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The author, most recently, of “Finders Keepers” has never read Jane Austen. “I do not say this with either pride or shame (or prejudice, for that matter). It’s just a fact.” 这位最近出版了小说《先到先得》(Finders Keepers) 的作家从没读过简o奥斯汀(Jane Austen)。“这没什么可骄傲的，也没什么可丢脸的（就这件事而言，也不是什么偏见）。这只是事实而已。”
What books are currently on your night stand? 问：你的床头柜上现在是什么书？ None. I don’t read in bed, so there’s nothing there except for a glass of water and a bottle of Tums. 答：什么书也没有，我从不躺在床上读书，所以床头只有一杯水，一瓶Tums钙片。 Who is your favorite novelist of all time? 问：你一直都最喜欢的小说家是谁？ Probably Don Robertson, author of “Paradise Falls,” “The Ideal, Genuine Man” and the marvelously titled “Miss Margaret Ridpath and the Dismantling of the Universe.” What I appreciate most in novels and novelists is generosity, a complete baring of the heart and mind, and Robertson always did that. He also wrote the best single line I’ve ever read in a novel: Of a funeral he wrote, “There were that day, o Lord, squadrons of birds.” 答：可能是堂o罗伯逊(Don Robertson)，就是《失落天堂》(Paradise Falls)、《完美真男人》(The Ideal, Genuine Man)的作者，他还有一本书，书名妙极了：《玛格丽特o里德帕斯小姐和宇宙的分解》(Miss Margaret Ridpath and the Dismantling of the Universe)。对于小说和小说家而言，我最喜欢的品质就是丰富，一种对头脑与心灵的开拓，罗伯逊总能做到这一点。他的小说里有一句我读过最棒的警句，是关于葬礼的，“有那么一天，上帝啊，成群结队的鸟儿。” Who are your favorite writers — novelists, nonfiction, journalists, poets — working today? 问：至今仍在创作的作家里面你最喜欢谁呢？小说家、非虚构作者、新闻作者、诗人都算。 Novelists: Jonathan Franzen, for “Strong Motion,” and Kate Atkinson for the Jackson Brodie novels, which are marvels of plot. Nonfiction: Rick Perlstein, particularly for “Nixonland”; Abigail Thomas; and Mary Karr. Journalists: Laura Miller. But I also get a kick out of The Filthy Critic, and Hondo, in The New York Post. 答：小说家里我最喜欢乔纳森o弗兰岑(Jonathan Franzen)，我喜欢他的《强地面运动》(Strong Motion)，还有凯特o阿特金森(Kate Atkinson)，我喜欢她的杰克逊o布罗迪(Jackson Brodie)系列小说，情节让人惊讶。非虚构类里我最喜欢里克o珀尔斯坦(Rick Perlstein)，特别是他的《尼克松国》(Nixonland)，另外还有阿比盖尔o托马斯(Abigail Thomas)和玛丽o卡尔(Mary Karr)。新闻作者里我最喜欢劳拉o米勒(Laura Miller)。但我也喜欢看《肮脏评论家》(The Filthy Critic)和《纽约邮报》(The New York Post)上Hondo的专栏。 What genres do you especially enjoy reading? And which do you avoid? 问：你自己最喜欢读什么类型的书，完全不读什么类型的书？
I love mysteries and suspense most of all. I read some horror/supernatural stories, but not as many as people might think. I like straight novels if the subject looks interesting. Questions like this disconcert me, because I’m sort of an omnivore, apt to go from the latest John Sandford to D. H. Lawrence to Cormac McCarthy. I don’t have much interest in “relationship” novels or romance. I’ve never read Jane Austen. I do not say this with either pride or shame (or prejudice, for that matter). It’s just a fact. 答：我最喜欢神秘和悬疑类的书。我读恐怖和超自然小说，但不像人们可能会以为的那么多。我也喜欢写实的小说，只要题材有趣就行。