《螺丝在拧紧》：谁是鬼？

陈榕

亨利·詹姆斯（Henry James， 1843～1916）出生于美国纽约知识分子家庭，父亲亨利·詹姆斯（Henry James Sr.）是神学家，哥哥威廉·詹姆斯（William James）是美国19世纪最为重要的哲学家，他则是蜚声英美文坛的大师级作家。詹姆斯早年接受的是精英式教育，在童年时就随父亲到欧洲各大城市游历。成年后他选择在文化传统更为悠远的英国定居，在一战爆发后因不满美国立场加入了英国国籍。詹姆斯终生未婚，将生命献给写作，创作生涯长达五十余年，撰写了大量的文学评论、游记，还尝试过戏剧创作。他尤其擅长的是用小说来捕捉天真的美国人遭遇老于世故的欧洲人时产生的冲突，借此类小说传达他对文化差异、伦理选择、认知局限等命题的思考，《黛西·米勒》（Daisy Miller）、《贵妇画像》（The Portrait of a Lady）、《使节》（The Ambassadors）、《鸽翼》（The Wings of the Dove）、《金碗》（The Golden Bowl）等是其中的代表作。然而，他的小说创作不拘囿于“国际主题”，《螺丝在拧紧》（The Turn of the Screw）、《欢乐的角落》（The Jolly Corner）等是美国文学“鬼故事”中的珍品。

Excerpts1）

I remember the whole beginning as a succession of flights and drops， a little seesaw of the right throbs and the wrong. After rising， in town， to meet his appeal， I had at all events a couple of very bad days—found myself doubtful again， felt indeed sure I had made a mistake. In this state of mind I spent the long hours of bumping， swinging coach that carried me to the stopping place at which I was to be met by a vehicle from the house. This convenience， I was told， had been ordered， and I found， toward the close of the June afternoon， a commodious2） fly3） in waiting for me. Driving at that hour， on a lovely day， through a country to which the summer sweetness seemed to offer me a friendly welcome， my fortitude4） mounted afresh and， as we turned into the avenue， encountered a reprieve5） that was probably but a proof of the point to which it had sunk. I suppose I had expected， or had dreaded， something so melancholy that what greeted me was a good surprise. I remember as a most pleasant impression the broad， clear front， its open windows and fresh curtains and the pair of maids looking out； I remember the lawn and the bright flowers and the crunch of my wheels on the gravel and the clustered treetops over which the rooks circled and cawed in the golden sky. The scene had a greatness that made it a different affair from my own scant home， and there immediately appeared at the door， with a little girl in her hand， a civil person who dropped me as decent a curtsy as if I had been the mistress or a distinguished visitor. I had received in Harley Street a narrower notion of the place， and that， as I recalled it， made me think the proprietor still more of a gentleman， suggested that what I was to enjoy might be something beyond his promise.

I had no drop again till the next day， for I was carried triumphantly through the following hours by my introduction to the younger of my pupils. The little girl who accompanied Mrs. Grose6） appeared to me on the spot a creature so charming as to make it a great fortune to have to do with her. She was the most beautiful child I had ever seen， and I afterward wondered that my employer had not told me more of her. I slept little that night—I was too much excited； and this astonished me， too， I recollect， remained with me， adding to my sense of the liberality with which I was treated. The large， impressive room， one of the best in the house， the great state bed， as I almost felt it， the full， figured draperies7）， the long glasses in which， for the first time， I could see myself from head to foot， all struck me—like the extraordinary charm of my small charge—as so many things thrown in. It was thrown in as well， from the first moment， that I should get on with Mrs. Grose in a relation over which， on my way， in the coach， I fear I had rather brooded8）. The only thing indeed that in this early outlook might have made me shrink again was the clear circumstance of her being so glad to see me. I perceived within half an hour that she was so glad—stout， simple， plain， clean， wholesome woman—as to be positively on her guard against showing it too much. I wondered even then a little why she should wish not to show it， and that， with reflection， with suspicion， might of course have made me uneasy.

