白老虎

出版时间：2009.03.05  出版社：商周出版  作者：亞拉文·雅迪嘉,Aravind Adiga  页数：288  
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内容概要

　  ◆英語文壇最高榮耀曼布克獎得獎作！　  ◆榮登泰晤士報、紐約時報暢銷排行榜、亞馬遜網路書店2008年度之最！　  ◆曼布克獎評審主席讚譽：藉由獨一無二的原創性脫穎而出，各方面都堪稱無懈可擊！　  他是僕役、哲學家、企業家、殺人兇手、溫家寶的「企業家精神」導師，他是「白老虎」……　  我是值得信賴的忠僕，開車、服侍主人、對主人做的勾當視而不見，　  直到那一只裝滿現金的紅袋子出現在車後座……　  我割了主人的喉嚨，卻依然逍遙法外，還一夕致富，　  沒人能逮住我，因為我是白老虎。　  巴蘭．哈外是個說故事高手，在一盞華麗水晶燈下，他花了七個晚上對中國總理溫家寶講述自己的人生故事……　  巴蘭出生在印度中心的小村莊，雖然來自最低種姓人家，卻是全村最聰明的孩子；家人為了生計卻讓他退學去茶館工作。他在敲木炭和擦桌子時幻想著逃跑，希望擺脫黑暗、貧窮、沒有明天的農村生活。　  直到一個有錢地主雇他為司機，巴蘭的機會來了。他在本田汽車的方向盤後面第一次看到德里，看見跟他一樣身分低下的僕人與腰纏萬貫的主人在大都市裡積極鑽營權力、財富與酒色。在蟑螂、水牛、客服中心、妓女、三千六百萬零四個神、貧民窟和購物中心之間，巴蘭的人生教育就此展開。　  他想要當一個忠僕，卻又壓抑不了過好生活的慾望；他學到了新印度最重要的新道德，開始策劃老虎該如何掙脫牢籠：每一個成功人士在往上爬的路上，總要流一點血吧？　  故事詼諧、緊湊，敘事獨特，扣人心弦。沒有莎麗、瑜伽、塔不拉鼓，卻有對經濟新興國印度精確露骨的觀察。從黑暗的村莊生活到光明的企業成功，巴蘭的旅程完全沒有道德，精采得肆無忌憚，令人難忘且愛不釋手。

作者简介

亞拉文·雅迪嘉 Aravind Adiga
一九七四年生於馬德拉斯（Madras），曾居住過印度、澳洲、美國及英國，目前住在孟買。先後在哥倫比亞大學和牛津大學深造。曾擔任《時代》雜誌駐印度特派員。
在紐約擔任金融特派記者期間，曾經訪問過唐納‧川普。後來擔任《時代》雜誌駐印度特派員，走訪印度、巴基斯坦、斯里蘭卡、尼泊爾、孟加拉，各國總理都是他的採訪對象。其報導與評論可見於《金融時報》與《時代》雜誌。
《白老虎》是他的處女作。

用户评论 (总计4条)

