菲利普·羅斯
美國(guó)文學(xué)的巨匠
The books that we love, they love us back. And just as we mark our places in the pages, those pages leave their marks on us.
我們愛(ài)的書(shū)，它們也愛(ài)我們。正如我們?cè)跁?shū)頁(yè)中標(biāo)記位置，那些書(shū)頁(yè)也在我們身上留下印記。
I cannot and do not live in the world of discretion, not as a writer, anyway. I would prefer to, I assure you—it would make life easier. But discretion is, unfortunately, not for novelists.
我不能也不愿生活在謹(jǐn)慎的世界里，至少作為作家不行。我向你保證，我寧愿如此——那樣生活會(huì)更容易。但不幸的是，謹(jǐn)慎不適合小說(shuō)家。
The pleasure isn’t in owning the person. The pleasure is this. Having another contender in the room with you.
快樂(lè)不在于占有這個(gè)人?？鞓?lè)在于此。房間里有了另一個(gè)競(jìng)爭(zhēng)者。
The only obsession everyone wants: ‘love.’ People think that in falling in love they make themselves whole? The Platonic union of souls? I think otherwise. I think you’re whole before you begin. And the love fractures you. You’re whole, and then you’re cracked open.
I write fiction and I’m told it’s autobiography, I write autobiography and I’m told it’s fiction, so since I’m so dim and they’re so smart, let them decide what it is or it isn’t.
我寫(xiě)小說(shuō)，人們說(shuō)那是自傳；我寫(xiě)自傳，人們說(shuō)那是小說(shuō)。既然我這么笨，他們這么聰明，那就讓他們決定是什么或不是什么吧。
The fact remains that getting people right is not what living is all about anyway. It’s getting them wrong that is living, getting them wrong and wrong and wrong and then, on careful reconsideration, getting them wrong again.
The writer’s life is a meaningless question. I’m interested in the books.
作家的生活是一個(gè)毫無(wú)意義的問(wèn)題。我對(duì)書(shū)感興趣。
文學(xué)不是一場(chǎng)道德選美比賽。
I don’t ask writers about their work habits. I really don’t care. Joyce Carol Oates says somewhere that when writers ask each other what time they start working and when they finish and how much time they take for lunch, they’re actually trying to find out, ‘Is he as crazy as I am?’ I don’t need that question answered.
我不問(wèn)作家關(guān)于他們的工作習(xí)慣。我真的不在乎。喬伊斯·卡羅爾·歐茨在某個(gè)地方說(shuō)過(guò)，當(dāng)作家們互相詢(xún)問(wèn)他們什么時(shí)候開(kāi)始工作，什么時(shí)候結(jié)束，以及午餐花多長(zhǎng)時(shí)間時(shí)，他們實(shí)際上是在試圖找出，“他和我一樣瘋狂嗎？”我不需要這個(gè)問(wèn)題的答案。
The writer’s life is a life of obsession.
作家的生活是一種癡迷的生活。
The novel is the great art form of the human condition.
小說(shuō)是人類(lèi)處境的偉大藝術(shù)形式。
The writer’s life is a life of struggle.
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