1891年，处在写作生涯巅峰期的王尔德遇见了阿尔弗雷德·“波西”·道格拉斯(Alfred "Bosie" Douglas)，两人很快成为了同性恋人。四年后，因为这段“不敢说出名字的爱”，王尔德被判“有伤 风化”罪而入狱。在狱中，王尔德开始反思从前的生活，思索痛苦和人生的意义，艺术和爱的真谛，最终将那些痛苦的泪水都化作优 美而深沉的文字，写成了这封名为"de profundis"(从深处)的长信。

　　作者简介：奥斯卡·王尔德(Oscar Wilde, 1854-1900)，英国维多利亚时代著名作家，“唯美主义 运动”的领军人物，倡导“为艺术而艺术”(Art for art's sake)。他的代表作有戏剧《莎乐美》(Salome)《认真的 重要性》(The Importance of Being Earnest)，童话《快乐王子》(The Happy Prince) 《夜莺与玫瑰》(The Nightingale and the Rose) ，小说《道连·格雷的画像》(The Picture of Dorian Gray)，以及书信《自深深处》(De Profundis)等。

　　【原著选段】

　　If after I go out, a friend of mine gave a feast,and did not invite me to it, I shouldn’t mind a bit. Ican be perfectly happy by myself. Withfreedom, books, flowers, and the moon, whocould not be happy? Besides, feasts are not for meany more. I have given too many to care aboutthem. That side of life is over for me, veryfortunately I dare say. But if, after I go out, a friendof mine had a sorrow, and refused to allow me toshare it, I should feel it most bitterly. If he shut thedoors of the house of mourning against me I would come back again and again and beg to be admitted, sothat I might share in what I was entitled to share. Ifhe thought me unworthy, unfit to weep with him, Ishould feel it as the most poignant humiliation,as the most terrible mode in which disgrace could beinflicted on me. But that could not be. I have a rightto share in Sorrow, and he who can look at theloveliness of the world, and share its sorrow, andrealise something of the wonder of both, is inimmediate contact with divine things, and has got asnear to God’s secret as anyone can get.

　　【朱纯深译本】

　　假如出去后，哪位朋友设宴而不请我，我一点也不会介意。一个人我就可以快乐无边了。有了自由、书籍、鲜花，还有月亮，谁能不快乐呢？而且，宴饮也不再是我所喜欢的了。餐宴我举行过太多已经不为所动了。那方面的生活已经与我无关，我敢说这非常幸运。但如果出去后，哪位朋友有了哀痛而不让我与他分担，那我就太难受了。如果他把我关在居丧之屋外头，那我会一次又一次地回去，求他放我进门，好分担我有权分担的。如果他认为我不配，不配与他同哭，那我会觉得这是奇耻大辱，再没有比这更可怕的羞辱了。但这是不可能的。我有权分担悲哀。能看着世界的可爱，又同时分担它的悲哀， 并领悟两者的奇妙，这样的人已是直通神性，与上帝的真意再接近不过了。

　　【读书笔记】

　　1、feastn.盛筵；感官享受

　　vi.参加宴会；饱餐

　　vt.设宴招待

　　【举例】a wedding feast 婚宴

　　a feast for the eyes 使人大饱眼福的事物

　　feast on delicacies 饱尝珍馐

　　feast one's friends 设宴招待朋友

　　2、sorrow n.悲伤；烦恼；不幸的事；歉疚

　　【举例】She looked at him in/with sorrow.她注视着他，满怀悲伤之情。

　　The many sorrows turned her hair white.这许多不幸的事使她白了头。

　　He expressed his sorrow over/for what he had done.他对自己所做的事深表歉疚。

　　3、mourningn.哀痛；哀悼；服丧；丧服

　　【举例】express mouning over loss of sb.为失去某人而哀痛

　　be put into mourning服丧

　　national mouring 国丧

　　wear mourning for sb. 为悼念某人而穿上丧服

　　4、entitle v.给……权利/资格；给……题名

　　【举例】He was entitled to see the documents. 他有权看这些文件。

　　The work entitled him to a place among the great novelists.

　　这部作品使他跻身伟大小说家的行列。

　　The author entitled his book "On Poetry". 作者给自己的书题名为“论诗”。