a few rolling flats, movie cameras and the hustle of the actors playing gaffers, editors and film stars.
The narrator for the unspectacular events of this gentle piece -- the tensest moment comes when a newspaper headline announces turmoil in far-off Vienna, where Bergmann's wife and daughter remain -- is Mr. Steele, a young actor whose unflappable gentility makes him an appealing guide. As Bergmann, Mr. Green is poignantly anxious and avuncular; there's a magnetism that goes with the bluster.
The other actors -- Frank Dowd, Laura Kachergus, John McAdams and Ashok Sinha -- do nicely by many of the myriad supporting roles. Mr. McAdams is particularly good as a nihilistic film cutter on the movie set, and it's fun to watch Ms. Kachergus quick-change her way through a dozen roles. Still, Mr. Pomerantz could have used another actor or two, because his players are simply unsuited to some of the parts. Ms. Kachergus, for example, is much too young for Isherwood's mother, and Mr. Dowd, though swell as a studio executive, is unconvincing as an old vet of a movie actor.
The play, too, drags in spots, especially in an overlong first act, but this is a minor shortcoming. ''Prater Violet,'' which runs through tomorrow, affords another enjoyable view from Isherwood's perspective.
PRATER VIOLET
Adapted and directed by Will Pomerantz; based on the novel by Christopher Isherwood; sets by Troy Hourie; lighting by Lap-Chi Chu; costumes by Mattie Ullrich; sound by Miles Green and Mr. Pomerantz. Presented by the Culture Project, in association with Difference Engine. At the Salon, 432 East 91st Street, Manhattan.
WITH: Kameron Steele (Christopher Isherwood), Dylan Green (Friedrich Bergmann), Frank Dowd, Laura Kachergus, John McAdams and Ashok Sinha (ensemble).
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