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19/11/2009 An Island Frozen in Time and PriceAn Island Frozen in Time and Price
By MATT GROSS
FROM the ice-cold waters of the Strait of Georgia, the 150-mile-long waterway that separates Vancouver Island from mainland British Columbia, the eastern shore of Galiano Island looked untouched by man — if not by nature. The sandstone shore was curled and carved by centuries of storms and waves, and beyond it rose the spruce, fir and russet-trunk arbutus trees that cover much of this skinny, 19-mile-long island. South of where I swam was a sheltered cove, Pebble Beach, protected from the wind, its namesake pebbles warmed by the unclouded sun. Under the water lay thick-bodied ocher starfish, and on its surface floated the bulbous heads of bull kelp. The only sign I saw, one afternoon in early August, that human beings lived on Galiano were the not-so-bulbous heads and not-so-thick bodies of Heather, Noah and Miss Mae, the 20-something strangers I’d met five minutes before, who themselves were floating in the water in a prehistoric state: They were naked. Pebble Beach was, as Noah put it, “the nudie beach,” and I, following the lead of these locals, was naked, too, hovering in the warm water near the surface and hoping not to freeze. Skinny-dipping with strangers might seem a little weird, even a bit louche, for a first-day tourist experience, but on Galiano, it took on a surprising innocence — an atmosphere that persisted as the trio, along with their friend, Tia, who’d stayed clothed on the shore, brought me to Noah’s home for beers and homemade blackberry-blueberry pie. Then, as the light was beginning to fade and the shadows’ chill settled on us, we followed a path through the woods that led to Retreat Cove, a secluded inlet where a single sailboat bobbed in waters flecked gold by the sun. We drank, enjoying the day’s last rays, and then I left them alone, hiking to the main road and heading for my bed-and-breakfast. Two questions popped into my mind as I walked along the unfamiliar road, my thumb outstretched: Where was I? And more important, when was I? The first answer was obvious: I was in the Gulf Islands, an archipelago that stretches up the Vancouver Island coast. Connected by the mostly reliable and affordable BC Ferries, they are easy escapes from the bustle of the mainland (from Vancouver, Galiano was a 55-minute ride that cost 14.85 Canadian dollars, or $13.50 at 1.10 Canadian dollars to the U.S. dollar). All are prized by in-the-know Canadians for their rustic beauty, bountiful farms and friendliness to typically cash-poor artists and craftsmen. But even among these frugal islands, Galiano stands out, which leads me to the second answer. The year 2009 may be drawing to a close, but on Galiano a low-budget trip takes on the open-ended feeling of summer 1979. Skinny-dipping aside, this is a place out of time. Cars are mostly unnecessary: everyone from farmhands to restaurant workers gets around by thumb. (And “everyone” is itself a stretch: Only 1,100 people live here year-round.) Shiny blackberries hang from dense roadside bushes, unmanned stands sell paper bags of “transparent apples” (great for applesauce), and fat oysters sit in shallow waters, turning every trip to the beach, up a small mountain or down the street, into a foraging expedition from hunter-gatherer days. There’s certainly money here — a passenger in the car that picked me up that night was building a Tibetan-style house on the island’s northern end— but riches feel superfluous when one of the finest meals to be had on the island costs a mere 31.50 dollars a person. That meal, in fact, was what had lured me away from my new friends, who had invited me for roast duck. Instead, I returned to La Bérengerie, a restaurant and bed-and-breakfast run by Huguette Benger, who visited Galiano from her home in Avignon, France, in 1980 and fell in love with the trees and the sea. “Like most people on Galiano,” she said, “you come for a weekend and you stay for your life.” In 1982, Ms. Benger opened La Bérengerie, moving it the next year to a wood-frame house she’d built herself, and in its intimate dining room, lighted by lamps that recall both Tiffany and India, began serving her style of French food, influenced by her Provençal upbringing, local ingredients and foods she’d tasted on her travels. The night I ate there, the four-course prix-fixe meal bore traces of Russia (neon borscht), the Balkans (cucumber-yogurt salad), southern France (tapenade-crusted snapper) and, of course, Galiano (a cake studded with local berries). That’s a lot of geography — not to mention a lot of food —for the price. La Bérengerie’s rooms offered the same value-added appeal: brass beds and steamer trunks, aged wainscoting and delicate floral wallpaper, carved wood mirrors and vintage leather club chairs, and tons of space for 95 dollars a night (including breakfast). So what if the bathroom was shared? With only three bedrooms, it was unlikely there would be a line. For a frugal traveler dependent on the kindness of strangers for transportation, La Bérengerie was in a near-ideal location. It was about three miles west of Sturdies Bay, where the ferries land and where most of Galiano’s businesses are, and less than half a mile from Montague Harbour, where a marina and a provincial park ensured there’d be passing traffic to flag down. Montague Harbour also gave me something to do when I didn’t feel like hitching a lift elsewhere. The marina was tantalizing, with its fine boats and tour services, but it seemed out of my league: Moped rentals were 109 dollars a day. But just past the marina was Montague Harbour Marine Provincial Park, 240 acres of wetlands, woods, beaches and campgrounds that I could have spent an entire day exploring. Alas, I spent only one night there, arriving without a reservation to find every official campsite taken. But in the same way that Pebble Beach is not officially clothing-optional, the rules of the campground are flexible, defined by the park