《未来千年文学备忘录》第26章

，但却欢迎有这个机会，谈论文学创作的种种。他所构想设计的讲稿，无可避免地提到他自己的作品，他的创作方法、企图和希望。这本书因此被视为卡尔维诺赠予世人的遗产；他在书中精心勾勒的文学价值，既可充当评鉴一般作品的尺度，也可以作为认识卡尔维诺的指南。
写作这回事有什么东西值得珍惜？卡尔维诺以五篇演讲（五份给读者的备忘录），分别解说五种不可或缺的文学价值。第一讲「轻」，引述希腊神话、欧维德、薄伽丘、塞万提斯、昆德拉、卡夫卡等等作品来诠释：生命存在的沉重必须以轻盈的态式来承担；第二讲「快」，阐述如何以敏捷来融合「行动」（快）和「沉思默想」（慢）；接下来的第三讲「准」，强调的语言的精确和明晰；第四讲「显」，说明视觉想像系认识世界和自我的媒介；第五讲「繁」是一份展示力作，生动而精彩地描述文学如何送出常轨，企图传达人类面对无限的可能所流露的痛苦、困惑和振奋。
卡尔维诺出入古今典籍，旁征博引，阅读品味和学识见解，在在令人叹为观止，这本书可说是专为熟悉和热爱小说艺术的行家和读者所写的备忘录，本世纪最雄辩而毫无防护意味的文学辩护书，给下一个千福年的贴切礼物，担忧和关切文学之未来命运的读者，可以在这里发现十分有力的证词。
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巴尔扎克《无名的杰作》（英译本）
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（卡尔维诺《未来千年文学备忘录》中曾提到这篇小说。这里的应该是定稿的英译本，译者不详。电子文本来自project　gutenberg，原网址为http：//。gutenberg。org/etext/23060）
the　unknown　masterpiece
by　honoré　de　balzac
to　a　lord
1845
i……gillette
on　a　cold　december　morning　in　the　year　1612；　a　young　man；　whose　clothing　was　somewhat　of　the　thinnest；　was　walking　to　and　fro　before　a　gateway　in　the　rue　des　grands…augustins　in　paris。　he　went　up　and　down　the　street　before　this　house　with　the　irresolution　of　a　gallant　who　dares　not　venture　into　the　presence　of　the　mistress　whom　he　loves　for　the　first　time；　easy　of　access　though　she　may　be；　but　after　a　sufficiently　long　interval　of　hesitation；　he　at　last　crossed　the　threshold　and　inquired　of　an　old　woman；　who　was　sweeping　out　a　large　room　on　the　ground　floor；　whether　master　porbus　was　within。　receiving　a　reply　in　the　affirmative；　the　young　man　went　slowly　up　the　staircase；　like　a　gentleman　but　newly　e　to　court；　and　doubtful　as　to　his　reception　by　the　king。　he　came　to　a　stand　once　more　on　the　landing　at　the　head　of　the　stairs；　and　again　he　hesitated　before　raising　his　hand　to　the　grotesque　knocker　on　the　door　of　the　studio；　where　doubtless　the　painter　was　at　work……master　porbus；　sometime　painter　in　ordinary　to　henri　iv　till　mary　de　medici　took　rubens　into　favor。
the　young　man　felt　deeply　stirred　by　an　emotion　that　must　thrill　the　hearts　of　all　great　artists　when；　in　the　pride　of　their　youth　and　their　first　love　of　art；　they　e　into　the　presence　of　a　master　or　stand　before　a　masterpiece。　for　all　human　sentiments　there　is　a　time　of　early　blossoming；　a　day　of　generous　enthusiasm　that　gradually　fades　until　nothing　is　left　of　happiness　but　a　memory；　and　glory　is　known　for　a　delusion。　of　all　these　delicate　and　short…lived　emotions；　none　so　resemble　love　as　the　passion　of　a　young　artist　for　his　art；　as　he　is　about　to　enter　on　the　blissful　martyrdom　of　his　career　of　glory　and　disaster；　of　vague　expectations　and　real　disappointments。
