Vladimir Putin, the author of the worst war of our century, believes that an ancient priestly chronicle sanctifies the endless bloodshed. The truth about that work of art, The Tale of Bygone Years, helps us to see the truth about Russia’s war. Its hero, the Danish chieftain R?rek, leads us to another work of art, Shakespeare’s Hamlet. We will need the art to get at the tragedy, for the meeting of Putin and Donald Trump in Alaska last week cannot be understood, as we might like to believe, on the basis of comforting concepts such as national interest.
本世紀最慘烈戰爭的始作俑者弗拉基米爾?普京相信，一部古老的僧侶編年史為無盡的流血披上了神圣的外衣。而那部藝術作品《往昔紀年》(Tale of Bygone Years)的真相，有助于我們洞見俄羅斯這場戰爭的本質。它的主人公、丹麥酋長羅雷克(R?rek)，則引領我們走向另一部藝術作品——莎士比亞的《哈姆雷特》。我們需要借助藝術觸及悲劇的深處，因為上周在阿拉斯加的普京與唐納德?特朗普之會，無法如我們也許情愿相信的那樣，僅憑“國家利益”等令人寬慰的概念來加以理解。