But it was a comfort that there could be no uneasiness in a connection with anything so beatific9） as the radiant image of my little girl， the vision of whose angelic beauty had probably more than anything else to do with me restlessness that， before morning， made me several times rise and wander about my room to take in the whole picture and prospect； to watch， from my open window， the faint summer dawn， to look at such portions of the rest of the house as I could catch， and to listen， while， in the fading dusk， the first birds began to twitter， for the possible recurrence of a sound or two， less natural and not without， but within， that I had fancied I heard.

亨利·詹姆斯

1. 节选部分选自小说第一节，主要描写了小说主人公初到自己做家庭教师的布莱庄园的感触。

2. commodious [k??m??di?s] adj. （房间或房子）宽敞的，大的

3. fly [fla?] n. 马车

4. fortitude [?f??（r）t?tju?d] n. 勇气，坚韧

5. reprieve [r??pri?v] n. 暂缓

6. Mrs. Grose：格罗斯太太，布莱庄园的女管家

7. drapery [?dre?p?ri] n. （尤指有宽松、优美褶皱的）罩，帘，窗帷等

8. brood [bru?d] vi. 忧思，担忧

9. beatific [?bi???t?f?k] adj. 极乐的；天使般的

作品赏析

亨利·詹姆斯的《螺丝在拧紧》中的主人公是一位家庭女教师。她受雇主所托，来到伦敦郊外的布莱庄园教书，学生是雇主去世的哥嫂留下的女儿。她原来担心任务艰巨，却发现学生弗劳拉是个乖巧的女孩，“就像拉斐尔笔下的圣婴一样带着深深的、甜甜的平静”。弗劳拉的哥哥迈尔斯在女教师到达的第二天被寄宿学校退学，回到布莱庄园，当女教师看到有着天使面孔的迈尔斯时，她无论如何也不能相信学校对“迈尔斯对其他同学造成威胁”的指控，雇主送信来，将迈尔斯也交由她教育。

虽然多了一个学生，但对女主人公来说并没有增加繁重的工作。迈尔斯和弗劳拉听话又懂事。管家和仆人也各安其位。因此，女主人公在大宅里过上了安宁和轻松的生活。然而，这样的舒心日子没有能持续下去。有一天，女教师在散步时发现有人站在塔楼顶端盯着她。过了两天，她又再次与这个男子相遇。当时她在屋内，对方在室外，把脸贴在玻璃上窥视她。她吓坏了，向女管家询问她所看到的红头发的邪恶男人可能是谁，方才得知此人可能是雇主的贴身男仆彼得·昆特。昆特曾勾引了前任家庭女教师耶赛尔小姐，使对方堕落失贞。不久后，昆特因醉酒跌下湿滑的陡坡而身亡，耶赛尔小姐也去世了，死因不详。

在昆特的鬼魂出现不久后，耶赛尔小姐也幽灵现身。当女教师带着弗劳拉在湖边玩耍时，女教师看到了湖边的灌木丛中站着面色苍白、身着黑衣的女鬼。两个鬼魂的出现让女主人公开始怀疑自己的学生：据说迈尔斯和昆特关系特别好，迈尔斯却从未提及昆特的名字；耶赛尔小姐和弗劳拉曾经非常亲密，弗劳拉却没有说起过她。女教师将孩子们的守口如瓶理解为他们和鬼魂之间一直有勾连，他们缄默是因为想要保守这个秘密。

有秘密的孩子肯定不会是乖孩子。于是，在女教师眼中，这些孩子越来越任性，越来越狡猾。入夜后他们会驯顺地上床，假装已经安睡，然后再悄悄爬起来。弗劳拉躲在窗帘后窥视窗外。迈尔斯则跑到草坪上，在月光下溜达。他们的诡异行为呼应着女教师在深更半夜的大宅楼梯上先后遭遇的男鬼和女鬼。两兄妹还会协同作战，迈尔斯故意吸引女教师的注意力，好让弗劳拉跑得不知所踪，弗劳拉也同样会为迈尔斯打掩护。女教师要守护两个孩子不受神出鬼没的鬼魂骚扰，顾此失彼，心力交瘁，和孩子们的矛盾也日益激化。终于，弗劳拉冲着女教师歇斯底里地大发脾气，称不想再见到她，后因情绪激动和受惊吓发起了高烧。女管家只能带着弗劳拉离开庄园，回伦敦找男主人。女教师则决定利用独自面对迈尔斯的机会逼他坦白。当女教师和迈尔斯在餐厅吃完饭后，女教师看到了昆特在窗外窥视的面庞，她摇撼迈尔斯的身体，要求他说出在窗外看到了谁，迈尔斯在女教师的逼问下说出了昆特的名字，却又问出了模棱两可的问题“他在哪儿？”，继而就停止了呼吸，死在了女教师的怀中。

