Tuesday, September 30, 2008

下雨夜的思绪

昨天健身后,朋友说在杂志上看到有关一位国家队龙舟手,弄伤了背部,半身不遂,结果失去事业,女友也离开。

当时我想,这样的女友,患难离去,可见也不真心。

当然,不是当事者,总是容易批评。

今晚,看了《侯文咏极短篇》之《死神在酒吧》,一个患了卵巢癌的病房护理长这么说:

像我们病房最近就有一位女性末期癌症患者,知道老公在外有女人之后,自杀未遂。后来我 就告诉他:“既然你自己都要走了,有人愿意替你照顾老公,有什么不好呢?”

我跟老公谈到这事时,他只是笑笑。“我是说真的,”我又说了一次,“如果我走了,我希望你再去找一个亲密的伴侣。”

看后,思绪绵绵。

如果心爱的人在你患难或是低落时,弃你而去,你会自怜又憎怨,还是会给予祝福?

Saturday, September 27, 2008

谁吃了蜡肉和雷茶? Of waxed meat and thunder tea

最近常看见“腊肉”译成 waxed meat, 而“擂茶”译成 thunder tea。

这根本就是错的!

因为“腊肉”不是“蜡肉”!而“擂茶”也不是“雷茶”!

“腊”是指冬季,而腊肉是旧时冬天腌制的肉类,并非以蜡来腌制肉类!

客家擂茶,是以陶制擂碗将茶叶和各种材料研磨成粉泡制。“擂”就是研磨的意思。这茶与“雷”风马牛不相及。

这两种译法根本就是译者把中文里的同音相近字混淆了。问题是语言是约定俗成的,错久成对,在新加坡,腊肉已变成了“蜡肉”而擂茶也变成了“雷茶”!


In Singapore, it is quite common to see the mention of "waxed meat" (especially around Chinese New Year) and the Hakka Thunder Tea.

Both translations are really a confusion arising from very similar Chinese characters that are homonyms.

The Chinese word for "waxed meat" is 腊肉, which really has nothing got to do with wax. 腊 refers to the winter season, in particular, the last month in the Chinese calendar which is around December or January. As opposed to common misunderstanding, the meat is really not preserved with wax! The problem comes from the confusion with another word 蜡, which means wax. Of course, the waxy and shinny texture and look of the meat does not help. I used to be horrified thinking that the meat is preserved with something like candle wax, and wondered if it isn't detrimental to our health.

The Hakka Thunder Tea, too has nothing got to do with thunder and lightning at all. The Chinese words 擂茶 refers to the tea that is made from pounding the tea leaves along with other ingredients like sesame seeds and peanuts. 擂 refers to the pounding action. It all probably started with some translator who mistook 擂 (meaning pounding) with 雷 (meaning thunder). Both words sound almost the same except for the tone. Well, this has now become the de facto translation in Singapore. You see Thunder Tea in The Straits Times and stores selling this dish. I would be interested to see what is it called in English in Taiwan. I'll watch out for this when I'm there next month.

Meanwhile, I guess I will continue to enjoy Hakka Thunder Tea, but I really won't eat any waxed meat even though there is no wax in it, simply because I'm vegetarian.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

懦弱的感觉

康正行对宇守恒说:

我似乎只听见我的呼吸,
一个深深的呼吸,
我看不见自己,
在回忆里头,
我想我再也想不起,
一种陪在你身边可以懦弱的感觉了。

《盛夏光年》 王纪尧

Sunday, September 14, 2008

愿君随缘珍重

正偎翠依红,应记浮生若梦,若一朝情冷,愿君随缘珍重!

刘墉《下雨的夜》

T-shirt


I got this from my dragon boat team mate today.

So sweet!

Thanks guys!

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Following passion

The ones who have followed their passion -- even if they weren't technically successful, when they looked back at their lives, they had fewer regrets. They felt that their life had been more fulfilling.

from the movie, Fast Food Nation

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

On love and emotional development

Last Sunday, Ven Dhammika made a very interesting comment. On the topic of relationships, he said that he found people who had been in a relationship and loved deeply are frequently able develop a deep sense of metta.

Recently, I had been on a related train of thoughts. Sometimes, I feel that I that I lack a certain level of maturity or "richness" in my emotional development -- something lacking in some aspects. I wondered if it was because I never really had a deep relationship before.

The lacking is not so much like the Christian concept that we are not complete as an individual person and that need another partner to become complete. Rather, I think it is a lack of that experience, which could be so helpful in emotional development and maturity.

Yet, I find the idea of getting into a relationship just so as to use the partner to help me learn and develop rather abhorent. If I would get into a relationship, it has to be because I really loved him. And in that true love, we would help each other grow, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.

一盏灯为你而亮

你知道吗?当世界开始遗弃你的时候,只有一盏灯是为你而亮,你心里的感激,根本无法用语言来形容。

--刘墉《一道疤痕》

Thursday, September 4, 2008

OMG! Hyun Bin is in Singapore!

