the skinny guy in it. Yeah, that one. He is our brides-
Like the light of the stars floating in the sky, in which
maid, Allan. The guy who introduced you to me. Our
it only reached us long after they were dead and gone.
mutual friend. You must remember him, right? Take a
Taking a walk alone, with Lily’s ghost from the past,
harder look, Lily. No! Don’t go.”
made him feel a little better. However, he started to
“I think it’s not a good idea to be back, after all. I want
tense up when he saw dots of red and blue lights glitter-
to go back to Springfield. Can you drive me back there
ing far away, like ice cubes on fire. An unnamable dread
tomorrow?”
instantly seized him and set him to break into what was almost like a trot. When Ross arrived there, a crowd of
“Bloody hell. I can’t believe you said that. You are there
bystanders had already veiled the site. While pushing
six months and you have already forgotten all the years
his way out of the crowd, he could hear his heart ham-
we had together. No way. Deep in the wood and sur-
mering between his ears. Yet, it gave way to dead silence
rounded by those creepy twisted trees. That isn’t a fuck-
when he saw what happened.
ing elderly center, but a witch house in the middle of nowhere. No. You can’t live or die there. Your home is here. You stay with me.”
It was a car crash. A real one, with all the messiness and bloodiness often manicured by the Hollywood. Steel
“It is not bad as it seems, Ross. I know you care about
against steel, the front bumper of that Toyota and the
me. But I really want to go back there. In there, at least
side of the lamp pole were both smashed into an un-
no one forces me to remember what I forgot. I can be
recognizable mass of silver. With the lamp pole curved
me, not somebody else.”
into a bow and the car shell rippled, the whole scene became a Dali’s abstract painting of melting clocks. Whilst
The memory blurred here. But he remembered some-
the craziness around him, the driver lied dead on the
where in between, he slapped the table, bolted out of
front bumper on front, head cracked open like a boiled
the house and slammed the door behind him without
egg; His blood flew slowly, outlinning new contours
looking back.
and rivers on the shattered windshield he was resting on, and then it followed the body’s fractured right arm
“It is not a disease literally, it can’t be cured; It is a con-
hanging above the front wheel and dripped onto the
dition, and bound to get worse, day by day.” Ross con-
pavement. It passed across the broken pieces of yellow
cluded his train of thought with the words Dr. Chan
headlights and deformed human teeth, and eventually
told him after Lily was diagnosed with Alzheimer dis-
disappeared into the gutter, feeding to the dark.
ease three years ago, trying to contain his anger and hurt . He didn’t know how many red lights have come
To his wonder, Ross didn’t feel shocked, but somehow
and gone, he walked across the zebra crossing and sub-
disappointed. Not by the blood-splattering sight, but by
merged into the whisper of waves and tides.
the life itself. It was so easy, almost effortless to live as well as to die. What’s the point if everything can end
At the end of the white stripes, a cement sidewalk
so abruptly, bitterly, without a sign? He watched at the
stretched to both sides at the same time in the moon-
blood-caked watch wearing by the dead man, listening
light, like a shimmering ribbon wrapping around the
to the time ticked away by it, and wondering whether he
boundless sea. It was the new-built coastal sidewalk,
had anyone or anytime to say goodbye, for the last time.
used to be the beach where Lily proposed to him and
He walked back on the way he came, head down, with
where their marriage began. Ross turned left and
conflicting questions fighting in his mind. All of them
walked along the coast, letting his past catched up with
were about Lily, about her dying and killing him slowly,
him. Lily might forget hers, but he didn’t; Like other old
at the same time. With every second gone by, the Lily he
people, he saw the world through old photographs and
knew and love went away farther and farther from him.
fading memories. Nothing could tear them down, not
And eventually, he would die in her mind and he would
with steamrollers nor compactors; He could still visual-
then be alone. Alone in a strange land where oblivion
ize that day and many others perfectly: Lily leaving her
and death lurked.
bare footprints at where the sea and land meets; hair dancing around her face, playing hide and seek with
When he looked up again, he saw an uncanny sight in
the salty wind; her lips curled into a soft smile, then
which he couldn’t quite put his finger on. There were
opened to speak and smile wider; and her eyes, what
two figures walking ahead of him; A pale boy wearing
he fascinated the most, sparkled with wits and life, like
a kind of white cape, one hand holding a middle-aged
ceaseless fireworks, drawing him closer and closer …
man while the other grabbing a vanilla soft-serve cone,
All of that was a silent film, a dream beyond his grip.
presumably father and son. But the guy wasn’t walking.
59
VOICE He was a few inches suspended to the ground, as if the boy
without his middle-aged chubbiness. It’s still that guy, but a
was holding a human-shaped balloon. And the watch! The
younger version of him.
guy was wearing the same watch of the carcass lying on the bumper. As he approached nearer, he found the guy’s out-
“What’s going on? Isn’t him already dead?” Ross asked, star-
fit was also the same as the dead body. Though Ross felt a
tled.
chilling coldness started creeping up his spine, he walked
“When people die, they just don’t go off like a bulb” The boy
closer and closer. Within touching distance, the boy and the
replied. “Their souls, or more precisely, the echoes of their life
floating man turned around suddenly. Dazed and confused,
live on until they reach the Void. The guy is now soul-search-
he finally recognized the latter as the same person died in
ing, as you guys may say, finding his true self. For every life,
the car accident.
there is a time that defines him and makes him what he has become. The time we longed to last forever. There is a time
“Your glance makes me very uncomfortable.” The boy pro-
like that, for anyone and everyone. ”
tested in a high-pitch childish voice, the one often employed by cartoon characters. “People can’t see me except I want
“The Void? Aren’t you sending him to hell?” Ross couldn’t
them to. But dead people are exceptions. Besides them, I
convince himself he was having this conversation, yet he
think only ice-cream guys can see me.”
wanted the answers badly.
As if this was an inside joke he would know, the boy started
“The Void was sort of a supermassive black hole. I don’t know
smiling, not in any creepy or fake way. He smiled for the sake
what’s on the other side, I haven’t been there before. Nobody
of smiling. It was the sort of smile that had an age limit, only
went there can ever come out. But I guess it is a big nothing.
come from children without a care in the world.
Life doesn’t exist in there anymore, it is just… the end.” The boy said, thoughts miles away.
Ross took that smile as an invitation and stepped towards them. In closer inspection, the boy’s complexion was as pale
“Monkey, you are sooooo heavy. If you keep fattening like
as the white robe wore by the Greek-God. As for the float-
this, I can’t hold you any longer.” The guy interrupted, com-
ing man, he was changing. His body had become a mass of
plaining to his invisible child.
transparent haze, features swirling and rearranging in a dazzling pace. Ross reached out to touch him and found his hand
“And I can’t bring him there. I am just a doorman, leading
sucked into that guy’s chest, freezing, like dipping into a bowl
him to the intersection between dimensions.” The boy con-
of ice water.
tinued. “From there, he must walk his final path alone, like everybody did, through his past and history, finding his way
“What are you? And what happened to him, exactly?” Ross
back to the start and also the end. The trip down the memory
demanded, drawing his hand back.
lane, as you guys may say.”
“I think you know. Deep down, everybody knows. I am the
“No heaven or hell? Just the Void?” Ross questioned, his voice
death. No skeleton face, black hood and sickle. Just a little boy
hollow.
wearing white shroud.” The boy smiled his boyish smile again “And the guy beside me is the soul I am carrying, fresh from
“All there is to life is what you have. Nothing comes before,
the car wreck over there.”
or after. Things and people come and go, you have them until the moment you don’t. That’s the way it is and always will be.”
“What? The death? You are just a kid eating ice-cream.” Ross
The boy said, taking a bite of the ice-cream cone. “To me, it
murmured.” It is not happening. It is all inside my head.”
is about having as much vanilla ice-cream as possible, while I still can. That’s what matters. You should focus on the trees,
“Nothing is not inside your head. And I am who I have
but not the forest. You guys never learn that.”
claimed. I suck at dealing with people, especially the ones who still live. For that ice cream, as you guys may say, life is
“Monkey, papa is still here. Don’t cry. Even if you can’t see
short, have dessert first. “The familiar smile appeared on the
me, it doesn’t mean that I am gone.” The guy plastered an en-
boy’s face again.
couraging smile on his face, as if trying desperately to soothe somebody.
“Oh, monkey. See what papa has brought you, it’s the Death
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Star. Bang, bang…” The voice pierced through the shifting
“Ice-cream eaten. Soul found. I must rush to the border now.
mist, sounding like the voice of adults while playing with
I have another job two hours later” The pale boy said, turning
their young kids. Then the guy reappeared from the fog, but
around and slowly engulfed by the dark.
“Wait a minute. One last question. Why can I see you? Why
want. What I mean is your wish is my command…”
are you telling me everything?” “Your happiness is my happiness.” Lily said, finishing his “I don’t know, either. Everything happens for a reason, you
husband’s line.
will know when the time comes.” The answer echoed in the night sky, with no one in sight.
After having several drinks with Lily, Ross went to bed and lied besides her. He felt as if a heavy burden was lift-
***
ed off from his back. The boy did teach him a lesson tonight. As his consciousness was sending him to the arms of
Ross opened his flat’s door quietly, lest it disturbed his wife.
Morpheus, he felt a sharp pain stabbing through his chest.
He didn’t know why, but a sense of realization dawned on
“Everything happens for a reason.” The boy’s saying started
him after hearing what the boy said. Somehow this was a
replaying in his head. As he felt like his heart was exploding
strong enough reason for a celebration, commemorating
in slow motion, he held on to Lily’s hand and squeezed it
for answering a very, very hard question that had been
tightly, like she did, as she did to him when she became his
tormenting him for long. He walked into the kitchen and
wife, at the church, forty-two years ago.
opened a bottle of dust-laden wine Lily bought, at a better time. Rubbing some of the dust away, he could still make
What Ross heard last was the soft footsteps echoing in the
out the abstract label on the bottle. Since when did he ac-
corridor outside his room, faint yet growing louder and
tually have a drop of alcohol? Probably not after his doctor
louder. It’s the boy, the boy who smiled.
told him not to eight months ago, after his sudden heart attack.
