详情

本文翻译自哈珀柯林斯出书社2014年出书'A Room of One's Own and Three Guineas'的弁言部分。这篇弁言分三节，全文不长，却对伍尔夫的创作（主若是她的这两篇随笔作品）进行了精要综合，同期也提供了知晓伍尔夫东说念主生履历的一个专有视角。固然不都备赞誉著述所持有的整个不雅点，依然认为是一篇值得共享的短作。文中蓝色部分为译注，原文附在最末。

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弗吉尼亚·伍尔夫：生平与期间

心理健康与创造力

弗吉尼亚·伍尔夫是一个情感强烈而复杂的形象。一部分东说念主会用阔气联想力、高度明锐和极具创造力来描述她；还有些东说念主评价她时，会用到“过分需要眷注”、“内向”和“免强症”这么的标签。事实上，这些对伍尔夫的评价都有一定兴趣。这也意味着在一些东说念主看来，她是一个成就极高的演义家；而关于另外一些东说念主而言，她的作品都备微不足道。关于后一类东说念主而言，他们的中心论点在于尽管伍尔夫出身颇为优厚的社会表层，她却依然以特地负面的眼神注视这个寰宇。比拟于大多数东说念主，伍尔夫都备无需为日常生涯的压力担忧，因此她把大多数的时分都用于对人命实质的深入剖释——而她的样本又主若是她我方和九故十亲的生涯。正因如斯，她的作品有时未免会与一般读者的生涯体验相去甚远。这是因为她过分千里浸在我方的寰宇中，致使她所着眼的人命细节，时时不为绝大多数东说念主闇练。看成东说念主类的样本之一，伍尔夫并非一个迥殊刚硬的形象。她已往堕入出乎料到的抑郁和精神崩溃，而形成这种欢然的部分原因，又在于她无需从事任何对我方的身心健康可能有所匡助的行径。因为无需使我方的性情变得更坚定，伍尔夫永恒活在一个遏抑缩减的东说念主际圈中。直到有一天，这个圈子变得相称逼狭，致使她最终选择以自尽来遁入。她在我方的外衣口袋中装满了石头，头也不回地走进一条小河中，就这么湮灭了我方的整个悲痛。伍尔夫的人命就这么被她我方的念念绪和步履打断，最终定格在59岁。伍尔夫是一个典型的艺术家的创造力给他们的健康形成影响的案例。假如她湮灭写稿，改为选择一个让她的大脑更少堕入近乎狂热念念绪的作事，她毫无疑问不错过完更兴奋、更有成就的一生。但她最终选择成为一个作者，用笔写下我方一生的毫无看成。在此，一个颇有重量的问题出现了：这些晦气和折磨究竟有莫得价值？那些与伍尔夫有相似履历和学识的东说念主会不成幸免地回应：“有”，因为他们能够知晓伍尔夫对写稿的渴慕，也能知晓她将写稿看成一种精神发泄的需要。那些无法知晓伍尔夫的东说念主会不成幸免地回应：“莫得”，因为在他们看来，伍尔夫的作品莫得任何意思意思，因为他们并不视写看成一种精神疗愈的神气。无意在英语体裁的历史上，再莫得一位演义家像伍尔夫一样领有如斯分别的评价，而这也大致是伍尔夫最兴趣的方位。伍尔夫对当代体裁最主要的影响，在于她在散文中对毅力流的诳骗。她的演义全然是她念念绪的彭湃海潮的载体，这种念念绪（在她的作品中）时时毫无际界地漫溢。伍尔夫是一位好意思学家，是常识阶级的一员。她把我方统共的精神力量都插足对东说念主性、东说念主类社会、东说念主类文化和东说念主类境况的知晓与剖释中。伍尔夫和与她统一门户的常识分子，简直是在以我方的神气鄙视那些选择不如斯深入剖释东说念主类存在的芸芸众生。但事实上，这也反馈出遮掩在这类群体之中的对我方才华、状态和价值的不安全感。独一不错确定的是，伍尔夫的演义并非毫无价值——事实与此相去甚远——不外咱们需要难忘作者的生涯履历以探视其作品的价值。毕竟，正因伍尔夫生涯在这么的社会环境中，她智力够创造出如斯具有前锋性的作品。假使她出身在一个更普通的中基层或工薪阶级家庭，她无意就无法领有如斯紧密入微剖解东说念主性的必要智力了。

