一部短篇小说，一句一段，每一段都在起首标着数字，全篇恰100段，完整地叙述了这样一个故事：“我”拿着两把洁厕用的皮碗泵（the plumber’s friend）攀登位于闹市区的神秘的玻璃山。山顶有藏着圣物（the enchanted symbol）的纯金城堡。在途中“我”忍受了山下人们的嘲笑，目睹了同行的骑士连人带马纷纷坠落殒命，战胜了守卫城堡的巨鹰，最后终于进入到城堡里面，发现原来所谓的圣物是一位因中了魔咒而被困其中的美丽公主。“我”大失所望，把公主头朝下扔下了山崖。黑色幽默？解构主义？后现代文本？都是，但首先得承认这是一篇语言简洁、想象奇特的好小说。在此，我想讨论这篇小说的以下几个特点。
　　
　　（一） 一个后现代主义文本
　　
　　 让-弗·利奥塔（J·F·Lyotard）在其《后现代状态》一书中对后现代的定义是：针对元叙事的怀疑态度。什么的元叙事？从黑格尔的精神现象学马克思的生产力决定生产关系到渗进融入人们日常语言、思维的种种象征、指代、情节定势都是元叙事。“科学除了在陈述有用常规和追求真理方面可以不受限制，它还不得不证明自己游戏规则的合法性。于是它便造出有关自身地位的合法性话语，即一种被叫做哲学的话语”【1】。哲学是元叙事，传说、寓言、神话也都是元叙事。而拯救被困的美丽公主一类童话，以“Once upon a time, there was a…Thereafter they lived happily together.”为结构特征，也是元叙事之一种。《玻璃山》通过对故事场景的转移，主角形象的替换，及其黑色幽默的荒诞结局，实现了对一个广为人知的童话故事的解构和颠覆。
　　
　　 但仅仅有荒诞情节和颠覆意义并不足以被称之为后现代主义文本。尽管学者之间对后现代主义的意义缺乏一种明确无误的共识，但以下一些特征被广泛接受为后现代主义的特有表达方式：反形式、反阐释、反叙述、不确定性、游戏、对比、确实、无序、内在性等等【2】。再看《玻璃山》，反传统的文字组织形式，荒诞的内容，无序的环境，现实世界的缺失，“我”与 看客、骑士间的对比，整个文本与元叙事文本的对比……可以说，《玻璃山》是一个典型的后现代主义文本（想起了罗兰·巴特（Roland Barthes）《一个解构主义的文本》）。
　　
　　（二） 象征意义
　　
　　 形式服务于内容。不管文本传达出何种主义的主张，体现了何种主义的风格，最终判定文本是不是文学作品，是不是好的文学作品的唯一标准仍旧是它的内容。我们引经据典来阐明《玻璃山》的后现代主义性质并不是为了给其贴上某种主义的标签，而是因为后现代主义的特征使得文本的内涵得到了很大程度的扩展。对于同一个意象，不同的读者可以对其象征意义作出不同的理解，这正体现了后现代主义风格的文本“参与”、“交互”的特性。不同于古典现实主义作品，这类文本赋予读者以创造意义的自由。因此，以下对文中一些主要意象象征意义的分析当然也只代表笔者的一家之言。
　　
　　 首先，“玻璃山”象征什么？显然它本体就是一座高耸入云的摩天楼，但在小说中它在一个层面上象征着艺术，崇高，某种高于现实生活的形而上的追求。“我”正是被它所吸引，义无返顾地踏上了登山之路。那么，“我”又是谁？“我”显然是一个知识分子，至少是一个不满于现实，有一定精神追求的人，不能也不屑于融入现实社会（全文三次出现“I was new in the neighborhood”一句）。“山”下即是现实世界，充斥着冷血好事的看客，麻木虚伪的人群，街头枪战的混混，五颜六色的狗屎，被砍伐殆尽的树林，总之，恐怖无比丑陋之极。“我”于是只能硬着头皮登山。然而攀登的过程非常之艰难（全文七次出现I unstuck the lefthand/righthand plumber's friend…），“我”手持的工具竟然只能是洁厕用的皮碗泵，这个意象显示了在现代社会人们面对理想时的无可奈何无能为力。现代传媒把世界村落化，通过不断的信息流制造出大量的“虚假欲求”。消费不再是手段而成为目的，带给人们更多的是欲求的实现而非需要的满足。社会使人们把强制性的欲求当作自我的个人欲求去不停的追逐，而社会分工惊人的精细化却又使我们脆弱无比，在社会这个巨兽面前毫无还手之力，离开它就难以生存。如果说社会是力大无穷牙如利刃的利维坦，我们就是手持两把皮碗泵试图从它嘴里夺出理想的小矮人。
　　