***
Carrying his cup and the bottle of wine in both hands, Ross
The young man walked out the shades of tree and came
approached the living room and saw Lily was asleep on the
face to face with the amber eyes in a clearing. He found
dining table with old photographs scattered around her.
out they were not alive, but just two headlights inserted
Every frozen frame told a story about him and her. Some
to a broken car, smashed and with a shattered windshield.
were happy, some were not. The one featuring Lily wear-
He didn’t know why, but like any other random object, it
ing his college T-shirt reminded him of the time they were
seemed to have a story hidden behind. A story he should
newly-wed, living in a divided flat, but still feeling like they
know and remember. After giving the wreckage a long hard
own the universe; the one showing the teddy bear-- which
look, he continued his path, deeper and deeper into the
was now still gathering dust on the bookshelf with other
wood.
gifts-- were taken at the time Lily was pregnant with David, their unborn son only once lived in their fantasy. What a
When trees eventually gave away to a plain of unbroken
dream they had had together for the last forty-two years,
whiteness, he somehow expected somebody would be
though it was over now. Letting go was hard, but that what
there, in the beach, waiting for him. He’s right: a woman
he should and must do.
was down at the coastline, lips smiling, speaking soundlessly and looking at him with a pair of sparkling eyes. She
“You have been back?” Lily asked, blinking away her sleep-
must know him, maybe in another life, another time. He
iness. “I have been waiting for you while looking through
then returned her with his best smile. Though He didn’t
all these old photos, trying to remember the stuff you told
know how he looked, he had certainly tried.
me earlier. Are you okay?” After saying his silent long goodbye, the man pursued his “Listen, I…” Ross replied, searching for the best wording.
path down the beach, towards where the wind blew and
“ I am sorry. I don’t mean to push you that way. I am the
where the black hole lied.
one who forgets about you all along. But now I remember. I remember you as the way you are. I don’t blame you for not remembering. I know it’s beyond your control.” “Don’t be sorry. I think both of us need to learn to deal with this condition of mine. You know, things happen and people change.” “And I will drive you back to Springfield, if that’s what you
61
VOICE
62
‘Do you love me?’ ‘I love your body.’ ‘You will love me.’ ‘Ever y woman thinks that way.’
ing her butt up high. She tries to lure him with this sexy pose. He places his hands on her hips, making her still in the right position.
They whisper against their breath. Tongues are invading each other. Suck and suck, they tr y to swallow the flawless creature before them. She jumps on him, wrapping her long, slender legs around his waist. Her hip starts to sway voluntarily with a sweet rhythm. He carries her to the work desk, licking her neck, her breasts, her navel, then finally stopped at there. She quivers and succumbs to the exotic touch.
Smash! He spanks hard on her butt. She yells as her behind is on fire. Immediately all sensations become more intense down there.
‘Hugh,’ she groans. ‘Hmm…You smell like heaven.’ He parts her legs farther, and slides himself in between. His middle finger slams into her wet secret heaven. In and out. In and out. She pants as if she is competing in a marathon. Her groin is joining his rhythm. That piece of mind is about to explode into a million fragments. ‘Don’t!’ he commands. He withdraws his finger and whispers into her ear, ‘I’m taking you from behind.’ He sounds like an angel who’s taking her to Eden. Staring at his wicked smile, she knows he has plans, on what to do to her body, but her heart. She caresses his face. Tears start to stream down.
‘This is a punishment.’ Out of a sudden, he slams into her, pulls out, then again and again. Ever y invasion goes deeper and deeper. She grasps her fists, enjoying each torture she receives. ‘I cannot take it anymore!’ She groans. Then she reaches her climax and her universe explodes. He finds his release with her and collapses on her back. Two animals are panting after a demanding hunt. No one can ever tell which one is the prey and which one won the prize. They collapse on the marble floor, letting the chill calming their mind. ‘Do you love me?’ ‘Will you love me?’ She talks with the apathetic silence.
‘When will you make love with me? I don’t want you to fuck me.’ She begs like a wounded puppy. He frowns. She realizes those unsaid words has slipped out of her mouth. Her hand travels down to his gigantic fly, squeezing and caressing it, as an apology. A humble one. She swallows her pride, begging for sex. ‘Turn around.’ He commands apathetically. She flips over with her back facing upward. While standing on the cold hard ground, she bends down, with her elbows supporting her weight. Her back arcs into a per fect curve, thrust-
63
VOICE
To a Frien Whom I Haven’t Seen for L 64
nd
In the cramped, dark mailbox filled with ads I came across your letter It was like the first sun light at dawn from a place out of reach I came across your letter My memory flooding From a place out of reach You were smiling My memory flooding It was also autumn You were smiling and we walked shoulder by shoulder in the rain of yellow leaves It was also autumn Sky was as blue as sapphire in Beijing And we walked shoulder by shoulder in the rain of yellow leaves The wind waltzed into our nose Sky was as blue as sapphire in Beijing When the starting date of university was approaching we hardly saw each other The wind waltzed into our nose The cool temperature stabbed my nose and it twitched When the starting date of university was approaching we hardly saw each other What I did I didn’t remember The cool temperature stabbed my nose and it twitched We finally separated, to places hard to reach What I did I didn’t remember I suddenly arrived here We finally separated, to places hard to reach In terms of temperature but not solar term, Hong Kong still enjoyed its summer I suddenly arrived here Met different people and behaved in local manner In terms of temperature but not solar term, Hong Kong still enjoyed its summer When you had sunk into my preconscious mind I came across your letter
文／草凡
Long
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1
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80
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Gullfoss Waterfall
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藍湖
(Blue Lagoon)
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間歇泉
(Strokkur)
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Glacier Walk
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灰色岩漿
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Skogafoss
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Jökulsárlón
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90
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(a n d e xpe nsi ve , of c o u rse); Bo sto n is fam o u s fo r t h e i r l obst e r s, but i t is h ard to u n d erstan d wh y t h e i r ot he r di s he s ha d n o t b een ju st as ren o wn ed . Wit h t he r i g ht a moun t o f wealth , th is sh o u ld b e y o ur f i r st t a st e of heav en b efo re y o u tak e o ff to t h e r e a l one . We s t a r t e d of f w i t h a fam o u s d u ck to u r aro u n d M a s s a c hus e t t s on a v eh icle th at was said to b e o n e use d i n t i me s of war, wh ich co u ld trav el o n l a nd a nd i n w a t e r . W e ro am ed th e fairly slo w p ace s t r e e t s of B ost on, l i sten in g to th e in trigu in g in trod u c t i on of B ost on f r o m o u r d u ck to u r g u id e, Co wg i r l a nd oc c a si ona l l y “q u ack in g ” at p assers-b y . We e nt e r e d t he C ha r les Riv er at so m e p o in t wh en o u r duc k t our bus r e trected its wh eels an d su d d enl y be c a m e a boa t . T h e Ch arles Riv er itself is n o t n e c e ssa r i l y a sc e ne t o fain t fo r, b u t it stretch es so fa r you w oul d f e e l th at y o u co u ld really get lo st i n i t ; a nd f or a r i ve r th is b ig , th e water is su rp risi n gl y c l e a n, t hi s i s so m eth in g y o u d o n ’t get in Hong K ong . A f t e r a n ex citin g rid e, we sto p p ed b y t h e f a m ous r e s t a ur a nt, Th e Ch eesecak e F acto ry , fo r i t s e xpe nsi ve but w orld -ren o wn ed ch eesecak e an d
92
Bo stonia n c uisine . Th e ne xt da y, w e w e nt to some w he r e w e ha d a ll d reamt a t le a st onc e in our live s to be in a s stud en ts , H a r va r d. T o sa y H a r va r d looks pr e stigious is an unde r sta te me nt. E ve r y bit of H a r va r d c omm u n ic a te s not just a gua r a nte e d tic ke t to high society, but a lso a se nse of w e ll- pr e se r ve d tr a dition an d a se nse of pr ide a nd be longingne ss. We w e r e led by H a r va r d stude nt tour guide , Sha nnon, w ho sh o w e d us a r ound the H a r va r d c a mpus a nd its little se c r e ts. For some time , H a r va r d only a llow e d m ale stude nts’ e ntr y, a nd na tur a lly tha t me a ns so m e of its se c r e ts a r e ve r y… ma sc uline , if you k n o w w ha t I me a n. Some othe r f un se c r e ts tha t a r e also mor e a ppr opr ia te to me ntion w ould inc lude the fact tha t H a r va r d pa ys the Boston subw a y syste m a large sum just to ma ke the m pa ss unde r a H a rv ard dor mitor y slow ly; the dor mitor y w a s na me d Wiggle sw or th H a ll f or w iggling a ll the time . T he to u r e nde d w ith a ll of us buying H a r va r d t- shir ts in th e souve nir shop; the y se ll a ll kinds of e xpe nsive Harva r d c lothe s, like hoodie s a nd sw e a te r s.
A nothe r a ttr a c tion of gr e a t me a ning w ould be the Fre e d o m T r a il. T he Fr e e dom T r a il is ba sic a lly a br ic k pa thw a y t h a t spa ns a c r oss dow ntow n Boston f or 2. 5 mile s, le a din g t o 1 7 histor ic a l monume nts on the w a y. For our pr oje c t, w e i n t e rvie w e d pe ople a t va r ious spots a nd f ind tha t Bostoni a n s a re muc h mor e e a ge r to le a r n a bout the ir histor y tha n we d o .
