【英國衛報精讀】真實還是虛構?《王冠》第四季播出引熱議

原文譯文

*註：本文選自11月16日《英國衛報》

The Crown's fake history is as corrosive as fake news

《王冠》偽造歷史的破壞性和假新聞一樣破壞巨大

The popular TV series about the royal family is reality hijacked as propaganda, and a cowardly abuse of artistic licence

這部關於王室的熱門電視劇為了宣傳偽造歷史，是對「藝術虛構」的濫用

1. When you turn on your television tonight, imagine seeing the news acted rather than read. Someone looking like Boris Johnson furiously screaming at his fiancee, Carrie Symonds; Dominic Cummings vomiting into a can; and the Queen told to piss off. Afterwards the BBCflashes upa statement saying all this was 「based on true events」, and hoping we enjoyed it.

打開電視，想像一下你看的不是新聞，而是「新聞劇」。一個很像鮑裡斯·詹森的人憤怒地對著未婚妻凱莉·西蒙茲尖叫;多米尼克·卡明斯對著馬桶嘔吐，有人叫女王滾開。之後，BBC快速閃過一則聲明，稱這一切都是「改編自真實事件，」望觀眾喜歡。

2. The royal family series The Crown hasgarneredplauditsfor its acting andbrickbatsfor itsinaccuracies, almost all of themderogatorytowards living or recently dead individuals. The new series, on Netflix, appears to have upped thefabricationand the offence. Thescriptwriter, Peter Morgan, admits: 「Sometimes you have toforsakeaccuracy, but you must never forsake truth.」

《王冠》系列電視劇因其表演大獲讚譽，也因其不實而被批判，該劇幾乎誹謗王室所有人，包括在世的和已經故去的。該劇新的一季在Netflix上線，劇中對王室的歪曲和捏造比之前更甚。編劇彼得 摩根承認:「有時候人們不得不放棄準確，但是永遠不能放棄真理。」

3. This sounds like a dangerous distinction. Helen Mirren’s portrayal of Elizabeth II in The Queen (2006) wasuncomplimentarybut aplausiblerecreation of events around the death of Diana. Olivia Colman’ssour-facedparodyof the monarch on Netflix left us guessing which parts were true and which false. It was fake history. The words and actions of living individuals were made up to suit a plot that could have been scripted by Diana’s biggest supporters.

這是一個危險的區分。海倫·米倫在《女王》(2006年版)中對伊莉莎白二世的刻畫似乎不夠正面，但是那是對黛安娜去世事件前後的合理再現。在Netflix上線的這部《王冠》中，奧利維亞·科爾曼所扮演的女王臉上永遠帶著諷刺的笑，這讓我疑惑，到底什麼是真的，什麼是假的。這是虛假的歷史。劇中角色的言行都是為了迎合黛安娜的支持者而編造的。

4. The historian Hugo Vickers has already detailed eight completefabricationsin the new series, allcaricaturingthe royal family in the worst possible light. They are:

Lord Mountbatten wrote a letter to Prince Charles the day before his death.

The royal family laidprotocoltraps to humiliate Margaret Thatcher on a visit to Balmoral.

Princess Margaret ridiculed Princess Diana for not being able to curtsey.

Prince Charles called Camilla Parker Bowles every day in the early years of his marriage.

Princess Diana threw atantrumon a visit to Australia and forced the plans to be changed.

Princess Margaret visited two of the Queen’s cousins, who had been placed in a 「statelunaticasylum」 to avoid embarrassing the monarchy.

The Queen was responsible for leaking her view of Thatcher as 「uncaring」.

The Queen was repeatedly shown wrongly dressed for Trooping the Colour.

歷史學家雨果·維克斯已經指出《王冠》第四季中不下八處虛假細節，這些細節都對王室進行了好一番嘲諷。列舉如下：

蒙巴頓勳爵在查爾斯王子去世的前一天給他寫了一封信。

在訪問巴爾莫勒爾時，王室設置了禮節陷阱來羞辱柴契爾夫人。

瑪格麗特公主嘲笑黛安娜王妃不懂怎麼行屈膝禮。

結婚初期，查爾斯王子每天都給卡米拉·帕克·鮑爾斯打電話。

黛安娜王妃在訪問澳大利亞時大發雷霆，迫使計劃改變。

瑪格麗特公主去看了女王的兩個表兄弟，他們被關在「國家精神病院」以避免讓王室難堪。

女王覺得柴契爾「冷漠」。

女王在檢閱皇家軍隊時的穿著多次出現錯誤。

5. These areon a par withthe 「revelations」 in an earlier series, one implicating Prince Philip in the Profumo affair and another hinting atinfidelity. The intention was clearly to give a shudder of shock to viewers lulled into assuming it was all true.