ranger, who directed me to an open field dotted with picnic tables and explained, “No one gets turned away.” Having pitched my tent, I wandered down to the white-shell beaches at the heel end of the park’s Gray Peninsula, eager to hunt oysters. (I had previously called Fisheries and Oceans Canada to check that there was no red tide, which causes paralytic shellfish poisoning.) Barnacles covered nearly every rock’s surface, and between the pebbles jets of water would sometimes shoot up — signs that clams were buried below. More ocher starfish clung to the undersides of rock ledges, and seabirds flew low over the gently lapping water. A small tour group was exploring the same intertidal territory, led by Patti Pringle of the Galiano Conservancy Association, who explained that most oysters were not native but had been imported from Japan in the 1920s. She’d also never seen one opened, and so, once I’d tracked down a half-dozen huge, deeply fluted shells, I cracked one for her group. Alas, it was August, and the oyster was milky with spawn — too slimy to truly enjoy. Still, it tickled my frugal bones to know that with my one-day fishing license (7.35 dollars), I could pluck up to 15 oysters with minimal effort, and the smidgen of history I’d picked up reminded me of a summer camp field trip. Getting deeper into Galiano history proved to be tricky. The Galiano Museum exists primarily online as a collection of photographs, though a brick-and-mortar version is in the works. The island’s historical details instead seemed to float around in the ether (and in guidebooks): First Nations people fished there and had a small village near Montague Harbour; Canadians, Europeans and Japanese had colonized the area in the 19th century and named Galiano for a Spanish navigator; logging and canneries had ceded to tourism as the main industry. More insight came from people like Noah, who reminisced about growing up without electricity, and the quirky locals who gave me rides. Eric Nelson, for example, had wavy gray hair, multiple earrings and a hot-pink baseball cap and drove a big white van with a Buddha on the dashboard. He’d moved to Galiano almost 30 years ago because he’d heard of a cheap cabin to rent. Today, he is a plumber and organic farmer (I bought some lovely cucumbers and tomatoes from his stand for 3.25 dollars) and can remember when a certain stretch of road had been a meadow. Like much of the island, it was so thickly forested I could hardly see 10 feet into it. I also began to get a sense that Galiano’s rusticity was not 100 percent idyllic. One woman who picked me up noted that people in the southern part of the island were much less likely to give me a ride than were the northerners. “They’re the freaks,” she said with a smile, and she may have been right. The southern end of the island is the center of development, a contentious issue. But you wouldn’t know that to look at it. Downtown was a jumble of businesses stretching from the ferry terminal, where I ate German-inflected Indonesian noodles at the Max & Moritz street cart (10.75 dollars with a lemonade), to Scoops, where I slurped ice cream, to a secondhand store and a few galleries displaying works by local artists. (Don’t mean to be harsh, but they struck me as more artsy than artistic.) After the hardware store and the Hummingbird Pub, which makes a good bacon cheeseburger and runs shuttle buses, there isn’t much commerce. And yet this was, in its own innocent way, the hub of activity. There were brand-new vacation properties; there was a skateboard park. A dying baby seal on the shore below the ferry attracted a stream of concerned observers. Galiano Island Books held a reading by Linda L. Richards and Roy Innes, mystery writers and Gulf Islanders. (Free wine and cheese!) And I had the misfortune to leave the island the morning of the Galiano Wine Festival, which brought in dozens of local and far-flung producers and distributors. (At 30 dollars, it was a little steep.) To me, Galiano’s small-town atmosphere was endearing, but it reminded people from neighboring islands of their own recent past. It was, they told me, like Salt Spring Island 30 years ago, or Gabriola Island in the early ’90s. And I could understand the Galianoites’ worry that the place they’d been escaping to for so long might become — and this was the worst insult on Galiano — another Vancouver suburb. But it was hard to feel the creep of modernization the night I returned to the campground from the Hummingbird Pub (thanks to a ride from my tablemate) and walked under bright starlight to the same beach I’d foraged that morning. At the shore, I heard faint music. Resting on the beach was Steve Pearson, a young Vancouverite with a guitar and harmonica. I asked him to play something, and he launched into Neil Young’s “Heart of Gold.” The water, much higher now than in the morning, pushed toward our feet, and the only artificial light we could see came from the winking beacons of a few sailboats moored in the bay — and, once, from Mr. Pearson’s cellphone. He had a text message, and the screen lighted up his face like magic. IF YOU GO HOW TO GET THERE United and Air Canada operate nonstop flights from New York City airports to Vancouver for around $650 round trip, according to a recent online search for travel in early October. But at about $500, Cathay Pacific’s nonstop looks like a better deal. From the Vancouver airport, you can take city buses, 3.75 Canadian dollars, or about $3.40 at 1.10 dollars to the U.S. dollar, to the Tsawwassen ferry terminal. The ferry to Galiano Island runs at least once a day, and is 14.85 dollars for pedestrians; on weekdays, passage for cars is 47.60 dollars; fuel rebates may also apply; www.bcferries.com for details. HOW TO GET AROUND Hitchhiking is a common way to get around all the Gulf Islands, but if you don’t want to thumb it, mountain bikes are for rent at Galiano Bicycle Rental (36 Burrill Road; 250-539-9906; www.galianoisland.com/galianobicycle; 30 dollars a day), and mopeds are for rent at the