Monday 3 April 2017

Hamlet - Prince of Denmark - 皇子復仇記 (4)

皇子復仇記或哈姆雷特(Hamlet)莎翁名劇,亦曾多次被拍成電影,亦曾被改編成歌劇、音樂劇、芭蕾舞劇、甚至最近被改編成粵劇。

這個故事很簡單,一位丹麥皇子在外留學,得知父親突然死去,回國時見到父親的鬼魂、才知父親是被他的叔叔謀害的,並奪了皇位及迎娶了他的母親作為皇后,鬼魂父親要皇子替他復仇!從此皇子便面臨一個決定:為父親復仇,但他知道是要復仇便要付出代價,因為復仇只可以是個人的事,那麼便可能要犧牲自己身邊的人如愛人、最好的朋友、母親、甚至要倍了自己的生命!於是皇子便陷入一個非常矛盾的狀態、外表近乎瘋癲,而內心非常悲憤!皇子的角色是這齣劇的最主要人物,他的戲非常重、是從頭一直帶到尾,其它角色都只是配角身份!

所以要將莎翁這劇本改成歌劇或音樂劇等,編劇家都要動腦根把皇子的愛人 Ophelia 的戲加重,在歌劇裡便特別加插了 Ophelia 瘋癲至自殺的那一幕。https://youtu.be/cnCU1_iu7qk

皇后的角色也不弱,她是這齣劇的關鍵人物,不過莎翁沒有太清楚地交代她再嫁丈夫的弟弟的緣因,記得在中學讀此書時,老師解釋過皇后所以這樣做是保持皇子的地位。不過很多人都有疑問,因為在本中,她似乎很安享她的地位,沒有看到她有些豪萎屈的表現。

很多已經成功及有名氣的男演員都很渴望演繹 Hamlet 的,因為這個角色能讓他們盡量發揮他們精湛的演技,這個角色是被認為是任何演員的最終挑戰,扮演這角色在許多地方需要顯示這角色的複雜情緒,究竟要復仇抑或不復仇呢?他是面臨人生的一個非常重大的決定,他就要憑他的內心戲來引起觀眾對他的同情,Hamlet 都是一些最好演員夢寐以求的角色。

知名度的演員演繹過 Hamlet、除了上世紀英國著名莎翁名劇演員 Laurence Olivier (羅蘭士奧利花 - 演過電影及舞台劇) 之外:
其他更有 Mel GibsonRichard ChamberlainJude LawKevin KlineKeanu Reeves,還有許多、數不勝數。

年青有為的粵劇編劇家黎耀威在兩年前把 Hamlet 改編成粵劇公演,獲得好評如潮,一位外藉朋友看了,非常讚賞。他在今年四月五及六日再度重演皇子一角,可惜我不在香港,又要錯過這個大好機會欣賞這齣名劇了!




Saturday 28 January 2017

Kitchen Renovation

Trust me, don't renovate your kitchen if you don't really need to! I've had a horrible experience with this Kitchen Designer. Before I signed the contract, they promised me that it wouldn't take long to get it done. The most, a few days without the use of the kitchen, that's exactly what she had said! I believed everything they said because my high-school classmate who is an interior designer introduced them to me. And silly me - I believed that they really meant a few days!
From January 4 up to today, Jan 27, on Chinese New Year's eve, my kitchen isn't ready. They told me that someone would come in first thing in the morning around 8:30 am to do the tiles and backsplash so I woke up early in the morning and waited, waited, and waited. Nobody came! Around 11:45 a.m., I called and emailed them, nobody got back to me. At 12:30 p.m., I finally sent them an urgent email asking them to find that guy or tell me what's going on. Guess what! They said the tile guy's truck had an accident and would show up tomorrow morning on Chinese New Year Day to finish the job! Can you believe that?
Now when someone got back to me on the phone, she told me that how come I didn't know that any renovation job would take a long time...a few weeks at least. And she said that I should know that!
And they're not cheap either! In fact, quite expensive! If I could only go back to the time before I signed this contract and undo everything...I would! 

Friday 16 September 2016

音樂劇窈窕淑女 My Fair Lady (3)

這個音樂劇 (Musical) 是根據英國大文豪蕭伯納 (George Bernard Shaw – 1856-1950) 的名劇 Pygmalion 改編而成的,蕭伯納借這個劇本反影十九世紀未及二十世紀初期英國社會的上、中、下層階級懸殊、有著很大的距離而往往不能融合在一起。故事很簡單、是描述一位英國中層階級的言語教授 Henry Higgins 成功的把一個來自下層階級的賣花女 Eliza Doolittle 改造成為一位高貴的皇族少婦。

Pygmalion本是古代神話裡的一位雕塑家,他用象牙雕了一個女像之後,卻愛上自已的女像,每天求神使他的雕像能變成活人,最後他終於感動了愛神為他行了一個奇蹟、使他能如願得償。蕭伯納採用Pygmalion 作標題是利用這故事來反影這位 Higgins 教授能把一個從低下階層的賣花女、把她改造成一位上層階級的貴族,亦是一個絕處逢生的奇蹟!

之前,有許多人都想把這劇本寫成音樂劇但都沒有成功,因為這劇本缺乏了一般音樂劇需要的內容、即恩怨情仇,而蕭伯納在生時,是不會容許別人改寫他的劇本,直至他離世後,Alan Jay Learner 寫了這劇的歌詞、再配上 Frederick Lowe 撰寫的音樂,於是在 1956 年,這套百老滙名劇 “My Fair Lady” 終於面世了!

