闲来无事,“故纸堆”便是我的养尊之处。早晨方定后,一杯清茶(或香浓咖啡)在手,两耳音乐奏鸣,坐在沙发里,吊起二郎腿,手捧圣贤书,心想美人儿。一天下来如此,周而复始如常,日久便成梦,梦久必成真。久而久之,哈哈,好一个“老资”就是这样练成的鸟。:):):)
老资生来爱读书,游走天涯时便here and there地拉下一堆堆“废纸”,故拙荆常有啧言:读书不成--三大害(广东话,害人,害己,害父母)。正是,平生无憾事,唯有苏州屎(广东话,其解不详,意指给别人的麻烦)。时至某日,忽然有了mood。自忖:何不借此时候,把这堆“害人精”好好收拾一番,成全那黄脸婆之美,岂不为和谐作点功德!? 再说,我这老海龟现在说什么都是缩头缩脑,干什么都是缩手缩脚,窝在家里没点好事情。好,那我就得找点活儿,让我狠狠地prove it.
于是,一日拈书在手,蓦见一文,《Snapshot of A Dog》(James Thurber)。此文曾经读过,以往不觉有何叹息;可那天细细品来,却有血肉生死之翻然大悟。
这是一篇短小说,“主人”是一只名为Rex的猛犬(bull terrier)。关于他的故事,是“我”从一张25年前,发黄了的旧照片开始说起。Rex不是一般的狗,他体形高大健硕,性格勇敢,不但狗胆包天,而且聪明过人。只要“我”哥仨有所吩咐,无论多大的艰难险阻,Rex一定会想法子完成。例如:他能把一块宽10英尺的木板巧妙地弄进4英尺的门里;他能奋力地飞越过8英尺或更高的墙篱;他能爬山涉水,把一个垃圾场里的衣柜拖回家中。凡此趣闻逸事,等等,细不待数。
Rex有风度,有德性,善解人意。它从不乱吠过路的车辆,从未咬过人,也不曾伤害过院子里的小松鼠(但猫却无此礼遇)。不过,一旦干起仗来,便杀得天昏地暗,天地之大也难容下他那抖抖威风。这里有一段关于他跟别狗在黑道上的火拼:
"The two dogs eventually worked their way to the middle of the car tracks, and after a while two or three streetcars were held up by the fight. A motorman tried to pry Rex's jaw open with a switch rod; somebody lighted a fire and made a torch of a stick and held that to Rex's tail, but he paid no attention. In the end, all the residents and storekeepers in the neighborhood were on hand, shouting this, suggesting that. Rex's joy of battle, when battle was joined, was almost tranquil. He had a kind of pleasant expression during fights, not a vicious one, his eyes closed in what would have seemed to be sleep had it not been for the turmoil of the struggle. The Oak Street Fire Department finally had to be sent for -- I don't know why nobody thought of it sooner. Five or six pieces of apparatus arrived, followed by a battalion chief. A hose was attached and a powerful stream of water was turned on the dogs. Rex held on for several moments more while the torrent buffeted him about like a log in a freshet. He was a hundred yards away from where the fight started when he finally let go."
当然,故事的结尾也是非常戏剧性。Rex在生命快要结束时,仍不瞑目,直等到主人回来,待交了党费后,才凛然地倒下。:)
二十多年前,借助字典和中文解释,才可以嗑嗑碰碰地把故事读完。所以,文字里的寓言意义自然就没有多少明白。但Rex那无畏无惧的勇敢精神,却snapshot地在我的记忆里定格下来:关键时刻,勇者永远是被纪念的。可是,人能有这般勇敢么?当然有。911事件里的几百名消防队员,在冲进WTC大楼在后,刹时间烟消灰灭,同样是一张snapshot永远留印记在我的脑海里,并且now and then地出现在眼前。
记忆中,9时10分左右,两架飞机先后撞进了南北两座大楼,外墙吐着滚滚的浓烟,巨大的黑窟窿不断地喷出火舌。滞留在大楼里的人们恐慌地极力把身体挤出窗外,并绝望地哭嚎,然后象一块块面包碎片地摔将下来。这时候,我生来俱有预感告诉我:这大楼一定会倒塌,绝对会倒塌。(Such foreseeing as what I'd had for 89's demo prior to the incident happening: the riflemen certainly went off fire. In the end, they did indeed. Jesus Christ!)
