《織工馬南傳》(上) Silas Marner (1861)
A child, more than all other gifts (小孩,勝過其它的禮物)
That earth can offer to declining man(是這個世界能帶給衰老的人)
Bring hope with it,and forward-looking thoughts.
(帶來希望與前瞻的看法)
英國十九世紀的女作家George Eliot (原名Mary Ann Evans)在
《織工馬南傳》的題文中,一開始就引用浪漫詩人William
Wordsworth 的詩,歌頌小孩的純真是大人世界的希望。小孩的確
世上最尊貴的禮物,帶給人類光明與信心。這本Silas Marner
是小說家本身經驗的一部份,Eliot 經歷宗教信仰的喪失與不同文
化價值的衝擊,這是一段心靈如何獲得滋潤,生命重新獲得意義的故事。
主題分析：
人vs.社區
小說一開始,我們看到主人翁,Silas 過著孤苦、卑微的生活,離
群索居,沒有任何朋友：
His life had reduced itself / to the function of weaving and
hoarding,/ without any contemplation of an end / towards which
the functions tended .../ Strangely / Marner's face and figure
shrank and bent themselves/ into a constant mechanical
relation/ to the objects of his life,/ so that he produced the
same sort of impression / as a handle or a crooked tube,/which
has no meaning / standing apart./ The prominent eyes / that
used to look trusting / and dreamy,/ now looked / as if they had
been made / to see only one kind of thing /that was very small,
/ like tiny grain...;/ and he was so withered and yellow,/ that
he was not yet forty,/ the children always called him "Old
Marner"(他的生活已經簡化/到織布與囤積的功能,/沒有思考
特定目標,/這些功能所指向的.../很奇怪的，/ Marner的臉跟身
體萎縮、彎曲，/ 變成持續的機械行為，/對應他生活中的一些物
體。/ 因此他給人的印象 / 有如是手把或曲管般，/充滿夢想，/現
在看來似乎變成，/ 只能看一種東西，/非常渺小，/ 有如小穀粒
...;/ 他如此凋謝、 泛黃，/ 不到四十歲，/ 小孩總是叫他"老
Marner"。)
此處，作者使用幾個枯萎、萎縮的意象來形容Silas所過的生活,
如reduced, shrank, bent,withered, yellow, crooked tube, tiny
grain等字眼，又以機械性的動作來表示Silas過的行屍走肉生
活，如a constant mechanical relation, a handle, a crooked tube
等。最後以小孩vs. Old Marner產生強烈的對比。
這些強烈的意象很清楚的勾畫出主人物可悲的生活。然而Silas
之前的生活並非如此，他曾在教會奉獻服務。但是，在一次教會
指控他偷竊黃金後，他喪失了對社區人群的信任，從此過著獨居
的生活： "He seemed to weave, like the spider, from pure
impulse,without reflection." (他總是織布，好像蜘蛛，出自純粹
的本能，沒有思考。)
生命意義的消失，迫使Silas與社區的隔閡。他生命中唯一的意
義就是數錢：
"But now,/ when all purpose was gone,/ that habit of looking
towards the money and grasping it / with a sense of fulfilled
effort / made a loam /that was deep enough / for the seeds of
desire;/ and as Silas walked homeward / across the fields / in
the twilight,/ he drew out the money / and thought it was
brighter / in the gathering gloom./ (但是現在，/ 當所有目的消
失，/向錢看、並緊緊抓住金錢的習慣，/ 帶有一絲成就，成為
沃土，/ 夠深可以/ 發育慾望的種子。/ Silas 走回家路上，/ 越過
田野，/ 在黃昏中，/ 拿出金錢，/覺得錢更明亮，/ 天色漸暗
下來。)
從失望到希望；擁有小孩的喜悅與希望
抓住金錢是否可以代表一切呢？Silas的未來難道要沈淪在金錢
與機械般的生活中嗎？ 十五年過去了，有天，Silas回到家發現他
辛苦累積的錢(也是他現在生活唯一的重心)被偷了。這次，失
錢的打擊卻換來村民對他的同情與安慰，過去大家覺得他是孤僻
的，可是現在社區開始重視他的感覺：其中一個村民Mr. Macey
來拜訪他，安慰他：
"Come,/ Master Marner,/ why, you've no call to sit a moaning./
You're a deal better off/ to ha' lost your money.../ You might
ha' made up for it / by coming to church reg'lar..."(別這樣了
,/ Master Marner,/唉，你沒必要坐在這裡哀傷。/你變得更好
,/掉了那些錢.../你可以補救,/固定來上教會。)
邀請他上教會代表村民對他的接受，也漸漸回復了Silas失去的社
區友誼支柱。
然而，對Silas 最大的回報與救贖，來自一個嬰兒Eppie。村裡
有錢人家生的私生子，意外的進入了Silas 冷清的家，從此Eppie
成為Silas與村民、外在世界溝通的媒介，也成為他生命的目標：
Silas began now / to think of Raveloe life entirely / in relation to
Eppie:/ she must have everything that was a good in Raveloe;/
and he listened docilely,/ that he might come to understand
better / what this life was,/ from which,/ for fifteen years,/ he
had stood aloof / as from a strange thing,/ wherewith he could
have no communion.../ And now something had come to
replace his hoard / which gave a growing purpose to the
earnings,/ drawing his hope and joy / continually onward /
beyond the money. (Silas開始/看待Raveloe的生活，/完全跟
Eppie有關。/她一定是擁有Raveloe美好的一切。/他温柔地傾聽
,/或許更能理解自己生活，/對於他自己的生活，/ 過去十五
年來，/ 他離得遠遠的，/ 好像那是很奇怪的東西，/ 完全沒有聯
繫.../ 現在，某個東西取代他的積蓄，/ 漸漸賦予他賺錢的目的
，/ 帶領希望及喜悅，/ 持續往前，超越金錢。)
對Eppie的付出，讓他感受愛與信任，出自內心話語，他已經
回復到過去對人的熱情、對生活的喜悅：
"Eh, my precious child, the blessing was mine. If you hadn't
been sent to save me, I should ha' gone to the grave in my
misery. The money was taken away from me in time; and you
see it's been kept-kept till it was wanted for you. it's wonderful-
our life is wonderful.
沒有Eppie , Silas 的生命將在哀傷結束。第一次的偷竊事件，
他喪失了信心；第二次的偷竊，卻帶給他生命的喜悅。Eliot是個
探索生命的作家，透過簡單的故事，敘述生活的態度與哲理。
(適合閱讀程度；大一以上學生及社會人士；高中程度可以閱讀)
撰稿／政大英文系教授陳超明
孫蓉華／整理
資料來源：http://mag.udn.com/mag/edu/storypage.jsp?f_MAIN_ID=381&f_SUB_ID=4274&f_ART_ID=303338
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