Review of Mort: A Discworld Novel by Terry Pratchett

Terry Pratchett's Mort is the fourth book in his iconic Discworld series, and it marks a pivotal shift in both the narrative and thematic tone of the series. Moving away from the lighthearted parody of traditional fantasy tropes found in the earlier books, Mort introduces more nuanced themes, witty humor, and memorable characters, establishing the foundation for many subsequent Discworld novels. Mort is a story of coming of age, death, responsibility, and the peculiarities of fate, wrapped in Pratchett’s signature satirical style.

《莫特：碟形世界小說》書評 - 泰瑞·普拉切特（Terry Pratchett）

《莫特：碟形世界小說》是泰瑞·普拉切特的碟形世界系列中的第四本書，也是該系列敘事與主題上重要的轉折點。與早期書籍中對傳統奇幻題材的輕鬆戲仿不同，《莫特》引入了更為細膩的主題、機智的幽默以及難忘的角色，為後來的碟形世界小說奠定了基礎。《莫特》是一部關於成長、死亡、責任和命運的奇異故事，包裹在普拉切特標誌性的諷刺風格中。

Plot Overview

Mort follows the life of a young man named Mort, who is searching for direction in a world that, quite frankly, is as disorganized as the realms he inhabits. The story begins with Mort, a clumsy but earnest teenager, being apprenticed to Death—yes, the Death—after failing to impress other potential employers. The choice of such an unassuming protagonist highlights one of the central themes of the novel: the mundane lives that intersect with the grand, the ordinary that inadvertently stumbles into the extraordinary.

As Mort starts his apprenticeship under Death, he finds himself in the strange and unnerving world of death's business. However, when Mort is sent to collect the soul of a princess, he inadvertently alters the course of her fate by saving her life. This act sets off a chain of events that not only threatens the very fabric of time and space but also pushes Mort into a moral dilemma where he must question what it truly means to be responsible for life and death.

The novel's central conflict emerges from Mort's accidental interference with the natural order, causing ripples throughout the Discworld that lead to a collision between his growing understanding of duty and the irrepressible chaos of existence. As Mort grapples with the implications of his actions, Death, who has taken on a more human persona in this book, is forced to confront his own growing feelings of inadequacy and identity crisis. What follows is a comedic yet poignant exploration of how small decisions can unravel larger forces at play in the universe.

故事概述

《莫特》的故事講述了一個年輕人名叫莫特（Mort），他在人生中尋找方向，而他所處的世界與他所生活的環境一樣，混亂而不穩定。故事開始時，莫特是一位笨拙但真誠的少年，因為在其他工作中表現不佳，最終成為死亡的學徒——沒錯，就是死亡——這一決定突顯了本書的一個核心主題：平凡的生活與偉大的命運交織，普通人偶然間闖入非凡的境地。

隨著莫特在死亡的指導下學習，他進入了死亡事業這個奇怪且令人不安的世界。然而，當莫特被派去收割一位公主的靈魂時，他意外地改變了她的命運，救了她一命。這一行為引發了一連串事件，不僅威脅到了時間與空間的結構，還使莫特陷入了一場道德困境，迫使他質疑什麼才是真正的生死責任。

本書的核心衝突來自於莫特無意中干預了自然秩序，這一舉動在碟形世界中激起了漣漪，將他逐漸理解責任的成長過程與宇宙中無法抑制的混亂碰撞。當莫特努力應對自己的行為後果時，死亡這個角色也被描繪成一個更具人性化的形象，他開始面對自己身份危機和自我懷疑。隨後的故事是一場幽默卻又深刻的探索，講述了小小的選擇如何引發宇宙中更大的力量變化。

Character Development

The heart of Mort lies in the character development of Mort himself. At the beginning of the book, Mort is a typical awkward and unsure teenager, lacking direction and struggling with the larger questions of life. Through his time under Death's tutelage, Mort begins to evolve, though not without challenges. His initial naiveté, paired with his good-natured attempts to do well, often leads to chaotic results, but it is through these mistakes that he begins to understand the responsibility he holds.

