1984book-review-1984英文书评

周冬暖翻译一班0111119074bookreportof1984Author:GeorgeOrwell,borninIndia,wasanEnglishwriter,journalist,andsocialcritics.Beforethisgreatworkcomesout,Orwellwasawritersufferingfrompovertyandhunger,andhadhardlyanyreputeatall.Notuntilin1950,didthisgreatworkbepublished,yetbynomeanscanhebathinthesunthebookwouldbringhim,forbeforelong,hislifewastakenbythehandoftuberculosis.Orwellisknowntotheworldnotonlyasanovelistinhisownpeculiarvoice,butalsoasapoliticalprophetwithphenomenalvision.Thenewwordshehadcreatedinhisnovelsas‘newspeak’,’doublethink’and‘bigbrother’areallsuckedinbymanyprestigiousEnglishdictionaries.Summaryofthebook:Theworldin1984isdividedbythreecountries:theOceania,theEurasianandtheEastAsiancountries.Undertheinnocentoutlookofapartymember,Winstonentertainsgreatdoubttowardsthesocietyinwhichhehasbeentrainedasachild,andtowardstheBigBrother,theinvincibleleaderofthecountry,whichisequivalenttoathoughtcrime.Afterdisarmedtotheinnerparty,hewasreshapedtobepureinmindinaccordswiththestandardoftheparty,andputtodeathafterwards.Comment:Nodoubt1984isapoliticalsatiricalfiction,butitismorethanthat,foranelementofhumanism,representedbythedepictionofthecharacter,Winston,isblendedwiththepoliticalaspect.Writteninthe1940s,thebookistosomedegreeapredictionofthefuture,and,onepointnoteworthytopointoutisthatalotofplotsOrwellhaddesignedinthebookdidallegedlyshowupinrealityinthelater40yearsafteritcameup.Throughadelicatedepictionofanordinaryperson’swholelife,Orwellrevealstousapower-orientedsocietyofstiflinghierarchyandthecantfaçadeofharmonioussocialism,unfurlingthedeep-downessenceoftotalitarian.Personally,itisnotthoseessencesoftotalitarianthattouchuponmethemost,fortotalitarianissuchathingthatIalmosttakeforgrantedassomethingthatwouldentaildanger,horror,confusing,andterrorism,hencesuchasceneoflifeunderaomnipresentoppressivepartyoftotalitarianshouldcomestonosurprise,andfurthermore,whatevergoestoextremenevergivebirthtogoodness,whichfixperfectlythephilosophyofancientChina,namely,”therationofbeinginthemiddleground”.Whatstirmyheartvirtuallyarethosedetailsandincidents,whichpreciselyconstitutethetextureofthebook.Justafewexamples:“Curiously,thechimingofthehourseemedtohaveputnewheartintohim.Hewasalonelyghostutteringatruththatnobodywouldeverhear,butsolongasheutteredit,insomeobscurewaythecontinuitywasnotbroken.Itwasnotbymakingyourselfheardbutbystayingsanethatyoucarriedonthehumanheritage.Hewentbacktothetable,dippedhispenandwrote:tothefutureortothepast,toatimewhenthoughtisfree,whenmenaredifferentfromoneanotheranddonotlivealone—toatimewhentruthexistsandwhatisdonecannotbeundone,fromtheageofuniformity,fromtheageofsolitude,fromtheageofbigbrother,fromtheageofdoublethink—greetings!”Thisisoneofmyfavoriteparagraphsofthebook,themonologueWinstonsetdowninhisdiaryinparticular.Curiously,somehowIamconvincedthatitisnotmerelythevoiceofWinston,butinOrwellhimselfaswell,forfreedomisalwaysanenterprisetobepursued,especiallyinhistimeOrwellwasprobablybeencloselywatchedbythegovernment.ThoughIhaveneverbeenunderthatsortofcircumstance,Ifindanvibrationwithintheselinesinapeculiarway.Somethingthatiswrittendown,eventhoughnotbeingseenorcomprehendedbyanyone,comeintobeingitselfandhenceacontinuitycanbepreserved.Hithertoformeitisnothingbutamethodtokeeptrackofthepettyinspirationsoflife,whileforOrwelltheselinesoutlivedhimandsurpassthelimitationoftimeandspacetocomeacrossmeandmanyothers.“Iunderstandhow,butIdon’tunderstandwhy.”Itisthefacultyofsuspecting,ofquestioningthatalwaysstimulateasocietyorapersontomoveforward,thatleadsWinston,thoughnegatively,rebelagainsttheparty.Itremindsmeofasentence,“lawcannevermakeusassecureaswearewhenwedonotneedit.Thosefreedomswhichareneitherchallengednordefinedarethemostsecure”,derivedfromthebook,‘MakeNoLaw:TheSullivanCaseandtheFirstAmendment’.Doubtingistheimmediatesonofwisdom.Thosewhomayeasilymaintainafaithforthepartyisthosewhoareforeigntoit.“Warispeace.Freedomisslavery.Ignoranceisstrength.”Thethreeslogansistheepitomeofthewholefiction.Whentheprincipleof‘staystupid,staycool’ofSteveJobshaveprevailedinourage,whatIlearnfromthebook,orwhatIinterpretfromthenovelisthat,beinggoodforgood’ssake,andnevergoestoextreme.Hearthevoicefromwithin.