Herta Mueller Wins 2009 Nobel Literature Prize
By Mary Jordan
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, October 8, 2009 1:06 PM
Herta Mueller, a novelist and poet who wrote about harsh life behind the Iron Curtain, won the 2009 Nobel Prize in literature Thursday. The choice of Mueller, who is little known in the United States and in many other parts of the world, stoked recent criticism that the Nobel committee favors European writers.
Mueller, an ethnic German born in Romania, was censored and harassed for her depictions of life under the Romanian communist regime of Nicolae Ceausescu. The Nobel judges praised Mueller, "who, with the concentration of poetry and the frankness of prose, depicts the landscape of the dispossessed."
The writer, who lives in Berlin, is the third European in a row to win the $1.4 million prize. It is has been 15 years since an American won the Nobel for literature; in 1993 it was given to Toni Morrison.
"I am very surprised and still cannot believe it," Mueller said in a statement released by her publisher in Germany. "I can't say anything more at the moment."
Mueller's collection of short stories, "Niederungen," or "Nadirs," was smuggled in the 1980s from Romania to Germany where it won acclaim. After her book "Oppressive Tango," about corruption and oppressive life in the communist country, the Ceausescu government prohibited her from publishing. Police harassed her, and she was forced out of her job as a translator.
Those who have read her work describe it as powerful, and in her hometown in Romania, Nitzkydorf, she was heralded Thursday.
"From now, I can say our village does exist on the map," Mayor Ioan Mascovescu told Romanian television.
Some had thought an American might finally win the award, with Philip Roth and Joyce Carol Oates frequently mentioned, especially after the backlash caused when the head of the Nobel jury last year disparaged American literature.
"Of course there is powerful literature in all big cultures, but you can't get away from the fact that Europe still is the center of the literary world . . . not the United States," Horace Engdahl told the Associated Press in 2008 when he was permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy, which picks the Nobel Prize winner for literature. "The U.S. is too isolated, too insular. . . . They don't translate enough and don't really participate in the big dialogue of literature."
This year, Peter Englund, Engdahl's successor, told AP: "If you are European [it is] easier to relate to European literature. . . . It's the result of psychological bias that we really try to be aware of. It's not the result of any program."
Mueller's last novel, "Atemschaukel," or "Swinging Breath," has been nominated for this year's German Book Prize. The winner is scheduled to be announced Monday.
The bulk of her work is read in German, but some works have been translated into English, French and Spanish, including "The Land of Green Plums," "Traveling on One Leg" and "The Appointment."
- Re: Herta Mueller Wins 2009 Nobel Literature Prizeposted on 10/09/2009
哈,她好凶啊,比耶利内克还凶....哈哈哈,女武神再世, 咿呀呸,你们这些瑞典的老骨头不给我发奖金,我就煮了你们浇上糖醋汁儿,下锅当唐僧肉! - posted on 10/14/2009
by 邱鸿安
