伟大的狄更斯（中）《远大前程》： 对人类的祝福
Willey的书房，学到的不仅是考试
阅读目录：
一、楔子：上士闻道
二、梗概与经典节选
三、今人思考：仇恨与关爱——年轻人的理想幻灭——对人类的祝福
四、精彩章节推荐
一、楔子：上士闻道
在上一讲，我们简要谈及狄更斯的一本著名小说，《双城记》（The Tale of Two Cities），详见拙作：
看到一些朋友的反馈，借用各式说法来贬低狄更斯的作品，以突显自身的水平，高人一等。不由得想起一句话：
上士闻道，勤而行之；中士闻道，若存若亡；下士闻道，大笑之。不笑不足以为道。
对人性的透彻理解，千百年来，首推老子和《道德经》。
我们之所以选择从狄更斯的小说入手，不是因为它好读，而恰恰是因为它难读。正因为不好读（词汇生涩，句法复杂，人物多变），才能最大程度发挥我们的阅读潜质，同时读到很健康的文字，之后再去读其他各色的文学作品，就不容易跑偏了。如同人的饮食，总要先有基本的营养摄入，再接触各种新鲜料理，这样的人，才健康，才博闻。
本次，我们循着之前的话题，来谈狄更斯的另一部重要作品《远大前程》。
二、梗概与经典节选
1、故事梗概
《远大前程》本身的故事脉络很清晰，和《双城记》类似，狄更斯沿用了三段式的小说架构。
第一部分，讲述男主人公Pip是穷苦孩子出身，父母早逝，随着暴戾的姐姐和温和的姐夫生活，偶然的机会，结识贵妇Havisham和高冷女孩Estella，并意外获得一份“遗产”，从而去伦敦接受上等人的教育。
第二部分，讲述Pip到伦敦后的经历，纸醉金迷，心智逐渐被物质生活所腐蚀，虽自责却羞见自己温厚的姐夫。
第三部分，讲述Pip发现“遗产”真相之后，备受打击，最终又和“爱人”Estella决裂，看着她嫁给一个市井小人。大病一场后，Pip回到现实中，做一份力所能及的工作。十一年后，再遇Estella，却已物是人非，过往不再。
2、经典节选
小说脉络上很清楚，同时精彩段落数不胜数，在此试举两例，大家体会一下狄更斯的功力，是如何用寥寥数笔，刻画出鲜活的人物形象和人物冲突的。
（1）初到庄园（Chapter8）
Mr. Pumblechook and I breakfasted at eight o'clock in the parlor behind the shop, while the shop man took his mug of tea and hunch of bread-and-butter on a sack of peas in the front premises. I considered Mr. Pumblechook wretched company. Besides being possessed by my sister's idea that a mortifying and penitential character ought to be imparted to my diet - besides giving me as much crumb as possible in combination with as little butter, and putting such a quantity of warm water into my milk that it would have been more candid to have left the milk out altogether - his conversation consisted of nothing but arithmetic. On my politely bidding him Good morning, he said, pompously, "Seven times nine, boy?" And how should I be able to answer, dodged in that way, in a strange place, on an empty stomach! I was hungry, but before I had swallowed a morsel, he began a running sum that lasted all through the breakfast. "Seven?"
"And four?"
"And eight?"
"And six?"
"And two?"
"And ten?"
And so on. And after each figure was disposed of, it was as much as I could do to get a bite or a sup, before the next came; while he sat at his ease guessing nothing, and eating bacon and hotroll, in (if I may be allowed the expression) a gorging and gormandizing manner.
For such reasons I was very glad when ten o'clock came and we started for Miss Havisham's; though I was not at all at my ease regarding the manner in which I should acquit myself under that lady’s roof. Within a quarter of an hour we came to Miss Havisham's house, which was of old brick, and dismal, and had a great many iron bars to it. Some of the windows had been walled up; of those that remained, all the lower were rustily barred. There was a court-yard in front, and that was barred; so, we had to wait, after ringing the bell, until someone should come to open it. While we waited at the gate, I peeped in (even then Mr. Pumblechook said, “And fourteen?" but I pretended not to hear him), and saw that at the side of the house there was a large brewery. No brewing was going on in it, and none seemed to have gone on for a long long time.
