【读后】硬汉的温柔止于唇间

这是钱德勒的第一部长篇小说，所以我选择了这本作为填坑的第一作。之前常读本格，又刚刚补完了奎因的国名系列，习惯了那种缜密严谨、完满周全的推理，所以这部冷硬派的刚一上来还真有点不太适应。现在全篇读下来，发现其实是不是推理小说已经没有必要过分地争执，褪去冷硬的外壳，小说核心人物和故事内核却相当地温暖，而这一点相当地重要。

小说的最大特点就是把侦探拉回现实，而现实的生活中，侦探们出生忘死地卖力营生，图的是个糊口。侦探是他们的饭碗，而不是或与歹徒，或与读者之间进行的游戏。马洛（Marlowe）挣的是每天二十五美元的薪水，干的是提着脑袋躲枪子儿的工作。作者甚至通过马洛自己的话突出了他这种别致的意图，强调了马洛与其他传统意义上的侦探的区别：

The first time we met I told you I was a detective. Get it through your lovely head. I work at it, lady. I don't play at it. (Chapter 23)

I'm not Sherlock Holmes or Philo Vance. I don't expect to go over ground the police have covered and pick up a broken pen point and build a case from it. If you think there is anybody in the detective business making a living doing that sort of thing, you don't know much about cops. (Chapter 30)

这种真实感正是马洛这个角色的魅力所在，他游走在法律与罪恶的灰色地带；他破坏现场，对犯罪行为隐瞒不报，还与黑帮和流氓混混做着各种各样桌面下的交易。他的背景和行为的复杂程度，给人留下了更多的想象空间。而且，马洛这种角色更为要命的地方是，他虽然抽着烟，喝着酒，闻着煤灰味儿，有时候还十分狼狈地被人家铐起来揍一顿，但是他吸引人的地方还是性格中的张力，那种狡黠机智和情理矛盾。

I kissed her tightly and quickly. Then a long slow clinging kiss. Her lips opened under mine. Her body began to shake in my arms... I strained her against me until the shivering of her body was almost shaking mine. I kept on kissing her. (Chapter 23)

这是马洛和将军的大女儿薇薇安（Vivian）的那场接吻的情节，当时他们刚从艾迪（Eddie）的赌场出来。赶跑了来骚扰的艾迪的手下，坐在了车上。这之后，薇薇安准备要马洛带他回家进行更为深入的交流，被马洛拒绝。当时他还不知道薇薇安和艾迪两人联合做套儿阴他的事。

A blond head was pressed into my pillow. Two bare arms curved up and the hands belonging to them were crasped on top of the blond head. Carmen Sternwood lay on her back, in my bed, giggling at me. The twany wave of her hair was spread out on the pillow as if by a careful and artificial hand. Her slaty eyes peered at me and had the effect, as usual, of peering from behind a barrel. (Chapter 24)

这是马洛回家之后发现将军二女儿卡门（Carmen）已经裸体地躺在他床上的情景。马洛的反应是从柔和到严厉地要他三分钟内穿好衣服自己离开。

I leaned against her and pressed her against the wall with my body. I pushed my mouth against my face. I talked to her that way. / 'There is no hurry. All this was arranged in advance, rehearsed to the last detail, timed to the split second. Just like radio program. No hurry at all. Kiss me, Silver-Wig.' / Her face under my mouth was like ice. She put her hands up and took hold of my head and kissed me hard on lips. Her lips were like ice, too. (Chapter 28)

这是马洛和艾迪老婆的吻戏。当时马洛在虎口尚未脱险，仍然命悬一线之间，还是和私自放走了自己的艾迪老婆来了这么一出儿。马洛对艾迪夫人印象很好，然而两人最终也就仅此而已。

三个温柔乡，两次红唇劫，马洛最终也都没有更进一步。并非是马洛没有动心。他亲口对薇薇安说：

Don't think I'm icicle... I'm not blind or without senses. I have a warm blood like the next guy. (Chapter 23)

二女儿卡门走后，马洛的行为，便显得激烈又隐晦，但也很能说明问题：

I went back to the bed and looked down at it. The imprint of her head was still in the pillow, of her small corrupt body still on the sheets. / I put my empty glass down and tore the bed to pieces savagely. (Chapter 24)... You can have a hangover from other things than alcohol. I had one from women. Women made me sick. (Chapter 25)

而关于他最青睐的艾迪老婆，全篇最后也给出了悠长的回应：

On the way downtown I stopped at a bar and had a couple of double Scotches. They didn't do me any good. All they did was make me think of Silver-Wig, and I never saw her again. (Chapter 32)

总之马洛并非毫不动情，换做别人提枪就上也绝非无可挽回的错误。但是马洛的这种回应方式却显得相当的实感，性格上也就变得相当可爱了，还是那种机智狡黠，有点渣坏，看似不靠谱儿但是却从各种方面值得信赖的那种可爱。

我是不知道马洛之后面对美女的时候是不是也都止步于唇间了，但是我知道，唇间，对于硬汉来说算是刚刚好，进一步不“硬”，退一步又不“汉”，就是这种冷里带着暖的纠结最好不过了。