1956 “My Fair Lady” 舞台劇是力士夏理遜Rex Harrison 扮演教授,朱莉安德絲Julie Andrews 扮演賣花女,1958年移到英國倫敦公演,仍是他們兩人再度拍擋合演,連續演了五年,共 2281場!

但是 1964年荷里活把這劇搬上銀幕,但卻沒採用安德絲而改用了柯德利夏萍 Audrey Hepburn,其實難怪製片商這樣做的,電影不同舞台劇,電影講票房能否有收獲,他們都希望有一張既受歡迎又能賣座的臉孔當女主角,甚至女主角不能唱也不重要、找個幕後代唱便可。


結果柯德利夏萍沒有令片商們失望,這部片用了一千七百萬美元製作,票房紀錄是七千二百萬美元,片商賺大錢!

以下的 YouTube片是她在電影中的轉捩點、即她能開始說純正的英語並唱出 The Rain In Spain Stays Mainly In The Plain,用她的聲音接駁幕後代唱的Marni Nixon,簡直天衣無縫:

https://youtu.be/uVmU3iANbgk

1993年,百老滙再度上演這套名劇,選了電視皇帝 (King of Television**) Richard Chamberlain飾演 Henry Higgins,還到世界其他大城市遁迥演出,那年 My Fair Lady 來到多倫多上演,大概我是 Richard Chamberlain 的超級影迷吧,所以買了第一行來觀看,女主角不記得是誰了,因為我根本不是去看她。


不過看完這劇後對 Chamberlain 有少許失望,第一:他不能操純正英國口音,雖然他已很努力但始終還帶著少少美國口音,第二:他不是Rex Harrison,因為Harrison 是演活了 Henry Higgins,是無人能演得比他更好了!
話雖如此,從其他角度來看,這劇的重演是值得一看的!


** Richard Chamberlain 得到電視皇帝之美譽是因為他拍的電視劇、差不多套套都受歡迎,如 Dr. Kildare (1961-66) Shogun (1980) The Thorn Birds (1983) The Bourne Identity (1988) 及無數其他的電視影片。

Note: 這一篇文章亦在以下網頁登出:http://skytalk.ahlap.net/cgi-bin/p3a_patio.cgi?mode=view&no=1766

Tuesday 17 May 2016

談談世界各地戲劇、歌劇、音樂劇等…(2) Turandot

談談世界各地戲劇、歌劇、音樂劇等…(2)  Turandot 杜蘭朵

阿光,在未開始談這部歌劇前,我想重新再告訴你、我都是對歌劇沒有太深厚的認識,只是幾年前經一位舊同學介紹才開始去看,跟著便對這個項目有興趣,因為常常聽粵曲、有其他音樂和興趣夾在其中,總覺得生活會有個平衡。

其實看義大利歌劇或其他語言的歌劇,並不需要曉得其語言,在未看之前先讀了故事大綱,看劇時跟著台上角色的表現和他們唱出的歌曲聲調和音韻,已經很自然地把你帶入劇中。一次我帶了一位外籍朋友去看一套粵劇,他也懂得劇情的發展,還說能從台上角色們的演繹及唱曲中,領㑹到整套劇情!
 


再看看這個短片的小朋友 Iain Armitage (https://youtu.be/Ny3XzcIz8ME ),他只不過七歲,他一定不懂意大利文,但他居然能看懂和欣賞到這部「杜蘭朵」歌劇,並能給予評語,那麼你和我都一定懂得欣賞了,只是視乎你喜不喜歡看!

杜蘭朵是義大利歌劇作家 Giacomo Puccini (1858 – 1924)一部未能完成的劇作,他離世後,由 Franco Alfano 根據 Puccini 的草稿把全劇完成。

杜蘭朵的故事原出於十八世紀一位作家 Carlo Gozzi 寫的一個劇本,這個劇本的背景和人物是述及波斯王國 (Turan) 及其公主 Turandot 杜蘭朵,但經過差不多兩個世紀的演變、又經過好幾個編劇家的改編後,到二十世紀初期,Puccini  索性把這故事寫成三幕歌劇,改了背景在中國、朝代是元朝。

歌劇的第一幕是杜蘭朵公主要處死波斯王子,因為任何人想娶得公主都必須正確回答她的三個謎語,如果答錯了,便一律要被處死!三年來,她已把無數來求婚的人斬首示眾。今晚一位亡國的韃靼王子 Calaf 在京城避難,重遇到失散了又盲了眼睛的父王帖木兒 Timur 和他的侍女柳兒 Liu,本來是十分高興,但他卻被公主的美貌吸引,不顧父親和柳兒的反對、要去應婚。

第二幕是 Calaf 由三位大臣 PingPangPong 引見,成功答對了三個謎語,但是杜蘭朵公主卻反囗拒絕和 Calaf 成婚,於是 Calaf 便給公主一個問題,如果公主在天亮前知道他的名字、便不用嫁他,反而他自願被處死!

