3月17日

日记

　•　1923年

# 关于维塔

这可能是第一次见维塔后的记录，评价可真不好，想到后来两人的热恋，这样的评价蛮有趣。

Two nights ago the Nicolsons dined there. Exposed to electric light eggs show dark patches. I mean we judged them both incurably stupid. He is bluff, but oh so obvious; she, Duncan thought, took the cue from him, & had nothing free to say. There was Lytton, supple & subtle as an old leather glove, to emphasise their stiffness.

两晚前，尼科尔森夫妇在那里用餐。在电灯下，鸡蛋显露出暗斑。我的意思是，我们认为他们两个都无可救药地愚蠢。他虽然直率，但哦，太明显了；邓肯认为，她从他那里得到暗示，没有什么自由发言的空间。利顿在场，他像一只旧皮手套一样柔韧而微妙，突显了他们的僵硬。

哈哈，鸡蛋在灯光下显露出暗斑，无可救药的愚蠢。想想那两人在众人的审视下，怎能不紧张？

# 能屈能伸的伍尔夫

As to the soul, I've been snubbed by Squire. I sent him my memoir article, asking terms: he accepted, offering £I 3; £I 5 I said, or my ms back; & got it back by return. And now I accept £1 3-which perhaps I shan't get after all. Yet I dont much mind. & only think that poverty & the shifts it puts one to is unbecoming, as I've said.

至于灵魂，我被Squire 冷落了。我寄给他我的回忆录文章，询问条件：他接受了，出价13英镑；我说15英镑，否则退还我的手稿；结果他立刻退还了手稿。现在我接受了13英镑——也许最终我连这个也得不到。但我并不太在意。只是觉得贫穷以及它所迫使人做出的种种妥协是不体面的，正如我所说。

贫穷以及它所迫使人做出的种种妥协是不体面的”，谁说不是呢？接下来还写道：艾略特在电话里流泪，语不成声。Poor Tom the other day actually couldn't speak for tears (thanking us) on the telephone. He is broken down,... 破产了，身无分文，还有个多病的妻子要养活。但他最终还是没有接受NATION 杂志的文学编辑一职。当然个中原由，我不得而知。

#阅读

Tolstoi's Love Letters

A. B. Goldenveizer's Talks with Tolstoi ，both translated by Koteliansky Epicame, or the Silent Woman, a comedy by Ben Jonson, was first acted in 1609.

　•　1930年

# 关于创作

The test of a book (to a writer) [is] if it makes a space in which, quite naturally, you can say what you want to say. As this morning I could say what Rhoda said. This proves that the book itself is alive: because it has not crushed the thing I wanted to say, but allowed me to slip it in, without any compression or alteration.

对一本书（对作家而言）的考验是，它是否创造了一个空间，在这个空间里，你可以自然而然地表达你想说的话。就像今天早上，我可以说出罗达所说的话。这证明这本书本身是有生命的：因为它没有压垮我想说的话，而是让我在不经压缩或改变的情况下，轻松地将其融入其中。

我想这本书是《海浪》吧。

　•　1937年

The communist press began its little snigger yesterday. John Brophy in D.T. a tired anaemic middle class book. So be it. That sneer is already rubbed out. But I’m too jaded to tackle the Professional chapter of 3 Gs. so write here. Yesterday we had Buxton to lunch, who had never heard of me or my agonies; & then I fetched my new lustre, & walked in the rain all across Hyde Park, now pink with coronation seats. This morning Austen Chamberlain is dead, & its an off day for me. No reviews I hope. L.’s irritation bad; will go to Hensman. No I cant write; & think shall I look at my Gibbon? Very wisely I have kept the week empty: save for the persistent Hayward tomorrow.!° But we know that the Spectator is giving a whole page to The Years: that the E. Standard is giving 2 columns: Desmond promises 2 cols on Sunday: & theres the NS. on Friday—so my peace is only that of a grasshopper under a leaf. No, I dont seriously fidget any more; because its plain there are 2 lines of criticism: one the Communist; the other the free mind. Had there been only the one, I should. have been damned. As it is I’m discussed (as usual) & no one has yet seen the point—my point.

哪怕是1937年的伍尔夫，还是很在意他人对自己作品的评论。她口中说着不再焦虑，但自己也承认：“我的宁静不过是叶子底下一只蚱蜢的片刻安逸罢了。”（my peace is only that of a grasshopper under a leaf）

此处记载的是关于《岁月》一书的评论。

很明显存在着两条批评的路线：一条来自 communist ， communism 报刊昨天开始冷嘲热讽了。约翰·布罗菲在《D.T.》上写道：一本疲惫而贫血的中产阶级书。就这样吧。那种冷笑已经被抹去了。另一条来自自由思想者。倘若只有前者，我就完蛋了。但事实是我被议论（和往常一样），而至今还没有人真正看出要点——我的要点。

受此影响，没有心情写《三个基尼》：I’m too jaded to tackle the Professional chapter of 3 Gs.

书信

　•　1911年

致Molly MacCarthy

#阅读 Santayana

桑塔亚那，哲学家？文学家？以文学的方式撰写哲学。“那些不能铭记过去的人注定要重蹈覆辙。” 他最著名的作品《最后的清教徒》要到1935年才问世，而我国到目前也没有中译本。也许伍尔夫读的是1910年刚出版的 Three Philosophical Poets: Lucretius, Dante, and Goethe. 这本倒是有中译本：《诗与哲学：三位哲学诗人卢克莱修、但丁及歌德》

　•　1921年

致Vanessa Bell

伍尔夫写给姐姐的信常常很长，都是些琐碎的小事，或者熟人朋友的八卦，有时候我觉得就像在给姐姐打电话，煲电话粥一样。这封信里，伍尔夫大夸一个酒店有多好，还说：“等我们老了，等你的孩子们都大了，外出闯世界去了，等我们埋葬了各自的丈夫之后，我俩一起旅游，各省游历去吧，我觉得住酒店，最好是以寡妇的身份。。。”

When I'm old, when Julian and Quentin and Angelica are out in the world, do let us become travelling matrons, and go round the provinces together, in handsome style, having buried our husbands, for I think its best to be a widow (I mean in an hotel-)

　•　1923年

致Ottolline Morrell

向Ottoline引荐一位年轻人W. J . H. Sprott，　又被称为Sebastian Sprott, 心理学家。

　•　1932年

致Ethel Smyth

。。。

致VSW

信中说到她退休想生活在未开发、未破坏的荒野、海边，有大片柏树的地方，where I mean to retire, on the wolds, by the sea, with great clumps of cypresses...

我喜欢树，但喜欢那种枝繁叶茂的大树，被风吹动的树，每每凝视着树，就会神思恍惚，思想不知飞到哪里去了。

梵高笔下的柏树，像是绿色的火焰。。。

　•　1937年

致Ethel Smyth

I’m so rushed I cant write even my usual scrawl. We’ve been bothered about Julian, Nessa’s boy, wanting to fight in Spain: and have to stop him, which means seeing people—politicians.

外甥Julian Bell 辞去武汉大学的教职，结束了与凌叔华的恋情（I guess?），打算直接去西班牙，参战。从伍尔夫的这封信来看，她们甚至想借用政客来阻止他。而从结局来看，未能成功。最终Julian 战死西班牙。