規模和個性

在LILY的書評博客上看到了一篇關於獨立書店的文章。

看完的第一感覺是非常慚愧，生活在紐約這麽多年，竟然從來沒有去Strand掏過書，對於我這種自詡為書蟲的人，連我自己都覺得非常不可思議。不過或許有一個原因可以解釋，那就是我開始對英文（以至於對英文所代表的整個文化）產生好感和興趣是最近一年的事。在過去的那麽多年裏，我在情感上都一直非常無法割捨象形/表意文字（以及象形/表意文字所代表的一整套文化）。但是最近，心態卻開始有了轉變，既然要在一個講英語的國家長期生活下去，而且既然自己從事語言有關的工作，那麽不把自己塑造成器是不行的。

而事實上，學語言與讀書是不可分離的。不多讀書學不好語言，而說到讀書我是很來勁的。書是由字組成的，每個單獨的字就像一個完整的細胞，有表皮，有核心。在認識一個字的初始階段，就像認識一個人一樣，只能大約了解它的表象，它的明示意義（denotation），隨著這個字在各種語境裏出現，才能逐漸理解它的核心，也就是它的暗示意義（connotation），之後，經過不斷反復的接觸這個字，才能慢慢領悟到它的氛圍和味道（flavor）。我一直認爲這最後一個階段是學習一門語言的過程中最難掌握的，因爲它需要時間，需要大量接觸優秀的，原汁原味的英文。而在從事翻譯過程中，這最後一個階段也最讓我感到自己距離一個合格的翻譯還有多遠的路要走。

putting faith in the ebony bodhisattva

Avalokiteśvara -- the bodhisattva of compassion -- sits inconspicuously and squarely on the low kitchen cart.  The five inch bodhisattva is dwarfed by the towering ten-cup Cuisinart to the left, and by half a dozen mundane jars of coffee, tea, sugar and whatnot to the right.  Next to the cart is the expansive window that looks out on the backyard -- a raw garden that had been largely laid to waste, yet in spite of which, is displaying lush greens and occasional hues of spring.  At first glance, it is not the most obvious place to set up the family altar on which sits the bodhisattva, a highly revered and possibly most worshipped lord of Buddhism.  But being not obvious is largely what praying, genuine praying is all about.

San Mao

Diving into the world of San Mao.  Isn't it a wonderful thing we are gifted with the ability to read (and to write), and to see through the senses of another, to feel her earthly delights through the crispy and aging pages~~~~

想起蟲師、煌如星，以及讀完了the Cabinet of Curiosities

The weekend was spent sowing seeds and moving plants from nursery pots into the backyard.  There is something zen about the planting season.  I was gazing at the dark brown soil -- a mixture of gravel, traces of dead leaves from last fall, sand, mineral rocks giving off metal luster, seeds flown from afar, roots of dead plants -- and wondered how does this "premordial soup" produce the things all life forms depent on -- the infinite varieties, the full spectrum of colors, shapes, scents and tastes.  Nothing short of a miracle.  

And if you ever watched a tiny and tender seedling thrusting its way out of the dirt, and its fragile and fresh first pair of green leaves, like baby angel wings, unfolds and embraces its first spring breeze, first ray of sunlight, and first drop of rain, you'd know it was a moment of enlightenment.  
~~~◆~~~ 
So, last night, I finished reading the Cabinet of Curiosities by Preston and Child.  I'd say the Cabinet comes a close second, with the Relic still being at the top.  The Cabinet is a captivating read, considering this was my second time round.  For some reason, the first time went as a complete blur, but this time I made sure every chapter was read with the utmost attention, though towards the end, my attention began to drift as midnight approached.  But overall, the Cabinet is one creepy-as-hell and bone-chilling thriller.  This is not to say that the Relic is any less.  But with the Relic, I felt not completely unsympathetic with the museum beast -- the Mbwun killed because he had to, if he wanted to avoid the fatalistic ending of reverting back to its human form.  In the Cabinet, however, the Surgeon killed out of sheer greed for the prolongation of his mortal life. 

I suppose by the time one finishes the Cabinet, it should be pretty clear that the Pendergast character is here to stay.  We begin to learn more about Pendergast's past, the other infamous members of his family, and if you read carefully, there is, I believe, a one liner that hints at the addition of Constance in later episodes of the Pendergast saga.  Aloysius X.L. Pendergast is truly an incredible character.  Appearance wise, he is almost vampiric, with features I believe that represent a typical Scandinavian; intelligent wise, he is far above everybose else, and with every additional book, Pendergast seems to become ever more superhuman and maybe a little blown out of proportion, which in itself is actually quite enjoyable.  As the villains get smarter and more powerful, we would need a character to match their wit and strength, who better than Pendergast, with the out-of-this-world looks, physical agility, resourcefulness, political pull, and authoritative/persuasive demeanor when the situation calls for it?  Oh, and did I mention he is ridiculously rich?!

