A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian - Marina Lewycka (mobi Kindle Ebook)

For years, Nadezhda and Vera, two Ukrainian sisters, raised in England by their refugee parents, have had as little as possible to do with each other - and they have their reasons. But now they find they'd better learn how to get along, because since their mother's death their aging father has been sliding into his second childhood, and an alarming new woman has just entered his life. Valentina, a bosomy young synthetic blonde from the Ukraine, seems to think their father is much richer than he is, and she is keen that he leave this world with as little money to his name as possible.If Nadazhda and Vera don't stop her, no one will. But separating their addled and annoyingly lecherous dad from his new love will prove to be no easy feat - Valentina is a ruthless pro and the two sisters swiftly realize that they are mere amateurs when it comes to ruthlessness. As Hurricane Valentina turns the family house upside down, old secrets come falling out, including the most deeply buried one of them all, from the War, the one that explains much about why Nadazhda and Vera are so different. In the meantime, oblivious to it all, their father carries on with the great work of his dotage, a grand history of the tractor.

2005年，小说刚出炉时，Amazon把它归在非小说的科技类里，不少书店也把它放到农业书里。这令人望文生义的书名，并不理想的封面设计和籍籍无名的新人，怎么看也只是一本冷门书籍。可是，就靠着读者的口碑，这本书硬是从农业科技的死角里漂亮地翻身，成为英国书店的文学展台上最抢眼的风景。或许，这便是文学的魅力。《卫报》称玛琳娜•柳薇卡给书起了“最勇敢的书名”。

作者：玛琳娜•柳薇卡

玛琳娜•柳薇卡（Marina Lewyka）英国文坛近年来最炙手可热的畅销书作家。“二战”结束时出生在德国基尔难民营，父母均为乌克兰人。她在英国长大，居住在谢菲尔德，任教于哈姆勒大学。58岁时柳薇卡借《乌克兰拖拉机简史》一书一举成名，赢得2005年波灵格大众伍德豪斯喜剧小说奖和机智小说奖。2007年出版《英国农民工小像》，延续其黑色喜剧的风格，并于2008年入围乔治•奥威尔奖。《乌克兰拖拉机简史》在一派热腾腾、闹烘烘的喜剧氛围中开场。喧哗、骚动的老夫少妻婚姻活生生的剧，与回忆中静默一片的痛苦生活恰成对应，掩藏于满纸轻松、诙谐的闹剧之后的是整个家族在二战时期以及在乌克兰的种种困厄与辛酸生活简史。在作者玛琳娜•柳薇卡笔下，这“苦难”何其轻盈，她无意渲染记忆的恐怖：饥饿、逃亡、杀戮、战争虽是那晦暗、阴郁生活的全部，却在时间的流变之中渐渐归于淡然。在回忆中，父母始终处于颠沛流离的状态，从一个集中营被押送到另一个集中营，遭受了肉体与精神的双重折磨，也曾因为一包香烟而险些送命。但这群集中营的幸存者们坚信“活着就是胜利”，笑对过往，那些灰暗的日子也因为达观的处世态度而不再阴暗，反倒成为日后好好生活的动力。写作《乌克兰拖拉机简史》时，柳薇卡已年近6旬，借书写，她回望故乡，回顾家族苦难史，也完成了一种精神上的遥望。作为二战后出生于盟军难民营的乌克兰后裔，她对家族的苦难历史显然没有直接、真切的体验。柳薇卡说，“我想幽默是人们在面对生活艰辛时所特有的天赋，幽默，是为了存活下去”。诚然，幽默是世间芸芸众生共有的人生态度。以幽默、平和的心态应对混乱不堪的生活，是一种释然。唯其如此，在苦难来袭之时，方能安之若素。结尾的和解似乎将这一闹剧引入了生活的正轨。正如老破车也有自己的春天，曾经被当作猫窝的劳斯莱斯也有重新上路的日子，在一片混乱之后，每个人都等来了自己的春天。将这本小说推荐给大家，希望您在掩卷之余，品味其中充满意象的精致，为其中的幽默大笑，笑过之后，还能从其中找到生活的真谛，或许，还会发现笑中的眼泪。愿您阅读愉快。