Montague Harbour Marina (Montague Road; 250-539-3443; www.montagueharbour.com). WHAT TO DO “Hiking the Gulf Islands: An Outdoor Guide to BC’s Enchanted Isles,” by Charles Kahn (Harbour Publishing, 2004), is the best guide to the small mountains and winding trails that dot Galiano. Swimming is possible at most of the rocky, pebbly or gray-sand beaches. Gulf Island Kayaking (250-539-2442; www.seakayak.ca) rents kayaks starting at 32 dollars for two hours and organizes tours starting at 55 dollars. WHERE TO STAY La Bérengerie (2806 Montague Road; 250-539-5392; www.galianoisland.com/laberengerie; 95 dollars a night). Montague Harbour Marine Provincial Park (end of Montague Road; 250-539-2115; www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks; campsites from 10 dollars per person a night). WHERE TO EAT AND DRINK La Bérengerie’s prix-fixe menu is 31.50 dollars, not including drinks. Max & Moritz Spicy Island Food (Sturdies Bay ferry terminal; 250-539-2888). Hummingbird Pub (47 Sturdies Bay Road; 250-539-5472; www3.telus.net/hummingbirdpub). Scoops Ice Cream & Burger Bar (2540 Sturdies Bay Road; 250-539-2388). 36 Hours in Turks and Caicos36 Hours in Turks and Caicos
DANGLING at the southern end of the Bahamas island chain like an after-thought, Turks and Caicos was often overlooked as a Caribbean destination. But thanks to some of the swankiest names in hotels — Regent, Amanresorts and Meriden, to name a few — Turks and Caicos is now firmly on the map of those seeking a beach vacation with heavy pampering and a splash of indulgence. It is the kind of place where hotel staff members adjust your beach chair umbrella as the sun shifts and pass out cool towels to keep you from overheating. And moderately priced hotels have maid service a mere two times a day, instead of providing guests with a small army of personal servants. Technically, the islands are in the Atlantic, but with this level of coddling — not to mention some of the bluest waters in the world — who cares? Friday 5:30 p.m. Chances are your hotel is somewhere on Grace Bay, with its stunning stretch of satin-soft white sand wrapping around the northeastern edge of Providenciales, the main island. The beach gently slopes into the ocean, which reveals bands of blue and green that are so brilliant no postcard could do them justice. This must be one of the loveliest beaches anywhere in the tropics. Time your stroll with the setting sun when the orange light reflects off the blue water. 8 p.m. Grace Bay is also home to a surfeit of restaurants, some better than others. For something less touristy, venture about 15 minutes by car into the Blue Hills along the northwestern coastline. Da Conch Shack (Blue Hills Road; 649-946-8877; www.conchshack.tc) stays true to its name, serving up conch from a hut on the beach that is bedecked in the mollusk’s glistening pink shells. Sit down at a picnic table just a few steps from the water, take off your shoes, dip your feet into the sand and decide how you want your conch. Curried? Sautéed? Diced up and served ceviche-style? Definitely don’t skip the conch fritters, which are golden brown, moist and chewy. 11 p.m. Las Vegas it’s not. But Providenciales does offer charming, if low-key gaming, from slots to blackjack to craps. Its two tourist-geared casinos are both situated in nondescript buildings that could easily be mistaken for medical offices or insurance agencies. But consider that a good thing. The lack of any flashy appointments at the Casablanca Casino (Grace Bay Road; 649-941-3737; www.thecasablancacasino.com) lends a low-stakes atmosphere that won’t make you feel like a chump for heading straight for the $10 blackjack table. Saturday 9 a.m. After laying eyes on Grace Bay, you’ll probably want to stay put. But then you’ll miss the nearby islets like Iguana Island, a nature preserve where the scaly little lizards scamper through the brush, and Water Cay, home to stunning Half Moon Bay, whose crescent of powder white sand is framed by limestone cliffs. For $89, Silverdeep (Leeward Highway; 649-946-5612; www.silverdeep.com) offers three-hour excursions that include rum punch and a local delicacy — but you have to earn it. Your captain will shell and clean as much conch as you can pluck from the ocean floor, before mincing and marinating it in lemon and lime. Oh, and what is that translucent, spaghetti-shaped appendage purported to have aphrodisiac powers? That’s the conch penis, and you should be prepared to eat it. 2 p.m. You may think you’ve seen luxury on Providenciales, but Amanyara (Malcolm Roads; 649-941-8133; www.amanresorts.com) makes the Regent look like a Holiday Inn. With the cheapest room starting at $1,550 during the winter, lunch is a more affordable way to marvel at the resort’s airy, pagodalike pavilions and reflecting pools, and even that is no bargain. The jerk chicken, garnished with an avocado and paw paw salad, is $32 and the Greek salad (no chicken included) is $20. But what better way to forget about the recession than to lounge on one of the poolside canopied beds, nursing a cocktail? 7 p.m. Like much of the Caribbean, Providenciales has no shortage of beach bars outfitted in full-on tropical kitsch. Tiki torches, thatch umbrellas and coconut shells abound. But for something less conventionally beachy, try Anacaona at the Grace Bay Club (Grace Bay Road; 649-946-5050; www.gracebayclub.com), whose infinity bar is a 90-foot oblong slab of black granite stretching toward the water. It is claimed to be the Caribbean’s longest bar, but in truth, it is not quite “infinity” — there is some brush that slightly obscures the ocean view. Nonetheless, it’s impressive, as are the $13 cocktails, all made with tropical flair like the raspberry mojito, and the appetizers, which should tide you over until dinner. 