2021年经济学人 你永远都无法叫醒一个装睡的人(1)

Books & arts

文艺版块

Book review

书评

Egyptian fiction

埃及小说

A general in his labyrinth¹

陷入迷途的将军

The Republic of False Truths. By Alaa Al Aswany

《虚假真理共和国》，作者：亚拉·阿斯万尼

In “the Yacoubian building” (2002), Alaa Al Aswany portrayed² the corruption⁴ and discontent of Hosni Mubarak’s Egypt through the stories of one building’s denizens— a petty schemer, a gay writer, a doorman’s son. Illuminating⁵ and evocative, the book sold over 1m copies and was adapted for the screen. Mr Aswany’s new novel, “The Republic of False Truths”, again uses an ensemble⁶ of characters to capture his country’s contradictions and injustices⁷.

在2002年出版的《亚库比恩公寓》中，亚拉·阿斯万尼通过居住在一栋公寓里的狭隘阴谋家、同性恋作家和看门人的儿子的故事描绘了胡斯尼·穆巴拉克统治下的埃及的腐败和怨声载道。《亚库比恩公寓》这本书发人深省、引人共鸣，销量超过100万册，后经改编被搬上了银幕。阿斯万尼的新小说《虚假真理共和国》再次使用了一组人物来捕捉他所在国家的矛盾和不公正。

This time the story is set around the revolution of 2011 when, sick of Mubarak’s 30-year rule, hundreds of thousands of Egyptians gathered in Cairo’s Tahrir Square. The cast includes young idealists, disgruntled factory workers—and others determined⁸ to stop the uprising. Some are simply caught in the middle. The result is an engaging, provocative⁹ and, ultimately, frustrating¹⁰ tour of the revolution, from its gestation¹¹ to its bloody¹² aftermath.

这一次的故事是围绕着2011年的埃及革命展开的，当时，数十万厌倦了穆巴拉克30年统治的埃及民众聚集在开罗的解放广场。主人公包括年轻的理想主义者、不满的工厂工人和其他决心阻止起义的人。有些人只是夹在中间，进退两难。此次集会引发了一场开端引人入胜、有煽动性、但结果血腥又令人沮丧的革命之旅。

Banned in Egypt and other Arab countries, the book opens with General Ahmad Alwany, a God-fearing Muslim who watches pornography, tortures suspects and is thoroughly¹³ corrupt³. Most of this, he naturally believes, is justified¹⁴ by Islam. Just ask Sheikh Shamel, a preacher trained in Saudi Arabia. “He is said to have taken the virginity of 23 young girls, all in compliance¹⁵ with holy law,” writes Mr Aswany, whose dry tone accentuates¹⁶ the absurdity¹⁷. Pious¹⁸ and patriotic¹⁹, at least in their own minds, the pair and their allies resist the revolution— or, as they see it, the foreign conspiracy²⁰ funded by America and Israel.

《虚假真理共和国》在埃及和其他阿拉伯国家被列为禁书。这本书开篇就讲述了艾哈迈德·阿尔瓦尼将军。阿尔瓦尼将军是一位敬畏上帝的穆斯林，他观看色情作品，折磨嫌疑人，而且腐败透顶。他理所当然地觉得自己的大部分行为都是符合伊斯兰教的。去问问在沙特阿拉伯受训的传教士谢赫·沙梅尔就知道了。阿斯万尼写道：“据说他夺走了23个年轻女孩的童贞，且所有行为都是遵照圣律的。”他冷漠的语气更加凸显了荒谬感。至少在他们自己的心目中，虔诚和爱国人士之流会抵制革命；或者，他们认为，这场革命是由美国和以色列资助的外国阴谋。

1 labyrinth   

n.迷宫；难解的事物；迷路

参考例句：

• He wandered through the labyrinth of the alleyways.他在迷宫似的小巷中闲逛。
• The human mind is a labyrinth.人的心灵是一座迷宫。

2 portrayed   

v.画像( portray的过去式和过去分词 )；描述；描绘；描画

参考例句：

• Throughout the trial, he portrayed himself as the victim. 在审讯过程中，他始终把自己说成是受害者。
• The author portrayed his father as a vicious drunkard. 作者把他父亲描绘成一个可恶的酒鬼。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

