il Giardino Romantico

被問到自己有沒有黃金羅盤，Philip Pullman*怎麼說？

其實重點不是他的回答。
請看他背後...
my dream bookshelf.....

【景點】自由廣場？
This is history. 這是歷史。[重點是背景...]
This is present. 這是現在式。
This is harmony.這是和諧。

基本上只要是小說改編的電影，我對那部電影的興趣就會大增。如果是我有興趣的小說，我會盡量在看電影之前把小說啃一啃。
I've always had a higher interest in movies that were adapted from novels or other works of literature.  If I happen to be interested in the original literary work, I'd always try to read it prior to watching the film version.
為什麼？
Why?
因為從middle school開始，一直到大學，常常被老師訓練比較小說與電影中的不同。導致現在把電影當作文學的一種附屬品。一種藝術品。大學去旁聽兒童文學[Children's Film and Literature][1]的時候，曾修過電影分析的講師說他的老師曾經在課程第一堂課警告他們：修完這堂課，你們將永遠無法再次享受看電影的樂趣。經過這麼多年的電影+小說分析經驗，我開始覺得我也沒辦法只把一部電影當做電影看待[2]。
Ever since middle school, I've been constantly trained to compare and contrast the difference between works of literature and their movie adaptations.  I've learned to treat films as a branch of literature, an art.  In college, the lecturer of the course Children's film and literature told us what her movie analysis professor had warned them the first day of class: You'll never be able to enjoy a movie ever again!  After all these years of movie/literature analysis, I don't think I can ever see a movie as merely a movie either.
上次去看Beowulf時候看到華納威秀天橋黃金羅盤的佈置，站在電視螢幕前看了整整十分鐘事後只能在DVD中看到的the Golden Compass幕後拍攝花序，覺得是我會有興趣看的小說。電影的卡司，除了我很愛的007，Daniel Craig，竟然連我很欣賞的Eva Green也在卡司中。電影，不用說，必看！小說，還得先去買回來再說。
When I was last at Warner Village, I stood in front of a television screen and watched the trailer and behind-the-scenes of the film version of the Golden Compass.  My favorite Bond, Daniel Craig was in it.  So was my favorite actress, Eva Green.  The film is a must see.  The novel, well, that's another adventure.
氣就氣在這。
This is where I started to get really annoyed.
上次找福爾摩斯已經體驗過一次，沒想到這次又來了！奇怪！這些書都不是很冷門，為什麼也要費盡我九牛二虎之力才能找到我想要的呢？
I've encountered the same problem when I was looking for Complete Sherlock Holmes.  I couldn't believe it happened again!  These books, should be considered main-stream reading?  Shouldn't they?  Why do I still have to go through such an ordeal to find what I want?
禮拜四上課前跑去永和誠品看。我對這間誠品已經徹底的失望了！分類分的亂七八糟。原文書也少的可憐！
Before work on Thursday, I went to the neighborhood Eslite.  Nope.  Well, not a surprise.  They rarely have anything I want.
8:30從學生家坐公車趕在9:00書林打烊之前到達。有是有，可是既然是三部曲，我不可能只讀一本。舊版的只有第一集跟第二集。新版的又只有第二集跟第三集。
After leaving my student's at 8:30, I got on a bus in hope to get to Bookman before it closes at 9:00.  Well, they did have it.  But they only had the first two of the trilogy in the old edition, and the last two of the trilogy in the new edition.   There was no way I was going to just read one book of a trilogy! 
我不死心。
I wouldn't give up.
又奔去誠品看。找了好久，都沒看到。僅看到一堆沒用的小說，或是我現在沒有興趣看的小說。忍不住去問小姐，還把中文名字記成『金色羅盤』。真丟臉。不過他的答案是：沒有貨。我想問他，別家分店有沒有。反正我禮拜五白天還有時間可以去找。小姐直接把電腦螢幕轉到我面前給我看：全省存庫－0000000000000。
I ran to Eslite and searched and searched.  Couldn't find a single copy!  I asked the lady, and even told her the wrong Chinese translation.  When she found the info I asked her to look for, she told me there wasn't a copy.  In fact, there wasn't a single copy in any of the Eslite branches.
天啊！
What the....?
不可置信！我甚至還對著小姐說：『怎麼可能沒有？你們是誠品耶！！』
You guys are ESLITE!
我看還離書林打烊時間剩五分鐘，馬上又奔回去書林問個清楚。果然是舊版新版都沒有完整的三部曲。
So I had to run back to Bookman within five minutes in hope they had a copy hidden somewhere.  Nope. 
我失望的回家。
I went home empty-handed.
心裡越想越覺得不可思議。
But isn't this unbelievable?
誠品耶！怎麼會沒有！
Eslite!?  Not having a single copy of the Golden Compass? 
回到家第一件事情就是開電腦！連上博客來！結果差點又找不到。有些網頁竟然開不起來。後來終於讓我買到了一整到＋收納盒的His Dark Materials三部曲。算算，還比在書林買三本便宜。
The first thing I did when I got home that night was to check books.com.  After a few agonizing trials, I finally found what I had been looking for.  His Dark Materials trilogy.  In a box.
在書還沒到之前，趕快把剩下的Walden啃完。
While I wait, I had to first, finish my last chapter of Walden.
這套書，竟然禮拜六就給我到了！
The box set arrived on Saturday!
所以接下來的任務，就是要趕在電影下檔前把小說啃完！再去電影院看電影版的囉！
My next mission is to finish, at least the Golden Compass, before I run to the theater and watch the movie.
[註]
1. 旁聽的原因是因為我當時學分已滿。而且又不想再增加自己的壓力，卻又很想上這們課。有趣的是，我這旁聽的好像還比有休學分的認真、有興趣說！
2. 一部電影如果沒辦法讓我寫出一篇感想，我就不會想再看第二次。即使是很爛或是我不喜歡的電影，只要可以讓我有足夠的靈感寫一篇感想其實也算是不錯的了。最糟糕的就是那種看完完全沒感想的電影....

