Vesper Zephyr

  Summer arrives in its peculiar fashion. It is fervent, rumbustious, and has a rhythm of its own, comprised of all the sounds amongst our vast world.
  Another year has passed by and gone away so swiftly, as if it were a mighty steed galloping on its hoofs, filling the sky with dust and sand. Sometimes – perhaps many a time, in fact – I cannot but ask myself, “What have I garnered? What have I lost?” The answers may seem apparent, yet I can scarcely express them orally, for they are as a matter of fact much too elusive, and are submerged within the depths of my mind.
  Oscar Wilde had a famous quote: “Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes.” I don’t really know why, but this seems so genuine and profound to me now. I mean, it’s true, isn’t it? We learn, and learn the most from many of our blunders, since they prove us wrong and tell us what is correct. Oh, right, and don’t forget about the hardships we’ve come through; they teach us an important lesson – process plays larger a role than consequences.
  Well, I guess that’s it. That’s the way life is – like a tureen of bouillon, made of both sweetness and bitterness; you never know what you’ll taste next, but eventually, you’ll always have to finish it. Come to think of it, that definitely makes sense. If the path of life were so plain and smooth, it would be rather banal and interminable, no? Challenges are, of course, always there to test our resolution and our fervour. Ergo, I deem them to be opportunities for me to strengthen myself, and coping with them can be an enjoyment.
  There are many questions in life, the answer to which can never be found – or, at least, cannot be found at present. Hence I do speak, “Our life is a pilgrimage; a pilgrimage of finding a final answer – to ourselves, and to all we believe in.”

   近日南、北韓關係極度緊張，北韓先前已宣佈與南韓斷絕一切關係，甚至有消息說北韓已經進入了備戰狀態。倘若戰爭真的爆發了，情況會是如何？東亞會不會陷入一片戰火？台灣有可能置身事外嗎？
   說來奇怪，當我看著電視新聞、報章雜誌報導此一事件時，竟然沒有什麼特別的感覺。我的朋友們也是如此，其中甚至有人相當期待戰爭的來臨，彷彿準備要看一場好戲。為什麼我們會有這樣的想法呢？我想，是因為現代人日子過得太安逸，再加上資訊爆炸，對世事的變化早已麻痺了。我就這麼說吧，假如我們看見一則關於某地難民的新聞，我們會有什麼反應？我們大概會覺得驚恐、同情，但隨後就轉台，因為那距離我們太遙遠了。會不會，對於這次南、北韓的危機，我們也是抱持一樣的心態？但其實韓國就在我們身邊，這種事可不能等閒視之。
   希臘詩人平達(Pindar)曾說：「對沒有經歷過戰爭的人，戰爭是甜蜜的。」現在仔細想想，似乎真有幾分道理。第一次世界大戰開打前，人們的態度不就是如此嗎？是的，對沒有經歷過戰爭的人來說，戰爭可能是甜蜜的，甚至是令人期待的。再回過頭來看看當今，已經幾十載不曾發生過如此大規模的戰爭，再加上全球化的影響，世界幾乎被無數條線連在一起了，更不用提科技、武器迅速發展的程度；要是大規模戰爭真的開打了，結果會如何？我不知道─我希望我永遠不必知道。
   孟子曰：「生於憂患，死於安樂。」這段名言恐怕不是危言聳聽。當我們都習慣了安逸、習慣了和平，這習慣很可能成為一種危險─它會使人怠惰，而怠惰會讓人在面對危機的時候措手不及。在自然界的法則當亦是如此，到頭來，適者才能生存。
   無論如何，朝鮮半島的衝突是不會輕易結束的，而未來的情勢也會持續改變，難以預料。問題是，我們能夠保持警覺、隨機應變嗎？

親愛的風之首：
  薰風送暖，吹散了滿園芬芳，卻吹不熄鳳凰樹的火燄，亦吹不走我心頭的人影。佇立小橋上，彎弧的的倒影與橋身連成了一隻迷茫的眼，而我的身影，搖曳在波光之間，竟彷彿一粒細細的砂。
  昨夜，你看見了嗎？金星輕輕吻了月亮女神嘴角的一抹微笑，像是個舞者提起長長的裙裾，在閃光焦點下悠然起舞，美艷極了。曾有那麼一段時間，我就在星空之下迴旋漫步，幻想自己與之共舞，放手讓時光悄悄溜走。
  心煩？那就聽點音樂吧！這世間好歌妙曲無處不有、無所不唱，總是能夠帶來震撼與驚奇。我喜歡聽著貝多芬對愛麗絲的溫婉呢喃靜靜入眠，再由葛利格悠揚的樂章為我揭開清晨的序幕。每當我沮喪、失落，蒙提‧派森總能讓我重拾信心、重新出發；在心思紊亂之際，我會聆聽植松伸夫的曲子，直到心如止水。
  世上有樣東西速度比光還快，你知道是什麼嗎？答案是人的思緒。過去的種種已經不復存在了，唯一存在的是我們的記憶─聲音、畫面、情感……諸如此類。因此，闔上雙眼，來趟時光旅行吧！用想像力編織你的世界藍圖，穿梭古今，忘情於一切奇幻的時空；試著和歷史的英傑們對話，譜寫自己的一段傳奇。到如今，也只剩記憶能夠伴我翱翔了。

“Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way…” I swayed along the stony pavement, my shadow following right behind. Brilliant sunshine fell through the greenish leaves and on the land, forming intricate patterns of light. In my hand was an aureate bell, its sound being as clear as its color.
   “Meow,” Whizkers called out to me, as usual, and I, smiling, began to flaunt this little ornament of mine.
   “It’s a bell, my friend,” I said as I ringed the bell with my fingers. “It jingles and tinkles!”
    Whizkers seemed to be dazzled; his eyes were shining with reflection of the golden beam. His argent whiskers were glittery, too, and his face was full of curiosity.
    With the touch of his paws, Whizkers, surprised, ringed the bell again as if it were a rubber mouse or something, “Meow!”

   一步接著一步，在陽光的照映之下，早晨的階梯顯得十分溫暖。今天的我比較早起，沒有急著要去上課，所以打算享受一頓從容的早餐。
   一眼掃過餐臺，所以的早點都立正站好，動也不動，就像我的心情一樣，無風無雨，但就在我伸手取餐的時候，耳際傳來了一段樂曲：
   我拿什麼奉獻給你？
   我不停地問，不停地找，不停地想啊……
   那是蘇芮所唱的《奉獻》。在那個當下，她的歌聲彷彿夏日的烈陽，明亮無比，而我的心，好像也不知不覺地融化了……

“Finally, for God’s sake, a day of toil is over! I gotta take a break!” I parked my bike on the driveway beside the dorm, grasping for breath. The sun, vermillion in color, was slowly fading out of sight. After running from classes to classes all day long, I truly deserved some rest, so I stormed up the porch, ready to enter my dormitory.
    “Meow,” I heard a sound emitted from behind. It was soft and gentle, like silk so smooth.
    “Huh?” I gasped as I quickly turned around. “What was that?”
    “Meow,” that sound repeated, coming from the side of my left foot. It was a cat. Its skin was yellow, with a few sinuous sienna-colored stripes covering it, and its eyes were dimgray, as if they were solid marbles.
    Surprised, and out of a little bit of compassion, I kneeled down, staring at it, “Hi there, little kitty. Where do you come from?”

   這一天，我悠閒地漫步在夕陽的餘暉中，看著那微風徐徐吹過，划過海岸，撩起陣陣金沙。遠方浪濤迭起，彷彿想要碰觸那懸天擺盪的柔雲。一切都如此自然，如此尋常。
   在前方不遠處，有一個人坐在灘頭上，俯首而望，對著那大起大落的海浪嘆息。
 「天色很美，不是嗎？」我悄悄步過她身旁，輕聲說道。
   她並沒有回答，連動也沒動，只是繼續凝望著汪洋中的粼粼波光。
 「都已經這麼晚了，妳為什麼還不回家呢？」儘管她似乎並不理睬，我仍然又問。