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REVIEW
徘徊於沉淪 與迷失之間 一 說 起 P r og r e ssiv e ro ck （前衛搖滾） ， 很 多 人 便 會 提 起耳熟能詳的P in k F lo yd、 D r e a m T he a tre、Th e Mars Vo lta， 再遠些便是七十年代前衛熱潮的代表人 物 K i ng C r i m son、Ru sh 、Yes、ELP ，但 在香港甚少人提及九十年代的前衛班霸 T ool 。 成立於1990，擁有四名成員的Tool， 二十三年來只出了四張專輯，貴精不貴 多。屈指一算，平均每五至六年才推出 一張專輯。在現今資訊發達，商業味濃 的社會，這種事難以發生。就算樂迷不 對樂隊丟雞蛋，唱片公司也會大發雷霆 吧，但Tool卻能堅持了這麼多年。我想只 有少數樂隊，例如英國電子班霸Depeche M ode ， 才 能 做 到 吧。 是次評論主要介紹他們1996年的專輯 AEnima。這張專輯不單在商業上非常成 功，在美國大賣過百萬張專輯，在音樂和 概 念 上 亦 非 常 成 功。 Tool的MV極其隱誨，抽象及象徵
性，在Stinkfist及AEnima的MV中處處可 印證這句話。真實意義我不打算探究，但 MV中的人物非常值得研究。Tool的MV 有幾處明顯的共同點：使用大量「Stop Mo tio n A nima tion」，MV 中的人物都是 面容扭曲，殘缺和模糊的人，更甚者身體 殘缺，皮膚脫落，色調皆是以黑、灰、深 藍為主。最值得留意的一點是MV中的人 物都有尋找、摸索、觸摸的傾向，我相信 作者想藉此傳達某些信息。痛苦掙扎的人 亦很常見，例如被鐵釘穿過身體的人，被 拔掉身上電線的小孩等等。 歌詞同樣難明，但我對Stinkfist歌詞 內容有一點心得。這是幾段毒品與吸毒者 之間的對話。先是人拒絕毒品，但卻在霎 那間泥足深陷。毒品不停誘惑吸毒者，他 亦最終沉淪下去。全詞並沒出現過毒品的 字眼，亦沒有直接形容幻覺，間接的表達 和對答形式令這首歌在以毒品為題材的歌 中與別不同。毒品的題材在他們的作品頗 常見，Th ird E ye 一開始便用了推崇毒品 的藝術家Bill H ic ks的Sa mple 。D ie D e r Vo n S atan以製作蛋糕的過程類比惡魔誕 生過程，極具創意。
音樂上Tool不像DT般華麗複雜，亦 不像Rush大玩T ime signa tur e 。他們喜 歡使用Sample但電味不重，例如Stinkf ist，T hir d E ye ，E ulogy。在Stinkf ist及 E ulogy亦用上V oc a l E f f e c t。鼓手亦經常 使用Bongo及電鼓，幾條鼓Track重疊， 令編曲極具變化。歌曲層次分明，段落 對比比很多Pr ogr e ssive 樂隊做得更好， 輕柔樂段及嘈吵樂段交錯，筆者尤其欣賞 T hir d E ye 約7:22從強勁鼓及結他聲到突 然音量減弱的轉折。 Tool是一隊非常有潛力的樂隊。成立 超過二十年的他們從未給予人們技窮的感 覺，反而令人期待他們的新作會有什麼表 現。奈何香港並沒有太多人認識Tool。這 和香港文化亦有關係，Tool的音樂艱澀難 懂，與香港被Metalcore佔據的即食文化 背道而馳。
專輯名稱：AEnima 發行公司：Zoo Entertainment 年份：1996
青@Cityu Ba nd Soc ie ty
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捧上神枱的 Daft Punk 「我們不是故意要裝成機器人的。 那要從1999年9月9日早上9時9分開始說 起。當時我們正在創作音樂，但突然爆 炸了。當我們醒來後，我們發現我們已 經 變 成 機 器人了。」Th o m as Ban g alter 說。
將 Disc ove r y、H ome w or k和H uma n A fter All 三張專輯的歌曲混音，帶來意 想不到的電音體驗！傳媒紛紛改口， 其中芝加哥音樂網站Pitchfork特別指出 《Hu ma n A f te r A ll》在現場音樂會「 重生」。
法國電音二人組，2009年憑Harder B e t t e r F a ster S tro n ger成為格林美獎最 佳舞曲錄音得主，拒絕「明星制度」， 堅持戴頭盔或背對鏡頭接受訪問，公私 分 明 四 字 最好的例子，沒有之一。
今年面世的《Ra ndom A c c e ss Me m ories，七八十年代的Disco曲風，加入 管弦樂和Funk，彷佛帶大家回到電子 音樂的原型。沒有了以往超重的電音味 道，的確使部分聽眾卻步，而聽眾和樂 迷的分別是，樂迷知道D a f t Punk由第 一隻碟開始，從來就沒有固定的風格。 這張碟的確越聽越有味道，其精煉的編 曲、豪華的嘉賓陣容、多種音樂風格的 混合，以及整張碟的訊息及實驗味道， 使人非常著迷。聽一次是不足夠的。
出道曾組成的樂隊《Darlin’》被 英 國 報 章 Melo d y Mak er批評為「A d aft punky t hrash 」。1 9 9 2 年，其中二人以 當時的批評，將新的樂隊命名為「Daft P unk」 。 後來其專輯《Hu m an After All》初出時劣評如潮，美國《滾石雜 誌》批評為「只有不斷的重覆」、英國 《 衛 報 》 以 「A jo y less co llectio n 」 形容。 直 到 「Aliv e
筆者特別推薦長篇作品《Touch》 一曲，除了超重的電影感和木箱鼓在 電子音樂的運用，更有年近70歲的美 國作曲家Pa ul Willia ms參與演唱，他
沙啞而感染力超強的音樂劇唱腔絕不 老土。「Sw e e t touc h, Y ou’ve a lmos t c onvinc e d me I ’m r e a l. 」 使筆者「眼 濕濕」。樂曲有很大想像空間，有人認 為是機器人唱出心聲；有人認為是回憶 觸動人心。根本就是藝術品！JB等年輕 歌手恐怕演繹不了那份歷盡滄桑而又哀 怨朦朧的嗟歎。
《G ior gio By Mor ode r ( Fe a t. G iorgio Mor ode r ) 》 亦是一首十分有趣的樂 曲——歌詞全部以獨白形式讀出。歡迎 到Y ouT ube 試聽。 他們會成為經典，一定會。
專輯: Random Access Memories 製作及歌手: Daft Punk 唱片公司:Daft Life， Columbia
2 0 0 7 」的現場演出，
Z a c ha r y@CityU Music Soc ie ty
95
REVIEW
Zombie fanatic – Warm Bodies If you are an avid fan of zombie movies, you may have watched various popular films. For traditional zombie style we have Resident Evil series, 28 Days Later (2002), laugh-out-loud comedy Shaun Of the Dead (2004), and the most beautifully crafted zombie TV show – The Walking Dead series. However, they can only be simply divided into horror and thriller, at most. Most of the zombie movies and TV shows are fundamentally based on the general fact that when those living things, which have souls, are bitten by zombies, they will be infected. Subsequently, the infected will lose their cognition gradually and become a gang of zombies hunting flesh of the living things for survival. If you are a zombie die-hard fan, the following recommended movie is then a must-watch one, even if it may not pleasantly surprise you. In 2013, a romance and comedy zombie movie called “Warm Bodies” introduces its unique original elements the market among other zombie movies. These elements imbue the movie characters and plots with various impressive ideas. The movie gives a new angle for you to adventure zombie feelings, such as bromance and romance, along with endearing funny points. According to Wikipedia, zombie is an animated corpse bereft of consciousness and self-awareness, yet ambulant and able to respond to surrounding stimuli. However, zombies in “Warm Bodies” retain certain consciousness of human beings, which are one of the original elements. The main character “R” (Nicholas Hoult),
for instance, is humanistic and kind to his lover- Julie(Teresa Palmer)although he had killed her ex-boyfriend and eaten his heart. Yet his action later would act as a dairy fragment and help R to revive his memory about Julie’s old boyfriend and her father for survival. The common nature of a zombie movie always retains that help R to revive his memory about Julie’s old boyfriend and her father for survival. R randomly kills her ex-boyfriend but not Julie. What’s more, he rescues her from a dangerous zombie zone, brings her back to his tailor-made airplane dwelling, and keeps her safe there. The chemistry between R and Julie is engrossing and undeniable, which is indeed a romance element. Meanwhile, bromance is shown in the fighting scene of R’s zombie pals, along with human soldiers, with those villainous boney zombies. Just like virus, it can be infected among zombies and people. There may be an enigma that this human nature can be initiated and switched on by a cue. Normally, “bromance” only happens among human beings; while those found in zombies are what we called “zombiewood”, in which it urges them to chase the fresh collectively. Therefore, under normal circumstances, we can rarely see “bromance” between the zombies and human beings. But this movie skillfully relates anti-zombification (the transforming phase of zombie to human beings) and bromance. On one hand, “hearted” zombies would gather together to back R to fight against the boney zombie. At the same time, humanistic zombies would also do a favor for the soldiers. This incredible twisted bonding has indeed added lots of colors to the film.
Zombie infestation is a common plot in movie, as it rides on the popularity of as “The Walking Dead” and “Resident Evil series “, along with “Zombieland” and “Evil Dead”, that were released in 2013. Still, time is needed for us to get used to the transition of a mass of staggering, tattered sleepwalkers, which only knows to greedily consume bloody fresh, to a similarly hypnotized, yet humanized brain-sucking creepy zombie, who woos an infected blonde. “Shaun of the Dead” did a great job in the field of comedy zombie movie while “Warm Bodies” opens a foreseeable romantic road for zombie movie.
Name of film: Warm Bodies Directed by: Johnathan Levine Year: 2013
Ca r l@CityU Film Soc ie ty Ca r l@Flim Soc
96
pulp fiction:
i’m gonna get medieval on your ass head! One does not need to divide Pulp Fiction into genres, as the film has already told the audience about the things that they are going to watch in the first ten seconds of it. Being widely regarded as one of the greatest film of all time, Pulp Fiction was a mix of gangster, crime, violence, love, sex and all kinds of flavors that we are all obsessed to watch. Logic does not apply here, and nobody could remain sober and critical until you finished the film. Do not expect to gain anything meaningful out of it, the only thing that matters is: The film you are about to watch is yet another infallible evidence of human’s love for cheap, instant wits in our colorful lives. Directed by Quentin Tarantino, Pulp Fiction was nothing but an experimental short story written by Roger Avary at the beginning, as both of them believed that a short story would be easier to be made into a film than a full-length feature story. However, nobody was willing to produce short films to expand it into a complete story in three-separated parts, with a groundbreaking idea of applying their imaginative movie characters into rules of our real life. With a fiction-like storyline and loads of mind-blowing, hilarious dialogues that would be laughed and forgotten at the instant, Pulp Fiction is the pioneer of post-modern and independent film, and remains as the king in this field. The story started in a family restaurant with a couple arguing where was the best place to do their last robbery of their life. They finally decided to rob the place right there and the scene ended with them holding guns and shouted to the people as they started to take action. The following scene started with two gangsters, Jules and Vincent, discussing names of hamburgers and a foot massage given to their boss’s wife, while on their way of retrieving a brief case back for their boss. For the first two scenes it is simply impossible to understand what was going on, as there were no common linkages in between, and the dialogue was totally out-of-track with the main mission of the characters. In fact, for the first fifteen minutes of the film, Tarantino has already shown his magical ability of
building up story tensions. In the two scenes none of the characters’ actions were meaningful enough to contribute to the movement of the plot, yet there were always a word or two of occasional reminders to the audience, to ensure that they were still sensible enough to prepare for something explosive coming. The catchy dialogue and casual movement of the characters further tossed the audience from between the lanes of seriousness and informality. Who on earth could know Jules, the black gangster, would blow his victims’ asses off after eating and praising their hamburgers for meal? His style penetrates throughout the whole film, for the first time viewers, not guessing the direction of the plot is the exact right way to watch the film. Don’t worry, nobody is going to get loss, very soon you will feel the plot growing in your head. In many ways, Pulp Fiction brilliantly reflects the reality at angles that are usually ignored by audience. The scene of which Mia getting over-dosed was a famous one, and its time of happening could not be better than when it was: Just after Vincent and Mia enjoyed their dating—in which they had explored and teased each other with splendid dialogue—the chaos that followed totally disrupted their seemingly intellectual and unfathomable reputation, at an instant. In which the huge contrast and the mad confusion of those drug dealers really had sent the audience to a standing ovation, and provided every one of us with overflowing humor that lasted to the last second when Mia told Vincent the off-colored “ketchup” joke. There are loads of other surprising scenes—like when Butch pumped into Marsellus in the middle of the street with an unbearably ridiculous moment of eye-contact—that make one to really believe in the occurrence of such kind of opera in our daily lives, through an explicit way. Moreover, some of the unexplained scenes of the film have casted a magical impact that would affect all of us to different extends. In the story “The Gold Watch”, when Butch and Marsellus were bounded and gagged at the basement of a pawnshop, the shop
owner and the gay policeman released a “humanoid monster” out from a box, in a way like bringing a tiger up on stage from a cage. This shocking moment has a gigantic effect that chills all of us deep to the spine—Yes, as I have mentioned, we could never guess what could happen next and it applies to the monster’s ending. Therefore it represented the darkest corner of our hearts that varied among people, but still are what we most scared of. Luckily Pulp Fiction is far from a horror film, so the monster could not even withstand the first blow by Butch. Seeing the frightened monster in such an awkward, alienated situation again balanced the seriousness of the movie—we were being tricked by Tarantino once more! Despite the hilarious contrast of the movie, Tarantino also added many philosophical thoughts into the movie, to make it as “pulp” as he could. This included “the moment of clarity”, in which the characters would isolate themselves in a toilet before some dramatic things happened; and the “miracle” that Jules believed in, which prevented him from being killed after he had decided not to be involved in a gang anymore. After all, Pulp Fiction, as a film too pulp and hilarious to be true, stepped across many boundaries that one could ever imagine.
