英国辛德勒尼古拉斯温顿.docx
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英国辛德勒尼古拉斯温顿.docx
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英国辛德勒尼古拉斯温顿
“英国辛德勒”尼古拉斯·温顿
2009年9月的一天,一列特殊的火车从布拉格抵达伦敦。
时年100岁的尼古拉斯.温顿爵士在车站等候,车上载的是二战爆发前夕他从纳粹占领下的布拉格救出的犹太儿童。
他们如今沿着当年的路线来到伦敦,看望这位赋予他们新生的“温顿爸爸”。
在70年前的1939年,温顿先后组织八趟列车,帮助669名犹太儿童逃离地狱,来到英国。
在尘封半个世纪之后,这段往事才为人所知,为晚年的温顿带来巨大的关注。
这位低调的“英国版辛德勒”于2015年7月1日溘然长逝,而纪念和铭记他的人,远远不止包括当年被救的儿童及其后代在内的6000余人。
“ComeonNicky,you’vegottocomenextdoor.”“Ihaven’tgottodoanything,”saysNicky,inaresponsethatisparthumorous,partgenuinelytruculent2).There,inanutshell3),youhaveSirNicholasWinton,reluctanthero,saviourof669mainlyJewishchildrenfromCzechoslovakiaasGermanytighteneditsgrip4)onthecountryin1939,andsomeonewhofindstherestrictionsofbeing105yearsofageafteranenergetic,challenging,implacable5)lifemorethanalittlefrustrating.
ThewomantryingtoshifthimisBabsArmstrong,whohashelpedhimtocarryonlivingasindependentalifeaspossibleinthechalet6)-stylehousenearMaidenheadhebuiltforhisyoungfamilyinthe1950s.Shewantshimtomoveoutofthesittingroomandintothekitchentohavehisphotographtaken.Here,furtherbattlesensue7).“Howmanypicturesdoyouwant?
”heasksofthephotographerafteraquarterofanhourandseveralhundredclicksofthecamera.“Don’tyouhaveenoughbynow?
”
Wintonisabitdeaf,tireseasily,andhismemoryisnotwhatitwas.Interviewinghimistricky,butmeetinghimisthrilling,atouching-the-hem-of-historymoment.Hislifeencapsulates8)the20thcentury.HewasborninLondonin1909intoafamilyofGerman-Jewishorigin,highlyculturedandwell-connected9);waseducatedatStowepublicschoolinthe1920s,andbecameastockbroker.Buthewasastockbrokerofanunusualstripe,becausehewasanardent10)socialistwhobecameclosetoLabourpartyluminaries11)AneurinBevan,JennieLeeandTomDriberg.
In1938,insteadofgoingtoSwitzerlandfortheskiingholidaytheyhadplanned,Winton(whosefamilyhadjustanglicised12)theirnamefromWertheim)andhisclosefriendandfellowsocialistMartinBlakewenttoPragueinstead.BlakewantedtohelpthehundredsofthousandsofrefugeeswhohadfloodedintothecityafterGermany’sannexation13)oftheSudetenland14).ButintheenditwasWintonwhotooktheleadingrole,chivvying15)theHomeOfficeintogivingentrytoeighttrainloadsofendangeredCzechchildrenoverthenextninemonths.Aninthtrainwasduetoleaveon1September,thedayGermanyinvadedPolandandclosedtheCzechborder.The250childrenwhowouldhavebeenonthattraindiedinconcentrationcamps. Itisapowerfulstorythatremaineduntoldfor50years,untilWinton’slatewifeGretegaveanoldscrapbookwithphotographsandthenamesoftheescapeestoElisabethMaxwell,aHolocaust16)researcherandwifeofnewspaperproprietorRobertMaxwell.Thelattergotwindof17)itandanarticleappearedintheSundayPeople.That,inturn,ledinFebruary1988toanepisodeofThat’sLife!
18)inwhich,afterthumbingthroughtheoldscrapbook,presenterEstherRantzensuddenlyrevealedthatWintonwasintheaudienceand,sittingoneithersideofhim,weretwowomenwhoowedtheirlivestohim.Aschildren,theyhadfledPragueontheWintontrains,withtheirnamesoncardsaroundtheirnecks,headingforanewlifewithfosterparentsrecruitedbyWinton’smotherintheUK.Cueshock―Winton,whowasinhislate70satthetime,wasgivennowarningofwhatwastounfoldandwasnotbestpleasedtohavebeentrickedforthepurposesofinstanttelevisiondrama―andbucketfulsoftears.
