Nobel Prize in Literature: The Women Who’ve Won It 荣获诺贝尔文学奖的女作家

夏洛特·伦西 程颋

Svetlana Alexievich has become the 14th female winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature. But who are the other women laureates， and which of their books should you read first？ 斯韋特兰娜·阿列克谢耶维奇成为第14位荣获诺贝尔文学奖的女性。其他女性得主都是谁？她们的著作中，应该先读哪几本？

By Charlotte Runcie

Svetlana Alexievich， 2015

What the judges said： “for her polyphonic writings1， a monument to suffering and courage in our time.”

The daughter of two village schoolteachers， Alexievich studied journalism in Belarus， which at the time was part of the Soviet Union. Alexievich is notable for her style of intertwining literature and reportage， to create “novels of voices，” in which she’s covered the Chernobyl catastrophe， the Soviet war in Afghanistan and many other events—all based on thousands of interviews with witnesses.

Alice Munro， 2013

What the judges said： “master of the contemporary short story.”

The Canadian author originally began writing short stories as a teen. At the time she felt she was working towards a novel， but soon found new depths and possibilities for the form among her rich but understated pieces， which subtly expose personal experience and the detail of everyday life.

Herta Müller， 2009

What the judges said： “who， with the concentration of poetry and the frankness of prose， depicts the landscape2 of the dispossessed3.”

Born in 1953 in Nitzkydorf， Romania， as a young woman Müller worked as a translator in a factory before being approached to spy for the Romanian secret police. Her refusal cost her a job， and led to the beginning of her writing.

Doris Lessing， 2007

What the judges said： “that epicist of the female experience， who with scepticism， fire and visionary power has subjected a divided civilisation to scrutiny.”

Lessing was born in Persia4 to British parents in 1919. Thanks to a troubled childhood， she was largely self-educated. Her writing documents and challenges the female experience and struggles with individual identity.

Elfriede Jelinek， 2004

What the judges said： “for her musical flow of voices and counter-voices in novels and plays that with extraordinary linguistic zeal reveal the absurdity of society’s clichés and their subjugating5 power.”

Jelinek’s books pick apart the patriarchal structure of her native Austria. Her experimental prose is often deliberately provocative （depicting sexual violence in detail）， dividing critics， while her poetry is widely considered to be starkly vivid and accomplished.

Wislawa Szymborska， 1996

What the judges said： “for poetry that with ironic precision allows the historical and biological context to come to light in fragments of human reality.”

Born in Western Poland in 1923， Szymborska’s poetry collections have been translated into 16 languages. They take a lyrical， direct look at the aftermath of war and its impact on the details of daily life， and show a precision honed during her years as a poetry editor6.

Toni Morrison， 1993

What the judges said： “who in novels characterised by visionary force and poetic import， gives life to an essential aspect of American reality.”

The first black woman to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature， this American novelist has also won awards including a Pulitzer and the National Book Critics Circle Award. She was born in a steel town in Ohio， and read Tolstoy， Dostoevsky， and Jane Austen during her formative years. Her writing is full of poetically rich descriptions of life for black people in America， hallmarked by Morrison’s sharp ear for dialogue.

Nadine Gordimer， 1991

What the judges said： “who through her magnificent epic writing has—in the words of Alfred Nobel—been of very great benefit to humanity.”

Born in South Africa， Gordimer’s novels include A Guest of Honour， The Conservationist， July’s People， The Pickup， None to Accompany Me and Get a Life. Deeply engaged with South African politics， Gordimer writes with sensuousness and complexity about her country and the anxiety of privilege.

Nelly Sachs， 1966

What the judges said： “outstanding lyrical and dramatic writing， which interprets Israel’s destiny with touching strength.”

Born in Berlin in 1891， Sachs escaped the Nazi regime and left for Sweden in 1940. Her poetry， with its grand-scale explorations of Jewish suffering， began to gain recognition when she was around 50. She spent some time in a mental institution， and continued to write there.

Gabriela Mistral， 1945

What the judges said： “lyric poetry which， inspired by powerful emotions， has made her name a symbol of the idealistic aspirations of the entire Latin American world.”

The first Latin American to win the Nobel Prize in Literature， Mistral was a staunch defender of democracy and the rights of women， children and the poor. Her spiritual and emotional writing is a departure from the work of her modernist contemporaries.