8:30 p.m. It’s hard to imagine a nicer dinner setting than Grace Bay Beach. But a five-minute drive inland takes you to Coco Bistro (Grace Bay Road; 649-946-5369), about the prettiest place you can hope to find away from the water. Set underneath a canopy of soaring palm trees, this outdoor restaurant offers hearty alternatives to the steady diet of conch and fish. There’s a 16-ounce bone-in prime rib ($39), rack of lamb ($40) and a Caesar salad served with bacon and a peppery dressing ($9). You might even inquire about taking a palm tree home with you from the nursery right next door. 11 p.m. Despite its tropical locale, night life in Providenciales is more martini glasses than plastic cups. But if you insist on tiny umbrellas in your drink, head to the Ports of Call mall, a strip mall near the resorts along Grace Bay Road that has two fun-loving bars: Jimmy’s downstairs (649-946-5282) and Calico Jack’s upstairs (649-946-5129). The distance between the two is just a flight of stairs, so patrons can easily wander back and forth depending on the crowd and the live music offerings. Sunday 10 a.m. The blues that surrounds Turks and Caicos are so vivid that you’ll want to consult a color wheel. Is that cyan? Cobalt? Azure? But the water in Chalk Sound, an inlet surrounded by national park on one side and sprawling villas on the other, is the most unusual shade of blue anywhere on the island. A touch lighter than turquoise and not quite sky blue, the color appears something like the color of the United Nations flag. A camera-ready road snakes down the peninsula that runs along the southern end of the sound, providing sweeping views of the vivid water and hillsides. Noon In one corner of Chalk Sound sits Las Brisas (At Neptune Villas, Chalk Sound Drive; 649-946-5306), a cafe that offers inexpensive sandwiches (shredded pork, chicken and, of course, conch for about $10) and even more spectacular views. The restaurant is perched at a slight elevation and faces the water. Don’t skip the fried plantain cup filled with grilled shrimp and topped with a Creole sauce. Work it off by renting one of the sea kayaks from the bartender and paddling it around Chalk Sound. On an island this luxe, it’s probably the only real work you’ll do yourself the entire trip. THE BASICS American Airlines offers nonstop flights to Providenciales, the main island, from New York starting at around $500 based on a recent online search. Delta, US Airways, United and Continental fly there with one stop. With the layover, prices can be lower. Renting a car is the best option for getting around; taxis are less reliable and expensive. Avis and Budget have cars starting at $100 a day. Remember: drive on the left. The Seven Stars Resort (Grace Bay Road; 866-570-7777; www.sevenstarsgracebay.com) opened in 2008 and occupies one of the widest stretches of Grace Bay Beach. It has beautifully appointed suites with granite kitchens and Sub Zero refrigerators. Rates start at $468 a night for a garden view room, though better deals can be found by calling the hotel directly for an ocean-view upgrade. The 47-room West Bay Club (Grace Bay Road; 888-701-0079; www.thewestbayclub.com) is also directly on Grace Bay, though it is smaller and more moderately priced, with rates starting at $300 in the high season. If cost is no concern, Amanyara (Malcolm Roads; 866-941-8133; www.amanresorts.com) has a five-bedroom beach villa that goes for $13,950 a night. Smaller villas start at $5,600. The atmosphere is as serene and refined as you can expect to find anywhere in the tropics. 06/11/2009 Lonely Planet2010年最佳旅游目的地名单路透新加坡11月2日电---也许明年去萨尔瓦多、贝加尔湖或爱尔兰的科克游玩一番不错,这几个地方最近都入选了《孤单星球》(Lonely Planet)的2010年最佳旅游目的地名单。 该名单于周一公布,是该公司第五次发表此类名单。 《孤单星球》的亚太传播经理Adam Bennett说:“这份名单是我们评选出来的,认为人们应该考虑明年去体验的事或去玩的地方。不管你是什麽风格的人,你都应能在这些地方找到灵感。” “无论是地理上的还是文化上的,这份名单都会让你有一番全新的体验,更会让你燃起旅游的热情。” 该名单列出的前十大值得旅游的国家、地区和城市有: 最佳国家 萨尔瓦多、德国、希腊、马来西亚、摩洛哥、尼泊尔、新西兰、葡萄牙、苏里南和美国 最佳地区 法国阿尔萨斯、印尼巴厘岛、巴西费尔南多・迪诺罗尼亚岛、印度果阿、柬埔寨戈公保育走廊、俄罗斯贝加尔湖、墨西哥奥亚沙加、非洲南部、英格兰湖区、西澳大利亚州西南部地区 最佳城市 阿联酋阿布扎比、美国查尔斯顿、爱尔兰科克、厄瓜多尔昆卡、土耳其伊斯坦布尔、日本京都、意大利莱切、波斯尼亚萨拉热窝、新加坡和加拿大温哥华。 16/04/2008 日本的妖精之一——河童(转载)[链接:河童最佳游览地]
日本芥川龙之介的一篇短篇小说日文原题为河童,指日本民间传说中的一种两栖动物,面似虎,身上有鳞,形如四五岁的儿童。作者在原题下注有:请读做kappa。或可认为kappa就是河童。 日本的河童传说 日本稻河神社附近都有一个小湖,名救身湖,湖中常有河童出现,由于河童在日本是家喻户晓的,所以有很多的说法,比较常见的是:鸟头人身着有龟壳,头顶有一碗状的凹镜,内有满水,如其生命,水无则死,双手相通可伸缩,能以屁的力量飞天。在《百鬼夜行》《百物志》《万鬼录》《妖怪物语》……常常见的民俗书籍中都有记载。 河童的起源 传说「河童」住在日本各地的河川或池子里,根据民俗学者石川纯一郎的研究资料,河童传说分布极广,包括日本的东北地方、中部地方、近畿地方、关西的石川?富山县、中国地方、四国地方、北九州地方、九州的佐贺?宫崎县以及奄美诸岛和冲绳县,依据各地方言的不同,河童的称谓也不同。 共通点是「居住在河川的孩子」所以叫做「河童」(KAPPA)。原本河童是水中的精灵,被当作是河神受到民众的膜拜,也有一种说法是河童是水神的使者,由水神降下的霜幻化而成。 关于河童的起源,有以下两种说法可供参考: 一、河童渡来说 河童的传说,最早起源自中国黄河流域的上游,古时候叫做「水虎」又名「河伯」。战国时代初期,在魏国邺县这个地方。每年雨季一到,河水暴涨泛滥成灾,常常夺去许多人的生命和财产,当地的巫女以「河伯娶妻」为借口串通官员大肆敛财,并且必须牺牲掉年轻女子取悦河伯。直到邺县来了一位名叫西门豹的新县令,才将「河伯娶妻」的迷信破除,后来提到「河伯娶妻」自然让人联想到以智取来抵抗暴政的故事典型。 「河伯」传到了日本之后,变成了家喻户晓的「河童」。据说有一位名叫九千坊的头目,带领着河童一族从中国辗转来到九州的球磨川云仙温泉一带的地方住了下来。他经常率领着部下出现在村庄里,惹出许多麻烦,由于他拥有能够将马拉到河边的怪力,所以村里的人都敌不过他。知道此事极为震怒的熊本城主加藤清正,利用河童最讨厌的猿将为害百姓的河童好好地教训了一番,从此以后河童只好乖乖地住在熊本县筑后川。后来成为水天宫的使者,其分社位在江户之赤羽河岸有马氏的宅邸,(久留米殿下)后来移到日本桥附近。 据说,加藤清正为了打败九千坊,将河童引到会喷出硫磺气的地狱谷去,不仅在河川里放毒,还把烧烫的石头往水池里丢,最后聚集了河童最讨厌的山猿,群起攻之,九千坊因为硫磺的热气,使得头上盘中的水逐渐消失,具有法力的他,总算束手就擒,只好求城主放他一马,答应从此不再为害地方,这就是河童的传说之一。(注:加藤清正是日本安土桃山时代的武将,幼时曾跟随丰臣秀吉将运,与柴田胜家殊死战之时,展露其高超的武艺,在原之战一役投奔德川家康,战后成为熊本城的城市,以勇猛善战和城堡建筑闻名于世。) 二、河童人形化说 传说江户时代的左甚五郎、古代竹田的番匠以及奈良、平安时代的飞驒之匠,这些工匠们在建立神社寺庙或是建城的时候,流传着一种咒术,将人的名字写在纸条上,然后把纸条塞进木头的缝隙或是草扎的人形(即人偶)里,这个动作称之为「叫魂」,据说建筑物会盖得更坚固牢靠。完成后不用的人形,就会被丢到河川里,后来这些受诅咒的人形,纷纷幻化成河童,到处作乱,对人畜产生威胁。另外,以阴阳师闻名的安倍晴明,他则以神灵寄附的纸人形(式神)来帮他执行工作,后来一些人因为对式神感到恐惧,安倍晴明只好把式神封在京都的一条戻桥下,据说河童就是这些式神的子孙。 和阴阳师使唤式神的道理一样,术士们如果对受害者的名字、毛发或衣物作法,便可使人发病,甚至死去。并且还可以偷取他的灵魂精气,使之为自己服务。中国清代也发生过「叫魂」的妖术事件:浙江省德清县为了造桥工程,需要将木桩打入河底,于是石匠们就借用活人的名字写在纸片上,贴在预备要做桥梁基座的木桩顶部,再用槌子大力敲下去,这样会给大锤的撞击添加某种精神的力量。由于木桩很难打到河底,倘若使用叫魂之术可使桥墩稳固持久的谣言四起,引起江南一带的百姓极大的恐慌,人人自危,誓言要把散播妖术者处死,干隆皇帝时代的地方官,费了好大的工夫才把扰乱人心的恐慌事件镇压下来。(可参考时英出版的《叫魂》) 河童的特征 全身:身高大约60公分至1公尺高,体重只有45公斤左右,属于瘦的体型,看起来像3岁至10岁的小孩模样,长得像人也像猿猴。身上会发出臭味,并且有黏液,不容易捕捉,有的地方看到的河童据说全身长满了毛。 手脚:手臂可以左右灵活地运动,如果被切断,还会再长出来,再生能力很强,(被切断的手臂可以制成跌打损伤的特效药)手脚长得跟人一样,不过特别修长,平时可以用来划水,但只有四根指头,手脚可以缩进龟壳中。 头:披头散发,头部中央有一个圆盘状的凹陷处,盛满水之后力大无比,把水倒掉法力就会消失,有人说他的头部是红色的,也有人说是深蓝色。 眼:眼睛是圆的,会发光,眼神很锐利。 鼻:鼻子像狗儿一样突出而嗅觉敏锐。 口:长得像人嘴,也有的长得像鸟嘴,口腔上下各有四根尖牙,撕裂食物的速度相当快。 龟壳:背上驮着龟背一样的甲壳。 屁股:据说有三个屁眼,不知道是用来干什么? 一说可以喷气从而获得脱离水面的推力... 古代的日本,水神的形象被诸多地方的信仰所接受。后来等到人们不再信奉水神的时候,则逐渐演变成现在我们所熟知妖怪河童的形象。