il Giardino Romantico

What? Has it already been a whole year,
Since you first popped into our lives?
The greatest reward,
Is not how our love rid your fear.
But how you, a little innocent soul;

Call it coincidence if you will, that shortly after my inevitable viewing of 'United 93', 'Zeitgeist' should my next major viewing.  It is an extraordinarily didactic video that surpasses even its predecessor, the Loose Change production of the video on the conspiracies of the 911 attacks. 
或許你可以說是巧合。為何在我看了聯航93之後馬上接著看到這部影片。他比之前Loose Change製作關於911背後真相的影片還要扎實、多料。雖然沒有中文字幕，雖然是一部長達將近兩小時的影片，但我還是希望找到這篇文章的你能夠觀賞這部影片。
In this movie, you will find new historical evidence that the Da Vinci Code, United 93, World Trade Center, Pearl Harbor, and even the Bible has failed to inform you of.  The real truth behind the so-called terrorist schemes are nothing but a puppet show that a few men had decided to put on for their own entertainment and benefits.
這部影片中你會看到 達文西密碼、聯航93、世貿中心、珍珠港、甚至聖經所沒有的新知。你到目前為止所稱的『真相』僅不過是幾個男人在我們上頭想出來的一場大戲。一場耗資幾千幾萬人性命的重頭戲。只為了他們自己金錢上的利益。
You will discover that this is what we have been warned against.  George Orwell in 1984, Adlus Huxley in Brave New World, Equilibrium, and even the Matrix, had all been distributed among us in order to warn us against what is to become of us if we do not become aware of what is happening around us. 

教數學的英文老師 
你以為考完托福就沒事啦！？
其實我當初是這麼想的。我鬆了一口氣。A同學也鬆了一口氣。終於可以放慢腳步慢慢的做grammar drill。終於可以輕輕鬆鬆的一起讀Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince。
不道一個禮拜之後，又聽說他要考SSAT！
我只聽過SAT，還聽過各種不同變化的SAT。但他要考的這個SSAT到底是蝦米碗公啊！？

教數學的英文老師 
只要一提到數字，我一定是頭一個烙跑的人。【我家人應該是看到標題就在偷笑了吧！？】
雖然三年級時轉換美式教育時，我的九九乘法表早已背的滾瓜爛熟；雖然三、四、五年級時我的數學成績也一直都很不錯。但打從我遇到一個剋星老師後，我與數字就漸漸的疏遠了。
Tenth grade的統計課，我竟然破天荒的得了個『D』。心裡實在很不平衡。因為當時不懂、不會的時候，那位老師只會回：if you've done your homework, you should know.  這是哪們子的回答！？好不容易熬過了，但心裡就是對那個『D』很不滿意。還跑去安排重修這門課。當然，是在確定老師已經換人的前提下喔！第二次修，我從『D』的超級爛成績，竟然一下跳到『B』。由此可見，真的是那個老師的問題嘛！？
不過在這之前，其實在修Algebra I的時候我已經漸漸的越來越討厭數學。不過這門課還好。最後的成績好像也沒有太差。最糟糕的是開始修Geometry的時候。不曉得為什麼，那些數字就是不想跟我做朋友。而好不容易稱過了一整個學年，到了數學不在是必修的年級時，我那時真想開香檳來慶祝一下勒！

The master of mischiefs, I am;
The guru of relaxation, I also am.
I submit to no command
Unless a feast is at hand.
Tranquil I may be,
Vicious I can be, too.
I am a soul so free,
Confinement, shoo shoo.
A stroll when I'm at ease,
Tearing around my palace,
Like it would never cease.
Then a kiss and embrace
From my most loyal servant
Makes me the feline most content.
Nine lives have I to live,
All in happiness shall I live.

[A response to Vertical Lines]
The curls above the windows of your soul,
The curtains that slightly dims down

兩隻小影片又再次證明貓兒子是多麼懂得逗貓爸貓媽歡笑。希望看完嚴肅的議題後大家也跟著來輕鬆一下！
影片一：他愛紙箱。喜歡躲進去。但看到有東西在動，還是會忍不住跳出來攻擊～

---

影片二：怎麼不出來？其實他是在等待最佳時機。瞧他與貓爸的默契，我想他現在想貓爸的程度應該也沒有比我少吧！
感謝貓爸的客串演出～

這是之前一直沒辦法上傳到Youtube的影片。後來用pixnet的試，竟然一轉眼就上傳成功！
所以你們來看看吧！這個還沒開放的祕密花園：

每到中秋就會想到以前沒有月餅吃的童年。雖然在異鄉，母親大人在幾年後學會如何親手做蛋黃酥，讓我們也終於每逢中秋能嚐到一些家鄉味。
其實我很怕收到月餅。一方面現在口味太雜，拿到我不一定愛吃。另一方面是現在有些鹹月餅，就是愛給你放點肉。拿人家禮也不好意思多解釋：ㄟ！我吃素耶！
還好今年拿的柚子比月餅多。
不過唯一收到的這一盒月餅真的很值得介紹。

