Why should you read "Waiting For Godot"? - Iseult Gillespie

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Helen Chang

A shabby man named Estragon,

一名邋遢的男子愛斯特拉岡

sits near a tree at dusk and struggles to remove his boot.

在黃昏時坐在一棵樹邊， 掙扎著想要脫掉他的靴子。

He’s soon joined by his friend Vladimir,

他的朋友弗拉季米爾很快來到，

who reminds his anxious companion that

提醒他這位焦慮的夥伴，

they must wait here for someone called Godot.

他們必須要在這裡等 一個叫做果陀的人，

So begins a vexing cycle in which the two debate

從此這兩個人便開始了 不斷辯論的惱人循環，

when Godot will come, why they’re waiting,

辯論果陀何時會來、為什麼要等，

and whether they’re even at the right tree.

以及會不會根本不是 要在這棵樹旁等。

From here, Waiting for Godot only gets stranger -

從這裡開始，《等待果陀》 就變得越來越奇怪——

but it’s considered a play that changed

但它被認為是改變了

the face of modern drama.

現代戲劇面貌的劇本。

Written by Samuel Beckett between 1949 and 1955,

它是由薩繆爾貝克特 在 1949 年到 1955 年間所寫。

it offers a simple but stirring question -

它提出了一個簡單 但卻激動人心的問題——

what should the characters do?

這些角色該做什麼？

Estragon: Don’t let's do anything. It's safer.

愛斯特拉岡：咱們什麼 都別做。這樣比較安全。

Vladimir: Let’s wait and see what he says.

弗拉季米爾： 咱們等著看他會說什麼。

Estragon: Who?

愛斯特拉岡：誰？

Vladimir: Godot.

弗拉季米爾：果陀。

Estragon: Good idea.

愛斯特拉岡：好主意。

Such cryptic dialogue and circular reasoning are

這種難解的對話和循環的推論

key features of the Theatre of the Absurd,

正是「荒誕派戲劇」的關鍵特色，

a movement which emerged after the Second World War

荒誕派戲劇是二次大戰後 出現的一種文學運動，

and found artists struggling

那些藝術家很難

to find meaning in devastation.

在蹂躪與破壞中找到意義。

The absurdists deconstructed plot, character and language

荒謬主義者解析劇情、角色和言詞，

to question their meaning and share

質疑它們的意義，

their profound uncertainty on stage.

並在舞台上分享他們的疑惑。

While this may sound grim,

雖然聽起來冷酷，

the absurd blends its hopelessness with humor.

荒謬的是把絕望與幽默摻雜在一起。

This is reflected in Beckett’s unique approach

貝克特在《等待果陀》中使用的

to genre in Waiting for Godot,

獨特體裁方法就反應出了這一點，

which he branded “a tragicomedy in two acts."

他把該作稱為「兩幕的悲喜劇」。

Tragically, the characters are locked in an

悲劇的部分，角色 被鎖在存在難題當中：

existential conundrum: they wait in vain

他們在白等一個未知的人物 來給他們目的感，

for an unknown figure to give them a sense of purpose,

but their only sense of purpose

但他們唯一的目的感 就來自於「等」這個行為。

comes from the act of waiting,

While they wait, they sink into boredom,

當他們在等的時候， 他們陷入無聊厭倦中，

express religious dread and contemplate suicide.

表達出宗教的懼怕

並考慮要自殺。

But comically, there is a jagged humor to their predicament,

但喜劇的部分，他們的 尷尬處境有種搞砸式的幽默，

which comes across in their language and movements.

出現在他們的言詞和動作當中。

Their interactions are filled with bizarre wordplay,

他們的互動中充滿了怪異的

巧妙應對、重覆性，以及雙關語，

repetition and double entendres,

as well as physical clowning, singing and dancing,

還有實體展現出來的搞笑、 唱歌，以及跳舞，

and frantically swapping their hats.