分布在日本各地的河童虽然在外观上有些微的不同,其共同特征则是头上有个装了水的盘子,若是盘里的水没了,法力就会消失,听说河童还喜欢找人玩相扑,或是偷摸人的屁股,是个喜欢恶作剧的妖怪。 河童身高大约一公尺,和小孩子的身高差不多,脸上长着鸟嘴,背上有甲壳,为暗绿色的保护色,非常坚硬,可以说刀枪不入。指间有蹼,能在水中以惊人的速度游泳,据说上了年纪的河童,便能拥有神通,可以用心电感应来洞察人心里的想法。 中国古籍中的河童 对中国人来说,河童就像是水鬼一般的生物,根据古书《幽明录》上的记载这种生物名叫「水虫」,又名「虫童」或「水精」,裸形人身,身长大小不一,眼耳鼻舌唇皆具,头上戴一盆,受水三五尺,只得水勇猛,失水则无勇力。日本民俗学家考证的结果,该生物应该就是爱国护税的河童。日本民俗学家柳田国男在《山岛民谭集》里也写过一篇「河童驹引」(河童把马拉进河里的传说)的研究,说它的形体像青黑色的猴子,手脚似鸭掌,头顶凹陷处像顶着一个碟子,无论是水中或是陆地上,只要碟子里面的水不干涸,则力大无穷能与人或马角力,所以说在日本有句俗话形容天大的灾难,就叫做「河童灭顶」。 日本文学中的河童 透过日本作家芥川龙之介的生花妙笔,河童(一九二七年发表的作品)已不再是可怕的水鬼形象,反过来成为一个幽默风趣的典型人物,能够引领人们进入神奇的乌托邦世界。这篇故事是记述一个疯子回忆他在河童国的所见所闻,借用一个疯子的眼睛,把读者从现实中抽离出来,利用第三者的视点回顾我们现在所处的这个世界,从而迫使我们反省现在的生活。小说中钜细靡遗地描绘了河童的长相:它们的头上有个碟子,常会做出青蛙跳跃的姿势,或是爬在树上看人。身体略微透明,且能随着环境而改变颜色(感觉像是树蛙或雨蛙)。在河童国境内,所有的观念都在嘲讽着现实社会中的人们,它们甚至了解人类更甚于了解自己。一旦掌握了它们特有的语言,接受了它们的怪异思想,离开了这个乌托邦之后,便会立刻陷入对人类产生无比嫌恶的烦恼之中。小说的最后一章,主角好不容易才返回人世间,由于他已经无法习惯人类的生活,而被当作是疯子对待。如果说来到河童象征着人类的觉悟和精神力量的超升,那么回到人类世界就等于是一种自甘堕落的行为,终究造成悲剧,因为这样的人注定不可能在现实世界里继续生存下去,或许这就是作者芥川龙之介最后会选择以自杀来终结自己生命的主要原因。 河童木乃伊的发现 河童木乃伊发现的地点,多半集中在九州。尤以佐贺县伊万里的松浦酒造所搜藏的河童的木乃伊最有名,体长大约是40公分,与柳田国男先生所描述的河童如出一辙,外观看起来像猿猴,头顶上有个碟子状的凹陷处,长得像怪物一样的河童,不过经过电视台的查证,这个木乃伊的标本应该是造假的成分居多,另外大阪的瑞龙寺也有河童木乃伊标本的照片,但是拒绝给外界采访。另外位于京都伏见的黄樱酒造,自称致力宣扬河童文化,其实是一种宣传噱头,以河童图案作为它们的商标,当地有个河童资料馆,就在月桂冠大仓纪念馆附近,但里头并没有河童标本,真是可惜!河童究竟是不是某种生物的变种?至今仍是生物界的未解之谜。 另外的一种解释: 有许多妖怪以前原本都是神,但由于受到外来的宗教及佛教传入的影响,而渐渐失去信徒,到最后终于坠落而成妖怪。河童也是其中之一,她们在很久以前曾是受到各地居民所崇敬的水神。同时他们也很喜欢相扑,喜欢住在河川与沼泽之中。双腕的骨头相连,把一只手缩回来之后另一只手就会伸出去。此外还有许多传说,随处可闻。 一般人对于河童的印象,大部分都是一只乌龟头上顶着一个盘子。其实他这种模样是从十六世纪到日本传教的传教士佛朗西斯科•沙忽略的长相来的,为什么会有这么有趣的说法呢?据说以前那些耶酥会的传教士到中国传教的时候,有不少的中国人都以为他们是从海的另一方坐船而来的水神。其实如果把那些传教士头上方一个盘子的话,跟河童倒也是有几分神似。之后这种说法随着传教士一起传到日本之后,就成为河童的标准形象。 至于这之前的河童到底长得怎样,虽然没有一定的说法,不过由于他本来就没有固定的形体,所以每个看到他的人对他的描述自然都不一样。至于河童到底是人类的敌人还是朋友,每个地方的说法也都不同。 27/03/2008 日本枫叶来源:日本国际观光振兴机构
秋风飒爽·红叶起舞一年365天,又到秋季。这个季节是鱼蟹肥美之时,是农作物收割之季,更是人们背上挎包,畅游天下的最佳时节……我们这次的主题是秋日的红叶。在日本,就这样欣赏着红叶,品尝着秋天的美味,度过美丽而浪漫的秋季。
红叶之旅在快节奏生活的社会里已快速流行起来,谁不想在繁忙的工作之余,享受这一份独特的“色彩”和轻松的氛围。让我们一起走进红叶的根源,一同了解枫树的出处和作用吧…… 枫叶小常识枫树的种类北半球的枫类植物有140种之多,日本的枫树,大致说来有伊吕波枫、大枫、板屋枫、羽扇枫以及来自中国的唐枫。还有一些高大的落叶乔木,像白桦和银杏,其金黄的叶子也是秋季景色中不可缺少的一员。除了落叶乔木,还有一些蔷薇科、锦葵科、杜鹃科等落叶灌木,到了秋天叶子会转红。 红叶的品质当年夏天的气候、秋天的昼夜温差以及晴天的多少都会影响到红叶的品质,一般来说,阳光、水分充足、气温凉爽是造就漫山红叶的最重要条件。 红叶的预报日本红叶的预报以"红叶前线"为名,每年通过气象台向全国发布。"红叶前线"从北海道开始,随着气温一路下降,逐渐向南推进到九州地区。根据最近30年的资料计算,"红叶前线"向南奔行的速度平均每日为27公里。经常,数天前还是一片苍翠的山谷,才一场大雨过后,转眼就变了红妆。 配合的美食红叶季节,也有相配合的食品。"红叶豆腐"是在豆腐中拌入辣椒粉和生姜搅拌后炸制成红叶形状的食品,"红叶锅"是鹿肉涮锅子,"红叶调料汁"是把白萝卜和辣椒磨成粉末调制而成。还有一个品种是广岛县最具代表性的点心---“红叶馒头”。实际上,红叶是广岛县的县花,由于该点心的形状是模仿红叶制作的,所以称作为红叶馒头,正宗红叶馒头的做法是在蛋糕中加入小豆馅,当然,现在也开始加入牛奶蛋羹、巧克力、奶酪、水果、抹茶等各具风味的红叶馒头。 13/12/2007 朱自清作品:德瑞司登德瑞司登(Dresden)在柏林东南,是静静的一座都市。欧洲人说这里有一种礼拜日的味道,因为他们的礼拜日是安息的日子,静不过。这里只有一条热闹的大街;在街上走尽可从从容容,斯斯文文的。街尽处便是易北河。河穿全市而过,弯了两回,所以望不尽。河上有五座桥,彼此隔得远远的,显出玲珑的样子。临河一带高地,叫做勃吕儿原。站在原上,易北河的风光便都到了眼里。这是一个阴天,不时地下着小雨;望过去清淡极了,水与天亮闪闪的,山只剩一些轮廓,人家的屋子和田地都黑黑儿的。有人称这个原为“欧洲的露台”,未免太过些,但是确也有些可赏玩的东西。从前有位著名的文人在这儿写信给他的未婚夫人,说他正从高岸上望下看,河上一处处的绿野与村落好像“绣在一张毯子上”;“河水刚掉转脸亲了德瑞司登一下,马上又溜开去”。这儿说的是第一个弯子。他还说“绕着的山好像花箍子,响蓝的天好像在意大利似的”。在晴天这大约是真的。 德瑞司登有德国佛罗伦司之称,为的一些建筑和收藏的画。这些建筑多半在勃吕儿原西南一带。其中堡宫最有意思。堡宫因为邻近旧时的堡垒而得名,是十八世纪初年奥古斯都大力王(Augustus the Strong)吩咐他的建筑师裴佩莽(P oEppelmann)盖的。奥古斯都膂力过人,据说能拗断马蹄铁,又在西班牙斗牛,刺死了一头最凶猛的;所以称为大力王。他是这座都市的恩主;凡是好东西,美东西,都是他留下来的。他造这个堡宫,一来为面子,那时候一个亲王总得有一所讲究的宫房,才有威风,不让人小看。二来为展览美术货色如瓷器,花边等之用。他想在过年过节的时候,多招徕些外路客人,好让他的百姓多做些买卖,以繁荣这个地方。他生在“巴洛克”(Baroque)时代,虽然倾心法国文化,所造的房子却都是德国“巴洛克”式。“巴洛克”式重曲线,重装饰,以华丽炫目为佳。堡宫便是代表。宫中央是极大一个方院子。南面是正门,顶作冕形,叫冕门;分两层,像楼屋;雕刻精细,用许多小柱子。两边各有好些拱门,每门里安一座喷水,上面各放着雕像。现在虽是黯淡了,还可想见当年的繁华。西面有水仙出浴池。十四座龛子拥着一座大喷水,像一只马蹄,绕着小小的池子;每座龛子里站着一个女仙出浴的石像,姿态各不相同。龛外龛上另有繁细的雕饰。这是宫里最美的地方。 堡宫现在分作几个博物院,尽北头是国家画院。德国藏画,要算这里最精了。也创始于奥古斯都,而他的儿子继承其志。奥古斯都自己花钱派了好多人到欧洲各处搜求有价值的画。到他死的时候,院中已有好些不朽的名作。他的儿子奥古斯都第二在位三十年,教大臣勃吕儿伯爵主持收买名画。一七四五年在威尼斯买着百多张意大利重要的作品,为阿尔卑斯山以北所未曾有。一七五四年又从意大利得着拉飞尔的歇司陀的《圣母图》。这是他的杰作。图中间是“圣处女”与“圣婴”,左右是圣巴巴拉与教皇歇克司都第二,下面是两个小天使。有人说“这张画里‘圣处女’的脸,美而秀雅,几乎是女性美的最完全的表现,真动人,真出色”。最妙的,端庄与和蔼都够味,一个与耶稣教毫不相干的游客也会起多少敬爱的意思。图中各人的眼光奇极;从“圣处女”而圣巴巴拉而小天使而教皇,恰好可以钩一个椭圆圈儿。这样一来,那对称的安排才有活气。画院驰名世界,全靠勃吕儿伯爵手里买的这些画。现在院中差不多有画二千五百件,以意大利及荷兰的为最多。画排列得比那儿都整齐清楚,见出德国人的脾气。十八世纪意大利画家卡那来陀在这里住过,留下不少腐刻画,画着堡宫和街巷的景色。还有他的威尼斯风景画,这儿也多,色调构图,鲜明精巧,为别处收藏的所不及。 大街东有圣母堂,也是著名的古迹。一七三六年十二月奥古斯都第二在这里举行过一回管风琴比赛会。与赛的,大音乐家巴赫(Bach)和一个法国人叫马降的。那时巴赫还未大大出名,马降心高气傲,自以为能手。比赛的前一天,巴赫从来比锡来,看见管风琴好,不觉技痒,就坐下弹了一回。想不到马降在一旁窃听。这一听可够他受的。等不到第二天,他半夜里便溜出德瑞司登了。结果巴赫在奥古斯都第二和四千听众之前演了出独脚戏。一八四三年乐圣瓦格纳也在这里演奏过他的名曲《使徒宴》。哥德也站在这里的讲台上说过话,他赞美易北河上的景致,就是在他眼前的。这在一八一三年八月。教堂上有一座高塔顶,远远的就瞧见。相传一七六九年弗雷德力大帝攻打此地,想着这高顶上必有敌人的瞭望台,下令开炮轰。也不知怎样,轰了三天还没轰着。大帝又恨又恼,透着满瞧不起的神儿回头命令炮手道:“由那老笨家伙去罢!” 德瑞司登瓷器最著名。大街上有好几家瓷器铺。看来看去,只有舞女的裙子做得实在好。裙子都是白色雕空了像纱一样,各色各样的折纹都有,自然不能像真的那样流动,但也难为他们了。中国瓷器没有如此精巧的,但有些东西却比较着有韵味。 1933年3月13日作。 (原载1933年5月1日《中学生》第35号) 12/11/2007 yoko ono错读的惯性——关于是“小野洋子”还是“大野洋子” 最近一篇题为“遗孀”的网文中有人说:“大野洋子(有人争辩说这位日本女艺术家的名字应该被翻译为小野洋子)”,是的,我曾经在网上订正过有人把小野洋子错写为“大野洋子”,但是并不因为我的订正,就被人认为我的订正是正确的。因此,今天有必要在这里做一次彻底的订正,期待继续使用“大野洋子”这一错读能够停止。 关于是“小野洋子”还是“大野洋子”,本来是不需要争辩的事情。“大野”的发音是oono,而“小野”的发音是ONO,而且没有中文中那种四声。有些类似中文中的同音字“解”的读音,在名词“解放军”时读“jie”,但是用在姓的时候我们会读“xie”。 小野洋子在上世纪60年代初,在海外发表作品就不再使用日本的汉字名“小野洋子”,即使现在回到日本做展览也是署名外来语的发音,或许是以此来区别她离日的前和后。 即使现在查找小野洋子离开日本之前的艺术杂志,或者小野洋子在日本的全国巡回回顾展上的文献索引,都是写着“小野洋子”,所以这不需要争辩,为了证明这一点,笔者在此发表一张“前卫音乐家小野洋子”(实际上小野洋子是概念艺术家—方注)1964年在东京草月会馆举行行为艺术的海报可以作证。(引自《YES YOKO ONO》画册,p108,2003年东京出版)
小野洋子在1962年撰写《虚构者的话》一文时仍然使用“小野洋子”的署名,然而在1999年自己把它译成英文时署名为“ONO”。(可查阅《YES YOKO ONO》画册,p36,2003年东京出版) 关于“小野洋子”的订正例: 1/我曾经读过英国BBC广播中文网上一篇关于小野洋子的采访报道,在同一篇报道中,居然即出现“小野洋子”,又出现“大野洋子”的现象,读者完全不知道她们之间是什么关系,我给BBC去meil,没人回答。 2/某日,新京报一记者写有关“小野洋子”艺术的新闻,我对他说,千万别写成“大野洋子”,结果第二天出来的报纸又是“大野洋子”,我问他怎么回事,记者说最后被编辑改成了“大野洋子”。但是新京报在2005年6月21日的一篇报道改变了写法,这篇新闻题为:小野洋子以72岁高龄激情献唱英国“2005Meltdown音乐节”. http://www.mindmeters.com/showlog.asp?cat_id=42&log_id=1090 3/笔者曾经在报纸上看到一篇报道,说上海东方卫视名主持将采访艺术家“大野洋子”,我当时吓了一跳,如果让小野洋子看见主持手中的稿子上写着采访“大野洋子”,那会出现非常尴尬的局面。其实在提问时,主持会用英文,那么发音是 “YOKO ONO”,可能不会出现笑话。 其实要搞清楚是“小野洋子”还是“大野洋子”,并不是一件难的事情,不需要费考古一样的气力,一是请教一下了解日本文化的人就可以把问题轻易搞清楚。 二是把“YOKO ONO”的拼法输入日文雅虎,就会出现有关小野洋子的简历,可能大多数人不会日语,但是有英文和图片在网文中出现,有的网站有日文和英文表记。 オノ・ヨーコ 略歴. Ono with her parents in San Francisco. 1935. ... 1962年 日本に帰国。. YOKO ONO. PLASTIC ONO BAND ... Film NO. 4(Bottoms), Yoko Ono, 1965. 16mm, black and ...
