and this is The Great Gatsby.

這就是《了不起的蓋茨比》。

This novel barely makes it to 200 pages even with rather large print

這本小說即使有相當大的字體，也只能勉強做到200頁。

and yet it’s so magnificently complex and rich

卻又是那麼的複雜豐富

that we can’t possibly do it justice in two videos,

我們不可能在兩段視頻中把它表現出來。

so today we’re gonna focus on a specific question: Is Gatsby great?

所以，今天我們要專注於一個具體的問題，《蓋茨比》很棒嗎？

Mr. Green, Mr. Green. No.

格林先生，格林先生。不知道

Oh it’s so cute when you think you’re entitled to your opinions,

哦，當你認為你有資格發表你的意見時，它是如此可愛。

Me from the Past,

來自過去的我。

even when they’re entirely uninformed opinions.

即使他們是完全不知情的意見。

As penance for being such a little Hemingway [language, Mr. Green!]

作為對自己是個小海明威的懺悔 [語言，格林先生！]。

about this stuff,

關於這個東西。

you will one day have to host a show about the glorious ambiguity of literature.

你總有一天要主持一檔關於文學的光榮曖昧的節目。

[Best]

[最佳]

[intro music]

[介紹音樂]

[intro music]

[介紹音樂]

[intro music]

[介紹音樂]

[intro music]

[介紹音樂]

[intro music]

[介紹音樂]

[EVER!]

[永遠！]

So a while back we discussed the Aristotelian tragedy of Romeo and Juliet,

所以前段時間我們討論了亞里士多德的悲劇《羅密歐與朱麗葉》。

in which people of high-birth are brought low by weaknesses of character.

在這種情況下，高出生的人因性格上的弱點而變得低下。

Shakespeare introduced some ambiguity into that story arc,

莎士比亞在這個故事弧中引入了一些歧義。

as you’ll remember: There was bad luck involved in their demise,

你會記得的他們的死是有厄運的。

and their mistakes, such as they were,

和他們的錯誤，因為他們是。

weren’t so grievous as to render Romeo and Juliet unsympathetic.

並沒有因為羅密歐和朱麗葉的悲慘遭遇而變得不近人情。

Also, as in many tragedies, Shakespeare used heightened, poetic language

另外，和許多悲劇一樣，莎士比亞也使用了高度化、詩意化的語言。

to help us care about Romeo and Juliet

幫助我們關心羅密歐與朱麗葉。

and root for them instead of just holding them up as examples

擁護他們，而不是把他們當成例子

of what terrible things befall you when you’re naughty.

當你淘氣的時候，有什麼可怕的事情降臨到你身上。

Now, obviously, Gatsby isn’t a work of poetry,

很明顯，《蓋茨比》不是一部詩歌作品。

but Fitzgerald found himself with similar problems.

但菲茨傑拉德發現自己也有類似的問題。

As many a high schooler has pointed out,

正如很多高中生指出的那樣。

the characters in The Great Gatsby aren’t terribly likable,

《了不起的蓋茨比》中的人物並不十分可愛。

and the story just isn’t moving or compelling if you’re reading about

而故事只是不動人或引人注目，如果你讀的是

a bunch of people you hate,

一群你討厭的人。

some of whom get what’s coming to them and some of whom don’t.

有些人得到了他們所要的，有些人沒有。

Fitzgerald handles this problem by heightening the language

菲茨傑拉德通過提高語言的高度來處理這個問題。

and giving it pace. [some handle it by imagining Robert Redford in his prime]

並給它的節奏。[有些人通過想象羅伯特-雷德福在他的鼎盛時期處理它]

I mean, you can basically tap your foot to The Great Gatsby

我的意思是，你基本上可以 敲你的腳，以偉大的蓋茨比。

from the very first sentence:

從第一句話開始。

“In my younger and more vulnerable years,

"在我年輕和脆弱的時候。

my father gave me some advice I’ve been turning over in my mind ever since.”

我的父親給了我一些建議，我一直在我的腦海裡翻來覆去。"

It’s got a beat and I can dance to it. [current restraint is a great move]

它有節拍，我可以跟著它跳舞。[目前的剋制是一個偉大的舉措]

And the descriptions are jarringly, magnificently beautiful, too:

而這些描述也是令人震撼的，壯美的。

Daisy voice sounds full of money;

黛西的聲音聽起來充滿了錢。

the fading glow on Jordan Baker’s face is

喬丹-貝克臉上漸漸消退的光芒是...