You are that star
Up high
In the sky
So bright
You are so brave

   不管位於任何領域，簡與繁向來都是創作精神上的兩個極端，各有各的支持者與愛好者。從設計的角度來看，這兩種想法應該是能夠合諧並存的。然而呢，在現實的生活當中，兩者往往是衝突而相牴觸的。
   繁複，似乎是一種註定的趨勢，生命演化的方向便是由簡入繁。科技發展、文化藝術的演變也是如此。這就好比練武，必須先從基本功開始，打好基礎，方能邁向進階之路。我想，繁複的東西通常有著格律的美感，所以很吸引人。不僅如此，繁複可以反應出設計者的耐心與縝密的思維，同時也能滿足人性一部分的好大喜功還有對華美景致的追求。不過，當然了，萬物及極必反，當繁複華麗的駢體文將文字的排序、格律之美發揮到了極致，卻也顯露出「用字冷僻」、「虛幻」、「不適敘事」的種種毛病；西方繁複的藝術風格在洛可可時期達到了鼎盛，卻被批評為「華而不實」。
   簡單也有好處，簡單的東西往往最實用，也最耐用。以自然界的觀點出發也成立，簡單的東西常是最為強大的。舉例來說，人類的科技文明發展至今，早已凌駕萬物之上，甚至說人類「主宰」著這個星球亦不為過。然而呢，有一種生物連人類都得對牠敬畏三分─病菌。細菌多多少少也稱得上是人類的天敵吧！而追根究底，細菌是什麼？單細胞生物，構造相當簡單。如果要以現代發明為例，也是可以的。就拿槍枝來說吧！越精密的槍械，其構造、功能必定也越複雜。不過，代價是容易產生故障，且造價昂貴。相反地，設計簡單的槍枝大多堅固耐用，成本低廉卻能擁有強大火力。這正是俄國名槍AK47之所以能暢銷全球的重要原因之一。觀察當今的電玩遊戲市場，亦能得到相同的結論。試想若任天堂(Nintendo)的最新主機Wii不是那麼單純地只為遊戲而設計，恐怕也不會創造如此驚人的銷售量吧？
   孟嘗君的食客馮獾有云：「狡兔有三窟」，一代才子鄭板橋亦有「詩、書、畫三絕」之名；儒家代表荀況卻主張「鼯鼠五技而窮」，號稱「神槍」的李書文也認為：「不懼練千招者，唯恐單練一式之人」。總而言之，簡與繁是兩個相對的存在概念，並沒有孰對孰錯之分。這世界也正因為同時擁有簡約和繁複，所以才會如此多采多姿啊！

Out of the ravine burst scorching waves of vermillion lava, spurting out up high and down hard. In a mere flash, numerous snowmen, having not one bit of chance to escape, vanished─evaporated, in precise─into the thin air. And then out of the ravine of horrendous blaze crept a hideous monster. It had the most unearthly appearance of all: humongous claws, like scythes of doom, a dual-horned, extremely bulky skull, zigzagging teeth which seemed more like two rows of ultra-sharp saws, the skin of crimson inferno, and fiery eyes glaring with abhorrence.     “MROOOOARRR!!!” the vociferous monster caused uproar, and it blew across the terra like furious gale. “You bitsy snowmen woke me up!”     “Who─what are you?” yelled the white leader in response.     “I am Infernblazo, the lord of flames! And now I’m unbearably vexed!”     The heated beast started to hurl burning-hot boulders at the snowmen, seemingly pygmy beside. Instead of fighting, the snowmen, dazed by this abrupt raid, were running for their lives!

   勇士，倒下了。又一個。    看來那不深不淺的腳印也只能匍匐到此，靜待狂風的摧殘。    我遙望連峰層疊的沙丘，祇得無語問喊：究竟是永無止境麼，亦或盡頭已近不遠矣？    天，沒有答案。惟有犀利的風爪，撩撥我深處的靈魂。    人們說，十字路口，是最危險的地方。

Winter is a season of pure chilliness, as all the creatures scurry out of sight, leaving nothing but white snow behind. A picture completely white, it brings about one sole expression: solitude. Soft as the snow is, it can bear frostiness so strikingly dreadful, like a lethal falchion cutting through the skin. Hark! The snow may seem reticent, yet it is telling a tale, a tale from a long time ago.
A long, long time ago, the earth was still an icy planet. Everything that existed was frozen solid, mantled by immense layers of ice and snow. There was no life, of course, unless the idea of life is merely being able to move. That’s right. The only “moving” ones were the snowmen, who had hearts of cold, and the devastating strength which belonged to only the utmost savage beasts.
Two kinds of snowmen, there were: the white snowmen and the dark snowmen. Even though they were quite akin to each other, being both snowy and frigid, they had always been sworn enemies. Rancor filled their veins, if they truly had veins, as they both vowed to crush the opposing force for good and reign over the frosty planet entirely.
They battled frequently, in plenty of violent skirmishes and melees, which lead to no conclusion but the persisting pandemonium within the world. One day, to determine who shall be the final victor, the white and the dark snowmen assembled, forming exceedingly gargantuan armies. They were ready to put it to war─an unprecedented great war─and end it once and for all.
Combat was about to begin. The snowmen, both white and dark, had hefty limbs and faces with eerie grimaces, and alongside them were the most ice-deathly weapons of all kinds─javelins, hatchets, scimitars, maces and so on. Ere long, the war commenced. The white snowmen lined up, forming a row, and launched an assault, their weapons shimmering like fangs and talons of a ferocious predator running amok under the ominously crimson sky. Facing this fatal impact, the dark ones knew no fear, as they stood closely side by side in the shape of a phalanx, as though they were intrepid hoplites who had hearts full of mettle and aplomb.