《一间属于我方的房间》和《三枚金几尼》

1929年发表的随笔《一间属于我方的房间》进一步奠定了伍尔夫女性主张作者的地位。这个标题反馈出伍尔夫确信一位女性作者必须竣事经济开脱，况兼领有我方的空间和心事。施行上，“房间”是一个隐喻，指代答允创造力和联想力得以泉涌的开脱空间。伍尔夫庄重念念考的问题之一是，如果社会加诸女性的截止被移除，女性作者能否创作出与莎士比亚并列的作品。除了清贫对财产权的掌执与清贫创作的空间，伍尔夫认为清楚证据的缺失以及家务就业的职守，相通是对女性作者创作奇迹的保密。在伍尔夫生涯的战间期①，社会结构和对女性的条款与当今比拟迥殊不同。正因如斯，与伍尔夫同期代的女性作者，不仅大多出身优厚的家庭环境，况兼成为作者自身也被视为一种寥寂而勇猛的东说念主生选择。

① Inter-war period，指两次寰宇大战之间的1918-1939年。

为了阐释我方的不雅点，伍尔夫创造了朱迪斯·莎士比亚这个变装。通过“莎士比亚的妹妹”这一虚拟形象，伍尔夫指出在伊丽莎白期间②，即便一位女作者再有才华，也无法赢得取得到手所必须的财力或机遇。伍尔夫随后沿着自17世纪至20世纪工夫的体裁头绪，沟通了女性创作的体裁作品与男性创作的体裁作品之间的发展互异。

② Elizabethan era (1558-1603)，都铎王朝女王伊丽莎白一生总揽的时期。

九年之后，伍尔夫发表了续作《三枚金几尼》，在这篇随笔中延续了对相似主题的沟通。那时二战的恫吓日益迫近，伍尔夫虚拟了一个她收到读者来信的情节，并以此伸开了我方的申诉。在这一预设中，这位男性读者来函，是为了商议伍尔夫关于幸免干戈的发生有何主张。伍尔夫的复书（即随笔主体部分）标明父权制是导致法西斯主张念念维扩张的实质原因，因此这篇随笔实质上是对男性所主导社会的有罪结论。在此之前，伍尔夫也曾到访过德国和意大利，亲目击证了法西斯主张念念想对社会的腐蚀性。随后，伍尔夫在随笔中伸开了长篇的流弊，计算是敦促列国政府宠爱女性的受证据权，以保证女性能够更多地参与政事生涯。

布卢姆斯伯里派

跟着全家从肯辛顿搬到布卢姆斯伯里，弗吉尼亚·伍尔夫常识阶级的身份得到了进一步安祥。在那边，她成为了布卢姆斯伯里派③的一分子。这一门户的成员就像统一个鱼缸中的金鱼，透过相通的一层玻璃来不雅察周围的寰宇。

③ Bloomsbury Set，1904年至第二次寰宇大战工夫一个英国艺术家和学者的团体，得名于他们位于伦敦北部卡姆登 （Camden）地区的聚首地布卢姆斯伯里。这个团体的成员多毕业于剑桥大学，以在体裁鸿沟的成就最为闻名，并在艺术界、艺评界以及学术界也多有设立。除伍尔夫外，代表东说念主物还有E·M·福斯特（Edward Morgan Forster，英国作者，代表看成《莫里斯》、《看得见欢然的房间》）、瓦内莎·贝尔（Vanessa Bell，英国画家、室内遐想师，弗吉尼亚·伍尔夫的姐姐）和约翰·凯恩斯（John Maynard Keynes，英国经济学家，“凯恩斯主张”的首创东说念主）等。

这个小团体对自身价值的标榜与自信，也匡助伍尔夫竣事了看成一个作者的到手。在这个团体中，她得到了充分的饱读动妥协脱空间，去考试我方的散文写稿。简而言之，她在这个团体中得到的，是把我方标榜为作者的职权，以及他东说念主真实定言辞。关于伍尔夫这么陆续受自我怀疑困扰的东说念主而言，这种撑持无疑是至关伏击的。也正因如斯，她与这些厚实到并引发我方潜能的东说念主，建设了深厚而永恒的友谊。事实上，她嫁给了他们中的一员——利奥纳德·伍尔夫④——并一生属意于他。

④ Leonard Woolf，英国作者、政论家、出书东说念主。两东说念主于1912年完婚，直到1941年弗吉尼亚·伍尔夫覆没。

布卢姆斯伯里派的抱负最终取得了到手，这毫无疑问是由于这些成员自身就天赋聪惠，极富才华，且受过细腻证据。天然，他们走向到手的流程，也要部分归功于不少为他们引来眷注的噱头。在这之中，“丧胆号开顽笑”因其勇猛和幽默而尤为闻名。这个开顽笑的计算，单纯仅仅为了登上丧胆号战列舰，并在舰上好好参不雅一番。包括伍尔夫在内，几位布卢姆斯伯里派成员将我方打扮为阿比西尼亚⑤王子，穿上长袍和头巾，将我方的脸涂黑，并戴上了假胡子。在“随从”和“翻译”的护送下，他们登上稀客车厢，搭乘火车从帕丁顿前去韦茅斯。在那边，他们受到了皇室成员一般的礼遇，并被允许检视靠岸在此地的皇家舟师舰队。全流程中，他们借希腊语和拉丁语胡编乱造，伪装出之异邦讲话换取的假象。而随行的“翻译”也特地尽职地假装责任。

