14.4 Le̍k-sú ha̍k-ka ê nńg-kut-kong
Carradine lī-khui liáu-āu, Grant tó tī bîn-chhn̂g, pok chi̍t-ki koh chi̍t-ki ê hun, ná su-khó York ka-cho̍k hiah-ê kè-sêng jîn, in tī Richard III chāi-ūi ê sî êng-hôa hù-kùi, tān tī Henry VII thóng-tī ê sî soah kiâⁿ-hiòng sí-bông.
In kî-tiong ū-ê lâng hoān-sè sī “ka-tī chò-tit-lâi ê.” Carradine ê pò-kò chí-sī chi̍t-ê tāi-khài; bô hù-tài kái-soeh chu-liāu, mā khòaⁿ bē-chhut phú-sek pō͘-hūn. Tān, he bī-bián siuⁿ-kòe tú-hó: só͘-ū chó͘-tòng tī Tudor ka-cho̍k kap ông-ūi tiong-kan ê sèⁿ-miā, lóng chiah-nī chhìn-chhái tō thê-chiân kiat-sok ah.
I bô-kóng kài ū chhù-bī, lia̍h Carradine chah lâi hō͘ i ê chheh khòaⁿ chi̍t-ē. Chheh-miâ kiò-chò “Richard III ê It-seng kap Thóng-tī,” chok-chiá sī James Gairdner. Carradine kā i pó-chèng, kóng, Gairdner Ps [Phok-sū] choa̍t-tùi ta̍t-tit i tha̍k. Kin-kì Brent ê kóng-hoat, Gairdner Ps “ū-kàu hó-chhiò.”
Chāi Grant khòaⁿ, chit-pún chheh khí-thâu bô án-chóaⁿ hó-chhiò, tān kìⁿ-nā kóng-tio̍h Richard, chóng-sī pí pa̍t-lâng ê khah hó. Só͘-tì, i khai-sí sûi-ì kā hian lâi khòaⁿ, sûi-tō bêng-pe̍k sī án-chóaⁿ Brent kóng chit-ê lāu phok-sū chin hó-chhiò. Gairdner Ps kò͘-chip jīn-tēng Richard sī bô͘-sat-hoān, tān chò chi̍t-ê le̍k-sú ha̍k-ka, i sǹg-sī tiong-si̍t, ū ha̍k-būn, iū-koh chiū i só͘-chai chīn-la̍t pó-chhî kong-pêng, i bē khì am-khàm sū-si̍t. Chū án-ne, Grant khòaⁿ-tio̍h Gairdner Ps chhì boeh kā kok-chióng sū-si̍t thò-ji̍p i ê lí-lūn, hit-chióng chêng-kéng sī i kīn-lâi khòaⁿ-kòe chòe hó-sńg ê thé-chhau piáu-ián ah.
Gairdner Ps kō͘ bô bêng-hián sio-ke̍h ê hong-sek, sêng-jīn kóng, Richard ê tōa tì-hūi, khóng-khài, ióng-khì, lêng-le̍k, bī-le̍k, miâ-siaⁿ, sīm-chì hō͘ i phah-pāi ê te̍k-jîn mā sìn-jīm I; tān tī kāng hit-kháu khùi, i iū-koh pò-kò kóng, Richard án-chóaⁿ ok-to̍k phì-siùⁿ ka-tī lāu-bú, koh án-chóaⁿ tô͘-sat nn̄g-ê bû-chō͘ ê gín-á. “Thoân-thóng ê kóng-hoat sī án-ne,” chit-ê siū chun-kèng ê Phok-sū kóng; jiân-āu i tō chhiong-móa chong-giâm, pò-tō hit-ê khióng-pò͘ ê thoân-thóng, koh ūi he pōe-su. Kin-kì Phok-sū ê kóng-hoat, Richard ê jîn-keh bē pi-phí, khek-po̍k – m̄-koh i mā sī chi̍t-ê bô͘-sat bû-ko͘ gín-á ê hiong-chhiú. Sīm-chì i ê te̍k-jîn tùi i ê kong-chèng ū sìn-sim – m̄-koh i thâi-sí ka-tī ê nn̄g-ê ti̍t-á. I ê chiàⁿ-ti̍t chhut-tioh – m̄-koh i ūi-tio̍h ka-tī lī-ek thâi-lâng.
