Top Seven Reasons to Love Oscar Wilde

Heather Matthews

文学史上有两种类型的作品：一种是作家用笔创作出来的，另一种则是作家用生命创作的。毫无疑问，王尔德属于后者。王尔德的作品，如他的《诗集》、《道林·格雷的画像》、《快乐王子》等，我们仍在津津有味地品读。但真正让读者为之倾倒的却是王尔德过人的天赋和自信、浮华绚丽的外表、悲伤的唯美主义、敢于对抗社会传统的出格行为，这些品质将他从伦敦的社交桌上送进了雷丁监狱，也让他在历史上名垂千古。

Few literary stars have burned as bright as the late Oscar Wilde, whose unique, paradoxical and intriguing blend of boldness and grace dazzled in the flesh, as well as on the printed page.1. 绝少有文学明星像已逝的王尔德那样光芒闪耀。王尔德本人和他的作品集独一无二、充满矛盾、神秘魅力于一身，混合着大胆无畏与高贵优雅，让人眼花缭乱。late: 已故的；paradoxical: 自相矛盾的； intriguing:（由于奇特、神秘或出人意料而）非常有趣的，迷人的；blend:（不同事物的）融合；dazzle: （强光）使目眩，使眼花。While Wilde remains a controversial figure—his calculated flamboyancy inspired many, yet irritated his detractors—few dispute the talent, in fluence and singularity of the man and his work.2. controversial: 有争议的，引起争论的；calculated: 蓄意的，精心策划的；flamboyancy: 浮华，炫耀；irritate: 激怒；detractor: 抨击者，贬低者；singularity: 非凡，突出。

1. Heart

At Wilde’s core, passions simmered.3. core: 核心；simmer: 内心充满（某种强烈情感）。Although he tried to live conventionally by marrying Constance Lloyd, as time passed, he found it more dif ficult to repress his sexual preferences.4. conventionally: 遵从习俗地，传统地；repress: 压抑，抑制；sexual preference:性倾向。One young and handsome lover stole Wilde’s heart.Nicknamed “Bosie”, this delicate, blond creature (Lord Alfred Douglas), displayed caprices and quirks which were certainly a match for the Irish-born Wilde’s own idiosyncrasies.5. nickname: 取绰号；delicate: 优雅娇弱的；display: 显露，显示；caprice: 任性，反复无常；quirk: 怪癖，古怪；idiosyncrasy:（个人特有的）癖好，嗜好。While Wilde was often perceived as the blithe, above-it-all, cold aesthete, his feelings for his beloved Bosie, who, in the end betrayed him terribly,6. perceive: （以某种方式）看待，理解；blithe: 不在意的，漠视的；above-it-all: 自命不凡的，自高自大的；aesthete: 唯美主义者，审美家；betray: 背叛，出卖。ran very hot.

Until the end of his life, Oscar wrestled with his tortured passion for Lord Alfred Douglas—in moments of clarity, such as those experienced during his souldestroying and health-destroying stay in Reading Gaol,he saw his true love for who he really was—a shallow and childish man who was motivated almost entirely by self-interest.7. 直到他生命的最后一刻，奥斯卡对阿尔弗莱德·道格拉斯男爵的爱仍在折磨着他——在奥斯卡神志清醒的时刻，例如他在雷丁监狱所经历的那段摧毁灵魂和健康的时期，他终于看清了他的真爱究竟是一个怎样的人——幼稚而肤浅，所做的事情完全是出于一己之私。wrestle with: 努力解决某事，为某事绞尽脑汁；tortured: 使（精神上）受到折磨的，使痛苦的；clarity: 清醒，清晰；Reading Gaol: 雷丁监狱，位于英国雷丁的一所著名监狱，于2013年关闭；shallow: 肤浅的，浅薄的。Yet, even then, Wilde’s heart would sometimes soften towards the often cruel and always beautiful man who was once his primary muse.8. soften: （态度）软化，（心）软；muse:灵感，创作冲动的源泉。It’s certainly possible that Bosie had sincerely returned his ardor9. ardor: 〈文〉强烈的爱。, back in the old days.