A window was raised, and a clear voice demanded "What name?" To which my conduct or replied,"Pumblechook." The voice returned, “Quite right," and the window was shut again, and a young lady came across the court-yard, with keys in her hand.
"This," said Mr.Pumblechook, "is Pip."
"This is Pip, is it?" returned the young lady, who was very pretty and seemed very proud; "come in,Pip."
Mr. Pumblechook was coming in also,when she stopped him with the gate.
"Oh!" she said. "Did you wish to see Miss Havisham?"
"If Miss Havisham wished to see me," returned Mr. Pumblechook, discomfited.
"Ah!" said the girl; "but you see she doesn’t."
She said it so finally, and in such an undiscussible way, that Mr.Pumblechook, though in a condition of ruffled dignity, could not protest. But he eyed me severely - as if I had done anything to him! - and departed with the words reproachfully delivered: "Boy! Let your behavior here be a credit unto them which brought you up by hand!" I was not free from apprehension that he would come back to propound through the gate, "And sixteen?" But he didn't.
寥寥六七百字，三个人的形象已经跃然纸上：
Mr.Pumblechook是这本书里最鲜明的势利小人之一。在这个小章节中，他本来是带着Pip去庄园的，但给孩子吃的早饭，却很简陋，面包没黄油，牛奶光兑水了，一面自顾自地吃，一面还用无聊的数学题逗弄Pip。到了庄园门口，Mr.Pumblechook又变得卑躬屈膝，被人抢白顶撞，不敢有任何反抗，还要反过来，教训Pip。
Pip的人物性格，在这里比较简单；比较单纯的孩子，只能体会到相对简单的情感，比如他就觉得Mr.Pumblechook不是好伙伴，而开门的女孩，很傲慢，说话不容置疑；甚至他还会很天真的认为，Mr.Pumblechook最后还会再问他数学题。
Estella是在书中的第一次出场。三言两语，说话不多，但一个高冷漂亮的女郎形象，给人印象深刻。
（2）回到故乡（Chapter30）
It was interesting to be in the quiet old town once more, and it was not disagreeable to be here and there suddenly recognized and stared after. One or two of the trades people even darted out of their shops and went a little way down the street before me, that they might turn, as if they had forgotten something, and pass me face to face -on which occasions I don't know whether they or I made the worse pretence; they of not doing it, or I of not seeing it. Still my position was a distinguished one, and I was not at all dissatisfied with it, until Fate threw me in the way of that unlimited miscreant, Trabb's boy.
Casting my eyes along the street at a certain point of my progress, I beheld Trabb's boy approaching, lashing himself with an empty blue bag. Deeming that a serene and unconscious contemplation of him would best beseem me, and would be most likely to quell his evil mind, I advanced with that expression of countenance, and was rather congratulating myself on my success, when suddenly the knees of Trabb's boy smote together, his hair up rose, his cap fell off, he trembled violently in every limb, staggered out into the road, and crying to the populace, "Hold me! I'm so frightened!" feigned to be in a paroxysm of terror and contrition, occasioned by the dignity of my appearance. As I passed him, his teeth loudly chattered in his head, and with every mark of extreme humiliation, he prostrated himself in the dust.
This was a hard thing to bear, but this was nothing. I had not advanced another two hundred yards, when, to my inexpressible terror, amazement, and indignation, I again beheld Trabb's boy approaching. He was coming round a narrow corner. His blue bag was slung over his shoulder, honest industry beamed in his eyes; a determination to proceed to Trabb's with cheerful briskness was indicated in his gait. With a shock he became aware of me, and was severely visited as before; but this time his motion was rotatory, and he staggered round and round me with knees more afflicted, and with uplifted hands as if beseeching for mercy. His sufferings were hailed with the greatest joy by a knot of spectators, and I felt utterly confounded.
