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兩星期前在 Vince 処報名時,自以為這題目是易如反掌 a piece of cake ,但到真正在今早提筆寫的時候,才明白為什么網友「周游」說這是一條『頗難度高的題目』。雖然我在香港中學時代時曾晝夜不眠,啃了好几本厚厚的中國文學巨著,包括【西遊記】丶【鏡花緣】丶【水滸傳】丶【三國演義】等,來到加拿大後又趁着在Grande Prairie, Alberta 当夜班 graveyard shift 看更時,讀透了那本看破紅麈丶中國四大名著之一的【石頭記】(紅楼夢)。但是喜愛並不等於深愛,深愛亦不一定表示認同,認同亦未必有需要將「彼」書和「此」我成為「個體」。無論我閱讀了多少本中外奇書,能夠令我如Vince說『披起書衣﹐自我介紹』的卻真是廖廖可數。如果我真是要和一本書打上關係,我是会選擇渥太華出生的女作家瑪格麗特‧愛特伍（Margaret Atwood )在 1972年出版的【Survival: A Thematic Guide to Canadian Literature】,在【生存】這本書中, 愛特伍用「受害者」四個不同的思想角度,透過加拿大文學家的寫作,來分析這個年輕國家在世界上生存的覌點和見解 (i.e. the what, why, and where of 'here is Canada as a nation' and 'yes, we have our national identity') 。她的結論是加拿大作家無論是寫有關大自然 (Nature the Monster)丶野獸 (Animal Victims)丶原居人 (First Peoples) 丶家庭 (Family Portrait) 丶移民 (Failed Sacrifices: The Reluctant Immigrant) 等等,他∕她們的基本主題焦點都是「生存」,而故事多会認同主角為「受害者」,勿論victim是用正面或負面眼光和行動來達到這生存目的。
对我這個在歐美主流文化中生活多年的華裔,愛特伍【生存】這本書是引起我內心很大的共嗚。撇開我自己不談,中西歷史倒有很多有關認同和生存的例子:
• 在二次大戰前守舊封建社会,女性要三從四德,嫁鳮隨街,嫁狗隨狗,被丈夫遺棄或中年守寡的女人是二手貨丶過期品,她是討不到男人欢心丶失敗的「黃臉婆」,什至是刻死老公的「掃把星」,她的孩子是「油瓶仔丶油瓶女」。舊社会的女性受害人不單只是要受難,還要自咎負上責任,被迫与罪咎認同 (and in the judeo-Christian western culture, it was Eve who offered the apple to Adam, thereby committing the Original Sin and getting us all in trouble)。
• 二次大戰後有些街坊小童在亍边讀連環图丶在戲院看李小龍的時候,与「財叔」丶「三毛」丶或「唐山大兄」等故事人物認同,立誓長大後要殺滅日倭,要為無辜死在「蘿白頭」武士刀下的南京百姓,和上千過萬同胞報仇雪恨。他們是与同族受害者認同。
• 近代年青人在政治風暴中与某黨某派宣傳書籍丶印刷品丶口號認同,鬥跨鬥臭XYZ,或正如上任美國總統布殊說:『You are either with us or against us!!』世界的戰爭衝突分水線是和各國的宗教和價值覌認同有直接關係。
• 最近很多網民与無辜被「人肉搜索」的受害人認同,大家要為改善網絡世界內外的生存條件而聯合反抗「黃色暴力」。中國的「人肉搜索」第一案, 在2008年4月17日於北京市朝陽區人民法院亞運村法庭開庭審理。。
以我個人來說,認同是我在北美西方主流社会裏,每天要面对的現實,是每分每秒為生存而作出的衡量過程丶决定。在日常生活工作環境中,華裔洋化多點保守華僑会搖頭嘆息說:『你們這群忘本丶黃皮白心的「香蕉仔」丶「香蕉女」!!』,是如魯迅在【阿Q正傳】說的「假洋鬼子」;但是板起唐人的臉孔丶態度丶覌點和「老外」(多么親切的招呼!) 打交道,又恐怕会被主流社会拒諸門外,備受歧視丶排斥。
正如我在2008年8月24日答覆網友 Inner Space 說: "我認為 (華人在海外生存的) 關鍵是在乎:
(1) 內覌: 每個人对自己的認同和接受程度;
(2) 外覌: 社会对這個人的認同和接受程度。”
而認同的覌念是隨時日磨練而轉變,是人類生存的演變過程之一。
結語: Vince 出的「假如你是一本書......」兩週一聚題目,的确令我想起了很多埋藏在心裡有關「認同与生存」的問題,所以也就趁此机会借題發揮。雖然我在這篇文章披上了愛特伍【Survival: A Thematic Guide to Canadian Literature】的書衣來介紹自己,但俗語有云:『穿上龍袍,亦不似太子』,我在此只是沾Margaret Atwood 的光,也有可能誤解了她原書的本意。但正如我前述: 喜愛並不等於深愛,深愛亦不一定表示認同,認同亦未必有需要將「彼」和「此」成為「個體」。我雖不認同我是「受害者」,但对愛特伍的寫作思想卻是深有敬意,所以在此冒昧做了一個作家思想和讀者回应的聯繫,請各位幸勿見笑!! (I do sound very Chinesy here, do I ?? <;-)
請到「兩週一聚」師奶亭処參閱其他∕她会說話的書:
