城堡（英文版）

城堡是什麼？它就矗立在不高的山崗上，近得彷彿觸手可及，沿着腳下的路一直走即可到達；卻又遠得虛無縹緲，溯游從之，道阻且長，溯洄從之，宛在雲中央。 一件很簡單的事，卡夫卡卻把它寫得峯迴路轉：城堡徵召一名土地測量員，K先生於是千里迢迢、頂風冒雪地應徵而來。不曾想城堡計劃早已改變，撤消了這條請求，只是這條撤銷令發錯了部門，不知所蹤。K先生於是被困在了山腳下的村子裏，沒有得到任何解釋。爲了彌補自己損失的時間和花費，K先生就像他的後輩-- 秋菊和李雪蓮一樣，開始了漫漫地討說法之路。 經歷了各種光怪陸離，處處碰壁之後，K先生始終無緣面見城堡中日理萬機的大人物。唯一一次從門孔中窺見，這位“忙碌”的大人物卻在坐着打盹兒。卡夫卡一定沒有到過中國，還不知道有紅包這個玩意兒，他採用了西方的比較文明的方式-- 接近這位大人物的小蜜並和她墜入了愛河。這就好像爲了接近宋思明而先愛上海藻，在我們那兒的術語叫no zuo no die[捂臉]。 提綱裏K先生至死也沒有進入城堡半步，小說沒有完結，K先生目前還活着，因爲卡夫卡先他而去了，留下了這一部最讓人揣測的作品，就像小說裏最常用的一個詞-- incomprehensible （不可理喻）。 每個人心中應該都有一座可望而不可及的“城堡”：官員們渴望着更進一步；上訪羣衆希望告御狀；教徒們糾結着能不能進入天堂；普通人則盼着更清廉的社會。十個人讀“城堡”估計會有十個想法，而最讓我感嘆的卻是那效率低下、人浮於事的官僚體制，而這又恰恰是每個國人都很熟悉的。 就像城堡內的官員也叫“高級僕人”一樣，我們也有公僕，只不過同樣也是對上不對下的，所謂的“主人翁”想見他們一面難上加難。“大人物們”最關心的是自己的威信和政績，解決實際問題則是次之又次。因爲正規渠道無法溝通，於是乎拉關係、上下打點成爲正常。上行下效，每個人手頭的權利都要用到十足。慢慢地也就沒有什麼正規渠道了，有什麼問題先想想自己有什麼關係，如何打點。慢慢地不光政府機關如此，醫院、學校莫不如此。 我沒有見過什麼公僕，也沒有什麼需要進入城堡才能解決的大事，要說有什麼成長中的小檻兒，倒是想起了剛工作的時候的一些事兒。當時進了一家合資公司，呆了兩年多準備換一家，結果被人事部經理婉拒。說的無非是進京戶口、合同期、出國培訓等等冠冕堂皇的理由，唯獨不問個人意願。去了人事部幾次無果，同事說是不是該送點兒禮？當時偏不信這個邪，反正也不着急，沒事兒就去人事部磨着。差不多磨了一個月，估計見我鐵了心，才勉強交錢放人。 去了一家獨資公司，呆了還是兩年多，又因故要走人。惴惴不安地走進人事部，問需要什麼手續？經理回答：你要真決定了，籤個字就行，不需要什麼手續。我：那我的護照是公司給辦的，要不要交回？經理：不用，你不是還要用它辦簽證嗎？走出人事部我才恍然大悟：原來人事部也幹人事兒啊！原來所謂的“城堡”都是人爲的啊！ 真心希望現在每個人的精力不用消耗在那些瑣碎甚至刁難的程序上。路漫漫其修遠兮，吾將上下而求索。求索的應該是我們各自的目標，而不是那錯綜複雜的關係。

在卡夫卡的《城堡》中，世界呈現出一種近乎病態的秩序——一切看似井然，卻毫無神聖的根基；一切似乎運轉，卻無人真正知曉其規則。在這部未竟之作中，“城堡”不再是庇佑衆生的神聖居所，而是高懸於人世之上的黑箱，是一切裁決的源頭，卻又與塵世的痛苦毫無關聯。K的旅程——表面上是對工作的申請與承認，本質上卻是一場靈魂對終極意義的探尋，正如諾斯替教徒在墮落世界中追尋真神的迴響。 在諾斯替教的宇宙圖式中，現實由僞神Demiurge所造，誤將自身視爲神聖的頂點，從而創造了一個充滿苦難與異化的物質世界。