One uneventful evening, while on my way home after an ordinary private tutor session, I was somehow driven towards finding a Sherlock Holmes book to occupy my free times in the mornings.  While I strolled into the Eslite across from National Taiwan University, I was extremely disturbed by the fact that I could not readily find any copy of Holmes.  After some ten-minute search, I finally found a decent copy - The Adventures and Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Modern Man Library. 
記得當天晚上結束家教後回家的路上到台大對面的誠品，試圖想找一本福爾摩斯小說來看。但令人失望的是，找了老半天，才找到一本。原本以為這種經典之作應該很容易找到才是，怎麼花了我幾十分鐘才找到？不過最後終究還是找到了一本包含『探險記』和『回憶錄』的福爾摩斯。
  [Image from Amazon.com]
I have known Holmes since childhood.  But I'm afraid the acquaintance was mediocre.  For those books were abridged, and worse, translated.  Then, of course, I found him again in excerpts in my eighth grade literature book.  After a few years, I began tutoring students with adequate reading abilities to read abridged classics.  I had the pleasure to join in his adventures once again.  Then, a couple of years after dating a very knowledgeable gentleman, I had the opportunity to get to know this reputable detective through the phenomenal performance of Jeremy Brett. 
相信許多人都與我一樣，從小就聽說過這位偉大的偵探與他的醫生好友。不過童年讀的不過只是簡短版，而且還是中文的。到了junior high，終於有機會讀到原著。但可惜的是，還是一小段文字而已。大學畢業之後，教了幾年美語，終於讓我有機會教導一些閱讀能力足以閱讀簡短版的原文經典小說的學生。此時，又讓我再次有機會閱讀福爾摩斯的故事。又在此時，與一位博學多問的紳士交往幾年後，讓我有榮幸能夠透過Jeremy Brett的演出讓我能夠真正認識這位傳奇人物。
But I must admit that up to this point, never had I given myself the change to read the original writings of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. 
可是在此之前，我卻從來都沒有正式的認識Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 筆下的福爾摩斯。
After having devoured both the Adventures AND the Memoirs, I craved for more.  To my astonishment, it was not an easy mission.  I wished to peruse the Return of Sherlock Holmes, Study in Scarlet, Sign of Four, and The Case Book of Sherlock Holmes.  Yet, I could only find one or two that would be readily available if I were to order them online.  Others, I had to wait.  
在我以最快的速度完成『探險記』及『回憶錄』後，我馬上欲罷不能，又想在多讀一些。不過，這尋書記真的沒有我想像中的簡單。在網路上收尋的結果，只有一兩本可以馬上購買成功的。其他本都顯示：目前無存貨。
I waited till the weekend, and went down to Bookman, which has a reputation for a superb collection of literary and language related books.  Again, I was disappointed.  However, I still walked out of the bookstore with a copy of Oxford University Press's Study in Scarlet.  Then I walked over to Eslite once more, in hope of being able to find a better bargain, for 'Scarlet' was quite above my budget.  What was I to find there, but a Collector's Library version of the Case Book of Sherlock Holmes.
好不容易等到了週末，我馬上奔到書林。書林有名的是他擁有大量的文學書籍。不過還是讓我失望了。因為我還是只找到一兩本而已。不想兩手空空的回家，我還是帶了一本『血字的研究』回家，雖然他的價格稍稍超越了我的預算。之後，又再次跑回誠品[書林也位於台大對面]，這次很幸運的找到了一本『新探索』。當然，他的價格還是超出了我的預算。
[Image from Oxford University Press]
  [Image from Amazon.com]
With both books way beyond my original budget, I went home quite satisfied with the result of my book-hunt.
雖然遠遠超越我的預算，我還是抱著這兩本書半滿足的回家繼續啃書。
Sunday was quite uneventful.  Rather than allowing myself to be seduced by the idiot box, I got my lazy bum out of the house and went downtown with my two newly acquired Holmes.  Imagining that I would buy a couple of donuts and a coffee, I was rather excited to be reading Holmes out in the sun, breathing fresh air, whilst listening to some Yehudi Menuhin. 
星期天沒什麼是。與其在家受電視的誘惑，我悠閒的晃到市中心去。當然，帶著我的兩本書，想說買兩個甜甜圈，配著咖啡，聽著小提琴協奏曲，一邊進入福爾摩斯的世界。能夠在新鮮空氣[市貿那的空氣比起永和清晰多了]中閱讀真是人生一大享受之一呀！