但在地面上的人们毫不畏惧,没有躲藏,越接近大楼的,就越勇敢。大家仰望着大楼上仍有一丝希望的生命,奋力高声呼喊,象是在祈求上天给大楼里面的人多一点求生的力量和机会。与此同时,一车又一车的消防队员从四面八方赶来。看到他们象战士勇赴战场那样义无反顾地冲进大楼时,我当时就有一种永别的感觉,仿佛那大楼的前堂大门就是那恶魔的血盆大口,正疯狂地吞噬着这些勇士的性命。
30分钟后,一座大楼山塴地裂地“轰”的一下,倒下了;随后不久,另一座也跟着黯然倒塌。
......
所有牺牲了的人,后来都被奉为英雄(其中有我们的同胞曾喆)。之所谓英雄,就是因为他们在那一时刻舍命的勇敢。在年复一年的纪念活动里,他们的照片被摆在前台,每个人都被人们记住,受到尊敬。同样,在这篇小说里,Rex也是凭籍着一张25年的遗照,因其有过英勇的“劣迹”而被主人怀念。我翻开我的“故纸堆”,当然其中也有许多还不曾发黄的旧照片。在那里,我重拾已经开始遗忘的记忆,发现自己也曾勇敢过,也曾英雄过,理所当然,也被吹捧过。
曾有先哲明言:人君不可无勇。继而又解释何为大勇,何为小勇。可是,中国历来的教训是,前事者义勇千钧,后来者无所轻重。遥想历代英雄当年,大凡是生的伟大,死的光荣,(也有生的无声,死的无名)。到了今天,丹青白骨可泰山乎?亦可鸿毛乎?但是,人们everything都已经是全不在乎!在一次饭局上,一巨富小辈厉声地为我指正:老资,当年你能力过人,才气逼人,...... 而今你少了锋芒,没了锐气。Closure: 缺乏勇气,不思进取。倾刻,我陪着笑脸,ye, ye, ye.
其实,真正的答案是yes and no.
Yes: 这是因为我们过时了,勇敢的精神过去了,英雄的时代结束了,社会不再呼唤正义,所以不再需要勇者。
No: ......
- Re: 勇气的记忆与逝去--for A Snapshot of Braveryposted on 01/19/2008
哈哈,生姜还是老的辣,so is “老资"
:-) - Re: 勇气的记忆与逝去--for A Snapshot of Braveryposted on 01/20/2008
问retro,911你在WTC里面吗?我们公司那里也有一个办公室,因为在22层,没死人。 - posted on 01/20/2008
retro:
It's nicely done--two thumbs up!:)
James Thurber is also one of my favorite authors. He was very prolific--with about 30 books to his credit. He also co-authored with E. B. White a book entitled "Is sex necessary?" One of the 20th century's leading Darwinists, Prof. Stebbins, gave a talk at UC Berkeley the first semester I got there, using that same title, and he concluded his presentation with this line: "Sex is not necessary, but it's sure nice to have!":)
Thurber also illustrated his own books--his simple but humorous drawings are every bit as good as his terrific writing! I highly recommend them to those who have not read them before. - posted on 01/21/2008
July: 问retro,911你在WTC里面吗?我们公司那里也有一个办公室,因为在22层,没死人。
不在里面,否则这是来自天国的声音。:)
shangnengfan: It's nicely done--two thumbs up!:)
Appreciation certainly taken without being a bit hesitated. :)
Nonetheless, your reference of James Thurber is a good source in which I've increasingly known of him so well.
It's a shame here that I cannot have had a tour to libraries like the ones that sound locating at my next door in USA. Crashing among those scrapped pieces left behind more than 20 years is more worth than watching any English propaganda shit here.
Take care, Lao Shang. Best wishes for coming Chinese New Year.
- Re: 勇气的记忆与逝去--for A Snapshot of Braveryposted on 01/21/2008
所有牺牲了的人,后来都被奉为英雄(其中有我们的同胞曾喆)。之所谓英雄,就是因为他们在那一时刻舍命的勇敢。在年复一年的纪念活动里,他们的照片被摆在前台,每个人都被人们记住,受到尊敬。
这些都是真英雄。崇敬Ing。
- Re: 勇气的记忆与逝去--for A Snapshot of Braveryposted on 01/21/2008
有趣!
retro原来还是广东人哦,嘿嘿,咱们老乡。 - Re: 勇气的记忆与逝去--for A Snapshot of Braveryposted on 01/21/2008
小曼:retro原来还是广东人哦,嘿嘿,咱们老乡。
老乡见老乡,两眼泪汪汪。可我不只泪汪汪,还往心里想哪。:)
这美人儿还有七月。甚至连老板娘也想往心里装呢。嗨,该死,掌嘴。
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