9/25/2007

話說不列顛(一):歐洲的阿媽──維多利亞女王的系譜

Victorian!一個奇特的字眼。同時代表了古板嚴謹、浪漫綺麗、繁飾雕瑣。這個形容詞可以用來描述建築與室內佈置的風格,也可以代表拘謹的道德風俗習氣。廿世紀人所經歷、所看見的今日世界,都源自維多利亞時期,狄更斯、達爾文、馬克思、愛迪生、印象派、共產主義、現代消費主義、鐵路客運、漫遊仙境的艾麗絲,都成於或生於那個居於過去與現代接壤轉型的年代。那也是大英帝國叱吒風雲最盛的歲月,而坐在帝國寶座上承襲這日不落帝國一切榮光的君王,卻是位表情嚴肅帶著幾分哀容的矮胖小婦人,她是英國在位最長的國君之一,十八歲即位,八十二歲謝世,六十四年光陰有三分之二時間穿著黑衣,紀念她英年早逝的夫君。

Queen Victoria (她是大不列顛與愛爾蘭的女「王」,印度的女「皇」)除了統領當時世上最大的帝國,並為世人留下無數以她名字為印記、稱呼的事物與觀念之外,還有一項他人趕不上的記錄與封號:歐洲的祖奶奶。她與王夫亞伯特王子共生了四男五女,婚配遍及歐洲各國王室,她的子孫婿媳親家,直接間接主導、影響、改變了世界的歷史與走向,俄國革命、一次大戰、二次大戰,都可見他們或明或暗的身影;交錯複雜的血緣關係,一再演出歐洲王室同胤操戈的糾葛矛盾。甚至在廿一世紀的今天,歐洲碩果僅存的幾家王座上依然坐著她的子孫,甚至夫妻同為她的後嗣,包括現任英國女王與王夫,西班牙國王及王后。

她的長女遠嫁德國皇子,兵臨巴黎完成日耳曼統一大業的德皇威廉一世遂成為她的親家,發動一次世界大戰的威廉二世是她的外孫,外孫女是希臘王后。三個外曾孫先後接任希臘國王,外玄孫還是當今希臘國王。

她的長子愛德華七世,等到白頭耳順之年終於繼承了母親的王位。她的親孫子英王喬治五世和她的親外孫女婿俄國沙皇尼古拉二世聯手,與她的親外孫德皇威廉二世對敵打了一場世界大戰,結果是德國外孫與俄國外孫女兩家悲劇下台,世界也從此改了面貌。她的曾孫愛德華八世上演了一齣感動全球不愛江山愛美人的愛情悲喜劇,只好由另一名曾孫弟弟喬治六世匆匆紫袍加身上陣,又打了一場世界大戰,隨後王位又傳給了玄孫女伊麗沙白二世。另一位孫女是挪威國王Haakon七世的王后,外曾孫是前任挪威國王,外玄孫是當今挪威國王。

她的次女嫁給了日耳曼王子,四外孫女嫁給了沙皇尼古拉二世,把帶著外祖母維多利亞血友病遺傳基因的染色體,傳給了獨子俄國王位繼承人,直接間接造成了羅曼諾夫王朝的崩亡。大外孫女也嫁給日耳曼王子,次外曾女是瑞典王后***,小外曾孫是大名鼎鼎、戰功顯赫的蒙巴頓伯頓。大外曾孫女則嫁給希臘王子,外玄孫又「嫁」了回來與她的玄孫女伊麗莎白結為夫婦,這位外玄孫就是當今英國王夫愛丁堡公爵。他的祖父是希臘國王,他的曾祖父是丹麥國王Christian九世*,他的姑婆嫁給了英王愛德華七世,所以他和伊麗莎白女王是親上加親再加親,父系母系兩頭的「遠房」表兄妹。就他的母系而言,他和女王是third cousins,從他的父系來說,他們是second cousins once removed**。

她的次子娶了俄國沙皇亞歷山大二世的公主,尼古拉二世的姑姑。孫女是羅馬尼亞王后,外曾孫是羅馬尼亞國王,被納粹勢力逐出在海外流亡以終。外玄孫是最後一任羅馬尼亞國王,在共產黨壓力之下退位。

她的三子娶了普魯士公主,孫女是瑞典王后***,玄孫現在還是瑞典國王。

她的三女、四女、小兒子、小女兒「子孫成就」比較不那麼輝煌,不過當然也分別嫁娶王孫貴冑。

所以當今歐洲王室一家親,左算過來右算過來,父系、母系都離不了同一位:維多利女王太上老佛爺。

* 說起維多利亞這位丹麥國王親家的繁衍力,比之維多利亞女王更有過而無不及,外號歐洲的祖爺爺、又稱歐洲的老丈人,後嗣包括外孫俄國沙皇尼古拉二世、外孫英王喬治五世(尼古拉和喬治兩姨表兄弟長得真是好像!)、丹麥國王、希臘國王、挪威國王。當今歐洲所有依然奉行君主制的國家,都仍是由他的子孫擔任君王。

如果你有耐心讀到這裡,而且頭還沒昏,丁丁恭喜你!