“like children leaving a pleasant street at dusk;”

"就像孩子們在黃昏時分離開一條愉快的街道；"

at the end of the novel,

在小說的最後。

Nick imagines the first European explorers of New York, writing,

尼克想象著紐約的第一批歐洲探險家，寫道。

“For a transitory, enchanted moment

"短暫的，迷人的時刻

man must have held his breath in the presence of this continent,

在這片大陸面前，人一定是屏住了呼吸。

compelled into an aesthetic contemplation he neither understood nor desired,

被迫進入一種他既不理解也不希望的審美沉思。

face to face for the last time in history

面對面

with something commensurate to his capacity for wonder.”

與他的驚奇能力相稱的東西。"

Putting aside the fact that Fitzgerald failed to foresee that humans would

暫且不說菲茨傑拉德沒有預見到人類會。

one day walk on the moon, not to mention create fake fake flowers, the

有朝一日在月球上行走，別說製造假的假花，該

descriptions here are lush and beautiful.

這裡的描述是鬱鬱蔥蔥，美不勝收。

So the language of the novel elevates

所以小說的語言提升了

Gatsby’s triumphs and tragedies to the stuff of real epics, which

蓋茨比的勝利和悲劇都是真正的史詩，而這些史詩

gives Gatsby a kind of unironic greatness.

讓蓋茨比有了一種非諷刺性的偉大。

Stan! Can we just decide if these are

斯坦！我們可以決定這些是否是

physical digital flowers or digital digital flowers?

物理數字花還是數字數字花？

[instead only try to realize the truth- that there is no flower]

[而不是隻想認識到沒有花的真相]

Remember, you do not have to be good to be Great.

記住，你不一定要成為優秀的人，才能成為偉大的人。

[kinda like The Matrix trilogy on the whole]

[有點像黑客帝國三部曲的整體]

And as the critic Matthew J. Bruccoli notes, Gatsby

而正如評論家Matthew J. Bruccoli所指出的，蓋茨比。

“is truly great by virtue of his capacity to commit himself to his aspirations.”

"是真正的偉大，因為他的能力承諾自己的願望。"

[lovely, if a bit circumlocution-y]

[可愛的，雖然有點繞口令的意思]

I mean, we celebrate achievement born of hard work and clarity of purpose

我的意思是，我們要慶祝因努力工作和明確目標而取得的成就。

because there’s a greatness in that success that you don’t get by,

因為那份成功中的偉大，是你沒有辦法得到的。

like, lounging around and using your pool all the time.

就像，懶洋洋地使用你的游泳池所有的時間。

Remember, there’s exactly one person at Gatsby’s parties who doesn’t get drunk:

記住，在蓋茨比的派對上，有一個人是不會喝醉的。

[the teetotalling] Gatsby.

[teetotalling] 蓋茨比。

I mean,

我的意思是

he’s a bootlegger who doesn’t drink, a swimming pool owner who doesn’t swim,

他是一個不喝酒的酒鬼，一個不游泳的游泳池老闆。

a man of leisure who never engages in a single leisure activity.

悠閒的人，從不從事任何休閒活動。

But as Bruccoli further points out,

但正如布魯科利進一步指出的那樣：

there’s plenty of irony in the titular description of Gatsby as Great.

把蓋茨比形容為偉大，這裡面有很多的諷刺意味。

“The adjective indicates the tawdry and exaggerated aspects of his life:

"誇張 "這個形容詞表示他生活中的乏味和誇張的方面。

Hurry, hurry, hurry! Step right up and see the Great Gatsby!”

快快快，快快快!快步走，看《了不起的蓋茨比》！"

I mean, he’s part magician, and— in a world of wealth—

我的意思是，他是魔術師的一部分，而且... ...在一個富裕的世界裡... ...

he’s part carnival curiosity.

他是部分狂歡節的好奇心。

Bruccoli notes that Tom Buchanan describes Gatsby’s famous yellow car

布魯科利指出，湯姆-布坎南描述了蓋茨比的著名黃車

as a “circus wagon.”

作為 "馬戲團的馬車"。

[sure makes for a looker of a chalkboard]

[肯定會讓黑板看起來更像黑板]

Okay, let’s go to the Thought Bubble.