第三幕是王子很高興地期待㴝明的勝利,唱著「今晚無人入睡」、即 Nessun Dorma,一首非常動聽的歌曲,是歌劇界許多男高音都唱過的世界著名歌曲之一。

這是著名男高音 Andrea Bocelli 唱的 Nessun Dorma:

不過三位大臣卻不認為王子會勝利,PingPangPong  拿來金銀財寶勸王子放棄杜蘭朵公主,但 Calaf 拒絕了。跟著公主把王子的父親和柳兒帶來審問王子的姓名,柳兒飽受拷打仍不肯說出王子的名字,公主問柳兒為什麼不肯說,柳兒回答是「愛」,跟著拿了士兵的劍自殺死了。

這裡便是 Puccini 不能寫下去的地方,他用了兩年時間都寫不到一個完滿的結局。後來的發展是 Franco Alfano Punccini 死後替他完成的。

結局是:王子決定以愛來打動公主,他把公主擁在懷中吻了她一下,並把自己的名字告訴了公主,即是把自己的命運放在公主手中,可以讓公主隨時把他處死!

結果公主宣布王子的名字是「愛」,喜劇收場。

但我卻覺得 Puccini 不是想寫這樣的結局,他寫到在柳兒死後已停了筆、兩年來都不能寫下去,可以想像他是很注重柳兒的死,他更借用王子父親帖木兒的一句話語、帖木兒說因為他們 (指公主和士兵們) 迫死柳兒、這種罪行定會觸怒上天的!這麼一來,又怎會是喜劇收場呢?對 Alfano 寫的結局,我始終覺得他是草草了結劇本,沒有尊重 Puccini 在劇中寫的暗示!還有一點令我更懷疑:杜蘭朵既是一位冷血無情的人,又怎會在一吻之下改變主意呢?更何況她殺了無數來求婚的人,又豈可沒遭到任何逞罰呢?

其實就算再給 Puccini 多幾年,他亦末必能寫到一個完滿的結局,因為他作繭自縛:他寫在劇中的 PingPangPong 是喜劇中的結構人物,而柳兒的慘死是悲劇的人物,再加上帖木兒不詳的預言,究竟 Puccini 是想寫喜劇抑或悲劇呢,可能連他自己也弄不清楚了!

小朋友 Iain 說得對,這位杜蘭朵公主真是很殘忍!我由始至終對她沒有好感!

不過撇開劇情來說,這部歌劇的舞台佈景是非常壯觀,後台要採用一百多人換景,因為每一幕的景須要搭到有五層樓這麽高,而且有些時候、差不多有一百人同時出現在台上,所以搭的亭台樓櫊全都要用堅實的木材及鐵釘搭成,絕對不能馬虎,不然便會倒塌下來!


我最欣賞 PingPangPong 三位大臣唱出他們的心聲、他們最渴望能辭官歸故鄉與家人團聚。其實他們亦是唱出大部份人的心聲,大部份人工作只為生活,但工作的壓力往往掠奪了與家人歡樂共聚的時刻!

NB - 以上的貼文同時登在阿立粵曲網站之談天說地版 - 談談世界各地戲劇、歌劇、音樂劇等…  http://skytalk.ahlap.net/cgi-bin/p3a_patio.cgi?mode=view&no=1766

Saturday 9 April 2016

Verdi 的歌劇 Otello - 為何要殺妻?

看了阿光在立網【被遺忘了的中西舊歌星、影星及其歌曲與電影 二發表以下的一篇文章 (2016-03-29),尤其是聽了潘秀琼那首:「求你動手要晚一点」令我想起一些古代丈夫殺妻的故事和歌劇,有些殺妻故事還描述殺妻過情是怎樣合情合理,但在廿一世紀再查看這些案情,似乎說不通!

曲:張巡殺妾饗三軍:
在中國古代,女子沒有地位,安史之亂、張巡死守睢陽、糧盡、張巡殺妾以饗三軍,整件事在表面看來張巡似乎很偉大,為了下屬的存亡寧殺自己愛妾作食物,但用今日的眼光來看這件事,他是一個冷血暴力的粗豪,須知道妻子是一個有血有肉有感性的生命,不是家禽任人宰殺!

劇:殺忠妻:
另一名劇「吳漢殺妻」,又名「殺忠妻」、說述王莽篡漢後,把女兒嫁了吳漢,命他捉拿劉秀,吳漢擒獲劉秀後、經母親責駡要他放人、並告之其實王莽才是他殺父仇人、更命吳漢要保存孝義去殺仇人之女、即是他的妻房,雖然結果吳漢不忍下手、而其妻為免其夫為難而自刎,但從今日的社會以愛情至上 (Love conquers all) 來看,為什麽沒有商量的餘地呢?

劇+電影:大雷雨:
那首:「求你動手要晚一点」曲詞沒有說出那丈夫為什麽要殺妻子,不過故事可能是源於蘇聯作家亞歷山大奥斯特洛夫斯基 (Alexander Ostrovsky) 的「大雷雨」,這故事也曾多次被譯成其他文字搬上銀幕,如粵語片「大雷雨」 (1954) 由白燕、張活游,李清主演是其中一部。原本的故事描述一位美麗少女嫁了個平庸無能只曉得聽從他母親的丈夫,妻子不甘屈辱於這種生活而愛上了一青年,後來那青年走了,妻子唯有在大雷雨中跳進伏爾加河自殺,這首曲大概是她自殺前求丈夫了結她的生命吧!這是一個時代悲劇、十九世紀的蘇俄社會女子地位低微,又怎能容許女子在婚姻上有選擇自由呢?