而真神與靈光則遙不可及，只有藉助內在的靈知（gnosis），人才能從這虛假的秩序中覺醒。《城堡》中的K正是這位“被拋入”的靈魂，他試圖理解這個制度世界的本質，並企圖在荒謬中維持自己的正直與清明。然而，他所面對的是一座永不顯形、永不回應的“城堡”——正如諾斯替教徒眼中的僞神世界，令人迷惘、疏離、充滿欺騙性的僞啓示。 女性角色在《城堡》中亦令人深思。Amalia和Frieda，彷彿是諾斯替神話中的Sophia的兩個分身：她們是墮落前和墮落後的Sophia。她們曾與神聖“靈界”有過接觸，隨後墮入秩序的底層，卻又保有不可奪取的神性殘跡。K試圖拯救她們，但以失敗告終——如同靈魂未能帶Sophia重返圓滿之境。尤其在小說結尾處，Frieda與助手Jeremias消失在骯髒、下賤的旅館房間中，“神性復歸”的希望完全破滅。 K原本的“土地測量員”身份，意味着他攜帶某種“度量”世界的理性與企圖，但最終他連自己的身份也難以確認。他在夜晚與Bürgel的對話中短暫地靠近了“啓示”，卻依舊無法穿透這片制度構建的迷霧。正如弗洛伊德所揭示的夢——它是潛意識的圖像，卻從不坦言其真正的意義。在卡夫卡筆下，啓示若有其事，卻永遠不能被驗證。靈魂永遠踟躕，等待一種永不會降臨的“拯救”。 K最終沒有抵達城堡，正如末世中的諾斯替教徒無法抵達真神的境地。人被困在一個僞神(包括Sordini, Klamm, Sortini)的創造中，而K正如在曠野中呼告的耶穌，只是這一次，上帝徹底隱身了，耶穌的呼告得不到任何回應。昆德拉早就注意到，K其實是穿越到20世紀的堂吉訶德，後者在沒有騎士的時代裏扮演騎士，前者在沒有神靈的時代裏尋找神蹟。如果說諾斯替教徒仍可憑信仰懷有某種抵達彼岸的希望，那麼卡夫卡則取消了一切彼岸的可能——K作爲信仰時代的遺民，註定要在這個僞神的世界裏徒勞地尋找神蹟。 《城堡》超越了對韋伯筆下“超理性化官僚世界”的反思，更像是末世的一則神學寓言。尼采宣稱上帝已死，卡夫卡爲我們補上一句：但他還沒有下葬，並且我們將永久爲之守靈。

作爲一個極端扭曲的人性和社會的描述，該書堪稱經典。專制、無知、愚昧、以及伴隨狀態的壓抑、變態、恐懼和無力感，令人不寒而慄。

K就是一個反抗的鬥士，一次次燃起勝利的希望，一次次墜入絕望的深淵。

《城堡》從某種意義上來說不僅僅是一部小說，更是一本現代啓示錄。《城堡》中的預言一直影響着我們，直到現在，我們仍然活在卡夫卡預言的世界裏。《城堡》的預言至今仍有着無可比擬的現實意義。早在二十世紀初，卡夫卡就驚恐地發現，在社會柔和的外表下，掩藏着人性的不真實。他感到前所未有的恐懼，這種恐懼來自他對未知世界的窺探，也來自於他敏銳的洞察力。卡夫卡發出了驚世駭俗的呼喊。他的尖叫振聾發聵，穿越一個世紀的長度，至今在我們耳邊縈繞。他的預言猶如一個強大的結界包圍着我們，儘管沒有結局，卻仍然無法掙脫。然而預言終有一天會被揭開，就如同K不可能永遠只拘泥於小小的村莊中一樣。他需要得到城堡對於他的價值的肯定。那個龐大的城堡猶如熾熱的太陽一般閃耀，而K也甘願做一隻小小的飛蛾，一次次奮不顧身地撲向他所謂的光明。爲了能夠進入城堡，K開始遊走於形形色色的公職人員之間。他敲開一扇扇官僚機構的大門，一次次等待城堡老爺的降臨。然而在一扇門被敲開之後，真相卻跌入了更深的黑暗之中。在K的眼中，城堡的實體日益模糊，取而代之的是一種強大的壓迫力使他喘不過氣來。城堡無數次出現再K最深的夢魘中，如同海市蜃樓。K覺得它近在咫尺，卻遙不可及。城堡此時就如同上帝與K開的玩笑，位於現實和虛無之間的臨界點上，真實而虛幻。