A Day’s Wait

Ernest Hemingway

“人生的意义就在于一种精神，即敢于承受痛苦，蔑视死亡”。

这篇《一整天的等待》讲的是一个九岁的男孩，由于不了解“华氏”(Fahrenheit)和“摄氏”(Celsius)换算方法，误以为自己快要发烧烧“死”了。小说形象、具体、细致地刻画了在“一天的等待死亡”过程中，小男孩所表现出来的不畏死神的勇气。

海明威力求生动而精确地表达印象深刻的重大尖锐时刻，表达那种“对事物真谛的顿悟”的经历。有读者认为，在这篇小说中，“父亲象征了知识和力量，儿子则象征了天真和无知”。可以说这是从一个视角来诠释该处的象征意义。但我以为海明威在这里的笔墨并不是着重于表现儿子的“天真和无知”，而是着重于他面对死亡所表现出的勇气以及对父母的体谅。他具体形象地把一个九岁的小孩，压抑情感的过程，刻画得淋漓尽致。这些对压抑的情绪的描写在本篇小说中随处可见。

He came into the room to shut the windows while we were still in bed and I saw he looked ill. He was shivering, his face was white, and he walked slowly as though it ached to move.

’What’s the matter, Schatz?’

’I’ve got a headache.’

’You better go back to bed.’

’No, I’m all right.’

’You go to bed. I’ll see you when I’m dressed.’

But when I came downstairs he was dressed, sitting by the fire, looking a very sick and miserable boy of nine years. When I put my hand on his forehead I knew he had a fever.

’You go up to bed,’ I said, ’you’re sick.’

’I’m all right,’ he said.

When the doctor came he took the boy’s temperature.

’What is it?’ I asked him.

’One hundred and two.’