Jailbird

Kurt VonnegutBaihuazhou Literature and Art Publishing House2017

Rating 4.0
Word count
190K words
Chapters
4
ISBN
9787550022348

Tags

Literature Foreign Literature IntellectualsHuman NatureSocial CritiqueFirst PersonFull-Length NovelBlack HumorPostmodernismAmerican Literature

Summary

Jailbird is a novel by Kurt Vonnegut, published in 1979. It is regarded as one of the representative works of his mature period and is often mentioned alongside Breakfast of Champions. The book unfolds as a first-person account by the world-weary Walter Starbuck: born into a Slavic immigrant family, a Harvard graduate, he has worked as an editor at the "radical" paper, joined the Communist Party, entered the federal government, and later became implicated in Watergate, passing in and out of prison several times. The narrative begins with his wait for release at a federal minimum-security adult correctional facility, alternating between present-day release and remembered past, with his shifting identities entangled with the historical context: the Great Depression, World War II, the Korean War, McCarthyism and political purges, Watergate and more all leave their marks on the story, ultimately turning this once idealistic man into a bird in a cage. The title "Jailbird" is both a metaphor for the protagonist's predicament and a reference to people imprisoned by their era, the system, and their own cowardice. The work juxtaposes calm, restrained retrospection with absurd humor, letting heavy history appear almost childishly farcical; what remains after the laughter are questions about ideals, loyalty, and compromise. The Chinese translation is by Dong Leshan, whose seasoned rendering is supplemented with extensive annotations on American political, social, and cultural background, making it easier for Chinese readers to enter that unfamiliar era.

Editor's review

冯内古特被看作美国黑色幽默文学的代表人物，与马克·吐温常被并提；他的小说在荒诞与笑声中处理战争、政治与人性的沉重主题。《囚鸟》不像《五号屠宰场》那样以战争为核心，它更像一部“时代精装版”的个人史：一个大萧条中长大的移民之子，从哈佛到共产党，从白宫到监狱，一路被大人物当作工具，也一次次心甘情愿地交出自己。最动人的地方在于，冯内古特写的不是外部世界的荒唐，而是主人公清醒的自省：他明白自己在妥协、在逃避风险，却仍然照旧走下去。译者董乐山的译本被许多读者视为冯内古特中文版的“标准译本”，译文简净，语言带一点老派的从容，还补充了大量历史注释，即使不熟悉美国政治，也能读懂斯代布克命运的转折点。书中不断切换的场景和几近轻描淡写的黑色玩笑，可能会让习惯传统叙事的人一时摸不着头绪；但读过几章后，那种“越荒诞越真实”的感受会越来越明显。

Who it's for

A good fit for

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Reading tips

  1. 先读卷首导读，弄清大萧条到水门事件的年代背景，再进入正文会更顺
  2. 把主人公回忆与现实场景分别标记，留意两段时间线的对照关系
  3. 遇到政治人物与机构感到陌生时，不必停下来逐一查证，先读完再补资料
  4. 可与《冠军早餐》对读，感受冯内古特七十年代两部作品在写法上的呼应

About the publisher

Baihuazhou Literature and Art Publishing House China · Founded in 1990

Baihuazhou Literature and Art Publishing House is a professional literature and art publisher. Judging from the books in the database, its publishing focus is on foreign literature, world classics, prose and miscellaneous writings, and classic works, while also covering literary appreciation and cultural reading. Representative titles include The Painter of Modern Life, Jane Eyre, Six Chapters of a Floating Life, The Moon and Sixpence, Selected Prose of Ji Xianlin, A Sportsman's Sketches, and Collected Prose of Famous Masters, involving Chinese and foreign authors such as Charles Baudelaire, Charlotte Brontë, Shen Fu, and W. Somerset Maugham, as well as translators including Guo Hong'an, Chen Jinhui, Jing Xing, and Jiao Haili. Overall, the press emphasizes the introduction of classic texts and the compilation of prose works, presenting a publishing profile centered on literary reading and cultural accumulation. As public information is limited, other aspects are not elaborated here.

Contents

  1. Vonnegut and His Jailbird
  2. Prologue
  3. Jailbird (Chapters 1–23)
  4. Epilogue

FAQ

《囚鸟》是冯内古特的哪一年作品？ 《囚鸟》英文原名 Jailbird，于1979年出版，是他创作成熟期的长篇小说之一，常与1973年出版的《冠军早餐》并称。
这本书是《冠军早餐》的续集吗？ 两者不是上下部的关系，而是各自独立的作品。早期译林版曾把两部分合编为《冠军早餐 囚鸟》一书出版，读者需要留意版本差异。
中文版由谁翻译？ 较通行的中文译本由翻译家董乐山执笔，译文简练，并补充了较多美国政治与文化背景的注释，便于中文读者理解。
这本书讲的是一个什么故事？ 它讲的是瓦尔特·斯代布克在联邦监狱中等待出狱时，追述自己从移民之子、哈佛学生、共产党员、政府职员到囚犯的一生，其间穿插20世纪美国的多起重大历史事件。
阅读《囚鸟》需要先了解美国历史吗？ 不需要专业储备，但知道大萧条、麦卡锡主义、水门事件的大致背景，会更容易理解主人公命运转折的含义；董乐山的注释也能帮上忙。

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About the author

Kurt Vonnegut Author · American · 1922–2007

Kurt Vonnegut (1922–2007) was an American writer and a leading figure in American black humor literature. He served in World War II, was taken prisoner, and witnessed the Dresden bombing, an experience that became important material for his masterpiece Slaughterhouse-Five. Novels such as Cat's Cradle, Breakfast of Champions, Jailbird, and God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater often blend postmodern narrative techniques and science-fiction elements with a satirical tone, reflecting on the horror and absurdity of twentieth-century civilization. His work combines black humor with humanistic concern and has had a lasting influence in the field of foreign literature.