好了，讓我們去思想保麗龍。

One thing Gatsby has in common with

蓋茨比的一個共同點是

Romeo and Juliet is that they’re all obsessed with controlling time,

羅密歐與朱麗葉就是他們都迷戀控制時間。

which of course continues passing anyway.

這當然繼續通過反正。

Like, Juliet tries to force night to come quickly and dawn to stay away,

就像，朱麗葉試圖迫使黑夜快點到來，黎明遠離。

because only under cover of darkness can her marriage thrive.

因為只有在黑暗的掩護下，她的婚姻才能茁壯成長。

Similarly, Gatsby doesn’t just want to marry Daisy:

同樣，蓋茨比也不只是想娶黛西。

He needs her to say that she never loved Tom Buchanan at all,

他需要她說她根本就沒有愛過湯姆-布坎南。

as if he can erase the past five years. [definitely a red flag]

彷彿他可以抹去過去五年。[絕對是一個紅旗]

What they’ll do about Daisy’s baby is a fascinating question

他們將如何處理黛西的孩子是一個令人著迷的問題。

that Gatsby seems wholly uninterested in,

蓋茨比似乎完全不感興趣。

but anyway,

但無論如何，

Gatsby’s dream is that he and Daisy will —to quote Nick—

蓋茨比的夢想是，他和黛西將--引用尼克的話--。

“go back to Louisville and be married from her house—

"回到路易斯維爾，在她家結婚--

just as if it were five years ago.”

就像五年前一樣。"

Nick’s perfectly sensible response to this idea is,

尼克對這個想法的完全合理的反應是：

“You can’t repeat the past.”

"你不能重複過去。"

[also, Very difficult to keep the line between the past and the present]

[另外，很難保持過去和現在之間的界限]

And then Gatsby utters his most famous line:

然後蓋茨比說出了他最著名的一句話。

“Can’t repeat the past? Why of course you can.”

"不能重複過去嗎？為什麼你當然可以。"

And then he says,

然後他說：

“I’m going to fix everything just the way it was before.”

"我要把一切都修復好，就像以前一樣。"

Romeo and Juliet want to extend the present into forever

羅密歐和朱麗葉想把現在的時間延長到永遠。

because they know their future is bleak;

因為他們知道自己的未來是暗淡的。

Gatsby believes the key to the beautiful future is

蓋茨比認為，美麗未來的關鍵是

a perfect restoration of the beautiful past.”

完美地還原了過去的美好時光。"

Thanks, Thought Bubble.

謝謝你，思想保麗龍。

Okay, a brief aside before we return to Gatsby’s questionable greatness:

好了，在我們回到蓋茨比的問題偉大之前，先簡單說一下。

The idea of restoring the past to create a beautiful future

恢復過去創造美好未來的理念。

is of course not unique to Gatsby,

當然不是蓋茨比獨有的。

which is why no candidate for President

這就是為什麼沒有總統候選人

can ever get through a speech without mentioning some previous President,

講話時不能不提到某位前總統。

whose glorious leadership the current campaign intends to channel

目前的運動打算在其光輝的上司下進行。

so as to make it morning in America again.

以便讓美國的早晨再次來臨。

It’s also why Americans fight so much

這也是為什麼美國人打得那麼厲害

about what the Founding Fathers would think of us, when in fact,

關於建國元勳會怎麼看我們，其實。

what they would think is probably,

他們會認為的可能是。

“You guys are dressed funny. Also, how come this room is so bright

"你們穿得真有趣。還有，這個房間怎麼這麼亮

without any windows? Furthermore, why is this screen talking to me?”

沒有任何窗口？此外，為什麼這個螢幕會跟我說話？"

Now, of course, this nostalgia isn’t unique to the United States,

當然，現在，這種懷舊情緒並不是美國獨有的。

but you also have to remember that Gatsby is the ultimate self-made man,

但你也要記住，蓋茨比是一個最終的自力更生的人。

having both literally and figuratively made a name for himself.

在字面上和形象上都已名聲大噪。

And this combination of aspirational impulses and the urge to

而這種渴望的衝動和衝動的結合。

restore life to some immaculate past does strike me as very American.

恢復到一些完美無缺的過去的生活確實讓我覺得很美國。

That’s what makes the tragedy of Gatsby so much more interesting and complicated

所以《蓋茨比》的悲劇才會更加有趣和複雜。

than the Aristotelian model of tragedy.