类似这样的问题会让我有点为难，因为我是杂食动物，什么都看，从约翰o桑德福特(John Sandford)最新的书到DoHo劳伦斯(D.H. Lawrence)再到科马克o麦卡锡(Cormac McCarthy)。我对“婚恋小说”或者浪漫小说没什么兴趣。我从来没读过简o奥斯汀。这没什么可骄傲的，也没什么可丢脸的（就这件事而言，也不是什么偏见）。这只是事实而已。 Of all the genres you write in, which is the most fun? The most difficult? The most rewarding? 问：在你创作过的所有类型小说里，哪种最有趣，哪种最难，哪种最让你有成就感？ The most fun comes when you catch hold of an idea or a situation that’s simple but filled with possibility — “The Long Walk,” “Thinner” and “Cell” all come to mind. The most difficult by far (at least for me) is the novel of mystery. “Mr. Mercedes,” “Finders Keepers” and the forthcoming “The Suicide Prince” — the Hodges trilogy — were extremely difficult. I just can’t fathom how people like Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, Peter Robinson and Ruth Rendell are able to do this in book after book. The most rewarding books are the ones where the finished story almost lives up to the idea that sparked it. I felt that way about “11/22/63” and “Bag of Bones.” 答：最有趣的就是当你抓住一个点子或者一个场景，虽然简单，但充满各种可能性，比如我一下就能想起《漫长的路》(The Long Walk)、《瘦子》(Tinner)和《手机》(Cell)。到目前为止，（至少对于我来说），最难的就是神秘小说。《梅赛德斯先生》(Rr. Mercedes)和《先到先得》，还有即将出版的《自杀王子》(The Suicide Prince)——霍奇三部曲——都很难。我不能理解阿加莎o克里斯蒂(Agatha Christie)、多萝西o塞耶斯(Dorothy Sayers)、彼得o罗宾森(Peter Robinson)和鲁斯o伦德尔(Ruth Rendell)这样的人是怎么能做到一本接着一本写书的。最让我有成就感的是能够栩栩如生地反映出最初点子的那些书，比如《11/22/63》和《尸骨袋》(Bag of Bones)。 You’ve written a number of novellas over the years. What’s the attraction of the form? And what novellas in particular do you especially admire? 问：多年来你写过不少中篇小说，这种形式的迷人之处在哪里？你自己最喜欢哪些中篇小说？ I never in my life set out to write a novella. They are usually short stories that “just growed.” So the form has no particular attraction. To the contrary, they’re too big to be small and too small to be big. I can’t think of a single novella I love, although there are plenty of great short novels, like “Of Mice and Men,” “The Postman Always Rings Twice” and “Flowers for Algernon.” 答：我这辈子从来没故意写过中篇小说。一般都是短篇小说“就这么生长起来”。所以这种形式没什么特别的迷人之处。相反，它们太长，不够短，或者说太短，不够长。我想不出有什么特别喜欢的中篇小说，不过有些伟大的短篇小说我特别喜欢，比如《人鼠之间》(Of Mice and Men)、《邮差只按两次铃》(The Postman Always Rings Twice)和《献给阿尔吉侬的花束》(Flowers for Algernon)。 Music has been a big part of your life and infused your work. Do you have favorite books about music or books written by musicians? 问：音乐在你生活中扮演了重要角色，也贯穿在你的作品之中。你有没有什么最喜欢的音乐书，或者音乐家写的书？ “Mystery Train” and “Lipstick Traces,” by Greil Marcus; “Rednecks and Bluenecks,” by Chris Willman. 答：格雷尔o马库斯(Greil Marcus)的《神秘列车》(Mystery Train)和《口红轨迹》(Lipstick Traces)；克里斯o威尔曼(Chris Willman)的《红脖子与蓝脖子》(Rednecks and Bluenecks)。 What books might we be surprised to find on your bookshelves? 问：在你的书架上，人们会惊奇地找到什么书呢？ Hmmm. Poetry, maybe? I love Anne Sexton, Richard Wilbur, W. B. Yeats. The poetry I come back to again and again are the narrative poems of Stephen Dobyns. 