Name of film: Pulp Fiction Directed by: Quentin Tarantino Year: 1994 Definition of Pulp: 1. A soft, moist, shapeless mass of matter. 2. A magazine of fiction containing lurid subject matter and being characteristically printed on rough, unfinished paper.
Jacky Ng
97
REVIEW
誓言的執著與 對失去的恐懼 I vow t o l ove y o u . An d n o m atter w ha t c ha l l e ng e s mig h t carry u s ap art, we w i l l a l w a ys f i nd a way b ack to each o the r . I vow t o f i e r c ely lo v e y o u in all y o u r f or m s now a nd f orev er. I p ro m ise to n ev er f or g e t t ha t t hi s i s a o n ce in a lifetim e l ove . ” 意外後的Paige失去了所有關於Leo 的記憶，剩下來的只有認識Leo前的片 段。Paige忘記了從前為什麼離家出走， 忘記了為什麼放棄原來的名校法律學位轉 而投身藝術，忘記了如何從那腐朽的家族 枷鎖中逃出。更重要的是，Paige忘記了 跟Leo相識相愛的一切，忘記了和Leo一 起的片段和記憶。他們的愛，在剎那間消 失得無影無蹤。在Paige的眼中，此時的 Leo是完全的一個陌生漢。半點的不願親 近，把Leo徹底的傷透了。走到崩潰和放 棄的邊緣，Leo憶及當時結婚的誓言。為 著這一個婚誓，Leo歷盡屈辱滄桑也要讓 Paige重拾舊記憶，甚至要讓Paige重新愛 上 他 。 P a i g e 最 終 也沒有恢復原來的記憶， 但 卻 被 L e o的 愛 重 新打動。 誓言的執著 如果要稱讚編劇把男主角的痴展現 得轟烈，那我們更應該欣賞Leo痴心的澎 湃。在真人真事改編下的震撼，讓愛與 痴有更濃的特寫。原來愛，可以如此的 痴。真人真事的背景，讓我更欣賞Leo對 愛的誓言的那份堅貞和執著。忽爾，他們 的故事讓人聯想到金庸名筆下的楊過和小 龍女。其痴雖不及楊過龍女十六年之約 的轟轟烈烈，但正正是這種細水柔情，才 顯得真實。這份有血有肉，有動搖有崩潰 的痴，才是表現對誓言和承諾的執著最好 的修飾。失憶而重新愛的故事有許多，如 《 50 F i r s t D a t e s》，但《Th e Vo w》這般
叫人落淚的真實卻是難求。相比於筆者最 愛的Nich o la s Spa r ks筆下的《T he N oteb o o k 》，《T he V ow 》有一份讓人難以釋 懷的可惜和美中不足。正是這美中不足， 才更能突顯誓言的動人，更能讓故事顯得 完美。Leo這份對誓言的執著既遙遠又真 實，試問誰又能做到？在祝福和欣賞之 後，我們會否細想，如果遇著如Leo這般 的情況，我們又會否有這樣的勇氣和毅力 把故事拉回最初的起點呢？
嗎？那為何我們都忽略了生活的最基本？ 失去的功名、地位、財富，我們都有機會 重來。感情、回憶卻是可一不可再，可遇 不可求。 埋首奮鬥著的，從來不是我們最害怕 失去的。點滴的時光，當下的片段，才最 值得我們珍惜，最值得我們細緻體會和感 受。
愈是得到的多，將愈是害怕失去 如果命運要把你所擁有的一切推倒重 來，你願意不惜一切換取這一個原有的重 來嗎？常說求不得令人痛苦，但其實得而 復失比從來沒有得到更難過。最珍貴的記 憶、片段、感情在剎那間灰飛煙滅，原來 相愛的戀人視你如陌路過客，原來的最親 密成為了最遙遠的距離。
電影名稱：愛．重來 ( T he V ow ) 導演：Mic ha e l Suc sy 年份：2011
人，總害怕付出，同時又期盼收成。 經歷過的考試工作，得到了成績，便再也 不想回頭；共度過的風波落差，求得美人 歸，便再也不想重來。Leo和Paige的故事 在無形間喚醒了我們心中的最大恐懼── 失去。人，愈是活得久，得到的便是愈 多。得到的愈多，自然愈是害怕失去。從 來，我們都為著不同的目標拚搏耕耘，在 點滴的生活中與身邊人經歷命運的曲譜。 在俗世繁囂中我們都會迷失，在生活原來 的真諦外盤旋。我們是為著什麼而生活？ 為著什麼而奮鬥？一直的艱辛是為了追求 什麼？為自己尋找一片刻安寧的時光， 問自己最害怕失去的是什麼，那我們大概 是為了那一個什麼而一直活著了。《The Vow》提醒我們「活在當下，最珍貴的是 身邊人」這個我們一直久忘的真理。有些 東西，我們都害怕失去，諷刺地我們卻偏 偏不大重視。我們的努力為了什麼？生活
Cyr us Piz
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A writer
and thinker beyond borders Whether you know it or not, you are probably a fan of Philip K. Dick. From Steven Spielberg’s smash hit, Minority Report, to the recent remake of the 1990’s Total Recall, nearly a dozen of Hollywood films have been adapted from or based on his works over the years, making him one of the beloved master of Science Fiction cinema. With over forty novels and a hundred of short stories all written throughout his prolific career, it is not easy to figure out where to start exploring his dark yet fascinating world. Featuring twenty-one short stories spanning his entire career, Selected Stories of Philip K. Dick can well be your best springboard to dive into some of the author’s most creative and thought-provoking tales. Compared to other popular science fiction writers, what Dick writes about is different and original. Unlike the Star War franchise or any other space opera narratives, his works are never about space-trotting adventures or the cowboy heroism that always appear in this genre. Depicted by his plain and efficient language, his world is bleak and often wartorn, where people are powerless to take control of their lives, and were tormented backfired androids or other technologies initially designed to cater humans’ needs. His vision of the future is not a pretty sight, to say the least. However, after his death 30 years ago, it is still resonant and relevant to many modern readers as it illustrates sharp social commentaries towards topics related to identity, politics and media with the help of sci-fi settings and avant-garde imagination. This gives his stories a layer of complexity and depth like no other, and surely elevates his works to literature instead of mere genre fiction. Published in the 50s and 60s, most of the selected tales center on war fight and its devastating consequences. “Second Variety”, for instance, possibly portrays an alternative reality of Cold War in which all hell breaks loose and a full-scale nuclear war actually breaks out between America and USSR. In the story, both sides develop and deploy a variety of human-like robots to infiltrate and destroy one another, leading to the final elimination of the whole
human race. Perfectly mimicking human appearances and behavior, those killing machines can be seen as a physical embodiment of humans’ brutality and “survival of the fittest” mindset. The grim story indicates the ultimate culprit of endless havoc comes from the uncompromising side of humanity, and serves as a wake-up call to the armament race carried out by the international society. Dick continues his dissection of the Cold War mentality in “Imposter”. The tale follows its main character, Spence Olham, who is accused of being replaced by an android and processing a dangerous voice-activated bomb. He has become the public enemy overnight and pursued by law enforcement ruthlessly, alienated from the society as he knows it. A quote from the story,” Everyone was frightened, everyone was willing to sacrifice the individual because of the group fear.”, perfectly demonstrates his predicament. This story underlines the irony that violence and extreme measures are absurdly justified in the name of self-preservation and “the greater good”, and how vicious and senseless a society can become when it is seized by fear. With such a simple premise, Dick sheds light on the dark psyche of human beings and the origin of wars. In addition, Philip K Dick is a prophet of the modern world. He conveys his harsh criticism towards lots of the social phenomenon in his own exaggerated and fictionalized universe. Taking “Foster, you are dead!” as an example, it peels off the classy sassy wrapping of consumerism and reveals its ugly truth. The tale details that in a near-future society, it is a norm for every family to purchase their own bombproof underground shelter for the sake of coping with the nuclear war on the horizon. As a matter of life and death, people keep renewing the system every year and gradually even see it as a representation of social status. Clearly a social satire ridiculing the absurdity of consumerism, the tale mocks at the connection drawn between patriotism and frequent purchases of local products in the 60s. On top of that, it resonates with today’s readers as it points out
the “we are what we consume” phenomenon and the way media and corporations force us to keep buying redundant products. Way earlier than the whistleblower, Edward Snowden, Dick has already expressed his concern over democratic government’s growing intrusion of personal freedom in “Adjustment team” which looks at a man’s fate when he does not follow the chain of events laid down by the Administrative Chambers. Dripping with the atmosphere of “the big brother is watching you”, the modern America is shown as a police state in this story where even the protagonist’s dog is a member of an all-power secret society. As governments can easily gain access to our personal information and pry our moves with the advent of Internet and other cutting-edge technologies, this stranger-than-fiction scenario rings true now, more than ever. Besides increasing surveillance, the story also raises the question that whether freewill exists in a capitalist society: Are we allowed to do what we want to do ? Or are we just chess pieces of the board game played by those powerful capitalists? Does capitalism actually empower people or only make us a faceless mass? All in all, Philp K Dick’s science fiction is one of a kind. Though his stories revolve many traditional Sci-Fi tropes, his subject matter is always “downto-earth” and human at its core. He demonstrates Science Fiction can be a flexible medium to ask serious questions towards technologies and human nature. His stories not only enthrall and entertain, but also drive you to rethink and contemplate some philosophical issues in a different light. And most importantly, his immense talent proves that robots and aliens are not bad ideas for great stories, after all.