Itwasthestartofacuriouscoda19)tohislife,inwhichhehasbeenshoweredwithtributes―aknighthoodin2003,astatueatPraguerailwaystation,and,attheendoflastmonth,Czechoslovakia’shighesthonour,theOrderoftheWhiteLion.Heevenhadasmallplanetnamedafterhimin1998bythetwoCzechastronomerswhodiscoveredit,andthemapofthepartofthesolarsysteminwhichitislocatedisonthewallbehindhisfavouritearmchair.
Heisgrand,venerable,wise,universallylauded.Butthetruthisthatthoughalltheattentionhelpstopassthetime,hedoesn’treallywanttobeanyofthosethings.“Itgetsabitboringtalkingaboutthesamethingforahundredyears,”hesayswhenIaskhimwhyhehastobechivviedintodescribinghisroleintheevacuation20).Heiskeenerforhiscolleaguesintheenterprise,DoreenWarrinerandTrevorChadwick,whofendedofftheattentionsoftheGestapo21)inPrague,togetthepraiseratherthanhim.“Iwasn’theroicbecauseIwasneverindanger,”helikestosayofhisownrole,playedoutinLondonafterhisthree-weektriptoCzechoslovakiainlate1938.Wintonhasbeendubbedthe“BritishSchindler,”butheresiststheanalogy,suggestingWarrinerandChadwick,whostayedinPraguethroughouttheperiodleadinguptotheoutbreakofwar,aremoreobviouscandidatesforaSpielberghomage.
Wintonputshislionization22)downtolongevity.“Noneoftheothersarehereanymore.”Butsurelyheproteststoomuch.Hecouldhavelookedtheotherway23),asmostofEuropedid,buthechosetoact.“Itturnedouttoberemarkable,”headmits,“butitdidn’tseemremarkablewhenIdidit.Somepeopleareborngreat,someachievegreatness,andsomehavegreatnessthrustuponthem.”Heputshimselfverymuchinthethirdcategory.“It’sonlybecauseI’velivedsolongthatthishashappened.” Whydidhedoit?
HisdaughterBarbaraWintonpuzzlesoverthatquestioninherrecentbiographyofherfather,calledIfIt’sNotImpossible...Partly,hesays,itwasbecauseofhisfamilyconnections.“MyfamilyknewwhatwasgoingoninGermany.We’dhadpeoplewhowerebeingpersecutedstayingwithus.Wehadfamiliesstayingwithus.Wehadrefugeesstayingwithus.Wewerebeingfedthewholetimewithwhatwasgoingon,whichwasmuchmorethanthepoliticianswere.”Butitwasalsobecauseofhissocialism.ThroughBlakehehadbecomepartofaleftwingcirclethatwasopposedtoappeasement24),andby1938heunderstoodthedangerCzechJewsfaced.Refugeegroupswereseekingtogetendangeredadultsout,butnoonewashelpingthechildren,andhetookituponhimselftoplugthegap.
WintonmetandmarriedtheDanish-bornGreteGjelstrupwhileworkingfortheIBRD25)inParisin1948.Themarriagemarksawatershedinhislife.Before,hehadbeenacosmopolitan26)figure,fluentinEnglish,GermanandFrench,travellingwidelyinEurope,andrepresentingbothEnglandandFranceatfencing.Afterwards,hesettleddowninMaidenhead,workedinthefinancedepartmentsofanumberofcompanies,andbroughtupthreechildren.Everythingchanged,butherejectsmysuggestionthatitmusthavebeendullafterhiswartimeexperiences.“Itdidn’tchangefrommypointofview.”Butthejobshedidsurelyweren’tworthyofhim?
Whatdidhereallywanttodo?
“Idon’tknow.Ijustwantedtomakesomemoney,Isuppose.”HehadrejectedCity27)lifebecause“thepeoplehadquiteadifferentoutlookonlifetomine,”andnowwantedtolivesimply,earnenoughtogetby―heinsistshehasneverbeenwealthy―andraisehisfamily.Heshould,Isuggest,havebecomeaLabourMP,alongsidehisheroBevaninthatpostwarLabourgovernment.Hewouldhavebeenanadornment28).ButhisdaughterBarbarasaysheneverhadanygreatambitionandlackedconfidence.Whathedidhavewasangeratinjusticeandsinglemindednessoncehesetouttorightawrong.
