遠藤周作的《沈默》:天主教教難中,神為何不說話? Shūsaku Endō's Silence

遠藤周作的《沈默》:天主教教難中,神為何不說話? Shūsaku Endō's Silence

● 字源與歷史概念

**martyr(殉道者)**來自希臘文 martys(見證人),殉道者是「用生命作見證的人」。**apostasy(叛教)**來自希臘文 apostasia(背離、叛變),字根是 apo-(離開)加 histanai(站立),字面意思是「站到一邊去」。**Jesuit(耶穌會士)**來自 Jesus 加 -ite,指「耶穌會(Society of Jesus)的成員」。**missionary(傳教士)**來自拉丁文 missio(派遣),字根 mittere(送出)。**persecute(迫害)**來自拉丁文 persequi(追趕、追捕)。**betray(出賣)**來自拉丁文 tradere(交出),與 tradition(傳統)、traitor(叛徒)同源。**silence(沉默)**來自拉丁文 silēre(安靜)。

日文詞彙:

**踏み絵(fumi-e):**官府讓信徒踏踩的聖像板,以此測驗是否放棄信仰。

**キリシタン(Kirishitan):**源自葡萄牙文 cristão(基督徒),指日本戰國至江戶初期的天主教徒。

**隱れキリシタン(隱藏的基督徒):**禁教後祕密保持信仰的人。

背景:日本在十六世紀中期由耶穌會傳入天主教,後來德川幕府強力禁教,1637–38 年的島原之亂之後更為嚴厲。《沈默》(1966)以這段時期為背景。遠藤周作(1923–1996)是日本天主教作家,他在童年受洗,這份信仰與日本文化之間的落差,是他創作的主要動力。

同源與核心詞彙:martyr(殉道者)、apostasy(叛教)、persecution(迫害)、betray(出賣)、missionary(傳教士)、fumi-e(踏繪)

● 全新例句(127 字長句)

Far from the triumphant tale of martyrdom that its opening seems to promise, Shūsaku Endō's Silence, written in 1966 by a Japanese Catholic who had been baptised as a child and felt ill at ease in a faith that came from Europe, sends a young Portuguese priest, Rodrigues, to Japan to learn the truth about his teacher Ferreira, rumoured to have renounced the faith under torture, with the shogunate hunting missionaries, peasants hiding their crosses, and the weak Kichijiro ready to betray him again and again, until, forced to choose between treading on an image of Christ and hearing others suffer in the pit, he steps on it, and does so, he comes to believe, at the bidding of the very God whose silence had tormented him.

● 排列為比較容易閱讀的方式

Far from the triumphant tale of martyrdom

　that its opening seems to promise,

Shūsaku Endō's Silence,

　written in 1966

　by a Japanese Catholic

　　who had been baptised as a child

　　and felt ill at ease in a faith

　　　that came from Europe,

sends a young Portuguese priest, Rodrigues, to Japan

　to learn the truth about his teacher Ferreira,

　　rumoured to have renounced the faith under torture,

with the shogunate hunting missionaries,

　peasants hiding their crosses,

　and the weak Kichijiro ready to betray him again and again,

until,

　forced to choose

　　between treading on an image of Christ

　　and hearing others suffer in the pit,

he steps on it,

and does so,

　he comes to believe,

　at the bidding of the very God

　　whose silence had tormented him.

● 分解為原初的短小句

The novel is far from the triumphant tale of martyrdom.

(Far from 片語的還原。)

The opening of the novel seems to promise a triumphant tale of martyrdom.

(that 子句的還原。)

A Japanese Catholic wrote the novel in 1966.

(過去分詞構句的還原。)

The Japanese Catholic had been baptised as a child.

(who 子句的第一個動詞。)

The Japanese Catholic felt ill at ease in a faith.

(who 子句的第二個動詞。)

The faith came from Europe.

(that 子句的還原。)

The novel sends a young Portuguese priest, Rodrigues, to Japan.

(全句主幹。)

Rodrigues wants to learn the truth about his teacher Ferreira.