他們還瘋狂地交換帽子。

It’s often unclear whether the audience is supposed to

通常，不太清楚觀眾 應該要笑還是哭——

laugh or cry - or whether Beckett saw

或者貝克特是否 有在兩者間看到任何差別。

any difference between the two.

Born in Dublin, Beckett studied English,

貝克特生於都柏林，他學了英文、

French and Italian before moving to Paris,

法文和義大利文之後才搬去巴黎。

where he spent most of his life writing theatre,

在巴黎時，他大部分的時間都在寫

poetry and prose.

劇本、詩作，和散文。

While Beckett had a lifelong love of language,

雖然語言是貝克特 一生不變的熱愛，

he also made space for silence by incorporating gaps,

他還是把間隙、暫停、和空白時刻

pauses and moments of emptiness into his work.

整合到他的作品中， 為沉默留下空間。

This was a key feature of his trademark

這是他招牌的不平均步調

uneven tempo and black humor,

及黑色幽默的關鍵特色之一，

which became popular throughout the Theatre of the Absurd.

後來在荒誕派戲劇中廣受歡迎。

He also cultivated a mysterious persona,

他還培養了神秘的人格，

and refused to confirm or deny any speculations

拒絕證實或否認

對他作品意義的任何猜測。

about the meaning of his work.

This kept audiences guessing,

讓觀眾一直猜測，

increasing their fascination with his surreal worlds

讓觀眾更對他的超現實世界

and enigmatic characters.

以及謎樣角色著迷。

The lack of any clear meaning makes Godot

因為缺乏清楚的意義，

讓果陀一直被開放詮釋著。

endlessly open to interpretation.

Critics have offered countless readings of the play,

評論家對該劇提出過無數的看法，

resulting in a cycle of ambiguity and speculation

造成了模糊和臆測的循環迴圈，

that mirrors the plot of the drama itself.

反映出了這齣劇本身的情節。

It's been read as an allegory of the Cold War,

它曾被解讀成在諷喻冷戰、

the French Resistance,

法國抵抗運動，

and Britain’s colonization of Ireland.

以及英國殖民愛爾蘭。

The dynamic of the two protagonists has

兩位主角的活力，

also sparked intense debate.

也激起了激烈的辯論。

They’ve been read as survivors of the apocalypse,

他們曾被解讀為 世界末日的倖存者、

an aging couple, two impotent friends,

一對變老的伙伴、 兩位無能的朋友，

and even as personifications of Freud’s ego and id.

甚至佛洛依德的 小我與本我的擬人化呈現。

Famously, Beckett said the only thing he could

貝克特的名言是 他只能確定一件事，

be sure of was that Vladimir and Estragon

就是愛斯特拉岡和弗拉季米爾 「戴著圓頂硬禮帽」。

were "wearing bowler hats."

Like the critical speculation and maddening plot,

就如同評論的臆測 和讓人抓狂的情節，

their language often goes in circles as the two

當這兩個人爭吵和戲弄時，

他們的對話通常都會不斷繞圈，

bicker and banter, lose their train of thought,

打斷思路，接著又從 斷掉的地方接下去：

and pick up right where they left off:

Vladimir: We could start all over again perhaps

弗拉季米爾： 也許我們可以從頭來過。

Estragon: That should be easy

愛斯特拉岡：那應該很容易。

Vladimir: It’s the start that’s difficult

弗拉季米爾：開頭是最困難的。

Estragon: You can start from anything

愛斯特拉岡： 你能從任何事物開始。

Vladimir: Yes, but you have to decide.

弗拉季米爾： 是的，但你得要決定。

Beckett reminds us that just like our daily lives,

貝克特提醒我們， 舞台上的世界就如同

the world onstage doesn’t always make sense.

我們的日常生活，不見得都合理。

It can explore both reality and illusion,

它能夠探究現實以及幻像，

the familiar and the strange.

熟悉的事物以及陌生的事物。

And although a tidy narrative still appeals,

雖然井然有序的敘述 仍然很有吸引力，

the best theatre keeps us thinking – and waiting.

但最好的戲劇能讓我們不斷思考

及等待。