Pearl Buck7， 1938

What the judges said： “rich and truly epic descriptions of peasant life in China and for her biographical masterpieces.”

Buck was born in West Virginia but grew up in China， and her plentiful writing straddles East and West. Her novel The Good Earth， a sweeping8 tale of life in China under the last emperor， won a Pulitzer， and was an American bestseller.

Sigrid Undset， 1928

What the judges said： “powerful descriptions of Northern life during the Middle Ages.”

The Norwegian writer of religious and historical novels was another Nobel laureate to flee the Nazis， moving temporarily to America during World War Two.

Grazia Deledda， 1926

What the judges said： “idealistically inspired writings which with plastic clarity picture the life on her native island and with depth and sympathy deal with human problems in general.”

Also known as the Voice of Sardinia9， Deledda was born there in 1871. Her writing is marked by religious faith and serenity， with a style rooted in realism， the landscape of the natural world and her characters’ responses to moral dilemmas.

Selma Ottilia Lovisa Lagerlöf， 1909

What the judges said： “lofty idealism， vivid imagination and spiritual perception... characterise her writings.”

The Swedish author， born in 1858， received financial support from the Swedish royal family and the Swedish Academy in order to give up teaching to write full-time. Her work includes historical novels and a popular children’s book， Nils Holgerssons underbara resa genom Sverige （The Wonderful Adventures of Nils）.

斯韦特兰娜·阿列克谢耶维奇，2015年

获奖理由：“她的复调作品是对我们这个时代苦难和勇气的纪念。”

阿列克谢耶维奇的父母是鄉村教师。她曾在白罗斯学习新闻学，那时白罗斯还是苏联的一部分。阿列克谢耶维奇以其写作风格著称，她将文学作品和新闻报道交织在一起，创造出“声音的小说”。她采访了大量亲历者，以数千次采访为基础创作了关于切尔诺贝利核电站事故、苏联阿富汗战争及其他很多事件的作品。

艾丽丝·门罗，2013年

获奖理由：“堪称当代短篇小说大师。”

艾丽丝·门罗是加拿大人，她从少女时代就开始了短篇小说的创作生涯。当时她试图写一部长篇小说，但很快就发现短篇小说这种形式具有新的深度和可能性。她的作品蕴意丰富且风格朴素，精妙地展现了个人体验和日常生活的细微之处。

赫塔·米勒，2009年

获奖理由：“以诗歌的凝练和散文的率真，描绘了被剥夺者的境遇。”

米勒于1953年出生于罗马尼亚的尼兹基多夫。年轻时她在工厂做过翻译，后来有人要她为罗马尼亚秘密警察做密探，她拒绝了，因此失去工作，但也使她从此走上文学创作之路。

多丽丝·莱辛，2007年

获奖理由：“她用怀疑、热情、构想的力量来审视一个分裂的文明，其作品如同一部女性经验的史诗。”

莱辛于1919年出生于波斯，父母是英国人。她的童年生活困苦，主要靠自学成才。莱辛的作品记录和质疑了女性经验以及追求个体认同的挣扎。

埃尔弗里德·耶利内克，2004年

获奖理由：“在她的小说和戏剧中，观点对立的声音如音乐般流动。她的作品异常热衷于运用语言揭示社会陈规旧俗及其胁迫力量的荒谬。”

耶利内克的作品严厉批判了她的祖国奥地利的父权结构。她的实验性散文常常故意写得挑逗刺激（详细描述性暴力），评论界对此褒贬不一;而她的诗歌则被公认为朴实生动的成功之作。

维斯拉瓦·辛波斯卡，1996年

获奖理由：“诗歌中精确的反讽将历史活动和生物法则展示在人类现实的片段中。”

辛波斯卡于1923年出生于波兰西部。她的诗集已被翻译成16种语言。她的诗歌用抒情手法，直视战争的后果及其对日常生活细节的影响，并且表现出诗人在多年诗歌编辑生涯中磨砺出的精确性。

托妮·莫里森，1993年

获奖理由：“她的小说想象力丰富，充满诗意，鲜活地展示了美国现实社会重要的一面。”

莫里森是美国小说家，她是第一位获得诺贝尔文学奖的黑人女性，她还获得过普利策奖和美国国家图书评论界奖等奖项。莫里森出生于俄亥俄州一个钢铁城，托尔斯泰、陀思妥耶夫斯基和简·奥斯丁的作品伴随着她的成长。她的作品用诗意的笔调，浓墨重彩地描述了美国黑人生活。对人物语言特点的出色把握是其作品的特征。