這些內容和前幾季中的「爆料」一樣。在前幾季中，有一季暗示菲利普親王和普羅富莫醜聞有關，還有一季暗示親王出軌。很明顯，這是為了鎮住觀眾，哄騙他們相信所有一切都是真的。

6. The royal family can look after themselves, and usually do. I am less sure of history, and especially contemporary history. Thevalidityof 「true story」 docu-dramas can only lie in theirveracity. We have to believe they are true, or why are we wasting our time?

王室能處理自己的事情，他們一直都這樣。我不了解歷史，尤其是當代歷史。「真實故事」紀錄片的有效性在於其真實性。我們得確定它們是真的，否則何必浪費時間？

7. False history is reality hijacked aspropaganda. As Morgan implies, his film may not be accurate, but his purpose is to share a deeper truth with his audience: that the royal family were beastly to Diana. Will we next be told they really killed her?

虛假歷史為達到宣傳的目的而架空現實。正如摩根所說的那樣，他的電影並不真實，但是他的目的是為了揭露一個深層次的真相，即皇室殘忍對黛安娜很殘忍。接下來，他們是不是會告訴我們，黛安娜是被王室謀殺的？

8. We all know Shakespearetook liberties withhistory. There are still writers who struggle to correct his spin, such as Richard III. Most historical novelists go to great lengths to verify their version of events, as Hilary Mantel does. So did Tolstoy, in War and Peace. We accept that distant history has time to set its house in order.

我們都知道莎士比亞總是任意歪曲歷史。到現在，仍有作家在努力糾正他作品中的一些歷史錯誤，比如有關喬治三世的歷史。和希拉蕊·曼特爾一樣，很多歷史小說家都竭力證明他們所刻畫的歷史事件真實性。託爾斯泰在《戰爭與和平》中也是如此。我們承認，遠古的歷史有空間來構建其真實。

9. That is why modern history must be different. It is too close to what should be sacred ground. There cannot be one truth for historians, and journalists, and another truth called artistic licence.

這就是為什麼現代歷史必須有所不同。現代歷史離事實太近了。不可能有一個專屬於歷史學家和記者的真相，再有一個叫做「藝術虛構」的真相。

10. When millions of viewers are told that both Diana and Thatcher were humiliated by the royal family at Balmoral, we should not have to rely on someone like Vickers to reply that this was utterly untrue. The correction will pass millions of viewers by.

數百萬觀眾從劇中知道皇室在巴爾莫勒爾城堡侮辱了黛安娜和柴契爾，我們不能等著像維克斯這樣的人來告訴我們這不是事實，而是「藝術虛構。」觀眾不會關注到這些的。

11. Thefibis far more fun. Yet it was curiously unnecessary, since there were plenty of occasions, as in Mirren’s interpretation, when royalty can be shown behaving badly. Morgan could have made his point truthfully.

撒個無傷大雅的小謊很有趣。但是，沒必要，在很多情況下，皇室的惡劣行為是可以表現出來的，就像在米倫對伊莉莎白二世的刻畫中一樣。摩根本可以很好地表達自己的觀點。摩根本可以把他的觀點說得很真實。

12. Laws of privacy,defamationandslanderhave been built up over years to protect individuals against ever moresurveillance and intrusion into personal lives. Most people support them, and increasing numbers use them. The Crown hastaken its libertiesby relying on royalty’s well-known – and sensible – reluctance to resort to the courts. This is artistic licence at its most cowardly as well as casual.

多年來，為保護個人隱私免受監視和侵擾，有關隱私和誹謗的法律已經完善。很多人都支持這些法律，而且越來越多的人使用這些法律來保護自己的合法權利。眾所周知，王室不願訴諸法庭，《王冠》利用這一點大肆冒犯王室。藝術虛構被卑劣的濫用了。

13. Fake history is fake newsentrenched. To the legions of global cyber-warriors, fakery is legitimate hacking. To the trollers and spinners of lies, to leftwingconspiracytheorists and rightwing vaccine deniers, it isretaliationagainst power.

假歷史和假新聞一樣。對於全球網絡衛道士來說，偽造簡直就是合法黑客行為。對於謊言的煽動者、左翼陰謀論者和右翼反疫苗者來說，這是對權力的報復。

14. To documentary makers for whom ordinary facts are not colourful enough, not sufficiently damning, fake history carries the magic trump card: artistic licence.

對於紀錄片製作者來說，平常的事實真相不夠精彩，不夠吸睛，因此，虛假歷史獲得了一張王牌，那就是藝術虛構。

15. Come the great new dawn of social media regulation, someone will build a structure of monitoring and mediating access to the world’s screens. Heaven forbid the equivalent of a board of film censors, but some regulation there must be. All we need is a simple icon in the top corner of the screen. It should read: F for fiction.

