首頁>> 文學>> 推理侦探>> 詹姆斯·凱恩 James Mallahan Cain   美國 United States   冷戰中的美國   (1892年七月1日1977年十月27日)
郵差總敲兩次門 The Postman Always Rings Twice
  一對戀人試圖謀殺阻礙他們的丈夫,結果自然是天理循環,報應不爽。這本書初問世時,曾因作者離經叛道的思想和粗俗利落的文筆引起極大爭議。以犯罪者為第一主人公,以兇手做第一人稱敘述視角,讓讀者在感同身受中漸漸與兇手立場趨於一致……這種技巧在今天隨處可見,在當時卻着實是個創舉。作者詹姆斯•凱因是風格近似海明威的美國文學大師,他的這本代表作在蘭登書屋20世紀百大英文小說上排名第98位,甚至影響了後來因寫出《局外人》而揚名文壇的諾貝爾文學奬獲得者加謬;而由意大利著名電影導演盧奇諾•維斯康蒂(Luchino Visconti)1942年拍成其處女作,拉開了戰後意大利新現實主義電影的序幕。詹姆斯•凱因的另一部作品Double Indemnity《加倍賠償》同時名列百大榜第34位。這本已經走入名著行列的名作也算是本榜的貼金之選。


  The Postman Always Rings Twice is a 1934 crime novel by James M. Cain.
  
  The novel was quite successful and notorious upon publication, and is regarded as one of the more important crime novels of the 20th century. Fast-moving and brief (only about 100 pages long, depending on the edition), the novel's mix of sexuality and violence was startling in its time, and saw the book banned in Boston.
  
  It is also included in the Modern Library 100 Best Novels list.
  
  It has been adapted as a motion picture four times; the 1946 version is probably the best known, and is regarded as an important film noir.
  
  Plot summary
  
  The story is narrated in the first person by Frank Chambers, a young drifter who stops at a rural California diner for a meal, and ends up working there. The diner is operated by a young, beautiful woman, Cora, and her much older husband, Nick Papadakis, sometimes called "The Greek".
  
  There is an immediate attraction between Frank and Cora, and they begin a passionate affair with sadomasochistic qualities (when they first embrace, Cora commands Frank to bite her lip, and Frank does so hard enough to draw blood from Cora's lips).
  
  Cora, a femme fatale figure, is tired of her situation, married to a man she does not love, and working at a diner that she wishes to own and improve. Frank and Cora scheme to murder the Greek in order to start a new life together without Cora losing the diner.
  
  They plan on striking Nick's head and making it seem he fell and drowned in the bathtub. Cora fells Nick with a solid blow, but, due to a sudden power outage and the happenstance appearance of a policeman, the scheme is unsuccessful. Nick recovers and because of retrograde amnesia does not suspect that he narrowly avoided being killed.
  
  Still determined to kill Nick, Frank and Cora repeat the first plan, only in a car. Nick is plied with wine, then struck and killed, then the car is crashed. Both Frank and Cora are injured. The local prosecutor suspects what has actually occurred, but doesn't have enough evidence to prove it. As a tactic intended to get Cora and Frank to turn on one another, he charges only Cora with the crime of Nick's murder. They do turn against each other, with Cora insisting upon offering a full confession detailing both of their roles to ensure that she does not take the fall alone. But her lawyer tricks her into dictating that confession to a member of his own staff, which prevents her admission from reaching the prosecutor. With the prosecutor thus having failed to acquire any new evidence, he is forced to grant Cora a plea agreement, under which she is given a suspended sentence and no jail time.
  