http://2weeks1gather.wordpress.com/********************
Updated 20090901:
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Below are my blog articles on Margaret Atwood's "Penelopiad":
希臘神話【潘妮洛普】: 觀點與角度 / Margaret Atwood's "The Penelopiad": Point of View
* 上集Part 1: http://lotusandcedar.blogspot.com/2007/10/margaret-atwoods-penelopiad-point-of.html
* 中集Part 2: http://lotusandcedar.blogspot.com/2007/10/margaret-atwoods-penelopiad-point-of_20.html
* 下集 Part 3: http://lotusandcedar.blogspot.com/2007/10/margaret-atwoods-penelopiad-point-of_2901.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Related Links and References:
* "假如你是一本書......" http://memoriesblossom.blogspot.com/2009/08/blog-post_18.html
* "中國文學" http://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E4%B8%AD%E5%9B%BD%E6%96%87%E5%AD%A6
* “Survival: A Thematic Guide to Canadian Literature” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survival:_A_Thematic_Guide_to_Canadian_Literature (also Photo Credit to Wikipedia)
* “「人肉搜索」第一案 是惡魔還是天使” http://news.wenweipo.com/2008/07/16/IN0807160084.htm
* "酒吧女老闆遭「人肉搜索」被當二奶攻擊" http://news.wenweipo.com/2008/07/16/IN0807160086.htm
* 2008年8月24日答覆網友 Inner Space http://mindnecessity.blogspot.com/2008/08/icon-815-32-shawn-johnson-199010.html
- Inner Space: "... 在海外的中國裔外國人，多存 mixed feelings.... ”
- Haricot: "我認為關鍵是在乎:(1) 內覌: 每個人对自己的認同和接受程度(2) 外覌: 社会对這個人的認同和接受程度
我是用「內覌」和「外覌」的社会心理學角度,來解釋為什么海外的中國裔,会有如您說『... 多存 mixed feelings ... 第一類, 第二類, 第三類, etc ...』。換句話說: How a person sees and reconciles him/herself + how society labels and accepts or rejects this person => Mixed feelings => Choice of reactions and actions.”
* "Chinesy" Urban Dictionary http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Chinesy
- Chinesy (adj): not to be confused with chinese, a crude term referring to people with oriental descent who exhibits the following collection of characteristics: stinginess, having zero social life, the extended development of the left cerebrum (i.e., very adapt at mathematics and will most likely involve themselves in a career related to engineering), and in most cases, the ability to play a popular imported Japanese game that requires the player to imitate dancing by stepping on arrows embedded within a platform.
10 comments:
這篇要花很多腦力去細嚼啊,
要很長時間來消化!
ps:鏡花緣是我想看的書,
你有何評價呢?