⑤ Abyssinia，埃塞俄比亚于1941年之前的旧称。

回到伦敦后，布卢姆斯伯里派成员将一张他们依然伶仃阿比西尼亚扮相的像片寄到了《逐日镜报》，这才揭穿了这场开顽笑。不出意想，这件事很快成为了一则丑闻。社交部和皇家舟师成为了众矢之的，其中不乏嘲讽玩弄，也有对他们形成给国度安全带来潜在伤害的严肃谴责。布卢姆斯伯里派和平主张者的身份，关于消解这种月旦不仅莫得匡助，反而避人耳目。当皇家舟师的指令层条款刑事职守开顽笑的始作俑者时，却发现我方都备窝囊为力。这一方面是因为这场开顽笑都备不违背任何法律，另一方面则是因为公论宽广认为舟师自身才应该受到刑事职守——因为他们如斯肤浅地就被如斯蹩脚的开顽笑所蒙骗。

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闻名的“丧胆号开顽笑”合照，像片最左侧是弗吉尼亚·伍尔夫无谓置疑，“丧胆号开顽笑”使布卢姆斯伯里派蓦的广为东说念主知，而他们也乐于享受这一事件带来的曝光度。这一开顽笑发生在1910年的2月7日，而伍尔夫恰是在同庚头始了她第一部演义的创作。不外直到1915年，伍尔夫依然小有名气时，她才清楚发表了这部演义⑥。

⑥ 指《远航》（The Voyage Out）

尽管到手相继而至，伍尔夫老是充满纳闷的灵魂和永恒不觉疲惫的念念维却从未确切感到得志。今天，东说念主们很容易会将伍尔夫的病症界说为双相情感进犯，因为她的心理老是在高潮与低垂之间反复。最终，伍尔夫堕入了一段永恒的低潮中，并确信我方再也无法从这么的境地中走出。如斯千里重的抑郁，使她再也看不见对将来的但愿，并因此最终选择终结我方的人命。1941年，伍尔夫离开东说念主世，死后留住大宗带有前锋颜色、备受珍藏的随笔、体裁月旦和演义。

