新年新故事(上) A New Story For A New Year
【作者:Dr. J. A. Oschwald 歐使華教授 顧美芬譯】剪下一方暖和--喻道小故事 2011.12.25
In ancient times, the storytellers say, there was no season more cruel than Winter. In those places where Winter truly claimed the land as his own, there was none but Spring, that could drive him away and release field and farmer, child and creature from Winter's icy tyranny. Then the farmer could again put forth his hand to till, and the earth could put forth her life-sustaining fruits. But only for those who survived the passing of the year! And so grew the legend of the monster Nian.
The hardness of the long, hungry winter transformed the year—in Chinese, nian-into a monster who would suddenly appear, once each year. Just before the arrival of spring. From village to village Nian would prowl, devouring the weak and the helpless, eating his fill of men, women, and children clinging to a last, desperate hope of welcoming the spring.
Almost by chance, the people discovered that Nian, too, had his weaknesses. His weaknesses were his fears, and they were three in number, loud noises, bright lights, and the color red. The people began to prepare for the passing of Nian by lighting huge bonfires and setting off fireworks: noise to shatter the silence of Nian's prowl and light to pierce his cover of darkness. Red banners decorated the doors of every home to protect those within from the entry of this deadly beast. (Perhaps you can think of other times and other places where doors were painted red to keep Death away.) For the “passing of the year” also meant “the passing of Nian,” and friends and family greeted one another with a jubilant “Congratulations! You have lived to see in the new year!”, and, well, I don't need to go on and on, now you know why the first day of spring, that is, of the new year, is such a joyful one.
I mean to say, this should be a joyful day, but for many people it still is not. Those of you who are now sitting on laps will not understand what I am about to say, but I am sure that the owner of the lap you're sitting on will tell you I am speaking the truth. You see, there are many who still live in fear of Nian-though they may not know him by that name. Perhaps they simply call him “Time”, perhaps, they know him by a still more frightening name. They fear that he has crept up upon them unawares and is stealing their lives away, swallowing them up in his swift passage. It is for people still haunted by the ancient monster that this new story is told.
Are you ready, then, to hear the story? In some ways, it is a most ancient tale, but in other ways it is completely new. Is it real, or is it just the dream of some lover of myths? Having heard my tale to the end, you may decide for yourself and tell me what you think.
Long, long ago, there lived a most horrible monster, I dare not try to describe him for you, for to look into his eyes was to see Death itself. His name, you already know: yes, Nian. All year long this beast slept. Where? None knew. One day a year, the very last, Nian woke from his sleep and prowled the earth. When he awoke, he was hungry. And when he was hungry, he was nasty.
One year, no sooner had Nian awoke from his long sleep, than he set off in search of his first meal of the year. His monstrous appetite led him to a small village. His sudden appearance terrified the poor people. In fear and horror unimaginable, they cried out, “A monster! A monster! If it's not death, then it's his twin brother!” Those who could still master their wits did what little they could to repel the beast. Some ran to light towering bonfires. Others unfurled banners of bright red in the doorways of the youngest and feeblest. Still others shattered the night's silence by burning bamboo poles that had been packed with black powder.
And what’s next? We will continue next time.
字彙
1. tyranny 暴君
2. prowl 覓食，徘徊
3. devour 吞吃
4. repel 擊退，反駁
講故事的人說，在古時候，沒有比寒冬更殘酷的季節了。有些地方寒冬在大地肆虐，只有春天可以把它趕走，讓大地，農夫，小孩和動物從寒冬的暴虐下重獲自由。然後農夫可以再次耕種，大地可以再次滋生蔬果。但這一切，只給逃過「年」的一劫而存留下來的人。這就產生了年獸的傳奇。
在中國，漫長、飢餓、嚴酷的冬天轉變為「年」這個怪獸。牠會在每一年春天來臨前突然出現。從一個村莊到一個村莊，年獸遊行覓食，吞吃弱小無助的人，把殷殷切望春天來臨的男女老少都吃掉。
很偶然地，人發現年獸也有弱點。牠的弱點就是害怕，依序有三樣害怕的事物：響聲，亮光和紅顏色。人開始為度過年獸之災準備， 在戶外點起高高的火堆，放射煙火：用大響聲破壞年獸靜悄悄的覓食，用亮光穿透牠躲藏的黑暗。家家戶戶用紅色裝飾門楣，保護內中的人不受這死亡之獸的入侵。（也許你會想到別的地方別的時候，門楣漆上紅色，驅走死亡的事。）因為過年的意思就是逃過年獸，親朋好友見面互相恭喜，恭喜你活著進入新的一年。我不必繼續說下去，你可以了解為什麼新春的第一天，是這麼喜氣洋洋的一天。
我的意思是，這應該是喜氣洋洋的一天，但對很多人而言不是如此。你們坐在別人膝頭上的，可能不明白我下面所要講的，但你們所坐的人會告訴你們，我講的是真的。你們知道，有很多人還活在懼怕年獸的恐懼中—雖然也許他們不知道年獸的名字。也許他們只是稱之為「時間」；也許他們以一個更恐怖的名字來叫牠。他們怕在不察覺時牠悄悄來偷走他們的生命，在牠迅速的經過時，就吞吃了他們。這個新故事，就是為著還在古老年獸恐懼中的人而講的。
那麼，你準備聽故事了嗎？一方面這是個古老的故事，一方面這也是個全新的故事。這是真的故事，還是喜愛神話者的一個夢？等聽完，你就可以自己決定，並且把你的想法告訴我。
很久很久以前，住著一頭可怕的怪獸。我不敢向你形容牠的樣子，因為光看牠的眼睛就像是看到死亡。牠的名字你已經知道：是的，年。這怪獸整年都在睡覺。在哪裡呢？沒人知道。一年當中有一天，就是最後一天，年從睡眠中醒來，在地上遊行。年醒的時候，牠就覺得餓。而當牠餓的時候，牠就狂暴難纏。
有一年，當年獸從長長的睡眠中一醒來，準備尋找這一年的第一頓大餐。巨大的食慾引牠到一個小村莊。牠的突然出現，嚇壞了可憐的村民。他們在無法想像的驚恐中呼叫，「一頭怪獸！一頭怪獸！牠要不就是死，要不就是死的雙胞胎！」那些還保持理智的人，想盡辦法擊退怪獸，卻無能為力。有人跑去點燃火堆。有人在最幼小體弱的人門前，將捲起的紅色裝飾打開。更有人燃燒塞有黑火藥的竹竿，破壞夜晚的寂靜。
然後怎麼了呢？ 我們下期繼續。
思考與應用
1. 對於過年，孩子和大人會有什麼不同感覺？
2. 你怕時間把生命吞吃嗎？該如何克服？
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