中文导读
格特鲁德·斯泰因（Gertrude Stein, 1874-1946）是现代主义文学的先驱之一，其巴黎沙龙是海明威、菲茨杰拉德等"迷惘的一代"的精神家园。《三个女人的一生》（Three Lives, 1909）是她的第一部重要作品，由三个中篇组成，分别讲述三个不同阶层女性的故事。其中"Melanctha"一篇最长也最重要，以一位混血女性的情感经历为核心，探索种族、性别、欲望与理解的极限。斯泰因此时已开始发展她标志性的"持续现在时"（continuous present）写法——重复、回旋、累积的句式打破了传统叙事的线性推进，创造出一种独特的语言节奏。
"Melanctha" — Excerpt
I. Melanctha Herbert
Rose Johnson made it very hard to bring her baby to its birth.
Melanctha Herbert was a graceful, pale yellow, intelligent, attractive girl and had not been brought up by parents that had come from Virginia. Melanctha had been brought up by an adopted mother who was very well-to-do and who had given Melanctha a good bringing up. Melanctha had not been raised by parents that had come from Virginia. Melanctha had been raised by an adopted mother who was very well-to-do and who had given Melanctha a good bringing up.
Melanctha Herbert was always losing what she had in all the ways she could find to lose things. Melanctha Herbert was always losing what she had in all the ways she could find to lose things. All the ways she could find to lose things, Melanctha Herbert was always losing.
Melanctha Herbert was a graceful, pale yellow, intelligent, attractive girl and had not been brought up by parents that had come from Virginia. Melanctha had been brought up by an adopted mother who was very well-to-do and who had given Melanctha a good bringing up.
Rose Johnson made it very hard to bring her baby to its birth. Rose Johnson had it, a baby, and it came so hard, and it was a real black baby, and Rose Johnson was so sick and she had so much trouble and it made so much trouble for every one that was helping, and then when it was born, it was a real black baby.
Rose Johnson had a baby and it came so hard, and she was so sick and she had so much trouble, and then when it was born, it was a real black baby, and that made so much trouble for every one that was helping, and then when it was born, and it was a real black baby, Rose Johnson was all ready to die.
Rose Johnson was a real black girl and she had a baby that came so hard, and she was so sick and it made so much trouble, and then when it was born, it was a real black baby, and Rose Johnson was all ready to die.
Melanctha Herbert was a graceful, pale yellow, intelligent, attractive girl and she had not been brought up by parents that had come from Virginia. Melanctha had been raised by an adopted mother who was very well-to-do and who had given Melanctha a good bringing up. Melanctha had not been raised by parents that had come from Virginia.
Melanctha Herbert had a good deal of trouble with her living. Melanctha Herbert was always losing what she had in all the ways she could find to lose things.
Melanctha Herbert was a graceful, pale yellow, intelligent, attractive girl and she had a good deal of trouble with her living. All the ways she could find to lose things, Melanctha Herbert was always losing.
Rose Johnson and Melanctha Herbert had been friends now for some time. Rose Johnson was a real black girl and she had been a servant and she had married a man who was no good. Rose Johnson had a baby that came so hard, and she was so sick, and then when it was born, it was a real black baby, and Rose Johnson was all ready to die.
Rose Johnson had been a servant and she had married a man who was no good, and she had a baby that came so hard, and then when it was born, it was a real black baby, and Rose Johnson was all ready to die, and then she got better and she had her baby and she named it just the way she had said she would.
Rose Johnson was a real black girl and Melanctha Herbert was a graceful, pale yellow, intelligent, attractive girl and they had been friends now for some time and they were always together.
II
Melanctha Herbert had a good deal of trouble with her living. All the ways she could find to lose things, Melanctha Herbert was always losing.
Melanctha had been brought up by an adopted mother who was very well-to-do and who had given Melanctha a good bringing up. Melanctha had not been raised by parents that had come from Virginia.
Melanctha Herbert was always seeking and she was always losing. Melanctha Herbert was always seeking and she was always losing and she was always finding the way to be in trouble.
Melanctha Herbert was a graceful, pale yellow, intelligent, attractive girl and she was always seeking and she was always losing and she was always finding the way to be in trouble.
Melanctha Herbert had a good deal of trouble in her finding the way to do the things she wanted to be doing. All the ways she could find to lose things, Melanctha Herbert was always losing.
Melanctha Herbert was always seeking and she was always losing and she was always finding the way to be in trouble, and she was always losing what she had in all the ways she could find to lose things.
Melanctha Herbert had a good deal of trouble with her living. Melanctha Herbert was always losing what she had in all the ways she could find to lose things. All the ways she could find to lose things, Melanctha Herbert was always losing.
Melanctha Herbert was a graceful, pale yellow, intelligent, attractive girl and she had a good deal of trouble with her living. All the ways she could find to lose things, Melanctha Herbert was always losing and she was always finding the way to be in trouble.
Melanctha Herbert was always seeking and she was always losing and she was always finding the way to be in trouble, and she was always losing what she had in all the ways she could find to lose things. Melanctha Herbert was a graceful, pale yellow, intelligent, attractive girl and she was always seeking and she was always losing.