The Gate

作者 Natsume Soseki著William F. Sibley著Pico Iyer著
出版社 New York Review Books
出版时间 2013年1月
ISBN 9781590175873
定价 128.30

内容简介

AnNYRBClassicsOriginalAhumbleclerkandhislovingwifescrapeoutaquietexistenceonthemarginsofTokyo.Resigned，followingyearsofexileandmisfortune，tothebitterconsequencesofhavingmarriedwithouttheirfamilies’consent，andunabletohavechildrenoftheirown，SōsukeandOyonefindthedelicateequilibriumoftheirhouseholdupsetbyanewobligationtomeettheeducationalexpensesofSōsuke’sbrashyoungerbrother.Whileanunlikelynewfriendshipappearstoofferawayoutofthisbind，italsosoonthreatenstodredgeupapastthatcouldonceagainforcethemtofleethecapital.Desperateandtorn，SōsukefinallyresolvestotraveltoaremoteZenmountainmonasterytoseeifperhapsthere，throughmeditation，hecanfindawayoutofhispredicament.Thismovinganddeceptivelysimplestory，amelancholytaleshotthroughwithglimmersofjoy，beauty，andgentlewit，isanunderstatedmasterpiecebyoneofJapan’sgreatestwriters.Attheendofhislife，NatsumeSōsekideclaredTheGate，originallypublishedin1910，tobehisfavoriteamongallhisnovels.ThisnewtranslationcapturestheobliquegraceoftheoriginalwhilecorrectingnumerouserrorsandomissionsthatmarredthefirstEnglishversion.

作者简介

NastumeSōseki(1867–1916)wasborntheyoungestofeightchildrenduringthelastyearoftheTokugawashogunateinEdo,thecityshortlytoberenamedTokyo,andbecamethedefiningwriteroftheMeijiperiod(1868–1912).Raisedbyfosterparentsuntilhewasnine,hemadeafalteringstartatschoolbutsoondisplayedaspecialaptitudeforChinesestudiesandlaterfortheEnglishlanguage,ultimatelyearninganadvanceddegreeinEnglishliterature.AsanundergraduateatTokyoImperialUniversity,hepublishedanessayonWaltWhitmanthatintroducedthepoet’sworktoJapan.Afterteachingforseveralyears,Sōsekiwassentin1900toEnglandfortwoyearsbytheMinistryofEducation.UponhisreturnhesucceededLafcadioHearnintheEnglishdepartmentatTokyoImperialUniversity.Sōsekipublishedhisfirstworkoffictionin1905,theopeningchapterofwhatwouldbecomethefamoussatiricalnovelIAmaCat.In1907,offeredapositionwiththeAsahiNewspaperpublishingcompany,heleftteachingtobecomeafull-timewriter,andproceededtoproducenovelsattherateofoneayearuntilhisdeathfromastomachulcerin1916.OthermajorworkstohaveappearedinEnglishtranslationincludeBotchan,Kusamakura,TheMiner,andKokoro.WilliamF.Sibley(1941–2009)wasaprofessorofEastAsianlanguagesandcivilizationsattheUniversityofChicago.AtranslatorofJapanesefictionandnonfiction,SibleywasatworkonSōseki’sFirstTrilogy,comprisingSanshirō,AndThen,andTheGate,atthetimeofhisdeath.PicoIyeristheauthorofseveralbooks,includingVideoNightinKathmandu,TheLadyandtheMonk,TheGlobalSoul,and,mostrecently,TheManWithinMyHead.HeisafrequentcontributortoTheNewYorkReviewofBooksandHarper’s.HelivesinJapan.,,,,