儘管真相始終被埋藏於巨大的城堡之下，K卻一直沒有放棄對城堡的追逐。他與城堡當局展開了持久繁瑣的拉鋸戰。在這樣的心理戰下，人性開始扭曲。K爲了與城堡建立真正聯繫做了許多徒勞無意卻又卑鄙齷齪的嘗試。他勾引了城堡老爺的情婦弗麗達，卻對弗麗達毫不在乎。在K眼中，弗麗達只不過是一件奢侈的抵押品而已，與愛情無關。現代人就如同這個兩百多年前的土地測量員K一樣，被利益囚禁，成爲權力角鬥場中的奴隸。破碎的人性和卡夫卡的預言驚人地吻合。權力、慾望成爲現代人渴求的夢。正如《城堡》所預言的那樣，我們的人性中的冷漠與功利在利益的催化之下噴薄而發。事實之於K來說更加殘酷——他一輩子都無法進入城堡。然而極具諷刺意味的是，城堡在最後的時刻發來告書，允許K在村中居住。K多年以來的鬥爭，最後換來的僅僅是城堡對於他在陽光底下的生存權的默許，我不知道這是否可以算做是K的勝利。在經歷了一個大回環之後，而我們的測量員K先生換得了生存的權力。這大概也算是K奮鬥一生的結果吧。現代人正在倒退，倒退回K的模樣。於是我們又重新跌回《城堡》所預言的那個冷漠功利的世界。逐漸封閉的內心中填埋着人性的脆弱不堪。冷漠的外表下掩埋着狂暴的靈魂。爲了獲得陽光下生存的權力，無數人勾心鬥角，建立起僞善的關係網。採菊東籬下，悠然見南山的淡泊名利已經遠去，成爲一種奢侈品。這樣的世界，與《城堡》的預言又什麼差距呢？卡夫卡的預言仍然繼續，現在人的生活也在繼續。或許，我們不必因爲卡夫卡的預言感到惶恐，（儘管他揭露了事實）因爲永遠是這樣，風后面是風，天空上面是天空，道路前面是道路，預言的前方仍然是預言。

《城堡》---卡夫卡終身無法觸及的權威        本書的簡述，引用百度百科，主人公K作爲城堡指派的土地測量員到達隸屬城堡的山村，遇到形形色色的人物的故事。         K半夜抵達山村，在橋邊旅館落腳被城堡小管家兒子S質問身份，兜兜轉轉城堡含糊其辭地承認了K的身份，K得以在旅館繼續落腳。第二天，K本該被城堡召進卻杳無音信，便在山村閒逛尋找去城堡的路，途中邂逅冷漠嚴肅的山村教師，闖入私宅被告知不能在此逗留，被屋主人架出屋外。返回旅館途中由於雪深路長，動彈不得，被怕出事(非出於好心)的農民用雪橇送回橋邊旅館。在旅館門口得知城堡爲其指派了兩名對測量一無所知的助理和一名信使，K吩咐助理致電城堡詢問其工作行程安排，卻被助理告知城堡不會處理這種電話(即此路不通)，K並不相信堅持親自致電城堡並驗證了自己不會被城堡召進的事實(城堡不會接待土地測量)。隨後K接待了城堡信使B，信使B遞給他一封信，K仔細地研究了這封信，信有如下幾點意思，K雖然是城堡土地測量員，卻不對城堡負責，只需對鄉村主席負責(名義城堡測量員，實則鄉村測量員)，工作上有什麼困難可以由這位信使B向城堡傳遞(打電話什麼的就免了吧！)。至此K明白了要求城堡下達命令召進自己是不可能的，只能通過自己的努力(自己的謀劃)才能進城堡。於是K追着B不放提出要求，要求B帶他一起走(言下之意要B帶他去城堡)，生怕放走城堡唯一的聯絡。B是個和顏悅色親民好信使，至少他沒有排斥K，然而B並沒有去城堡述職，而是把K帶到自己家徒四壁窮困潦倒的家，B告知K自己只有白天才去城堡，晚上必須睡在家裏(K去城堡的希望斷了)。在B的家裏，K遇到了同樣好心並對愛慕的K的B的大姐O，以及威嚴現實的小妹A, 一家人邀請K喫晚餐並在此夜宿一晚，K非常嫌棄就跟着大姐O去紳士酒店打啤酒。K在該酒店遇到女酒保F，從F處得知城堡主(伯爵)常常並現在在此處下榻，而自己是伯爵的情婦，F甚至讓K通過門小孔偷窺伯爵。K當即做出了一個大膽的決定。