重读F·卡夫卡的现实意义

________写在2009年来临之际

张放

卡夫卡一直是我最喜爱的作家之一。其作品对20世纪的巨大影响力，至今仍能感受得到。每年末快进入新的一年时，我都有个不坏不好的习惯：把卡夫卡拿出来读一遍。进入2009年之前，我又找了一小段时间，又把他的作品（都不是很长），似乎已经习惯性地好好地读了一遍。其实，他的作品，即便不是在年底，我也总会找时间读上一读。因为，读他的作品，会让人产生对生活的无奈的深刻理解，对无奈中的某种理性有更深入的接近，对某种理性中的无奈有似乎更透彻些的领悟。每次读卡夫卡，我都会与他一起感受疏远人群、焦虑、迷失方向的感觉，跟他一起找寻那把解开平凡、平庸、无聊、寂寞的钥匙（但似乎找寻过程的乐趣已经远远高于找到的盼望了），并在心中为其高高地举起超现实主义的旗帜，替他摇棋呐喊直到有些声嘶力竭为止。

他的《城堡》、《审判》，尤其是《变形记》，已在我心中，成为一座我以为不太容易被逾越的文学丰碑。

生活中的卡夫卡，真有些令人沮丧，其境况也十分让人感到尴尬。本来是个捷克人，却生活在奥匈帝国；本来生活在捷克人群中，却说德语；本来是个犹太人，却生活在说德语的人群中；本来是个无宗教信仰者，却生活在犹太人群之中。于是，他选择远离追求现实生活，远离给他带来巨大精神压力的父亲；他选择远离自己非常厌恶的官僚主义味道极浓的工作；也选择远离异性。但唯一的喜好，就是注定喜爱文学，极渴望一辈子活在文学之中，因此，卡夫卡不得不在文学和所谓正常的也因此庸俗透顶的柴米油盐的平庸生活之间，遭到撕扯，极艰难地也十分异化地活着。

F·卡夫卡出生于1883年。按现在的一种流行说法，是19世纪的“80后”。他的生命，实在有点短暂。1924年，才41岁，就去世了。父亲是个农村里的屠夫，所以，也没有受过什么教育，但这样的人，都很有想当企业家的宏图大志。也是天公帮忙，他父亲还真的从走街窜巷的小摊贩，变成了一个十分成功的，按今天的天说，就是十分有钱的零售批发集一身的商人。很快，就有富家女看好了他，并下嫁给了他。实际上，他是高攀了人家。卡夫卡是他们婚姻中的第一个孩子。卡夫卡的后来，还有两个弟弟，不过，都很短命，刚刚出生不久就都死了。而接下来还有三个妹妹。女人命大？结果，她们三个都活了下来。他的童年记忆与死亡一直有很大的关联，与整天忙碌着往上攀爬的父亲的形象相关联。总体上说，童年记忆中，苦多于甜。

卡夫卡后来上大学主修法律，并获得了博士学位。这期间，他与一些同年龄的写作者一直保持很密切的联系。结果，一个名叫Max Brod的家伙，成了卡夫卡的终生朋友。也自然，卡夫卡的所有手稿，就都由此人一人收藏了。

实际上，卡夫卡早就有感觉，认为只有写作才能使他快乐，也只有写作才让他有种使命感。当然，他也知道，写作这种事情，是不可能当一辈子的饭碗端的。所以，从某种意义上说，写作对于卡夫卡来说，更是一种纯粹的个人喜好，也因此更具有纯洁性，也更令他全情投入，而没有一丝一毫的掺假行为。他把写作视作“一种祷告”，更进一步说，就是一种内心坦白，也因此可以说，是他暂时摆脱庸俗透顶的生活，得以喘息的一种精神解脱。

可以想象，毕业后的生活，无论如何都不是很美妙的。结果，很快，当了一小段实习律师，他就干不下去了。后来竟然找了一份卖保险的生活。再后来，他也托人走后门，弄到了一份在研究所的工作。可人还不到40岁，他就退休了。41岁，得了肺结核。死了。

一个所谓伟大的作家，其生活看不到任何光鲜亮丽的一面，也没有后来好事者，总结其闪光点。更没有什么庸才蠢才，在那里为其涂脂抹粉。卡夫卡有的只是四个字：素面朝天。他另外还有的，就是平凡甚至有些平庸的生活。

如果非要把他与很多现今的一些中国作家相关联的话，我想，最大的区别就是，他不是一个说教者，更不是一个沽名钓誉者，尤其不是一个ass-kisser，向权利谄媚者。

其作品也大多是在死后被发表出来。实际上，他的最重要的作品《审判》和《城堡》等，都不算个完整作品，只是个unfinished，也就是未完成品。他活着时，也出版了中短篇小说集子。这集子就已经收录了后来被全世界认定为最杰出的作品《变形记》。但那集子卖得一点都不好。

