《我在另一个世界等你》

武汉第二中学 张新民供稿

《我在另一个世界等你》

武汉第二中学 张新民供稿

Elsewhereis a magical realist novel of young adult by Gabrielle Zevin in 2005.It is her first novel telling that a 15 year old girl Liz Hall is hit and killed by a taxi,when wakes up and finds herself in an island called“Elsewhere”,a place so like Earth,yet completely different.Here everyone will age backward from the day of one’s death until he or she becomes a baby again and returns to Earth.

Liz meets her grandmother,who is very young by now,and takes care of Liz.Liz watches her own funeral from the “ObservationDeck1”,and learns that though she is able to see Earth,she is not allowed to make contact with anyone there.Liz can not get over the fact that she is dead,and spends every day at the OD.

《我在另一个世界等着你》(也译作《异界》)是加·泽文在2005年发表的一部关于年轻人的魔幻现实主义小说。泽文的这部处女作讲述的是15岁的女孩莉兹·霍尔因为车祸而早逝，死后醒来发现自己来到了一个叫作“异界”的地方。这里和地球非常相似，但却有本质上的区别。在异界，每个人都会从死的那天起倒着生长，一直到再回到婴儿时期才能返回地球。

莉兹在异界遇到了现在非常年轻的外婆，外婆一直照顾她。她在“观景台”了看到了自己的葬礼，明白了即使她能够看到地球上的一切，她也不能和地球上的任何人联系。莉兹无法对自己已死的事实释怀，每天都到观景台那里呆着。

She had met a friend on the island named Owen who stops her twice and helps her get something similar to a job to comfort animals.Owen contacts Liz’s brother for her and as time goes by,he realizes that he has developed feelings for Liz.Liz,meanwhile,is trying to get back to Earth by“early release”,but is stopped again by Owen.This time Liz accepts her life in Elsewhere.

Liz continues to age backward and it’s her turn finally.She thinks of Elsewhere throughout her journey to Earth.The novel ends with Liz being sent down the river and being reborn into her new life on Earth.

This moving,often funny book aboutgrief2,death,and loss will stay with the reader long after the last page is turned.

What would you feel like when watching your self aging backward?If the place where people go after death is as wonderful as Zevin’s book,there is nothing to fear,even death.

她在异界岛上交到了一个朋友，名叫欧文。欧文阻止了她两次，帮她得到类似于安抚动物的工作的机会。欧文还帮莉兹联系她哥哥。随着时间的流逝，欧文意识到自己已经对莉兹有了感情。而与此同时，莉兹一直在试着通过“早释”回到地球，但是又被欧文阻止了。这次莉兹接受了在异界生活的事实。

莉兹一直在逆生长，终于轮到她回到地球了。在回到地球的旅程中，她开始想念异界了。小说的结局是莉兹被送进来时的那条河，在地球上重生，开始了她的新生活。

这部感人且充满趣味的小说会让读者在翻过最后一页的时候仍旧对文中表达的悲伤、死亡、失去等主题反复思量。

看着自己一年比一年更年轻，这该是什么心情呢？如果死后的世界真如作者书中想象般的美好，世间的一切就算是死亡也就不那么可怕了。

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