比亞里士多德的悲劇模式。

Instead of being a person of high birth, Gatsby is a person of low birth,

與其說蓋茨比是一個高出生的人，不如說是一個低出生的人。

albeit one born into a world that claims not to care about

儘管他出生在一個自稱不在乎的世界裡。

or even believe in such things.

甚至相信這種事情。

And instead of experiencing a reversal of fortune due to a weakness of character,

而不是因為性格上的弱點而經歷命運的逆轉。

Jay Gatsby…

傑伊-蓋茨比...

well, that’s where it gets complicated actually.

好了，這就是它變得複雜其實。

I mean,

我的意思是

Daisy Buchanan was driving the car, but Gatsby chose to take the fall for her.

黛西-布坎南開著車，但蓋茨比卻選擇替她頂罪。

But, he’s also doomed just because

但是，他的命運也只是因為

he lives in a social order that’s happy to drink illegal alcohol,

他生活在一個樂於飲用非法酒精的社會秩序中。

but condemns a sober bootlegger.

但卻譴責一個清醒的酒鬼。

Oh, it’s time for the Open Letter?

哦，是時候寫公開信了？

[slides over to jump into the glory that is that yellowy green mess of a chair]

[滑過去跳進榮耀 那是一個黃綠色的混亂的椅子]

An Open Letter to Prohibition.

給禁酒令的一封公開信。

But, first, let’s see what’s in the secret compartment today.

不過，先來看看今天的密室裡有什麼。

Be booze, be booze, be booze,

是酒，是酒，是酒，是酒。

be--yes!

是

Touchdown. It’s mystery liquor.

觸地得分。這是神祕酒。

[oh boy]

[哦，男孩]

Alright, the game here is simple.

好吧，這裡的遊戲很簡單。

I drink the mystery liquor and try to guess what it is.

我喝下神祕的酒，並嘗試猜測它是什麼。

Southern Comfort?...No?

南方的舒適嗎......不？

What is it?...Jack-

這是什麼...

-that’s too easy, Meredith.

-那太容易了，梅雷迪思。

Jack Daniels. Anybody could get Jack Daniels.

傑克-丹尼爾斯任何人都可以得到傑克-丹尼爾斯。

Dear Prohibition, You were crazy.

親愛的禁酒令，你真是瘋了

I mean, for the rest of American history,

我的意思是，在美國曆史的其餘部分。

our Constitution is gonna be this weird document that is perfectly normal

我們的憲法將是一個奇怪的文件 這是完全正常的。

until the 18th Amendment, which suddenly bans alcohol,

直到第18條修正案，突然禁酒。

and then the 21st Amendment,

然後是第21條修正案。

which is suddenly like, “No, no, no. Terrible idea!”

這是突然像，"不，不，不。可怕的想法！"

[not unlike the Hammer Pants phenomenon]

[和錘子褲現象不一樣]

It’s almost like legislating morality doesn’t actually increase morality.

這幾乎就像為道德立法實際上並沒有提高道德。

[see what he did there?]

[看到他在那裡做了什麼？]

But Prohibition, in you,

但禁酒令，在你。

Fitzgerald found the perfect metaphor for American hypocrisy and debauchery.

菲茨傑拉德為美國人的虛偽和放蕩找到了完美的隱喻。

We are not very good at tolerating naughtiness in America,

在美國，我們不善於容忍頑皮。

but we love being naughty. [for reals]

但我們喜歡被淘氣。[真正的]

In short, Prohibition,

總之，禁酒令。

you were a terrible idea, but a fantastic metaphor,

你是一個可怕的想法， 但一個夢幻般的比喻。

so thanks for that.

所以，謝謝你。

Best Wishes, John Green

最良好的祝願，約翰-格林

So, is Gatsby doomed by his romanticization of Daisy,

那麼，蓋茨比是不是因為對黛西的浪漫化而註定了他的命運。

by his refusal to accept that

由於他拒絕接受

he just wasn’t born to be one of the gold-hatted men of leisure,

他只是天生不適合做一個戴金帽的閒人。

by his belief that any means justifies— if you’ll pardon the pun—

他認為任何手段都是正當的 -- 請原諒我的雙關語 --

Daisy’s end?