•   　　作者通过风趣的写法辛酸讽刺了印度当代社会民主的可笑，丰富的细节让人有更加深入思考的冲动。富人与穷人之间的巨大差异让人汗颜。用一个“鸡笼”的比喻形象的说出了印度大多数穷人所处困境，通过主人公的种种心境还描绘出人们还极力维护这个“鸡笼”的存在那种茫然无知的心态。作者估计是迫切的希望印度人们能够冲出“鸡笼”。真正的掌握自己手里的民主。或许是小说有些夸张的，印度社会可能没有那么黑暗，富人撞死人可以找司机顶罪，可以直接行贿部级官员，个人的选举权可以买卖，富人和穷人各种巨大差异等等或许都有些夸张，但是这些能燃起人们心中那种抵抗奴性、为自己人生奋斗的勇气。不失为一部极好的小说。 同时中国存在的问题和印度比也有很多相似之处，中国也不能盲目自信，冲破传统的牢笼才是关键。 就是没想明白为什么是写给温家宝的信？
•   　　This is first book I ever read about India, which recommended by a financial theory professor. But I don't think he implies us to follow the strategy of Balram to become an "entrepreneur" by murdering his master, taking possession of his money which supposed to bribe some politicians, and then fled to Bangalore to start a brand new life and "entreprise" with the black money. It's not a simple story about homicide or how to turn a destitute servant to a successful millionaire. It reflects a rife corruption thoroughly rotted in the hierarchy and the servitude among the majority of substratum.
  　　　　
  　　Referring to India I can only be reminded of Gandhi, Buddha, Caste system , Bollywood ,pilaf, slums, teenage whores and recently added ,rapist. I also know Indians once was a colony of European empires. This novel digs a pit and allows me to peek inside this mysterious nation , and the bottom seems too dark.
  　　　　
  　　I am so astonished by the ever existing Caste system dated from hundred or thousand years ago, still playing a significant role in modern India. This is unimaginable. Employees, or servants are judged by their family names which indicate their ancestral occupation. Names from high ranks win more respect and better impression compared to those from low ranks, even though they are from same slum. Hierarchy is favored by landlords, officials, politicians any one from the upper class , forming an invisible siege within which poors are trapped and restrained and can only struggle in the mud till submerged silently underneath the marsh.
  　　　　
  　　Masters shows no mercy to their servants, treating them no differently from the animals in the fields , or as the Nepali guard warned Balram-- The two pet dogs are more expensive than him. A chauffeur serves anything requested by his lord when he's free and resting in his lord's compound. Ranging from cooking, feeding pets, cleaning house, feet massage. Any order given by his master will be executed with loyalty and humble obedience. While all of these work are took for granted without any gratitude and poorly paid.
  　　　　
  　　Somehow I feel a little bit relief and proud to say ,there's a country I know more corrupted than China, unlucky Indians.Anything can be solved with money and bribery. The common phenomenon rotted in the culture evolves everybody in corruption: police, doctors, landlords, politicians,ministers, president, more sarcastically, servants .It can be found in a vacant position in a public hospital, votes for election, income tax dodging, crime cover-ups. Everybody hates the rule but follows it tacitly.
  　　　　
  　　Servitude accounts partially for the poors' misery. Balram describes those drivers who kill time with "Murder Week" magazine and obsessed in the imagination to slit their master's throat and fuck their wivies, are the most loyal servants. They are sort of proud of their loyalty. Their high sense of self-consciousness immune them to humiliation. " We don't have balls otherwise we will rule the country." quoted by the vitiligo-lips driver. Nonetheless, there still some men with balls tried to fight back and claimed for their right as a human being. Were their voices too feeble to be heard? Were their fight not outstanding? No. It's such a waste of sacrifice for they being tortured by the police or guards to death while their fellowmen standing by in numb . Let's hope they will learn more than despair from the bloody revolts. Take actions, to live as a man.
  　　　　
  　　How important is a family to an Indian? Every month Balram sends his salary back home and only keeps a small saving for his daily expense. Granny assumes full control over family's finance and affairs. Her undoubted supremacy is responded to family members' absolute submissiveness, whilst complaints and grievance are overpowered by family value . Money as Granny's predominant value and standard, collected from her sons/grandsons and distributed to feed every member of the family. The over-sized families squeeze in a shabby room where they eat, fight , fuck, and deliver babies. All the open mouths need to be fed especially hordes of children. The burden falls onto Balram, Kishan or any paid labors who occupied in backbreaking work as rickshaw puller, "human spider" in tea shop and driver. They work hard and harder all year long but all the income flows into Granny Kushum to support family. It's still not enough. Marriage can be a palliative for groom's family by screwing the bride's family out ,adding fortunes and dowry to men's property. Soon bundles of babies will be born and consequently aggravate family's poverty. Children are discouraged to attend school and forced to do whatever they can to make a living. The deprivation of early education result in considerable illiterate population, who can only undertake physical work and earn a low wage.
