Newsletter No. 351

No. 351, 19.1.2010 李歐梵 Prof. Lee Ou-fan Leo 1 從《現代文學》創刊到網絡無邊際的千禧年代，文學創作 是興旺了，還是衰頹了？ Between Modern Literature magazine and the Internet age, has literary writing become more or less vibrant? 現在喜歡文學的人跟發表文學作品的雜誌都愈來愈少，表面 看來是衰頹了，但是創作的媒介、形式和主題都多樣了，文字 可以用影像、音效配合，在網上發表的平台特多，這樣也可說 是興旺了。不過，用英文寫作的極少，用中文寫的文字功夫也 良莠不齊，大概是因為中學裏教的古文少了，基本功不足吧。 這是個危機。 There are fewer literature lovers and literary magazines, so at a glance, it’s less vibrant. But the opposite seems true when you look at medium, form and topic. Words are complemented by images and sound effects; there are online publishing platforms. However English writers are few and the standard varies among Chinese writers, the latter perhaps owing to the fact that secondary schools don’t teach much classical literature and students lack rudimentary skills. It’s a crisis. 2 您曾說沒有人文教育的大學絕不會是一所好大學。中大在 這方面又如何？ You said that a good university must have humanities education. How fares CUHK in this regard? 中大有很好的人文主義傳統，名為「中文大學」，便是尊重中 國人文傳統。1970年我在美國一聽說香港有這樣一所大學， 立刻便跑來了。中大的師資絕對是水平以上，但有時會受到制 度規限。譬如說退休年齡，對人文學者來說，年紀大了，經驗 多了，書看多了，思想會更通透，但往往這便是退休之時。所以 我非常感激中文大學，我本來退休了，又讓我在晨興書院當院 務委員。當然，沒有制度，雜亂無章，甚麼都做不到；但過分的 制度會對思考造成束縛。 The Chinese University has a great humanistic tradition. It is thus named out of respect for the Chinese humanistic tradition. When I was in the US in the 1970s, I heard about this university in Hong Kong, and I came here right away. The teachers here are above par but they’re sometimes shackled by the system. For example, older scholars are experienced, well read and therefore more lucid in their thinking, but then retirement looms. I’m very grateful to CUHK for letting me stay on past retirement age to serve as a fellow of Morningside College. Of course, without system, chaos reigns. But too much system hinders thinking. 3 您會向大學新生推薦哪些必讀的書、必看的電影和必聽 的音樂？ What books, films and music would you recommend to freshmen? 所有中國人都要看魯迅，他的《狂人日記》代表了中國現代懷 疑思想的開始，對傳統思想不盲從，提出種種問題把個人主 觀的意識帶出來。大學生畢業前應看最少一本俄國小說，就 杜斯妥也夫斯基的《卡拉馬佐夫兄弟》吧。這書很難看，借一 個一般人不敢碰的問題─弒父，討論道德與宗教。所有香港 人都應該看西西的《我城》，這是道地的香港小說。音樂入門 一定要聽莫札特，《魔笛》充滿新意；再深入一點便是馬勒的 《大地之歌》，它受了中國唐詩的影響。《帝女花》歌詞美不 勝收，可媲美明清最好的戲曲，與《阿依達》不遑多讓，學生 應學習欣賞。最好的中國電影是費穆的《小城之春》，要欣賞 那情景交融的含蓄美感，頹敗背景下的感情張力。學生應接 觸以前的文化，古今對比。重今輕古是很危險的。 All Chinese should read Lu Xun. His Diary of a Mad Man , which marked the beginning of modern Chinese skepticism, spoke against blind obedience to tradition and underscored the subjectivity of the individual. Students should read at least one Russian novel before graduation, such as Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov . It’s a difficult book that discusses ethics and religion by means of a taboo subject—patricide. All Hong Kongers should read Xi Xi’s My City , a very local novel. The musically uninitiated can try Mozart. Die Zauberflöte is an inventive piece of work. For something deeper, Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde , which was influenced by Tang poetry. Students should learn to admire the breathtaking beauty of the lyrics of Cantonese opera Princess Chang Ping (Di Nü Hua), which is comparable to the very best Western operas, such as Aida . They should learn to appreciate the greatest Chinese film ever made, Fei Mu’s Spring in a Small Town , how atmosphere and characterization are beautifully and subtly fused together, and how emotional tension is created in the midst of dilapidation. Students should be familiar with past culture and be able to compare it with the present. Valuing the new at the expense of the old is dangerous. 4 香港作為文化研究的對象有甚麼吸引之處？ What is Hong Kong’s appeal as a topic of cultural studies? 香港是一個很混雜的社會，中西交流，它的本土文化基本 上源自草根，有很強的動感和創意，我形容為「不按牌理出 牌」。香港人的傻勁就是動感的來源，我留在香港就是因為 這個。 Hong Kong is a heterogeneous society where East and West interact. Its local culture, which originated in the grassroots, is dynamic and inventive. I describe it as a kind of ‘playing against the rules’. Hong Kongers’ instinctive energy is what feeds this dynamism and it’s why I’m here. 5 香港的人文空間這幾年可有改善，還是更壞了？ Has Hong Kong’s humanistic space improved or deteriorated in recent years? 好了一點。人文空間跟公民社會掛鈎，就在兩年前的天星碼頭 事件之後，香港的公民自覺性開始提高了，討論、寫作、講話 的人多了，關心香港的文物保存、討論西九，這都同人文空間 有關係。可惜政府沒有注意到。政府太過理性化了，總是倚賴 調查啦、數據啦、表格啦這些。 It’s improved. Humanistic space is linked to a civil society. Hong Kong’s civil consciousness was awakened by the Star Ferry Pier incident two years ago. People are discussing, writing and talking about the conservation of historical relics, about West Kowloon. These have to do with humanistic space. Unfortunately the government hasn’t noticed. It’s too rational, always relying on surveys, statistics and forms. 6 中大最詩情畫意的地方在哪裏？ Where lies the poetry of CUHK? 七十年代，這些地方多的是，都同大自然有關。那時候我還年 輕，常在中大爬山，在吐露港還有划小艇呢。現在最詩情畫意 是在聽音樂、看書的時候。人多擠逼，真正詩情畫意的地方可 能都消失了，只得尋找自己心靈的空間。 In the 70s, there were many poetic spots—all natural landscape. I was young then, and I used to hike on campus. I even paddled on Tolo Harbour. Poetry today comes in the form of music and books. The campus is too crowded now. Poetry has vanished from physical spaces. It is to be sought only within the soul. 7 今不勝昔的感嘆，是否代代皆然？ The present doesn’t live up to the past. Is that true of all generations? 人到了某一個年紀，很自然便會懷舊。譬如我認為電影是老的 好，俄國十九世紀的小說無可比擬。但立身行事，我不希望用 這種態度。因為懷舊到了極致，人便會抽離，無法投入當下。 所以我刻意對當下保持興趣，從中找一些令我震撼的東西，例 如一場指揮得好的音樂會，一本好書，當然也包括周星馳的電 影。我不想變為終日想當年的老夫子，高高在上說這也不對， 那也不行。我將要退休，該漸漸淡出，另一方面多支持後輩， 讓長江後浪推前浪。 Nostalgia comes with age. I prefer old films and believe nothing compares to the Russian novels of the 19th century. But I don’t let it become my attitude, because when nostalgia reaches a certain point, one withdraws from the present. I maintain a deliberate interest in the here and now; I try to find things that impress me, such as a great concert or a good read, and of course Stephen Chow’s films. I don’t want to be an old man lost in a haze of reminiscences, criticizing the world from his lofty perch. I’m retiring soon. I should make a gradual exit and give support to the young, so they can take centre stage. 8 數十年後，甚麼最堪追憶？ What has been most memorable? 你知道波德萊爾這句話：現代性便是短暫性、飛逝性和偶然 性。事物的興起與殞落都來得太快，一下子便沒有了，來不及 珍惜和懷念。有時候我對將來非常悲觀，我甚至想，將來的人 都是失憶的，可能只想現在與將來，不想以前。如果要追憶， 就是從許鞍華等人開始製作《獅子山下》、從新浪潮開始到八 十年代末這段期間香港的勃發創意，我想將來的人一定會想 起這個。 Baudelaire said modernity is the transient, the fleeting and the contingent. Things come and go too quickly, leaving one no time to cherish and reminisce. When in one of my occasional bouts of pessimism, I believe that amnesia will reign and people will spare no thought for the past. But I think the vibrant creativity that began with Ann Hui and other directors filming Under the Lion’s Rock , with New Wave Cinema, and that ended in the late 80s, will be what’s reminisced. 9 不少人預告二十一世紀是中國的，那麼中國研究在歐美的 地位會不會因此提高？ The 21st century is said to be China’s century. Will this enhance the status of China studies in the West? 在歐美研究中國的人對中國的興起非常重視，特別是研究政 治經濟的。但我心目中的中國是一個文化，應該跟西方的平 等。不同的文化就需要對話交流，互相學習，這個跟國家有錢 沒錢無關。話說回來，我倒是有點憂慮，中國的經濟發展太快 了，那麼，中國文化裏比較精緻的一面可能都給暴發戶行為取 代了。 In theWest, those studying China, especially its economy, attach a lot of importance to the rise of this country. But to me, China is a culture which should be equal to Western culture. Different cultures need to interact and learn from each other. This has nothing to do with the economic status of the countries. That said, I am a little concerned that China’s too rapid economic development will mean that the more refined aspects of its culture will be replaced by a nouveau-riche aesthetics. 10 從哈佛退休時，您說要過一些靜思的生活，可有實現? When you retired from Harvard, you said you were after the vita contemplativa. Did that materialize? 沒有，太忙了。我做不到不理人間，自己靜思。我對身處的地方 的文化有承擔，總希望能為它做一點事，所以暫時還未能實現 這種理想中的退休生活。 No, I’ve been too busy. I can’t bring myself to withdraw from the world. I hope to be able to contribute to the culture of the city where I live. That’s why my ideal retired life has yet to materialize. 下回〈十方吐露〉將訪問陳鎮榮先生 Mr. Chan Chun-wing Terence will be featured in the next instalment of ‘TEN QUESTIONS FOR’. 預告 Coming