** 奇怪的親屬稱謂,這裡分解
*** 這對親表姨甥,先後嫁給了同一位瑞典國王,看來王室婚姻顧不了是否錯輩岔輩了。

交融謂之淡

李安色戒得獎,媒體新聞不斷,今天在Ettoday看到一則妙聞(原英文訪問稿見此):

牛仔皇后Lureen 和心中另有所愛的傑克,在酒吧邂逅後上演車震戲碼,看對眼的兩個人在老車上,一開始還是很羞澀,Lureen 主動脫掉襯衫,讓傑克兩眼直瞪,人類原始本能一觸即發,這是【斷背山】的經典橋段之一。

傑克透露,李安在導這場戲的時候,竟然連成語「水乳交融」都拿出來,要他們揣摩,水和牛奶混合在一起的時候,感覺有多好。

Jake Gyllenhaal指出,「李安說,你們就表現出像是水和牛奶混在一起的感覺,安(安海瑟薇)馬上附和說,對!我懂,太美好了,真是太棒了,我則是丈二金剛摸不著頭緒,完全不知道他在說什麼?」

中西語意背道而馳,此為一例。「水+乳」其實在英文裡也是「成語」,但意思另有所指,而且是負面的。milk-and-water意指「淡而無味」,牛奶(不是奶粉噢)沖了水,交後融則融矣,但想想看那滋味好不好喝?因此milk-and-water又引申為「軟弱無力」。要兩位演員揣摩水和牛奶混合在一起,來表現一觸即發的力道,難怪傑克領會不來,悟性確是比安海瑟薇差了一些。:-)

不過這段報導中最有趣的是傑克「自道」:我則是「丈二金剛」摸不著頭緒。

完全不知道「水乳交融」中文成語意義的傑克,竟然會出口成章,來一句中文歇後語...

傑克,這真是太神奇了!!

9/12/2007

All Clear

It was a clear day yesterday. After so many days of downpours and drizzle, the weather finally cleared up. So I went to my bank to deposit a check. The pretty clerk with a set of clear blue eyes told me the check would clear within one day. Clearly it was a pleasant surprise. I had not expected it to be cleared this quick. She said because nowadays they use the electornic Automated Clearing House process.

So it was clear that I would be able to use the money for today's clearance sale at an out-of-town shopping mall. But first I needed to clear up and out my closet to clear the way for my new incoming wardrobe. I also want to make one thing clear that I am not a shopaholic. And my conscience is clear, and my mind is clear since I'm very clear about what I'm doing. And that was what I did, a clearance of my closet before a clearance of the shop's clearance closets. Ha Ha Ha.

And so it happened that this morning after the breakfast I immedialy cleared away the cups and plates. As soon as the early mist had cleared, I drove clear over to the mall. But alas, there was a bomb scare and police cars were all over the place. You would need a top top security clearance to get into the shops as the police was conducting the operations on searching and clearance of the bombs. They shouted at us, "stay clear!"

So no more clearance sale shopping today. We were all told to clear out of the place, not to wait for the all clear sign. And everyone was clear-sighted enough to follow the order. The traffic was forced to detour through an unfamiliar neighborhood which clear as day was recently developed after a widespread clearance of jungle land. And alas again, a huge 18-wheeler in front of us couldn't get past the clearance of an overpass bridge there and stuck for an hour, which of course caused more police action and detouring. The whole situation was clear-cut hopeless.

After much patience and waiting, finally the coast was clear. We were cleared for passing underneath the damaged bridge. As soon as I was clear of the dangerously-looking havoc and made sure that I was in the clear, I made a clear mental note to myself that I would forever stay clear of this particular area. I cleared my throat and started my clear as a bell whistling, going home for a clear soup for lunch. That was when I heard a thud and it was crystal clear that I had a flat tire. My mind went clear as mud.

That was when I felt like having a glass of clear and strong you-know-what substance, to clear my mind.

Did I make myself clear, dear clear-headed reader?

9/10/2007

捷運大話英文

很多人都對捷運電扶梯上的英文標誌好奇:

Beware loose clothing. Keep your trousers clear.

第一句 beware 後面掉了個 of,第二句 clear 後面應該說明 of something。
難怪大家看不懂,其實可以明明白白地這樣說:

Keep loose clothing clear of steps and sides.

或更強調:

Safety Hazard!! Keep loose clothing clear of steps and sides.

clear 的意思,就是以前公車後面常見的標誌:「保持距離,以策安全」--不要碰到。
clearance 即指可通過的安全距離,隧道、高架橋可見 Clearance: nn ft,超過這高度的車子不得通過。