IV. Death By Water

Phlebas the Phoenician, a fortnight dead, Note:312-318
Forgot the cry of gulls, and the deep sea swell
And the profit and loss.
A current under sea
315
Picked his bones in whispers. As he rose and fell
He passed the stages of his age and youth
Entering the whirlpool.
Gentile or Jew
O you who turn the wheel and look to windward, 320
Consider Phlebas, who was once handsome and tall as you. (319-321)
After the torchlight red on sweaty faces


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副 題 Death by Water:水死。水死這部份有兩種含意:(1)水死暗示死後沒有復活或再生之希望;(2)水死暗示死後有復活或再生之希望,死乃再生之前奏。水具有毀滅之力量,同時還有淨化再生之能。古異教徒將神浸入水中祈求河水汜,肥沃土壤,然後萬物更生。因此水這個字便兼具正反兩面之意義(paradoxical meanings)。「水死」這一部份便是以菲尼基商人菲力巴士(Phlebas)死於海中為背景,來暗示古菲尼基物質文明之衰亡,並影射現代文明中,人類靈魂亦終將溺斃於頂盛的物質文明中,這一部份僅有一首詩,詩中312-318行為背景,319-321行為雄辯式的說明。[back]
312-318 背景:菲尼基商人死於大海。海鷗的叫聲,深海水漲,錢財盈虧,對於這位商人實在已經毫無意義。海底的水流,漂舉起他的白骨。他終於被捲入死亡的漩渦之中。(這一段影射古菲尼基物質文明之衰亡。)[back]
312 Phlebas:菲力巴士。參閱Sosostris一節中的"the drowned Phoenician Sailor" (I. 47). Phlebas the Phoenician象徵古菲尼基之商業文明。"drowned"一字為溺死水中之意。[back]
313 the cry of gulls:海鷗的叫聲。"gull"一字另有欺騙之意。[back]
314 profit and loss:金錢之盈虧與利害得失。[back]
317 the stages of his age and youth:年輕與年老的階段。[back]
318 Entering the whirlpool:投入(死亡的)漩渦之中。 "whirlpool"一字表面上指Phlebas之死。而海底中的 whirling movement可能有life wheel之聯想,暗示生命之輪迴。[back]
319-321 表面上是在警告後代人(包括猶太人)別神氣活現,物欲薰心,轉動著舵輪(steering wheel),迎風而前進。想當年Phlebas就是這樣,最後乃免不了投入死亡之漩渦。這一段影射現代基督文明已趨於式微。[back]
319 Gentile or Jew:指全人類。(=non-Jew or Jew[back]
320 turn the wheel:轉動舵輪(steering the wheel)。但更深一層之意義乃在於"wheel"一字可做life wheel之聯想,即佛教中之所謂輪迴(the wheel of life或the whirling wheel of time),暗示世界文化中每一時代之輪替。本節所觸及的問題有生與死,並有再生之暗示。[back]


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