一方面自己不想跟O去他們家過夜，但又不被允許在紳士旅館過夜，另一方面自己想跟信使B去城堡的希望已斷，必須尋找新希望。於是他大膽地引誘了女酒保F(不是出於對F的愛)，想通過F見伯爵並再次跟城堡扯上關係。F一方面非常愛K，另一方面對自己的現狀非常不滿。以爲自己找到了真愛，便飛蛾撲火般大膽地爲K做了兩件事，第一件事跟房東對着幹，將K留在自己的酒吧過夜，第二件事在跟K發生了關係的同時拒絕了伯爵的求愛，意味着自己不再做伯爵的情婦。這意味着K再次進入城堡的希望又斷了，因爲伯爵的情婦不再是伯爵的情婦，並且此事也帶來其他負面效果，F被卸職掃出紳士旅館，跟着K一起回到橋邊旅館，此時F由女酒保轉換成K的未婚妻。然而另一個噩耗傳來使K的境地更加難堪，K去鄉村主席那裏述職卻被告知:“我們本來就不需要土地測量員，之所以發出土地測量員的公告完全出於我們體制內部的錯誤。”(人生處處有驚喜，原來K在城堡和鄉村的出現根本是個錯誤)，然而K對這個結果表示無法接受，他表示我背井離鄉不可能兩手空空回去，再者我家鄉也沒有適合的工作。經過K和主席的協商，主席表示K可以暫時做學校們門衛員來養活自己，K並不想接受這個職位。當他回到橋邊旅館，未婚妻F告訴他橋邊旅館的女房東(他是F的好朋友，也曾是伯爵的情婦，我們可以YY下伯爵到底有多少情婦)已經不再收留他們了，女房東不收留K的理由羅列如下:一、客觀條件。旅館開始收留K入住僅僅是房東對K的可憐(女房東對此並不知)，二、私人方面。K勾引了女房東的好朋友F，其居心叵測，並且不聽從女房東忠告。三、根本原因。K作爲城堡土地測量員名存實亡，跟城堡已經沒有干係。K處境水深火熱並在未婚妻F的勸告下接受了學校門衛員一職，舉家遷徙至學校，遷徙途中，K甚至私自相見伯爵，在雪地裏伯爵的雪橇旁邊等伯爵等了幾個小時，卻被雪橇夫叫他去雪橇裏面拿酒恰好被伯爵的祕書撞見，計劃失敗(希望再次破滅)。未婚妻F一邊跟兩個助理曖昧不清，另一邊懷疑K對自己的真心，學校條件艱苦，風餐露宿，老師和K發生種種矛盾，F內心備受煎熬，懇求K帶她遠走高飛，K沒有答應她的請求。期間K有收到過B傳遞過來的城堡的第二封信。信的內容極其荒唐，表揚了K認真履行土地測量員的職責(K壓根沒有開始幹活)，讚揚K有力督促助理的工作(K跟兩助理相處並不愉快，經常拿棍子抽他們)，讀到此處只想感嘆下:你在橋邊看風景，看風景的人在樓上看你，明月裝飾了你的窗子，你裝飾了別人的夢。或許人生就是一場戲。收到信的K幹了兩件事，一是趕走了兩名助理，二揹着自己的未婚妻F再次拜訪了B一家人，這爲未婚妻棄他而去埋下了伏筆。當助理不再是助理就有可能成爲情敵，F本身對B一家人非常反感，極力反對K跟B一家人親近。理由如下:B家大姐O愛慕K，K去B家就是對他們感情的不忠，B家小妹A因拒絕城堡公職人員S的求愛侮辱過城堡的信使，家族聲譽不好。在K拜訪B一家人過程中也更深入地瞭解了這家人以及整個山村。這也是本文最shock 我的地方，B家人本來是名門望族，因爲在消防車轉送開幕式上的一件小事而家到中落，城堡公職人員S,瘸腿，個子矮，總之形象不好，看上了B家小妹A，給小妹A寫了一封侮辱的求愛信,信以命令的口氣要求A晚上獨自到紳士旅館跟S共度春宵。A非常氣憤，當着信使的面撕碎信並扔了信使一臉(要是我不打一頓S纔怪)。事情發生後，更心痛的是周圍人的態度，他們關心的不是女孩受侮辱，而是城堡公職人員被褻瀆，B家爸爸由此被解職，全家人被孤立排擠。K和O的談話被K的助理J打斷，助理是未婚妻派遣過來，爲了告訴K，未婚妻已經離他而去繼續在紳士旅館工作，並且跟J搞在了一起。