1/31/2007

讀書心得--《壁花先生》

英文書名是《The Perks of Being a Wallflower》,好笑的是,發現它的原因又是因為聽搖滾樂;書中的主角,對The Smiths的"Asleep"情有獨鍾。

Charlie是一個剛升上高一的男生,不久之前他最好的朋友自殺而死,他安靜、沈思的個性讓他無法融入其他高一生的世界;在一場球賽上,他結識了一男一女兩個高三生,在和他們、他們的其他朋友、以及和哥哥、姊姊、家人的互動中,他了解到生活究竟是怎麼一回事...

乍看之下會覺得本書是很平常的青少年勵志書,不過它所討論的議題遠比一般同類型的書要辛辣許多--憂鬱症、酗酒、嗑藥、吸煙、性、強暴、墮胎等等,都在故事裡出現。故事是以Charlie寫給一位不知名的朋友的書信呈現,有些讀者覺得這種寫作技巧十分創新,不過自從我聽了人社大作家學生說書信是最簡單的小說創作手法之後,就沒辦法覺得驚奇了。

Charlie「壁花」的封號是由來自朋友的一場派對。在這裡「壁花」的含意並不是一般大家所接受的那樣,而是指Charlie常常選擇不真正參與其他人的互動,而在一旁靜靜的觀察,但一切事情的所以然他都了然於胸。

讀這本書的時候,發現自己的一些個性特質和Charlie類似,所以對於他看世界的角度,很自然的會產生認同感。不過我絕對不可能像他一般,親身去體驗墮落和意志消沈。

一般對《壁花先生》的評價都很不錯,只有它的結局被一些讀者詬病。我部分同意這個看法,有時候沒有必要把結局處理的那麼戲劇性。就像我看電影〈讓愛傳出去〉的時候,覺得結局是敗筆一樣,本書的結局還沒有誇張到我不能接受,所以還好。

大概花兩三個小時就可以把《壁花先生》讀完,而且看完的確對生活會有一點新的想法。書中提到的一些搖滾歌曲和文學作品(Charlie的老師覺得他很有才華,會開書單給他),也對我的味。
推~ ^^

1/26/2007

The Police--Wrapped Around Your Finger

這是我非常喜歡的一首Police/Sting的歌,歌詞融入了希臘神話的譬喻,深刻地描寫出在
一段婚姻裡面,男方女方都想取得主導權的危險情況。

敘事者是男性,對於自己老是受女方掌控,他感到十分受挫,所以他假設自己想出「解決之道」,奪回主導權,向女方示威。

如果一段關係變成了權力鬥爭,身處其中一定非常痛苦。難道沒有辦法避免嗎?

翻譯的不太好,馬馬虎虎囉。

"Wrapped Around Your Finger"

You consider me the young apprentice 妳認為我是一個少不更事的生手
Caught between the Scylla and Charibdes 在希樂和克瑞迪絲的海峽間進退維谷
Hypnotized by you if I should linger 留戀越久,就越受妳迷惑
Staring at the ring around your finger 只能傻傻盯著妳指間的戒指
I have only come here seeking knowledge 原先只為了求取知識而和妳結合
Things they would not teach me of in college 學到在大學裡不會教的事物
I can see the destiny you sold 現在我看到妳斷定的命運
Turn into a shining band of gold 成為閃耀的金色指環

I'll be wrapped around your finger 我被纏繞在妳指間
I'll be wrapped around your finger 我被纏繞在妳指間

Mephistopheles is not your name 惡魔不是妳的名字
I know what you're up to just the same 不過妳的動機和它同樣地邪惡
I will listen hard to your tuition 我將認真聽取妳的教導
You will see it come to it's fruition 妳會看到最後的成果

I'll be wrapped around your finger 我被纏繞在妳指間
I'll be wrapped around your finger 我被纏繞在妳指間

Devil and the deep blue sea behind me 惡魔與深不可測的心海已追不上我
Vanish in the air you'll never find me 我消失後,妳永遠尋不著我
I will turn your face to alabaster 妳的臉會變得像雪花石膏一般慘白
When you find your servant is your master 當妳發現妳的奴隸已變成妳的主人

Oh, you'll be wrapped around my finger 妳被纏繞在我指間
You'll be wrapped around my finger 妳被纏繞在我指間
You'll be wrapped around my finger 妳被纏繞在我指間

{music fades}

註:

Wrapped around the finger

1. A term used when a girl has a guy under their command.
2. Means the guy will pretty much follow their girl's every wish and do
whatever she wants.