　　 然而从更高的一个层面，我们又何尝不能把“玻璃山”理解为是整个后现代、后工业社会的象征呢？在这个社会中，环境恶化，礼甭乐坏，普通人醉生梦死灭失人性，有理想的人或者纷纷倒毙（骑士），或者在追求理想的险途中上不去下不来，处境尴尬，滑稽可笑。这是一个人被异化了的社会。“我”的熟人们不但丝毫不理解“我”行为的意义，反而期盼着亲眼欣赏到“我”摔下来时血肉横飞的“壮景”，讨论“我”死后公寓的归属；摔下山的骑士们还在做将死的呻吟，身上的物什已被搜刮一空，甚至连包金的假牙都没被放过……表面上摆脱这个异化社会的唯一出路就是攀登玻璃山，但小说的结局向我们昭示：没有什么事物能真正凌驾于社会之上而存在，没有什么人能真正摆脱这个社会。当“我”历经艰险终于来到金堡时，发现为之舍生忘死的圣物竟是个美丽公主（俗物），理想，艺术，崇高，统统都躲不开世俗的侵袭和篡改，这就不难理解“我”为什么要愤怒地将这个人偶似的公主，这个又一元叙事的象征，毫不犹豫地扔下山崖。“我”意识到世界的荒谬，但“我”终究无处可逃。
　　
　　（三）荒谬世界与反抗的人
　　
　　 从小说的象征意义我们进而可以做更深一步的思考。毫无疑问，小说展现给我们的现实世界没有目的，没有意义，毫不合理，令人绝望。人们行尸走肉般地遛狗、喝酒、争斗、破坏，显示出一种彻底绝望后的无聊。存在主义的先驱克尔凯廓尔（Kierkegaard）指出，无聊实际上是绝望的一种显现，“是一切罪恶的根源”，“众神曾经无聊，而创造了人类；亚当因为孤寂而无聊，因而又创造出了夏娃，这样，无聊便来到了这个世界” 【3】。生活本质的无聊使人们怀疑生命的意义，另一位存在主义哲学家加缪（Albert Camus）于是说，生命本来就是没有意义的，荒谬的，整个世界不可理喻，我们在自然面前，社会面前全都无能为力，弗洛依德进尔指出，我们在自己的意识面前依然是无能为力。
　　
　　 非但山下的世界是荒谬的，就是玻璃山本身又何尝不是更深一层的荒谬呢？它是一种虚无的渴望，是“我”笃信的能够制约“我”行动的事物，“对存在的荒谬性的笃信就能够支配人的行为”【4】。然而这种信仰似的渴望必须是某种虚无的存在，一旦其被剥去神秘的面纱，显现出荒谬的本质，“我”立刻感到被理想和命运所捉弄，感到“演员与舞台之间的分离” 【5】。对于“我”来说，无论山顶的圣物最终以何种形式呈现，都不可避免地会引发“我”的荒谬感，因为“我”怀疑所有的“元事物”，如世界、社会、人民、意义、规则……因为“我”如同妥思妥耶夫斯基《群魔》中的史塔福金纳一样，如果“我”相信，“我”并不相信“我”相信；如果“我”不相信，“我”不相信“我”不相信——“我”怀疑一切的意义。这也是后现代主义的本质特征。
　　
　　 世界是荒谬的，“玻璃山”所象征的终极意义也是荒谬的，那么何以断定生活本身值得经历？换句话是说，我们还继续生活在这个无聊、绝望、荒谬的世界的意义在哪里？人不能够没有意义地生活。加缪对这个问题的回答是：我反抗，所以我存在。是的，世界是荒谬而不可理喻的，我们注定会失败，但加缪告诉我们，反抗本身就是意义。“反抗就是人不段地自我面呈，它不是向往，而是无希望地存在着，这种反抗实际上不过是确信命运是一种彻底的惨败，而不是应与命运相随的屈从” 【6】。《玻璃山》中“我”的形象正是一个加缪哲学中“反抗的人”的形象。“我”通过与现实世界的决绝，义无返顾的登山反抗了荒谬的现实，又通过对圣物的抛弃反抗了荒谬的终极意义。“我”在反抗中获得了自身存在的意义。从这个层面上来说，《玻璃山》可以看做是对加缪荒诞哲学思想的一个极佳的注本。
　　统而言之，《玻璃山》这篇短篇小说是一个典型的后现代主义文本，有着深刻的象征意义，总体上契合了加缪荒诞哲学的思想精神，是一篇能给人以深刻印象和启迪的优秀作品。
　　
　　参考文献：
　　
　　【1】《后现代主义》，让-奥·利奥塔等著，赵一凡等译，社会科学文献出版社，1999年，第一版，第3页
　　【2】伊·哈桑：《后现代主义概念初探》，同上，第 124页
　　【3】唐纳德·帕尔默：《克尔凯戈尔入门》，东方出版社，1998年，第一版，第85页
　　【4】阿尔伯特·加缪：《西西弗的神话》，三联书店，1998年第二版，第7页
　　【5】同上，第6页
　　【6】同上，第62页
　　附原小说：
　　The Glass Mountain
　　
　　Donald Barthelme
　　 1. I was trying to climb the glass mountain.
　　
　　 2. The glass mountain stands at the corner of Thirteenth Street and Eighth Avenue.
　　
　　 3. I had attained the lower slope.
　　
　　 4. People were looking up at me.
　　
　　 5. I was new in the neighborhood.
　　
　　 6. Nevertheless I had acquaintances.
　　
　　 7. I had strapped climbing irons to my feet and each hand grasped sturdy plumber‘s friend.
　　
　　 8. I was 200 feet up.