今年的诺贝尔文学奖,颁了给德裔罗马尼亚女作家荷塔·慕勒 (Herta Muller),对於慕勒,美国的一般反应是:没听过、美国作家又落选了、以及为什麼又是欧洲作家。不过,对於华裔读者来说,虽然对她也感到陌生,但是对她所写的小说内容,应该不会感到陌生,因为她笔下的人物,大都是共產极权统治下受迫害的人民。
纽约时报2001年的一篇书评说,慕勒小说描写的平民百姓,在罗马尼亚齐奥塞斯库极权统治下,本身也变得粗暴起来,夫妻之间、家庭成员之间、以及亲密朋友之间的互相背叛,成为她笔下常见的人际关係。对於华裔读者来说,这种人际关係大都耳熟能详,只要回想一下自反右到文革长达20年的思想改造和批斗,就可一一得到对证。
慕勒笔下的「极权统治下的生活」,当然会因为人和环境的不同而有所分别。例如,因为慕勒是女作家,所以女性的声音也特别明显。慕勒在1970年代上大学,主修文学,在她的小说「青李之地」 (The Land of Green Plums)也写到女大学生的故事。书里说,秘密警察喜欢抢夺人民种植的李子,甚至在李子还未成熟时,就去偷摘;女生有如青李,任由秘密警察掠夺,女主角萝拉被秘密警察盯上了,最后被迫自杀。
大学毕业后,慕勒曾到工厂工作,她的小说「约见」(Appointments)也写到一名常被秘密警察约见的车衣女工,秘密警察每次约见,都逼她「坦白」,交代内心秘密;她不知道何时会被约见,也不知道在那一次约见会遭到逮捕,因此一直生活在恐惧之中。书中没有说出女工的名字,因为她每次被约见时,就觉得自己一无是处(I am nothing),姓名当然也就不重要。
在其中的一次坦白中,女工说,她很想移民,离开罗马尼亚,於是在车衣时,她把自己的名字、住址和一张写上「跟我结婚」的字条,缝到男装的外衣上,而那些外衣是準备运到意大利的。
慕勒在1987年真的离开罗马尼亚 (在柏林围墙崩坍前两年),移民到西柏林。在小说「用一条腿走路」 (Traveling on One Leg)中,慕勒也写到一名女子从罗马尼亚被放逐到德国的感受。这个叫做爱莲的30岁女子,认识了三名西柏林男子,他们都不快乐,她不明白,为什麼他们会不快乐,在罗马尼亚,人们不快乐的理由很简单,而且只有一个,那就是极权政府不让人生活。爱莲忘不了受迫害的经验,心中阴影挥之不去,情况就像只能用一条腿走路。
瑞典的诺贝尔文学奖评审把奖颁给慕勒,原因之一可能就是提醒世人,东欧和前苏联的共產极权统治虽已瓦解20年,但是极权统治对人的迫害,不能忘记,也不应忘记;或者可以这样说,经歷过被迫害的慕勒,拒绝忘记,也提醒世人,不要忘记。
□ 世界日报 - posted on 10/16/2009
看这几段介绍,细节的地方比较吸引,可我觉得她跟jelinek还是差一个数量级。
她很想移民,离开罗马尼亚,於是在车衣时,她把自己的名字、住址和一张写上「跟我结婚」的字条,缝到男装的外衣上,而那些外衣是準备运到意大利的。
这个很创意。当年偷渡去香港的,不知还有多少精彩故事没被写出,比如我表哥表嫂的故事。
这个叫做爱莲的30岁女子,认识了三名西柏林男子,他们都不快乐,她不明白,为什麼他们会不快乐,在罗马尼亚,人们不快乐的理由很简单..
这个触及到一个有趣的问号。我们这些逃出来的比在铁幕里的人更不开心吗?那些被监禁的日子曾经很快乐的....生活被挤压到一个简单的等号1+1=2,也可以是一种解脱。 - posted on 10/16/2009
Sure. Many people cannot handle too much freedom.
In general I don’t think people take much interest in living lives. They only have keen interests in self-preservation and spend most of their lives doing just that.
maya wrote:
这个叫做爱莲的30岁女子,认识了三名西柏林男子,他们都不快乐,她不明白,为什麼他们会不快乐,在罗马尼亚,人们不快乐的理由很简单..这个触及到一个有趣的问号。我们这些逃出来的比在铁幕里的人更不开心吗?那些被监禁的日子曾经很快乐的....生活被挤压到一个简单的等号1+1=2,也可以是一种解脱。 - posted on 10/16/2009
Yes, too much freedom or too many choices do not necessarily make people happier, or make their life easier.
Susan wrote:
Sure. Many people cannot handle too much freedom.
In general I don’t think people take much interest in living lives. They only have keen interests in self-preservation and spend most of their lives doing just that.
maya wrote:
这个叫做爱莲的30岁女子,认识了三名西柏林男子,他们都不快乐,她不明白,为什麼他们会不快乐,在罗马尼亚,人们不快乐的理由很简单..这个触及到一个有趣的问号。我们这些逃出来的比在铁幕里的人更不开心吗?那些被监禁的日子曾经很快乐的....生活被挤压到一个简单的等号1+1=2,也可以是一种解脱。 - posted on 10/19/2009
快乐不快乐都是相对的。人是唯一不把自己搞得不快活不甘休的动物,不管在什么地方什么情况下。爱惹你(irony)在什么地方?不快活是最求快活的结局。
结论:对于人来讲,快乐不快乐是不搭界的。生活与快乐不快乐无关。
当然,与其在集权国家不快活,不如在自由国家不快活。
maya wrote:
这个叫做爱莲的30岁女子,认识了三名西柏林男子,他们都不快乐,她不明白,为什麼他们会不快乐,在罗马尼亚,人们不快乐的理由很简单..这个触及到一个有趣的问号。我们这些逃出来的比在铁幕里的人更不开心吗?那些被监禁的日子曾经很快乐的....生活被挤压到一个简单的等号1+1=2,也可以是一种解脱。 - posted on 10/19/2009
这也是一种生命本能吧。以前以为只有佛教说,翻了弗洛伊德,也亦
如是说:
But in 1914, while examining the phenomenon of narcissism, he came to consider the latter instinct as merely a variant of the former. Unable to accept so monistic a drive theory, Freud sought a new dualistic alternative. He arrived at the speculative assertion that there exists in the psyche an innate, regressive drive for stasis that aims to end life's inevitable tension. This striving for rest he christened the Nirvana principle and the drive underlying it the death instinct, or Thanatos, which he could substitute for self-preservation as the contrary of the life instinct, or Eros.
