1891年，處在寫作生涯巔峰期的王爾德遇見了阿爾弗雷德·“波西”·道格拉斯(Alfred "Bosie" Douglas)，兩人很快成為了同性戀人。四年后，因為這段“不敢說出名字的愛”，王爾德被判“有傷 風化”罪而入獄。在獄中，王爾德開始反思從前的生活，思索痛苦和人生的意義，藝術和愛的真諦，最終將那些痛苦的淚水都化作優 美而深沉的文字，寫成了這封名為"de profundis"(從深處)的長信。

　　作者簡介：奧斯卡·王爾德(Oscar Wilde, 1854-1900)，英國維多利亞時代著名作家，“唯美主義 運動”的領軍人物，倡導“為藝術而藝術”(Art for art's sake)。他的代表作有戲劇《莎樂美》(Salome)《認真的 重要性》(The Importance of Being Earnest)，童話《快樂王子》(The Happy Prince) 《夜鶯與玫瑰》(The Nightingale and the Rose) ，小說《道連·格雷的畫像》(The Picture of Dorian Gray)，以及書信《自深深處》(De Profundis)等。

　　【原著選段】

　　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.

　　【朱純深譯本】

　　假如出去后，哪位朋友設宴而不請我，我一點也不會介意。一個人我就可以快樂無邊了。有了自由、書籍、鮮花，還有月亮，誰能不快樂呢？而且，宴飲也不再是我所喜歡的了。餐宴我舉行過太多已經不為所動了。那方面的生活已經與我無關，我敢說這非常幸運。但如果出去后，哪位朋友有了哀痛而不讓我與他分擔，那我就太難受了。如果他把我關在居喪之屋外頭，那我會一次又一次地回去，求他放我進門，好分擔我有權分擔的。如果他認為我不配，不配與他同哭，那我會覺得這是奇恥大辱，再沒有比這更可怕的羞辱了。但這是不可能的。我有權分擔悲哀。能看著世界的可愛，又同時分擔它的悲哀， 并領悟兩者的奇妙，這樣的人已是直通神性，與上帝的真意再接近不過了。

　　【讀書筆記】

　　1、feastn.盛筵；感官享受

　　vi.參加宴會；飽餐

　　vt.設宴招待

　　【舉例】a wedding feast 婚宴

　　a feast for the eyes 使人大飽眼福的事物

　　feast on delicacies 飽嘗珍饈

　　feast one's friends 設宴招待朋友

　　2、sorrow n.悲傷；煩惱；不幸的事；歉疚

　　【舉例】She looked at him in/with sorrow.她注視著他，滿懷悲傷之情。

　　The many sorrows turned her hair white.這許多不幸的事使她白了頭。

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

　　3、mourningn.哀痛；哀悼；服喪；喪服

　　【舉例】express mouning over loss of sb.為失去某人而哀痛

　　be put into mourning服喪

　　national mouring 國喪

　　wear mourning for sb. 為悼念某人而穿上喪服

　　4、entitle v.給……權利/資格；給……題名

　　【舉例】He was entitled to see the documents. 他有權看這些文件。

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

　　這部作品使他躋身偉大小說家的行列。

　　The author entitled his book "On Poetry". 作者給自己的書題名為“論詩”。