隨著社交媒體監管新曙光來臨，監控和調節全球屏幕訪問的系統將會建立。電影審查委員會這樣的機構可以沒有，但是還是要有一些監管機制。我們所需要的僅僅只是電腦屏幕左上角的一個簡單圖標，它應該是這樣的:F表示虛構。

精讀解析

篇章結構

P1—P2：《王冠》系列因其不實遭受批判，而其編劇稱，這些誇張是為了表現真相。

P5—P4：《王冠》中的不實細節。

P6—P14：基於歷史的藝術虛構並不是要歪曲歷史：《王室》系列中隨意歪曲歷史使得人們對真實的有效性產生了懷疑（P5—P7）；莎士比亞等古代作家對歷史的處理可以理解，但是現代歷史離事實太近了，對歷史的刻畫需要慎重（P8—P10）；《王冠》利用王室不願訴諸法律這一點大肆歪曲歷史，是對隱私法律的違背（P11-P12）；虛假歷史和虛假新聞一樣可惡（P13）。

P15：藝術虛構也需要一些監管機制。

重點單詞

flash up閃現

【例句】

And as you walk down that street, you notice something flashing up above you.

當你走在街上時，你注意到上方有什麼東西在閃爍。

garner/'gɑ n / vt. 儲存；獲得；把…儲入穀倉n. 穀倉

【例句】

Mr. Smith gradually garnered a national reputation as a financial expert.

史密斯先生逐漸贏得全國金融專家的聲譽。

plaudit/'pl d t/ n. 喝彩；讚美

【例句】

The plaudits came flooding in following her performances.

表演結束後，掌聲如潮水般湧來。

brickbat/'br kb t/ n. 碎磚；批評的話；不遜之言vt. 向…投擲碎磚；譴責

【例句】

The nigger kind of smiled around graduly over his face , like when you heave a brickbat in a mud - puddle , and he says.

這個黑奴臉上漾開了笑容，好象一塊碎磚扔進了一片泥塘。

inaccuracy/ n' kj r s / n. 不準確,誤差；不準確的說法

【例句】

There is a slight inaccuracy in this design.

這張設計圖中有一點不大準確。

derogatory/d 'r g t( )r / adj. 不敬的

【例句】

Asia Bibi was condemned for allegedly making derogatory remarks about Islam.

阿西婭·比比因涉嫌誹謗伊斯蘭教而受到譴責。

fabrication/f br 'ke ( )n/ n. 製造;組建；構造物；捏造;虛構物

【例句】

The reason he gave for his absence was obviously fabricated.

他所說的缺席理由顯然是編造的。

scriptwriter/'skr ptra t / n. 電影劇本作者

【例句】

Soupy Sales began his career as a scriptwriter and disc jockey who played records on the radio.

蘇坡·塞爾斯的職業生涯始於一名在電臺播放唱片的編劇和音樂節目主持人。

forsake/f 'se k/ vt. 放棄；斷念

【例句】

She pleaded with her husband not to forsake her.

她懇求丈夫不要拋棄她。

uncomplimentary/ nk mpl 'ment( )r / adj. 貶降的,貶損的

【例句】

If he had uncomplimentary thoughts about the tale-teller, he kept them to himself.

如果他對搬弄是非的人有什麼不好的看法，他也不會說出來。

plausible/'pl z b( )l/ adj. (聲明、爭論等)似乎是真的；花言巧語的, 能說會道的

【例句】

I certainly think those are plausible responses.

我認為這是合理的回應。

sour-facedadj.臉色陰沉的;顯得不高興的

【例句】

He's a sour-faced old man!

他是個面色陰鬱的老頭！

parody/'p r d / n. 滑稽的模仿詩文；拙劣的模仿;荒謬的替代物vt. 滑稽地模仿, 拙劣地模仿

【例句】

She has become a grotesque parody of her former elegant self.

她成為了以前那個舉止優雅的自己的怪誕模仿品。

fabrication/f br 'ke ( )n/ n. 製造;組建；構造物；捏造;虛構物

【例句】

The reason he gave for his absence was obviously fabricated.

他所說的缺席理由顯然是編造的。

caricature/'k r k tj / n. 漫畫;誇張的描述或模仿;漫畫藝術;滑稽或諷刺的模仿藝術vt. 用漫畫表現或誇張描述、模仿…adj. 諷刺畫的;滑稽的

【例句】

The trial was a caricature of justice.

