What drives someone to kill in cold blood? What goes through the murderer’s mind? And what kind of a society breeds such people? Over 150 years ago Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky took these questions up in what would become one of the best-known works of Russian literature: "Crime and Punishment."
什麼讓人變成冷血殺手? 殺人兇手的頭腦在想什麼? 什麼樣的社會養出這種人? 150 年前 費奧多爾·米哈伊洛維奇· 杜斯妥也夫斯基將這些問題 寫進後來著名的俄羅斯文學巨作 《罪與罰》
First serialized in a literary magazine in 1866, the novel tells the story of Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov, a young law student in Saint Petersburg. Raskolnikov lives in abject poverty, and at the start of the story has run out of funds to continue his studies. Letters from his rural home only add to his distress when he realizes how much his mother and sister have sacrificed for his success. Increasingly desperate after selling the last of his valuables to an elderly pawnbroker, he resolves on a plan to murder and rob her. But the impact of carrying out this unthinkable act proves to be more than he was prepared for.
這本書原本是刊在 1866 年 某文學雜誌上的連載小說 講述著拉斯柯尼科夫 這位在聖彼得堡年輕法學生的故事 拉斯柯尼科夫活在赤貧下 故事一開始就花光了所有的錢 無法繼續念書 從鄉下來的家書只有增加他的痛苦 因為他發現他的母親及妹妹 為了讓他成功做出多少犧牲 絕望感愈來愈大 在把最後一筆值錢的東西 賣給當舖的老婦人後 他鐵了心要謀財害命 但是執行這項難以置信的行動
Though the novel is sometimes cited as one of the first psychological thrillers, its scope reaches far beyond Raskolnikov’s inner turmoil. From dank taverns to dilapidated apartments and claustrophobic police stations, the underbelly of 19th century Saint Petersburg is brought to life by Dostoyevsky’s searing prose. We’re introduced to characters such as Marmeladov, a miserable former official who has drank his family into ruin, and Svidrigailov, an unhinged and lecherous nobleman. As Raskolnikov’s own family arrives in town, their moral innocence stands in stark contrast to the depravity of those around them, even as their fates grow increasingly intertwined.
影響之大,證明超乎預料 雖然這本書有時被引為 第一部懸疑心理小說 它牽扯的範疇遠遠超出 拉斯柯尼科夫內心的混亂 陰冷的小酒館、破爛的公寓 還有幽閉的警察局 19 世紀聖彼得堡的不堪之處 在杜斯妥也夫斯基 尖刻的散文下栩栩如生 我們認識了幾位角色 像是馬美拉多夫 他是位悲慘的前官員 因酗酒而使全家沉淪 還有斯維里加洛夫 一個不太正常又好色的貴族 拉斯科尼科夫自己的家人進城後 他們的道德純真立場 與周遭人物的墮落形成鮮明的對比 即使他們的命運愈來愈緊密交織
This bleak portrait of Russian society reflects the author’s own complex life experiences and evolving ideas. As a young writer who left behind a promising military career, Fyodor had been attracted to ideas of socialism and reform, and joined a circle of intellectuals to discuss radical texts banned by the Imperial government. Upon exposure, members of this group, including Dostoyevsky, were arrested. Many were sentenced to death, only to be subjected to a mock execution and last-minute pardon from the Tsar. Dostoyevsky spent the next four years in a Siberian labor camp before being released in 1854. The experience left him with a far more pessimistic view of social reform, and his focus shifted toward spiritual concerns. In the 1864 novella "Notes from Underground," he expounded on his belief that utopian Western philosophies could never satisfy the contradictory yearnings of the human soul. "Crime and Punishment" was conceived and completed the following year, picking up on many of the same themes.
俄國社會毫無修飾的呈現 反映出作者本身複雜的人生經驗 及逐步成形的想法 身為一位年輕作家 將大好的軍事前途拋諸腦後 費奧多爾被社會主義 及改革的想法吸引 並加入了一個知識分子圈 探討被沙皇政府禁止的激進文章 事蹟暴露之後 這個圈子的成員都被逮捕 包括杜斯妥也夫斯基 許多人被判處死刑 卻只受到模擬處決 及臨刑前來自沙皇的赦免 接下來四年,杜斯妥也夫斯基 在西伯利亞的勞改營度過 於 1854 年被釋放 這場經歷使他對社會改革 抱持極悲觀的看法 他的焦點因而轉變成靈命問題 他在 1864 年出版的 中篇小說《地下室手記》 闡述了他的信念,即烏托邦西方哲學 永遠不可能滿足人類靈魂 與之對立的渴望 《罪與罰》於次年孕育並完成 書中重拾了許多相同的主題
In many ways, the novel follows a common narrative thread where a promising youth is seduced and corrupted by the dangers of urban life. But its social critique cuts far deeper. Raskolnikov rationalizes that his own advancement at the cost of the exploitative pawnbroker’s death would be a net benefit to society. In doing so, he echoes the doctrines of egoism and utilitarianism embraced by many of Dostoyevsky’s contemporary intellectuals. And in believing that his intelligence allows him to transcend moral taboos, Raskolnikov cuts himself off from his own humanity. Yet although the book is deeply concerned with morality, "Crime and Punishment" never comes across as merely moralizing, with each character given their own distinctive and convincing voice. One of the most remarkable things about "Crime and Punishment" is its ability to thrill despite the details of the central murder being revealed in the first act. Raskolnikov’s crime is clear. But it’s only through Dostoyevsky’s gripping account of the ensuing social and psychological turmoil that we learn the true nature of his punishment– and the possibility of redemption.
從很多方面看 這部小說順著一條普通的敘事線 即前途有為的年輕人 被城市生活的危險引誘及腐蝕 但是它對社會的批評更加深刻 拉斯柯尼科夫將自己的行為合理化 認為把壓榨人的當舖老闆之死 當作自己晉升的代價 對社會是有淨利的 這麼做 他回應了利己主義及功利主義的教義 這些教義廣為與杜斯妥也夫斯基 同時代的知識分子所信奉 而且他相信他的智慧 允許他超越道德禁忌 拉斯柯尼科夫將自己 從自己的人性中抽身 儘管這本書深入探討道德問題 《罪與罰》從來沒有被認為 是部說教的作品 因為書中的每個角色 都有自己獨特且具說服力的見解 《罪與罰》最出色的部分 就是其張力 儘管早在第一部就已經告訴讀者 故事中心謀殺的細節 拉斯柯尼科夫罪證確鑿 但唯有透過杜斯妥也夫斯基 對隨之而來的社會和心理混亂 絲絲入扣的描述 我們才能了解他的罰為何物 及贖罪的可能性