“我们将成为后世的歌题”--卡夫卡与奥德修斯

“We will live in song”:Kafka and Odysseus

包括荷马史诗在内的西方古典文本是卡夫卡中学时期重要的学习对象,在卡夫卡以写作探索自我的旅途中,留下了只有通过《奥德赛》及奥德修斯才能被理解的印记,而通过对这些印记的反向追踪,卡夫卡的文学事业及西方文学古今关系能得到更具体深入的理解。卡夫卡三次写到塞壬。他从荷马那里知道,塞壬及其歌声既是奥德修斯所遭遇的最大诱惑,也是交织了谎言与真实的文学本身的寓言。与荷马笔下的人物一样,卡夫卡为自己找到的“更深的存在理由”,是一个“文学理由”,即生活的苦难与受苦,需要被转化成为“后世的歌题”。

Western classics,including Homer’s epics,were Kafka’s important learning materials during his middle-school period.In Kafka’s journey of exploring himself through writing,he left traces that could only be interpreted through Odyssey and the figure Odysseus.By tracing these imprints backward,we may have a more specific and in-depth understanding of Kafka’s literary career and the relationship between ancient and modern western literature.Kafka once mentioned Siren three times in his works.From Homer,he learned Siren and his song was the severest temptation to Odysseus,and also the allegory mingling with lies and truth.Like the characters in Homer’s works,the“deeper reason for existence”that Kafka found himself is a“literary reason”,namely the misfortune and suffering of life,which are needed to be transformed into“song for the future generations”.