　　
　　 9. The wind was bitter.
　　
　　 10. My acquaintances had gathered at the bottom of the mountain to offer encouragement.
　　
　　 11. "Shithead."
　　
　　 12. "Asshole."
　　
　　 13. Everyone in the city knows about the glass mountain.
　　
　　 14. People who live here tell stories about it.
　　
　　 15. It is pointed out to visitors.
　　
　　 16. Touching the side of the mountain, one feels coolness.
　　
　　 17. Peering into the mountain, one sees sparkling blue-white depths.
　　
　　 18. The mountain towers over that part of Eighth Avenue like some splendid, immense office building.
　　
　　 19. The top of the mountain vanishes into the clouds, or on cloudless days, into the sun.
　　
　　 20. I unstuck the righthand plumber‘s friend leaving the lefthand one in place.
　　
　　 21. Then I stretched out and reattached the righthand one a little higher up, after which I inched my legs into new positions.
　　
　　 22. The gain was minimal, not an arm‘s length.
　　
　　 23. My acquaintances continued to comment.
　　
　　 24. "Dumb motherfucker."
　　
　　 25. I was new in the neighborhood.
　　
　　 26. In the streets were many people with disturbed eyes.
　　
　　 27. Look for yourself.
　　
　　 28. In the streets were hundreds of young people shooting up in doorways, behind parked cars.
　　
　　 29. Older people walked dogs.
　　
　　 30. The sidewalks were full of dogshit in brilliant colors: ocher, umber, Mars yellow, sienna, viridian, ivory black, rose madder.
　　
　　 31. And someone had been apprehended cutting down trees, a row of elms broken-backed among the VWs and Valiants.
　　
　　 32. Done with a power saw, beyond a doubt.
　　
　　 33. I was new in the neighborhood yet I had accumulated acquaintances.
　　
　　 34. My acquaintances passed a brown bottle from hand to hand.
　　
　　 35. "Better than a kick in the crotch."
　　
　　 36. "Better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick."
　　
　　 37. "Better than a slap in the belly with a wet fish."
　　
　　 38. "Better than a thump on the back with a stone."
　　
　　 39. "Won‘t he make a splash when he falls, now?"