那么为什么会出现错读得不到纠正的现象,那是因为一是人类有错读的惯性,二是缺少xx的态度。 在此举一个例子能够说明人类的错读惯力有多大。 我们知道老子有“大器晚成”的名言,但是可能大多数人都不知道这是一个错抄的所谓“名言”,实际上老子原话是“大器免成”。在出现“大器免成”就句话之前,老子都是说:“大象无型,大音稀声,……”,怎么最后一句是“大器晚成”?好象和老子前面说的完全相反,好象最后还是出现了功利的欲望,只是把欲望赌在最后而已。根据一位学者的考证,在汉代文献中就出现“大器晚成”的记载,可是在此之前的出土文献上是“大器免成”。当然我在这里也有一个疑问,或许发现的这个汉代文献的记载是抄错了。当然,根据对老子思想的逻辑分析,应该是“大器免成”。 05/11/2007 奇文共赏Today Berlin once again has the most dynamic theatre scene in the country, as Volksbühne director Frank Castorf vies with Schaubühne head Thomas Ostermeier to capture the attention of young audiences neglected by the major stages, choosing mainly modern, provocative works. Dance, too, is undergoing a renaissance – although it is in Frankfurt.
“今天,柏林又一次在这个国家掀起了戏剧的活跃风潮。比如来自Volksbühne的导演Frank Castorf就与由Schaubühne领衔主演的《托马斯·奥斯特迈尔》(Thomas Ostermeier)相竞争,以赢得许多不接受大众舞台剧的年轻观众的关注。他所选择的主要是当代具有煽动性的作品。舞蹈也正经历着一个新生阶段,不过其舞台是在法兰克福。”
郁闷之余,只好自己试译。
今天,柏林又一次成为这个国家最具活力的戏剧中心。比如由Frank Castorf领导的大众舞台剧(Volksbühne)就与Thomas Ostermeier带领的小剧场演出(Schaubühne)竞争,后者旨在赢得非主流年轻观众的关注,所选择的主要是当代的先锋派作品。德国的舞蹈也正经历复兴阶段,不过这场复兴始自法兰克福。 12/10/2007 得失录算是一个新起点么?患得患失一番:
1.失去闲暇时光
2.失去对某X和某Y群体的神秘感
3.失去某些幻想——你喜爱的东西一定不能作为职业,狗狗的故事是神话
4.结识了L、Z、F等朋友
5.不再做白日梦
[上图作者:粥粥]
6.知道自己不讨厌什么,但还不知道自己的发展方向 26/09/2007 我也堕落了看稿子,火急火燎的活儿。
郁闷的是,这位译者是语法大师,所有的句子都带连词,表示转折一律用“但是”,表选择用“或者”,表程度用“非常”。看得要吐了,估计看完要三年不写字儿,以免病毒传染。 02/08/2007 The Zeus Trip (from yahoo travel)转载一篇温馨、有趣的游记。 THIS spring, preparations for a May trip to Greece did not just include scouring the Internet for cheap flights, finding affordable lodging for a family of five and reviewing the kids' passports to see if they were up-to-date (they weren't), it also meant compiling a reading list. “Review these by the end of next week,” I said to Charles, 10, giving him a colorful book called “Ancient Greece” and another titled “Greek Myths.” To my 11-year-old daughter, Florence, I gave a book on the Greek gods. “I want you to know all about Hera and Hades by the time we leave.” I next turned to my 15-year old, Harriet, who was already eyeing me suspiciously. Placing the “Iliad” and the “Odyssey” reverently into her hands, I said: “Homer's epic poems of the Trojan War. Start reading.” A vacation? Yes. We were visiting Athens and then the Peloponnesus, a region many consider the most unspoiled in Greece, with steep mountains, charming coastal towns, beautiful beaches and more ancient ruins than we could possibly see in a week — though we planned to try. This was also going to be an educational trip, with stops at Olympia, Mycenae, Epidaurus and Corinth. By the time we returned, my children would not just have a tan, they would have a newfound knowledge of the differences between gods and heroes and the origins of Greek democracy. As American parents living in Britain, my husband, Daniel, and I had naïvely thought we could avoid the United States college admissions frenzy. But with friends and relatives back home signing up their teenagers for enrichment programs, cultural immersion experiences and “personal statement” courses, we started to catch the same airborne disease. I worried I was becoming one of those determined adults who forget their own idyllic summers of canoeing and candle-making at camp and start thinking about sending off their children to be marketing managers in Mumbai so the Ivy admissions officers will be impressed. Well, not quite yet, at least. Still, if I was going to cram a little ancient history into the brains of my three children, why not do it on a sun-kissed beach on the Mediterranean, where the academic lessons could be broken up by body surfing sessions, and where a day of archaeology could end with a meal of fresh fish and souvlaki at a cafe overlooking the water. Thus, in early May, we found ourselves in Greece. “What better place to start our trip than the Acropolis,” I said, leading my family up the steep hill toward the ancient city less than an hour after we had landed in Athens. I noted the children's reactions to the ruins that lay about them. “Cool,” said Florence, storming toward the Parthenon. “Awesome,” said Charles, looking like a character from the Flintstones as he scaled a rock twice his size. Thinking I might start by expanding their descriptive vocabulary, I read to them that Acropolis meant “high city” and that it dated from the Neolithic Age. Bored already, Charles and Florence began listening to Harriet, who was telling them how Athena, the goddess of war, won Athens by beating Poseidon, the god of the sea, in a competition. “Over there is the Theater of Dionysus,” she said knowledgeably, having just completed a classical civilization course at school. “It was named after Zeus's son who, according to myth, was born out of his thigh.” Florence and Charles were enthralled. “See how this is bringing classical civilization to life for them,” I whispered to my husband, before asking Harriet how she was enjoying the “Iliad.” “I already know the whole story from watching ‘Troy' with Orlando Bloom and Brad Pitt,” she said dismissively. (“Oh, well it's a start,” Daniel whispered back.) That night, realizing that the learning vacation obviously required more homework than the beach break, I drew up a lesson plan of “course objectives” for our trip, hoping it might lead to a more edifying educational experience for all of us. And then, like any good pushy mother, I forced my family to follow it. Lesson One: Visit the museums, no matter how much the children might initially object. I knew that nearly every site on our itinerary had one and thought it might help the children mentally transform what often looked like a landscape of rocks into an ancient civilization. It did. At the Acropolis museum, Charles was fascinated by the segments of the Parthenon frieze on display — particularly one showing Hercules fighting off different monsters. This, in turn, led to a lively family discussion about whether the Elgin Marbles, which came from the Parthenon and are now held at the British Museum, should be returned to the Acropolis. (We later learned that a new Acropolis museum, scheduled to open in early 2008, has an entire floor designed for the sculptures, in the hope they will be returned.) At the National Archaeological Museum of Athens, we saw various