乌鸦像写字台是什么意思,出自哪里?

为什么乌鸦像写字台? Why is a Raven Like a Writing Desk?这个问句最早出现在《爱丽丝奇境历险记》(Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland)里 。这个著名的童话故事被一位数学老师查尔斯?道奇森(Charles Lutwidge Dodgson; 笔名——路易斯?卡罗尔 Lewis Carroll) 写出了一位哲学家的范儿 。从成年人的思维来看,整个故事的逻辑就是没有逻辑 。

As Alice explores a bizarre underground world, she encounters a cast of strange characters and fanciful beasts: the White Rabbit, March Hare, and Mad Hatter; the sleepy Dormouse and grinning Cheshire Cat; the Mock Turtle, the dreadful Queen of Hearts, and a host of other extraordinary personalities.

乌鸦像写字台是什么意思,出自哪里?


作者查尔斯?道奇森(Charles Lutwidge Dodgson)本书是1865年出版的,比较公认的说法是书中爱丽丝的原型就是作者任教的牛津基督堂学院院长家的女儿爱丽丝(Alice Pleasance Liddell) 。由于作者终身未娶,又酷爱对女童进行摄影,还处于当时致幻剂合法的年代,然后创作的故事又充斥着迷幻感,这些个因素累积在一起,揣测其创作背景就渐渐发酵出一股酸味 。时至今日也只能继续扑朔迷离,但我仍然相信是作者卓越的理科思维创造了不一样的文学风情 。
乌鸦像写字台是什么意思,出自哪里?


道奇森摄影作品:爱丽丝 (Alice Pleasance Liddell)
乌鸦像写字台是什么意思,出自哪里?


道奇森摄影作品:爱丽丝(最右)和姐妹那么,为什么乌鸦像写字台?这个问题是故事中在茶会上疯帽子(Mad Hatter)问爱丽丝的,不过在书里他自己也没有答案 (the Hatter admits “I haven’t the slightest idea.”) 。这个大谜题也曾被很多人尝试去解读,或者干脆就自己创作答案 。连作者本人也被问过太多次,最后”逼”出来一个答案,大家一看,还不如自己解读得有趣,便也罢了 。
乌鸦像写字台是什么意思,出自哪里?


作者的回答
In an introduction to a later edition of the book, Lewis Carroll addressed the issue, saying “Because it can produce a few notes, tho they are very flat; and it is never put with the wrong end in front!” In the original preface, “never” was spelled “nevar,” which is “raven” backward. Carroll’s pun was unfortunately lost to the red pen of a proofreader, confusing the issue of the riddle even further.
Actually, this riddle is designed to be nonsensical, and according to its author, Lewis Carroll, he never intended for there to be any real answer to the question: “why is a raven like a writing desk?” The entire point of the riddle is that it has no answer.本来问题本身是没有意义,也根本没有答案的 。不过,能够完全取决于读者的想法也挺不错 。看到过一些回答是用双关语,或者同样用无意义的一句话来回答 。根据这句话,还有个比较浪一点的段子,跟故事本身扯的有点远,倒是跟后来这个故事改编的迪士尼电影里的情绪有点像了 。A:“为什么乌鸦像写字台?”B:“因为我喜欢你?”A:“你为什么喜欢我?”B:“因为乌鸦像写字台 。”

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