說:克魯採奏鳴曲:
大文豪托爾斯泰 (Leo Tolstoy) 在他寫的短篇小說「克魯採奏鳴曲」(Kreutzer Sonata),描述十九世紀俄國上流社會的一位花花公子,結婚後大家感到厭倦對方,妻子移情愛上了一位年青的音樂家,丈夫在極度妒忌下殺了妻子,結果無罪釋放。為什麽在那個年代,丈夫有無數情婦是天公地道的事,而妻子有情夫便是犯了彌天大罪,一定要被處死!丈夫已經不愛妻子了,為什麽不能還她自由呢?


(這是一幅 1901 年的名畫、由法國名畫家 Rene-Xavier Prinet 用「克魯採奏鳴曲題材畫的。)

影:再世孽緣:
1951 年何里活電影「再世孽緣」(Pandora and The Flying Dutchman),是描述一位妒忌的丈夫,懷疑妻子對自己不忠而扼殺了她,後來才知道她是無辜的,後悔不矣!

歌劇奧賽羅」:
莎士比亞名劇「奧賽羅」(Othello) 亦是說及一位善妒的丈夫中了小人的圈套懷疑妻子對自己不忠而扼殺了她意大利名歌劇作家 Verdi 把這故事寫成四幕歌劇 (Otello) 在1887 年首演後獲好評。(關於這歌劇的詳細資料容後再談。)

古代的男士覺得妻子移情別戀對他的面子有損,所以在女子沒有地位的社會,妻子有了情夫便如犯了死罪一般,托爾斯泰的另一小說「安娜卡尼娜」(Anna Karenina) 的安娜是個有夫之婦,因背夫別戀、但卻沒有勇氣去愛,結果跳火車而自殺。但換轉了丈夫在外有情婦的話,卻是理所當然!

其實真正的愛不在乎擁有對方而是要顧及對方的感受,當情到零時,便是時候灑地退離!

正如 1964 年 The Righteous Brothers 唱的那首 "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling"  https://youtu.be/bTvU3BELZEo  
「你已失去了愛的感覺」:當在你的眼中再看不到歡迎我的信號,當你開始批評我做的一些鎖碎小事情,你令我悲痛到只想哭、因為我知道一切美好的已凋零,你已失去了愛的感覺,如今的你已讓這愛的感覺溜走了、溜走了!

在這種情形下,說聲「拜拜」便應各奔前程,何必要變成怨偶呢?聽聞有些夫婦在這樣的環境下仍然勉强一起生活,雖然共住一屋,但互不關心,互不說話,只靠寫字絛 (sticky notes) 貼在前作構通,現在還可以靠寄短訊或 WhatsApp!這樣實在大家都活得太辛苦了!唉,不過總好過殺了對方!在這裡我要提的是、時至今日、仍然有這樣的悲劇發生,我曾有一位蘇聯國籍的舊同事與丈夫離婚後獨自生活,但她的丈夫還常常纏著她,結果在一個夜晚殺了她,把她棄屍後巷!

NB - 以上的貼文同時登在阿立粵曲網站之談天說地版 - 談談世界各地戲劇、歌劇、音樂劇等…  http://skytalk.ahlap.net/cgi-bin/p3a_patio.cgi?mode=view&no=1766

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日期:2016/03/29 00:52
留言者:阿光
年青的我, 中學時愛聽歐美流行曲, 再加當年流行的國語時代曲, 更買了一些上海年代名曲, 以為是識盡中西名曲, 十足是「井底蛙」思想
年紀大了, 加上綱上資料追查, 原來我是有這麼多曲不認識
曰近聽到一首潘秀琼舊曲, 一首殺妻曲,
聽說是俄羅斯劇作家奥司特洛夫斯基名著《大雷雨》中的插曲

「求你動手要晚一点」


曲詞是:

「顿河的哥薩克飲馬在河流上,有個少年痴痴地站立在門旁,因為他想着怎樣去殺死他的妻子,所以他靠在門邊暗自思量。

他的妻子投身跪倒在他的足下,对她丈夫這樣嬌聲的叫嚷,孩子们的爸爸,我的丈夫哟,我知道你有一副慈善的心腸。

我求你,求你動手要晚一点,要等到更深、夜静的時候,不要把孩子們從夢中驚醒,也免得-驚起了左鄰的街坊。」

多麼悲痛的一首曲, 這支歌在上世纪三、四十年代很流行


求你動手晚一點 潘秀琼  
https://youtu.be/ilfL2lZaoRE



學唱粵曲, 與一些師姐妹也很熟,她們談心事也不怕我聽到

一位師妹眼紅紅的説:
「以往在街行路地上有水,他會拉著我手怕我踏上, 那天路上他行前我在後, 踏上了水, 他罵我是蠢死... 」

愛一個人, 婚前婚後, 是否太熟, 不再關心,

也見過友人妻婚後不再溫柔, 大聲呼叫丈夫拿水送茶給牌友, 還得意地表示丈夫是她的家奴

「求你動手要晚一点」, 曲中是唱説丈夫要殺了她,

以上談及那般樣的愛伴, 雖不是在肉身上, 是否也算是在他 (她)心中插刀謀殺

以往介紹過 Kitty Kallen 那首名曲 , 曲詞是唱說要愛人如何的示愛

現今由 Platters 唱, 一樣動人

The Platters - Little Things Mean A Lot (1964) https://youtu.be/Zie4K70DZdk


就算是熱情已冷, 互不再相愛, 也要像那位女作家的態度

她說:
「愛過的男人, 現今雖是不再愛了, 但每一個都是最好的, 我是沒有看錯人」

Wednesday 3 February 2016

談談世界各地戲劇、歌劇、音樂劇等...(1) CARMEN

談談世界各地戲劇、歌劇、音樂劇等…()  Carmen 卡門

卡門是法國作曲家 Georges Bizet (1838 - 1875) 1875 年寫成的四幕歌劇,可以算是在世界各地公演得最多次數的歌劇。其實這歌劇首次在巴黎上演時並未獲得好評、因為當時保守的巴黎社會未能接受劇中的人物、尤其是卡門這個熱情而野性但同時是個濫用愛情的吉布賽女郎。不過當這歌劇移到維也納上演時,卻意外地大受歡迎,從此建立了這歌劇在歌劇界的不朽地位!只可惜 Bizet 無法知道,他在卡門上演後未獲好評便帶病離世了!