  Frank and Cora eventually patch together their tumultuous relationship, and now plan for a future together. But as they seem to be prepared finally to live happily ever after, Cora is killed in a car accident. The book ends with Frank summarizing the events that followed, explaining that he was wrongly convicted of having murdered Cora and that the text is to be published after his execution.
  The title and explanations of its meaning
  
  The title is something of a non sequitur in that nowhere in the novel does a postman character appear, nor is one even alluded to. As such, its meaning has often been the subject of speculation by writers such as William Marling, who suggested that Cain may have taken the title from the sensational 1927 case of Ruth Snyder. Snyder was a woman who, like Cora in The Postman Always Rings Twice, had conspired with her lover to murder her husband. While it is recognized that Cain used the Snyder case as an inspiration for his 1943 novel Double Indemnity, Marling offered that it was also a model for, and the source of the title of, The Postman Always Rings Twice. In the real-life case, Snyder said she'd prevented her husband from discovering the changes she'd made to his life insurance policy by telling the postman to deliver the policy's payment notices only to her, and instructing him to ring the doorbell twice as a signal indicating he had such a delivery for her.
  
  In the preface to Double Indemnity, however, Cain gave a specific, and entirely different, explanation of the origin the title for The Postman Always Rings Twice, writing that it came from a discussion he'd had with screenwriter Vincent Lawrence. According to Cain, Lawrence spoke of the anxiety he felt when waiting for the postman to bring him news on a submitted manuscript. According to Cain, Lawrence noted that he would know when the postman had finally arrived because the postman always rang twice, and Cain then lit upon that phrase as a title for his novel. Upon discussing it further, the two men agreed such a phrase was metaphorically suited to Frank's situation at the end of the novel.
  
  With the "postman" being God, or Fate, the "delivery" meant for Frank was his own death as just retribution for murdering Nick. Frank had missed the first "ring" when he initially got away with that killing. However, the postman rang again, and this time the ring was heard, when Frank was wrongly convicted of having murdered Cora, and then sentenced to die for the crime. The theme of an inescapable fate is further underscored in the novel by The Greek's escape from death in the lovers' first murder attempt, only to be done in by their second one.
  
  In his biography of Cain, author Roy Hoopes also recounted the conversation between Cain and Lawrence that gave birth the novel's title. Hoopes's account of their conversation is similar to Cain's, but offered extended detail regarding Lawrence's comments. Specifically, in Hoopes's telling, Lawrence did not say simply that the postman always rang twice, but rather said that at times, he was so anxious awaiting the postman's delivery that he'd go into his backyard intentionally trying to avoid hearing the postman's ring. However, Lawrence continued, this tactic inevitably failed because if the postman's first ring was not noticed, he would always ring again, and, even from the backyard, that second ring would inevitably be heard.
  