此時的K，工作不順利，未婚妻離他而去，去城堡的希望一次次湮滅。而從城堡述職回來的B帶來一個像希望又不是的信息，伯爵的第一祕書在B的死纏爛打下終於肯見K一面，K再次去了紳士旅館碰見了分手後的F，F發誓不再回到K身邊，K孤身一人闖進陌生房間遇見正在睡覺的傳話祕書E。此時的K又困又累，被E強迫談話，最後又困又累的K被第一祕書召見，理由是他們談話的聲音太大，把第一祕書吵醒了。書應該沒有完結，卡夫卡城堡的故事到此結束。        說下讀此書的自我感受。讀這本書是種煎熬，一方面全英文，理解方面可能有偏差，另一方面內容極其枯燥，卡夫卡語言比較晦澀，時而夾雜一些哲學道理。再者，小說情感比較沉悶，給人一種極其壓抑的感覺。從小說描寫的實物環境來看，城堡比較寒酸，鄉村更加寒酸，到處都是又深又厚的雪(snow)，沒有溫暖。再從描寫社會環境來看，城堡的人神祕高傲又荒唐，城堡的影響力無處不在(authority)，村莊的人出於權威的控制下，極其冷漠嚴肅及排外，凡跟城堡有關的事趨之若鶩。主人公本身非常固執嚴肅，認死理，但也比較正義，看待事情比較公正。整篇小說只有兩個人給了我溫暖，一個是信使B，我能感覺他的真心實意，另一個是未婚妻F，我感覺到他對K的愛以及內心的掙扎，其他的人帶着一副面具，也包括主人公K。      另外說下我對此書的幾個疑問及理解。爲什麼主人公是K? K是不是就是Kafka的縮寫，那麼K的故事就是Kafka的故事，從兩個可以推斷，一K來到山村的時候就說山村跟自己的故鄉很像，城堡看起來就像自己的故鄉，那麼作者或許就是在描寫自己的故鄉。二，我查過卡夫卡的生平，卡夫卡處於自己父親權威的影響下長大，而整片文章無數次提到過權威。有人整篇小說批判的是官僚主義作風，這個肯定是有的。如果把K比作卡夫卡，我更願意把城堡比作卡夫卡的一個夢想，只有夢想是那麼的遙不可及卻又給人無數的希望，即使希望一次次湮滅。城堡又是權威的象徵，每個人都追求權威，權威無處不在，但這種權威卡夫卡觸摸不到。K的生活其實就是我們的生活寫照，城堡是我們的夢想，怎麼努力卻無法實現的夢想，我們一次次掙扎，一次次失望，直到又累又餓，直到麻木。    

Finally finished! found my attention wandering too often in his so long conversations. Easily distracted! Who is K? Why is it so difficult for K to get intothe castle which looks quite close! What does that castle stand for!  Who on earth live in it? What's the inner link of the long conversations? What's the writing intention? My answers are not that clear, but I don't thinkI have the patience to take it anymore. Anyway, I like his description of details, which could form pictures in my mind. I just took it as a book to learn language, for which I expressmy sincere apology to Frank Kafka!

