1891年，处在写作生涯巅峰期的王尔德遇见了阿尔弗雷德·“波西”·道格拉斯(Alfred "Bosie" Douglas)，两人很快成为了同性恋人。四年后，因为这段“不敢说出名字的爱”，王尔德被判“有伤风化”罪而入狱。在狱中，王尔德开始反思从前的生活，思索痛苦和人生的意义，艺术和爱的真谛，最终将那些痛苦的泪水都化作优美而深沉的文字，写成了这封名为"de profundis"(从深处)的长信。
作者简介：奥斯卡·王尔德(Oscar Wilde, 1854-1900)，英国维多利亚时代著名作家，“唯美主义运动”的领军人物，倡导“为艺术而艺术”(Art for art's sake)。他的代表作有戏剧《莎乐美》(Salome)《认真的重要性》(The Importance of Being Earnest)，童话《快乐王子》(The Happy Prince) 《夜莺与玫瑰》(The Nightingale and the Rose)，小说《道连·格雷的画像》(The Picture of Dorian Gray)，以及书信《自深深处》(De Profundis)等。
【原著选段】
Many men on their release carry their prisonalong with them into the air, hide it as a secretdisgrace in their hearts, and at length like poorpoisoned things creep into some hole and die. It iswretched that they should have to do so, and it iswrong, terribly wrong, of Society that it shouldforce them to do so. Society takes upon itself theright to inflict appalling punishments on theindividual, but it also has the supreme vice ofshallowness, and fails to realise what it has done.When the man’s punishment is over, it leaves him to himself: that is to say it abandons him at thevery moment when its highest duty towards himbegins. It is really ashamed of its own actions,and shuns those whom it has punished, as peopleshun a creditor whose debt they cannot pay, orone on whom they have inflicted an irreparable,an irredeemable wrong. I claim on my side that if I realise what I have suffered, Society shouldrealise what it has inflicted on me: and that thereshould be no bitterness or hate on either side.
【朱纯深译本】
不少人出狱后还带着他们的囚牢踏入外面的天地，当作耻辱秘密地藏在心底，最终就像一头头什么东西中了毒似的，可怜兮兮地爬进哪个洞里死了。他们落到这步田地真是可悲，而社会把他们逼成这样，很不应该，太不应该了。社会自认有权对个人施以令人发指的惩罚，可它也表现了浮浅这一大恶，领悟不到自己干下了什么事。当那个人受过惩罚之后，社会就撇下他不管了，也就是说把他抛弃了，而这时，社会对那个人所负的最责无旁贷的义务才刚开始呢。社会真的是愧对自己的行为， 避而不敢面对它惩罚过的人，就像有人欠了债还不起就躲起来，或者给人造成了不可挽回、无可补救的损害后就逃之夭夭。我从我这方面要求，如果我领悟了自己所受的苦，那社会也该领悟它对我所施的惩罚，于是双方就不得再胸怀芥蒂、心存仇恨了。
【读书笔记】
1、at length最终；详尽地；啰嗦地
【举例】At length, we began to understand what he wanted.最终我们总算弄明白了他想要什么。
He talked at length about his family.他详尽地谈了他的家庭。
She spoke at length about nothing at all. 她啰嗦了半天，根本没说出什么名堂。
2、wretcheda.不幸的；可怜的；讨厌的；极坏的
【举例】The wretched man has lost his left leg in the war.这不幸的人在战争中失去了左腿。
What wretched weather!多么讨厌的天气！
wretched health 极差的健康状况
3、inflictv.给予(打击等)；使遭受(损伤、苦痛)；强加
【举例】He had no idea of the anguish he could inflict with only one sentence.他根本没想到他只消一句话就会给人带来痛苦。
I try hard not to inflict my values on them.我尽量不把自己的价值观强加给他们。
4、shunv.(故意或习惯地)回避；逃避
【举例】shun this storm避开这场风暴
shun publicity 避免抛头露面
He was shuned by his former friends.他的老朋友们都躲着他。