Hehasneverbeenburdened,saysBarbara,byanintrospectivenature.Hejustgetsonwithitandtakeslifeasitcomes―probablythesecretofreaching105.Religionhas,though,alwaysinterestedhim,andIaskhimwhetherhewonderswhatcomesnext,what’sbeyondthislife.“Idon’tthinkanythingcomesnext.Idon’tthinkthereisanext.”Doesthatbotherhim?
“It’snousebotheringaboutsomethingthatyoucan’taffect.” Wintonhascometoseereligionasorganisedhypocrisy.“Iknowcrowdsofpeoplewhogotochurchandthesynagogue29)whoaren’treligious.Whatisneededissomethinginwhichtheycanallbelieveirrespectiveofreligion,whichinmostcases,dareIsayit,isafacade30).Weneedsomethingelse,andthatsomethingisethics.Goodness,kindness,love,honesty.Ifpeoplebehavedethically,noproblem.”Hehasbenttheearof31)hislocalMP,TheresaMay,aboutthis,andsaysthatwheneversheseeshimsheimmediatelysays“Ethics!
”
Heispessimisticaboutthefuture,anxiousaboutnuclearweaponsandourspirallingcapacityfordestruction.Healsodoubtsthattheprobingeyeofround-the-clockTVnewswillensurethatthemassdelusionandpassivityofdemocraciesinthe1930sneverrecurs.“Itneedsmorethanthat.Itneedsacompletereconceptionoflife.Toolateforme.‘Knowthenthyself,presumenotGodtoscan/TheproperstudyofMankindisMan.32)’WhetherthatworksIdon’tknow.Ithasn’tworkedsofar.”
“来啊,尼基,你必须得到隔壁来。
”“没什么是我必须做的。
”尼基答道,他的回答有幽默的成分,也透着真正的刻薄。
简而言之,面前的这位就是尼古拉斯?
温顿爵士。
1939年,在德国加紧对捷克斯洛伐克的控制时,他从捷克斯洛伐克救出了669名儿童,其中大部分都是犹太儿童。
但他不愿承认自己是英雄。
在经历了精力充沛、充满挑战、毫不妥协的生活后,他感到105岁这个年纪带来的种种束缚令人非常沮丧。
那个试图让他挪动位置的女人是芭布丝?
阿姆斯特朗,在她的帮助下,温顿在梅登黑德附近这座瑞士农舍风格的房子里过着尽可能独立的生活。
这座房子是他在20世纪50年代为自己新成立的家庭建造的。
阿姆斯特朗想让他从客厅出来,到厨房去拍照。
在厨房里,新一轮较量又开始了。
“你想拍多少张照片?
”在拍照进行了一刻钟、相机快门响了数百下之后,他问摄影师,“现在拍的还不够吗?
”
温顿有些耳背,容易疲劳,记忆力也不如从前了。
采访他不是件容易事,但见到他还是令人激动的,那是触摸历史的一刻。
他的人生是20世纪的缩影。
1909年,他出生于伦敦一个具有很高文化修养并与上层社会交往广泛的德裔犹太家庭,在20世纪20年代就读于斯托公学,后来成为一名股票经纪人。
不过,他是个另类的股票经纪人,因为他是忠诚的社会主义者,与工党的杰出人物安奈林?
比万、珍妮?
李和汤姆?
德莱伯格来往密切。
左上图温顿与一名被救的儿童左下图被温顿拯救的儿童右图位于布拉格火车站的温顿雕像
1938年,温顿(他们一家刚刚把姓氏从韦特海姆改为英国化的温顿)没有按原先的计划去瑞士滑雪度假,而是与同为社会主义者的好友马丁?
布莱克一起去了布拉格。
布莱克想要帮助在德国吞并苏台德地区后涌入布拉格的数十万难民。
但是最后,发挥主导作用的却是温顿。
在他的一再要求下,英国内政部在接下来的九个月里准许八列火车运送处境危险的捷克儿童入境。
第九列火车计划于9月1日发车,而那一天正是德国入侵波兰并关闭捷克边境的日子。
本该坐上这趟列车的250名儿童死在了集中营里。
这段震撼人心的往事被尘封了50年之久,直到温顿的亡妻格蕾特在生前将一本贴有当年逃亡者照片和姓名的旧剪贴簿交给了纳粹大屠杀研究者伊丽莎白?
马克斯韦尔。
后者是报社老板罗伯特?
马克斯韦尔的妻子。
罗伯特获
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