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Harold Pinter: Dramatist, Activist, Outsider 哈洛品特：荒谬剧，行动派

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Born in 1930 to Jewish dressmakers in London, Harold Pinter lived through the bombing of London in WWII. Discrimination and terror were daily themes for young Pinter. Nevertheless, he would grow up to become one of his generation’s most celebrated playwrights.

哈洛．品特于1930年诞生于伦敦，是犹太裁缝师之子。他经历了第二次世界大战伦敦大轰炸时期。年轻的品特每天都感受到歧视以及恐惧。然而，他长大后，成为该世代最有名的剧作家。

Pinter’s plays are usually set in a single room, and the scene rarely changes. The characters struggle to survive, or to find their identity in society. Each play gives audiences a glimpse of a terrible moment in life.

品特的戏剧场景通常在一个房间内，并且布景很少改变。剧中的主角为生存或为了寻找社会定位而挣扎、努力。每一部戏剧都让观众看到生命当中的恐怖时刻。

The Homecoming is one of Pinter’s most acclaimed plays. In it, philosophy teacher Teddy brings his wife Ruth from America to London to meet his family. In the all-male family, the characters confront each other. Unnatural silence increases the tension; jealousy and betrayal are in the air. In the end, Teddy’s wife decides to leave him in order to stay with his aggressive father and the all-male household. Teddy returns alone to America, a lonely outsider.

《回乡》是品特最受推崇的作品之一。剧中，哲学老师泰迪带着太太鲁丝从美国来到伦敦与家人碰面。在这个全是男性的家庭当中，所有的角色面对彼此。不自然的静默增加了紧张气氛；嫉妒及背叛弥漫在空气中。最后，泰迪的妻子决定要离开他，以便和泰迪的父亲以及其他家庭成员在一起。泰迪独自回到美国，成为寂寞的局外人。

Pinter himself was an outsider. After divorcing his wife of 24 years, he became estranged from his own son. And, he spent most of his life outside the artistic community as well. Still, he has received every major award that a playwright can earn, including the Nobel Prize.

品特本人也是个局外人。在和结褵24年的妻子离婚之后，品特和自己的儿子也渐形疏远。同时，绝大多数的时间，品特也没有加入艺术家圈子。然而，他还是获颁戏剧界的所有主要奖项，包括诺贝尔奖。

In 2005, Pinter retired from writing to focus on political activism. Reflecting on his childhood, he says, “The condition of being bombed has never left me.” Today, that memory fuels his quest to end humankind’s violent ways, and he was among those who protested against the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. Pinter will not only be remembered as a controversial dramatist, but also for his calls for justice and conscience within the global community.

在2005年，品特停笔，不再写作，而专注于政治行动主义。回首童年，品特说：「从来没有忘记当年受到轰炸的情况。」今天，这段回忆让他想要结束人类残暴行为。同时，他也反对外国入侵阿富汗及伊拉克的行为。人们将记得品特不仅是引起争议的剧作家，同时也会记得他的呼吁：全球小区该有的正义和良心。

−by Joe Henley

Vocabulary

discrimination [dɪ͵skrɪməˋneʃən] n. 歧视

confront [kənˋfrʌnt] v. 面对；遭遇；对抗

betrayal [bɪˋtreəl] v. 背叛

quest [kwɛst] n. 追求；探索

More Information

dressmaker [ˋdrɛs͵mekɚ] n.（尤指女装）裁缝师

terror [ˋtɛrɚ] n. 恐怖

nevertheless [͵nɛvɚðəˋlɛs] adv. 不过，然而

glimpse [glɪmps] n. 瞥见；一瞥

acclaimed [əˋklemd] adj. 受到赞扬的

jealousy [ˋdʒɛləsɪ] n. 妒忌；猜忌

in the air 弥漫着

outsider [ˋaʊtˋsaɪdɚ] n. 局外人

divorce [dəˋvors] v. 与……离婚

estranged [əˋstrendʒd] adj. 疏远的

activism [ˋæktəvɪzəm] n. 行动主义

invasion [ɪnˋveʒən] n. 入侵，侵略

conscience [ˋkɑnʃəns] n. 良心；道义心

Reading Questions

1. How could we characterize Harold Pinter’s childhood?

A. It was a very difficult one, for he couldn’t adapt to life in the big city.

B. Being Jews, the Pinters were forced to leave London during WW II.

C. Pinter lived in fear and was constantly treated unjustly.

D. It was not unlike that of any other kid living in London at the time.

2. Which is the nature of Harold Pinter’s plays?

A. They are very elaborate, with many scenes and varied subjects.

B. They are focused, limited in space, and about the individual.

C. They all have the horrors of war and injustice as their central subject matter.

D. They are all about many generations of a Jewish family in England.

3. Which of the following descriptions of Harold Pinter is false?

A. Much like his characters, he does not fit perfectly within society.

B. Pinter was traumatized by the bombing of London during World War II.

C. Pinter was able to overcome the obstacles of his youth and become successful.

D. Pinter now writes political plays about wars, such as those in Afghanistan.

Answer