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(文末附有机器翻译)
Although The Moon and the Sixpence is a fabled and famous novel, this was my first time reading it. It once again confirms my previous impressions of English novels and Somerset Maugham.
As with all the English novels I have read, and even the English movies I have seen, the beginning of The Moon and the Sixpence is rather monotonous and unappealing. I have to force myself not to give up on the book until the 8th chapter when it suddenly becomes attractive. You have to endure a long, boring introduction in order to enjoy the exciting part of the story, which is exactly the English character, the slow heat type.
This novel once again confirms what I think of author Maugham. He is a typical amoralist, trying to portray a character as realistically as possible, sometimes even cold-bloodedly, with no intention of wrapping anyone up in a perfect being. In fact, no one is perfectly good or completely evil. Everyone is a combination of merits and flaws. Humanity is inherently complicated. Everyone is both a sinner and a saint.
Take one of the main characters, Charles Strickland, for example. I hated him and then I loved him. I loved him and then loathed him. I loathed him and then felt sorry for him. I felt sorry for him and then I admired him... His absolute determination to pursue his dream is admirable and at the same time cruelly irresponsible. His complete indifference to the views of others is soul-inspiring and tragic. His natural charm is attractive and destructive. His artistic achievements are selfless on the one hand because he completely disregards the quality of his livelihood and focuses solely on art, and selfish on the other because so many people have suffered emotionally or physically and even lost their lives because he abandoned them. In the end, I have to give him credit for his iron will to not let anyone distract or stop him from fulfilling his vocation, painting.
In a word, depicting complicated human nature is one of Maugham's trademark features.
(To be continued)
阅读《月亮与六便士》后的初步感受
虽然《月亮与六便士》是一部传说中的名著，但这是我第一次读它。再一次验证了我对英国小说和对萨默塞特-毛姆惯有的印象。
就像我读过的所有英国小说，甚至跟我看过的英国电影一样，《月亮与六便士》的开头相当乏味，一点也不吸引人。我必须强迫自己不要放弃，直到第8章，它才突然变得有趣有料。你必须忍受漫长的无聊前奏，才能抵达故事的精彩部分，这恰恰呼应了英国人的性格，慢热型。
这部小说再一次证实了我对作者毛姆的理解。他是一个典型的非道德主义者，旨在尽可能真实地描写一个人物，有时甚至是冷血地描写，并不打算把任何人包装成一个完美的存在。现实中没有人是完全善或者彻底恶的化身。每个人都是优点和缺陷的组合。人性的本质是复杂的。每个人都既是罪人又是圣人。
以主要人物查尔斯-斯特里克兰德为例。我恨他，然后我又爱他。我爱他，然后又厌恶他。我厌恶他，然后又同情他。我同情他，然后又佩服他.... 。他追求梦想的绝心令人钦佩，同时也是无比残酷且毫无责任感。他对别人的观点完全漠不关心，这既鼓舞人心，也是悲剧的根源。他的自然魅力勾魂摄魄，却毁人不倦。他的艺术成就，一方面是无私的，因为他完全无视自己的生活质量，只专注于艺术；另一方面是自私的，因为有那么多人因为他的放弃而在情感上或身体上受到伤害，甚至失去生命。最后，我不得不对他表示敬意，因为他有钢铁般的意志，不允许任何人分散他的注意力或阻止他完成他的使命--绘画。
我认为描写复杂的人性是毛姆的标志性特征之一。
(待续)
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