作者: Garth Stein
頁數: 321頁
出版社:HarperCollins Publishers,2008,New York
RT- S; RV- Occ Notes only
鄰居的女士們搞了個讀書會,第一本要讀的是瑪格麗特推薦的 The Art of Racing in
the Rain, 當時想著我既不喜歡賽車也不熱愛狗狗,說不得,勉為其難讀一讀吧。誰知道開卷有益,讀讀自己以為絕不會喜歡的書其實頗有收穫,說明紐約時報的暢銷書排行榜還是比較靠譜的。
故事從一隻狗的口氣開始敘述它主人一家的故事,開篇即提到重生、前世回憶什麼的,接受起來毫無困難,只是有些奇怪男人怎麼有那麼多話給他的狗說,而好多女人抱怨她們的丈夫不和她們說話。為什麼男人不能像和他的狗傾訴一樣,和他的妻子好好傾訴呢。因為狗不會說話?
書中說,記憶有時不是件好事,to remember is to disengage from the
present, 要活在當下,完全同意。That which me
manifest is before us ——老實說我沒徹底弄懂這句的意思,還好下面有一句簡單明白的,we
are the creators of our own destiny. 命運在一定程度是是由自己造成的,你的性格和選擇決定你的結局。連主人翁狗狗
Enzo 都知道,要改變女主人 Eve 對自己的態度和他們之間的關係,自己要 「By changing my mood, my energy, I allowed Eve to regard me
diferently」.
這條哲理的喜歡賽車的狗還指出,「your car goes where your eyes go」,為了讓自我實現的預言這條難懂的哲理通俗易懂些,Enzo 給出了賽車的例子:「The driver who cannot
tear his eyes away from the wall as he spins out of control will meet that
wall; the driver who looks down the track as he feels his tires break free will
regain control of his vehicle.」 真的嗎?我可沒膽子一試。
哲理的狗有個同樣哲理的主人 Denny,他說,「No
race has ever been won in the first corner; many has been lost there」. 是說放棄就玩完,只要不放棄就還有希望?書中的Denny 是個善良又正直的男人,看多了國內「表現人性複雜層面」的小說,簡直不敢相信世上還有這麼純真正派的男人。
Denny對自己的責任有清醒的認識。他在賽場被其他賽車的錯誤牽連因而失敗了,他說是這不是其他人的責任,因為 「you need to watch the drivers around you, understand their
skill, confidence, and aggression levels, and drive with them accordingly. Know who is driving next to you. Any problems that may occur have ultimately
been caused by you, because you are
responsible for where you are and what you are doing there. 」 (原文無黑體標註)
Denny 對成敗也有自己的見解:「There is no dishonor in losing the
race. There is only dishonor in not
racing because you are afraid to lose.」
書看到一小半的時候,我理解了Enzo 和
Denny 對賽車和人生原理的比喻。人生就是賽車,各種不可預見的變數和橫逆就是雨,而生命就是在雨中賽車的藝術, 需要平衡、預見和耐心——「it is about balance. It is about anticipation and patience.」 作者還說了一通靈魂統治身體,就像賽車是車手的延伸一類的,佛教或瑜伽對此早有闡述,我們的身體只是我們靈魂的載體。好奇鄰居的女士們會怎麼看待這些「非常東方」的觀點和說法。
(完)