Some interesting facts about Third Culture Kids
什麼是第三文化小孩？
所謂第三文化小孩(Third Culture Kids)是指童年時跟隨父母至異鄉成長的孩子。這些孩子除了父母傳承的文化，也無形間接收了成長期所居住國家的文化，形成屬於自己的第三文化。
Third culture kids refers to those who, during childhood, have followed their parents to a foreign country and have lived in other countries for sometimes longer than they have in their own country.  Not only do third culture kids absorb the culture passed down by their parents, but also the culture of the country in which they lived, thus forming their own unique 'third culture'.
研究顯示，無論是私人公司或是政府機關派出國，較優秀的人才一定會被作為優先考慮對象。父母離異的狀態下，很少有人會同意一方將孩子帶出境。因此第三文化小孩大多都有平穩的家庭關係即經濟狀況。
Research have shown that those who excel in their area of work are most likely to be sent abroad by either private companies or by the government.  Because it is more difficult for a divorced parent to take their kid abroad, due to the unlikely consent of the other parent, it results in the fact that most third culture kids come from stable family and economic backgrounds.
一般第三文化小孩父母不過就是在軍事單位、政府機關、傳教單位、或是商業公司服務。許多第三文化孩子都住過兩三個以上的國家。
Most of the parents of third culture kids may occupy positions in military or government offices, international business companies, or they may be missionaries.  Many third culture kids have lived in more than two or three countries during their childhood.
第三文化的孩子比較容易接受不同文化的思想、比較容易homesick、以及與遠方的朋友保持聯繫的慾望也比較高。大多數的第三文化小孩也都有不錯的英文能力。因為大多數的國際學校都採用英語為主要教受語言。
Third culture kids are more likely to accept ideas from different cultures, more susceptible to homesickness, and have stronger desire to stay in touch with distant friends.  Most third culture kids also have a certain command of English, since most international school, assuming that is where their parents would send them, uses English as the main language.
因為特別的文化背景，時常無法與有相同經驗的朋友們建立共同話題。雖然可以用所持護照表明自己的國籍，但對許多第三文化小孩來說，這其實是一個相當難回答的問題。這些孩子常常對於自己的國家早已陌生。若是常常居住不同國家，對當地文化也不會有太深入的了解。
Due to the unique cultural background, third culture kids may sometimes find it difficult to converse with those without a similar experience.  They may use their passport to define their nationality, but for many third culture kids, it is most difficult to associate themselves with any one country.  They may have lost the intimacy toward their own country, and if they often move to different countries, they may not know any one culture in depth.
[以上資料來源：wikipedia]

到了這個季節，每個商店都開始為聖誕節佈置。那天經過百貨公司看到X'mas，還真想拿油漆把他上面那個『'』給塗掉。其實個人用途寫錯無所謂。但百貨公司或是商店寫錯，我就看得很不順眼。真是糟糕。
想知道怎麼寫才對，請翻舊文。[第七項] 文內有連結至學妹史大兒的解釋。
如果你不相信我們，也可以到wikipedia自己一探究竟。

To Women
Women of this audacious age,
Do not cover up thy confidence
With veils made by suppressors,
Who claim the purpose of liberation,

[Written some months earlier...]
We are separated by seas and lands.
But our hearts and souls have never parted.
In my dreams you tightly held my two hands
And showed me a life already started.

He is Torres.
[Source: www.4thegame.com]

He can be serious.


He can be attentive.

[Source:www.skysports.com]

He can be fierce.

[Source:www.thisisanfield.com]
He can be cute.

[Source:www.telegraph.co.uk]
He is Fernando Torres.
Liverpool's Top Scorer.

此篇文章受密碼保護，請輸入密碼後閱讀。

【[Film] The Pursuit of Happyness is Stranger Than Fiction】一文原本是兩部電影的內容。不曉得是我沒等他上傳完就斷線還是怎樣，今天早上發文沒來得及再double check，回來才發現後面的竟然不見了。
而...
我也沒備份！！！
在此跟兩位捧場留言的公爵大哥跟艾瑪小姐道歉。因為你們的留言也會隨著這篇離奇的文章消失...
The worst thing that can happen to any writer....