美国国家公共电台 NPR Aaron Sorkin Brings 'To Kill A Mockingbird' To The Broadway Stage

 

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

When Aaron Sorkin first sat down to write a stage adaptation of the Harper Lee novel "To Kill A Mockingbird" - didn't go well.

AARON SORKIN: My first draft of "To Kill A Mockingbird" was terrible. Really, the best thing that you could say about it was that it was harmless, which is not something that you want to say about a play.

SIMON: This from the man who made "The West Wing," "The Newsroom" and wrote "A Few Good Men" and "The Social Network." Now he's taken on a classic that deals with race, sexual violence, the failures of the legal system and a man who has to navigate¹ all of those. But what does a newer, not harmless version of "To Kill A Mockingbird" have to say about those themes in 2018? NPR's Andrew Limbong went to find out.

ANDREW LIMBONG, BYLINE²: After Aaron Sorkin turned in his first draft - that terrible, harmless one - he made a decision.

SORKIN: I'm not going to swaddle the novel in bubble wrap and gently transfer it to a theater. It wasn't going to be an homage³ or an exercise in nostalgia⁴. This was going to be a new play.

(SOUNDBITE OF PLAY, "TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD")

JEFF DANIELS: (As Atticus Finch⁵) Tom Robinson.

GBENGA AKINNAGBE: (As Tom Robinson) Yes, sir.

DANIELS: (As Atticus Finch) I'm Atticus Finch.

AKINNAGBE: (As Tom Robinson) Yes, sir.

LIMBONG: Like any adaptation, stuff from the original source material gets tweaked slightly. In the book, we never get to see Atticus Finch meet Tom Robinson.

(SOUNDBITE OF PLAY, "TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD")

AKINNAGBE: (As Tom Robinson) You want to be my lawyer now.

DANIELS: (As Atticus Finch) Tom, the very last thing I want in the world to be your lawyer right now. Negro man, white, teenage girl - I wouldn't be going in with a winning hand. But I'm compelled to defend you as an officer of the court. And in that capacity, I've taken a solemn oath to give you my best counsel, which is that you cannot and you must not plead guilty and go to jail for a crime that you did not, could not commit.

LIMBONG: Quick recap - "To Kill A Mockingbird" takes place in 1930s Alabama. The book is a coming-of-age story about a little girl named Scout⁶ witnessing her father, Atticus Finch, try to defend a black man, Tom Robinson, who is being falsely accused of raping⁷ a white woman. In the book, Scout sees her father the way any kid might see their dad - heroic, valiant⁸, perfect. The play takes a more measured view.

SORKIN: Many, many years had gone by between the first time I read the book and rereading the book a number of times for this play. And I kept being disappointed in Atticus.

LIMBONG: In the way the character holds empathy for others above everything else.

SORKIN: I was having an easy time relating to - I should say recognizing Atticus' brand of liberalism, which is almost - almost a narcissistic⁹ brand of liberalism that I am going to be so tolerant that I'll tolerate intolerance.

LIMBONG: It's an idealized version of the world, says LaTanya Richardson Jackson. She plays Calpurnia, the maid and cook of the Finch house. And she had discussions with playwright¹⁰ Sorkin about the role of the black characters in "Mockingbird" and how to get their input¹¹ in a story where the source material largely glosses¹² over them.

LATANYA RICHARDSON JACKSON: It is frustrating¹³ for Calpurnia that Atticus refuses to see that these people whom he keeps giving all of this credence¹⁴ to being good people are not good people. They just aren't.

(SOUNDBITE OF PLAY, "TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD")

DANIELS: (As Atticus Finch) A mob acts out of emotion, absent facts, absent contemplation, mostly absent responsibility. What they get in return is anonymity¹⁵. Conscience can be exhausting. It'll keep you up at night. Mob's a place where people go to take a break from their conscience.

LIMBONG: Here's how Jeff Daniels, who plays Atticus, sees it.

DANIELS: Not only is Tom Robinson's fate on trial but so is Atticus' belief in goodness, belief in other people, belief in generosity¹⁶, belief in decency¹⁷, civility, compassion¹⁸, doing what's right. All of those things are on trial, and he has to fight for those beliefs.

LIMBONG: To question those beliefs is a risky¹⁹ move considering people who love "To Kill A Mockingbird" love "To Kill A Mockingbird." It won the Pulitzer Prize in 1961. And earlier this year, PBS held a nationwide viewer's poll, and "To Kill A Mockingbird" was voted the most loved novel in American literature.