Gairdner Ps ê chit-chióng nńg-kut-kong ē-sái kóng sī to̍k-chhòng ê kî-chek. Grant pí kòe-óng koh-khah hòⁿ-kî, le̍k-sú ha̍k-ka tàu-té sī kō͘ thâu-náu tó chi̍t pō͘-hūn teh su-khó? In it-tēng m̄-sī kō͘ it-poaⁿ hoân-jîn hit-chióng thui-lūn kòe-têng khì tit-tio̍h in ê kiat-lūn. Bô-lūn tī hi-kò͘ a̍h siá-si̍t sió-soat, koh-khah bián-kóng tī seng-oa̍h tiong, Grant m̄-bat tú-tio̍h jīm-hô jîn-lūi, seⁿ-chò ná Gairdner Ps pit-hā ê Richard a̍h ná Oliphant pit-hā ê Elizabeth Woodville.
Hoān-sè Laura ê lí-lūn ū tō-lí: jîn-lūi ê pún-sèng chin oh hòng-khì tāi-seng ū ê koan-liām. Boeh thui-hoan í-keng chiap-siū ê sū-si̍t, lāi-sim chóng-sī ū chi̍t-chióng bo̍k-bêng ê hoán-tùi kap oàn-hūn. Khak-si̍t, Gairdner Ps tō ná chhiūⁿ tio̍h-kiaⁿ ê gín-á, piàⁿ-miā té-khòng hit-ki boeh kā i khiú-hiòng pit-jiân kiat-kio̍k [chin-siòng] ê chhiú.
Grant kài chheng-chhó, chiàⁿ-ti̍t, ū bī-le̍k ê lâng, ū-sî mā ē thâi-lâng. Tān, m̄-sī hit-khoán thâi-hoat, mā m̄-sī hit-chióng lí-iû. Tī Gairdner Ps ê “Richard III ê Seng-pêng” ni̍h só͘ biô-siá ê hit-chióng lâng, kan-ta tī seng-oa̍h tiong tú-tio̍h ná tē-tāng hit-khoán ê thiⁿ-tē-péng, chiah ē thâi-lâng. Hoān-sè, in-ūi hut-jiân hoat-hiān khan-chhiú put-tiong, i ē thâi bó͘. A̍h-sī, in-ūi ha̍p-kó͘-lâng su-hā tâu-ki, pìⁿ-tó kong-si, húi-tiāu gín-á ê chiân-tô͘, i ē thâi hit-ê ha̍p-kó͘-lâng. M̄-koán i hoān siáⁿ-khoán ê bô͘-sat, he lóng sī kiông-lia̍t kám-chêng chhiong-kek ê kiat-kó, choa̍t-tùi m̄-sī ī-bô͘, mā choa̍t-tùi m̄-sī pi-phí ê bô͘-sat.
Lán bē-sái kóng: In-ūi Richard ū chit-khoán hit-khoán ê te̍k-chit, só͘-í i bô khó-lêng thâi-lâng. Tān, lán ē-sái kóng: In-ūi Richard ū chiah-ê te̍k-chit, só͘-í i bô khó-lêng hoān chit-khoán ê bô͘-sat.
Bô͘-sat hit nn̄g-ê gín-á Ông-chú, sī chin gōng ê bô͘-sat; á Richard sī chi̍t-ê ke̍k cheng-bêng ê lâng. Chit-chióng chōe-hêng pi-phí kah bô-tè kóng; á i sī chi̍t-ê ke̍k chiàⁿ-ti̍t ê lâng. Che léng-khok bô-chêng, á i chhut-miâ tī i ê un-loán jia̍t-sim.
Kiám-cha kong-jīn ê i ê kok-chióng iu-tiám, lán ē hoat-hiān, múi chi̍t-hāng lóng hō͘ i ê kak-sek tī chit-ê bô͘-sat àn ke̍k bô khó-lêng. Chiah-ê iu-tiám ha̍p chò-hóe, in tō chō-sêng chi̍t-chō bô-khó-lêng ê koân-chhiûⁿ, thàng-kàu hoàn-sióng ê thiⁿ.
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14.4 歷史學家 ê 軟骨功
Carradine 離開了後, Grant 倒 tī 眠床, 噗一支 koh 一支 ê 薰, ná 思考 York 家族 hiah-ê 繼承人, in tī Richard III 在位 ê 時 榮華富貴, 但 tī Henry VII 統治 ê 時 soah 行向死亡.