卡門的故事是描述一位熱情兼野性的吉布賽女郎的戀愛經歷,背景是十九世紀初在西班牙一個城市(Seville),卡門起初因為舆一名女工打架被士兵賀塞(Don Hose)逮捕入獄,她於是誘惑賀塞令他愛上了她而放了她,但賀塞自己便被罰入獄。隨後她遇到一位很有名氣的鬥牛勇士米諾(Escamillo),從未真正愛過賀塞的卡門很快便移情別戀、看上了英偉威風的米諾,但這時愛得正濃的賀塞已無法自拔,甘願捨棄未婚妻追隨著卡門,最後因遭到卡門的拒絕在憤怒和妒恨之下殺死了卡門。

這歌劇之成功處是 Bizet 寫的感人音樂、包括幾首很動聽的歌曲,再配合了適當的唱詞(libretto),這裡要提的是這歌劇的唱詞是 Henri Meilhac & Ludovic Halevy 寫的, 而故事是取材於 Posper Merimee 的同名小說。

開場曲: Les Toreadors - The Toreador March:  https://youtu.be/4DNGMoMNLRY

女主角卡門是唱女中音,她在第一幕唱的那首 Habanera (L’amour est un oiseau rebelle) 是家傳戶曉的一首經典歌曲!以下是紐約市歌劇團(New York Metropolitan Opera - 簡稱 The Met)在 2010 上演、由 Elina Garanca (女中音)  唱出的 Habanera,非常動聽:https://youtu.be/K2snTkaD64U

同一首歌、這裡有葛蘭用中文唱出,亦相當不錯:  https://youtu.be/wqI4h1uODng

不過 2010 The Met 把劇情的時代背景從 1830 升到 1930,除了女主角有出息的表現外,男主角賀塞的男高音亦不錯,只可惜那位鬥牛勇士米諾唱全劇最主要的歌曲 The Toreador Song 時、卻顯得不夠威風!

這首 Toreador 我徧愛聽蘇聯著名男中音 Dmitri Hvorostovskyhttp://youtu.be/Dk-g6tsbAhI


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NB - 以上的貼文同時登在阿立粵曲網站之談天說地版 - 談談世界各地戲劇、歌劇、音樂劇等…  http://skytalk.ahlap.net/cgi-bin/p3a_patio.cgi?mode=view&no=1766

Sunday 8 February 2015

頂天立地傻人塔


人塔的起源和五位祖師
人塔遺址位於沙田區獅子山獅尾中段斜坡上,塔高約十五呎,由自稱傻人的陳十根,黎水皮,曾唯恕,陳普聲及廖之初幾位長者馱沙負石建成。塔身分數層,上刻有對聯題字,其中第二層塔身刻有"雙山抱海浮游鯉,一塔擎天起睡獅",對以太平山與獅子山為首的港九群峰,維多利亞港,鯉魚門及傻人塔作出最簡潔神絕的描繪。一九六四年颱風將塔攔腰摧折,上段滾下山坡,需識途者才得一窺原貌。

傻人塔掌門人及大傻、二傻、三傻
想當年、大概是在一九六零年春天,(又可能是五九年的秋天),傻人塔掌門人、即我們中學一位體育老師、帶着我班 (Form 4) 幾位同學、一行十多人一起登上沙田獅子旁的傻人塔拜見祖師們辛辛苦苦建立的塔。我們一羣人中、當然有大傻和二傻及這個剛被封為三傻的我。

大傻和二傻的趣史已傳遍校園,但事隔這麽多個年頭,很多趣事都已經模糊記不清楚了,不過有一件事情最令我印象深刻的是:有一次她們上完化學堂,大傻二傻很高興地從實驗室跑出來,手裡拿着一個瓶,裏面有白色的奶油,她們說是面霜,是自製的、與市面上賣的沒有分別,還叫我試塗在臉上,她們一邊說一邊已把自製的面霜塗在自己的臉上以作示範,我當然也照做了。

今非昔比,現在傻人塔已經遭天災摧毀,而人亦各散東西!掌門人是個談笑風生的老師,她有說有笑,是個開心菓,可惜大約十年前已仙遊了!大傻本是個品學兼優的高材生,她在 F6 畢業後便跑到美國留學,一去不返,失去了聯絡已多年!二傻天生麗質,性格溫柔,當了護士後不久便來了加拿大,隨著和一位外籍人士結婚,當了賢妻良母,現居安省一小鎮,很少外出!

至於我這個三傻嗎?是啊!四十多年前我在港教書時曽封了一位學生為四傻,好待彵可以絃續傻人一族的傳統和意念、希望我們五位祖師和前掌門人在天之靈、有所安慰!