Death, a recurring character in the Discworld series, is portrayed in a much more personal and vulnerable light in Mort. Death, who is usually an enigmatic figure of inevitability, is now shown as a being capable of feeling loneliness and uncertainty. This exploration of Death's character brings an added layer of depth to the novel, as he starts questioning his own existence and role in the universe. Pratchett’s approach to personifying Death as a character with relatable, human-like traits adds to the satirical nature of the story and highlights the themes of mortality, destiny, and free will.

Another key figure is the princess, Keli, whose life Mort inadvertently saves. Her character serves as a foil to Mort’s own journey, illustrating the delicate balance between fate and choice. Mort’s unintentional change of her destiny serves as the narrative’s central event and represents the novel’s deeper meditation on the consequences of human intervention in the grander scheme of the universe.

角色發展

《莫特》的精髓在於對莫特這個角色的發展。書中一開始，莫特是一個典型的笨拙且迷茫的少年，對人生缺乏方向，並在探索生命的重大問題上困惑不已。然而，隨著他在死亡指導下學習，莫特開始變得成熟，儘管過程中充滿了挑戰。他最初的天真和善良的意圖常常帶來混亂的結果，但正是這些錯誤，幫助他逐漸理解自己肩負的責任。

死亡，作為碟形世界系列中的常見角色，在《莫特》中展現出更多人性化和脆弱的一面。死亡這個通常代表不可避免的存在的角色，如今被賦予了孤獨與不安的情感。他對自己存在的質疑，以及他在宇宙中扮演的角色，讓死亡這一角色增添了更多深度。普拉切特賦予死亡一種更接近人的形象，這使得死亡成為一個更加真實且令人同情的角色，同時也加深了小說對死亡、命運和自由意志的探討。

另一個重要角色是公主凱莉（Keli），她的命運因莫特的無心之舉而改變。她的角色成為莫特成長的對照，顯示了命運和選擇之間的微妙平衡。莫特不經意改變了她的命運，這一事件構成了小說的中心，也成為《莫特》對人類干預宇宙運行的深刻思考的象徵。

Themes and Humor

Mort delves into several complex themes, most notably the nature of death, fate, and free will. These are explored with Pratchett’s characteristic wit and humor. The novel touches on the importance of responsibility, not only in the literal sense but also in the philosophical sense—how one person’s choices can ripple through time and space, altering the course of the future.

Pratchett also brings attention to the paradoxes of existence, such as the inevitable nature of death and the unpredictability of life. This philosophical exploration is underscored by the whimsical and absurd events that unfold, from Mort’s bungling attempts to do his job to Death’s existential musings on his own identity. The humor is sharp, often dry, and frequently a bit dark, with a running commentary on life’s absurdities that resonates with readers of all ages.

One of the most delightful aspects of Pratchett's writing is how he balances deep, philosophical concepts with his distinctive comedic tone. The novel never takes itself too seriously, even while addressing life-and-death topics. Pratchett’s mastery of wordplay and absurd situations makes Mort both an intellectually stimulating and hilariously entertaining read.

主題與幽默

《莫特》探討了許多複雜的主題，最為突出的是死亡、命運與自由意志的問題。普拉切特運用他標誌性的機智與幽默來呈現這些主題。小說觸及了責任的重要性，不僅是字面上的責任，也包括哲學層面上——一個人的選擇如何對未來造成深遠影響。

普拉切特還揭示了存在的悖論，比如死亡的不可避免性和生命的不可預測性。這些哲學探討在小說中以幽默的方式呈現，從莫特在執行任務中的拙劣表現，到死亡對自己身份的沉思。幽默尖銳且乾脆，充滿黑暗的喜劇感，並且不斷對生命的荒謬性進行批判，這些內容對各個年齡層的讀者都有很大的共鳴。

普拉切特最具魅力的部分之一就是他如何平衡深刻的哲學概念與他獨特的幽默風格。小說即使在探討生死等嚴肅話題時，依然保持輕鬆幽默的基調。普拉切特的文字遊戲和荒誕情境使得《莫特》成為一本既具智慧又充滿娛樂性的書。

World-Building and Setting

As with all Discworld novels, Pratchett’s world-building is exceptional. The Discworld itself is a flat, disc-shaped planet supported by four giant elephants, which stand on the back of Great A’Tuin, a massive turtle slowly traversing the universe. The world is populated with a rich variety of characters, from wizards and witches to talking animals, and it operates on a combination of logic and illogic that mirrors the bizarre nature of reality itself.

