| Chen 的个人资料The Wind from Salzburg照片日志列表 |  工具  帮助 |
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1月20日 Winter Vacation at Last! Finally, the holidays.
I have never had such insufferable exams before. The exams themselves were alright. But the schedule was dreadful: eight subjects dragged in eleven days. That was too long for me to stand.
All the other exams were OK in their ways, but the Maths exam was a disaster. The minute the papers were handed in the classroom erupted like a vocanol. Some poor souls were banging the desk, some were howling, some were swearing, some were sobbing(within, of course), some were exasperated, some were furious, some--I myself included--were meditating on jumping into which three of the pools on campus. One of the boys shouted to another one:"Jack, I am over!" I shut him up by shouting back:"Who isn't?"
But finally, the holidays have come.
I am giving myself a whole day to be idle, to listen to Mozart and Fritz Wunderlich all day, to translate German into English all day, to wander on the banks of Qinghuai River all day, to do whatever I fancy all day.
After that...Well, I will try not to think about it now...This is my day to be jolly.
Since I have not been here for almost a month, I had better tell those of you who might take an interest what I have been doing with myself this past month.
The most interesting thing--to me at least--was the movie dubbing thing we did right before examation week. We formed teams by ourselves to do the voicing of a film of our choice. I took part in two groups. One is the Shrek set, that was not much fun. I went there only because all my roommates were there. My job on that set was to dub all the strange noises: Ow! Ouch! Fire in ze hole(with a German accent)! Gingy(with a French accent)! Pigs Und Blanket(again with a German accent)! O, Purty(with a Dakota accent)! Will you take my apologies and an old frog's blessing(with a aristocratic British accent)?
And then Heather and I found out we did not have much to say, which was quite distressing and a waste since we both speak such--allow my arrogance--flawless English, compared with the others of course. So we dicided to start a team of our own. We chose together a most fabulous film: Shakespeares' Much Ado About Nothing. I shall incert the part we did here presently. As my usual fate when there were not enough gentlemen around, I got to be the hero(Benedick in this case). But I like him well enough. He is loads of fun. His view is quite similiar to mine. Plus, he speaks in a British accent. I did my part with vigor, and was quite pleased with my performance. Perhaps I shall drop speech to do drama after I am finished with the contest.
Here is the part. I was Benedick and Ursulah, Heather Beatrice and Lord, the other parts were played by another of my roommate and two of the most hateful boys in the department.
Read carefully the first monologue Benedick spoke, it is astonishinly similar to my view on love and marriage.
Benedick: I do much wonder that one man seeing how much another man is fool when he dedicates his behavior to love, will after he hath laughed at such shallow follies in others becoming the argument of his own scorn by falling in love. (sigh) And such a man is Claudio. I have known when there is no music with him but the drum and the fife, and now he would rather hear the tabor and the pipe. I have known he would have walked ten mile afoot to see a good armor, and now he lie ten nights awake carving the fashion of a new doublet. He was wont to speak plain and to the purpose, like an honest man and a soldier. Now is he turned orthography. His words are a very fantastical banquet, just so many strange dishes. May I be so converted and see with these eyes? I cannot tell. I think not. I will not be sworn, but love may transform me to an oyster. By I’ll take my oath on it, till he hath made an oyster of me, he shall never make me such a fool. One woman is fair, yet I am well. Another is wise, yet I am well. Another, virtuous, yet I am well. But till all graces be in one woman, one woman shall not come in my grace. Rich she shall be, that’s certain. Wise, or I’ll none. Virtuous, or I’ll never cheapen her. Fair, or I’ll never look on her. Mild, or come not near me. Of good discourse. An excellent musician. And her hair…shall be…of what color it please God. Lord: (laugh in the distance) Benedick: Ha, the prince and Monsieur Love. I will hide me. Lord: See you where Benedick hath hid himself? Claudio: Very well my lord. Lord: Come Balthasar. We’ll hear that song again. Benedick: Hm..Now divine air. Now is his soul ravished! Is it not strange that sheeps’ guts should hale souls out of men’s bodies? (sigh)
(song) Lord: By my troth a good song. Balthasar: And an ill singer, my lord. Lord: No, no, faith, thou singest well enough. Benedick: Had he been a dog that should have howled thus, they’d have hanged him. Lord: (loudly) Come hither, Leonato. What was it you told me of today? That your niece Beatrice was in love with Signor Benedick? I did never think that lady would have loved any man. Leonato: No, nor I either. But most wonderful that she should so dote on Signor Benedick whom she hath with all outward behaviors seemed ever to abhor. Benedick: Is it possible? Lord: Maybe she doth but counterfeit. Claudio: Faith, like enough. Leonato: O, God! Counterfeit? There was never counterfeit of passion came so near to the life of passion as she discovers it. Lord: Why? What effects of passion shows she? Claudio: (in a whisper) Bait the hook well, the fish will bite. Leonato: What effects, my lord? You heard my daughter tell you how? Claudio: She did, indeed. Lord: How, I pray you? You amaze me! Leonato: (sigh) Benedick: I