1891年，處在寫作生涯巔峯期的王爾德遇見了阿爾弗雷德·“波西”·道格拉斯(Alfred "Bosie" Douglas)，兩人很快成為了同性戀人。四年後，因為這段“不敢説出名字的愛”，王爾德被判“有傷風化”罪而入獄。在獄中，王爾德開始反思從前的生活，思索痛苦和人生的意義，藝術和愛的真諦，最終將那些痛苦的淚水都化作優美而深沉的文字，寫成了這封名為"de profundis"(從深處)的長信。
作者簡介：奧斯卡·王爾德(Oscar Wilde, 1854-1900)，英國維多利亞時代著名作家，“唯美主義運動”的領軍人物，倡導“為藝術而藝術”(Art for art's sake)。他的.代表作有戲劇《莎樂美》(Salome)《認真的重要性》(The Importance of Being Earnest)，童話《快樂王子》(The Happy Prince) 《夜鶯與玫瑰》(The Nightingale and the Rose)，小説《道連·格雷的畫像》(The Picture of Dorian Gray)，以及書信《自深深處》(De Profundis)等。
【原著選段】
Blindness may be carried so far that itbecomes grotesque, and an unimaginative nature, ifsomething be not done to rouse it, will becomepetrifiedinto absolute insensibility, so that while thebody may eat, and drink, and have its pleasures, thesoul, whose house it is, may, like the soul of Brancad'Oria in Dante, be dead absolutely.
Why did you not write to me? Was it cowardice?Was it callousness? What was it? The fact that I wasoutraged with you, and had expressed my sense ofthe outrage, was all the more reason for writing. Ifyou thought my letter just, you should have you thought it in the smallest point unjust, youshould have written. I waited for a letter. I felt surethat at last you would see that, if old affection,much-protested love, the thousand acts of illrequitedkindness I had showered on you, thethousand unpaid debts of gratitude you owed me—that if all these were nothing to you, mere dutyitself, most barren of all bonds between man andman, should have made you write
【朱純深譯本】
矇蔽之深會變成怪異；而一份沒有想象力的心性，如果不去喚醒的話，會變成石頭般的冥頑不靈。如此一來，肉體可以吃可以喝可以享樂，而以肉體為寓的靈魂，會像但丁筆下布蘭卡·德奧里亞的靈魂那樣，永無復活之日了。
為什麼你不給我寫信？是怯懦嗎？是無動於衷嗎？是什麼呢？我對你發脾氣，在信中發了脾氣，這更應該是你寫信的理由啊。如果認為我信中説的有理，你應該寫了信來。如果認為我説的有一點點的不合理，你應該寫了信來。我等着一封信。我確實感到，你終究會明白的，如果舊日的感情、那世人頗不以為然的愛、我千百次向你表示的善而不得善報的盛意、你千百次欠我的尚未回報的人情，倘若這一切你認為是不值一提的話，那麼光是履行義務，這人與人之間最無情意可言的契約關係， 也該使你動筆了。
【讀書筆記】
1、rousev.喚醒；驚起；激起(情感)；
【舉例】rouse sb. from a deep sleep把某人從沉睡中喚醒
The boat roused wild ducks to flight.船驚飛了野鴨。
rouse opposition to aggression激起反侵略的情緒
2、outragev.激怒；激起義憤；傷害(感情等)；違反
【舉例】He was outraged by the injustice.他對這種不公正感到憤慨。
Such conduct outrages our normal sense of decency.這種行為有悖常理。
outrage rules of morality 踐踏道德準則
3、protest v.抗議，反對；提出異議；申明
【舉例】protest at unemployment and inflation抗議失業及通貨膨脹
They protested about her remaining in office. 他們反對她留任。
The defendant protested his innocence.被告堅決聲稱他無罪。
4、requite v.報答；補償；報復
【舉例】requite kindness with ingratitude 以怨報德
requite an obligation 還人情
requite one's love 回報某人的愛
requite a traitor with death 以死刑懲處叛徒
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