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地狱(英文原著)--丹·布朗

时间:2013-11-30 14:15:52  来源:  作者:丹·布朗  [ 下载本书 ]
简介:《炼狱》的主人公是回归的哈佛大学符号学教授罗伯特·兰登,小说以意大利为故事背景,以但丁的史诗《神曲2:炼狱篇》为中心,展开的一系列惊心动魄的历险故事。丹·布朗在小说中巧妙地融合了历史、艺术、密码和符号等元素,创造了一部崭新的惊悚悬疑小说。在谈到新书的创作过程时,丹·布朗称自己研读了6个月的相关资料,包括几个版本的《神曲》译本,不同的但丁研究者的注释,关于但丁的生平、哲学的历史文本以及关于佛罗伦萨的背景阅读,之后还前往佛罗伦萨和威尼斯,拜见了一些艺术史学家、图书馆学家和学者。...
  Langdon nodded. “It’s the conflict between Apollo and Dionysus—a famous dilemma in mythology. It’s the age-old battle between mind and heart, which seldom want the same thing.”
  The mythological reference, Langdon had heard, was now being used in AA meetings to describe the alcoholic who stares at a glass of alcohol, his brain knowing it will harm him, but his heart craving the comfort it will provide. The message apparently was: Don’t feel alone—even the gods were conflicted.
  “Who needs agathusia?” Sienna whispered suddenly.
  “I’m sorry?”
  Sienna glanced up. “I finally remembered the name of Zobrist’s essay. It was called: ‘Who Needs Agathusia?’ ”
  Langdon had never heard the word agathusia, but took his best guess based on its Greek roots—agathos and thusia. “Agathusia … would be a ‘good sacrifice’?”
  “Almost. Its actual meaning is ‘a self-sacrifice for the common good.’ ” She paused. “Otherwise known as benevolent suicide.”
  Langdon had indeed heard this term before—once in relation to a bankrupt father who killed himself so his family could collect his life insurance, and a second time to describe a remorseful serial killer who ended his life fearing he couldn’t control his impulse to kill.
  The most chilling example Langdon recalled, however, was in the 1967 novel Logan’s Run, which depicted a future society in which everyone gladly agreed to commit suicide at age twenty-one—thus fully enjoying their youth while not letting their numbers or old age stress the planet’s limited resources. If Langdon recalled correctly, the movie version of Logan’s Run had increased the “termination age” from twenty-one to thirty, no doubt in an attempt to make the film more palatable to the box office’s crucial eighteen-to-twenty-five demographic.
  “So, Zobrist’s essay …” Langdon said. “I’m not sure I understand the title. ‘Who Needs Agathusia?’ Was he saying it sarcastically? As in who needs benevolent suicide … we all do?”
  “Actually no, the title is a pun.”
  Langdon shook his head, not seeing it.
  “Who needs suicide—as in the W-H-O—the World Health Organization. In his essay, Zobrist railed against the director of the WHO—Dr. Elizabeth Sinskey—who has been there forever and, according to Zobrist, is not taking population control seriously. His article was saying that the WHO would be better off if Director Sinskey killed herself.”
  “Compassionate guy.”
  “The perils of being a genius, I guess. Oftentimes, those special brains, the ones that are capable of focusing more intently than others, do so at the expense of emotional maturity.”
  Langdon pictured the articles he had seen about the young Sienna, the child prodigy with the 208 IQ and off-the-chart intellectual function. Langdon wondered if, in talking about Zobrist, she was also, on some level, talking about herself; he also wondered how long she would choose to keep her secret.
  Up ahead, Langdon spotted the landmark he had been looking for. After crossing the Via dei Leoni, Langdon led her to the intersection of an exceptionally narrow street—more of an alleyway. The sign overhead read VIA DANTE ALIGHIERI.
  “It sounds like you know a lot about the human brain,” Langdon said. “Was that your area of concentration in medical school?”
  “No, but when I was a kid, I read a lot. I became interested in brain science because I had some … medical issues.”
  Langdon shot her a curious look, hoping she would continue.
  “My brain …” Sienna said quietly. “It grew differently from most kids’, and it caused some … problems. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out what was wrong with me, and in the process I learned a lot about neuroscience.” She caught Langdon’s eye. “And yes, my baldness is related to my medical condition.”
  Langdon averted his eyes, embarrassed he’d asked.
  “Don’t worry about it,” she said. “I’ve learned to live with it.”
  As they moved into the cold air of the shadowed alleyway, Langdon considered everything he had just learned about Zobrist and his alarming philosophical positions.
  A recurring question nagged at him. “These soldiers,” Langdon began. “The ones trying to kill us. Who are they? It makes no sense. If Zobrist has put a potential plague out there, wouldn’t everyone be on the same side, working to stop its release?”
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