但卡夫卡也是很幸运的人。在说德语的国家里，有一个小圈子，其中都是十分受人景仰的知识人，他们对卡夫卡推崇倍至。20世纪，从现在的角度来看，是人性遭到严重扭曲的世纪，“令人讨厌的人过着平庸乏味的生活”，是那个时代的最鲜明特征。卡夫卡的作品，提早预测出了这一点。于是卡夫卡作品得到了人性意义上的认同。有人专门为卡夫卡作品制造出来一个词，叫“kafkaesque”，也就是“卡夫卡风格的”。这一词也由于卡夫卡的作品被翻译成数百种文字，而得到了广泛的传扬。

再过二十几个小时，2009年即将来临。如我所说，读读卡夫卡的作品，有好处，没有坏处。从上面的情形来看，可以这样说：20世纪的很多“遗风”，并没有一下子被割断开来。人们还继续生活在平庸之中，没有丝毫的改变，也看不出来有任何要改变的迹象。读卡夫卡的作品，可以令人清醒，并知道自己作为一个人的正确位置到底在哪里。也就是说，这个正确位置，可能是被严重扭曲的小板凳，可你必须坐进去，也可能是个高高在上的但有些令人旋晕的龙椅，可你也得必须坐上去，并假装在那里正襟危坐，更可能的是一半扭曲一半在半空悬浮的一块救命的板子，手抓在上面，屁股努力往上抬，但一切都很不顺畅，一切都很不舒服，尤其是一切都似乎在朝着甲虫的方向前进。但人却不知。

读卡夫卡的作品，也可以让人在憋屈之中，感到终于喘出一口气的畅快，和憋闷时的极度不爽与不爽时的必需的坚持。

读卡夫卡最重要的一点是，在2009年朝我们走来时，我们还能用人的声音，给自己提个醒，告诉自己，还没有变成一个甲虫，尽管已经意识到了变甲虫的危险就在眼前。

___________

附：《变形记》部分内容概要

Gregor Samsa awakes one morning to find that he has been inexplicably transformed into a giant insect. He is not dreaming; he is clearly still in his own bedroom in his family's apartment, in his own bed. He is lying on his back and can see his numerous legs squirming uselessly in the air. Initially, he is unable to get out of bed.

Gregor's thoughts turn to his strenuous and thankless job as a traveling salesman for a company that is suspicious and over-vigilant toward its sales force. Gregor would have quit long ago, but his parents are in deep financial debt to his boss, so for the family's sake he continues. A quick glance at the alarm clock tells Gregor that he has slept late and missed his train. If he rushes he might still be able to catch the 7 a.m. train, but even this won't spare him a tongue-lashing from his boss. He considers calling in sick, which he has never done, but suspects that his boss would then send a health-insurance doctor to check on him.

Concerned, Gregor's parents and his sister Grete soon begin to knock on his door. In an altered voice, with brief and deliberate phrases, he tries to reassure them. He expends a quarter of an hour struggling with his air-beating limbs and unfamiliar body in an attempt to get out of bed. When Gregor, rocking back and forth, is on the verge of teetering off the bed and landing on his sturdy (he hopes) back, the doorbell rings. It is the chief clerk of the company come to see why he didn't leave by the early train. Gregor swings off the bed and onto the floor, banging his head in the process.

Gregor's parents detain the chief clerk while imploring Gregor to open the locked door to his room. Gregor is still able to manage simple stalling phrases. At last, the chief clerk becomes impatient. In front of Gregor's parents, the functionary sets into a critical and demoralizing speech, even maliciously insinuating that perhaps Gregor is hiding in his room because of some unethical activity involving cash receipts. Gregor excitedly replies with a stream of words, pleading illness, offering assurances that he will make the eight o'clock train, and asking the man to spare his parents. While he speaks he maneuvers himself up against his wardrobe and is able, with considerable difficulty, to draw himself upright. He wants to open the door and then gauge the seriousness of his situation from the reaction of those outside.

His family and the chief clerk become alarmed. They have not understood a word of his fevered reply. In fact, they do not recognize it as human speech. His mother sends Grete for the doctor; his father sends the maid for a locksmith. Gregor remains calm. He feels reassured by the efforts being made on his behalf. Leaning against the door, his jaws struggle with the key. He manages at last to open the door and peer out. Gregor's mother faints, his father begins to weep, and the chief clerk can only muster a startled "Oh!"

From his room's threshold, Gregor tries to placate the clerk and defend himself against earlier accusations. But the man is slowly making his way to the door. Thinking the chief clerk still angry with him, Gregor makes a move to intercept the man and further plead his case. His movement frightens his mother and sends the chief clerk fleeing down the stairwell, screaming at full volume. Gregor's father springs into action, grabbing a stick and a newspaper and herding Gregor back into his bedroom with prods and fierce hisses. Gregor injures himself badly trying to fit back through the doorway. The door is slammed shut behind him, and all goes quiet.