2022年4月25日 星期一 祝福早安 天氣陰雨 氣溫16℃ 《城堡🏰》卡夫卡 每個人內心都有座城堡🏰 可是你怎麼都觸及不到 那就像縹緲的夢想一樣 但這城堡還值得存在嗎 最近在準備考博的時候 聽過大學教授解讀這書 卡夫卡的孤獨有誰能懂 我們的城堡往何處尋找 我的城堡 我的上帝 他就在那裏不離不棄 他就在那裏不動不移 當我朝他走一步 他已經向我走了99步 雙向奔赴纔有意義 願我奔赴我的城堡 在人的內心深處裏 那無法填滿的渴望 願被上帝來填滿吧 無論如何他在等你 he meeting with the chairman caused K. little concern, almost to his own surprise.He sought to explain this to himself on the grounds that, judging by his previous experiences, dealing with the Count's authorities was very simple for him.On one hand, this was due to their having issued for his affairs, apparently once and for all, a definite ruling that was outwardly very much in his favor, and on the other, to the admirable consistency of the service, which was, one suspected, especially perfect on occasions when it appeared to be missing.Sometimes when thinking of such matters K.almost concluded that his situation was quite satisfactory, though he always told himself quickly after such fits of satisfaction that this is precisely where the danger lay.Dealing directly with the authorities wasn't all that difficult, for no matter how well organized they were, they only had to defend distant and invisible causes on behalf of remote and invisible gentlemen, whereas he, K.,was fighting for something vitally close, for himself, and what's more of his own free will, initially at least, for he was the assailant, and he was not struggling for himself on his own, there were also other forces, which he knew nothing of, but could believe in because of the measures adopted by the authorities.By mostly obliging him from the start in some of the more trivial matters—and no more had been at stake until now—the authorities were depriving him not only of the chance to gain a few easy little victories but also of the corresponding satisfaction and the resulting well-founded confidence for other, greater battles.Instead they let K.wander about as he wished, even if only in the village, spoiling and weakening him, barred all fighting here, and dispatched him to this extra-official, completely unclear, dull, and strange life.If this went on, if he weren't always on guard, he might one day, despite the friendly attitude of the authorities, despite his meticulous fulfillment of his exaggeratedly light official duties, be deceived by the favor seemingly granted him and lead the rest of his life so imprudently that he would fall to pieces, and the authorities, gentle and friendly as ever, would have to come, as though against their will but actually at the behest of some official ordinance of which he knew nothing, in order to clear him out of the way.And what did that actually amount to here, the other part of his life?Nowhere else had K.ever seen one's official position and one’s life so intertwined as they were here, so intertwined that it sometimes seemed as though office and life had switched places.How great, say, was the power Klamm wielded over K.’s service, which up to now had been no more than a formality, compared with the power Klamm possessed in actual fact in K.’s bedroom.That’s why a slightly more frivolous approach, a certain easing of tension, was appropriate only when dealing directly with the authorities, whereas otherwise you always had to exercise great caution and look about on all sides before each step you took. K. initially found his view of the local authorities very much confirmed at the chairman's.A friendly fat clean-shaven man, the chairman was ill, he had a severe attack of gout and received K.in bed.“So you must be our surveyor,”he said, intending to sit up and greet K.,but he couldn't manage it and, pointing apologetically to his legs, threw himself back down on the pillows.A woman, quite still, almost shadowlike in the dimly lit room, whose small curtained windows made it even darker, brought K.a chair and put it by the bed.“Sit down, sit down, Surveyor,”said the chairman,“and tell me what you want.”K.read Klamm's letter aloud and then added a few comments.Again he thought he felt the extraordinary ease of dealing with the authorities.They bore the whole burden, quite literally, you could leave everything up to them and remain free and untouched yourself.As though sensing this in his own way, the chairman stirred uneasily in his bed.Finally he said:“Surveyor, as you've noticed, I knew about the entire affair.The reason I haven't seen to it yet is, first, I have been ill, and then you took so long to come I thought you had given up the affair.But now that you’re so kind as to call on me, I must of course let you know the entire unpleasant truth.You were, as you say, taken on as a surveyor, but we don’t need a surveyor.There wouldn’t be the least bit of work for a person like that. Yet since they hesitated—the changes in the room must have taken them aback—K.took one of them by the arm to lead her in.But he immediately let her go, so startled was the identical stare that after a brief exchange of glances they fixed on K.