Author: Philip K Dick Publisher: Pantheon Books Publication date: 2002
Alex Ling
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REVIEW
荒唐的時代 荒謬的婚姻 婚姻是一座被圍困的城堡，城外的 人想衝進去，城裡的人想逃出來。有的 人兩邊住不慣，就在兩者中來來往往。 對於未婚的人來說，婚姻也許是一種美 好的憧憬。戀愛、結婚、生子、衰老、 入棺，匆匆一生，似乎要經歷過這些才 稱得上完滿。對於已婚的人來說，婚 姻其實也不過如此，食飯、睡覺、上下 班 ， 日 子 還 是 照 樣過。 《圍城》這部中篇小說由錢鍾書所 著。故事發生在日軍全面侵華的三十年 代，當時政局動盪，國土淪亡，社會福 利系統落後，民智尚未開化，國人極其 崇洋媚外。主角方鴻漸是個剛剛留洋歸 來的冒牌博士，他不務正業，在海外留 學多年也沒有得到學位，只能買假文憑 哄騙父親；他優柔寡斷，在蘇文紈和唐 曉芙之間搖擺不定；他自尊心強，愛面 子，受不了親家的白眼和高松年校長的 冷待，於是毅然出走，卻沒有為自己留 下後路；他缺少勇氣，常常白日做作， 逃避困難；他對生活充滿美好嚮往，卻
從來沒有用行動將理想實現。但他運氣 極好，明明沒有真材實學，卻得到了親 家的巨款到海外留學，又因熟人介紹而 得以在三閭大學和報館工作；他能說會 道，肚子裡有點墨水，外表也算一表人 材，因此受到不少女生的青睞。 然而，方鴻漸的婚姻是失敗的。他 自以為娶了個聽話而又愛依賴自己的小 女人，過門後卻發現她異常固執而有主 見，並且精明幹練，就好像「娶了個自 己不認識的人」。他有大男人主義的傾 向，卻無大男人的資本。他缺乏添置新 物業的經濟能力，夫妻倆都寄居在娘家 的房子，而妻子的工資又是他的兩倍， 到頭來內外受氣，落得悲劇收場。 《圍城》描寫了一眾性格多樣的人 物，而每個角色都有其劣根性，如思想 守舊，愛用文言文寫作的封建父親方遯 翁；義氣深重而又急性子的好兄弟趙辛 楣；專印假文憑給留學生的愛爾蘭騙子 Mr. P atric k Ma hone y；滿嘴中英夾雜
的浙江商人張吉民；只會寫幾首狗屁不 通的歪詩，卻自稱「新古典主義派」的 曹元朗；滿口仁義道德，實際上自私功 利，靠運送藥品發國難財的李梅亭；老 奸巨猾，表面上愛護教育尊嚴，骨子裡 卻貪杯好色的高松年校長；道貌岸然， 靠假文憑欺世盜名的韓學愈教授……這 些形形色色的人物，無一不畫出舊社會 人們的精神面貌。他們的言談、舉止、 內心世界，都讓人看完不禁莞爾。 雖然《圍城》的題材看似沉重，具 有悲劇色彩，但它的內容卻毫不沉重， 並帶有黑色幽默；它文字更是潑辣狠 絕，充滿荒誕而幽默的諷刺。《圍城》 ，堪稱是一部劃時代的奇書。
書名：圍城 作者：錢鍾書 出版社：天地圖書
羽空
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一個「情」字 在書店裡一個不起眼的小角落，發 現了這本小說。藍色與黃色夾雜著濃 郁宗教意味的封面，還有封面上的那 一句話「我不羡慕活著的人，我只羡 慕想死便死的人」，不知為何都吸引 著我。在這奇怪的裝幀扉頁下，流淌 著會是怎樣的文字呢？這就是我與《 壇城》的邂逅，就是我與一位女子、 一段感情的邂逅。
作者以遊記的形式開始介紹自己 的旅行，在多多少少的文字下闡述著 自己，闡述著一種陽光的味道。她的 字與句似乎都是精挑細啄，又似乎只 是歲月打磨之後的斑斑印記。就如 她說的那樣：「若我張開雙臂，定要 擁抱彩虹，若我緊縮身體，定要貼近 靈魂。若生，這世界必有能夠容納我 的地方。死呢，也一樣。所以愛或不 愛，只要我還在這裡，這裡就得有我 的位置。」作者的心聲似有一種與天 獨來的狂妄，似有一種昂首闊步的人 生態度。不知這是作者故意刻畫的美 麗，還是那種不堪一擊，偽裝自己的 騙術。可故事並不是她的，而是另一 位她的朋友。
第三人稱的導入，第一人稱的自 白，將另一位比作者還傲慢的女子帶 入畫來。雖說這本書本是小說，卻失 了小說本有的強烈的故事性，有的波 瀾起伏居然是那樣平靜。也或許是， 我們已悄無聲息的進入女主人公的心 裡，由她的眼、她的心去看待一切了 吧。
她曾是那樣的渴求愛情，曾言「若 非死別，絕不生離」。她是那樣的瀟 瀟灑灑，在其背後卻是胸口溢出的永 恆的鮮血。當愛情開始於仰望之中， 那就註定了感情的不平等，註定了一 方一定要源源不斷的付出于另一方。 所以她漸漸麻木，將心一層層覆蓋， 無言。直到最後懷揣著一絲重燃的希 冀，去看望自己曾經中意的男子，卻 在途中，行止了人生。她的愛情是那 樣的卑微，卑微的像是一種可憐的乞 求，而上天連這份最後的同情也不曾 給予她。在我們感慨她在自己的愛情 路上越行越遠，在我們感概我們似乎 已經不認識她那曾經的心靈時，我們 又不禁看看自己，自己是否也有那樣 的曾經呢？
整個小說大段大段的獨白， 將 一 份 感情記起又故意遺忘，撫摸著又刻意 隱藏。當初自己都會說天荒地老的誓 言，可是現實會告訴你一切的不切實 際。愛情究竟是如何，一個人獨自的 去愛，這還叫愛情嗎？當愛情已然成 為心中的那塊最苦澀的疼痛之時，這 還叫愛情嗎？當自己放手，卻發現其 實還是自己刻意的去塵封那個忘不了 的人。而就是這種絕望，讓人無法喘 氣，無法呼吸，被一片無邊的烏雲遮 擋，被漫天的大雨淋濕。雨過之後， 主人公已不在，留下合上書頁的我 們。感慨自己所擁有或者未曾擁有的 那份感情。
書名：壇城 作者：路佳瑄 出版社：新星
謝雨 謝雨 瀟瀟
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BACKWARDS TIME TRAVEL, DAVID LEWIS AND TIM THE TRIGGER HAPPY GUNMAN!
COLUMN
I know what most people think about when they are on the toilet. I know because I use toilets, so I think about it too. People think: “Hey! Wouldn’t it be awesome to travel back in time?” Am I Right? I’m Right. Well yeah. Yeah it would be pretty cool I guess. Enough said. But brothers! Sisters! Whoa there! Put the shed tools down. Before you go pulling the nearest physics students into a dusty garage to help you build an epic rocket to propel you to the past, there is an issue. Is time travel conceptually possible? As in, does the question even make sense? “Let’s go to the past!”...Great...where is that...exactly? The problem is we live in a logical world, and here, contradictions (aka paradoxes) can’t exist. I think it is a relief, because if paradoxes did exist there would be all sorts of problems. Like, looking in the mirror and seeing your face, but then blinking and seeing Michael Jackson’s face; making you both yourself and Michael Jackson at the same time. And no one needs that. Great singer, but gross face. Especially now, because, you know, he’s dead and everything. In the world we live in, 2+2 can’t equal 5, I can’t both be in Hong Kong and London at the same time and things can only either be true or false, they can’t be both. “OK, who cares? Let’s just get into my rocket!” WELL JUST WAIT A MOMENT! You should care, you time-travelling hungry-hippo, because time travel presents us with a paradox. The paradox of Tim the trigger happy gunman! Meet Tim. Tim hates his grandfather, and wants to kill him! But Tim’s got an issue. His grandfather is already dead. What a bummer! Undeterred, Tim trains to become an excellent gunman. Then he builds a time machine and travels back to when this grandfather was twenty (N.B. this is before both Tim and Tim’s father have been born). He finds his grandfather, eating a sandwich, sitting on a wall. No one else is around. There are no environmental aspects that exist that could to stop Tim. He aims his gun to shoot...what happens? Can Tim kill his grandfather? Well, there are two possible answers, both which are problematic. If yes, then we’ve got ourselves a paradox. This is because Tim’s existence entails that his grandfather did not die at twenty, yet if he kills his grandfather then Tim cannot exist (and therefore cannot exist to kill his grandfather, so then would exist, etc etc) – hence, Tim killing his grandfather is a paradox. As this is an impossible situation, and as impossible situations cannot exist in our world, the paradox can be used to argue that backwards time travel is impossible. And if it is impossible, then there is no point in building a rocket. If no, Tim can’t kill his grandfather, then we have perhaps an even bigger problem. The fact we know what Tim can or can’t do before he does it entails physical determinism. And if physical determinism is true, then we have no free will, and no choice. And no one wants that! So how should we answer? Don’t fear time travel enthusiasts! All is not lost. Because there was this man
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called David Lewis, and he came up with what he thought was a pretty good solution to this paradox! If his solution works, then incredible, we can build our rocket! OK, so let’s look at the solution and then look at whether it is any good or not. Lewis’ solution to the paradox is a distinction within the word ‘can’, because according to Lewis ‘can’ is equivocal (ambiguous). ‘Can’ is relative to the context (or facts) in which one places the word. Lewis gives a similar example to the following: at the moment I do not possess the skill to speak Spanish, but I ‘can’ speak Spanish. I have the ability to learn Spanish, even though I cannot speak it at the moment. This is different from English, which I ‘can’ speak, as in I have the ability to speak it right now. So there, we have two uses/meanings of the one word: ‘can’. In the same way, Lewis says that whether Tim ‘can’ kill his grandfather is subject to the same distinction. He ‘can’ kill his grandfather in one way, as in he has the ability to do it – relative to the facts about his gunman-ship – but he ‘cannot’ kill his grandfather in another way relative to larger facts that we know i.e. his grandfather lives. How does Tim fail? “For some commonplace reason. Perhaps some noise distracts…perhaps he misses…perhaps his nerve fails…[or Tim feels] mercy” (Lewis: 1976). As we know from past facts, which cannot be changed, that Tim does not kill his grandfather, we can assume that reasons (one or many) got in Tim’s way, and prevented him from killing grandfather. Therefore, there is no paradox. Lewis’ solution explains away the paradox by suggesting that Tim can kill his grandfather but whenever Tim goes to act in a way that would kill his grandfather something gets in Tim’s way – some coincidence occurs that stops him. So, what do we think? Good solution? The solution rests pretty heavily on this idea of coincidences, so it is worth examining these further; is a realistic view – can coincidences like this exist? Let’s pretend that Tim is persistent in his goal to kill his grandfather to the point of his own death. He may have hundreds of attempts on grandfather’s life. Paul Horwich, another famous philosopher, argues that Tim’s travelling in time entails an improbable string of coincidences. And that all the necessary coincidences would occur to stop Tim, if he was persistent, is improbable. Horwich claims that, although ‘possible’, it is highly improbable and will occur, at best, extremely rarely. Therefore, because the necessary coincidences required are highly improbable, backwards time travel is highly improbable – it will occur, at best, extremely rarely. Therefore, Lewis’ has not solved the Grandfather paradox in a way that allows for backwards time travel to ever realistically occur. Ouch. However, I do not agree with Horwich’s reasoning. I think that these coincidences are neither rarely occurring nor necessarily entailed and therefore Horwich’s reasoning is flawed.
