- A Strange Tale from East of the River (濹東綺譚, Bokutō Kidan, 1937)
A Strange Tale from East of the River (濹東綺譚, Bokutō Kidan, 1937) 中文翻譯收入：『永井荷風選集』陳薇譯，北京：作家出版社，1999
這大概是57歲的作品：正文寫一位女子；贅言寫一位不遇的摯友…..隨便可以舉『紅樓夢』的一首(今日或為先生的頭七，前幾天在報紙上獲知先生仙逝，記者文章中只說你是皇宮中某室壁障畫的作者等等，完全不提先生在唐招提寺中畫的鑑真史詩，先生在德國或美國的風景中所做的沉思，先生畫的路、樹、林，先生在信州長野市的美術館…
照理當再讀先生的文，。再看先生的畫。然而又何必如此呢？我在心裡，像永井荷風的父親，每逢蘇軾生日必邀老友聚飲、吟詩。先生的靈是東洋的，然而先生或許也了解里爾克論風景吧！
（敬別東山魁夷先生(2000/01)）我一定讀過他的散文選集，所以2000會這樣寫
- His diaries, especially Danchōtei Nichijō (断腸亭日乗, written 1917-1959)だんちょう-か ―ちやうくわ 3 【断腸花】
シュウカイドウの異名。
Diarist watched a storm gather over Japan
Diarist watched a storm gather over Japan
09/24/2007
The pink flowers of shukaido hardy begonias are blooming modestly in a nearby park. Said to be shade-loving, these flowers light up the gloom cast by the towering trees.
Shukaido are also called "Danchoka," which translates as "heart-rending flowers." The name is said to derive from their seemingly mournful appearance.
The novelist Nagai Kafu (1879-1959) loved these flowers and had them planted in his garden, and named his residence Danchotei. It was there that he wrote his famous diary titled "Danchotei Nichijo," for an impressive 42 years from before World War II to the day before his death. The diary attests to his uncompromising liberalism.
His first entry, dated Sept. 16 exactly 90 years ago, reads: "Sept. 16: These endless autumn rains remind me of the tsuyu rainy season."
Nagai had no interest in keeping up with the times, but his insight into what was happening in the world was sharp and accurate. While haunting bars and red light districts, he observed bluntly of the Japanese invasion of China: "Hopelessly stuck in a prolonged war, (the government) has suddenly started calling it a holy war--a most egregious misnomer."
On another day, he was barely able to contain his loathing for his own compatriots: "Oh America, I beseech thee to rise up at once and give these savage people a chance to repent."
And upon hearing of Emperor Hirohito's radio address to concede Japan's defeat in World War II, Nagai wrote: "Just what I needed (to hear)... We all celebrated, got drunk, and went to sleep." A hermit in spirit, Nagai was wide awake to reality.
Reportedly, he wrote his diary with the intent of eventually publishing it. I wonder if he would have started a blog in this present age.
There are currently more than 8 million Internet bloggers in Japan, and they are said to have a combined readership of about 40 million people. Anyone can voice their opinions in public today, but one downside of this is that anyone can verbally abuse others.
In "Danchotei Nichijo," Nagai hardly made personal attacks. The master wordsmith must have been fully aware of how hurtful words could be if used as a weapon for personal attack.
--The Asahi Shimbun, Sept. 16(IHT/Asahi: September 24,2007)
Shukaido are also called "Danchoka," which translates as "heart-rending flowers." The name is said to derive from their seemingly mournful appearance.
The novelist Nagai Kafu (1879-1959) loved these flowers and had them planted in his garden, and named his residence Danchotei. It was there that he wrote his famous diary titled "Danchotei Nichijo," for an impressive 42 years from before World War II to the day before his death. The diary attests to his uncompromising liberalism.
His first entry, dated Sept. 16 exactly 90 years ago, reads: "Sept. 16: These endless autumn rains remind me of the tsuyu rainy season."
Nagai had no interest in keeping up with the times, but his insight into what was happening in the world was sharp and accurate. While haunting bars and red light districts, he observed bluntly of the Japanese invasion of China: "Hopelessly stuck in a prolonged war, (the government) has suddenly started calling it a holy war--a most egregious misnomer."
On another day, he was barely able to contain his loathing for his own compatriots: "Oh America, I beseech thee to rise up at once and give these savage people a chance to repent."