excavated artifacts from some of the sites we would later be visiting — the mask of Agamemnon, Mycenaean daggers and Bronze Age jewelry. Even the kids acknowledged that it made them more engaged when we finally toured those ruins later. And in ancient Olympia, where the Olympic Games were held every four years from 776 B.C. until more than a thousand years later, around A.D. 393, instead of running straight to the stadium, we first stopped at the museum. There a model of the site and the galleries — showcasing artifacts like a bronze discus, part of a starting block, coins of victors and the statues from the Temple of Zeus (to whom the games were dedicated) — helped us picture what it might have looked like when we wandered around. Lesson Two: Try to make learning fun, so that the children forget to complain. An hour outside Athens in the Peloponnesus, we visited Epidaurus, where there is a nearly perfectly preserved amphitheater from the fourth century B.C. that still plays host to Greek drama in the summer. We sat for nearly an hour watching school groups, tours and other visitors sing arias, pop songs and musical comedy favorites from the circular stage. The theater is renowned for having almost perfect acoustics, and when you stand in the middle, you actually hear your own voice amplified, as we did when we finally got up the nerve to perform “California Dreamin' ” (without Harriet, of course, who was hiding behind a pillar). And like every other tourist at Olympia, we sprinted down the track (though not in the nude as they did in ancient Olympia) and took pictures of the children at the spot where the Olympic torch is still lighted for both the summer and winter games. Lesson Three: Take study breaks to stem revolts before they start. One afternoon in Athens we focused on retail rather than ruins in the pedestrian Plaka district. The girls spent hours choosing loose beads at a store where you could make your own jewelry, and Charles began a collection of 2004 Athens Olympic pins at a shop that had a map of Greece made from Olympic pins. While in the Peloponnesus, named after Pelops, who according to Greek mythology ruled the region after winning his wife, Hippodamia, by defeating her father, King Oinomaos, in a chariot race, we checked into the only resort I could find near Olympia, the Aldemar Olympian Village. The giant aquatic hotel had about 25 swimming pools, a vast sandy beach, five themed restaurants and nightly entertainment (in our case two young Greek guys leading an Italian tour group in a karaoke competition of American pop songs). Though we found it somewhat lacking in character (we could have been in Orlando, rather than Olympia), the kids were happy taking an afternoon off to jump from pool to pool, rather than rock to rock. Near Pylos, a charming harbor village in the south, we visited what might be one of the world's most spectacular beaches — Voidokoilia — a giant lagoon where the seawater streams into a circular pool between two large rocky land foundations. And in Nafplio, a seaside city that many consider to be one of the most beautiful on the entire mainland, we spent two early evenings wandering through the enormous pedestrian zone filled with cafes and shops, stopping for ice cream and crepes and the occasional purchase. Lesson Four: Help children eat up the local culture, literally. Though most of our meals never exceeded $50 for the five of us, including a carafe of wine, we splurged our first night in Athens and treated ourselves to an elegant dinner on the terrace at Orizontes, a restaurant on top of Lycabettus Hill, reached by a funicular. Overlooking the ethereally lighted city, the children had their first taste of Greek food and decided they liked it (braised lamb, chickpea balls and even shrimp wrapped in phyllo). Daniel and I, less surprisingly, discovered we liked Greek wine. Not always the most adventurous eater, Charles fell in love with squid, eating it grilled, sautéed, breaded, fried and stuffed. By far the best calamari he ordered was in the village of Epidaurus, where it had been freshly unloaded that very day from a boat in the marina next to our table. Florence discovered she liked spinach pie, and Harriet became addicted to hummus and fried Haloumi cheese, ordering them at every taverna. Lesson Five: Push to see the extra site; it could be the best one. On the fifth day, driving through the lush Messenia district in the south, an area where terra cotta-colored mountains sweep down into deep valleys, we nearly decided not to stop at Ancient Messene. Tired and hot, I promised the kids we would make it quick, but in the end we spent nearly three hours at the empty archaeological site. The only other tourists we saw the entire time were a French couple who, like us, were astounded that most guide books made only a passing reference to this city, founded in 369 B.C. Not only does it have two nearly completely preserved theaters, it also has an enormous stadium with its circular seating completely intact (in fact, many Messenian runners, we learned, went on to Olympic victories). Charles even unearthed with his foot the top to what looked like an ancient vase, complete with painted designs, only to have a vigilant guard make him gingerly hand it over. In the end, we preferred Messene even to the famous citadel of Mycenae, one of the most popular sites in the Peloponnesus. While it was fascinating — it was supposedly once King Agamemnon's home and has had cyclopean walls (so named because only a Cyclops could have lifted such enormous boulders) — it was so crowded with tour groups we could barely see the path around the various grave circles, which once held much of the gold we had seen at the archaeological museum in Athens. And though when we returned to London six weeks ago, no one signed up for Greek lessons or wrote a paper on Pericles, the kids now know that Hermes, the messenger god, is not just a maker of luxury goods, and that Nike is not only a sporting brand but the winged Greek goddess of victory. Which, to