諾貝爾文學獎獲獎者
約翰˙麥克斯韋˙切庫
NOBEL PRIZE WINNERS
John Maxwell Coetzee
[This conversation is a interview about Coetzee in Chinese and English.]
傑弗里·布朗：
三十年以來，南非作家約翰˙麥克斯韋˙切庫早已經是一個在世界文學中傑出的人物。在他的八本小說中，比如《邁克爾·K.的生平與時代》和《恥》，若貝爾委員會評價到，“切庫的興趣是區分正義與邪惡，分析得水晶一般清晰，透徹見底；在探索人類的軟弱和失敗中，切庫捕獲到人類神聖的閃光。” 切庫本人幾乎罕見地接受採訪或出席頒獎儀式。
JEFFREY BROWN: South African writer John Maxwell Coetzee has been a prominent figure in world literature for nearly three decades. In his eight novels such as "The Life and Times of Michael K" and "Disgrace," the Nobel committee said, "Coetzee's interest is directed mainly at situations where the distinction between right and wrong, while crystal clear, can be seen to serve no end; it is in exploring weakness and defeat that Coetzee captures the divine spark of man." Coetzee himself rarely if ever grants interviews or attends award ceremonies.
在今天的發言中，他說，“獲獎完全是一個驚喜。我甚至不知道頒獎還懸而未決。”今天來到節目的是切庫的合夥作家和朋友；阿瑞爾﹒道夫曼是一位小說家、劇作家以及杜克大學的文學教授。歡迎你！阿瑞爾﹒道夫曼。對於那些對切庫知道甚少的讀者來說，它的作品的突出的特徵是什麼？
In a statement today, he said the prize "came as a complete surprise. I was not even aware that the announcement was pending." Joining us now is a fellow writer and friend of Coetzee; Ariel Dorfman is a novelist, playwright and professor of literature at Duke University. Welcome to you. Ariel Dorfman, for those who know little or nothing about Coetzee, what is the essential quality that stands out in his writing?
阿瑞爾·道夫曼：
我認為他透徹地剖析了人類當代的社會環境。他用自己智慧的光芒和慈悲心，探索我們的時代人類靈魂非常淒涼的景象。如果你要說約翰做得最好的一件事，就是他不說謊。關於他自己他不說謊。關於人類環境，他不說謊。關於他的人物，他不說謊。他進入了人類的深處：無論男人、女人、乞丐和王子。
ARIEL DORFMAN: I think that he strips bare the human contemporary condition. He explores the very bleak landscape of the human soul in our times and does so with, I would say, radiance, luminosity, and tenderness. But I would say if you had to speak about one thing that John does basically well is he doesn't lie. He doesn't lie about himself. He doesn't lie about the human condition. He doesn't lie about his characters. He goes to the depth of what we are as human beings: Men, women, beggars, and princes.
[To be continued ]