傻人塔已倒塌了 -  現今樣貌



還記得、我這個三傻曾在校園內的荷花池旁、經同學介紹與一位主修哲學的同級同學閒談,發覺他有很多獨特思想和理論,於是對哲學產生興趣,但自己已經選讀了歷史系,不可能轉科,於是便報讀一科校外課程:《存在主義  Existentialism》,開始認識了尼采 (Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche -- 1844 - 1900) 齊克果Søren Aabye Kierkegaard -- 1813-1855);保羅·薩特(Jean-Paul Sartre -- 1905-1980);加缪Albert Camus,1913-1960)等等。他們一致的理論是:世界沒有終極的目標;人們發現自己處於一個隱隱約約而有敵意的世界中;人們選擇而且無法避免選擇他們的品格、目標和觀點;不選擇就是一種選擇,即是選擇了「不選擇」;世界和我們的處境的真相最清楚地反映在茫然的心理不安或恐懼的瞬間。我讀了尼采的《上帝已死 - God Is Dead》,看了薩特的存在與虛無 - Being and Nothingness》,更看過加繆寫的《異鄉人/局外人 - Outsider/Stranger》。

存在主義的哲學是一種激進的自由意志主義:這種理論和決定論相對,認為人類有絕對的自由。他們認為“上帝已死” - 結果是人被拋棄了。因為在人的身內身外,都無法找到依託的東西。人沒有存在的理由。而如果確實是存在先於本質,人就不​​能用一種天生的現有的人性來解釋自己的行動;也就是說,沒有決定論。人是自由的。人就是自由。另一方面,如果上帝不存在,人就沒有價值和戒律說明人的行為是正當的。沒有價值領域。人孤寂獨處,無可辯解。這就是薩特所說的:“人是被判定為自由” 。因為一個人並不是自願存在於世的,然而一旦存在,他就是自由的;但同時他要對自己所做的一切負責。

在七十年代這段動盪及無方向的日子中,我這個三傻不知不覺地被存在主義的思想影響以為上帝真的死了或離棄我們人類了,於是漸漸覺得人生漫無目的、又似是心靈空虛、好不容易才捱過了好幾個年頭,直至有一天,一個神蹟把我喚醒過來,才知道上帝沒有死,祂一直倍伴在我左右!我恍然大悟、原來我一直追的存在主義思想是錯誤的選擇,這是一種悲觀避世及頹癈的學說,我趕忙把尼采的《上帝之死》扔掉了,再把聖經拿出來!這一來、人也好像復活了一樣、心頭有着一種無名的喜悅!這便是我這三傻得到重生的故事,現在只相信我們生存在這世上,一切事情是神早已替我們預先安排好,至於我們得到的、是神賜給我們的,得不到的、亦無需強求!

四傻本是位律師兼教授、現在都已退休了!年前回港與他見面,他告訴我他退休後選讀了神學,我還以為他想當牧師,他忙搖頭說不!

最欣賞他說現代科學發達,萬種事情的發生、都是基於科學根據,而科學與神學是對立的,他說科學根據是靠做實驗結果得來的,而科學理論便是憑著實驗結果的八至九成〔80 to 90%〕來推斷的,即是有兩成至一成〔10 - 20%〕的事情發生,是無法解釋的!

其實神要行神蹟,是隨時隨地,不是任何科學能衡量的!
PS -〔在這裡、我不知我是否清楚地解釋到四傻的理論,若不清楚的話,還望四傻能補充!〕
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以下是四傻的補充,及我、三傻的回應:
(1) 三傻姐,退休後其實我只是讀了兩年哲學,還未開始讀神學,但已啟發良多。我覺得人生的起點和終局主都已安排,但其他的都給予我們自由,就如置身於一列不停站的火車中,起點和終點已不能改變,但過程中我們可以有自由,可以靜坐,車頭行到車尾,聽音樂,唱歌,看書等不同選擇,這就是存在!

(2)  再補充一下,科學與神學並不是對立,只是人們太迷信科學,不能解釋或實驗證明不到的便說不科學,迷信,不存在!其實科學的理論一般基於實驗而作出結論,若不能實驗的,便作出不同假設,再提取其中最合乎邏輯的成為公式。可能一百萬次實驗結果相同,但誰敢說第一百萬零一次的實驗結果是一樣?只要有不同實驗結果,這結論就有機會被打破!再說公式亦只是假設,未被實驗證明,但人們仍相信,不說不科學,不存在,是否自相矛盾?

、三傻的回:-- 儍人看人生、完全相同啊! 唉!若是存在主義能選擇神還是活在我們當中、那麼人的存在意義便不再是 Albert Camus 在 Outsider 的選擇、走向 Nothingness 及頹癈的方向!只可惜他們相信活著的價值只是為身旁的人、所以對自己沒有要求、正如 Charles Dickens 在雙城記寫的 Sydney Carton 一樣!他們實在太悲觀了!
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1959 或 1960 年代攝於沙田頂天立地傻人


                                                                 
  掌門人和大傻二傻三傻合照                                                                                                

Sunday 22 June 2014

Recounting My Baltic Cruise - June 2014 - Day 1

Day 1 - Copenhagen - Denmark

Here are some pictures taken while I was in Copenhagen...
https://picasaweb.google.com/112493637103914445314/CopenhagenSelected?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCMbCzKj0xr_UtQE&feat=directlink

The city seems rather gloomy, bleak and cheerless to me...the buildings are old, not modern at all.  Apparently, there are some new buildings with new styles architecture, but we were in the old city and we didn't see the modern buildings of this city. 我們只看到歌本哈根的舊城, 覺得很不現代化, 不過其實也有新的建築物, 只是沒有時間去看.