3 corrupt   

v.贿赂，收买；adj.腐败的，贪污的

参考例句：

• The newspaper alleged the mayor's corrupt practices.那家报纸断言市长有舞弊行为。
• This judge is corrupt.这个法官贪污。

4 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

5 illuminating   

a.富于启发性的，有助阐明的

参考例句：

• We didn't find the examples he used particularly illuminating. 我们觉得他采用的那些例证启发性不是特别大。
• I found his talk most illuminating. 我觉得他的话很有启发性。

6 ensemble   

n.合奏(唱)组；全套服装；整体，总效果

参考例句：

• We should consider the buildings as an ensemble.我们应把那些建筑物视作一个整体。
• It is ensemble music for up to about ten players,with one player to a part.它是最多十人演奏的合奏音乐，每人担任一部分。

7 injustices   

不公平( injustice的名词复数 )； 非正义； 待…不公正； 冤枉

参考例句：

• One who committed many injustices is doomed to failure. 多行不义必自毙。
• He felt confident that his injustices would be righted. 他相信他的冤屈会受到昭雪的。

8 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

9 provocative   

adj.挑衅的，煽动的，刺激的，挑逗的

参考例句：

• She wore a very provocative dress.她穿了一件非常性感的裙子。
• His provocative words only fueled the argument further.他的挑衅性讲话只能使争论进一步激化。

10 frustrating   

adj.产生挫折的，使人沮丧的，令人泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的现在分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's frustrating to have to wait so long. 要等这么长时间，真令人懊恼。
• It was a demeaning and ultimately frustrating experience. 那是一次有失颜面并且令人沮丧至极的经历。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 gestation   

n.怀孕；酝酿

参考例句：

• The gestation period can be anything between 95 and 150 days.妊娠期从95天至150天不等。
• This film was two years in gestation.这部电影酝酿了两年。

12 bloody   

adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染

参考例句：

• He got a bloody nose in the fight.他在打斗中被打得鼻子流血。
• He is a bloody fool.他是一个十足的笨蛋。

13 thoroughly   

adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地

参考例句：

• The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。
• The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。

14 justified   

a.正当的，有理的

参考例句：

• She felt fully justified in asking for her money back. 她认为有充分的理由要求退款。
• The prisoner has certainly justified his claims by his actions. 那个囚犯确实已用自己的行动表明他的要求是正当的。

15 compliance   

n.顺从；服从；附和；屈从

参考例句：

• I was surprised by his compliance with these terms.我对他竟然依从了这些条件而感到吃惊。
• She gave up the idea in compliance with his desire.她顺从他的愿望而放弃自己的主意。

16 accentuates   

v.重读( accentuate的第三人称单数 )；使突出；使恶化；加重音符号于

参考例句：

• The dark frame accentuates the brightness of the picture. 深色画框更显出画的明亮色彩。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Her sunburnt skin accentuates the fairness of her hair. 她那晒黑了的皮肤突出了她的一头金发。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 absurdity   

n.荒谬，愚蠢；谬论

参考例句：

• The proposal borders upon the absurdity.这提议近乎荒谬。
• The absurdity of the situation made everyone laugh.情况的荒谬可笑使每个人都笑了。

18 pious   

adj.虔诚的；道貌岸然的

参考例句：

• Alexander is a pious follower of the faith.亚历山大是个虔诚的信徒。
• Her mother was a pious Christian.她母亲是一个虔诚的基督教徒。

19 patriotic   

adj.爱国的，有爱国心的

参考例句：

• His speech was full of patriotic sentiments.他的演说充满了爱国之情。
• The old man is a patriotic overseas Chinese.这位老人是一位爱国华侨。

20 conspiracy   

n.阴谋，密谋，共谋

参考例句：

• The men were found guilty of conspiracy to murder.这些人被裁决犯有阴谋杀人罪。
• He claimed that it was all a conspiracy against him.他声称这一切都是一场针对他的阴谋。