KIM PARKER: To even say that you don't like the book or you think we should teach other books, you would think that we have committed some cardinal²⁰ sin.

LIMBONG: Kim Parker is an educator at the Shady Hill School in Cambridge, Mass. She's taught "To Kill A Mockingbird" in class. And she's also the co-founder of Disrupt Texts, a group that challenges educators to think about books in the assumed classroom canon, you know, such as "To Kill A Mockingbird."

PARKER: There is such a nostalgia around that book. It has meant something to my students' parents when I was teaching white students and even some black parents also. And they don't want to think about, like, oh, maybe Atticus isn't the best example of justice because he could have done more, but he didn't it. And yet we still validate²¹ him. We hold him up as this hero.

LIMBONG: That the Atticus of the play isn't completely perfect and righteous from the beginning was one of the sticking points in the legal battle that faced this production. Long story short - Harper Lee gave permission to the play's producer, Scott Rudin, to adapt "To Kill A Mockingbird." In her will, Lee appointed Tonja Carter as her personal representative. After Lee died, Carter saw a draft of the script that she thought deviated²² too far from the original source material. What followed was a long back and forth²³ of lawsuit²⁴ and countersuits and Scott Rudin threatening to have the cast perform the play in the courtroom to prove that it tracked with the novel. They ended up settling, but writer Aaron Sorkin did make some small concessions²⁵ to his script.

SORKIN: I had Atticus in moments of frustration²⁶ and anger taking the Lord's name in vain. I agreed that Atticus wouldn't do that. I agreed that Atticus wouldn't drink alcohol. And I agreed that Atticus wouldn't have a shotgun in his closet.

LIMBONG: At the end of the day, Atticus is still Atticus. And 60 years later, "Mockingbird" still has something to teach us.

CHARLES COSTELLO: People don't change - sad but true.

LIMBONG: Charles Costello teaches religion at Bergen Catholic High School in New Jersey²⁷. He took a group of students to see a preview of the show. He says it's worth it, even though there's a book and a movie, to see the lessons of "Mockingbird" come alive on stage.

COSTELLO: Yeah. You have to repeat the lesson, repeat the lesson. Teachers are notorious for repeating themselves. This is a lesson that can be repeated.

LIMBONG: Even, or especially, if Atticus is the one doing the learning this time. Andrew Limbong, NPR News.

1 navigate   

v.航行，飞行；导航，领航

参考例句：

• He was the first man to navigate the Atlantic by air.他是第一个飞越大西洋的人。
• Such boats can navigate on the Nile.这种船可以在尼罗河上航行。

2 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

3 homage   

n.尊敬，敬意，崇敬

参考例句：

• We pay homage to the genius of Shakespeare.我们对莎士比亚的天才表示敬仰。
• The soldiers swore to pay their homage to the Queen.士兵们宣誓效忠于女王陛下。

4 nostalgia   

n.怀乡病，留恋过去，怀旧

参考例句：

• He might be influenced by nostalgia for his happy youth.也许是对年轻时幸福时光的怀恋影响了他。
• I was filled with nostalgia by hearing my favourite old song.我听到这首喜爱的旧歌，心中充满了怀旧之情。

5 finch   

n.雀科鸣禽(如燕雀，金丝雀等)

参考例句：

• This behaviour is commonly observed among several species of finch.这种行为常常可以在几种雀科鸣禽中看到。
• In Australia,it is predominantly called the Gouldian Finch.在澳大利亚，它主要还是被称之为胡锦雀。

6 scout   

n.童子军，侦察员；v.侦察，搜索

参考例句：

• He was mistaken for an enemy scout and badly wounded.他被误认为是敌人的侦察兵，受了重伤。
• The scout made a stealthy approach to the enemy position.侦察兵偷偷地靠近敌军阵地。

7 raping   

v.以暴力夺取，强夺( rape的现在分词 )；强奸

参考例句：

• In response, Charles VI sent a punitive expedition to Brittany, raping and killing the populace. 作为报复，查理六世派军讨伐布列塔尼，奸淫杀戮平民。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The conquerors marched on, burning, killing, raping and plundering as they went. 征服者所到之处烧杀奸掠，无所不做。 来自互联网

8 valiant   

adj.勇敢的，英勇的；n.勇士，勇敢的人

参考例句：

• He had the fame of being very valiant.他的勇敢是出名的。
• Despite valiant efforts by the finance minister,inflation rose to 36%.尽管财政部部长采取了一系列果决措施，通货膨胀率还是涨到了36%。