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Life & TimesMental Health and CreativityIt would be fair to say that Virginia Woolf was an intense and complex personality. Some might describe her as highly imaginative, sensitive and creative, while others might use the words high-maintenance, introspective and obsessive. In truth, she was all of the above, which meant that she was highly regarded as a novelist by many and entirely disregarded by others.The central sticking point with the latter was that she came from a highly privileged, upper-middle-class background, yet she viewed the world in a quite negative light. Untroubled by the daily pressure of most, her time was spent in deep analysis of life – or rather, her own life and that of her friends and family. Her literature, therefore, could occasionally disconnect with the lay reader, because her concerns could be seen as self-indulgent and focused on a rarified environment to which most people were not privy.As a human specimen, Woolf was not a very robust figure. She was prone to bouts of depression and breakdown, in part possibly brought on by the lack of any necessity to just get on with activities that were positive for her mental and physical constitution. In the absence of responsibilities to toughen the character, she lived in a world of ever-decreasing circles until, one day, her horizons closed in so tight that she chose suicide as a means of escape. She filled the pockets of her overcoat with pebbles and walked headlong into a river to drown her sorrows, quite literally. Her life was ended by her own thoughts and actions at the age of 59.Woolf is a classic case of an artist whose creative expression was bad for their health. Had she abandoned writing in favour of an occupation that took her mind away from her obsessive thoughts, she would undoubtedly have lived a happier and more fulfilled life, but instead she became the author of her own undoing. So, a weighty question remains: was it worth all the pain and suffering? Inevitably those with similar learnings will say yes, because they are able to identify with Woolf’s desire to commit her thoughts to the written world as a kind of catharsis. Inevitably those who cannot identify will say no, because her work offers nothing to which they can relate as they have no need of therapy. It may be that there has never been a more divisive novelist in the history of English literature, and this is probably Woolf’s most interesting aspect.Woolf’s main influence on modern literature was her stream of consciousness’ approach to prose. Her novels were really vehicles for the copious current of thoughts and emotions to flow without parameters. She was an aesthete and intelligentsium, investing all her mental capacity into understanding and disseminating the minutiae of human nature, human society, human culture and the human condition. Woolf and her set could be seen as looking down on those who chose not to analyse human existence in such microscopic detail, but realistically this was probably the result of insecurities about one’s own talent, context and significance. The one thing that is certain about belief systems is not to say that Woolf’s portfolio has no value – far from it – but that we do well to remember the context of the author. After all, it was precisely because she existed in her particular milieu that she produced her pioneering style of literature. Moreover, had she been born into a more typical, lower-middle or working class background, she would probably not have had the wherewithal to dissect humanity to such a level.A Room of One’s Own and Three GuineasWoolf’s credentials as a feminist writer were secured with the publication of an extended essay, A Room of One’s Own, in 1929. The title alludes to her assertion that a female writer needs to be financially stable and to have the space and privacy in which to write. In essence the 'room’ of the title is a metaphor for the freedom needed for creativity and imagination to flourish.In particular, Woolf wonders whether, if constraints placed on women by society were to be lifted, female writers would have the potential to produce work comparable to that of Shakespeare. In addition to lacking financial security and a space in which to work, Woolf considers other obstacles to productivity: an absence of formal education, and the presence of domestic responsibilities. Due to these constraints, female writers of Woolf’s time – the inter-war period, when societal structures and expectations on women were quite different from now – emerged from a background of privilege and independent, often bold, life choices.Woolf invents Shakespeare’s sister, in the character of Judith Shakespeare, to illustrate the point that a woman in Elizabethan England would have had neither the means nor the opportunity to succeed as a writer regardless of her talent. Woolf then embarks on a literary journey from the 1600s to the 1900s, discussing the development of women’s literature in contrast with that written by men.Nine years later, Woolf published a sequel, Three Guineas, and in this essay she explored similar themes. With the threat of World War II looming, Woolf imagines that she has received a letter from a man who seeks her advice on preventing the war. In essence her reply is a damning indictment of a male-dominated society, suggesting that the structure of patriarchy causes fascist ideas to take hold. Woolf had visited both Germany and Italy and seen, first-hand, the corrosive effects of fascist ideology. The essay then becomes something of a diatribe, urging governments to promote female education so that women can rise to the fore in public life.The Bloomsbury SetVirginia Woolf came from a background of intellectualism, however, this was largely cemented by her family’s relocation from Kensington to Bloomsbury, where she became part of an intellectual elite known as the Bloomsbury Set. Together, they were all goldfish in the same bowl, looking out at the world around them with a similar artistic palette.The pretensions of her social group actually allowed her to blossom as a writer, because she was given the encouragement and freedom she needed to experiment with her prose. In short, she was allow to think of herself as an author and she was told what she wanted to hear. This was vitally important to someone with nagging self-doubt, so she developed deep and lasting bonds with those who saw and nurtured her potential. Indeed, she married one of them – Leonard Woolf – and remained devoted to him.In time, of course, the pretentions of the Bloomsbury Set transcended into success, as they were undoubtedly intelligent, talented and well-educated. This process of ascendance was, in part, aided by a number of stunts designed to draw public attention. One stunt on particular has become famous for its daring and humour: the Dreadnought Hoax. This was an elaborate plan to gain egress to the battleship HMS Dreadnought for no other reason than to have a good look around. A number of the Bloomsbury Set, including Woolf, disguised themselves as Abyssinian princes. They wore the appropriate garb of robes and turbans, but they also 'blacked-up’ and sported fake beards. With escort and interpreter in tow, they boarded a VIP coach and took a train from Paddington to Weymouth, where they were received as genuine royalty with honour guard and allowed to inspect Royal Navy fleet. All the while, they pretended to communicate in a foreign tongue by uttering gibberish furnished with Greek and Latin, which the interpreter duly pretended to understand and translate. Having returned to London, a photograph of the Bloomsbury Set, still in character, was sent to the Daily Mirror, newspaper and the hoax was revealed. Not surprisingly, the affair turned into a scandal. The Foreign Office and the Royal Navy were the target of a great deal of finger-pointing, partly in fun and partly in seriousness for allowing such a blatant lapse in national security. The situation wasn’t helped by the fact that the Bloomsbury Set were pacifists, which only served to rub salt into the wound. When the Navy high command pushed to have the perpetrators punished, they found themselves powerless to do anything. For one thing, no laws were broken, and secondly the consensus was that they themselves should be punished for allowing themselves to be beguiled by such a lame practical joke.Needless to say, the Dreadnought Hoax planted the Bloomsbury Set in the public consensus once and for all, as the oxygen of publicity was theirs to breathe in and enjoy. The hoaxed occurred on 7 February, 1910. Woolf’s first novel was begun the same year, although she did not publish until 1915, by which time she was already a minor celebrity.Despite her subsequent success, Woolf was never particularly contented, however, for she had such a troubled soul and indefatigable mind. Today her malady would, doubtless, be described as a bipolar condition, for she oscillated from exuberant mood highs to despairing clinical lows. In the end, she was convinced that she would never come full circle again, so she decided to cut her loses while in the grip of a crushing depression that rendered her unable to see any light at the end of the tunnel. Virginia Woolf died in 1941, leaving behind a highly respected, progressive and considerable canon of essays, critique and novels.

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