It may be argued that Wilde’s enduring love for Bosie was a central element in his eventual loss of reputation, poverty and early death. On the flip side,however, his adoration of the spoiled English aristocrat and poet (who coined the famous phrase, “I am the love that dare not speak its name”) undoubtedly added signi ficant fire and eloquence to his work.10. flip side: 反面，另外一面；adoration:爱慕，敬慕；spoiled: 惯坏的，被宠坏的；aristocrat: 贵族；coin: 创造，杜撰（新词或短语）；eloquence: 文采，生动的文辞。

Wilde did know how to love. He did have a heart. While he was as imperfect as any other lover, he demonstrated loyalty to Bosie in tangible and poignant ways,11. demonstrate: 展示，表露出（某种感情、品质或能力）；tangible: 可触摸到的，可感到的；poignant: 令人心酸的，令人伤心的。over and over again, until he simply could not do so anymore.

2. In fluence

While Wilde had Bosie as his muse, as well as other muses, such as his own mother, who was quite eccentric12. eccentric: 古怪的，怪异的。, and the popular stage actress (and great beauty) of the day, Lillie Langtry, he also served(and continues to serve) as the muse for other artists. For example, back in his time, he was the subject of a pen-and-ink drawing which was created by the acclaimed artist, Aubrey Beardsley, whose work is, in equal measures, elegant and grotesque.13. pen-and-ink: 钢笔画的；acclaimed: 备受推崇的，广受欢迎的；Aubrey Beardsley:奥伯利·比亚兹莱（1872—1898），是19世纪末英国最伟大的插画艺术家之一；elegant: 高雅的 ，优美的；grotesque:怪诞的，荒唐的。In addition, Beardsley illustrated scenes from Wilde’s controversial play,Salome, which Oscar wrote while inhabiting Paris.14. illustrate: 给……作插图；Salome:《莎乐美》，是王尔德根据《圣经》中的一个故事改编成的戏剧；inhabit: 居住于。

In our time, Wilde continues to inspire. One key example of Wilde’s modern in fluence is director Todd Hayne’s cinematic effort,Velvet Goldmine.15. Todd Haynes: 陶德·海恩斯（1961— ），美国导演、编剧，代表电影作品包括此处提到的《天鹅绒金矿》（Velvet Goldmine）和《毒药》（Poison）；cinematic: 银幕电影的。This film tells the story of a famous glam-rock star who fakes his own death, and whose androgynous,flamboyant ways are inspired by the spirit of Wilde,whose gemstone brooch the glam-rock star (played by actor, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers) wore.16. glam-rock: 华丽摇滚，又称迷幻摇滚，是摇滚乐和流行音乐的一个流派，起源于20世纪70年代初，其特点是主唱及乐手都拥有性别模糊的装扮和华丽戏剧化的台风；fake: 伪造，假冒；androgynous: 兼具两性的，男女不分的；gemstone brooch: 镶有宝石的胸针。

Of course, these examples merely scratch the surface, as Wilde’s in fluence is so far-reaching.17. scratch the surface: 触及表面，蜻蜓点水；far-reaching: 影响深远的，意义重大的。

3. The Picture of Dorian Gray18. The Picture of Dorian Gray: 《道林·格雷的画像》，是王尔德唯一一部小说，也是他美学思想的全面体现，被认为是唯美主义小说中的力作。

Oscar Wilde penned only one novel—The Picture of Dorian Gray. However, this relatively slim volume left an indelible impression upon its readers.19. slim: 不厚的，薄的；indelible: 难以去掉的，难以忘记的。Published in the summer of 1890, the novel outraged certain critics of the time, due to its “innovative”approach to morality.20. outrage: 激起（某人的）愤慨，使（某人）震怒；morality: 道德，伦理。In fact, the editors of the novel culled certain passages from the work, without telling the author, in an attempt to tone down the book’s“indecency” before its publication.21. cull: 剔除，挑出；tone down: 使温和，使收敛；indecency: 粗鄙，有伤风化。In time, Wilde himself stepped in and altered his work, by writing extra chapters and adding a now-infamous Preface.22. step in: 介入，插手；infamous: 臭名昭著的；preface: 序言。

1945年同名电影中道林·格雷和其画像

In the story, the protagonist23. protagonist:（戏剧的）主角，（故事的）主人公。, Dorian Gray, is painted by an artist named Basil. Basil becomes obsessed with his handsome subject. Dorian then meets an aristocrat, Lord Henry, who in fluences his behavior and beliefs. Celebrating beauty and sensual pleasures above all else, Lord Henry becomes the catalyst for pronounced changes in Dorian’s personality.24. celebrate: 赞美，歌颂；sensual pleasure:感官享受；catalyst: 催化剂，触发因素；pronounced: 明显的，显著的。Gray becomes fearful of losing his youth and allure, and lightheartedly relates a wish to sell his soul in return for never-ending youth.25. allure: 魅力，诱惑力；lightheartedly: 随便地，漫不经心地；relate: 讲述。In other words,he wants his portrait to grow old, while he remains exactly as he is now. Magically, the request is granted26. grant: 准许，允许。.

