《Before the law》

Before The Law - Franz Kafka

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BEFORE THE LAW stands a doorkeeper. To this door-keeper there comes a man from the country and prays for admittance to the Law. But the doorkeeper says that he cannot grant admittance at the moment. The man thinks it over and then asks if he will be allowed in later. "It is possible," says the doorkeeper, "but not at the moment." Since the gate stands open, as usual, and the doorkeeper steps to one side, the man stoops to peer through the gateway into the interior. Observing that, the doorkeeper laughs and says: "If you are so drawn to it, just try to go in despite my veto. But take note: I am powerful. And I am only the least of the door-keepers. From hall to hall there is one doorkeeper after another, each more powerful than the last. The third doorkeeper is already so terrible that even I cannot bear to look at him." These are difficulties the man from the country has not expected; the Law, he thinks, should surely be accessible at all times and to everyone, but as he now takes a closer look at the doorkeeper in his fur coat, with his big sharp nose and long, thin, black Tar-tar beard, he decides that it is better to wait until he gets permission to enter. The doorkeeper gives him a stool and lets him sit down at one side of the door. There he sits for days and years. He makes many at-tempts to be admitted, and wearies the doorkeeper by his importunity. The doorkeeper frequently has little interviews with him, asking him questions about his home and many other things, but the questions are put indifferently, as great lords put them, and always finish with the statement that he cannot be let in yet. The man, who has furnished himself with many things for his journey, sacrifices all he has, however valuable, to bribe the doorkeeper. The doorkeeper accepts every- thing, but always with the remark: "I am only taking it to keep you from thinking you have omitted any- thing." During these many years the man fixes his at-tention almost continuously on the doorkeeper. He for- gets the other doorkeepers, and this first one seems to him the sole obstacle preventing access to the Law. He curses his bad luck, in his early years boldly and loudly, later, as he grows old, he only grumbles to himself. He becomes childish, and since in his yearlong contempla-tion of the doorkeeper he has come to know even the fleas in his fur collar, he begs the fleas as well to help him and to change the doorkeeper's mind. At length his eyesight begins to fail, and he does not know whether the world is really darker or whether his eyes are only deceiving him. Yet in his darkness he is now aware t of a radiance that streams inextinguishably from the gateway of the Law. Now he has not very long to live. Before he dies, all his experiences in these long years gather themselves in his head to one point, a ques-tion he has not yet asked the doorkeeper. He waves him nearer, since he can no longer raise his stiffening body. The doorkeeper has to bend low towards him, for the difference in height between them has altered much to the man's disadvantage. "What do you want to know now?" asks the doorkeeper; "you are insati-able." "Everyone strives to reach the Law," says the man, "so how does it happen that for all these many years no one but myself has ever begged for admit-tance?" The doorkeeper recognizes that the man has reached his end, and to let his failing senses catch the words roars in his ear: "No one else could ever be admitted here, since this gate was made only for you. I am now going to shut it."

法的門前 (小遊戲)

                            卡夫卡

    以下是萬能科技大學徐振雄教授的文章節錄，出處請見2004.12.9聯合報。
「一位鄉下人走到「法的門前」，請求看門人讓他進去，但看門人說現在不准進入，並且說我只是這道門的看守者之一，雖然我有權力，但我卻是最卑微的。門裡面的其他看守人，比我更有權力，連我都不敢去看他們的模樣。鄉下人看看法之門雖是敞開的，但既然看門人如此說，那最好還是相信他，等到許可後再進入。於是，鄉下人在門旁等待，就他而言，看守人似乎是他與法之間唯一的障礙，如此一天過一天、一年又一年，直到鄉下人年老氣衰，在接近生命終點之際，他以微弱的聲音問那位看門人：「每個人都想到達法之前，但為什麼我等了這麼多年，卻沒有一個人來求見法？」看門人聽出鄉下人衰竭的話語，回答道：「除了你，沒有人能獲准進入這道門，因為它是專為你而開的，但現在我要去關上它了！」