I was more interested in Hans Christian Andersen, the famous Danish author of fairy tales, notably The Little Mermaid.  he wrote many other famous children stories such as The Little Match Girl, Thumbelina, The Wild Swans, The Ugly Duckling and many more. 小時候, 我很喜歡讀丹麥童話作家安徒生寫的故事, 他的作品有火柴女, 醜小鴨, 拇指姑娘, 小美人魚, 野天鵝等...


The Little Mermaid is a story about a young mermaid willing to give up her life and her identity as a mermaid to gain a human soul and the love of a human prince.

美人魚 (童話)
在海底深處有一座城堡,內裡住著幾位人魚公主,其中以最小的公主長得最為美麗。她常常聽她的姊姊們說許多海面上的新鮮事,但她因為未成年所以不能上水面,所以她經常想著到海面上看看。
結果在她十五歲生日的時候,她悄悄的游到了海面,遇到一位王子由船上掉落海中,漂流到海面上。她便立即救了那位王子。但此時因有人接近,她沒法子,只得走了。而王子醒來時見到一位鄉村少女(另一說是鄰國公主),便以為是那位少女救了他。
人魚公主無法把王子忘記,於是去求助女巫來幫助她達成心願。女巫幫助了她,但她走路的時候,那由尾巴變成的雙腳會像刀割一般地疼痛。而且王子和別人結婚的話,她便會化成海中的泡沫而死去。同時亦要人魚公主把美妙的聲音送給她。
人魚公主雖然上岸見到王子,但王子卻不認得她,最後更與那位鄉村少女結婚。人魚公主只得回到海底,但她將會化成泡沫而死去,這時她的姊姊們因為深愛最小的妹妹,去向女巫求情,女巫給了他們一把匕首,要人魚公主把匕首刺進王子的心臟,這樣人魚公主便不用死去。但人魚公主最後下不了手,寧可自己死去亦不願刺殺王子。最後人魚公主回望王子一眼,然後變成泡沫,並往雲彩的深處飛去。
(初版故事安徒生把結局定為:人魚公主並沒有即時滅亡,她變成泡沫後又昇華成空氣中的精靈。)



Friday 20 June 2014

Crazy Notions...

It just dawned on me that we are not living in the present!

We are in fact living in the past!  Everything now and in our future had happened already and we are merely "acting" our parts to make it fall into place!  Our future had already took place because no matter what we tried to do, the results have been crafted for us.  Why?  Because it had happened!  So we are living in the present which is in fact our past!

One of my former students mentioned to me once, "Time equals space."  That means, if we can travel in space, we can also travel in time.  Somehow, we had made our choice before, perhaps in another dimension.

Just think again.  Jesus had prophesied that one of his disciples would betray Him.  He also prophesied that Peter would deny Him thrice.  If Judas knew that Jesus knew one of the 12 disciples would betray Him, he would have guessed that Jesus would know who that disciple was.  Then why couldn't Judas change the fate by changing his mind during the last moment?  No, he couldn't, because it had already happened and Judas had to finish acting his part correctly by betraying Jesus.  The same applied to Peter!  I really think we just travelled back in time to act our parts.

Also, we were, we have been and we are told about the end of the world will happen one day...and the Bible even describes it in the Book of Revelation as if it had happened already and someone just wrote it down for records.

Another notion is that we are actually actors and actresses living on a world stage playing our parts.  But our parts have been written out already for us.  Oh yes, sometimes it seemed that we were given a few choices in life, but those are equivalent to ad-libs on stage; we couldn't be far off.  Somehow, the director(s) would send other actors to correct us so that eventually we would still go into the right direction, or else our part(s) would be eliminated!

That explained why we sometimes didn't want to do certain things; but somehow we did it and we couldn't understand why on earth we did what we did!

Then there were places we never had been before, and yet when we first saw it, it seemed familiar!

Somebody out there is watching us and He also directs the play and guides us along - He is our God!

Friday 17 May 2013

My Space Adventure


Ever since Star Trek NG, there hadn’t been any good Syfy shows on TV except, maybe Babylon 5.  Then there was Star Trek Enterprise, with Scott Bakula as Capt Johathan Archer.  That was good in the first 2 seasons, but as time went by, the storylines became weaker and weaker.  So it ended without a boom!  My guess is,  Gene Roddenberry wasn’t around to provide good scripts for the show!  The show ran from 2001 to 2005, and Roddenberry went to Space Heaven in 1991!

Andromeda came about in 2000 and stayed for 5 seasons with Kevin Sorbo (the former Hercules) playing Capt Dylan Hunt.  Of course, Sorbo was good as the Captain.  But what a drag!  The space ship was run by him and a few of his crew members who dressed themselves as a high school rock band!  After about 2 seasons, I simply dropped it.

I wasn’t any fan for Battlestar Galactica, the series, old or new.  The original movie was good.  In fact, the original movie was too good that whatever stories that ensued on TV were too pale to compare to its predecessor.

So I spent most of my time watching Stargate SG-1 with Richard Dean Anderson, Michael Shanks and Amanda Tapping.  For 10 seasons!  Not bad at all.  But the spin-off series such as Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe were not the same without Anderson.

