按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
〃there is a woman beneath；〃 exclaimed porbus； calling poussins attention to the coats of paint with which the old artist had overlaid and concealed his work in the quest of perfection。
both artists turned involuntarily to frenhofer。 they began to have some understanding； vague though it was； of the ecstasy in which he lived。
〃he believes it in all good faith；〃 said porbus。
〃yes； my friend；〃 said the old man； rousing himself from his dreams； 〃it needs faith； faith in art； and you must live for long with your work to produce such a creation。 what toil some of those shadows have cost me。 look！ there is a faint shadow there upon the cheek beneath the eyes……if you saw that on a human face； it would seem to you that you could never render it with paint。 do you think that that effect has not cost unheard of toil？
〃but not only so； dear porbus。 look closely at my work； and you will understand more clearly what i was saying as to methods of modeling and outline。 look at the high lights on the bosom； and see how by touch on touch； thickly laid on； i have raised the surface so that it catches the light itself and blends it with the lustrous whiteness of the high lights； and how by an opposite process； by flattening the surface of the paint； and leaving no trace of the passage of the brush； i have succeeded in softening the contours of my figures and enveloping them in half…tints until the very idea of drawing； of the means by which the effect is produced； fades away； and the picture has the roundness and relief of nature。 e closer。 you will see the manner of working better； at a little distance it can not be seen。 there i just there； it is； i think； very plainly to be seen；〃 and with the tip of his brush he pointed out a patch of transparent color to the two painters。
porbus； laying a hand on the old artists shoulder； turned to poussin with a 〃do you know that in him we see a very great painter？〃
〃he is even more of a poet than a painter；〃 poussin answered gravely。
〃there；〃 porbus continued； as he touched the canvas； 〃use the utmost limit of our art on earth。〃
〃beyond that point it loses itself in the skies；〃 said poussin。
〃what joys lie there on this piece of canvas！〃 exclaimed porbus。
the old man； deep in his own musings； smiled at the woman he alone beheld； and did not hear。
〃but sooner or later he will find out that there is nothing there！〃 cried poussin。
〃nothing on my canvas！〃 said frenhofer； looking in turn at either painter and at his picture。
〃what have you done？〃 muttered porbus； turning to poussin。
the old man clutched the young painters arm and said； 〃do you see nothing？ clodpatel huguenot！ varlet！ cullion！ what brought you here into my studio？……my good porbus；〃 he went on； as he turned to the painter； 〃are you also making a fool of me？ answer！ i am your friend。 tell me； have i ruined my picture after all？〃
porbus hesitated and said nothing； but there was such intolerable anxiety in the old mans white face that he pointed to the easel。
〃look！〃 he said。
frenhofer looked for a moment at his picture； and staggered back。
〃nothing！ nothing！ after ten years of work。。。〃 he sat down and wept。
〃so i am a dotard； a madman； i have neither talent nor power！ i am only a rich man； who works for his own pleasure； and makes no progress； i have done nothing after all！〃
he looked through his tears at his picture。 suddenly he rose and stood proudly before the two painters。
〃by the body and blood of christ；〃 he cried with flashing eyes； 〃you are jealous！ you would have me think that my picture is a failure because you want to steal her from me！ ah！ i see her； i see her；〃 he cried 〃she is marvelously beautiful。。。〃
at that moment poussin heard the sound of weeping； gillette was crouching forgotten in a corner。 all at once the painter once more became the lover。 〃what is it； my angel？〃 he asked her。
〃kill me！〃 she sobbed。 〃i must be a vile thing if i love you still； for i despise you。。。。 i admire you； and i hate you！ i love you； and i feel that i hate you even now！〃
while gillettes words sounded in poussins ears； frenhof er drew a green serge covering over his 〃catherine〃 with the sober deliberation of a jeweler who locks his drawers when he suspects his visitors to be expert thieves。 he gave the two painters a profoundly astute glance that expressed to the full his suspicions； and his contempt for them； saw them out of his studio with impetuous haste and in silence； until from the threshold of his house he bade them 〃good…by； my young friends！〃
that farewell struck a chill of dread into the two painters。 porbus； in anxiety； went again on the morrow to see frenhofer； and learned that he had died in the night after burning his canvases。
paris； february； 1832。
。。
文稿说明（埃斯特·卡尔维诺，台湾译本）
。
《未来千年文学备忘录》的文稿说明
艾斯瑟·卡尔维诺
关於书名：我审慎地忖度过：伊塔罗·卡尔维诺选择的书名《给下一轮太平盛世的备忘录》，事实上和我所找到的手稿不符，但我认为还是必须保留原名。卡尔维诺考虑过「一些文学价值」、「文学价值之选择」、「六项文学遗产」等书名，随后又舍弃不用，独钟「备忘录」一词——而所有的标题都有「给下一轮太平盛世」等字眼。
1984年，卡尔维诺一接受诺顿演讲（the charles eliot norton lectures）的提议，便开始构想。面对他可以挑选的广阔范畴，他不免担心起来，因为他深知约束的重要性，直到有一天，他订下一个计画，组织演说内容；随后，他把大部分时候用来进行准备。自1985年1月1日起，他实际上不做其他任何事情，唯一的萦绕牵挂便是准备工作。有一天，他对我宣称，他已经有了八篇演讲的观念和材料。我得悉计画中的第八次谈话的题目叫做 「论（小说的）开头和结尾」。但我至今尚未找到文稿。
1985年9月，我丈夫即将动身前往美国和哈佛大学的时候，已经写下这五篇演说稿。这些当然是卡尔维诺原来要宣读的演讲稿——当时帕崔克·克列（patrick creagh）正在进行英文翻译——当然，在哈佛大学出版社出书发行以前，卡尔维诺势必会加以修订。不过，我不认为会有什麼重大的更动；我所读到的初期稿本和最后定稿的差别在于结构，而不在于内容方面。卡尔维诺想把第六次演讲称做「稠」（consistency），计画人到了剑桥便动手撰写，我找到了其余的五篇，以义大利原文写成，井然有序，安置在他的写字桌上，已经准备好可以摆进行李箱。
我要感谢帕崔克·克列不辞辛苦从事翻译工作；感谢宾夕凡尼亚州大学的凯思琳·休姆整理出版