答：嗯……诗歌，可能吧？我喜欢安妮o塞克斯顿(Anne Sexton)、理查德o韦伯(Richard Wilbur)、WoBo叶芝(W. B. Yeats)。我会一再重读的诗集是斯蒂芬o多比恩斯(Stephen Dobyns)的叙事诗。 Take a moment to praise a few unheralded writers. Whom should we be reading? 问：来谈谈怀才不遇的作家吧，我们应该读一读谁的书呢？ The Niceville trilogy, by Carsten Stroud. Sarah Lotz. “The Death House,” by Sarah Pinborough. “The Lie,” by Hesh Kestin (and “The Iron Will of Shoeshine Cats”). Karin Fossum. Thomas Perry. The list is endless. 答：卡斯坦o斯特罗德(Carsten Stroud)的奈斯维尔三部曲(The Niceville trilogy)。莎拉o洛兹(Sarah Lotz)。莎拉o平波罗(Sarah Pinborough)的《死亡屋》(The Death House)。赫什o科斯汀(Hesh Kestin)的《谎言》(The Lie)和《擦鞋猫的钢铁意志》(The Iron Will of Shoeshine Cats)。卡琳o弗萨姆(Karin Fossum)、托马斯o佩里(Thomas Perry)。这个名单还可以一直列下去。 Do you enjoy fiction in translation? Stories from particular corners of the world? 问：你喜欢翻译过来的小说吗，喜欢哪个特定国家的小说吗？ I actually avoid novels in translation when I can, because I always have the feeling that the author is being filtered through another mind. I read “Nana” last year, and swapped back and forth between two translations. They were quite different — not in the plot, which is simple, but in the mode of expression. That said, I read Pierre Lemaitre, a really excellent suspense novelist, and the aforementioned Karin Fossum. And of course the wonderful John Ajvide Lindqvist. I also enjoyed Stieg Larsson, wooden prose and all. 答：我一般尽量避免翻译过来的小说，因为我总觉得在翻译小说里，作家的想法被另一个人过滤了。我去年读了《娜娜》(Nana)，翻来覆去地对比两种译本，它们很不一样——不是情节，情节很简单，而是表达的模式。我也读皮耶o勒梅特尔(Pierre Lemaitre)，他确实是个很棒的悬疑小说家，还有前面提到的卡琳o弗萨姆。当然还有约翰o阿耶维德o林奇威斯特(John Ajvide Lindgvist)。我也喜欢斯蒂格o拉森(Stieg Larsson)，那种平淡的叙事风格，等等。 What kind of reader were you as a child? Your favorite book? Most beloved character? 问：你小时候喜欢读什么书，最喜欢什么书，最喜欢的角色呢？ Oh my God, I read everything from Nancy Drew to “Psycho.” My favorite was “The Shrinking Man,” by Richard Matheson — I was 8 when I found that. I also loved comic books, and my favorite characters (I can’t remember any I’d call “beloved”) were Plastic Man and his clueless sidekick, Woozy Winks. 答：天哪，我什么都读，从南希o德鲁(Nancy Drew)到《惊魂记》(Psycho)。我最喜欢的书是理查德o马瑟森(Richard Matheson)的《畏缩的男人》(The Shrinking Man)，我那年才8岁。我也喜欢漫画，我最爱的人物么（“喜欢”过的已经说不过来了）是塑料人(Plastic Man)和他那个笨笨的助手伍兹o温克斯(Woozy Winks)。 Of the books you’ve written, which is your favorite or the most personally meaningful? 问：你自己写的书里，你最喜欢的或者对你来说最有意义的是哪一本呢？ id="medium-rectangle-ad-3" "mid4 “Lisey’s Story.” I’ve always felt that marriage creates its own secret world, and only in a long marriage can two people at least approach real knowledge of each other. I wanted to write about that, and felt that I actually got close to what I really wanted to say. I also still like “Misery,” because Annie Wilkes was such a fun character to write about. She took on a life of her own. 