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COLUMN
I think that large strings of coincidences actually occur all the time, and are in no way improbable, but commonplace. Consider an example from real life. I attempt to get to work on time just as Tim attempts to kill his grandfather. Yet coincidences keep occurring which stop me. My alarm does not go off, and there are sudden road works making lots of traffic, and I forget my documents so I must retrieve them, and my car breaks down, and the repair van breaks down on the way to repair my car etc etc. These coincidences are in no way different from the endless coincidences that stop Tim – a noise distracts, he misses, his nerve fails etc. Every time a person fails to complete a task (due to occurrences outside of their control) they are failing because of a coincidence that, if it had not occurred, they would have succeeded. If failing to do things in ‘ordinary life’ involves strings of coincidences, then the fact that strings of coincidences happen in the past, when Tim travels back to kill grandfather, is not an objection to backwards time travel. It shows strings of coincidences not improbable at all, but quite regular. So take that Horwich you Debbie-Downer! But even if you don’t agree with my idea above, we do not even have to accept that Tim trying to kill his grandfather does entail strings of coincidences to occur. Nicholas J. J. Smith argues that Horwich has his ideas back to front. Tim does not fail because grandfather lived, but his grandfather lives because Tim fails. It is precisely because of Tim’s failings that his grandfather survives and Tim can be born. The murder attempts don’t require the coincidences; the coincidences entail that Tim’s grandfather lived (Smith: 1997; 374). So I think we can pretty much leave Horwich in the bin. Yet the more philosophical among you may still be worrying about the second answer to the paradox – no, Tim can’t kill his grandfather. This is the answer that Lewis is basically supporting. Doesn’t Tim’s guaranteed failure entail physical determinism? Well, physical determinism is the one theory that is both intuitively, definitely wrong while being logically, definitely right! So we’ve definitely got ourselves a problem. However, I think I can escape this trap! I think that Lewis’ solution offers an opportunity to solve this idea via his distinction in the word ‘can’. Everything Tim will do in the past has already been done, so it seems as though Tim’s actions – once he arrives in the past – are necessitated (logically determined). But Lewis, in seeing a difference in the word ‘can’ relative to context, could be interpreted as defining freedom relative to context. Therefore, Tim is free to kill grandfather relative to facts about his abilities, but he is not free to complete the task relative to larger facts about the world – that his grandfather lives. If one defines freedom as abilities relative to facts, then Tim is not physically determined. Yet the physical determinism ‘problem’ can be strengthened. Consider this other example: young-Tim is visited by older-Tim (on his way to kill his grandfather), who tells young-Tim all about how he is about to travel back in time and is going to try and kill Grandfather. It then seems that young-Tim is necessitated to get into a time machine when he is older, and make the exact same visit to young-Tim. He cannot choose a different path e.g. not build a time machine (otherwise he would not have received the visit from older-Tim), and so he is not free. This example can be set out as the following argument. You could apply the same argument that was applied to defeat Horwich. Old-
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er-Tim making the visit to younger-Tim is not determined, because the ideas are back to front. Tim does not have to make the trip once he is visited; he is visited because he will make the trip. “[Tim’s older self]’s tale [to the younger Tim] is a report of what [Tim] will, as it happens, end up doing: the tale conforms to [Tim’s] future actions, rather than [Tim’s] actions having to conform to the tale” (Smith: 1997; p386). Yet this counter-argument seems less persuasive in this instance. It feels like word play. Tim will make the trip. The tale conforms to Tim’s future actions, which means that Tim’s future actions are fixed. The conflict here is between the fact of wanting to hold that the ‘external-time’ past cannot be changed, but wanting to believe that young-Tim has control of his ‘personal-time’ future. If larger facts dictate Tim’s actions, then he is not free to choose them. This is a compelling argument for physical determinism, yet still I argue that as far as one wants to reject it, ascribing to Lewis’ definition of freedom seems to be the best bet. At least via distinguishing between different notions of ‘can’ we can maintain a sense of freedom in the actions we are able to choose. So where does all this leave us in regards to building our rocket? Well, my assessment of Lewis’ solution is that it is a needed and successful solution to the paradox of Tim the trigger happy gunman. Perhaps you disagree. Although one may want to argue that Lewis’ solution entails some form physical determinism, this can sort of be avoided by using Lewis’ distinction in the word ‘can’ as a way of redefining what we mean when we say freedom. So I say, go for it! BUILD THAT TIME-TRAVELING ROCKET!
