立場新聞 2017/07/14 17:25
Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night不要靜靜走入長夜,這首詩的作者Dylan Thomas 於臨終前廿小時,連飲18杯威士忌,意圖逃避步向死亡的感受;Susan Sontag於70多歲第三次發現患癌,仍努力與病魔戰至最後一秒;佛洛伊德,堅持不吃止痛藥,保持頭腦清醒感受死亡。作者透過訪問他們生前最親密的朋友,及閱讀他們的作品,得知作家們逝世前的細節。
至於劉曉波,他本來希望如何面對死亡?我們無從得知。因起草零八憲章而坐牢的劉曉波,由健康囚禁至癌末,病重就醫後被攝錄機廿四小時錄影,床邊所有人言行均被嚴密監控。劉曉波不能自由決定說什麼話,見什麼人,何時被拍攝,何時被發佈床上的照片,病情如何被報導,甚至怎樣醫,給什麼人醫,在那裡醫,死在那裡都被控制了。他連將死的過程都被統一口徑了。「在囚人士出國就醫沒有先例」,至於在囚原因是否合理已不重要。在中國,敢言有良知的知識份子,由生至死都沒有尊嚴,國家靠每個國民的努力而強大,而國家卻可以為了他們認為的整體,毫不尊重個人。我們羨慕外國知識份子的思想言論和出版自由,現在連他們能選擇如何面對死亡都要羨慕了,所以劉曉波留下的空椅只能空著。
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
And you, my father, there on that sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Dylan Thomas
序言讀者 Becky 推介《追風箏的孩子》
染污了鮮血的長線,把你、你們的堅韌靈魂,與世界狠狠地割破。但,卑微的訴求和苦苦的哀求,永遠雕刻在風箏上。縱使面對陰晴不定,風箏依然繼續向前推進,讓各人見證真正崇高的情操。願真善美能很快降臨在你、你們殆盡的肉身,如同在書的結尾,風箏仍能在北美上空徘徊,追憶作者從前的怯懦,補償過去的無情。