  　　The edifice of family value restrains every body inside from defection. Especially for Balram. He's the main financial source to keep his big family alive, thus Granny will never allow let him slip away. She sends mails to him to strengthen his sense of responsibility based on family relation by complaining how long he hasn't send money back home. He ignores it .As a final resort, Granny sends Dharem -- one of boys of one of Balram's aunties who he never heard of -- to his side , and requests Balram to treat him like his own son as a punishment for his disobedience. In the middle of family value and self benefit, he choose the latter by murdering his master Mr Ashok and running away with his money while leaving his whole family at home in danger. Only in this way can he find they way out, to future.
  　　"Family is a good thing" , is it really a good thing? Don't let the superficial merits blind our eyes.
  　　　　
  　　Funny enough, the book was dictated for the His Excellency- Prime Minister Wen Jiabao. I don't think he even heard of this book nor read it. Why did Balram choose Wen to tell his story, not anybody else ? I guess as developing countries, India and China share some similarities and face common problems. Urbanization and GDP at expense of environment. Beneath the dazzling city there live millions of impoverished people struggling to make ends meet. The enlarged polarity between the rich and poor hold back young generation from dreaming. They are too desperate to resist the destined injustice. Their fate is doomed, more pathetically ,they are accustomed to it and unwilling to make a change, nor allow their fellowmen to make any change. We may find the similar demerits shared by our people. As for the "entrepreneur", "don't we have to kill someone or many in order to success?" Balram asked Wen. Sure he did, probably numerous I guess. There's no difference between politician and "entrepreneur", you know, Wen's son is engaged in real estate no wonder the house price can never drop. I bet this bastard earned a lot with his father's background.
  　　　　
  　　Anyway I think I talk too much irrelevant to the plot. This is an excellent book to know something about Indians. There are many other topics inside worth discussing. Though we may enjoy superiority ahead of Indians ,we shall never underestimate this sleeping white tiger. I believe one thing can save this country from falling into the abyss---education. Just as Balram pointed out in the end. Someday he will open a school to impose the sense of freedom and democracy to every child and get them up to be their own masters. "They are looking for the keys ,but the doors are already open" . We shall keep an eye on our neighbor.
•   　　 10多年前去过印度，印象里是一边是混乱肮脏的马路，一边是安静美丽的校园，以及一些是如马路一样脏乱但安于生活的人和一些在漂亮房子里光鲜而富有活力的人。贫富差异对印度是与中国一样不能回避的问题，但或许是种姓制度、或许是宗教的信仰缓释了一定的压力，似乎矛盾没有中国这样的尖锐，可能因为我们不在局中。
  　　 龙象之争是近些年来不能回避的一个话题，我们伟大祖国确有让同为金砖国的邻居羡慕的地方，我们大抵也都会喜欢在别人的问题里找到安慰。但印度的高等教育、印度在外交中的两面玲珑、印度的民主却实在是我们需要仰视的。
  　　 一直有兴趣我们的温总理假设真的会读完这些名义写给他的信会有何反应，可能永远不会，因为我们自己有太多黑暗丛林里的白老虎“企业家”更需要温总理去操心的。
•   　　叢林中唯一變異的稀有肉食性動物，是白老虎。
  　　也就是這本「白老虎」所影射的主角、自己。單單只有掠食的兇猛本性是不夠的，要比本性更兇狠，才能夠越過印度社會的不公階級與吃人世俗。
  　　
  　　作者阿拉文德·阿迪加運用的筆法和「Q&A」的維卡斯·史瓦盧普一樣都是稍微有點戲謔取笑的方式來描述故事，也同樣地逐漸帶領閱讀者體會他們輕鬆言語下的弦外之音，不同的是阿拉文德·阿迪加的弦外之音聽起來更沉重陰暗。維卡斯·史瓦盧普總不忘留給他的主角一點光明，也還是在憤慨中帶有一絲悲天憫人的溫暖，
  　　但是阿拉文德·阿迪加完全沒有這些東西，他的幽默是某種無可奈何讓人發洩不了鬱悶的苦笑，他的嘲諷更像是直擊人心深處的吶喊，他以輕鬆詼諧的態度敘述著印度種姓社會的不公，又以荒謬真實的形容讓讀者很快地就能理解雞籠裡論而無法不為之嘆息，駁斥了行獨裁之實的民主神話，戳穿了空虛的金磚經濟。
  　　在這樣的印度裡，除了原本的既得利益者之外，沒有低下種姓階層見縫插針的機會，社會呈現垂直分工體態，正如同所謂的上品無寒門，下品無世家。
  　　書中的主角如願地當上了穿著制服的僕人衣錦還鄉，但他確發現即使如此，也不過是下者之上，高級奴才罷了。而他服侍的主人雖然如他自己承認的是比其他人還要溫柔體貼下人，但他畢竟還是地主，還是少數的既得利益者，本質的上與下心態是不會改變的。
  　　就算努力也不能改變一切，這才是最大的悲哀，所以；他成了白老虎。在印度殘酷叢林法則及鐵箍般堅固的世俗規條中突變的猛獸，擁有的力量是習慣養尊處優的貴族無法相比的。
  　　令人訝異的是；我沒有能夠譴責主角不義之行的理由，而他也從不做辯解和掩飾，因為他深信在印度能翻身的辦法除此之外少有其他，這不是對的，卻無法說是錯的，而我發現我除了能夠選擇相信他所深信的以外，也找不出更好的方法了。
  　　
  　　真要說的話，我反而覺得；一個孕育出白老虎的世界，一個非得成為白老虎才可以成功的世界，恐怖罪惡得多了。