美国高考小说必读之超人奇幻系列(二):永远的柯南道尔,永远的福尔摩斯
今天我们继续谈“超人奇幻类小说系列”,主人公也是大家非常喜欢的:夏洛克 福尔摩斯。
(一)
由《福尔摩斯探案集》衍生出来的影视作品,漫画小说,数不胜数,举几个大家最熟悉的例子:
1、卷福版:
2、罗伯特 唐尼版:
3、历史上 四位著名福尔摩斯扮演者汇总:
4、当然,还有柯南版:
5、福尔摩斯的最大敌人——盗贼中的拿破仑 莫利亚提教授
6、福尔摩斯的创作者:柯南道尔 爵士
(二)
《福尔摩斯探案全集》(Adventure of Sherlock Holmes)共有4部长篇及56部短篇,我节选第一部长篇《血字研究》(A Study in Scarlet)的两个片段,和大家一起领略一下他的风采。(重点已用红色字体标注)
1、福尔摩斯的方法论
His ignorance was as remarkable as his knowledge. Of contemporary literature, philosophy and politics he appeared to know next to nothing. Upon my quoting Thomas Carlyle, he inquired in the naivest way who he might be and what he had done. My surprise reached a climax, however, when I found incidentally that he was ignorant of the Copernican Theory and of the composition of the Solar System. That any civilized human being in this nineteenth century should not be aware that the earth travelled round the sun appeared to be to me such an extraordinary fact that I could hardly realize it.
"You appear to be astonished," he said, smiling at my expression of surprise. "Now that I do know it I shall do my best to forget it."
"To forget it!"
"You see," he explained, "I consider that a man's brain originally is like a little empty attic, and you have to stock it with such furniture as you choose. A fool takes in all the lumber of every sort that he comes across, so that the knowledge which might be useful to him gets crowded out, or at best is jumbled up with a lot of other things so that he has a difficulty in laying his hands upon it. Now the skilful workman is very careful indeed as to what he takes into his brain-attic. He will have nothing but the tools which may help him in doing his work, but of these he has a large assortment, and all in the most perfect order. It is a mistake to think that little room has elastic walls and can distend to any extent. Depend upon it there comes a time when for every addition of knowledge you forget something that you knew before. It is of the highest importance, therefore, not to have useless facts elbowing out the useful ones."
"But the Solar System!" I protested.
"What the deuce is it to me?" he interrupted impatiently; "you say that we go round the sun. If we went round the moon it would not make a penny worth of difference to me or to my work."
福尔摩斯的方法论是一种极致的实用主义,只记忆和学习与他专业有关的事情,其他都不予理会。甚至对于已经破解的谜案,他也只是归档记录在纸面上,同时想办法迅速清空,不占用更多大脑的内存空间。
心不唤物,物不至。每当遇到不好解决的问题时,福尔摩斯更多是通过冥想解决,这在现实生活中是有很大启示性的。念念不忘,必有回响;工作现场有“神灵“(稻盛和夫语)。工作中的灵光闪现,学习中的醍醐灌顶,都与福尔摩斯的方法论有异曲同工之处。
同时,即使我们不能像福尔摩斯一样,做到只保存有用的事物,为幸福起见,也应当效仿他的做法,多保存正面积极的事物,同时尽量清空负面消极的事物,进而不断形成正能量,实现吸引力法则。
2、福尔摩斯的技能表
Sherlock Holmes -- his limits.
1. Knowledge of Literature. -- Nil.
2. Philosophy. -- Nil.
3. Astronomy. -- Nil.
4. Politics. -- Feeble.
5. Botany. -- Variable. Well up in belladonna, opium, and poisons generally. Knows nothing of practical gardening.
6. Geology. -- Practical, but limited. Tells at a glance different soils from each other. After walks has shown me splashes upon his trousers, and told me by their colour and consistence in what part of London he had received them.