Scylla  n.
1. 【人】【希神】 斯庫拉 ( 棲居在巨岩上的六頭十二手女海妖,據說吞吃靠近的船舶
)
2. 【物】 錫拉岩礁 ( Sicily 島沿海一危險岩礁,其對面為 Charybdis 大旋渦 )


Charybdis  n.
1. 【人】【希神】 恰利底斯 ( 在大海中製造漩渦的擬人化女妖 )
2. 【地】 恰利底斯漩渦 ( 在義大利西西里島東北海岸外,據傳常吞沒船隻 )

Mephistopheles n.
1. 麥菲斯特(德國傳說中的魔鬼)
2. 惡魔(似的人)

1/10/2007

Pulp--Common People (和貧富差距有關的歌?)



【 COMMON PEOPLE 】

Cocker / Senior / Mackey / Doyle / Banks

She came from Greece she had a thirst for knowledge,
she studied sculpture at Saint Martins College,
that's where I caught her eye.

我在聖馬丁學院遇見一個學雕塑且渴求知識的希臘女孩,
就在那,我們相遇了。

She told me that her dad was loaded,
I said "In that case I'll have a rum and coca-cola, she said "Fine"
and in 30 seconds time she said "I want to live like common people,
I want to do whatever common people do, I want to sleep with common people,
I want to sleep with common people like you".
Well what else could I do, I said "I'll see what I can do."

在第三十二次
她告訴我說:「我爸爸很有錢喔!
可我想當個平凡人,
我想做一切普通人所做的事,
我想跟你這樣的普通人睡在一起。」
「嗯,我該怎麼做呢?」她這麼的問我

我說:「請給我一杯可樂、還有萊姆酒,我想一下該怎麼幫你吧。」

I took her to a supermarket,
I don't know why but I had to start it somewhere, so it started there.
I said 'Pretend you've got no money',
but she just laughed and said "Oh you're so funny",
I said "Yeah. Well I can't see anyone else smiling in here.
Are you sure you want to live like common people,
you want to see whatever common people see,
you want to sleep with common people,
you want to sleep with common people like me."
But she didn't understand, she just smiled and held my hand.

於是我帶她到超市去了,
我也不知道為什麼要帶她到超市耶
反正就來了啊

我說:「假裝自己沒有錢喔。」
她只是笑笑的說:「哈哈,你真愛說笑耶。」
我想沒有人聽到這樣會笑的出來吧?

妳確定要當個普通人嗎?
妳確定你想經歷普通人的生活嗎?
妳想跟普通人睡啊?
像我這樣的?

她還是不懂我說什麼,只是笑笑的握著我的手

Rent a flat above a shop, cut your hair and get a job.
Smoke some fags and play some pool,
pretend you never went to school.
But still you'll never get it right
'cos when you're laid in bed at night watching roaches climb the wall,
if you called your dad he could stop it all.

妳可以租間小公寓,
剪去長髮,找份工作
閒來無事叼根菸,打場撞球

假裝自己不再上學去
但永遠不會抓到要領的

因為當妳半夜躺在床上
望著牆上爬來爬去的蟑螂

如果打通電話給妳的爸爸
妳就能逃離這一切啊

You'll never live like common people,
you'll never do whatever common people do,
you'll never fail like common people,
you'll never watch your life slide out of view,
and dance and drink and screw, because there's nothing else to do.