(不定詞表目的的還原。)

It was rumoured that Ferreira had renounced the faith under torture.

(rumoured to have p.p. 的還原;rumour 多用被動或虛主詞 it。)

The shogunate hunts missionaries.

(with 附帶狀況,第一項。)

Peasants hide their crosses.

(第二項。)

The weak Kichijiro is ready to betray Rodrigues again and again.

(第三項,形容詞片語。)

Rodrigues is forced to choose between treading on an image of Christ and hearing others suffer in the pit.

(被迫選擇的還原。)

Rodrigues steps on the image.

(until 子句的主句。)

Rodrigues comes to believe this.

(插入語的還原。)

Rodrigues does so at the bidding of the very God.

(and does so 的還原。)

The silence of God had tormented Rodrigues.

(whose 子句的還原。)

● 全新文法解析

1. Far from + 名詞片語,加過去分詞構句與 who 子句

句型:Far from + 名詞, + 主詞, + 過去分詞 + by + 人, + who + had p.p. + and + 過去式, + 動詞

作用:Far from 在這裡是介系詞片語,意思是「完全不是、遠非」,放句首以反轉讀者預期。主詞 Silence 後面接 written in 1966 by... 這個過去分詞片語,再接 who 子句,內含 had been baptised(過去完成)與 felt ill at ease(過去式)兩個動詞,時間次序不同:受洗在先,感到不自在在後。

關鍵詞彙:far from(絕非)、triumphant(凱旋的)、baptise(施洗)、ill at ease(不自在)

2. 動詞加同位語加不定詞,內含 rumoured to have p.p. 插入

句型:sends + 受詞, + 同位語, + to + 地點 + to + 原形 + 受詞, + 過去分詞 + to have p.p.

作用:sends A to B to V 有兩個 to,第一個是方向,第二個是目的。rumoured to have renounced 是完成式不定詞,表示謠言所指的事發生在更早的時候。這個片語修飾 Ferreira,是過去分詞片語,相當於 who was rumoured to have...。

關鍵詞彙:send...to(派往)、learn the truth about(查明……的真相)、renounce(放棄)、torture(酷刑)

3. with + 名詞 + 分詞或形容詞(with 附帶狀況,三項並列)

句型:with + 名詞1 + V-ing, + 名詞2 + V-ing, + and + 名詞3 + 形容詞片語

作用:with + 名詞 + 補語,構成附帶狀況(with-absolute),說明主句動作發生時的背景。這裡三項並列,前兩項補語是現在分詞(hunting、hiding),第三項是形容詞片語(ready to betray)。補語的形式可以不同,但每個名詞與它的補語之間必須有主謂關係。

關鍵詞彙:shogunate(幕府)、hunt(獵捕)、betray(出賣)、again and again(一再)

4. until 子句內含過去分詞構句插入與 choose between A and B(動名詞)

句型:until, + 過去分詞 + to + 原形 + between + V-ing + and + V-ing, + 主詞 + 動詞

作用:until 後立刻插入分詞構句 forced to choose...,把「被迫」的條件放在主句前面,製造懸念。between 後面兩個動名詞並列(treading、hearing),表示兩種選擇。

關鍵詞彙:force(迫使)、choose between A and B(在 A 與 B 之間選擇)、tread on(踩踏)、pit(坑)

5. does so 代動詞,加插入語 he comes to believe,加 whose 子句(過去完成)

句型:and does so, + he comes to believe, + at the bidding of + 名詞 + whose + 名詞 + had p.p.