  In the 1946 film adaptation of the novel, Frank explicitly explains the title in the terms offered by Hoopes's biography of Cain.
第一章
  第一章
   約在中午時分,我被人從裝運幹草的卡車上扔了下來。
   前一天夜裏,我在邊境處縱身攀上了卡車。在此之前,我已在提華納閑逛了三周,此時我已極度疲乏,一上車便躺在粗帆布下面蒙頭睡着了。我還在呼呼大睡的時候,車主們在路邊停了車,以便使引擎冷卻下來。也就是在這個時候,他們看見一隻腳從車廂裏面伸了出來,於是便把我從車上扔了下來。我做了幾個滑稽動作,可這一招一點不靈,也就衹好收場。他們毫無表情,倒是給了我一支煙。我萬般無奈,衹好徒步前行以便去找點吃的。
   我在路邊溜達着,突然,“雙橡酒館”幾個字映入了我的眼簾,這是一傢路邊小吃店,在加利福尼亞州,像這種小吃店比比皆是。酒館的門面朝嚮大街,酒館的後面是宿舍,店主夫婦就住在裏邊,側面是個加油站,酒館再往後有五六間小棚屋,店主稱之為汽車遊客旅館。
   我匆匆趕到酒館前,故意作出左右張望的樣子,店主見狀走了出來,我詢問店主,是否見到一個開卡迪拉剋牌轎車的人路過此地,還說,這個人說好要來這裏接我,並和我共進午餐。店主是希臘人,說今天沒見到這樣一個人來,然後便在一張餐桌上擺好餐具,問我想吃點什麽。我點了橙汁、玉米片、煎蛋和臘肉、肉捲烤餅、煎餅、咖啡等。不一會兒,他便拿來了橙汁和玉米片。
   “稍等,有件事我得告訴你,如果那個人不來的話,這頓飯衹好賒賬了。說好他付錢的,我今天手頭有點拮据。”
   “好吧,上菜。”
   看得出,錢,他來出,因此我也就不再提那個開卡迪拉剋牌轎車的人了。沒過一會兒,我便看出他另有所求。
   “嘿,你做什麽工作?”
   “喔,幹幹這,幹幹那,不固定。怎麽了?”
   “你多大了?”
   “二十四。”
   “啊,你很年輕,我這裏眼下就可以雇用年輕人。”
   “你這地方不錯。”
   “空氣好,沒霧,就像在洛杉磯,一點霧也沒有,一年四季總是晴晴朗朗的。”
   “夜裏一定好極了,我現在都能聞到。”
   “這裏睡覺睡得很香甜。你懂汽車嗎?會修理嗎?”
   “當然,我是天生的機械師。”
   他再次說起此地的空氣有多麽多麽的好,還說自從買了這個店,他就一直很健康,衹是他弄不明白,他的助手為什麽總是在這裏呆不長?我倒能琢磨出來為什麽,可我衹吃不說。
   “喂,你喜歡這裏嗎?”
   此時,我把剩下的咖啡喝完了,點着了他遞給我的雪茄煙。
   “我告訴你怎麽回事,除這裏外,還有兩三個地方提出要我去工作,這讓我很為難,不過,我會考慮的,我肯定會好好考慮的。”
   此時,我看見了一個女人,她一直在後面的廚房裏忙碌着,此時過來收拾我用過的碗碟。除了身段外,她真的算不上什麽絶色美人,可她神態憂鬱,嘴唇嚮外撅得老高,我不由得想替她把外撅的嘴唇給搗進去。
   “這是我妻子。”
   她沒有理睬我,我則衝希臘人點點頭,揮了揮手裏的雪茄煙,僅此而已。她端着碗碟出去了,對我和他而言,她像根本沒出現過似的。我很快便離開了,可沒過五分鐘又返了回來,說是給那個開卡迪拉剋牌轎車的人留個口信。希臘人趁機又做我的工作,要我留下來。
   半小時之後,我便到加油站修補漏氣汽車去了。
   “喂,你叫什麽名字?”
   “弗蘭剋·錢伯斯。”
   “我叫尼剋·帕普達基斯。”
   我倆握了握手,他便走開了。沒一會兒,我聽見他在唱歌,他的嗓音好極了。從加油站我正好可以把廚房看得一清二楚。
第二章
  第二章
   將近三點鐘的時候,店裏來了一個人,此人惱羞成怒,原來不知是誰在他汽車的通風小窗上粘貼了一個標簽,我衹好去廚房替他把標簽洗刷掉。
   “肉捲烤餅?喔,你們這些人真會做這東西。”
   “你說你們這些人是什麽意思?”