這次審判是對正義的滑稽模仿

protocol/'pr t k l/ n. 禮儀;外交禮儀；(外交條約的)草案,草約;(尤指)議定的條款,議定書

【例句】

Graduation exercises had to be consistent with academic protocol.

畢業典禮必須符合學院禮儀。

tantrum/'t ntr m/ n. 發脾氣；發怒

【例句】

He always flies into a tantrum when he’s contradicted.

每當不如意時他就會大發脾氣。

lunatic/'lu n t k/ adj. 精神錯亂的；瘋狂的；愚蠢的n. 瘋子；瘋人

【例句】

I was carved up by a lunatic in a Porsche.

一個開保時捷的瘋子超車搶了我的道。

asylum/ 'sa l m/ n. 庇護；收容所，救濟院

【例句】

Having sought asylum in the West for many years, they were eventually granted it.

他們獲得了在西方以尋求多年的避難權。

on a par with與…同等；和…一樣

【例句】

He sees himself as the greatest war leader of all time on a par with Napoleon.

他自認是史上最偉大的戰時領袖，與拿破崙相媲美。

infidelity/ nf 'del t / n. (夫妻間的)不忠實;(尤指)通姦

【例句】

I ought not to have tolerated his infidelities.

我當初不應容忍他的不忠行為。

be lulled into麻痺

【例句】

When he drums and chants in a certain sequence, some of his listeners are lulled into a trance.

當他以某種規律擊鼓吟唱時，一些聽眾會受其引導而出神。

普羅富莫事件（Profumo Affair）是一件發生於1963年的英國政治醜聞，該醜聞以事件主角，時任戰爭大臣的約翰·普羅富莫命名。

普羅富莫原是一名受重視的保守黨內閣成員，他的妻子是女演員瓦萊莉婭·霍布森（Valerie Hobson）。而醜聞之焦點在於普羅富莫和歌舞演員克莉絲汀·基勒（Christine Keeler）發生的一段婚外情。在1961年，當時倫敦有名的整骨醫生史蒂芬·沃德在克萊芙頓（Cliveden）舉行派對，普羅富莫和基勒就是在那裡認識的，但他們倆的關係只維持了數星期便告吹。然而，有關他們緋聞的謠言卻在1962年開始在公眾間流傳，而令人驚訝的是，原來基勒更曾同時與一位蘇聯駐倫敦大使館的高級海軍武官，葉夫根尼·伊凡諾夫（Yevgeny Ivanov）有染（伊凡諾夫是蘇聯間諜）。

validity/v 'l d t / n. 有效;效力;合法性；正當;正確;確實

【例句】

I would question the validity of that assumption.

我會質疑那個假設的正當性。

veracity/v 'r s t / n. 誠實;真實

【例句】

There is no reason to doubt the veracity of the evidence.

沒有理由懷疑證據的真實性。

propaganda/pr p 'g nd / n. 宣傳, 宣傳運動

【例句】

A lot of propaganda has painted him as bad.

大量宣傳把他說得很壞。

take liberty with隨意對待；冒昧；對…放肆；任意歪曲

【例句】

They took several liberties with the original story when they turned it into a film.

他們把這 篇故事改編成 電影時，對原作作了好幾處改動。

fib/f b/ n. 無傷大雅的謊言，小謊；一擊vi. 撒小謊

【例句】

Mr Kavanaugh told other small fibs under oath.

卡瓦諾在宣誓後說了其他小謊言。

take the liberty冒昧；擅自

take the liberty of 冒昧的；擅自

【例句】

We take the liberty to day of sending you samples of wheat.

今天，我們冒昧送去小麥樣品。

defamation/ def 'me ( )n/ n. 誹謗, 中傷

【例句】

She sued the magazine for defamation of her character.

她控告該雜誌誹謗她的人格。

slander/'slɑ nd / n. 誹謗, 詆毀vt. 造謠中傷

【例句】

He slandered me in front of my friend.

他在我的朋友面前誹謗我。

surveillance/s 've l( )ns/ n. 盯梢, 監視

【例句】

The army carried out covert surveillance of the building for several months.

軍隊對這座建築物進行了數月的秘密監視。

entrench/ n'tren(t) / vt. 用壕溝圍繞或保護…；牢固地確立…n. 壕溝;防禦設施

【例句】

The troops were entrenched near the mountains.

部隊在群山邊築起壕溝以防衛自己。

conspiracy/k n'sp r s / n. 陰謀, 密謀

【例句】

He was mixed up in the conspiracy.

他參與了那次陰謀。

retaliation/ri,t li'ei n/ n. 報復；反擊

【例句】

He never said a single word in retaliation.

他從未說過一句反擊的話。

- THE END -

堅持就會有收穫！