I had not got as much further down the street as the post-office, when I again beheld Trabb's boy shooting round by a back way. This time, he was entirely changed. He wore the blue bag in the manner of my great-coat, and was strutting along the pavement towards me on the opposite side of the street, attended by a company of delighted young friends to whom he from time to time exclaimed, with a wave of his hand, "Don't know yah!" Words cannot state the amount of aggravation and injury wreaked upon me by Trabb's boy, when, passing abreast of me, he pulled up his shirt-collar, twined his side-hair,stuck an arm akimbo, and smirked extravagantly by, wriggling his elbows and body, and drawling to his attendants, “Don’t know yah, don't know yah, pon my soul don't know yah!" The disgrace attendant on his immediately afterwards taking to crowing and pursuing me across the bridge withcrows, as from an exceedingly dejected fowl who had known me when I was a blacksmith, culminated the disgrace with which I left the town, and was, so tospeak, ejected by it into the open country.
Pip去伦敦接受上等人教育后，回家乡探看。身份的变化使得乡邻们不敢和他打招呼，只是跑上去看，还要装作彼此不认识的样子。就在Pip心得意满的时候，偏偏有个一直和Pip作对的小流氓，跑出来接二连三地奚落Pip的上等人变化，惹得大家哄笑一场，Pip最终只能灰溜溜的跑到旷野上。
Trabb’s boy的三次不同举动，是这个段落最精彩的部分，我勾划了一下，大家好好体会。
三、今人思考
经典小说如《远大前程》，能够评价的切入面很多，这里仅是抛砖引玉，说说个人的感受：
1、关于仇恨与关爱
记得《神雕侠侣》中的李莫愁吧？因为一往情深却得不到爱人的回应，导致心理变态，滥杀无辜的女魔头；然而，比起《远大前程》中的Havisham，李莫愁的复仇方式就显得太“善良”。
李莫愁至多是脾气乖张，灭门屠户，从物理上消灭对方；Havisham则是彻底的使人心灵崩溃，变成行尸走肉，从精神上给予致命打击。
毕竟，杀人诛心。
Havisham的“杰作”，就是Estella，那个被Havisham精心培育出来，丧失良知（no heart），专门以伤害同龄男人为目标（给他们以莫须有的希望，却不可能让他们称心如意），最终让这些男人心灵受苦的复仇女郎。同时，Estella本就是Havisham的牺牲品，从没有真正得到过后者的爱。一个耗尽情感，恨天仇地、天天穿着白色婚纱的怨妇，怎么会教人去爱？
很多人会有一个很有趣的问题，为什么一定要让Estella嫁给那个低劣的男人Drummle？
这就是狄更斯对人情世故把握极其到位。大家想想，还有什么能够比得上，一个男生心目中念念不忘的女性，嫁给一个完全不如自己、让他看不起的男人，更能伤这个男生伤心的呢？