As Dorian falls further into a hedonistic27. hedonistic: 享乐主义的。lifestyle,his painting shows the march of time—and the fearful effects of sin.

4. Poetry

Oscar Wilde wrote many beautiful poems.However, one of them is utterly devastating in terms of its emotional honesty.28. utterly: 完全地，彻底地；devastating:极其引人注目的，令人印象深刻的。Written in memory of his sister, Isola, who had died at the tender age of nine, due to an effusion of the brain, “Requiescat”will likely move anyone who has lost someone that they loved deeply.29.《安魂曲》（“Requiescat”）是王尔德为了纪念他九岁死于脑积水的妹妹伊索拉而创作的，任何曾经失去挚爱的人都会被这首诗所感动。effusion: 积水，渗水。

(Excerpt from “Requiescat”)

Peace, Peace, she cannot hear

Lyre or sonnet,

All my life’s buried here,

Heap earth upon it30. lyre: 抒情诗；sonnet: 十四行诗；heap: 大量，许多。

5. Style

The role of aesthete came naturally to Wilde,who ardently believed in the value of the style and the super ficial.31. ardently: 热情地，热烈地；super ficial: 表面的，外表的。While there was clearly much more to Wilde than surface appearances, he was nonetheless devoted to appearances and made no secret of the fact.

From his long, dark hair, which his jailers forced him to cut off to his rakish chapeaus to his sweeping capes and velvet and silk suiting (these separates were always accented with luxurious ties and stockings which complemented Wilde’s coloring to perfection), it was abundantly clear that Oscar cared about his out fits.32. 从他那曾被狱卒强行剪掉的深色长发，到他那潇洒张扬的帽子，到他的长披肩、天鹅绒和丝织衣物（王尔德总会用奢侈的领结和长袜搭配，衬托出这些单品的特色，使他浑身的色彩搭配趋于完美），这些都非常清楚地表明王尔德注重他的服饰。rakish: 不拘俗套的，潇洒得意的；chapeau: 帽子；sweeping:（形状）大幅度弯曲的；cape: 披肩；separate:（非覆盖全身的）单件衣服；accent: 强调，关注；complement:补充，与……搭配；abundantly: 非常清楚地，充分地。In addition, he believed that everyone should be able to wear whatever they wished.

6. Wit

The glittering bon mots of Wilde are de finitely a great reason to love him.33. glittering: 闪闪发光的，辉煌的；bon mot: 珠玑妙语，机智诙谐的言辞。Since Wilde is quoted so extensively, even today, I won’t detail all of his most classic lines here. Chances are, you’ve read them all before. Suf fice it to say that a gem, such as “It is absurd to divide people into good and bad. People are either charming or tedious” will always resonate with many of us.34. suf fice it to say: 无须多说，只需说……就够了；gem: 佳作，精品；tedious:枯燥的，乏味的；resonate: 引起共鸣。

Amusing, exuberant35. exuberant: 热情洋溢的，焕发活力的。, rebellious, pitiless. Wilde’s exceptional intelligence and unique mindset brought magic to every quip and chance remark that he uttered,36. mindset: 思维模式，观念；quip: 俏皮话，妙语；chance remark: 无心之语，偶发之语。and the world is better for it.

7. Bravery

Who is braver than Wilde? Who suffered more in order to be who he truly was? By facing his oppressors,in court and out in the world, Wilde displayed the magni ficent courage of a lion.

王尔德经典装束

To imagine Wilde’s suffering in Reading Gaol is painful, and it’s something that I’ve done often.To think that one of the great minds of the age was locked up and relentlessly persecuted,37. relentlessly: 残酷地，无情地；persecute: 迫害，残害。although he hurt no one, is heartbreaking. How many others who love (or loved) have also suffered for it, although they hurt no one? So many.

This great visionary38. visionary: 有远见的人。gave countless gifts to the world. Sadly, in the end, most of his friends were of the fair-weather variety.39. fair-weather friend: 同甘不共苦的朋友；variety:（人或物的）类型。In other words, they chose to shun him when he was penniless and in disgrace.40. shun: 刻意避开，有意回避；disgrace: 失势，名誉扫地。However, in his bravery and honesty, he distinguished himself as an authentic41. authentic: 真正的。human being.He moved beyond the super ficial. In addition, with his body of work alone, he immortalized42. immortalize: 使不朽，使名垂千古。himself.