In 其中 有 ê 人 凡勢是 “ka-tī 做得來 ê.” Carradine ê 報告 只是 一个大概; 無附帶 解說資料, mā 看袂出 殕色部份. 但, he 未免 siuⁿ 過 拄好: 所有 阻擋 tī Tudor 家族 kap 王位 中間 ê 性命, lóng chiah-nī 凊彩 tō 提前 結束 ah.
伊無講 kài 有趣味, 掠 Carradine 扎來 hō͘ 伊 ê 冊 看一下. 冊名 叫做 “Richard III ê 一生 kap 統治,” 作者是 James Gairdner. Carradine kā 伊 保證, 講, Gairdner Ps [博士] 絕對 值得 伊 讀. 根據 Brent ê 講法, Gairdner Ps “有夠好笑.”
在 Grant 看, 這本冊 起頭 無按怎 好笑, 但 見若 講著 Richard, 總是 比別人 ê 較好. 所致, 伊開始 隨意 kā 掀來看, 隨 tō 明白 是按怎 Brent 講 這个 老博士 真好笑. Gairdner Ps 固執認定 Richard 是 謀殺犯, 但 做一个 歷史學家, 伊 算是忠實, 有學問, 又閣 就伊所知 盡力 保持公平, 伊袂去 掩崁事實. 自 án-ne, Grant 看著 Gairdner Ps 試欲 kā 各種事實 套入 伊 ê 理論, 彼種情境 是 伊近來 看過 最好耍 ê 體操 表演 ah.
Gairdner Ps kō͘ 無明顯 相扴 ê 方式, 承認講, Richard ê 大智慧, 慷慨, 勇氣, 能力, 魅力, 名聲, 甚至 hō͘ 伊 拍敗 ê 敵人 mā 信任伊; 但 tī 仝彼口氣, 伊又閣 報告講, Richard 按怎 惡毒 譬相 ka-tī 老母, koh 按怎 屠殺 兩个 無助 ê 囡仔. “傳統 ê 講法 是 án-ne,” 這个 受尊敬 ê 博士講; 然後 伊 tō 充滿莊嚴, 報導 彼个 恐怖 ê 傳統, koh 為 he 背書. 根據 博士 ê 講法, Richard ê 人格 袂卑鄙, 刻薄 - 毋過 伊 mā 是 一个 謀殺 無辜囡仔 ê 兇手. 甚至 伊 ê 敵人 對 伊 ê 公正 有信心 - 毋過 伊刣死 ka-tī ê 兩个侄仔. 伊 ê 正直 chhut-tioh - 毋過 伊 為著 ka-tī 利益 刣人.
Gairdner Ps ê 這種 軟骨功 會使講 是獨創 ê 奇蹟. Grant 比過往 閣較好奇, 歷史學家 到底是 kō͘ 頭腦 佗一部份 teh 思考? In 一定 毋是 kō͘ 一般凡人 彼種 推論過程 去 得著 in ê 結論. 無論 tī 虛構 a̍h 寫實小說, 閣較免講 tī 生活中, Grant m̄-bat 拄著 任何人類, 生做 ná Gairdner Ps 筆下 ê Richard a̍h ná Oliphant 筆下 ê Elizabeth Woodville.
凡勢 Laura ê 理論 有道理: 人類 ê 本性 真僫 放棄 代先有 ê 觀念. 欲推翻 已經接受 ê 事實, 內心 總是 有一種 莫名 ê 反對 kap 怨恨. 確實, Gairdner Ps tō ná 像 著驚 ê 囡仔, 拚命抵抗 彼支 欲 kā 伊 搝向 必然結局 [真相] ê 手.
Grant kài 清楚, 正直, 有魅力 ê 人, 有時 mā 會刣人. 但, 毋是 彼款刣法, mā 毋是 彼種理由. Tī Gairdner Ps ê “Richard III ê 生平” ni̍h 所描寫 ê 彼種人, 干焦 tī 生活中 拄著 ná 地動 彼款 ê 天地反, 才會 刣人. 凡勢, 因為 忽然發現 牽手不忠, 伊會刣某. A̍h 是, 因為 合股人 私下投機, pìⁿ 倒公司, 毀掉 囡仔 ê 前途, 伊會刣 彼个 合股人. 毋管 伊犯 啥款 ê 謀殺, he lóng 是 強烈 感情衝擊 ê 結果, 絕對毋是 預謀, mā 絕對毋是 卑鄙 ê 謀殺.