「假如你是一本書......」
我現在還不知道我的命運是會怎麼樣！
我的生母是位女性，她有著很濃厚的興趣寫作，由十多歲起，她就開始有投稿的習慣，雖然偶然祇有一兩次，她的短文被刊登出來，已經讓她樂透了！
由二十多歲起，我的生母就做起業餘作家，偶然祇有幾次，她的短文被刊載了，她沒有氣屢。雖然她一直沒有成名，她一直死心不息，她從三十多歲時，開始寫的一篇中篇小說。
她不斷把草稿送到各出版社，希望得到採納出版，屢敗屢試，多年來經過十多二十次修飾、修改、小改動、大改動，屢試屢敗。
卒之在她四十歲那一年，她把整本小說完成了最後一次的修正、定稿，並利用自己的積蓄，自費出版了我們兄弟姊妹，共五百本，我誕生了。
母親把我四百位弟妹留在家中，把兄姊和我，分別送到幾間相熟的二樓書店寄賣，自始我就離開了生母，和我幾位兄姊，寄居在二樓書店中。
書店的大叔，把我們放在不起眼的角落，日子一天一天過，祇是偶然有一兩位顧客，過來揭揭我們，生母也偶然會來探望一下我們。
日復一日，月復一月，年復一年，我們已被生母遺忘了，臉上鋪滿了塵埃，最後書店大叔就把我們當作特價書出售，放在一元一本的書攤子裡。卒之，我就被一位小女孩買了回家。
小女孩帶我回家後，也只是揭了幾次，都沒有把我讀完，我躺在她的書架上，與一班誼兄弟姊妹一起，也已經有五年了。
今天，小女孩已經成為大女孩，她要搬屋了，我們一班誼兄弟姊妹，也要分開了。一些跟隨大女孩搬去新居，而我和幾十位誼兄弟姊妹，就被賣了給收買舊書的收買佬。
收買佬大叔把我們放在進小貨車，我遇到了很多新相識，有報紙，有雜誌，有寫真集，有圖畫書，有連環圖。我們都一起躺在小貨車貨斗上。
我現在還不知道我的命運是會怎麼樣！別了！再見！
Atwood participated in the Mythology project and reinvented the story of Penelope in "The Penelopiad: The Myth of Penelope and Odysseus". It was an imaginative piece of work, more like a play than a novel. I finished it in Chapters one lazy afternoon. Actually I finished 蘇童's 孟姜女 there as well. Not as fun as The Penelopiad.
Many of my friends simply adore Alias Grace.
Don't know Atwood too well, I think I read something about her written by Jan Wong long ago.
re 「人肉搜索」, it is one of the worst forms of verbal (and then physical) mob violence that is in Chinese.
新鮮人: Yes, I got carried away with my writing !!
I was quite fascinated with the stories in 鏡花緣. Try to read a few chapters on-line and see if you like it.
I also have some comments in my past articles on 鏡花緣:
* 說文解字:【鏡花水月】与【守得雲開】 / Commentaries on "The Floating World" and "Rainbow After a Storm"
http://lotusandcedar.blogspot.com/2008/03/commentaries-on-floating-world-and.html
* 【鏡花緣】之「小人國」/ "The Floating World of Mirrors and Flowers: Mini Meanies"
http://lotusandcedar.blogspot.com/2006/11/blog-post.html
* 【鏡花緣】之「沒心國」/ "The Floating World of Mirrors and Flowers: Heartless City"
http://lotusandcedar.blogspot.com/2006/10/floating-world-of-mirrors-and-flowers.html
Space:
Sorry abt the delay in responding. I have actually read your story several times. It reminds me of the movie abt the violin that travelled thru time, from one owner to another.
Your writing is good and you should post your stories more often !!!
BTW, your "book" could have ended up on the lap of the little kid who later brought it to Canada :)
Best Actor:
I too enjoyed Margaret Atwood's "The Penelopiad" and wrote a series of articles on it after watching the play at the National Arts Centre.
Here are the links, if you are interested:
希臘神話【潘妮洛普】: 觀點與角度 / Margaret Atwood's "The Penelopiad": Point of View
* Part 1上集 http://lotusandcedar.blogspot.com/2007/10/margaret-atwoods-penelopiad-point-of.html
* Part 2 中集 http://lotusandcedar.blogspot.com/2007/10/margaret-atwoods-penelopiad-point-of_20.html
* Part 3 下集 http://lotusandcedar.blogspot.com/2007/10/margaret-atwoods-penelopiad-point-of_2901.html
Kempton:
I read Jan Wong's books too but cannot say I always agree with her statements and approach.
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Wong
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Wong_controversy
As to 「人肉搜索」: while this form of mob violence is rampant among Chinese bloggers, it certainly is not a monopoly in China. For example: The Canadian woman who spoken out against Canada's Health Care system in a Republican advertisement against Obama's proposal has become a recent victim and her home address was posted onto the net.
The issue of speaking anonymously on the net is also brought to the fore when an anonymous individual (there is an irony there) hires a lawyer to force Google to disclose the identity of a blogger who has been "exposing" juicy tidbits abt Ottawa City Hall and the Mayor. But at least, the case is being dealt with by a legal regime and not by a ruthless mob looking for blood and vigilante revenge.
森林 TREESWOODSFORESTS
Offers a unique view of the ancient art form of Chinese Poetry; not normally exposed to the mainstream of Western arts. The compositions found here are truly cherished jewels, and have been selected from the vast ocean of this literary history. This site invites those who want to help promote this ancient art form; to provide their own English translations; so that all can enjoy these treasures.
The website address: http://www.treeswoodsforests.com
Please circulate to your friends and contacts.
Thank you
John: Greetings !! Even tho your comments appear to have little to do with Margaret Atwood, I have posted your 'ad' and let the readers decide whether they want to visit your site, or not.
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