In Mort, the world of Death’s domain is introduced in more detail, with the concept of the afterlife and the mechanics of death being explored. Death's realm is a surreal and imaginative space, portrayed with a mix of absurdity and elegance. The juxtaposition of the mundane world with these fantastical realms heightens the comic elements of the story and reinforces the thematic concerns about the intersection of the ordinary and the extraordinary.

世界建設與背景設置

與所有碟形世界系列的小說一樣，普拉切特的世界建設無與倫比。碟形世界本身是一個平坦的圓盤形星球，四隻巨大的大象支撐著，這四隻大象站在巨大的星際烏龜大阿圖因背上，緩慢地穿越宇宙。這個世界居住著各式各樣的角色，從巫師、女巫到會說話的動物，並且在這個世界裡，邏輯與荒謬的元素相互交織，呈現出一種與現實本身相仿的怪誕氛圍。

在《莫特》中，死亡的領域首次被深入描繪，探索了來世的概念以及死亡的運作方式。死亡的領域是一個充滿奇幻和想像的空間，既荒誕又優雅。普拉切特把平凡的世界和這些奇異的領域進行對比，從而加強了故事中的喜劇元素，也強化了命運和選擇之間微妙平衡的主題。

Pacing and Structure

The pacing of Mort is quick and engaging. The novel blends action with introspection, moving between comedic moments and more serious philosophical musings. Pratchett carefully balances Mort’s personal journey with the wider consequences of his actions, ensuring that the plot never feels too heavy or overly whimsical.

The narrative structure, with its alternating focus on Mort’s internal growth and the external chaos his mistakes cause, keeps the reader hooked from start to finish. The resolution, while humorous, is also deeply satisfying, tying together the various threads of Mort’s personal development, his understanding of responsibility, and his relationship with Death.

節奏與結構

《莫特》的節奏快速且引人入勝。小說將動作場面與內心掙扎相融合，穿插著幽默時刻與更為嚴肅的哲學思考。普拉切特巧妙地平衡了莫特個人成長的故事線與他行為帶來的外部後果，確保情節既不顯得過於沉重，也不會太過荒謬。

小說的敘事結構，聚焦於莫特的內在成長和他所帶來的外部混亂，讓讀者從頭到尾都保持高度的興趣。結局雖然充滿幽默，但也讓人深感滿足，將莫特的成長、對責任的理解以及與死亡的關係等多條情節線有機地結合起來。

Conclusion

Mort is one of the finest entries in the Discworld series and an excellent introduction to Terry Pratchett’s unique brand of humor and philosophical insight. The novel offers a fascinating blend of existential questions, satirical wit, and endearing characters, all set against the backdrop of an imaginative and richly detailed world. It is a book that explores the nature of fate, mortality, and the consequences of one’s actions, all while keeping the reader entertained with its clever wordplay and absurd situations.

For fans of Pratchett’s work, Mort is a must-read, and for newcomers to the Discworld series, it serves as an excellent starting point. The novel stands as a testament to Pratchett’s talent for blending humor with serious themes, making it a timeless classic in the fantasy genre.

結論

《莫特》是碟形世界系列中最出色的作品之一，也是進入泰瑞·普拉切特獨特幽默與哲學思考世界的絕佳選擇。小說巧妙地融合了存在的問題、諷刺的智慧和迷人的角色，所有這些都發生在一個充滿想像力和細緻的世界裡。它是一部探討命運、死亡和個人行為後果的作品，同時也保持著普拉切特一貫的幽默風格，讓讀者在深思的同時，也能享受愉悅的閱讀體驗。

對於普拉切特的粉絲來說，《莫特》是必讀之作，而對於首次接觸碟形世界系列的新讀者來說，它是一個極好的入門點。這本小說充分展示了普拉切特在將幽默與嚴肅主題結合方面的天賦，無疑成為奇幻文學中的經典之作。