答：《丽赛的故事》(Lisey’s Story)，我一直都觉得婚姻会创造它自己的秘密世界，只有经历了一段漫长的婚姻，两个人才能真正了解彼此。我想写关于这种事的东西，我觉得自己最终接近了想表达的东西。我也喜欢《头号书迷》(Misery)，因为安妮o韦科斯(Annie Wilkes)是个很有意思的人物，她有了自己的生命。 If you could pick your next book to be turned into a movie or TV series, which would it be and why? 问：如果你能选择自己下一部被改编为电影或电视剧的小说，你会选哪一本呢，为什么？ The three novels about retired detective Bill Hodges are slated to become a TV series, and I really hope that happens. I like the camaraderie between Bill and his friends. 答：关于退休侦探比尔o霍奇斯的三部曲小说就要被改编成电视剧了，我真的很期待。我喜欢比尔和他的朋友们之间的同志情谊。 If you could require the president to read one book, what would it be? 问：如果你推荐总统读一本书，那你会推荐哪一本呢？ Everybody has a suggestion for that guy. Let him read whatever he wants. 答：所有人都给那家伙出主意，让他爱看什么书就看什么书吧。 You’re hosting a literary dinner party. Which three writers are invited? 问：如果你主持一个文学晚宴派对，会请哪三位作家呢？ 'Emile Zola, Thomas Hardy and Flannery O’Connor. That would be fun. 答：爱弥尔o左拉('Emile Zola)、托马斯o哈代(Thomas Hardy)和弗兰纳里o奥康纳(Flannery O’Connor)。肯定很有意思。 Disappointing, overrated, just not good: What book did you feel you were supposed to like, and didn’t? Do you remember the last book you put down without finishing? 问：令人失望、过分宣传，不怎么好：有没有什么书是你觉得你本应该喜欢，结果却不喜欢的，你记得上一次自己没读完就放弃的书吗？ “Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell” was kind of a letdown after all the critical hype — a bit of a slog. Probably that was just me. I really can’t remember the last one I put down. 答：《乔纳森o斯特兰奇与诺瑞尔先生》(Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell)受到很多好评，但却让人失望——有点用力过猛了。可能是我的问题。我不记得上一次没读完的书是什么了。 What book hasn’t been written that you’d like to read? 问：有没有什么书是你想读，但却还没能写出来的？ Don’t know. 答：不知道。 Whom would you want to write your life story? 问：你希望让谁来写你的传记？ Dave Barry, of course. 答：戴夫o巴里(Dave Barry)，当然啦。 What books do you find yourself returning to again and again? 问：有没有什么书是你会一再重读的？ I keep coming back to “The Hair of Harold Roux,” by Thomas Williams. But really, there’s so much to read that I just keep forging ahead. 答：我经常重读托马斯o威廉姆斯(Thomas Williams)的《哈罗德o卢克斯的头发》(The Hair of Harold Roux)。不过其实有那么多可看的书，我得一直往前赶。 What books are you embarrassed not to have read yet? 问：有没有什么书你至今没读过，让你觉得尴尬？ “Remembrance of Things Past,” Faulkner’s “Requiem for a Nun” and a dozen novels by Jim Thompson. 答：《追忆似水年华》(Remembrance of Things Past)、福克纳(Faulkner)的《修女安魂曲》(Requiem for a Nun)，还有吉姆o汤普森(Jim Thompson)的十几本小说。 What do you plan to read next? 问：你接下来要读什么？ “Wayfaring Stranger,” by James Lee Burke. He’s a gorgeous prose stylist. Nearly in his 80s now, I think, and as good as he ever was. Such a thing gives hope to those of us who are getting on in years. 答：詹姆斯o李o伯克(James Lee Burke)的《徒步的怪人》(Wayfaring Stranger)。他是个优秀的散文问题家。他现在好像有80多岁了，还是那么棒。我们也在上年纪，这种事给了我们希望。 本文最初发表于2015年6月7日。 翻译：董楠 |
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