卡夫卡：《法律門前》 （Before The Law）

(2007-04-10 13:59:52)

轉載

    法律門前站著一名衛士。一天來了個鄉下人，請求衛士放他進法律的門裡去。可是衛士回答說，他現在不能允許他這樣做。鄉下人考慮了一下又問：他等一等是否可以進去呢？

    “ 有可能， ” 衛士回答， “ 但現在不成。 ”

    由於法律的大門始終都敞開著，這當兒衛士又退到一邊去了，鄉下人便彎著腰，往門裡瞧。衛士發現了大笑道： “ 要是你很想進去，就不妨試試，把我的禁止當耳邊風好了。不過得記住：我可是很厲害的。再說我還僅僅是最低一級的衛士哩。從一座廳堂到另一座廳堂，每一道門前面都站著一個衛士，而且一個比一個厲害。就說第三座廳堂前的那位吧，連我都不敢正眼瞧他吶。 ”

    鄉下人沒料到會碰見這麼多困難；人家可是說法律之門人人都可以進，隨時都可以進啊，他想。不過，當他現在仔細打量過那位穿皮大衣的衛士，看了看他那又大又尖的鼻子，又長又密又黑的韃靼人似的鬍鬚以後，他覺得還是等一等，到人家允許他進去時再進去好一些。衛士給他一隻小矮凳，讓他坐在大門旁邊。他於是便坐在那兒，日復一日，年復一年。其間他做過多次嘗試，請求人家放他進去，搞得衛士也厭煩起來。時不時地，衛士也向他提出些簡短的詢問，問他的家鄉和其他許多情況；不過，這些都是那類大人物提的不關痛癢的問題，臨了衛士還是對他講，他還不能放他進去。鄉下人為旅行到這兒來原本是準備了許多東西的，如今可全都花光了；為了討好衛士，花再多也該啊。那位儘管什麼都收了，卻對他講： “ 我收的目的，僅僅是使你別以為自己有什麼禮數不周到。 ”

    許多年來，鄉下人差不多一直不停地在觀察著這個衛士。他把其他衛士全給忘了；對於他來說，這第一個衛士似乎就是進入法律殿堂的惟一障礙。他詛咒自己機會碰得不巧，頭一些年還罵得大聲大氣，毫無顧忌，到後來人老了，就只能再獨自嘟嘟囔囔幾句。他甚至變得孩子氣起來；在對衛士的多年觀察中，他發現這位老兄的大衣毛領裡藏著跳蚤，於是也請跳蚤幫助他使那位衛士改變主意。終於，他老眼昏花了；但自己卻鬧不清楚究竟是周圍真的變黑了呢，或者僅僅是眼睛在欺騙他。不過，這當兒在黑暗中，他卻清清楚楚看見一道亮光，一道從法律之門中迸射出來的不滅的亮光。此刻他已經生命垂危。彌留之際，他在這整個過程中的經驗一下子全湧進腦海，凝聚成了一個迄今他還不曾向衛士提過的問題。他向衛士招了招手；他的身體正在慢慢地僵硬，再也站不起來了。衛士不得不向他俯下身子，他倆的高矮差距已變得對他大大不利。

    “ 事已至此，你還想知道什麼？ ” 衛士問。 “ 你這個人真不知足。 ”

    “ 不是所有的人都嚮往法律麼， ” 鄉下人說， “ 可怎麼在這許多年間，除去我以外就沒見有任何人來要求進去呢？ ”

    衛士看出鄉下人已死到臨頭，為了讓他那聽力漸漸消失的耳朵能聽清楚，便沖他大聲吼道：“ 這道門任何別的人都不得進入；因為它是專為你設下的。現在我可得去把它關起來了。 ”

走進法律之門--《法律門前》讀後

[劉僑 ]——(2004-11-16)