咱袂使講: 因為 Richard 有 這款彼款 ê 特質, 所以 伊無可能 刣人. 但, 咱會使講: 因為 Richard 有 chiah-ê 特質, 所以 伊無可能 犯這款 ê 謀殺.
謀殺 彼兩个 囡仔王子, 是真戇 ê 謀殺; á Richard 是 一个 極精明 ê 人. 這種罪行 卑鄙 kah 無地講; á 伊是 一个 極正直 ê 人. Che 冷酷無情, á 伊出名 tī 伊 ê 溫暖熱心.
檢查 公認 ê 伊 ê 各種優點, 咱會發現, 每一項 lóng hō͘ 伊 ê 角色 tī 這个 謀殺案 極無可能. Chiah-ê 優點 合做伙, in tō 造成 一座 無可能 ê 懸牆, 迵到 幻想 ê 天.
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14.4
When he had gone Grant slid down in bed and smoked one cigarette after another while he considered the tale of those heirs of York who had prospered under Richard III, and gone to their graves under Henry VII.
Some of them may have ‘asked for it’. Carradine’s report had, after all, been a précis; innocent of qualification, insusceptible to half-tones. But it was surely a thundering great coincidence that all the lives who stood between the Tudors and the throne had been cut short so conveniently.
He looked, with no great enthusiasm, at the book that young Carradine had brought him. It was called The Life and Reign of Richard III, by someone James Gairdner. Carradine had assured him that he would find Dr Gairdner well worth his while. Dr Gairdner was, according to Brent, ‘a yell’.
The book did not appear to Grant to be markedly hilarious, but anything about Richard was better than something about anyone else, so he began to glance through it, and presently he became aware just what Brent had meant by saying that the good doctor was a ‘yell’. Dr Gairdner obstinately believed Richard to be a murderer, but since he was a writer honest, learned, and according to his lights impartial, it was not in him to suppress facts. The spectacle of Dr Gairdner trying to[Pg 186] make his facts fit his theory was the most entertaining thing in gymnastics that Grant had witnessed for some time.
Dr Gairdner acknowledged with no apparent sense of incongruity Richard’s great wisdom, his generosity, his courage, his ability, his charm, his popularity, and the trust that he inspired even in his beaten enemies; and in the same breath reported his vile slander of his mother and his slaughter of two helpless children. Tradition says, said the worthy Doctor; and solemnly reported the horrible tradition and subscribed to it. There was nothing mean or paltry in his character, according to the Doctor—but he was a murderer of innocent children. Even his enemies had confidence in his justice—but he murdered his own nephews. His integrity was remarkable—but he killed for gain.
As a contortionist Dr Gairdner was the original boneless wonder. More than ever Grant wondered with what part of their brains historians reasoned. It was certainly by no process of reasoning known to ordinary mortals that they arrived at their conclusions. Nowhere in the pages of fiction or fact, and certainly nowhere in life, had he met any human being remotely resembling either Dr Gairdner’s Richard or Oliphant’s Elizabeth Woodville.
Perhaps there was something in Laura’s theory that human nature found it difficult to give up preconceived beliefs. That there was some vague inward opposition to, and resentment of, a reversal of accepted fact. Certainly Dr Gairdner dragged like a frightened child on the hand that was pulling him towards the inevitable.
That charming men of great integrity had committed murder in their day Grant knew only too well. But not[Pg 187] that kind of murder and not for that kind of reason. The kind of man whom Dr Gairdner had drawn in his Life and History of Richard III would commit murder only when his own personal life had been bouleversé by some earthquake. He would murder his wife for unfaithfulness suddenly discovered, perhaps. Or kill the partner whose secret speculation had ruined their firm and the future of his children. Whatever murder he committed would be the result of acute emotion, it would never be planned; and it would never be a base murder.
One could not say: Because Richard possessed this quality and that, therefore he was incapable of murder. But one could say: Because Richard possessed these qualities, therefore he is incapable of this murder.
It would have been a silly murder, that murder of the boy Princes; and Richard was a remarkably able man. It was base beyond description; and he was a man of great integrity. It was callous; and he was noted for his warm-heartedness.
One could go through the catalogue of his acknowledged virtues, and find that each of them, individually, made his part in the murder unlikely in the extreme. Taken together they amounted to a wall of impossibility that towered into fantasy.
[Pg 188]
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