References: Dowden, B., ‘Time’, The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2001. Available From: [http://www.iep.utm.edu/t/time.htm] Date Accessed: [04/05/2009] Hunter, J., ‘Time Travel’, The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2006 Available From: [http://www.iep.utm.edu/t/timetrav.htm] Date Accessed: [04/05/2009] Lewis, D., ‘The Paradoxes of Time Travel’, Philosophical Papers Vol. II, 1986, pp 67-80. Smith, N.J.J., “Bananas Enough for Time Travel” British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 48, 1997, pp. 363-389. Sider, T., “A New Grandfather Paradox?” Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 57, 1997, pp. 139-144
Luke Leonard Philosophy applied to the modern world
1 05
COLUMN
今天我們稱讚一個人多才多藝，或許仍會說他「琴棋書畫樣樣皆通」，可是 不少人卻搞不清當中的琴和棋指的是什麼！這裡說的琴，應該都知道是張有絃的 彈撥樂器，但直接想到的多是古箏，甚少知道是七根絃的古琴；至於棋，總以為 是象棋或各式各樣的棋，而不知單指圍棋；唯有書、畫一般都知道是書法和繪 畫。琴、棋、書、畫各有悠久的歷史，動輒數千年，而四者被放在一起，最早見 於唐張彥遠《法書要錄》載唐玄宗朝何延之〈蘭亭記〉：「辯才博學工文，琴棋
開合 之間
歷 史 與 空 間： 漫談琴棋書畫
書畫皆得其妙。」何氏讚賞辯才這位僧人在學問和文藝方面特別出色，文就是寫 文章，而琴棋書畫大概是屬於藝，古人後來將四者歸入「藝」的範疇，合稱為「 四藝」。 「四藝」的說法始於何時，或已不能確考，就今天所見之記載，最早提及的 算是明末清初李漁的《閒情偶寄》，其中「聲容部」云：「以閨秀自命者，書、 畫、琴、棋四藝，均不可少。」李漁不但論盡女性的外在美，還強調了內在的修 養。他否定了「女子無才便是德」的觀念，認為「才」與「德」並無牴觸。四藝 原是古代文人士大夫修身理性之具，明清時代更推及至大家庭中的閨秀。清代曹 雪芹的《紅樓夢》可作旁證，書中賈府四「春」(元春、迎春、探春、惜春)的丫 鬟名字，都是按照主人所擅長的琴棋書畫來取的。元春在八十回中只在寧親一幕 出現過，雖沒有提及她喜歡彈琴，卻知其婢女名「抱琴」，估計她應該是擅長彈 琴或喜愛彈琴的。至於迎春，醉心弈棋，從她誤嫁孫紹祖後，寶玉到紫菱洲徘徊 信口吟成的一闕歌詞可知，其中兩句云：「不聞永晝敲棋聲，燕泥點點污棋枰」 ，所以她的侍婢就取名曰「司棋」。探春精於書法，自號「蕉下客」，典出唐代 書法家懷素取蕉葉練字的故事，第二十三回提到元春命探春依次抄錄眾人在大觀 園的題詠，自然是她的書法高於他人的緣故，曹氏便給她的兩個丫頭取名為「侍 書」和「翠墨」。惜春擅畫，書中多處描述她繪畫大觀園的情景，她的丫鬟也就 取了「入畫」這名字。 琴棋書畫雖為「藝」，但由於深受文人士大夫的喜愛，一直被視為修養身心 之器，古人常言的「棋品」、「畫品」、「書品」、「琴如其人」、「書如其 人」、「書，心畫也」、「琴為心聲」等，都強調了人與四者之相融合一。因 此，他們不單以「藝」目之，還將之提升到精神哲理層面上的「道」，即所謂的 「琴道」、「棋道」、「書道」、「畫道」，說明了四藝並非僅流於藝的層面， 而都是追求更高的「道」。這裡所謂的「道」就是其精神之核心，是人們透過參 與這四種活動而達至的一種精神境界，並藉此完善個人的修為、人格。因此，四 者合稱，其道必定不相悖，假如發現四者之間出現了相違背的地方，那是由於人 為之使然，導致最根本精神的喪失或改變。例如不少人都認為四藝中，棋專言 勝負，鬥爭的意念太強，有違品性修養。其實，在古人的觀念中，下棋可訓練思 維，並以追求思維奧妙的境界、修養身心為終極的。只有遇到實力相當的對手， 互相促進，才能共同營造出更高更妙的意境，到了這時候，輸贏已不重要。 很大程度上，四藝具有類近的精神追求和體現。明末徐上瀛《溪山琴況》中
1 06
廿四況的首四況─和、靜、清、遠，似乎放諸另外三者亦準。「和」是中國文化 的核心，意味著人與宇宙萬物的和諧統一。鼓琴時，講的是人與琴之和、指與絃 之和、絃與絃之和、音與意之和；同樣，下棋時，棋子黑白陰陽之和、佈局之 和、棋手之和，是營造出奧妙思維境地的要素；寫字繪畫，著重筆墨之和、線 條之和、整體佈局之和。而在操作的過程中，四藝都展示出一種虛實、輕重、緩 急、剛柔、疏密等二重性的和諧統一，而當中所強調的也就是一個「和」字。 「靜」，主要指人之靜，是從內而外的一種狀態，從精神到形貌，《樂 記》說：「人生而靜，天之性也。」於琴上而言，更及器、曲、環境等。明代汪 廷訥《坐隱弈譜．自敘》說：「託弈為坐隱者，不過陶汰俗念，溫養性靈，為止 靜之工夫，藏機煉神之活法也。」 白居易〈池上二絕〉其一：「山僧對棋坐，局 上竹陰清；映竹無人見，時聞下子聲。」頗有王維〈竹里館〉的況味。人靜，則 心無雜念，方能全神貫注，思慮周到，即如書法繪畫之運筆，一氣呵成，自然就 氣貫其中。 「清」者，是雅正之本源，包括了人之清、思想之清、品格之清、器具 之清等。清與靜又不可分割。心思若不靜，則手不靜。對操縵者而言，手不靜， 則琴音必混雜不清；至於揮墨運筆者，畫面則凌亂而不潔；對弈者，思緒不清， 則舉棋不定，難成佳局。清代施定庵《弈理指歸續編．題辭九首》其一有歌云： 「弗思而應誠多敗，信手頻揮更鮮謀。不向靜中參妙理，縱然穎悟也虛浮。」也 就是這個道理了。 「遠」者，在四藝中，是指超越形貌、技藝，是心與神所嚮往的一個高 遠國度，亦即指立意之遠、意境之遠、境界之遠，是弦外之音、言外之意、象外 之意。而遠又與清息息相關，嵇康〈琴賦〉說：「體清心遠」，漢劉安《淮南 子》亦有云：「非寧靜無以致遠」，意謂人若靜若清則可臻於遠。四藝所求的就 是沒有窮盡的高遠意趣和玄思。 琴棋書畫，對今天的讀書人來講，已非必學之藝。其實，早在民國時 期，周作人就曾以聽不懂古琴而覺得 「慚愧」、「抱歉」和「不大名譽」，相信 今天我們大概再不會有這樣的感覺了。棋已被列入體育競賽範疇，而書、畫、琴 在大專大學都設有專門的課程，這種種的變化，到底說明了什麼問題呢？
張為群 中國文化中心高級導師，喜歡文藝，2005年與同事在本校創辦新 松古典詩社，並編輯出版《新松詩集》。城大緊連又一城，每天熙 熙攘攘，人來人往，卻各不相干，與王維詩「紛紛開且落」的意境 雖遠又近。
1 07
COLUMN
和許多男生一樣，筆者打從小學就愛上了日本動漫。十來年，動漫看了不少，值得推薦 的卻寥寥無幾。雖然動漫已成為日本經濟的重要支柱，，但市面上大多數動漫都以娛樂為 主，往往是畫功高超，人物可愛，而但內容空泛。尤其是那些後宮向的少年漫畫，常常為了 銷量而不擇手段，總是透過賤賣女角來滿足男性觀眾的妄想。它們有一套僵化的人物設定： 通常都是典型無特色無自信無長處的廢材男主角，無厘頭地被一堆女生包圍，像什麼一清早 會叫你起床為你做便當的青梅竹馬；體弱多病而總是跟在你後面叫你「歐尼醬」的義妹；突 然嫁過來和你同居的外星公主；轉校時永遠坐在你旁邊的超人氣女明星；在田徑場上所向無 敵的三角褲元氣娘；整天把頭埋在圖書館裡的天才文學少女……貓耳冒失女僕；無口機甲少 女；雙馬尾貧乳傲嬌大小姐；金髮哥特蘿莉小惡魔；連媽媽和老師都是輕熟型大美女……當
宅毒 人生
拒絕為後宮而後宮 的賣肉動漫
中還不時兼雜各種賣肉橋段，男主角會莫名奇妙地和不同的女生同居，並有高達99%機率看 見她們的裸體，和摸到她們的敏感部位。這無疑就是宮崎駿老師所說的，把女性角色「變成 蘿莉控的玩物」。 筆者對這類動漫非常痛恨。這種只為滿足觀眾慾望而安排的人物劇情，根本是對女角色 的懲罰和侮辱。照我看來，動漫也是藝術作品的一種。除了畫功以外，它還應該追求一些更 高層次的價值。像是架空而宏大的世界觀、發人深省的主題、與眾不同的人物、意想不到的 情節……讓觀眾看完後能夠再三回味。只有擁有了這些元素的動漫，才能稱得上是一套成功 的動漫，一套經得住時代考驗的動漫。在此，希望能和讀者們分享幾套我認為值得一看的動 畫，它們不但具有出色的主題，而且男女主角的形象都有血有肉。筆者心目中的佳作其實不 止這幾套，不過像《鋼之煉金術師》這些比較出名的動畫，我就不多介紹了。
「用殺人換來的自由，算什麼自由？」
幻靈鎮魂曲 P h an to m - Req uie m f or the Pha ntom 集數：2 6 集 年份：2 0 0 9 類型：犯罪、動作 本作是由十八禁冒險遊戲《Pha ntom – PH A N T O M O F I N FE RN O 》改編而成的動畫。 主人公吾妻玲二是名日本青年，到美國旅行時不幸捲入了黑社會殘殺事件中。由於黑幫組織 發現他擁有成為殺手的天賦，因此非但沒有將他滅口，反而消除了他的記憶，並把他訓練成 一個沒有個人意志，只懂得執行命令的最強殺手。玲二被逼拋棄原來的身份，開始執行組織 的殺人命令…… 動人之處 本作探討了個人意志如何遭受外在世界的無情壓迫及摧殘，最終無可避免地喪失自我這 一命題，充滿存在主義色彩。儘管男主角擁有強大的實力，拼命地保護著他所重視的事物， 卻悲痛地發現原來自己什麼都保護不了……主題曲風格陰暗而富宗教元素，既展現了人性殘 忍的一面，也表達了故事角色們在命運巨輪前的無奈。這部作品更充份展現了虛淵玄老師對 槍械的豐富認識，動畫中不同人物配戴的愛槍，從側面刻劃了他們的個性。 美中不足 和平常的戰鬥型動畫一樣，《幻靈鎮魂曲》多次體現了「主角威能」的強大。這種「大 難不死，必有後福」的武俠小說式的劇情，多少令筆者對它留下不好的印象。
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「朋友就是棋子。」 罪惡王冠 Gu ilty Cro wn 集數：2 2 集 年份：2 0 1 1 類型：近現代、超能力、戰爭 經歷「Lo st Ch ristm as」──一場大規模病毒感染災難後，日本政府陷入癱瘓狀態， 被聯合國的駐軍GHQ部隊接管。故事主人公櫻滿集是一個十七歲的高中生，他與當地武 裝組織「日本解放戰線」的成員楪祈相遇，被捲入戰鬥，並偶爾得到了「王之力量」。 「王之力量」讓集可以抽取人類染色體的力量，使其變成「武化」。所謂「武化」，就 是一種按照不同人的性格和價值觀，而變成的獨一無二的武器。從此，集的人生發生了 重大變化…… 動人之處 動畫劇情峰迴路轉，戰鬥明快流暢，有不少機器人大戰的場面，各位機戰迷萬勿錯 過。負責劇本創作的吉野弘幸老師就曾提到，這部動畫主要描述「把朋友當武器使用」 的衝突，而動畫非常完美地呈現了這一主題。在爭奪權力的寶座時，櫻滿集背叛了朋 友，也被朋友背叛。除了友情與背叛之外，這部動畫甚至在短短22集之內，探討了權力 的來源，制度的運作，以至物種的演化等主題，內容可謂豐富多彩。結局也頗為感人， 既沒有強調狗血，也沒有多餘的對白和回憶，顯得真摯自然。 美中不足 儘管後續發展迥異，本作的開場設定還是太像《反叛的魯路修》了：同樣是國家淪 亡，當地武裝組織抵抗外國部隊。這樣不免令原創性扣分。另一方面，由於集數太少而 劇情太豐富的關係，這套動畫的故事發展就像飛越一般，沒有足夠的時間來銜接下一情 節與上一情節之間的聯繫。如果能有多一季的話，相信能把動畫結局和角色的感情變化 梳理得更清楚。
1 09
COLUMN
「探討犯罪的本質。」 心靈判官 P S YCHO-P ASS 集數：2 2 集 年份：2 0 1 2 類型：科幻、動作 自從「Sibylla Syste m」的引入，人類的科技已經能掃瞄個人的心理狀況，從而判斷 一個人的「犯罪系數」。不少「犯罪系數」超過100的人被政府視為「潛在犯」，即使 沒有犯法也被強行關入治療設施；系數超過300的人則直接遭到抹殺。由於長期執行警 隊任務可能導致個人精神受到污染，不少警察的「犯罪系數」也變得過高。因此警隊開 始分為「執行官」和「監視官」，前者由「犯罪系數」較高的人擔任，負責直接執行逮 捕和抹殺的工作；後者由心理健康的人擔任，負責管理和監察執行官。故事由新任監視 官常守朱第一次執行任務開始… … 動人之處 本作的打鬥場面緊湊，無論槍戰還是肉搏都很有實感。角色之間對白也非常具有深
宅毒 人生
度，經常引用哲學家、著名小說、宗教書藉的句子。三位主角分別代表著三種不同的價