　　
　　 40. "I hope to be here to see it. Dip my handkerchief in the blood."
　　
　　 41. "Fart-faced fool."
　　
　　 42. I unstuck the lefthand plumber‘s friend leaving the righthand one in place.
　　
　　 43. And reached out.
　　
　　 44. To climb the glass mountain, one first requires a good reason.
　　
　　 45. No one has ever climbed the mountain on behalf of science, or in search of celebrity, or because the mountain was a challenge.
　　
　　 46. Those are not good reasons.
　　
　　 47. But good reasons exist.
　　
　　 48. At the top of the mountain there is a castle of pure gold, and in a room in the castle tower sits...
　　
　　 49. My acquaintances were shouting at me.
　　
　　 50. "Ten bucks you bust your ass in the next four minutes!"
　　
　　 51. ...a beautiful enchanted symbol.
　　
　　 52. I unstuck the righthand plumber‘s friend leaving the lefthand one in place.
　　
　　 53. And reached out.
　　
　　 54. It was cold there at 206 feet and when I looked down I was not encouraged.
　　
　　 55. A heap of corpses both of horses and riders ringed the bottom of the mountain, many dying men groaning there.
　　
　　 56. "A weakening of the libidinous interest in reality has recently come to a close." (Anton Ehrenzweig)1
　　
　　 57. A few questions thronged into my mind.
　　
　　 58. Does one climb a glass mountain, at considerable personal discomfort, simply to disenchant a symbol?
　　
　　 59. Do today‘s stronger egos still need symbols?
　　
　　 60. I decided that the answer to these questions was "yes."
　　
　　 61. Otherwise what was I doing there, 206 feet above the power-sawed elms, whose white meat I could see from my height?
　　
　　 62. The best way to fail to climb the mountain is to be a knight in full armor--one whose horse‘s hoofs strike fiery sparks from the sides of the mountain.
　　
　　 63. The following-named knights had failed to climb the mountain and were groaning in the heap: Sir Giles Guilford, Sir Henry Lovell, Sir Albert Denny, Sir Nicholas Vaux, Sir Patrick Grifford, Sir Gisbourne Gower, Sir Thomas Grey, Sir Peter Coleville, Sir John Blunt, Sir Richard Vernon, Sir Walter Willoughby, Sir Stephen Spear, Sir Roger Faulconbridge, Sir Clarence Vaughan, Sir Hubert Ratcliffe, Sir james Tyrrel, Sir Walter Herbert, Sir Robert Brakenbury, Sir Lionel Beaufort, and many others.2
　　
　　 64. My acquaintances moved among the fallen knights.
　　
　　 65. My acquaintances moved among the fallen knights, collecting rings, wallets, pocket watches, ladies‘ favors.
　　
　　 66. "Calm reigns in the country, thanks to the confident wisdom of everyone." (M. Pompidou)3
　　
　　 67. The golden castle is guarded by a lean-headed eagle with blazing rubies for eyes.
　　
　　 68. I unstuck the lefthand plumber‘s friend, wondering if--
　　
　　 69. My acquaintances were prising out the gold teeth of not-yet dead knights.
　　
　　 70. In the streets were people concealing their calm behind a façade of vague dread.
　　
　　 71. "The conventional symbol (such as the nightingale, often associated with melancholy), even though it is recognized only through agreement, is not a sign (like the traffic light) because, again, it presumably arouses deep feelings and is regarded as possessing properties beyond what the eye alone sees." (A Dictionary of Literary Terms)
　　
　　 72. A number of nightingales with traffic lights tied to their legs flew past me.
　　
　　 73. A knight in pale pink armor appeared above me.
　　
　　 74. He sank, his armor making tiny shrieking sounds against the glass.
　　
　　 75. He gave me a sideways glance as he passed me.
　　
　　 76. He uttered the word "Muerte"4 as he passed me.
　　
　　 77. I unstuck the righthand plumber‘s friend.
　　
　　 78. My acquaintances were debating the question, which of them would get my apartment?
　　
