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 Rørek, 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.
本世纪最惨烈战争的始作俑者弗拉基米尔•普京相信，一部古老的僧侣编年史为无尽的流血披上了神圣的外衣。而那部艺术作品《往昔纪年》(Tale of Bygone Years)的真相，有助于我们洞见俄罗斯这场战争的本质。它的主人公、丹麦酋长罗雷克(Rørek)，则引领我们走向另一部艺术作品——莎士比亚的《哈姆雷特》。我们需要借助艺术触及悲剧的深处，因为上周在阿拉斯加的普京与唐纳德•特朗普之会，无法如我们也许情愿相信的那样，仅凭“国家利益”等令人宽慰的概念来加以理解。