7. Chemistry. -- Profound.
8. Anatomy. -- Accurate, but unsystematic.
9. Sensational Literature. -- Immense. He appears to know every detail of every horror perpetrated in the century.
10. Plays the violin well.
11. Is an expert single stick player, boxer, and swordsman.
12. Has a good practical knowledge of British law.
如上,怪才形象,生灵活现。
(三)
(1)关于浪漫英雄
福尔摩斯说,“我的人生就是一场漫长的逃亡,为的是摆脱平淡庸碌的存在状态。”
梭罗说,“大多数人都活在平静的绝望中”。
我们心中都有一个福尔摩斯式的浪漫幻想,就像大多数男孩心中都有一个侠客梦,都会崇拜郭靖、杨过、令狐冲一样;只是,随着生活的渐行渐深,我们不得不妥协,归入“人从众”的大潮中,熙熙攘攘地,为了房子、车子、票子等等外在的事物而努力奋斗,甚至牺牲健康与家庭,以及其他美好的事物。
追逐物质无可厚非,大多数人的成长路径,本就是先达到物质富足,进而达到精神富足的,我自己也在社会上谋生,在名利场上打转,很明白这个道理。只是更想分享《三傻》的名言,“追求卓越,成功就会在不经意间追上你”。
推荐两本书,经济管理书籍里面的经典之作,《从优秀到卓越》和《选择卓越》。
卓越是一种选择,一种追求,一种浪漫;而很多人,恰恰是因为优秀难以卓越。
我们纪念郭川船长,爱看《侣行》节目,也是因为,他们做的事情,一直是我们想做而不敢做,甚至没有勇气做的事情。2016年的神曲,“生活不止眼前的苟且,还有诗和远方”,说的也是这个意思。
还有一本书,也找来读一下,毛姆的《月亮与六便士》。在精神与物质间,做唯一项选择,本就是千古难题,而勇于向“精神”方向迈进的人,无论成败,总是令人佩服不已的。
毛姆还有一本书,也顺带读一下,《人生的枷锁》。“人生而自由,却无往不在枷锁之中。”关键还是看个人选择。
(2)关于演绎法
拜个人的求学经历所赐,我见过很多“天才型”的同龄人,也就是“学神”级别的人物(如下图,四个象限,学渣、学弱、学霸、学神,其中学神是最厉害的)。
因此,我强烈相信福尔摩斯思维殿堂(Mind Palace)的存在,一目十行、过目不忘、超强记忆、空间转化等等,都是经得起大脑科学实验和证明的。
而福尔摩斯的另一个超强能力,即令广大侦探迷如痴如醉的演绎法,在我来看,可以用两本书概括:《冰鉴》和《细节决定成败》。
相由心生,命随运转。一个人到了三十岁以后,从面相上已经有很多过往生活经历的痕迹,再通过察言观色,言谈举止,用三十分钟到一个小时的时间,去判断和把握对话人的心理特征和人生诉求,其实并不太难做到。所谓“读万卷书,不如行万里路;行万里路,不如阅人无数”,说的就是这个道理。有机会多关注一个人的眼神;三十岁以上的人,还能够保持眼神清澈明亮、温良如玉的,一定要多交往;反之,如果眼神过于凌厉狠毒,或者呆滞浑浊的,就要考虑交往的必要了。
再次,所有将细节做到极致的人或公司,都是有大成就的。苹果手机,海底捞餐饮,华为公司,莫不如是。福尔摩斯对于细节,同样有近乎疯狂的追求。鞭尸实验、烟灰实验、血型实验等等,都说明哪怕是再细枝末节的问题,只要和他的专业有关,他都会刨根问底,力求完美。大学毕业才是人生的开始,今天决定一个人成就的,不仅仅是一纸文凭,而是对于知识的好奇心和持久的学习力。只可惜在学历至上的社会环境中,有太多人忽略了好奇心和学习力的重要性,一味用分数和学历作为终极考量标准,最终导致厌学情绪和抑郁症。学历只能表明一个人的起点和过往,而只有好奇心和学习力才决定一个人的终点和高度。
(四)
推荐一些我格外喜欢的福尔摩斯探案故事,抛砖引玉,希望大家分享更多想法:
四部长篇,必读:
A Study in Scarlet;
the Sign of the Four;
the Hound of the Baskervilles;
the Valley of Fear;
短篇里,推荐十五部:
A Scandal in Bohemia;
the Red-Headed League;
the Five Orange Pips;
the Man with the Twisted Lip;
the Speckled Band;
the Copper Beeches;
Silver Blaze;
the Musgrave Ritual;
the Greek Interpreter;
The Final Problem;
the Empty House;
the Dancing Man;
The Solitary Cyclist;
the Devil’s Foot;
the Illustrious Client;
读书足以怡情 足以博彩 足以长才
助力北美名校申请 做有态度的SAT&ACT备考
往期回顾:
1、历史类:
SAT人文必读之国家诞生篇
SAT人文必读之国家诞生篇 (三)- 托马斯 潘恩和他的《常识》
SAT人文必读之国家诞生篇(四):《独立宣言》与“没想好的北美革命”
SAT人文必读之伟大的国父们
2、文学类:
伟大的狄更斯
SAT小说必读之伟大的狄更斯(上)双城记: 自由 平等 博爱 或 死亡
美国高考小说必读之伟大的狄更斯(下)《雾都孤儿》与狄式小团圆
超人奇幻系列
美国高考小说必读之超人奇幻系列(一):第一部科幻小说《弗兰肯斯坦》
3、读书推荐:
小说类
10本美国高考必读“超人奇幻类”小说推荐,快来看看你读过几本?
4、考试类:
正本清源告诉你,ACT阅读考什么?干货典藏版(上):文章阅读篇