如果女生嫁给的是一位高富帅，各项水平都超过男生，那男生自然容易开解自身，自愧不如；反之，如果女生嫁给的是一位恶劣小人，男人会甘心服输吗？
世事洞明皆学问，人情练达即文章；读小说，千万不要只是猎奇心理，着迷于情节和人物发展；更要不断品味小说中的人情世故，世态炎凉，再结合自身经历和周围的人际交往，体会人心，认知人性。否则的话，就变成书呆子了。
还有什么方法，能比得上阅读经典小说，更直接有效地让我们去深度体验不同的人生经历呢？
文章千古事，得失寸心知。
体会。体会。不要说出来。
2、关于年轻人的理想幻灭
年轻人的虚幻梦想之一，就是总以为认识了某人，过上了某种生活，就万事大吉，前程远大；殊不知，只有自身实力的真正提升，业务的实际熟练，广积善缘、脚踏实地，才有实际的光明未来。
试举一个今人的例子，就是芮成钢。
总觉得，他截止到目前为止的前半生，与Pip的“远大前程”，有很多相似之处。芮的一大特色，就是喜欢晒与各种名人的合影，自信心极度膨胀；一旦真出事情了，那些平时挂在嘴上、墙上、网上的名人，基本没有能帮忙的。想想也是，因工作关系而认识的人，往往情感也终止于工作关系，是不会有深交的。
以利相交，利尽则散；以势相交，势去则倾；以权相交，权失则弃；以情相交，情逝人伤；唯以心相交，淡泊明志，友不失矣。
和新朋友见面，如果这位朋友一上来就说，自己认识某某官员，某某银行家，某某院士，自己父母是谁，放心，这位朋友通常很浅薄，没什么真的实力；反之，如果这位朋友更多是谈一些价值观，谈对一些社会问题的看法，却不愿很快吐露自己的背景，一定要试着更深的交往，因为这种朋友，通常很有厚度。
说个中美文化差异的笑话。
如果一个中国人说，自己是习大大的小学同学，是可以引起国人艳羡的眼光的；
如果一个美国人说，自己是奥巴马的小学同学，不少美国人会问，“So what?”（那又如何呢？）
在这里，要为北京人，尤其是土著两代以上的北京人，说几句好话：
见惯了王朝兴替，世事变迁的北京人，会对财富和权势有一种温和而超然的态度。“眼见他起高楼，眼见他宴宾客，眼见他楼塌了”。所以，一方面北京人比较善于吹嘘，我们家如何如何，我们那条街如何如何，同时，面对财富的骤然增长和官位的提升，也会时不时地冒出一句，“那又如何呢？”（So what？）
祝福别人时，既祝前程远大，也祝脚踏实地。
3、对人类的祝福
很多人谈到一个很有趣的话题：为什么狄更斯在写《远大前程》时，明明Pip已经山穷水尽，最终却偏偏要给一个不算那么悲凉的结局？
上高中时，我们都有类似的疑问：比如《雾都孤儿》明明应该是Oliver早夭或者最终沦为小偷，为什么却能有一笔遗产，最终变成绅士？《简爱》明明应该被孤立，一辈子穷困潦倒，嫁不出去，凭什么也能因为一份遗产而咸鱼翻身？……进而，会认为这些英国经典文学是假道学，脱离现实，弃之如敝履。
现在想来，当时的自己，也和大多数那个岁数的同龄人一样，很愤青，很叛逆，争勇斗狠，所谓“少小不识愁滋味，为赋新诗强说愁”。还记得《远大前程》最后一章的一个细节吧：Pip再回到故乡的时候，已经是11年后。这个设定很符合情理。这11年恰恰是一位年轻人从20岁出头进入社会，到30余岁经历过各类社会变迁、人生起伏，可以第一次心平气和地看待周围事物所需要的时间。
对于每一位30岁以上的人来说，大家身上都有Pip的影子；因为到了这个岁数，我们都或多或少经历过若干次幻想的破灭，经历过价值观的重塑，经历过友情和爱情的考验。这也是经典名著的力量和底蕴。
经典所阐述的，是普世价值，是你在最开始阅读时，可能体会不深，但当你真正遇到困难或者到了一定岁数时，突然发现，我们的生活，其实并没有跳出经典的设定，进而豁然开朗，体任自然。
从这个角度看，我们可以说，狄更斯用《远大前程》给全人类送上祝福。
四、精彩章节推荐
Chapter 08
Chapter 19
Chapter 21
Chapter 22-23
Chapter 27
Chapter 39
Chapter 44
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
下期预告：
伟大的狄更斯（下）：《雾都孤儿》与狄式小团圆
往期回顾
1、经典课程：
2、SAT vs ACT：
3、SAT考试：
4、SAT考前“六日谈”系列：