　　 79. I reviewed the conventional means of attaining the castle.
　　
　　 80. The conventional means of attaining the castle are as follows: "The eagle dug its sharp claws into the tender flesh of the youth, but he bore the pain without a sound, and seized the bird‘s two feet with his hands. The creature in terror lifted him high up into the air and began to circle the castle. The youth held on bravely. He saw the glittering palace, which by the pale rays of the moon looked like a dim lamp; and he saw the windows and balconies of the castle tower. Drawing a small knife from his belt, he cut off both the eagle‘s feet. The bird rose up in the air with a yelp, and the youth dropped lightly onto a broad balcony. At the same moment a door opened, and he saw a courtyard filled with flowers and trees, and there, the beautiful enchanted princess." (The Yellow Fairy Book)5
　　
　　 81. I was afraid.
　　
　　 82. I had forgotten the Bandaids.
　　
　　 83. When the eagle dug its sharp claws into my tender flesh--
　　
　　 84. Should I go back for the Bandaids?
　　
　　 85. But if I went back for the Bandaids I would have to endure the contempt of my acquaintances.
　　
　　 86. I resolved to proceed without the Bandaids.
　　
　　 87. "In some centuries, his [man‘sl imagination has made life an intense practice of all the lovelier energies." (John Masefield)6
　　
　　 88. The eagle dug its sharp claws into my tender flesh.
　　
　　 89. But I bore the pain without a sound, and seized the bird‘s two feet with my hands.
　　
　　 90. The plumber‘s friends remained in place, standing at right angles to the side of the mountain.
　　
　　 91. The creature in terror lifted me high in the air and began to circle the castle.
　　
　　 92. I held on bravely.
　　
　　 93. I saw the glittering palace, which by the pale rays of the moon looked like a dim lamp; and I saw the windows and balconies of the castle tower.
　　
　　 94. Drawing a small knife from my belt, I cut off both the eagle‘s feet.
　　
　　 95. The bird rose up in the air with a yelp, and I dropped lightly onto a broad balcony.
　　
　　 96. At the same moment a door opened, and I saw a courtyard filled with flowers and trees, and there, the beautiful enchanted symbol.
　　
　　 97. I approached the symbol, with its layers of meaning, but when I touched it, it changed into only a beautiful princess.
　　
　　 98. I threw the beautiful princess headfirst down the mountain to my acquaintances.
　　
　　 99. Who could be relied upon to deal with her.
　　
　　 100. Nor are eagles plausible, not at all, not for a moment.
　　
　　
　　Interpretation of absurdity—Comments of The Glass Mountain
　　 A short story, of which each sentence is an independent and intentionally numbered paragraph. The whole story is consisted of 100 such paragraphes, neatly weaves such a plot: “I” climbed the mysterious glass mountain, which located in the downtown of NewYork city. There is a golden castle on the top of the mountain, in which there was an enchanted symbol. “I” endured my acquaintances’ laugh, saw many knights fell down, defeated the huge eagle that guarded the casle, and finally entered into, only found the enchanted symbol is a cursed beautiful princess. “I” was so disappointed that “I” threw the princess headfirst down the mountain. Blackhumor? Post-structuralism? Post mordernism? Maybe. But we have to admit this is an imaginative and distinctive story. “I” want discuss some conspicuous characteristics of the story as follows.
　　Ⅰ.A post-modernism text
　　 J.f.lyotard(利奥塔) defined post-modernism as incredulity toward metanarratives. What is the metanarratives? From Hegel’s philosophy, Freud’s psychoanalysis to all kinds of symbols, metaphors, and conventional plots that have melted into our daily language and ways of thinking are all metanarratives. Certainly, those fairy tales charicteristised by once upon a time, there was…Thereafter they lived happily together are also metanarratives. One of the very popurses of The Glass Mountain is to overthrow such metanarratives.
　　However, only absurd plot and subversive meaning can not make the story a post-modernism text. Although there is no concensus about defination of post-modernism among scholars, following features are widely accepted as post-moderism style. They are anti-demonstration, anti-narration, anti-formality, uncertainty, contrast, disorder, game and so on. Reviewing The Glass Mountain, we find its anti-formality organisition, absurd plot, disordered circumstance, contrast between “I” and my acquaintances and those knights, potential contrast between the text and the metanarritive tale…Apparently, we can say now The Glass Mountain is a typical post-modernism text.