“But you’ve been staring at me long enough,”said K.,and, fending off a certain unpleasant sensation, he picked up his clothes and shoes, which Frieda—with the assistants following timidly behind—had just brought in, and dressed.He had always found Frieda’s patience with the assistants incomprehensible, and this was once again so.After a long search she had discovered that the two of them, who ought to have been brushing the clothes in the courtyard, were quietly eating lunch downstairs, the still unbrushed clothes lay crumpled on their laps;then she was obliged to brush them herself, but though she certainly knew how to keep common people in check, she did nothing to rebuke the assistants, treated their utterly negligent behavior as a little joke, and even tapped one of them lightly, and as if affectionately, upon the cheek.K.wanted to rebuke her later for this.But now it was high time to leave.“The assistants will stay behind to help you move,”said K.Yet they weren’t willing to accept this;wellfed and cheerful as they were now, they would have liked a little exercise.Only when Frieda said“You are staying here”did they fall in line.“Do you know where I’m going?”asked K.“Yes,”said Frieda.“So you’re no longer keeping me here?”asked K.“You’ll run into so many obstacles,”she said,“and then what would my words mean?”She kissed K.goodbye and, since he hadn’t eaten at noon, gave him a small package with bread and sausage, which she had brought up from the kitchen, reminded him that he should not come here but rather straight to the school, and accompanied him, with her hand on his shoulder, to the door. little while later there was a light knock.“Barnabas!”K. shouted, threw down the broom, and in a few bounds was at the door.Frieda, startled more by the name than by anything else, looked at him.With his unsteady hands K.couldn't immediately open the old lock.“I'm opening it,”he kept repeating, instead of asking who was knocking.And then he had to watch entering through the now wide-open front door, not Barnabas but the small boy who had once wanted to speak to K.But K.had no desire to remember him.“Well, what are you doing here?”he said,“classes are next door.”“I came from there,”said the boy, looking up at K.with large brown eyes, erect, his arms close to his body.“So what do you want?Quick!”said K.,bending down a little, for the boy spoke softly.“Can I help you?”asked the boy.“He wants to help us,”K.said to Frieda, and then to the boy:“So what's your name?”“Hans Brunswick,”said the boy,“fourth grade, son of Otto Brunswick, master shoemaker, Madeleine Street.”“Well then, your name is Brunswick,”said K.,who now became friendlier.It turned out that Hans had become so upset over the bloody welts the schoolmistress had raised on K.'s hand that he then had decided to help him.Without asking, he had at the risk of severe punishment crept from the other classroom like a deserter.He was no doubt largely driven by such boyish notions.They were matched by the earnestness evident in everything he did.Only initially hampered by shyness, he soon got used to K.and Frieda, and on being given good hot coffee to drink he grew lively and confiding and his questions eager and insistent……

Of the book's writing, it is quite like an unfinished suspense novel, also a delicate artwork that balancing action, narrative and dialogues skillfully. Of the implications, it can be so many, mostly embedded in characters' settings, and the most distinguishable storyline is K's struggle to the Castle.  As we read, we can't help thinking about who's K, what's the Castle, and what do tthey mean? Is it worthwhile to struggle? How to struggle? What kind hardship and goodwill would K come across, are they out of some kind of purposes, and what are the purposes? Then, what's the ending?... As readers, we should always aware that, novels represents a world, all characters have their fates tied together, every tiny action from A would definitely influences lives of B, C and D in a good or bad way. From Franz Kafka's experiences, it's quite predictable he began writing The Castle in his twilight years, to cure his sorrow and save him from solitude, to prove his ever existence, and to yearn for understanding for souls like him.

How to enter the “castle “ by Kafka Land surveyor K was ordered to take office job in a castle, but he was blocked outside the gate of the castle, so K and the castle authorities launched a protracted and tedious tug-of-war on whether to enter the castle. The castle is located on a hill in front of it, but it can't be seen; it is so indifferent and majestic, like a giant beast looking down at K; it represents a huge bureaucracy, which is hierarchical, with countless departments and countless officials, but countless documents are sealed there for many years. It can't be dealt with. Facing this powerful castle, K was very helpless. He did not enter the castle until the end, nor did he see the ruler of the castle. In fact, there are two ways to enter his works. The first way is to look at it in a fable way. The fable way is to use the similarity of things. Kafka's novel is actually very literary. There are often long and boring dialogues in the novel, so many people say they can't understand it, and then they don't willing to read it, so did me. But when I finally got the end of this book, I felt that’s the feeling of life which may boring but you always want to control and enter the life anyway just like the “castle “.