博士熱愛的算式 西湖國中 張美玲

小川洋子 1962 年出生於岡山市，畢業於早稻田大學第一文學系文藝科。1988 年，以〈毀滅黃粉蝶的時候〉獲得海燕新人文學獎。1991 年，以〈妊娠月曆〉獲得第 104 屆芥川獎。 她的筆鋒冷斂，早期作品多以描述人性陰暗面和殘酷見稱，但三十歲之後，她的作品開始有了轉變，尤其當她為《安妮的日記》前往德國奧茲維斯集中營採訪，感受到人類可以那麼殘酷，卻同時也那麼偉大。 寫作的風格不再尖銳地刻畫、曝露人類深藏的惡意，而是能夠以一種『人類是善惡共存體』的態度去看待他人。並且開始撰寫與記憶有關的主題。

小川洋子的筆下世界 宛如一幅幅色彩斑斕的浮世繪，細膩刻劃現代人對生活的不肯定、對感情的不安及對未來的無力感，對特定題材有著一股近乎執拗的，深度與張力的表現。 一步步帶領讀者走向未知之境，引導至一處不受干擾，絕對冰冷、靜謐的空間，所有人性的醜惡、殘酷、陰暗面在那裡毫無遮掩，如實地呈現。在閱讀的過程中，總會忍不住想一窺究竟，看接下來會有怎樣不可思議的情節發生？

部分作品被改編成電影 三部作品在法國被改編並拍攝成電影 。 《無名指的標本》被翻譯成法文後，獲得法國導演Diane Bertrand的青睞，歷經4年改編成電影《無名指》，由Portishead樂團配樂， 2006年7月在台上映 。

歷程and榮耀 2003年在日本出版，2004年初改編電影版，2004年7月中文版，2007年英文版 日本每三分鐘賣出一本，2004年日本全國書店一致推崇，獲選「書店大獎」榮譽，一年內再版 30 刷！ 小川洋子生涯代表作 媲美《別鬧了，費曼先生》

王蘊潔(譯者) 小說是藝術，但在看小川洋子的小說時，這種感受更加強烈。 沒有使用華麗或是艱澀的詞彙，文字有一種獨特的味道，在翻譯時，必須放慢速步，停頓一下，細細咀嚼，捕捉到她輕描淡寫的文字表達的意境。 有些作家的文字像薯條、炸雞或披薩，放進嘴裡，一口就可以咬出酸甜苦辣。小川洋子的文字就像火腿冬瓜湯（昨天中午才吃，所以印象很深刻），味道雖然清淡，用心品嚐，才能感受到其中的深奧、濃郁。

內容大意 描述一位數學教授在47 歲時發生一場車禍，車禍以前的記憶都留著（他的數學知識都保存了下來），邏輯推理能力也都正常，但是車禍以後，他只有八十分鐘的記憶。 一旦超過這時間，他的記憶自動歸零，重新開始。即使度過再快樂的時光，他也不會記得。 跟管家的關係，都得靠著隨身攜帶的小紙片以及邏輯推理來維持；然而，這位博士卻與管家及管家的兒子建立起深厚的感情。儘管博士永遠不會記得那是他的管家，以及他為管家的兒子取名為「根號」，但博士卻用一個簡單的數學公式，驗證了愛的永恆。

為何成為小川洋子代表作? 在開頭第一段使人感到溫馨，對於接下來要出現的許多數字放心了、也提高興趣不少、令數學人性化。 有很多令人會心一笑的溫暖幽默，其中卻也同時帶著苦澀 。 深刻地體現了「記憶」的主題 ，編織出一部美麗深刻的小說 。 溫情無比地描述數字的永恆，即使人類的生命是有限的，卻能驗證愛的真諦。

感動的佳句 完美的證明應該堅固而又柔美，…. (p22) 直覺很重要。就好像魚狗一看到魚背一閃， …. (p24)

感動的佳句 剛開始覺得很煩，後來卻產生了一種不甘心，最後甚至產生一種使命感。 …. (p70)

問題討論 完全數？過剩數？不足數？友誼數？親和數？莫仙尼質數？……等數學知識 eiπ＋ 1＝ 0歐拉公式所代表的意義？為什麼能化解博士、 寡婦、 管家間的紛爭？ 本書中提到的數學符號有哪些？ 博士運用怎樣的方式來愛「根號」 ？ 最令你/妳感動的部分？ 作者的寫作風格？如何掌握數學元素？

問題討論(英文版) The characters in The Housekeeper and the Professor are nameless (“Root” is only a nickname). What does it mean when an author chooses not to name the people in her book? How does that change your relationship to them as a reader? Are names that important? Imagine you are writer, developing a character with only eighty minutes of short-term memory. How would you manage the very specific terms of that character (e.g. his job, his friendships, how he takes care of himself)? Discuss some of the creative ways in which Yoko Ogawa imagines her memory-impaired Professor, from the notes pinned to his suit to the sadness he feels every morning. As Root and the Housekeeper grow and move forward in their lives, the Professor stays in one place (in fact he is deteriorating, moving backwards). And yet, the bond among the three of them grows strong. How is it possible for this seemingly one-sided relationship to thrive? What does Ogawa seem to be saying about memory and the very foundations of our profoundest relationships?

The Professor tells the Housekeeper: “Math has proven the existence of God because it is absolute and without contradiction; but the devil must exist as well, because we cannot prove it.” Does this paradox apply to anything else, beside math? Perhaps memory? Love? The Houskeeper’s father abandoned her mother before she was born; and then the Housekeeper herself suffered the same fate when pregnant with Root. In a book where all of the families are broken (including the Professor’s), what do you think Ogawa is saying about how families are composed? Do we all, in fact, have a fundamental desire to be a part of a family? Does it matter whom it’s made of? Did your opinion of the Professor change when you realized the nature of his relationship with his sister-in-law? Did you detect any romantic tension between the Professor and the Housekeeper, or was their relationship chaste? Perhaps Ogawa was intending ambiguity in that regard?

The sum of all numbers between one and ten is not difficult to figure out, but the Professor insists that Root find the answer in a particular way. Ultimately Root and the Housekeeper come to the answer together. Is there a thematic importance to their method of solving the problem? Generally, how does Ogawa use math to illustrate a whole worldview? Baseball is a game full of statistics, and therefore numbers. Discuss the very different ways in which Root and the Professor love the game. How does Ogawa depict the culture of contemporary Japan in The Housekeeper and the Professor? In what ways does is it seem different from western culture? For example, consider the Housekeeper’s pregnancy and her attitude toward single motherhood; or perhaps look at the simple details of the story, like Root’s birthday cake. In what ways are the cultures similar, different?

Ogawa chooses to write about actual math problems, rather than to write about math in the abstract. In a sense, she invites the reader to learn math along with the characters. Why do you think she wrote the book this way? Perhaps to heighten your sympathy for the characters? Do numbers bear any significance on the structure of this book? Consider the fact that the book has eleven chapters. Are all things quantifiable, and all numbers fraught with poetic possibility?

英文版名稱 The professor and his beloved formula The housekeeper and the professor The gift of numbers

The housekeeper and the professor The gift of numbers 英文版名稱 The housekeeper and the professor The gift of numbers

數學的美與上帝的傑作存在於我們生活週遭。 博士把數學家的質樸與真誠，發揮得淋漓盡致。 同時兼顧數學知識和小說元素的作品。 結 語 數學的美與上帝的傑作存在於我們生活週遭。 博士把數學家的質樸與真誠，發揮得淋漓盡致。 同時兼顧數學知識和小說元素的作品。