And upon hearing of Emperor Hirohito's radio address to concede Japan's defeat in World War II, Nagai wrote: "Just what I needed (to hear)... We all celebrated, got drunk, and went to sleep." A hermit in spirit, Nagai was wide awake to reality.
Reportedly, he wrote his diary with the intent of eventually publishing it. I wonder if he would have started a blog in this present age.
There are currently more than 8 million Internet bloggers in Japan, and they are said to have a combined readership of about 40 million people. Anyone can voice their opinions in public today, but one downside of this is that anyone can verbally abuse others.
In "Danchotei Nichijo," Nagai hardly made personal attacks. The master wordsmith must have been fully aware of how hurtful words could be if used as a weapon for personal attack.
--The Asahi Shimbun, Sept. 16(IHT/Asahi: September 24,2007)
現代日本文學大系23 永井荷風集 (一) (二) 東京: 筑摩書房 1969
此兩物語為選本
永井 荷風（ながい かふう、1879年（明治12年）12月3日 - 1959年（昭和34年）4月30日）は、日本の小説家。本名は永井 壮吉（ながい そうきち、旧字体：壯吉）。号に金阜山人（きんぷさんじん）・断腸亭主人（だんちょうていしゅじん）ほか。
~~~~~
Sir Rutherford Alcock, KCB (May 1809[1] – 2 November 1897) was the first British diplomatic representative to live in Japan.
- The Capital of the Tycoon: a Narrative of a Three Years' Residence in Japan (1863)
阿禮國1809年出生於倫敦，父親是醫生。阿禮國1844年為福州領事，1846年接替巴富爾晉升為上海領事。1848年發生青浦教案，脅迫上海道麟桂同意將英租界由830畝擴展到2820畝。1854年與美、法三國領事、上海道吳健彰議定上海海關協定九款，控制海關管理權。[1]
1858至1864年派駐為英國首任駐日本公使，他於1860年9月11日（萬延元年七月27日）登上富士山，成為歷史記載第一位攻頂成功的外國人。在長州藩襲擊下關海峽的西方船隻後，他主張英國、法國、荷蘭和美國聯合攻擊長州海岸。[2][3] 1865至1869年回到中國，駐北京，從事外交工作。1897年卒於倫敦。
~~~~
永井荷風的日常祕密
我始終認為，永井荷風《斷腸亭日乘》裡的記述，是精采無比的文本，舉凡他日常生活中的點點滴滴，或是發自個人的愛恨情仇，包括當時發生的重大社會事件，全部納入其日記的領域裡。因此，我們若不以文學發展史的角度閱讀，而是透過他細緻托現出來的社會內容，似乎讓我們更有可能重建和還原其所處的時代面貌來，甚至得以穿越時空發現老東京的昔日光影。對於讀者而言，其情景的躍然紙上，絕對勝過穿越劇中常見的場景及其誇張的效果。