《老和尚炒股》

刚看了这则极短篇,觉得挺有趣的。

《老和尚炒股》

魏雅华著

和尚空了法师年纪并不很老,才刚满五十。可他辈分大,地位高,又蓄了一大把胡子,于是人们都叫他老和尚。

他没什么经济头脑,可是庙里要修佛事,要塑金身,哪一样能离了钱?

一天,某银行行长到庙里来卜卦问签,问官运仕途。那时,正值换届,行长心里七上八下,扑通得厉害。偏巧,行长抽了个下下签,签上说他卡日内必有囹圄之灾。吓得行长面如土色,腿似筛糠,连问老和尚该怎么办?

空了法师双手合十,说"阿弥陀佛,你就做件善事吧,贷给庙里十万元,保你消灾免祸。"行长拿出支票大笔一挥,老和尚十万元当即到手。行长还说,若真灵验,保我无灾,我再给你十万。不出十天,行长居然升迁了。行长越发信神了,到庙里来还愿,不但那十万元贷款不要还了,又捐了十万元,共计二十万元,给庙里作香火钱。

可空了法师总觉此钱不干净。他想,这行长肯定是个贪官,要不,一听有囹圄之灾,怎么就吓得腿如筛糠呢?

从此,他就有了块心病,想做件善事,把这二十万元捐了。

那是一九九四年的夏天,一连七十多天没有下雨,骄阳似火,酷热难耐。他下山了。

下汽车时,刚好那车站在一家证券公司门前。老和尚朝证券公司门口一看,一头的雾水。他也看报,知道前两年为买股票,挤死过人,如今怎么败落成了这个样子?上午十点,营业时间,巨大的卷闸门只开了一道缝,若要进去,得爬才行。

老和尚口渴,买了瓶矿泉水,边喝边问,那卖水的人说,他就是证券部主任,如今不买卖股票,卖冷饮了。证券公司都快关门了,他们两月都没开工资了,关了门,他就失业了。一家人吃什么呀?说着,说着,眼泪就下来了。

空了法师心太软,见这么个五尺汉子流泪,他的眼泪也下来了。忙念了声"阿弥陀佛",心想,何不买点股票,做件善事,救股市股民于水火之中?

于是,他便随证券部主任进了卷闸门,大厅空无一人,麻雀乱飞,一地雀粪。

见居然有人买股票,主任狂喜不己,说“深发展”便宜,就买“深发展”吧。那天是一九九四年七月二十二日,“深发展”当天的牌价为一元七角五分。空了法师念了声“阿弥陀佛!”二十万全给他了。

过了几年,他要下山,却盘缠不多,囊中羞涩,他想起还有些股票。

他下了车,又大吃一惊,只见证券公司门前人如潮涌,挤不进去,出什么事了?却见门口的广告牌上有证券部的电话号码,忙掏出手机,找到了主任。

主任立即迎了出来,将他请进了贵宾室。他说明来意,主任打开电脑,一看,“深发展”涨停,堵了三百多万的单子,都买不上。空了法师忙念了声“阿弥陀佛”,说“出家人慈悲为怀,与世无争,就卖给那 些买不上的人吧。”那天是一九九七年五月十二日,“深发展”的牌价是三十二元。过了五分钟,主任提了满满一皮箱钱来,吓了他一大跳。忙问主任有没有搞错,他给他的可是二十万呀,怎么一下子就成了三百多万了呢?主任说,我们从来没多给过人家钱。

从此,空了法师名扬四海,成了大名鼎鼎的股神,一把挣了三百多万,庙宇香火鼎盛,香客如云,朝拜者排山倒海,来的都是股民,不是要听佛经,而是要听他的股经。

老和尚对着“九头鸟”大喇叭说:“《佛经》即《股经》,慈悲为怀!阿弥陀佛!”


摘自《微型小说:名家名作》 京华出版社

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

哪里有爱

哪里有爱,哪里就有希望,
即使失去了,即使离别了。
那些曾经点亮我们生命的爱
再短暂,也都会刻骨铭心。

-- 《爱在暹罗》台北宣传

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

一个人的寂寞刚刚好

今天在msn写上“一个人的寂寞刚刚好”,马上引起了一些反应。

有人问为什么这么blue?有人问怎么这么emo?有人则因此思潮起伏。

其实我也没什么特别的心情。也许是最近在计划台北的行程时,意识到,一个人有时有点寂寞,但却也挺自在的。

一个人的孤寂,可以给自己一点思考和反省的空间;可以让自己有时间看些书、做些画;可以让自己学习珍惜分享;可以悠闲找到一点自在;可以在寂静冥思中得到一点领悟。

但是,人们似乎对寂寞存着一种不安和恐惧。或许,就如许多人所说的,都市人都害怕寂寞。

其实也没错,一个人,寂寞不会太多。人多时,寂寞反而更难承受。

一人的寂寞,其实是刚刚好的。

Monday, September 1, 2008

孟子素食语录

君子之于禽兽也,
见其生,不忍见其死。
闻其声,不忍食其肉,
是以君子远庖厨也。
-孟子