Does "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" have a hidden message? - David B. Parker

譯者: Yueh-Lun Huang 審譯者: Helen Chang

In the summer of 1963,

1963 年的夏天

a high school teacher changed the way the world looked at "The Wizard of Oz."

一位高中教師改變了世界看待 《綠野仙蹤》的方式

His name was Henry Littlefield,

他的名字是亨利‧利特菲爾德

and he was teaching an American history class.

負責教導美國的歷史

當時正導入 19 世紀末 一個被稱為鍍金時代的時期

He'd made it to the late 19th century, a time called The Gilded Age,

but he was struggling to keep his class interested

他努力地把歷史課變得有趣

in the complex social and economic issues of the time.

儘管這是一個複雜 且充斥經濟問題的社會

Then one night, while he was reading

有一天晚上

"The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" to his daughters,

他正唸《綠野仙蹤》給女兒們聽

he had an idea.

有了個想法

In the 1890s, farmers wanted to add silver to the gold standard

1890 年代，農民希望 能把銀加入金本位制

藉此恢復銀的貨幣地位

to put more money in circulation

來使流通的錢更多

and make it easier for farmers to borrow.

農民更容易借貸

In the book, Dorothy walked to the Emerald City on the Yellow Brick Road

書中，前往翡翠城的桃樂絲

穿著她的銀鞋走在黃磚路上

in her silver shoes.

The movie's ruby red slippers started out as silver.

電影中的紅寶石鞋原先是一雙銀鞋

Silver and gold on the road to prosperity.

銀和金在這條繁榮的路上

L. Frank Baum had published the book in 1900

李曼·法蘭克·鮑姆在 1900 年

at the height of The Gilded Age,

鍍金時代的巔峰期發行了這本書

and the analogy didn't seem out of the question.

這比喻似乎有可能

No one else had seen these connections,

雖然沒有人發現它們的關聯

but that didn't deter Littlefield.

但也沒有阻止利特菲爾德

He taught his class about The Gilded Age using the book,

他用這本書在課堂上教導鍍金時代

and soon he and his students were finding more connections.

很快地，他和學生們找到更多的關聯

For instance, in the late 1890s,

例如，在 1980 年代後期

the U.S. had recently recovered from the Civil War

美國正從內戰中恢復過來

and integrated vast new territories,

並統合了廣闊的新領土

bringing an era of prosperity for some.

為一些人帶來了繁榮的時代

But while industry and finance in the North and East prospered,

但儘管北方和東方的工業、 金融業變得繁榮

farmers across the South and Midwest struggled.

整個南方和中西部的農民 卻在掙扎求生

This led to the Populist movement,

這些問題使得平民運動興起

uniting farmers and workers against urban elites.

農民和工人們團結起來 對抗大城市的菁英

By 1896, the movement had grown into the People's Party,

1896 年，這項運動促成了人民黨

and its support of Democrat Williams Jennings Bryan

並支持民主黨的 威廉·詹寧斯·布萊恩競選總統

put him in reach of the presidency.

Meanwhile in Oz, claimed Littlefield,

利特菲爾德聲稱那時在奧茲國

Dorothy is a typical American girl

桃樂絲是一位典型的美國女孩

whose hard life in Kansas is literally turned upside down

她在堪薩斯州的艱苦生活

真的被她無法控制的力量 弄得天翻地覆

by powerful forces outside her control.

The munchkins are the common people oppressed by the Witch of the East,

矮人是被東方女巫、銀行

和壟斷者壓迫的老百姓

banks and monopolies.

The Scarecrow is the farmer,

稻草人則是農民的化身

considered naive but actually quite resourceful,

看似天真，實際上卻足智多謀

錫樵夫是被不人道地對待的工廠工人

the Tin Woodman is the industrial worker dehumanized by factory labor,

and the Cowardly Lion is William Jennings Bryan

而膽小的獅子則象徵 威廉·詹寧斯·布萊恩

who could be an influential figure if only he were brave enough

他原可成為有影響力人物

如果他夠勇敢 支持平民的激進計畫的話

to adopt the Populist's radical program.

他們一起在金黃色的道路上

Together, they travel along a golden yellow road

towards a grand city whose ruler's power turns out to be built on illusions.

朝著宏偉的城市前進

城市統治者的權利可以說是 建立在幻想之上

Littlefield published some of these observations in an essay.

利特菲爾德發表了一篇 關於這些看法的文章

His claim that this fantasy was actually a subversive critique

聲稱這種幻想實際上 是對美國資本主義的顛覆性批判

of American capitalism appealed to many people in 1960s.

這說法在 1960 年代吸引了許多人

Other scholars took up the theme,

其他學者則將這個主題

and the proposed analogies and connections multiplied.

和提出的比喻及關聯相互對應

They suggested that Dorothy's dog Toto

他們提出桃樂絲的狗托托

represented the teetotalers of the prohibition party.

代表禁酒黨的禁酒主義者

Oz was clearly the abbreviation for ounces,

Oz 顯然是盎司的縮寫

an important unit in the silver debate.

在銀的辯論中是個重要的單位

The list goes on.

這些例子不勝枚舉

By the 1980s, this understanding of the book was accepted so widely

到了 1980 年代 這本書的解釋被廣泛地接受

that several American history textbooks

幾本美國歷史教科書

mentioned it in discussions of late 19th century politics.

都在討論 19 世紀晚期的政治時提到它

But is the theory right?

但這理論是對的嗎？

L. Frank Baum's introduction claims the book is just an innocent children's story.

李曼·法蘭克·鮑姆的導言聲稱

這本書只是個稚子的故事

Could he have been deliberately throwing people off the trail?

難道他一直刻意誤導大家？

And is it fair to second guess him so many decades later?

幾十年後再次揣摩他是否公平？

There's no definitive answer,

我們沒有一個確切的答案

which is part of why authorial intent

這也是為什麼解讀作者的意圖

is a complex, tangled, fun question to unravel.

是一個複雜、糾結且有趣的問題

And some recent scholars have interpreted "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz"

一些近代的學者用和利特菲爾德 相反的方式來解讀《綠野仙蹤》

in the opposite way as Littlefield.

They claim it's a celebration of the new urban consumer culture.

他們宣稱這是個對於 新都市消費文化的慶典

Historian William Leach argued that the dazzling Emerald City of Oz

歷史學家威廉·利奇認為 炫目的翡翠城

was meant to acclimate people to the shiny, new America.

是為了讓人們適應輝煌的新美國

In the end, all we know for sure is that Baum,

最後，我們唯一能確定的是

鮑姆的靈感來自於歐洲的民間傳說

inspired by European folk legends,

had set out to create one for American children.

而且是為了美國的兒童所創作的

And whether or not he intended any hidden meanings,

無論他是否隱藏任何的意義

its continuing relevance suggests he succeeded

此書持續的相關性表明

in creating a fairytale America can call its own.

他成功地創作了一個美國自己的童話