   “嘿,就是你和帕普達基斯先生啊,你和尼剋。我午飯吃的那個肉捲烤餅棒極了。”
   “喔。”
   “你有抹布嗎?把這東西包起來,拿着就不燙了。”
   “你不是這個意思。”
   “的確是的。”
   “你認為我是墨西哥人。”
   “沒那回事。”
   “是的,你就這麽認為,你不是第一個這樣認為的人。不過,你聽着,我和你一樣是白種人,明白嗎?我的頭髮可能是黑色的,長得也可能有點像,但我和你一樣是白種人。你要想在這裏幹下去,就不要忘了這一點。”
   “可你看上去並不像墨西哥人呀!”
   “我真的和你一樣是白種人。”
   “是的,你看上去一點也不像墨西哥人。那些墨西哥女人,她們全都是大屁股,瘸腿,高聳的能碰着下巴,皮膚黃黃的,頭髮看上去好像抹了臘肉油脂似的。你看上去可不是那個樣,你小巧玲瓏,皮膚白嫩,頭髮儘管是黑色的,但柔軟、捲麯。你惟一一處和墨西哥人一樣的地方是你的牙齒,他們的牙齒都是白白的,你不得不承認他們這個優點。”
   “我結婚前的姓叫史密斯,聽上去並不太像墨西哥人,是嗎?”
   “是不太像。”
   “再者,我老傢也不在這一帶。我來自衣阿華。”
   “嗨,史密斯。那你的名字呢?”
   “科拉。你願意的話,可以這樣稱呼我。”
   此時,有一點我已經確信無疑,而剛來時我不過是瞎猜罷了。她心情一直不好,倒不是因為那些她不得不做的肉捲烤餅,也不是因為自己的頭髮是黑色的,而是因為嫁給了那個希臘人,這使她覺着自己好像不是白種人了,甚至害怕我會開始稱呼她為帕普達基斯太太。
   “科拉,沒問題。叫我弗蘭剋怎麽樣?”
   她走過來,開始幫我清潔通風小窗。她離我很近,我甚至能聞到她身上的氣味。我貼着她的耳朵小聲問了她一個問題。
   “你怎麽嫁給了這個希臘人?”
   她跳了起來,就好像我用鞭子抽了她似的。
   “這關你什麽事嗎?”
   “是的,非常相關。”
   “給你通風小窗。”
   “謝謝。”
   目的達到了,我走了出去。我在她有所防備的情況下狠狠擊了她一下,擊得很深,把她刺痛了。從現在起,就是我倆之間的事了。她也許不會順着我,但也不會搪塞我。她知道我的用意,知道我已經摸透了她的底。
   吃晚飯的時候,希臘人衝她發了火,嫌她給我上的炸土豆不夠多。他希望我喜歡這個地方,而不像前幾個人那樣棄他而去。
   “吃就讓人吃飽。”
   “就在爐子上,他自己不會取?”
   “沒什麽,我還不餓呢。”
   他嘮叨個沒完。如果他有點腦子的話,就會看出事出有因,因為她這個人是不會讓客人自己動手的,這一點沒說的。可他笨得要命,不停地在那兒發牢騷。我們三個人就坐在廚房裏的餐桌旁,他坐在桌子的一頭,她坐在桌子的另一頭,而我則坐在中間。我沒有正面看她,但我用眼的餘光能看見她穿的衣服,那是一件白色護士,無論是在牙醫診所還是在面包店工作的人,都要穿這種。早上的時候還很幹淨,但此時已經有點皺,也有點髒。我能聞到她身上的氣味。
   “噯,就看在上帝的份上吧。”
   她起身去取土豆,隨之敞開了一下,我看見了她的大腿。她把土豆盛給我之後,我卻吃不下。
   “好嗎,你看,折騰了半天,他卻不想吃。”
   “可他要是想吃就有的吃。”
   “我不餓,午飯吃得很飽。”
   他就像打了一場大勝仗似的,這會兒又顯出寬宏大度的樣子,準備原諒她了。
   “她這人不錯。她是我的小白鳥,我的小白鴿。”
   他使了個眼色上樓去了,我和她則一言不發地坐在那裏。他下來時,一手拿個大酒瓶子,一手拿了把吉他。他從瓶裏倒了些酒出來,是一些希臘甜葡萄酒,我喝了後覺得惡心、難受。他彈着吉他唱了起來,嗓音聽上去像男高音歌唱傢,不是你在收音機裏聽到的那些無名小輩的男高音歌手,而是大腕男高音歌唱傢。在處理高音符時,他就像卡魯索錄音帶上那樣,會摻入啜泣聲。可我此時已經聽不下去了,感覺越來越糟。
   他看我臉色不對,便把我拉到了外面。
   “出來吸點新鮮空氣,你就會感覺好些。”