~~~◆~~~

无意中想起了「虫师」（Mushishi）和藤田温子的「煌如星公案系列」。

这两部作品都是看完之后令人意犹未尽的。第一次看煌如星的时候还是初中，恍如隔世。后来陆续收集到了五/六本，剩下的只收集到电子版本。煌如星系列的背景是中国清朝，是少见的以中国古代为背景的日本漫画。从画风来看，一目了然是少女漫画的风格。作者的画风细腻、温情、人物掩映在晕染的花瓣与婀娜的细柳中的画面，颇有中国古典绘画的精髓。

但这套漫画之所以让人觉得余音绕梁，并不仅仅因为它的画风，也因为它里面一个个短而精致的探案故事。虽然每个故事的篇幅都不长，但是每个故事里都隐藏著一个悲剧，一个谜团，一个伤心断肠人做得决绝之事。画家紧紧把握住了中国古代那种浪漫、惆怅、凄美的氛围。每个故事都像一首宋词、都像一幅烟雨丹青、一曲抑扬琴弦~~~

然后就是虫师。在所有看过的日本动漫里，虫师是非常特别的一个。

大部分动漫说的是故事，卖点各色各样：友情、爱情、战斗、悬疑、暴力、色情~~大部分动漫，都比较容易把握住它的主题，或者说它的感觉很实体。

但是虫师的故事很飘渺不定，故事在虫师里面似乎成为了次要的。与主人公银古一起感受它的漫无边际的「猎虫」之旅，似乎才是这部动画的目的。我们借著银古的眼睛，看遍了日本这片大陆上的山山水水，丛林湖波，风土人情，看到了在这块高山大海环绕的土地上的民众，他们与自然，他们与生死，他们那渺小又伟大的信念。

在虫师的世界里，每个故事都那么的离奇，不可思议，在深山海岛里居住的民众显得如此愚朴、老实、但是所有的故事似乎被某种力量连结在一起，连成一气，就像那条由无数生命之虫组成的光河一般，虫师诉说着一种最原始的东西，哲理的东西。

最后，由增田俊郎制作的虫师音乐绝对是不可多得的精品中的精品，为整部作品添加了一层神秘厚重又带一丝人生的无奈的氛围。

Mount Dragon - Preston and Child

那天在书店里想要找本刺激的小说，在Fiction地带几次三番地挑选，最后眼睛还是落在Preston和Child这哥俩的书上了。

记得第一次看他们的书是高中的时候，是Penderhast系列的第一本 -- the Relic。现在回想起来，这大概是第一次看某本恐怖小说看得废寝忘食，虽然害怕的手脚发僵，但是却停不下来。可能因为自己很喜欢逛博物馆（尤其自然博物馆），所以一个发生在阴暗陈旧的博物馆里的连续凶案的故事令我尤其感到恐怖。但这哥俩的书另外一个吸引人的地方就是，凶案总是以非常厚实的科学为背景，像the Relic的故事就涉及详实的解剖、基因、生物、植物科学等知识，读起来格外过瘾，虽然知道里面部分的科学是虚构的，但是依然有相当多的科学理论是存在的。

刚刚读完的Mount Dragon不能说是P和C俩人最成功的一本，从故事的结构上看，似乎有些生嫩，或者说跟他们其他的作品比简单了一些，但是完整性还是可以的。故事围绕著人类是否真的应该从事基因工程，是否有权利改变人类的基因，是否能够扮演上帝等一系列问题而展开。这也是一个永恒的问题。征服是人性的一部分，但是我们所生存的世界，有些东西似乎还远远不能征服，比如说生老病死。人在初生的时候是不会想到死的，在成长到一定的阶段时开始思考死这件事情，对死的概念不是那么的理解，甚至不知道怎样去接受。

尤其在春天，周围的一切被生机渲染，万物绽放的时节，思考生命的尽头这件事情，尤其有种警世感。

*** ***
Having read about five of their works (mostly from the Pendergast series), I have to say I expected more from Preston and Child.  But I am guessing Mount Dragon is probably one of their earlier works, completed prior to the release of The Relic.  The Relic was, and arguably still is, one of the best thrillers I have read to date.  I have reread it several times, jumping into any chapter in Part 3 and just kept going toward the end, and it never fails to restore that scared-out-of-my-wits sensation I felt after I had finished the book for the first time. 

The Mount Dragon story divides into two major plot lines, one is the confrontation between Levine and Scopes, the other unfolds through the protagonist - Guy Carson, at the Gene Dyne testing institute at Mount Dragon.  The biggest problem I had with this book is that Guy Carson, along with his sexy assistant de Vaca, flatly failed to convince me that they are top-notch geneticists in the world.  I could understand why all the other scientists were cranky all the time, I assumed it was the PurBlood doing its evil deeds inside their veins.  But why the heck were de Vaca so confrontational and Carson so quick to pick a fight when the two of them were working in a Level-5 Biohazardous zone where the most casual mishap could trigger a global-scale destruction?!  And they were not even fighting about science, but about their ancestry, something about Carson not getting over the fact that he is not pure white, and de Vaca quickly pointing fingers at Carson for being a "racist"?!  I mean, c'mon, what are you driving at here?  Is this kind of petty quarreling leading to anything substantial later on in the story?  I mean, anyone could see that Carson is gonna hit on her sooner or later, and yes, yes, heated (and pointless) argument usually is the prelude to angry sex later on, but this is just plain stupid~~~~~ 

王安石 - 望江南

归依众，梵行四威仪。愿我遍游诸佛土，十方贤圣不相离。永灭世间痴。
归依法，法法不思议。愿我六根常寂静，心如宝月映琉璃。了法更无疑。
归依佛，弹指越三祗。愿我速登无上觉，还如佛坐道场时。能智又能悲。


三界里，有取总灾危。普愿众生同我愿，能于空有善思惟。三宝共住持。