Now there is Defiance, premiered April 15, 2013.  I only started to watch episode 5 the other day and found it intriguing.  Thus, I went to the Showcase website and finally caught up with all the previous episodes.  I think the pilot was done  badly for it never explained how and why the aliens and humans came to live together in Defiance.  So much history was not accounted for!  They can’t expect all of us know its history before watching the show? 

Because the pilot was so badly done with a lot being unexplained, it made you want to find out more.  So people will tune in again for the second episode, and the third, and …   Suddenly there’s a Romeo and Juliet situation, and then the old fashioned conflict between a father and son, and the love and hate between two sisters…   Cliché, cliché, cliché…  Yet people will still want to see more…

Also, the show was supposed to base on the MMO video game with the same name.  However, the storylines are so different between the game and the show, except for the names of a few characters that appeared both in the game and on the show.

By watching Star Trek for so many years, I have already familiarized myself with names of different species and races such as the Ferengi, Bajorans, Klingons, Romulans, Vulcans, Cardassians, etc.  Now with Defiance, I’ll have to learn to know names such as the Votans, the Castithans, the Aranthients, and so on and so forth…

After reading the above, you must think I come from another planet.  And maybe I did.  But which planet did I come from?  Let me see…I can’t seem to recall…  My memories must have been erased!  By humans?

Saturday 29 December 2012

The Cantonese Opera - The Goddess of Luo (洛神) -

The popular Cantonese Opera - The Goddess of Luo (洛神) is based on a Chinese legend which is loosely based on our Chinese History.

The time when it all happened was the period of the Three Kingdoms (around 220 AD):

Below is a brief outline of the story according to the Cantonese Opera which showed on Dec 29, 2013 at Ko Shan Theatre starring Hong Kong's young Cantonese Opera actors/actresses.  They all gave a brilliant performance, good singing and good acting - very commendable!

The cast:    黃寶萱飾宓妃, 黎耀威飾曹植, 阮德鏘飾曹丕, 梁煒康飾太后, 王潔清飾陳德琼, 黄金堂飾陳喬.


The story exploited the complicated relationship between the 2 brothers, in the Kingdom of Wei.  The 2 brothers were the sons of Emperor Cao Cao, Cao Pi and Cao Zhi.  The story started when the elder brother (Pi), was so jealous of his younger brother (Zhi) because their father, the king wanted to give his throne to Zhi.  

Meanwhile, Zhi was in love with Lady Zhen (also known as Fu), daughter of a captured war-prisoner.  Both the king and queen didn't want Zhi to marry  Fu because they thought a prisoner's daughter would not fit to be the future queen.  They had arranged Zhi to marry a girl of noble birth; and Fu to marry Pi, the elder brother.

On the wedding night, the queen went to see Fu and told her to cut off her love for Zhi and be faithful to Pi.  But Pi was half drunk that night and swore to Fu that he would kill his younger brother one day.  Fu was afraid for Zhi, because Pi had killed 2 other brothers before.  Fu tried to notify Zhi by writing a note to him, asking him to meet her in the garden.  Somehow, Pi found out about the meeting and drew up a plan to destroy his younger brother, Zhi.

Fu met Zhi in the garden and warned him about his elder brother's intention in getting rid of him, but unfortunately their meeting was discovered because Pi took the king and queen to the garden.  They were accused of having an affair although both Zhi and Fu pronounced they're innocent.  The king was so mad at Zhi and changed his will at that moment by giving the throne to Pi.  The queen pleaded for Zhi and eventually, he was banished from the palace.

Having succeeded his father, Pi still tried to find a way to do away with his younger brother.  In reality, Zhi wasn't really interested in becoming the king; he's a poet and he's more interested in literature and art.  He had made a name as the most talented literary figure of the time.

Meanwhile, Pi's Chief Secretary then convinced him to put Zhi's literary talent to a test.  If Zhi failed the test, it would be excuse enough to put him to death.  So Pi asked his wife to write a letter to get Zhi back to the palace.  Knowing Pi's intention, Lady Zhen, Fu wrote a letter without any punctuation.  One sentence went like that: "...Your brother tries to reconcile with you safety guarantee no need to worry come back not dangerous ... (real meaning - Your brother tries to reconcile with you; Safety guarantee - no; Need to worry; Come back not; Dangerous ...)  Of course, the lovesick Zhi saw his lover's hand-writing, he didn't bother to read the letter carefully and rushed back to the palace.

Pi agreed and held audience with Zhi, and he told his brother to compose a poem based on their fraternal relationship, without using the word "brother".  And with one condition - it must be completed within 10 paces.  To his request, Zhi recited:
煮豆燃豆萁,Cooking beans by lighting a fire with the beanstalks,
豆在釜中泣。The beans weep in the pot and ask, 
本是同根生,We were born from the same root,
相煎何太急!Why so eager to destroy one another?

Zhi did it within 7 paces.  Everybody in court clapped for Zhi.  Pi was moved but in his heart, he still wanted his brother dead.  Lady Zhen then showed Pi how wrong he was to want to kill his only living brother by cutting off the handles and one leg of a wine cup, telling Pi that he had already killed two brothers by removing the the left and right handles.  If he should remove one leg, such as killing his only younger brother, then he would not be able to stand on his own, like the wine cup!  Then she jumped into the River Luo to end her life.  Pi now understood how wrong he had been wanting to kill Zhi all this while and finally decided to make up with Zhi.  

The last scene of the opera showed Zhi dreaming of Lady Zhen returning as the Goddess of Luo.