　　
　　Ⅱ. Symbolic meanings
　　 The post-modernism style of the story gives its images deeply signified meanings. First of all, what does the glass mountain stand for? Obviously, it is not a natural mountain but a glittering skyscraper. The author altered the natural mountain in the tale into an artificial high building, it means the main conflict is no longer between man and nature. This is not a tale about man conquers nature and supernatural creatures like dragons or wizards, but a story about conflict between man and man-made nature, that is, society.
　　 To some extent, we can say the glass mountain symbolizes art, loftiness, and a kind of spiritual pursuit above the reality. “I” was attracted by it, so climbed the mountain determinedly. Then, who am “I”? “I” am an intellectual, at least a cynical person who does not satisfy with the reality and have a certain spiritual pursuit. The author repeated the sentence “I was new in the neighbourhood” three times in the whole text on purpose. Why “I” was always new in the neighbourhood though “I” have got quite lot acquaintances? We can easily figure out the answer through the author’s description about the neighbourhood. What a chaotic and ugly world it is! There were cold-blooded and greedy watchers, hypocritical and numb passers-by, gun-fighting gungs, colourful dog shits, and power-sawn woods. Living in such a world, “I” have no alternative accept climbing the glass mountain to flee away. However, the process of climbing is painstaking and difficult, the author repeated the sentence “I unstuck the lefthand/righthand plumber’s friend…” seven times. This implies the difficulties that an individual struggles against the vulgar reality while pursuing his spiritual ideal at the same time. I think Those knights are the protagonist’s comrades somehow. These knights signified another kind of intellectuals in reality. Their main characteristic is unsuitable. They don’t know their armors are only burdens and horses are murderers while climbing the slippery mountain. They are brave enough to challenge the terrible society, but their pedanticism makes them bound to fail. Their images aroused my memory about KongYiji（孔已己） in one of Mr LuXun’s short story, whose never changed gown is as unsuitable as these knights’ armors.
　　 Since the world is unberable, any solution or outlet provided by the author? Unfortunately, no! It seems the glass mountain is the very way to free us from this post-industrial and post-modern society, but the story’s end tells us there is not a paradise above the reality, nobody can break away from the society. When “I” finally reached the golden castle, only found the enchanted symbol, my spiritual ideal and lofty pursuit, was a beautiful princess, something real, material, and vulgar, and something typically metanarritive. My ideal is also at the society’s disposal. It still has to be usurped and distorted by the secular world. No wonder “I” threw the princess headfirst down the mountain unhesitatingly. “I” realised absurdity of the system, but “I” was unable to flee.
　　
　　Ⅲ. Absurd world and resitant man
　　 From the symbolic meanings of the text, we can do some further speculation. The author had drawn a world that is meaningless, insignificant, and unreasonable. People walk dogs, drink, fight, and destroy. Their lives are filled with boredom and despair. Such boredom makes us think about the significance of lives. French eminent philosopher and writer Alber Camus(阿尔伯特·加缪) said that life is meaningless and absurd originally. Individual can do nothing with nature, society, or even his own psych and thoughts. Not only the world is irrational, but also man’s spiritual pursuit signified by the enchanted symbol. Actually, no matter what the symbol finally became, my feeling of absurdity would be aroused inevitably. Because “I” was such a person: if “I” believe, “I” don’t believe “I” believe; if “I” don’t believe, “I” don’t believe “I” don’t believe. This is also an essential feature of post-modernism.
　　 Our world is absurd, our spiritual pursuit is absurd too, then why our lives are worth living? What significance makes us continue living in this boring, despairing, and absurd world? One can not live meaninglessly. “Resistance …is not hope, but live hopelessly…and never surrender”, said Camus. The iamge of “I” in The Glass Mountain is an exact image of a “resistant man” in Camus’ philosophy. “I” resisted the absurd reality through leaving it and climbing the mountain, as well as “I” resisted the absurd ideal through throwing the enchanted symbol away. “I” got my own significance by resistance. So I think The Glass Mountain is a good explanation of Camus’ philosophy.
　　 On the whole, this short story is a typical post-modernism text, has profound meanings, and corresponds to Camus’ philosophy very well. It is a laudable story from every aspect.