Lady Windermere's Fan《读书笔记》

王尔德的名剧。看王尔德的原著很过瘾，妙语连珠，令人目不暇接，让我有相见恨晚之感。当代英国剧作家汤姆·斯托帕(Tom Stoppard)被称为王尔德的传人，但在轻松、睿智和对英语的运用上还是不及王尔德（当然，斯托帕在思想性上又远胜王尔德），无怪乎博尔赫斯称王尔德“千年一人”。我当初译斯托帕时，就应该看看王尔德。

摘录：

Ah nowadays we are all of us so hard up that the only pleasant things to pay ARE compliments.

I can resist everything except temptation.

Why there are lots of people who say I have never really done anything wrong in the whole course of my life. Of course they only say it behind my back.

We have just had tea at Lady Markby's. Such bad tea too. It was quite undrinkable. I wasn't at all surprised. Her own son-in-law supplies it.

Crying is the refuge of plain women but the ruin of pretty ones.

It's most dangerous nowadays for a husband to pay any attention to his wife in public. It always makes people think that he beats her when they're alone.

I am the only person in the world I should like to know thoroughly; but I don't see any chance of it just at present.

Between men and women there is no friendship possible. There is passion enmity worship love but no friendship.

We make gods of men and they leave us. Others make brutes of them and they fawn and are faithful.

My own business always bores me to death. I prefer other people's.

Wicked women bother one. Good women bore one. That is the only difference between them.

You've lost your figure and you've lost your character. Don't lose your temper; you have only got one.

A man who moralises is usually a hypocrite and a woman who moralises is invariably plain.

Good heavens! how marriage ruins a man! It's as demoralising as cigarettes and far more expensive.

We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at the stars.

In this world there are only two tragedies. One is not getting what one wants and the other is getting it.

What is a cynic? A man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.

And a sentimentalist is a man who sees an absurd value in everything and doesn't know the market price of any single thing.

Experience is the name every one gives to their mistakes.

But I like talking to a brick wall - it's the only thing in the world that never contradicts me!

What a pity that in life we only get our lessons when they are of no use to us.

Actions are the first tragedy in life words are the second.

Ideals are dangerous things. Realities are better. They wound but they're better.