妳永遠無法活的像個平凡人
妳也永遠無法做平凡人所做

因為妳一點都不了解,
和普通人一樣的失落
看著日子一天一天在眼前消逝
只能跳舞喝酒做愛
因為他們除此無事可做啊

Sing along with the common people,
sing along and it might just get you through.
Laugh along with the common people,
laugh along even though they're laughing at you
and the stupid things that you do,
because you think that poor is cool.

跟普通人一起唱吧!
也許會讓妳看清一點
跟平凡人一起笑吧
即使他們在笑妳所做的蠢事
因為妳覺得貧窮很酷啊

1/09/2007

Rich in gifts, poor in gifts.

"Enemy at the Gates"這部好萊塢戰爭電影,有一段對白讓我印象深刻。
Danilov: I've been such a fool, Vassili. Man will always be a man. There is no new man. We tried so hard to create a society that was equal, where there'd be nothing to envy your neighbour. But there's always something to envy. A smile, a friendship, something you don't have and want to appropriate. In this world, even a Soviet one, there will always be rich and poor. Rich in gifts, poor in gifts. Rich in love, poor in love.

1/07/2007

Depeche Mode--Black Celebration

最近決定了,有機會一定要送朋友"Black Celebration"這張專輯,雖然它很黑暗,而且不是DM歌迷的人們,有些會覺得DM的音樂聽起來「很可怕」。 XD

我很喜歡一位DM歌迷對於這張專輯的分析:整張專輯呈現出一種避世的生活態度。外面的世界太醜陋、太可怕,如果可以暫時逃離它... 就一下下。要怎麼樣忘卻對世界的厭倦和恐懼呢?愛和慾。

Martin是這樣想的吧,所以他才一直過著花天酒地的生活?
這點我當然不敢苟同,不過此專輯對世界的描述,在二十年多一點之後的今天,還是十分真實。

就某方面來說,"Black Celebration"很現代主義,想逃離這缺乏人性的世界,可惜愛和慾不能算是至高的精神指標吧,對一般人來說...

只要Martin自己這麼相信,也活得很好,就夠了。:) 我只聽音樂之美,讀歌詞之寫實。

1/03/2007

Colours Run--Beautiful Waste of Time

在Last.fm上面發現Colours Run這個所謂的「地下樂團」。
http://www.coloursrun.com/

突然喜歡上他們的歌,旋律性很高,主唱的聲音輕巧地滑過每一個音符,非常愜意。

"Beautiful Waste of Time"的歌詞讀起來滿有感覺的,可以把這麼無奈的情境唱得如此開心,真有趣。

Beautiful Waste of Time

Words by Tim Cameron, Music by Colours Run

We step out into the decadent decay
To stir the languor of our love
And when we kiss, you turn your tired eyes away
Trapped in the mirror hung above
Sometimes I'm glad I've only got one life to waste
You are the needle in my arm
And though I'm dying, I have such a pretty time
You do me harm
Come on, do me harm
It's a lovely waste, such a beautiful waste
You're a wonderful waste of time
And I could lose my mind in your pointless embrace
Such a beautiful waste of time

Every night's a fight for life
The finest food, the driest wines
Don't stop the music, keep on dancing as we sink
Shot holes beneath the waterline
And I can only speak in metaphors
As I watch the horde assail the walls
Oh my darling, close your eyes and let's pretend
That we're not here at all

It's a lovely waste, such a beautiful waste
You're a wonderful waste of time
And I could lose my mind to your pointless debates
Such a beautiful waste of time

In moonlit shoes, I buried all my clocks
I meant to sieze the day
But somehow I forgot
Could be a king if I could just wake up
I wrote the book
On how to lose the plot
I love you girl, but you tie me up in knots
Keep tripping on your violins and handcuffs

You're a lovely waste, such a beautiful waste
You're a wonderful waste of time
And I could lose my mind in your pointless embrace
Such a beautiful waste of time

Maybe one fine day, I could light up the stage
Where the bells of escape still chime
But not tonight, cos I still can't tear my face away
From this beautiful waste of time