纳丁·戈迪默，1991年

获奖理由：“她史诗般壮丽的作品，用阿尔弗雷德·诺贝尔的话来说，对人类大有裨益。”

戈迪默出生于南非，创作了《贵客》《保守的人》《七月的人民》《偶遇者》《无人伴随我》和《新生》等小说。戈迪默密切关注南非政治，她采用充满感性的笔触和复杂的叙事结构描述了她的祖国以及对特权的焦虑。

奈丽·萨克斯，1966年

获奖理由：“她出色的抒情诗和戏剧作品，以触动人心的力量诠释了以色列的命运。”

萨克斯于1891年出生于柏林。1940年，为了逃避纳粹政权，她流亡瑞典。她创作了大量探讨犹太民族苦难的詩歌，50岁左右时，这些诗歌开始得到世人赏识。萨克斯曾在精神病院住过一段时间，期间仍坚持写作。

加夫列拉·米斯特拉尔，1945年

获奖理由：“她那由强烈感情孕育而成的抒情诗，已经使得她的名字成为整个拉丁美洲世界渴求理想的象征。”

米斯特拉尔是拉丁美洲第一位诺贝尔文学奖获得者。她坚定地拥护民主，维护妇女、儿童和穷人的权利。她那充满灵性和感情的诗歌不同于和她同时代的现代主义作家的作品。

赛珍珠，1938年

获奖理由：“她对中国农民生活丰富而真正史诗气概的描述，及她自传性的杰作。”

赛珍珠出生于美国西弗吉尼亚州，但在中国长大，她的很多作品都横跨东西方两个世界。她的小说《大地》讲述了中国末代皇帝时期发生的故事。该书影响广泛，获得了普利策奖，并成为全美畅销书。

西格丽德·温塞特，1928年

获奖理由：“主要是由于她对中世纪北国生活的有力描绘。”

温塞特是挪威宗教和历史小说家。她是另一位为了逃避纳粹政权而流亡他国的诺贝尔奖得主，第二次世界大战期间暂居于美国。

格拉齐娅·黛莱达，1926年

获奖理由：“她那由理想主义所激发的作品，以浑柔的透彻描绘了她所生长的岛屿上的生活，在洞察人类共同问题上表现出深度与怜悯。”

黛莱达于1871年出生于撒丁岛，人们称她为“撒丁岛之声”。她的作品既包括以根植于现实主义的文风表达宗教信仰及平和心境的，也有描述自然风光及人物面对道德困境反应的。

塞尔玛·奥蒂莉亚·洛维萨·拉格洛夫，1909年

获奖理由：“由于她作品中特有的崇高的理想主义、丰饶的想象力和心灵的感知力。”

拉格洛夫是瑞典作家，出生于1858年。她受到了瑞典王室和瑞典文学院的经济资助，得以放弃教学工作，成为全职作家。她的作品有历史小说和一部广受欢迎的儿童读物《尼尔斯骑鹅旅行记》。          □

（译者为“《英语世界》杯”翻译大赛获奖选手）

1复调小说是苏联学者巴赫金创设的概念。“复调”也叫“多声部”，本为音乐术语，指欧洲18世纪（古典主义）以前广泛运用的一种音乐体裁，它与和弦及十二音律音乐不同，没有主旋律和伴声之分，所有声音都按自己的声部行进，相互层叠，构成复调体音乐。巴赫金借用这一术语来概括陀斯妥耶夫斯基小说的特征，用来区别那种基本上属于独白型（单旋律）的已经定型的欧洲小说模式。“复调小说”的概念是现代文论的一个重大飞跃，对读者反映论、接受美学、解构主义等都有深刻影响。

2 landscape形势;境况。  3 dispossessed被剥夺者（指在专制统治下被剥夺了政治权利、自由、安全、生产生活资料的人）。

4波斯，伊朗以前的名称。  5 subjugate征服。

6 1953—1981年间辛波斯卡担任克拉科夫（波兰南部的一座城市）文学周刊《文学生活》（Zycie Literackie）的诗歌编辑和专栏作家。

7珀尔·巴克，中文名赛珍珠，美国作家。  8 sweeping有广泛影响的;深远的。  9意大利在地中海上的一大岛。