《螺丝在拧紧》作为小说标题是个很奇怪的名字，在这个鬼故事里没有出现螺丝钉的实物，也没有人做过拧螺丝的动作。它其实是隐喻，隐喻故事的紧张氛围如同拧螺丝一样在层层叠加：先是迈尔斯退学的悬疑，继而昆特的鬼魂出现，第二个鬼魂耶赛尔小姐随后登场；迈尔斯开始和昆特的鬼魂成对出现，弗劳拉则和耶赛尔小姐联系在一起；迈尔斯与弗劳拉建立攻守同盟，鬼魂们的行为也越来越肆无忌惮。随着故事情节的步步展开，女主人公的神经越来越紧绷，从听到午夜走廊步音的不安感，到见到鬼魂的惊悚感，到看到两个孩子时的疑神疑鬼，乃至到结尾处的草木皆兵。

正是因为女主人公的草木皆兵，令人不禁怀疑女主人公第一人称叙述的可靠性：从始至终，迈尔斯、弗劳拉以及女管家格罗斯太太等人从未明确承认过他们见过任何鬼魂。有没有可能昆特和耶赛尔小姐是女教师妄想的产物？果真如此的话，这个故事的正反派就要发生彻底的翻转：女教师才是作祟的“鬼”。她来自乡下牧师家庭，这是她的第一份工作，雇主很有魅力，令她不禁幻想一段浪漫感情的可能，为此她格外战战兢兢，怕辜负雇主信任。过度的使命感导致她对孩子调皮行为的过度解读，“疑心生暗鬼”，她所看到的鬼是她的心魔。她以拯救之名对孩子进行迫害，导致弗劳拉受到惊吓发高烧，迈尔斯小小年纪就送了命。

然而，这篇小说的总体叙述框架仿佛又在挑战这一解读。小说的主体部分是女教师的自述。它却有一个外层框架：冬日人们围炉夜话，讲鬼故事解闷，一个名叫道格拉斯的人讲述了他在年轻时从妹妹的家庭女教师那里听来的故事，这个故事还有手稿为证。小说外层框架的无名叙述者碰巧是听众之一，他要来了手稿誊抄发表。如果女教师真是妄想狂，迈尔斯之死应该会让她声名狼藉，她不可能继续教书生涯，认识道格拉斯。道格拉斯对她的人品赞誉有加，显然是她无罪的证人。

问题在于对于道格拉斯的话我们也不能全盘相信。他当时年轻，可能是受了蒙蔽，再者他也不是亲历人。而且为了造就悬疑效果，詹姆斯给了小说戛然而止的结尾：小说收官于迈尔斯的心脏停跳，我们无从得知故事的后续，无法判断女教师是在忏悔自己制造了悲剧，还是坚定地相信自己在守卫孩子们的灵魂。

《螺丝在拧紧》是开放的文本，叙述之间相互拆解，无限扩大了文本的阐释空间。小说不仅支持上文的“一鬼说”，即女教师心里有鬼，或者上文的“两鬼说”，即昆特和耶赛尔小姐是鬼，也支持“四鬼说”，即天使面庞的孩子们有着魔鬼的内心，是昆特和耶赛尔小姐这两只鬼的学徒。此外，也有可能以上诸人皆为无辜，操纵着这一切的“暗鬼”是格罗斯太太，或者是远在伦敦的男雇主。至于他们成为嫌疑人的理由，文本中也能找到蛛丝马迹。

开放的文本是等待着读者通过阅读发掘意义，进行创作的文本。所以，不妨翻开《螺丝在拧紧》来读一读——在布莱的大宅里，你会找到几个鬼？他（们）/她（们）是谁？