西方《江青传》作者与大陆传记作家的本质不同 

张放

由于工作原因，看过并编辑过很多所谓“红墙作家”撰写的关于毛泽东周恩来江青等当年党和国家领导人的文章或书。平心而论，绝大多数书稿属于乱抄胡写。最让人感到无奈的，是写作者大都把自己打扮成“早看出江青不是个什么好东西”的看穿历史玄机的家伙，用极尽侮辱与贬损的词句，描述当年的江青林彪等人的行为。似乎他们早就知道江青和林彪们将在历史的某个关头，成为千秋罪人似的。那种卖弄玄虚的态度，让人感到恶心的同时，也着实让人感到没有什么办法。 

其实，从1976年到今年（2011年）已经过去35个年头了。35年前，假设当时的华国锋没有想抓江青的一闪念，还会有今天这些“红墙作家”们“早就看出来江青不是个什么好东西”的“洞察力”吗？假如江青如愿以偿，成为毛泽东之后的新的国家元首的话，就你们这些个墙头草“红墙作家”，还会纪录下江青的所谓“恶行”吗？ 

其实写历史，尤其写人物传记，最忌讳的，不是你拥有资料的多寡，而是对历史人物的态度是否客观。这一点，治史的祖师爷司马迁早就给我们立下了规矩，也算亲自作出表率，至少，可以这样说，他已极尽客观之能事了。 

我并不崇拜西方传记作家，但我对他们笔下写出来的东西的可信度，更加依赖。换言之，他们笔下的东西，可以有“胡编”的成分，但基本上可以用“比较客观”来评价。尤其他们在写人物时的客观态度，更是每每给人留下深刻印象。即是说，他们尽量使个人情感与好恶，尽可能远地离开书中人物，尽量采取不偏不倚的态度，尽最大可能地冷静客观描述事实，而不是相反，更不会添油加醋地加入极富感情成分色彩的字眼。 

反观当下国内发表的人物传记、尤其描述江青等历史人物的文章或图书时，读后感觉恰恰相反。贬低，蔑视，轻慢，甚至羞辱词汇，充斥于字里行间。这是要命的，不符合历史唯物主义史观，从某种意义上说，是没办法给中国历史做出完整交代的。 

"Comrade Chiang Ch'ing is prepared!" These words were the summons to leave the guesthouse, where we had been waiting, and begin the drive to Chiang Ch'ing's villa. Leading to [the] villa was a narrow winding road flanked by deep bamboo groves. In them, young PLA [People's Liberation Army] guards, bayonets glinting, were partially hidden. 

The interior was spacious but its decor was neutral. Chiang Ch'ing was wearing a superbly tailored shirtwaist dress of heavy crepe de chine, with a full pleated skirt falling to midcalf, a style evocative of our early 1950s. 

With a later break for dinner and a shift to another room for fresher air, she talked continually until 3:30 in the morning. 

Tall by Chinese standards (5 ft. 5 in.), Chiang Ch'ing was slim and small-boned, with delicate, tapered hands. She gestured with liquid motions as she spoke, occasionally running a green-and-white plastic comb through her dark short-cropped hair. In what Witke described as her "imperial proletarian style," Chiang Ch'ing was surrounded by aides, bodyguards, her own doctors; the retinue hovers around her, silent and watchful; a scribe duly notes everything that she says; nobody else talks while Chiang Ch'ing is giving her monologue. She even made it clear to Witke that she did not like to be interrupted by questions. （老张摘自西方传记作家所写的《江青传》一书） 

没有任何羞辱、贬低、讽刺等词汇，只有客观描述，读起来让人有种清风拂面的感觉。读着感觉好像西方传记作家更多地继承了司马迁的《史记》写作风格。而当今大陆一些所谓的“红墙作家”，却成了“该醒醒了”的一群无聊客了。