黛西的結局？

[grumble]

[抱怨]

Yes, yes, and yes. But more than that,

是的，是的，也是的。但不止於此。

the great Gatsby lives in a cold world that cares nothing for justice,

偉大的蓋茨比生活在一個冷酷的世界裡，對正義毫不在意。

a world that makes claims to fairness

一個號稱公平的世界

but really only further rewards those who have already been rewarded.

但其實只是進一步獎勵那些已經獲得獎勵的人。

I mean, who even survives this novel?

我是說，這本小說誰還能活下來？

Only the idle rich: Jordan Baker, Daisy and Tom Buchanan, Nick Carraway.

只有閒散的富人。喬丹・貝克，黛西和湯姆・布坎南，尼克・卡拉韋。

They survive, and they are allowed to go on being careless.

他們活下來了，他們就可以繼續大意了。

As Nick writes,

正如尼克所寫。

“They were careless people, Tom and Daisy— they smashed up things and creatures

"他們是粗心的人，湯姆和黛西... ...他們把東西和生物都砸壞了

and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness.”

然後又退回到他們的金錢或他們的巨大的粗心之中。"

They aren’t cruel, or malicious, they’re just careless—

他們不是殘忍的，也不是惡意的，他們只是粗心... ...

they don’t care too much about Myrtle or Gatsby or their daughter

他們並不太關心桃金娘、蓋茨比和他們的女兒。

or even each other.

甚至是彼此。

To live without a care in the world is supposed to be the dream, right?

無憂無慮的生活，應該是夢想吧？

Everyone wants a care-free life.

每個人都希望自己的生活無憂無慮。

But Fitzgerald shows us the horror of this care-free life,

但菲茨傑拉德向我們展示了這種無憂無慮的生活的恐怖。

how the Tom and Daisy’s inability to care

Tom和Daisy的無能是怎樣的？

is in some ways more monstrous than outright cruelty would be.

在某種程度上，是比徹底的殘忍更可怕的。

It’s not like Romeo and Juliet,

它不像羅密歐與朱麗葉。

where the lovers are sacrificed and then Verona is healed.

在那裡，戀人被犧牲，然後維羅納被治癒。

Nothing is made whole by the tragedy of The Great Gatsby.

沒有什麼是因《了不起的蓋茨比》的悲劇而成全的。

I think that’s why some readers find the novel depressing and hopeless,

我想這也是一些讀者覺得小說壓抑、無奈的原因。

even amid all the lush language and witty turns of phrase.

即使在所有華麗的語言和詼諧的轉折中。

But I don’t think it is hopeless. Remember that line from the first chapter:

但我認為並不是沒有希望。記得第一章的那句話。

“Gatsby turned out all right in the end, it was what preyed on Gatsby,

"蓋茨比最後的結果都是好的，是什麼獵殺了蓋茨比。

what foul dust floated in the wake of his dreams…”

他的夢境中漂浮著什麼骯髒的塵埃..."

As individuals, and as a collective, the tragedy isn’t in dreaming;

作為個人，也作為集體，悲劇不在夢中。

it’s in chasing an unworthy dream.

是在追逐一個不值得的夢想。

So in the end, is Gatsby great?

那麼最後，蓋茨比偉大嗎？

I’m interested to read your comments, but here’s my takeaway:

我很有興趣看你們的評論，但我的心得是這樣的。

Jay Gatsby was a great man.

傑伊-蓋茨比是一個偉大的人。

But great people especially must be careful about what they worship.

但偉大的人尤其要注意自己崇拜的東西。

Thanks for watching. I’ll see you next week.

謝謝你的觀看。下週見。

Crash Course is produced and directed by Stan Muller.

Crash Course》由Stan Muller製作並執導。

Too far!

太遠了！

Our script supervisor is Meredith Danko.

我們的劇本主管是Meredith Danko。

The associate producer is Danica Johnson.

副製片人是Danica Johnson。

The show is written by me.

這個節目是我寫的。

And our [crazy great] graphics team is Thought Bubble.

而我們[瘋狂的偉大]的圖文團隊就是Thought Bubble。

Every week, instead of cursing, I say the name of a writer I like.

每週，我都會說一個我喜歡的作家的名字，而不是罵人。

[or that the rest of us find particularly amusing]

[或我們其他人覺得特別有趣的]

If you’d like to suggest writers, you can do so in comments

如果你想推薦作家，你可以在評論中這樣做

where you can also ask questions about today’s video that will be answered by