9 narcissistic   

adj.自我陶醉的，自恋的，自我崇拜的

参考例句：

• In the modern vocabulary, it was narcissistic. 用时髦话说，这是一种自我陶醉狂。 来自辞典例句
• This is our Nielaoshi, a dwarf has also grown narcissistic teachers. 这就是我们的倪老师，一个长得又矮又自恋的老师。 来自互联网

10 playwright   

n.剧作家，编写剧本的人

参考例句：

• Gwyn Thomas was a famous playwright.格温·托马斯是著名的剧作家。
• The playwright was slaughtered by the press.这位剧作家受到新闻界的无情批判。

11 input   

n.输入(物)；投入；vt.把(数据等)输入计算机

参考例句：

• I will forever be grateful for his considerable input.我将永远感激他的大量投入。
• All this information had to be input onto the computer.所有这些信息都必须输入计算机。

12 glosses   

n.（页末或书后的）注释( gloss的名词复数 )；（表面的）光滑；虚假的外表；用以产生光泽的物质v.注解( gloss的第三人称单数 )；掩饰（错误）；粉饰；把…搪塞过去

参考例句：

• The movie glosses over the real issues of the war. 这部电影掩饰了这次战争的真正问题。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Time inevitably glosses over the particularities of each situation. 时间不可避免地掩饰了每种情形的特质。 来自互联网

13 frustrating   

adj.产生挫折的，使人沮丧的，令人泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的现在分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's frustrating to have to wait so long. 要等这么长时间，真令人懊恼。
• It was a demeaning and ultimately frustrating experience. 那是一次有失颜面并且令人沮丧至极的经历。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 credence   

n.信用，祭器台，供桌，凭证

参考例句：

• Don't give credence to all the gossip you hear.不要相信你听到的闲话。
• Police attach credence to the report of an unnamed bystander.警方认为一位不知姓名的目击者的报告很有用。

15 anonymity   

n.the condition of being anonymous

参考例句：

• Names of people in the book were changed to preserve anonymity. 为了姓名保密，书中的人用的都是化名。
• Our company promises to preserve the anonymity of all its clients. 我们公司承诺不公开客户的姓名。

16 generosity   

n.大度，慷慨，慷慨的行为

参考例句：

• We should match their generosity with our own.我们应该像他们一样慷慨大方。
• We adore them for their generosity.我们钦佩他们的慷慨。

17 decency   

n.体面，得体，合宜，正派，庄重

参考例句：

• His sense of decency and fair play made him refuse the offer.他的正直感和公平竞争意识使他拒绝了这一提议。
• Your behaviour is an affront to public decency.你的行为有伤风化。

18 compassion   

n.同情，怜悯

参考例句：

• He could not help having compassion for the poor creature.他情不自禁地怜悯起那个可怜的人来。
• Her heart was filled with compassion for the motherless children.她对于没有母亲的孩子们充满了怜悯心。

19 risky   

adj.有风险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险，但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
• He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。

20 cardinal   

n.(天主教的)红衣主教；adj.首要的，基本的

参考例句：

• This is a matter of cardinal significance.这是非常重要的事。
• The Cardinal coloured with vexation. 红衣主教感到恼火，脸涨得通红。

21 validate   

vt.（法律）使有效，使生效

参考例句：

• You need an official signature to validate the order.你要有正式的签字，这张汇票才能生效。
• In order to validate the agreement,both parties sign it.为使协议有效，双方在上面签了字。

22 deviated   

v.偏离，越轨( deviate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• On this occasion the plane deviated from its usual flight path. 这一次那架飞机偏离了正常的航线。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• His statements sometimes deviated from the truth. 他的陈述有时偏离事实。 来自《简明英汉词典》

23 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

24 lawsuit   

n.诉讼，控诉

参考例句：

• They threatened him with a lawsuit.他们以诉讼威逼他。
• He was perpetually involving himself in this long lawsuit.他使自己无休止地卷入这场长时间的诉讼。

25 concessions   

n.（尤指由政府或雇主给予的）特许权( concession的名词复数 )；承认；减价；（在某地的）特许经营权

参考例句：

• The firm will be forced to make concessions if it wants to avoid a strike. 要想避免罢工，公司将不得不作出一些让步。
• The concessions did little to placate the students. 让步根本未能平息学生的愤怒。

26 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。

27 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。