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值觀，在命運的十字路口相遇、碰撞……他們三人的矛盾衝突，讓這部動畫的主題得以 完美呈現。故事中不同罪犯的犯罪動機，以及他們的成長經歷，也相當引人入勝；而那 些罪犯們的生活背景，如刻薄寡恩的大型工廠、虛擬交友的網絡世界、從小把孩子打造 成模範的貴族學校……更從側面反映了社會現實。比起一般的推理故事，本作沒有特意 刻劃犯罪者的心理如何變態，也沒有強調作罪手法有多麼出人意表，卻花了不少內容和 觀眾探討「到底什麼才是犯罪？」如此新穎的主題不但顯示了原作者的苦心孤詣，也非 常值得讀者們再三思考。 美中不足 全部動畫基本上只有一個懸念：「Sibylla Syste m」的真身。當這個懸念被揭曉時， 接下面的劇情就沒有其他未解之謎了，一直緊繃的懸念也就緩了下來，末段也因此顯得 平淡。結局也處理得一般，似乎好多事情都沒有完成便草草結束一樣。幸好Production I.G社長石川光久表示會推出第二季。在這之前，有興趣的觀眾們就耐心等待吧。
「站在歷史的未來審視人類文明。」 來自新世界 F ro m th e New Wo rld 集數：2 5 集 年份：2 0 1 2 類型：科幻、懸疑、恐怖 本作改編自一部日本SF大賞的得獎小說。故事發生在距今1000年後的日本，那時人 們已擁有一股用心靈操控外界物體的巨大力量：「咒力」。生活在神棲66町的主角渡邊 早季與朋友們相處時，發現身邊的同學不斷地消失。早季與另外四位朋友懷著疑惑，踏 上了學校旅行，卻在途中無意得知了舊時代崩壞的原因，以及現代人管理城市的可怕手 段。這些禁忌的知識，徹底改變了他們的人生……當他們回到小鎮後，不斷有恐怖的事 情降臨到他們身上…… 動人之處 這是筆者看過最難忘的一部動畫。本作無論在畫作、配音、世界觀、人物設定、故 事發展方面都表現出色。背景音樂採用了不少日本傳統民樂，放學時播放的牧歌也妙用 了《新世界交響曲》幾個小節，加上充滿懸念的劇本，以及眾多詭異的傳說生物，使整 部動畫籠罩著一股陰冷恐怖的氣氛。動畫中出現的人物服飾、宗教習俗、傳說生物， 都充滿了東方神秘色彩。作者以《動物農莊》反烏托邦式的世界觀，勇敢地站在了人類 的對立面，向現代文明進行無情的批判。本作安排懸念和伏筆的手法也非常高明。它並 沒有在其中一集解開所有謎團，而是像剝洋蔥一樣，層層深入。當讀者知曉了一個謎團 後，作者卻安排了另一個更黑暗也更可怕的謎團在後頭，筆者觀看時獲得的滿足感也因 此漸漸上升，沒有隨集數而遞減。 美中不足 這實在是難得一見的神作。假如你不喜歡懸念，也沒有耐心慢慢等作者拆解一個個 謎團，那就別看吧。除此之外我實在找不到不看的理由了。
王煜升 選擇了中文卻沒有被中文選擇的商院學生；熱愛文學，也熱愛動 漫；平日喜歡思考古怪問題，經常一個人大笑；深信輕小說是中國 文學的新出路而努力創作；立志將傳統中國小說的「白描」和流行 日本小說的「萌」結合，創造出最活靈活現的角色。
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的 午 飯 ，馮 小 剛
阿黎爸爸與 三個大導
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他是《建國大業》裡面掌控上海黑暗面，但說話不急不緩，句句精要， 敢對蔣經國直言不諱的恆社杜月笙；他是《陽光燦爛的日子》裡黑板字華而 有力，但思想死板，盲目要求紀律，非常不受學生歡迎的代課胡老師；他又 是《功夫》裡權勢滔天，在警局毆打警察，顛倒是非，但貪生怕死，最後被 斧頭幫砍死的鱷魚幫老大。不好意思，雖然他經常客串很多大片，而且演 技精湛，往往在電影中起到錦上添花的奇效，但我今天介紹的並不是一位著 名的綠葉演員，他對於當今華語電影圈的貢獻，不單在表演上，而是在他的 鏡頭下，那一個個活生生的小人物對於我們中國人，在自我生活上的反思。 他，剪了個簡單的毛寸頭，一口像剛被人打爛了的黃牙，微博上罵人從 不帶髒字，但常常被人稱為口臭大師，渾身痞氣十足。要不是舉止溫文爾 雅，說話詼諧幽默，人家絕對不知道他就是國內惟一一個電影總票房超過20 億，連續四年獲得中國金雞百花獎電影節的最佳導演。他，就是中國賀歲片 之父，馮小剛。 看過不少馮小剛電影的人都知道，馮小剛的每一部好電影，都是以都市 現實生活作為背景，從老百姓的生活中取材，作品中都能看到中國的生活， 看到人性的美好。同時他的電影也不會咬文嚼字，字字珠璣，臺詞通俗而簡 單，時不時跳出一個小笑話，引出一段小高潮，讓在座的觀眾歡樂不已（也 有人是在家裡笑的）。為什麼馮導的電影對於現代人的啟發總是這麼的精 要，這麼的透徹呢？那就要從他的人生開始說起。
馮小剛出生在1958年的北京，那個時候，國內剛好開始進入社會主義的初級階段， 在京城裡「大躍進」、「人民公社」、「禮堂」這類東西，像雨後春筍一般岔開了花。 馮小剛在這種年代成長，也受到了不小的影響，像組織」、「紀律」等這類充滿當年紅 色文化的字眼，常常出現在馮小剛自己的電影裡。但是，他並不是一個紅衛兵，反而是 把這些嚴肅的字眼放到自己的喜劇中，觀眾們感受到的不是那個時代的壓迫感，而是一 種調侃過去而吃吃一 笑的幽默感。 而馮小剛為什麼對喜劇情有獨鍾？這就要說一說馮小剛小時候的故事了。那時候北 京機關食堂裡每逢星期五都會賣電影票，5毛錢一張，這也是馮小剛和黨校宿舍樓的小 夥伴們最喜歡的活動。一草草吃完晚飯，就成群結隊地跑到禮堂的大門前排等待開演。 他看的第一部電影是 《紅樓夢》，他回想到當時說：「印象中看見穿古裝的人非常的 害 怕，也不知道他們在說些什麼，看到一半我開始哭，說什麼也不要看了，母親只得帶我 離去。《紅樓夢》在我的心裡留下了巨大的陰影，直到今天仍對古裝片提不起興趣。但 《半夜雞叫》我就很喜歡，一點也不害怕，覺得特別好玩。一個很心的地主，為了讓小 孩早點起床幹活，想出半夜學雞叫的主意。影片非常喜劇，而且特別有想象力。正是從 小受到《半夜雞叫》的熏陶，不知不覺在我的心裡面生根發芽，日後當我成為一名電影 導演時，才會對喜劇情有獨鍾；才會充分地意識到想象力的重要性。」就是因為這樣一 部當時很普通的反映地主階級鬥爭的電影，在一位同樣很普通的京城少年心裡種下了一 顆小苗，等到大樹長 成的時候，他已經站在中國電影界的頂峰上了。 馮小剛自幼就喜歡美術和文學。而在當時這一類文學小青年在讀完中學的文化課 後，最熱門的就是加入各個軍區的文藝工作團，做一做歌舞戲劇的表演，同時也是隸屬 於軍方，所以生活無憂。1977年他就進了38軍坦克六師宣傳隊工作，並在1978年正式參 軍，在北京軍區戰友京劇團任美術組學員。三年後提升為23級小幹部，時任美術設計。 直到1984年，部隊精簡整編，他遭到淘汰。馮小剛後來回憶起那七年的日子說道：「部 隊生活對我以後生活影響非常大，包括創作，包括攝制組。導演在一個攝制組是一個領 軍人物，你要有吃苦耐勞的精神，要有集體責任感。從部隊出來以後，也可能是我的性 格決定的，還有就是 在部隊生活過的人都不是那種自私自利、冷漠的人。」 在這七年的軍區生活裡，馮小剛以一個身為軍人充滿榮譽和高尚的心理來觀望這個 社會，這樣的經歷讓他看到了社會上各種各樣的人和事，對於他之後的導演之路也帶來 了不少的幫助。他準備退伍被安排轉業時，就發生了一件很有趣的事，馮小剛在自傳中 寫到：
「元旦剛過，政委笑眯眯找我談話，態度異常和藹，我心頭一沉，知道這回狼來 了。我很配合，對組織上的決定做出一副無所謂的樣子，我甚至第二天就搬出了軍區大 院。據我所知，和我一批轉業的，到現在還有些人住在軍區大院裡沒有走。我當時之所 以離開的那麼匆忙，主要是不想在廣大指戰員面前丟份兒。事後我才發現自己對部隊竟 是那麼的留戀。轉業的真正原因我是心知肚明的。 很簡單，我戀上了一個女孩。女孩的父親是話劇團的一位老同志。 老同志發現女兒有些春心蕩漾，於是跟蹤排查，順藤摸瓜揪出了躲在幕後的馮小 剛。老同志怒不可遏，向我發出嚴正警告。
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看在他女兒的份上我沒有跟他急。 他老人家以為已經遏制了我的想法，卻沒想到事情並沒有按照 他的意願終止。女孩不但沒有知難而退，反而變本加厲與我保持熱 線聯系。老同志惱羞成怒，將該女兒繩之以法，據說蚊帳杆都打折 了。 女孩的癡情深深地感動了我，當時熱血沸騰，要不是戰友攔著 我，我差點兒就沖到女孩家，對她父親說：要打您就打我吧。
阿黎爸爸與 三個大導
幸虧我沒去。
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因為，讓我萬萬沒有想到的是，女孩的心上人根本不是我。寧 死不屈是不假，但為誰寧死不屈這麼一個重要的問題，不僅被她父 親忽略了，也被我忽略了。事後女孩如實告訴我，她的意中人是一 位在民航工作的英俊小生。這使我恍然大悟，為什麼她會頻繁地出 現在我的面前，但每次都是蜻蜓點水。原來這小丫頭兒玩的是聲東 擊西金蟬脫殼。」 就是因為在他的生活中往往會出現這樣那樣的趣事，讓馮小剛 對社會和人有了自己獨到的見解。 馮小剛母親的人生，對他也有很深厚的影響。她20歲就失去了 所有的親人，孤身一人來到北京；婚後又失去了一個年僅兩歲的女 兒；35歲時離婚；45歲時身患癌症；57歲患腦血栓，從此長達16 年癱瘓在床上。他母親曾對馮小剛說：兒子，你會順順利利的， 所有的苦難都讓媽媽一個人替你嚐盡了。你有出息，我的罪就沒有 白受。馮小剛牢記母親的這句話，他也沒有辜負母親的期望，他 和鄭曉龍聯合編導的第一部作品《遭遇激情》，被夏剛導演拍成電 影後，獲中國電影金雞獎最佳編劇等四項提名。之後他加入電視劇 的工作行列，與王朔、馬未都聯合編劇的電視系列劇《編輯部的故 事》，使他成為家喻戶曉的人物。1992年兩人再次合作寫了電影 劇本《大撒把》，搬上銀幕後，獲得第十三屆中國電影金雞獎最佳 故事片、最佳編劇等五項提名。1994年他正式當起來導演，第一 部電影是《永失我愛》，但這部作品沒有讓他在電影界站好，他又 重新回到電視劇工作上，推出了《月亮背面》，但由於內容過于現 實與震撼，演員的表演也比較開放，此片遭到了冷處理。但馮小剛 沒有放棄，1997年由他執導葛優主演的《甲方乙方》在賀歲檔豪 取3300萬票房，之後的《不見不散》、《沒完沒了》等同樣票房 不俗，《大腕》、《手機》、《天下無賊》，更是讓他躋身中國電 影大導演的行列。多年後，馮小剛在自傳中這樣寫自己母親：在已 經離開這個世界的無數生命裡，母親的離去是真正從苦難中得到解 脫。母親， 留給他進取，不懼失敗的勇氣。
馮小剛除了是一個很有文化造詣，風趣幽默的人外，同時也是一個很執 著的人。很多人都知道他有離婚的前科，卻不知道馮小剛的執著。他在文學 影視工作越發進步的同時，與妻子的關係越發的冷淡，他與妻子相識於傳統 意識濃厚的年代，沒有很好的戀愛基礎下，就決定了結婚。婚後的共同語言 越來越少，讓他和妻子都備受煎熬。在認識徐帆以後，他才知道自己和妻子 的感情已經無法再繼續下去，1999年他終於和妻子協議離婚，但與徐帆結婚 後，他對前妻和家人關懷依舊，無論在住房問題上，還是女兒撫養問題上， 包括 前妻家裡的各類事情，馮小剛始終堅持地付出關懷。 1
在自己的作品上，馮小剛也有著自己的執著，他雖然很擅長賀歲喜劇 片，但是他也對人文歷史片一往情深，去年他就拍了《一九四二》，講述 1942年河南旱災背景下，老範家為逃避饑荒，妻離子散家破人亡的故事。 沒有了樂子，沒有了熱鬧，沒有了紅火，有的只是歷史的真相。馮小剛自 己這樣說。票房只有2.8億，沒有破自己的記錄，也無法比肩李安，《少年 派》，在那時拿了4.4億的票房。馮小剛沒有因為失敗而氣餒，馮小剛在人 民大學和1200學子對談，就很堅定地說：「觀眾不是我的上帝。」同時他還 進一步闡釋了和觀眾的關係：我拍電影從來沒有媚過誰，覺得有意思，想拍 就拍。觀眾和導演是朋友的關係：我拍電影給大家帶來笑聲及愉悅感，觀眾 給我信任感，是平等關系，沒有誰必須要買誰的好。馮小剛在劉震雲《溫故 1942》作序時已經透露了：「王老(王朔)厚道地說：『你怕什麼？萬一票房 上有個閃失，我再幫你寫一喜劇不就給華誼找回來了？』」今年的賀歲檔，
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就讓 我們期待他的《私人定制》。 馮小剛曾經拿打高爾夫球和北京房價來鼓勵年輕人，如果一畢業就打高 爾夫就能買上房子，那根本就是不現實的。你要告訴自己要努力、要成功， 才能 進來打打球。高爾夫球場給人們描繪的是一種成功之後的夢想。 還在讀書的我們，也該想想這個問題，餡餅不會從天上掉下來，只有努 力才 會攀上高峰。
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1 .《天下無賊》； 盜亦有道，馮小剛的鏡頭開始慢慢不再聚焦 於群眾身上，卻讓群眾反思自己的生活。//
2. 《集結號》；馮
小剛第一次嘗試做他最喜歡的歷史題材影片，看過的人，無一 不落淚。//
3. 風靡一時的《非誠勿擾》兩部曲：第一次愛情片
的嘗試，卻讓你看到的不僅僅是愛情。//
4. 《唐山大地震》：
第一部把筆者哭得不成人樣，眼淚留個不停的電影。讓你明白 世間的愛是有多麼的偉大。
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黎宇 華語電影一直是我們中華兒女圓夢的媒介。過了八、九十年代的黃 金期後，如今的華語電影何去何從？又有多少人，是我們該為之驕 傲的中華電影圈大師呢？在這裡，黎宇向你簡述當代華語電影大師 的故事。
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