   “不要緊,我會好的。”
   “坐下,別吭聲。”
   “你進去吧,我衹是午飯吃得太多了,會好的。”
   他進去了,而我即刻把肚子裏的東西全吐了出來。午飯也好,土豆也好,還有葡萄酒也好,都讓我受不了,我衹想得到那女人,想得如此厲害,連胃裏都存不下一點東西。
   次日清晨,店牌被風颳了下來。風是午夜時分颳起來的,到了清晨已成了風暴。
   “天氣糟糕透了,看那兒。”
   “風大極了,吵得我無法入睡,一夜都沒合眼。”
   “風的確很大,你看那店牌。”
   “燈泡爆裂了。”
   我開始修補起那個店牌,希臘人則不時地出來看看。
   “你這牌子從哪兒弄來的呀?”
   “我買這店時就有了。怎麽了?”
   “夠差的了,挂這麽個破牌子能招攬來生意纔怪呢。”
   我去給一輛汽車加油,丟下他一個人仔細品味我的話,等我返回時,他還在驚愕地望着倒靠在餐廳正面的店牌。有三盞燈已經爆裂,我插上插頭接通電源後發現,剩下的燈有一半也不亮了。
   “裝上新燈後再挂起來,也就行了。”
   “你是老闆。”
   “這個牌子有什麽不妥嗎?”
   “怎麽說呢?過時了呀,燈泡店牌早不用了,人們都在用霓虹燈店牌,顯示效果好,用電又少。再說了,牌子上都寫了些什麽呀?‘雙橡’,僅此而已,‘酒館’那部分,燈光不顯示。咳,‘雙橡’這兩個字可引不起我的食欲,不會使我産生停下來找點飯吃的念頭。總之,那個牌子讓你賠錢,衹是你還不知道罷了。”
   “把它修好也就行了。”
   “你為何不做個新牌子?”
   “我沒空兒。”
   可沒過一會兒,他又拿着一張紙回來了。原來他已經替自己畫好了一個新店牌,並用顔色筆塗成了紅、白、藍三色,牌子上寫着“雙橡酒館,吃飯,燒烤,衛生潔淨的洗手間,老闆N.帕普達基斯”。
   “棒極了,它會給人們留下極好的印象。”
   我把所有的字修正了一下,確保其拼寫無誤,他則對字母進行了更多的花體裝飾。
   “尼剋,咱們幹嗎還挂那個舊牌子?你何不今天就進城把這個新牌子做好?它妙極了,相信我的話沒錯,再說這也很重要,一個店好與不好,得首先看店牌怎麽樣,你說是不是?”
   “天哪,就這麽辦,我去。”
   離洛杉磯不過二十英裏遠,可他卻像去巴黎似的把自己打扮得油頭粉面,午飯一過便上路了。他一走,我就把前門鎖上了,拾起一個顧客用過的盤子,徑直朝後面的廚房走去,她在裏面。
   “那邊有個盤子我給你拿過來了。”
   “哦,謝謝。”
   我把盤子放下了,衹見她手裏的叉子像鈴鼓似的叮當響。
   “我本來也想去的,可是鍋裏做上飯了,我想我還是別去的好。”
   “我自己也有好多事情要做。”
   “你感覺好些了嗎?”
   “我沒事了。”
   “有時因為一點點小事,就會讓人不舒服,比方說,喝的水與原來的不一樣了。”
   “很可能是午飯吃得太多了。”
   “那是怎麽回事?”
   有人在前門外“咚咚”地敲門。
   “聽上去好像有人想進來。”
   “弗蘭剋,門上鎖了嗎?”
   “我一定是把它鎖上了。”
   她看了我一眼,臉色變得蒼白,又走到雙開彈簧門嚮外窺探了一下,然後走進了餐廳,可沒一會兒又回來了。
   “他們走了。”
   “我不知道自己為什麽把門給鎖上了。”
   “我也忘了把它打開。”
   她又轉身去餐廳,我把她攔住了。
   “咱們就讓它——鎖着吧。”
   “鎖着就沒人能進來了,我還要燒飯,這個盤子我一會兒就洗。”
   我一把將她攬在懷裏,拼命親吻起她的嘴唇……
   “咬我!咬我!”
   我咬了她。我用牙齒深深咬住了她的雙唇,一定是咬破了,衹覺着我的嘴裏噴進了血。我把她抱上樓時,血正順着她的脖頸往下流。
首頁>> 文學>> 推理侦探>> 詹姆斯·凱恩 James Mallahan Cain   美國 United States   冷戰中的美國   (1892年七月1日1977年十月27日)