作用:does so 代替前面的 steps on it,避免重複。he comes to believe 是插入語,表示這是主角後來的信念,不是客觀事實。the very 加強語氣,「正是那位」。whose silence had tormented him 使用過去完成式,說明折磨發生在他踏下去之前。

關鍵詞彙:do so(這樣做)、at the bidding of(依……的命令)、the very(正是)、torment(折磨)

● 參考翻譯

遠藤周作的《沈默》(1966)出自一位童年受洗、卻對這個來自歐洲的信仰感到不自在的日本天主教徒之手,它遠非開頭看似預告的那種凱旋殉道故事:小說派一位年輕的葡萄牙神父羅德里哥前往日本,查明老師費雷拉的真相(傳聞他在酷刑下棄了教)。當時幕府正搜捕傳教士,農民把十字架藏起來,軟弱的吉次郎又隨時準備一再出賣他,直到羅德里哥被迫在踩踏基督聖像與聽著他人在坑中受苦之間做選擇,他踩了下去,並逐漸相信,自己這麼做,是遵從那位以沉默折磨他的上帝的吩咐。

● 逆向工程(請嘗試不看原文,還原長句)

The novel is far from the triumphant tale of martyrdom.

The opening of the novel seems to promise a triumphant tale of martyrdom.

A Japanese Catholic wrote the novel in 1966.

The Japanese Catholic had been baptised as a child.

The Japanese Catholic felt ill at ease in a faith.

The faith came from Europe.

The novel sends a young Portuguese priest, Rodrigues, to Japan.

Rodrigues wants to learn the truth about his teacher Ferreira.

It was rumoured that Ferreira had renounced the faith under torture.

The shogunate hunts missionaries.

Peasants hide their crosses.

The weak Kichijiro is ready to betray Rodrigues again and again.

Rodrigues is forced to choose between treading on an image of Christ and hearing others suffer in the pit.

Rodrigues steps on the image.

Rodrigues comes to believe this.

Rodrigues does so at the bidding of the very God.

The silence of God had tormented Rodrigues.

對照完整句子:見上方「全新例句」。

**補充說明:**全句已用程式逐字核算為 127 字。本篇句型與前面各篇不重複:Far from 句首加過去分詞加 who 過去完成、不定詞加 rumoured to have p.p.、with 附帶狀況三項並列、until 內插分詞構句、does so 代動詞加 he comes to believe 插入加 whose 子句。

後記

**「遠非凱旋殉道故事」:**小說開頭是以書信體,敘述年輕神父的熱情與使命感,讀者可能期待英雄式殉道,但結局是主角叛教。

**作者受洗:**遠藤周作在十一歲左右受洗,是受母親影響。句中只寫 baptised as a child,沒有寫具體年齡。他曾說西方天主教像一件不合身的西服,他要把它改成適合日本人的衣服,這個比喻我憑記憶,請核對。

**費雷拉(Ferreira):**費雷拉是歷史上真有其人的耶穌會士,1633 年左右在酷刑下棄教,後來取日本名。小說中的羅德里哥是虛構角色,一般認為他的原型是歷史上同樣棄教的神父朱塞佩·基亞拉(Giuseppe Chiara)。

**「酷刑」與「坑」:**書中的酷刑包括穴吊(anazuri),把人倒吊在坑裡。句中 the pit 是概括,具體細節請對照原書。

**吉次郎(Kichijiro):**他多次背叛又多次懇求赦免,是軟弱人性的象徵。句中 again and again 是概括。

**「聽見他人受苦」:**羅德里哥踩下聖像,是因為聽到被吊在坑中的信徒的呻吟,而他的叛教可以讓他們獲釋。句中用 hearing others suffer in the pit 概括了這個情節。

**基督的聲音:**在踩踏之際,小說寫到聖像上的基督說「踩吧,我生來就是為了被你們踩的」。句中用 at the bidding of the very God whose silence had tormented him,是詮釋,不是原文引用。這個結局的解讀有很大爭議:有人說是真實的基督之聲,有人說是主角的內心投射,也有人認為這是信仰的深化還是背叛,神學上有不同立場。

**日本教會的反應:**小說出版後引起日本天主教界的爭論,部分人認為內容褻瀆信仰,也有人視為深刻的信仰書寫。

**歷史背景:**禁教與島原之亂(1637–38)的細節請以歷史著作核對,這部分正文只用了「幕府追捕傳教士」與「農民藏起十字架」的概括說法。