中文译本《柑橘和柠檬树啊》.
刷完觉得中文译本这个书名起得真好.
oranges and lemons 在书中是一首歌名.
是一首被反复提及的歌.
是Big Joe 最爱唱的歌, 也是 Charlie 在行刑前柔声哼起的曲子.
Oranges and Lemons, say the bells of St. Clements,
You owe me five farthings, say the bells of St. Martins.
When will you pay me? say the bells of Old Bailey.
When I grow rich, say the bells of Shoreditch.
When will that be? say the bells of Stepney.
I’m sure I don’t know, says the great bell at Bow.
Here comes a candle to light you to bed,
And here comes a chopper to chop off your head.
故事围绕着小镇上的一家人展开, 父亲是伐木工人, 在一次户外工作中, 为了救儿子Tommo而被大树砸伤身故, 父亲死后, 母亲带着三个孩子艰难维持生活, 彼时老大Charlie已经上学, 二儿子Tommo刚开始离家入校, 最小的儿子Big Joe因为脑部受过伤, 智商一直处于孩童水平. 童年时期, Charlie 和Tommo 在学校里结识了可爱的Moll, 三人青梅竹马, 常常一起出行, 形影不离, 兄弟俩皆爱慕着Moll, 几年后, 三人渐渐长大. 不久一战爆发, 政府征兵, Tommo 随后和Charlie奔赴战场. 出发前, Moll怀有了Charlie的孩子, 两人在Peaceful一家的祝福下成婚.故事的最后, Charlie被处死, Moll生下了宝宝, 而Tommo则继续留在战场, 怀着平安归来, 照顾家人的承诺, 等待战争的结束.
Private Peaceful 在文中出现的并不多, 后来我才明白指的是Charlie.
书中最后的Postscript指明了大致的写作意图:
In the First World War, between 1914 and 1918, over 290 soldiers of the British and Commonwealth armies were executed by firing squad, some for desertion and cowardice, two for simply sleeping at their posts.
Many of these men we now know were traumatised by shell shock. Court martials were brief, the accused often unrepresented.
It was only in 2006 that the authorities recognised the injustice these soldiers suffered. A conditional pardon was granted in November 2006.
书中, Charlie 并不是战死沙场的, 而是在一次突击中, 为了照顾受伤的弟弟Tommo, 不服从自杀式的军令, 被直属上级指控是懦夫, 而被军法处置.
但我们都知道Charlie从来都不是懦夫.
年少时与欺负弟弟的校园恶霸打架, 为了让家人吃饱, 冒险去偷猎, 长大后, 救下被上校认为无用而准备枪杀的猎犬Bertha, 在战争中, 时刻保护着弟弟, 大哥哥一般照顾着战友, 反抗以公权泄私愤的上级, 在枪林弹雨中救下Captain Wilkie.
可就是这样的人, 却被扣上了worthless, coward的帽子.
公正来得太迟了些.
但迟到的公正也依然是公正.
不管是对长眠地下的英烈, 还是现存于世的后人来说, 都是一种无形的慰籍吧.
书中最后的Note部分, 作者提到了他构思整个故事时, 对主人翁应该叫什么名字一直没有头绪, 后来和妻子Clare在一次祭奠战士墓地的旅行中, 遇到了他的答案.
Walking down the line of Portland-stone headstones, Clare bent down to look more closely at one of them. “I think maybe I’ve found your soldier’s name,” she said. The stone read: ‘Private T. S. H. Peaceful Royal Fusiliers 4th June 1915’.
Peaceful真的是一个很棒的名字.
Fuck the war, Peace forever.