小说与文学2018irishtimes.com
新书认为柯南·道尔以乔治·布尔为原型塑造了莫里亚蒂
New book suggests Arthur Conan Doyle based Moriarty on George Boole
导读
这篇报道介绍一本新书，该书主张柯南·道尔笔下的莫里亚蒂教授原型是数学家乔治·布尔。对写作者而言，它的价值不在结论本身，而在它引发的讨论：人物原型如何论证、推理过程该怎么写、经典文本之间的呼应如何被识别。
可以直接用的写作要点
- 01
罗列“履历相似、外貌相似”只能算巧合，不能当证据；写论证时要主动检验反例。
- 02
把侦探“如何得出结论”的过程写出来，而不是只让他宣布答案，这是福尔摩斯式写法带来的关键创新。
- 03
人物对照要落到性格与动机的实质关联上，仅凭身份和经历相近就断言原型，说服力很弱。
- 04
留意经典文本间的措辞与主题回响（如柏拉图写苏格拉底、舒曼取材贝多芬），有意识地溯源能加厚自己的写作。
HN 评论精选
履历与外貌的巧合经不起反例检验，不能作为人物原型的证据。
按文章所述，我不认为这是个有力论点。所谓“有说服力的相似之处”是：两人都在小地方大学任教授，都因早年杰出成果获得职位，都对天文学有兴趣，外貌也相似——这就算有说服力？我认识好几个这样的人。而且照片和插画一点也不像！后面又说布尔道德高尚、品格优秀，是社会改革者、宗教思想家和顾家男人，新书用大量论证来解释两人性格的巨大反差。我没读过这本书，但这像是一种明褒实贬：论证没说服力，但至少够长！
Luc查看英文原文
Based on what is in the article I wouldn't call this a very strong thesis. "[...] numerous persuasive similarities. Both characters held chairs at small provincial universities; both won appointments on the basis of outstanding early work; both had interests in astronomy; the two were of similar appearance" These coincidences are supposed to be persuasive? I know several people like that. Plus the photograph and the illustration are nothing alike! "[...] Boole was a man of high morals and excellent character, a social reformer, religious thinker and family man. The new book by MacHale and Cohen presents extensive arguments that may account for the dramatic contrast between the two characters." I haven't read the book but that's some damning praise. The arguments are not persuasive, but at least they're long!
名句与主题常在经典文本间流动；主动溯源能让写作更有厚度。
有没有人想过，华生对福尔摩斯的最终评价“我所认识的最好、最睿智的人”，是道尔取自柏拉图对苏格拉底的评价？柏拉图原话是“我所认识的所有人中最睿智、最公正、最好的人”（《斐多》）。我很喜欢在读经典时像侦探一样发现这些小联系。比如今年我终于听了贝多芬《皇帝协奏曲》，发现舒曼《狂欢节》里大卫的主题整个取自那首协奏曲！这就是模仿。
EGreg查看英文原文
Has anyone ever thought that he based Watson’s final opinion of Holmes as “the best, and wisest man I have ever known” on the words of Plato about Socrates? Plato: “the wisest, and justest, and best of all men whom I have ever known” (Phaedo). I love finding these little connections (like a detective) while reading or listening to classics. Like for example anyone play piano here? Earlier this year I finally heard the Beethoven Emperor Concerto and realized that Schumann’s “Carnaval” the whole theme of David is taken from that concerto! Talk about imitation :)
侦探小说的突破在于把推理过程展示给读者，而不是只宣布结论。
你们也许喜欢这段柯南·道尔的访谈，他讲了为什么写福尔摩斯小说。大意是：以前的侦探小说里，侦探最后直接指出凶手，却从不真正向读者解释他如何、为何得出这个结论——侦探和凶手只是故事里的角色，故事从不描述调查过程；福尔摩斯小说写的正是这个过程，不管现不现实。然后他又大谈灵性和鬼魂之类的怪论，看来幻想也有利有弊。
DoctorOetker查看英文原文
Some of you may like this interview with Arthur Conan Doyle, he explains why he created the Sherlock Holmes novels Rough summary: previously the detective genre had detectives ultimately point out the perpetrator without actually explaining to the reader how and why they came to this conclusion, i.e. the detectives and perpetrators were simple roles in a story, and the story never actually described the process of investigation, which the Sherlock Holmes novels did, irrespective of whether they were realistic or not... Then he starts ranting about spirituality and ghosts and other quackery, like his own "experiences", ... I guess fantasy has its positives and negatives https://youtu.be/rZFdH76H1lA
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