me, felt like victory indeed. VISITOR INFORMATION GETTING THERE Olympic Airlines and many major airlines fly from Kennedy Airport in New York to Athens. A recent Web search showed round-trip fares starting at around $817. The National Highway links Athens to Olympia via Corinth (about a four-hour drive), but, in general, the Peloponnesus consists mostly of secondary roads that wind through mountainous valleys and hill towns. (A new highway is being built that will soon link the south and north.) WHERE TO STAY Outside of Nafplio, briefly the capital of Greece in the 1800s, full service resorts are scarce in the Peloponnesus, though a Banyan Tree Resort is set to open in 2009 near Pylos. In Athens, the St. George Lycabettus (2 Kleomenous Street, 30-210-729-0711; www.sglycabettus.gr) offers double rooms that start at 165 euros, or about $230 at $1.40 to the euro. Corner suites allow for interconnecting rooms with views of the Acropolis, and there is a rooftop swimming pool. In Olympia, Aldemar Olympian Village (30-210-623-6150; www.aldemarhotels.com) has double rooms with half board (breakfast and dinner) starting at 240 euros per night. In Kalamata, a seaside town in the Messinia region, double rooms at the Filoxenia Kalamata (30-272-108-4213; www.classicalhotels.com) start at around 190 euros, including breakfast. In Nafplio, double rooms at the Amphitryon Hotel (30-281-030-0330; www.amphitryon.gr) start at 343 euros, including breakfast. WHERE TO EAT Athens: Both the restaurant and cafe at Orizontes (30-210-722-7065), on top of Lycabettus Hill, have 360-degree views over the city. Dinner for two in the restaurant with a bottle of wine costs approximately 120 euros, while dinner in the cafe, which still serves hearty food (grilled veal, grouper, mousaka and even a burger) costs about half that. Kalamata: Situated on the corner of the marina, Pyrofani, (30-27-210-953-86) a blue and white restaurant, serves lightly fried zucchini flowers, lovely stuffed peppers and an array of fresh fish from the Aegean — red mullet, fagria (a type of bream) and, of course, squid — for not more than 15 euros a person, including wine. Pylos: With an outdoor terrace high on the hill overlooking the Bay of Navarino, one of the largest natural harbors in the world, the restaurant of the Hotel Phillip (30-272-302-2741; www.hotelpylos.com) has an extensive menu of simply prepared fresh food — fish, meat, pasta and an amazing fish soup. Nafplio: Just off Filellinon Square near the harbor is Alalou (30-275-202-9883), a charming restaurant decorated in pale yellow and white. Try the “mother-in-law” salad, made of leeks, lettuce, sun-dried tomato, olives, peppers, Parmesan and whatever other fresh ingredients are in stock, as well as the delicate spinach croquettes. JENNIFER CONLIN, a frequent contributor to the Travel section, is the author of “The Perfect Parents Handbook.” 13/03/2007 绿野山友遇难,祭奠夏子mm祭奠素未谋面的夏子mm。
中午在外办事,看到新京报的报道。10号中午,没有与两位同事mm去爬山,真是明智之举——在我经验不足、自己身体状况不好,天气又恶劣时。
从04年接触绿野,感觉org整体上比较严谨,常在info团购,在我心里,两个分站还是各有侧重的。有时与山友交流,得知很多lvyer也都是这样做的。
从06年10月左右,开始跟休闲、徒步队,将自己报名的级别限定在绿野1.0级。在对网站和领队不熟悉,对当地地形不熟悉,对自己体力没有非常的把握,野外登山经验欠缺,装备不够专业等等条件之一或同时欠缺的情况下,也能看见有新人贸然报名。这是非常高危的做法呵。
如果网站监管不严,领队又有某方面的失误,这就可能是致命的。
不说了,说这些也无法挽回逝者的生命。 02/03/2007 纳尼亚传奇背景纳尼亚传奇之二,The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian 凯斯宾王子,将于2008年暑期上映。
找了一下原著资料:
納尼亞傳奇
《納尼亞傳奇》(The Chronicles of Narnia)是一套七冊的奇幻儿童文学,由著名的英國作家克利夫·史戴普·路易斯在1950年代所著。中文版本最先於1980年代初期由“基督教文藝出版社”翻譯和印行,當時的譯名是《那裡亞故事集》。之後台灣國語日報出版社另行再譯,並在台灣發行。
故事的開始講述一個小男孩偶然進入了一個異世界,並在那裡經歷過一連串的冒險,及看到那個世界的創造。之後,他將一顆從異世界帶來的種子埋在花園裡,還長成了一顆大樹。這棵大樹後來被颶風刮倒,又被造成了衣櫥,然後又引領了四個小孩子進入這個神奇國度的不同時期。
作者利用故事內不同的人物和動物角色,使用比喻或隱喻來向小朋友講述聖經的道理。相對於當時嚴肅的主日學課程來說,路易斯的故事可以說是一個很大的突破。
==納尼亞傳奇的組成和發行順序==
全書七冊的標題,根據故事發生的先後次序而排列如下:
# 《[[魔術师的外甥]]》 ''The Magician's Nephew'' # 《[[獅王‧女巫‧魔衣櫥]]》 ''The lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe'' # 《[[能言馬與王子]]》 ''The Horse and His Boy'' # 《[[凯斯宾王子]]》 ''Prince Caspian'' # 《[[黎明踏浪號]]》 ''The Voyage of the Dawn Treader'' # 《[[銀椅]]》 ''The Silver Chair'' # 《[[最後一戰]]》 ''The Last Battle'' 上面的排法是現在出版的總目錄式排法,下面是英文版初次出版的日期排法:
# 《獅王‧女巫‧衣櫥》 ''The lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe'' (1950年) # 《凯斯宾王子》 ''Prince Caspian'' (1951年) # 《黎明踏浪號》 ''The Voyage of the Dawn Treader'' (1952年) # 《銀椅》 ''The Silver Chair'' (1953年) # 《能言馬與王子》 ''The Horse and His Boy'' (1954年) # 《魔術师的外甥》 ''The Magician's Nephew'' (1955年) # 《最後一戰》 ''The Last Battle'' (1956年) 作者[[C. S. Lewis]]的寫作次序如下:
*1: 《獅王‧女巫‧衣櫥》"The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" *2: (被廢棄的Magicians Nephew版本) *3: 《凯斯宾王子》"Prince Caspian" *4: 《黎明踏浪號》"Voyage of the Dawn Treader" *5: 《能言馬與王子》"Horse and His Boy" *6: 《銀椅》"Silver Chair" *7: 《魔術师的外甥》"Magicians Nephew" *8: 《最後一戰》"Last Battle" [[迪士尼]]把此故事拍成[[電影]],[[2005年]][[12月]]第二部《[[納尼亞傳奇:獅子‧女巫‧魔衣櫥]]》在全球公映首映。
摘自wiki百科。
27/11/2006 春天,我們騎車去!(转载)春天,我們騎車去!
高西蒙 篇一:騎自行車的好處。 朋友們,首先告訴您一個驚人的數字:根據全美自行車協會的統計,2005年全美的自行車銷量達1,900萬輛!這是美國近35年來的歷史新高。這說明了什麼?--自行車運動正在興起(復興)! 篇二:認識自行車 既然自行車運動有如此多的好處,令眾多的愛好者如此著迷甚至瘋狂,閣下您是否有興趣加入其中?那麼,在您選購車子之前,多瞭解和認識一下它,或許對您會有些幫助。 篇三:如何選購自行車 如今在自行車市場上,品種繁多,價格懸殊。那末如何入手呢?中國有幾句俗語:“量體裁衣”,“按需所求”,“量力而行”。也就是說:選好尺寸;明確用途;定出預算。 篇四:紐約自行車活動指南與須知 1、紐約騎車小指南 紐約是個大都市,公路四通八達,大小公園也星羅棋佈,除了高速路以外,幾乎大部分的路段都可騎車。此外,許多公園區內也允許騎車,一般公園都開放 7天,從6AM-9AM(各地有異)。蔓哈頓中央公園則只在週末和節假日開放。如果想瞭解更多有關各公園的情況,也可上網:WWW。NYC。gov/parks 查詢。 2、紐約的自行車活動 (A)紐約市一年一度的”五大區自行車環城賽”。全程42哩,途經五大區,五大橋。通常分三大組:青少年;成年;殘疾組。而成年又分普通和專業兩組。 古人云:欲攻善其事,必先利其器。要想您的車即好使又耐用,就必須愛惜和保養。切不可:又要馬兒跑,又要馬兒不吃草! 一、定期檢查 (1)前檢查。有道是:磨刀不誤砍柴功。 每次出車前,別忘了四步曲:–有氣嗎?剎車好嗎?車把松嗎?車鏈條能動嗎?如果是新車,則最好全車仔細檢查一遍。(特別是從大型商場購買來的)切不可忽視。必要時,可請專業人士幫忙。 (3)大檢查 二、合理使用 正確合理地使用自行車,會大大地減少機械故障和騎車事故的發生。下面舉三個簡單的例子: 三、及時維修 在任何情況下,如發現自行車有問題,應及時檢修。切不可抱有僥幸心理。以免造成不良後果。通常簡單的故障可自己動手修理,如:內外胎的修補或更換;等。較為複雜的則最好請有經驗的專業人員檢修;特別是擋次較高的車,其配件的精密度較高,通常都須專門的工具,如沒把握,切不可胡來!免得”弄巧成柮”。小問題修出大毛病! 03/11/2006 主题 我心中的10处“最北京”的胡同(转自绿野)昨晚九点下班,上午又赶了两个小时,《东南亚》一校退编的活儿赶完了,将我自己看的校样核到了校对老师的校样上。
下午开始做《加拿大》一校退编,如果不推行倒版的话,这书共859页。
忙里偷闲,捣持出绿野上两个关于胡同的强贴,周末去转悠。
31/10/2006 当城市已成了油彩——锡耶纳 (zz)
20/10/2006 主题:"驴坛8岁生日会"流程(zz)
29/08/2006 缅甸蒲甘 夕阳下的千年古城
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