Umberto Eco

Umberto Eco: See China, Learn What Europe Must Become

By Umberto Eco

Umberto EcoThis is hardly the best time to be making predictions about the prospects of a united Europe. The divergent positions European countries have taken on the question of the Iraq conflict have shown just how divided the continent is.

The eastern countries’ entry brings in a contrast between old democracies that are prepared to cede at least some of their national sovereignty to the European Union, and younger democracies determined to reinforce their newly formed national governments, even if it means making alliances outside Europe’s boundaries.

The way things are looking, we have on the one hand a European consciousness and identity that really do exist, and on the other a set of circumstances that directly threatens that very unity.

冯象:通过写作,加入前人未竟的事业

彭伦

冯象先生的名字,想必读者并不陌生。近年来,无论《读书》杂志上的“政法笔记”专栏,还是《万象》杂志上的亚瑟王传奇和“尘土亚当”专栏,冯先生都以全新的视角与渊博的学养,自如出入法学、文学两大领域,给人留下深刻的印象。今年春,笔者经《万象》主持人陆灏介绍,有幸与冯先生有一面之缘,其时,他的新作《玻璃岛:亚瑟与我三千年》尚未面世。春去秋来,最近,笔者再次见到了回沪小住的冯先生,终于得以与他就这本书与写作的话题有了以下的对话。

彭:从二〇〇〇年开始,您在《万象》杂志陆续刊发了以欧洲中世纪的亚瑟王传奇为主题的系列文章,今年又以《玻璃岛:亚瑟与我三千年》为题结集出版,深受读者喜爱。先请您谈谈怎么会写这些古老的故事吧。

冯:很高兴又见面了。怎么会写《玻璃岛》的?专业兴趣使然吧。亚瑟王传奇当然很早就接触了,但大量阅读,还是上哈佛之后。我在书中提了一笔,我的老师波士夫人住在法国,常给我寄书,寄了不少古法语亚瑟王传奇。一九八七年到她家作客(即《圣杯》描写的那次),认识了她一位邻居威尔士老人琼斯先生。老先生听说我在写乔叟的论文,说:我们威尔士有个大诗人跟乔叟差不多同时,但比他棒,名叫大卫(Dafydd ap Gwilym),你知道吗?当场就背诵了长长一段大卫的诗,非常浑厚动听。后来才晓得,威尔士人有赛诗格斗、诗可杀人的传统,诗律和修辞在欧洲语言中怕是最繁复的。于是我就拜他为师,学起威尔士语来了。还写了一篇评论大卫诗的文章,发表在《九州学刊》,后收入文集《木腿正义》(中山大学出版社,1999)。琼斯先生出身于北威尔士名门望族,祖上留下许多古书,是激进的民族主义者。他的故事,我以后有机会再讲。他教了我好些课堂上学不到的东西;我在他和他的家人身上第一次感受到了凯尔特民族三千年历史的深沉和绚丽,对民族英雄亚瑟和其他传奇人物也多了一层“近距离”的了解。