Of course, a trip downtown was always a hassle for me.  It costs a fortune to get there by cab, and it is extremely time consuming to get there by public transport.  Knowing that I am also a bit claustrophobic, you would probably understand why on occasions, I'd rather spend a fortune than suffocate myself in the subterranean transport system.  Therefore, I had to make every trip downtown worthwhile.  That means, as always, a trip to Page One.
不過你要知道，每一次去市中心對我來說都是一件艱辛萬苦之事。搭乘小黃嘛～貴！搭乘大眾運輸工具嘛～人擠人的！你知道我就是怕人擠人。不難想像若我錢包有多餘的銀子，我一定選擇搭乘小黃，不讓自己受罪。但無論如何，每一次我都不會讓自己白跑一趟。要直回票價，就表示一定得去Page One晃晃。
What should I find there, but a set of Barnes and Noble Classics of The Complete Sherlock Holmes!  Readily available!  At an absolutely bargaining price of 296NT per book [comes in two volumes].  The best part was that, as cheap as it was, English books happened to be on sale!  Once in a blue moon, I have actually gotten a better deal  here than the other bookstores! 
在那，我終於找到了！兩本完全收錄的福爾摩斯。每一本的價格只有296，而且破天荒的竟然連Page One也在打折！這次我竟然在全台北市最貴的書店裡找到了這麼划算的書。真是難得一見呀。
[Images from Amazon.com]
So now that I have come to a complete satisfaction over my little book hunt, I must spend sometime to discuss my reflections upon the different versions.
所以接下來就讓我簡短的介紹各種不同書版社的福爾摩斯吧。
The Modern Man's Library version seems a good place to start for first-time readers.  It is rather well annotated, so as to give the reader who has not yet come to a good understanding of Holmes' time a good supplement. 
Modern Man's Library 是個不錯的開端。因為裡頭包含了重要細節的解說。如果是第一次閱讀福爾摩斯，這將會是一個很不錯的選擇。你能夠很輕鬆的就上手。
The Oxford version is only recommended if the reader should chose to do an extremely detailed study of the author, the character[s], and historical backgrounds. 
Oxford出版的我只推薦給希望非常深入研究作者或故事的讀者們。
The Collector's Library version is only good for its portable size.  This is also a good version for a 'collection'.  Other than that, I wouldn't recommend it.  For, with the exact content, you could easily purchase a cheaper copy.
The Collector's Library 版本唯一的好處就是好攜帶。而且如果只是要拿來收藏的話，也是個不錯的選擇。因為他的外觀真的很有質感。但是同樣的價錢，能夠買到更便宜的版本，內容也不變，為何要折磨自己的荷包呢！？
Last, but certainly not least, my highly recommended version, the Barnes and Noble Classics of The Complete Sherlock Holmes.  Why, with all the money I had spend buying the previously mentioned copies, I could buy myself another set!  Why not?  If you feel inclined towards this version, then no doubt you have already had some background to help you gain a better understanding of Holmes and the stories themselves.  If that is true, then I wouldn't worry about the notes.  For I have found while perusing 'Scarlet' that if I engage myself with flipping back and forth to the notes and the story, I'd soon lose interest in the story itself.  That is part of the reason why I only recommend the Oxford version if the reader were to engage in a detailed examination of the work. 
最後，這個Barnes and Noble Classics 版本就是我要大力推薦的版本。因為兩本加起來的價錢，都還不到之前提到那三個版本加起來的價格呢！如果你已經對福爾摩斯有初步的認識，這一本是絕對的選擇。因為我發現當我閱讀Oxford出版的版本時，反覆的從故事翻到註解，看完註解，又回到故事：在這樣的過程中，我很容易就對故事本身失去興趣。也因為如此，該版本我只推薦給需要深入研究的讀者們。
Now, finally, I can sit back and enjoy my adventures with Holmes to my heart's content.  Let me just state one more thing as a conclusion: there is nothing more enjoyable than reading the adventures of Holmes and Watson, while sipping away a decent cup of coffee [or tea], with some violin sonata playing by the ears.
現在我終於可以坐下來慢慢享受我和福爾摩斯的約會囉！不過為結束此篇文章，容我多嘴的再多說幾句：喝杯咖啡[或英式茶別在這時候喝烏龍啊～]，並聽些小提琴協奏或獨奏曲，一邊閱讀福爾摩斯，才能夠達到最高的享受樂趣喔！