Susan wrote:
Sure. Many people cannot handle too much freedom.
In general I don’t think people take much interest in living lives. They only have keen interests in self-preservation and spend most of their lives doing just that.
maya wrote:
这个叫做爱莲的30岁女子,认识了三名西柏林男子,他们都不快乐,她不明白,为什麼他们会不快乐,在罗马尼亚,人们不快乐的理由很简单..这个触及到一个有趣的问号。我们这些逃出来的比在铁幕里的人更不开心吗?那些被监禁的日子曾经很快乐的....生活被挤压到一个简单的等号1+1=2,也可以是一种解脱。 - Re: Herta Mueller Wins 2009 Nobel Literature Prizeposted on 10/19/2009
快乐世界总是相对的,极乐世界才是绝对的:) - posted on 10/19/2009
Yes. The problem of the modern life is that we live too long. Ancient times are much simpler: if you survive beyond infant age you can usually count on plague or war or famine to finish you off. For women death by childbirth is always a reliable method. If you fail to die the first time you can always try getting pregnant again. People constantly had to fight to self-preserve and that kept life interesting. Now what do we do? This tremendous amount of time and energy saved by modern technology must be spent. If it can’t be channeled outward it will turn inward. If it can’t be expressed constructively it will be expressed destructively.
But I digress. Like I said you cannot trust people with too much freedom. You give them unlimited food supply and they become obese. You lend them credit and they spend like crazy. You provide them internet connection at work and they start writing on some message board.
xw wrote:
这也是一种生命本能吧。以前以为只有佛教说,翻了弗洛伊德,也亦
如是说: - posted on 10/19/2009
自由、快乐,呵呵。
从积极意义说,自由和快乐的人哪里都有,无论外界自然和社会环境对那些人有多
恶劣。无论外界自然和社会环境对一些人多好,他们也总感到不自由不快乐。
从消极的意义说,消极的自由未必给一个人带来他的快乐,可能给另一个人带来快
乐。
积极价值是基于一个人心里的主观参照系的。快乐不快乐是主观的。是否积极地自
由是主观的。是否消极地自由是客观的。
即使一个圣人也无法保证让另一个人快乐或积极地自由。但他能帮助那个人实现他的
消极的自由。但那圣人可能会被他帮助实现的消极自由状态下的感到不快乐感到不
积极自由的一些人杀死,那些人可能很缅怀过去的 good old days when men and
women died like mice. Yuck! You folks made me so sick!
- Re: Herta Mueller Wins 2009 Nobel Literature Prizeposted on 10/19/2009
Yawn! You bored me to tears! Was my sarcasm too subtle for you?
no name wrote:
Yuck! You folks made me so sick!
- Re: Herta Mueller Wins 2009 Nobel Literature Prizeposted on 10/20/2009
这no name绝非善类。好多人都存活在死亡边缘,你让他怎么折腾
呢?
要说这一种本能,也是大多数艺术的核心。弗洛伊德讨论艺术家与诗
人就提到这节。要在生活中拚,谁还要读那些什么劳什子书呢?尽是
输,我在书店里翻到现今的成功学之类,第一条就是远离Loser。
这艺术领域,多少是现实生活中的Loser,多少是白日梦?
也还不是世界上有太多可怜鬼。 - posted on 10/20/2009
快乐是一种艺术,生活的艺术。艺术不是科学。平常说 art and science,那不是瞎
说的。科学解决不了快乐不快乐的问题。科学只提供一些条件。科学是硬的,艺术
是软的。硬的相对好办,软的相对难办。搞科学的应该知道自己的界线,搞艺术的
(包括每个追求快乐的)应该知道艺术的界线。归根结底,艺术(包括关于快乐的艺术
)解决不了科学的问题,科学也解决不了艺术的问题。只弄科学的,弄了半天,可能
还是不快乐。只弄艺术的,弄了半天,可能弄出的快乐是一个泡影。若泡影能维持
到一人死亡,也挺好。不幸者们是那些在生命的中途泡影破灭者们。人们都在挣扎。
在挣扎中求生存或生活或快乐,全靠自己的修行了。
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