those　who　have　missed　this　experience　in　the　early　days　of　light　purses；　who　have　not；　in　the　dawn　of　their　genius；　stood　in　the　presence　of　a　master　and　felt　the　throbbing　of　their　hearts；　will　always　carry　in　their　inmost　souls　a　chord　that　has　never　been　touched；　and　in　their　work　an　indefinable　quality　will　be　lacking；　a　something　in　the　stroke　of　the　brush；　a　mysterious　element　that　we　call　poetry。　the　swaggerers；　so　puffed　up　by　self…conceit　that　they　are　confident　over…soon　of　their　success；　can　never　be　taken　for　men　of　talent　save　by　fools。　from　this　point　of　view；　if　youthful　modesty　is　the　measure　of　youthful　genius；　the　stranger　on　the　staircase　might　be　allowed　to　have　something　in　him；　for　he　seemed　to　possess　the　indescribable　diffidence；　the　early　timidity　that　artists　are　bound　to　lose　in　the　course　of　a　great　career；　even　as　pretty　women　lose　it　as　they　make　progress　in　the　arts　of　coquetry。　self…distrust　vanishes　as　triumph　succeeds　to　triumph；　and　modesty　is；　perhaps；　distrust　of　itself。
the　poor　neophyte　was　so　overe　by　the　consciousness　of　his　own　presumption　and　insignificance；　that　it　began　to　look　as　if　he　was　hardly　likely　to　penetrate　into　the　studio　of　the　painter；　to　whom　we　owe　the　wonderful　portrait　of　henri　iv。　but　fate　was　propitious；　an　old　man　came　up　the　staircase。　from　the　quaint　costume　of　this　newer；　his　collar　of　magnificent　lace；　and　a　certain　serene　gravity　in　his　bearing；　the　first　arrival　thought　that　this　personage　must　be　either　a　patron　or　a　friend　of　the　court　painter。　he　stood　aside　therefore　upon　the　landing　to　allow　the　visitor　to　pass；　scrutinizing　him　curiously　the　while。　perhaps　he　might　hope　to　find　the　good　nature　of　an　artist　or　to　receive　the　good　offices　of　an　amateur　not　unfriendly　to　the　arts；　but　besides　an　almost　diabolical　expression　in　the　face　that　met　his　gaze；　there　was　that　indescribable　something　which　has　an　irresistible　attraction　for　artists。
picture　that　face。　a　bald　high　forehead　and　rugged　jutting　brows　above　a　small　flat　nose　turned　up　at　the　end；　as　in　the　portraits　of　socrates　and　rabelais；　deep　lines　about　the　mocking　mouth；　a　short　chin；　carried　proudly；　covered　with　a　grizzled　pointed　beard；　sea…green　eyes　that　age　might　seem　to　have　dimmed　were　it　not　for　the　contrast　between　the　iris　and　the　surrounding　mother…of…pearl　tints；　so　that　it　seemed　as　if　under　the　stress　of　anger　or　enthusiasm　there　would　be　a　magnetic　power　to　quell　or　kindle　in　their　glances。　the　face　was　withered　beyond　wont　by　the　fatigue　of　years；　yet　it　seemed　aged　still　more　by　the　thoughts　that　had　worn　away　both　soul　and　body。　there　were　no　lashes　to　the　deep…set　eyes；　and　scarcely　a　trace　of　the　arching　lines　of　the　eyebrows　above　them。　set　this　head　on　a　spare　and　feeble　frame；　place　it　in　a　frame　of　lace　wrought　like　an　engraved　silver　fish…slice；　imagine　a　heavy　gold　chain　over　the　old　mans　black　doublet；　and　you　will　have　some　dim　idea　of　this　strange　personage；　who　seemed　still　more　fantastic　in　the　sombre　twilight　of　the　staircase。　one　of　rembrandts　portraits　might　have　stepped　down　from　its　frame　to　walk　in　an　appropriate　atmosphere　of　gloom；