一九三六年，永井荷風已屆五十八歲。那年元旦，天氣晴朗無風。下午時分，他僱用的女傭來到家裡，他正想往雜司谷墓園祭拜，醫師朋友鷲津郁太郎來訪，說稍後到宮內省侍醫局上班。到了下午，永井荷風坐上了車子，往雜司谷墓園而去。他在祭拜過亡父及作家小泉八雲、成島柳北、岩瀨鷗所的墳墓，然後邁開悠然的步伐，從目白的新坂來到音羽。他看見位於陸軍武器庫旁的崖邊，樹林非常蓊鬱，野草蔓生得很。當他從崖下的陋巷經過，發現了那裡尚有許多口老井的殘跡，而且上面還用木板覆蓋著。然而，他印象所及的潺潺細流似乎已完全被填平埋掉，看不見任何痕跡了。
他登上久世山，今宮神社的神樂堂仍坐落在山麓處。神殿的格子門上，被貼上用平版印刷寫著「端正選風」的警語告示，看來顯得格外唐突粗俗。接著，他穿越路面電車的鐵軌，經過音羽街西側的巷弄，發現以前流經附近的溝渠全被填平了，沒有半點痕跡可尋。他往不動阪的方向登高而上，在小徑的左側，偶爾還看得見舊昔石橋殘留的欄杆。暮色逐漸籠罩下來，他藉由路燈的亮光，好不容易才識讀出橋墩上刻寫著「櫻橋」的字痕。從這座石橋的左側，經過平民住家的小巷，可以來到某某古寺的門前，又可通往關口台地公園。
永井荷風佇立在江戶川橋上，等候往來於目白和新橋車站的公共汽車。在他看來，眼下的江戶川的河流混濁得很，簡直與乏味無趣的溝渠沒有兩樣，在夜晚的河面上，只傳來淙淙而過流水聲而已。不過他在日記中也坦承，每次聽到這樣的淙淙水聲，總會使他舒心地懷念起孩童時期的往事。他在新橋車站下車，走進金兵衛酒館，飲了三杯屠蘇酒，吃過晚餐才回家去。回到家裡以後，他在燈火下，閱讀英國大使Alcock的《出使江戶三年》（1863年）一書。
由這看來，永井荷風有著與許多日本人同樣的好奇，很想從該書中探知西方人的日本觀察，尤其可依此回溯江戶作為日本都城時期的生活場景實況。不用說，諸如這樣的記述，確然為近代日本生活史的研究提供不少助益，更是深入生活的作家在寫作上的重要素材。
由這看來，永井荷風有著與許多日本人同樣的好奇，很想從該書中探知西方人的日本觀察，尤其可依此回溯江戶作為日本都城時期的生活場景實況。不用說，諸如這樣的記述，確然為近代日本生活史的研究提供不少助益，更是深入生活的作家在寫作上的重要素材。
除了記下日常的生活瑣事，永井荷風有時還在日記中抄錄了重大的社會事件，這顯現出他決不是逍遙自樂的書齋型的作家，因為駭人聽聞的事件同樣嚴肅地置於其關懷的視野中。例如，他寫道：「去年除夕夜的《每夕新聞》報導說，這是位於市谷富久町的監獄，於明治三十年以來首度執行死刑，並公布死囚的姓名。該報導指出，明治三十年至昭和十年這四十年之間，總共關押了六百餘名囚犯。」此外，他抄錄的這份名單中，還詳細注記該囚犯的犯罪行為，意外地重現了那個激越不安的時代背景。
野口男三郎 詩人野口寧齋女婿 涉嫌殺害少年並挖掉眼珠和臀肉致死
幸德秋水 （大約刪除九個字）
石井藤吉 於大森涉嫌殺害女友田中はる）
大米竜雲 野和尚，連續強姦鐮倉附近寺院的比丘尼
山田 憲 政府官員 殺害米商鈴木弁藏，分屍後塞入手提箱內丟棄河中。
難波大助 （大約刪除五個字。刪除二行左右。大約刪除三十個字）
吹上佐太郎
杉山憲太郎（大約刪除三個字）國粹會會長 強姦並殺害木田陸軍少將的女兒
槍手 健 持槍搶劫殺人犯
野口男三郎 詩人野口寧齋女婿 涉嫌殺害少年並挖掉眼珠和臀肉致死
幸德秋水 （大約刪除九個字）
石井藤吉 於大森涉嫌殺害女友田中はる）
大米竜雲 野和尚，連續強姦鐮倉附近寺院的比丘尼
山田 憲 政府官員 殺害米商鈴木弁藏，分屍後塞入手提箱內丟棄河中。
難波大助 （大約刪除五個字。刪除二行左右。大約刪除三十個字）
吹上佐太郎
杉山憲太郎（大約刪除三個字）國粹會會長 強姦並殺害木田陸軍少將的女兒
槍手 健 持槍搶劫殺人犯
儘管這些都屬於私密的日記，不可能受到軍部政府的嚴厲審查或干預，但或許出於他對政治暴力敏感的緣故，或是某種盤桓不去的顧慮，在出身《萬朝報》記者，因為反對日俄戰爭，之後創辦《平民新聞》，成為無政府主義的健將，後來卻被指控是「大逆事件（計畫暗殺明治天皇）」主謀而遭判死刑的幸德秋水，都沒有具體的敘述。依我的推斷，他沒有在文字中對遭此死劫的知識人表示同情，並非冷漠或事不關己，而是改以另種更深的隱微保存下來。但是無論如何，現今我們重新閱讀永井荷風的日記，不僅有機會理解他的日常生活，識讀其埋在日常生活中的祕密，而這都是隨著閱讀而來的最大收穫了。相信只要願意付出時間探索的，時代的沉重門扉就會為你正式開啟。