should think this a trick, but that the grey-bearded fellow speaks it. Lord: Hath she made her affection known to Benedick? Leonato: No, and swears she never will. That’s her torment. She’ll be up 20 times a night and there she’ll sit in her smock till she have writ a sheet of paper. Claudio: Then down upon her knees she falls, weeps, sobs, beats her heart, tears her hair, curses: “O Sweet Benedick, God give me patience!” Leonato: She doth indeed. My daughter says so. My daughter is sometime afeared that she will do a desperate outrage to herself. (Lord sighs) It is very true. It were good that Benedick knew of it. Claudio: To what end? He would make but a sport of it and torment the poor lady worse. Leonato: I am sorry for her. Lord: I pray you, tell Benedick of it, and hear what he will say. Leonato: Will it good, think you? Claudio: Hero think surely she will die, for she says she will die if he love her not, and she will die, ere he make her love known, and she will die, if he woo her. Lord: If she should make tender of her love, ‘tis very possible he’ll scorn it, for the man, as you know all, hath a contemptible spirit. Benedick: Ow! (imitation crows) --I imitated the crow remarkably well. Leonato: Ha ha ha… Lord: Ha ha ha…I love Benedick well, and I wish he would modestly examine himself to see how much he is unworthy… so good a lady. Leonato: My lord, will you walk? Dinner is ready. Lord: Yeah. Claudio: If he do not dote on her upon this, I will never trust my expectation. Lord: Let the same be spread on her, that must your daughter and her gentlewomen carry. Let us send Beatrice to call him in to dinner. (All three laughs)
Benedick: This can be no trick. The conference was sadly borne. They have the truth of this from Hero. Ha, ha, ha, ha! Love me? Why? It must be requited. I hear how I am censured. They say I will bear myself proudly if I perceive the love come from her. They say, too, that she will die than give any sign of affection. I did never think to marry. I must not seem proud. Happy are they that hear their detractions and can put them to mending. They say the lady’s fair, ‘tis a truth, I can bear witness. And virtuous, ‘tis so, I cannot reprove it. And wise, but for loving me. By my troth, it is no addition to her wit, nor no great argument of her folly, for I will be horribly in love with her. I may chance have some odd quirks and remnants of wit broken on me because I have railed so long against marriage. But doth not the appetite alter? A man loves the meat in his youth that he cannot endure in his age. Shall these quips and sentences and paper bullets of the brain awe a man from the career of his humor? No. The world must be peopled. When I said I would die a bachelor, I did not think I should live till I were married. Dear! Here comes Beatrice. By this day! She is a fair lady. I do spy some marks of love in her. Beatrice: Against my will I am sent to bid you come in to dinner. Benedick: Fair Beatrice. I thank you for your pains. Beatrice: I took no more pains for those thanks than you take pains to thank me. If it had been painful, I would not have come. Benedick: You take pleasure then, in the message? Beatrice: Yea. Just so much as you might take upon a knife’s point. Benedick: Ah ha ha ha (very silly) Beatrice: You have no stomach Signor? Fare you well. Benedick: Ha! “Against my will, I am sent to bid you come into dinner.” There’s a double meaning in that.
Ursulah: But are you sure that Benedick love Beatrice so entirely? Hero: So says the prince, and my new-trothed lord. Ursulah: And did they bid you tell her of it, Madam? Hero: They did entreat me to acquaint her of it. But I persuaded them, if they loved Benedick, to wish him wrestle with affection and never let Beatrice know. Ursulah: Why did you so? Doth he not deserve as full as fortunate a bed as Beatrice shall couch upon? Hero: Oh! God of Love! I know he doth deserve as much as may be yielded to a man. But nature never framed a woman’s heart of prouder stuff than that of Beatrice. Disdain and scorn ride sparkling in her eyes, misprising what they look on, and her wit values itself so highly that to her all matter else seems weak. She cannot love. Ursulah: Sure I think so. Yet tell her of it, hear what she will say. Hero: No. Rather I will go to Benedick, and counsel him to fight against his passion. Ursulah: Do not do your cousin such a wrong. She cannot be so much without true judgment having so swift and excellent a wit as she prize to have as to refuse so rare a gentleman as Signor Benedick. Hero: He is the only man of Italy. Always excepted my dear Claudio. Ursulah: When are you married, Madam? Hero: Why every day. Tomorrow! Ursulah: Ha ha ha ha. She’s limed, I warrant you. We have caught her, Madam. Hero: If it proves so, then loving goes by haps. Some Cupid kills with arrows, some with traps. (Two Laugh) Beatrice: What fire is in mine ears? Can this be true? Stand I condemned for pride and scorn so much? Contempt, farewell. And maiden pride, adieu. No glory lives behind the back of such. And Benedick, love on. I will requite thee. Taming my wild heart to thy loving hand. If thou dost love, my kindness shall incite thee to bind our loves up in a holy band. For others say thou dost deserve, and I believe it, better than reportingly.
Another happy thing, I got The Complete Mozart Edition, 180 discs! I could shoot myself with happiness. Along with the Complete Mozart Edition came the 7-disc The Art of Fritz Wunderlich. I have been listening to these discs nonstop these days. It is a treat to hear Fritz using his heavenly voice to chant Mozart's celestial tune. I am hopelessly in love with them both. I mean it literally.
And then there is the last minute cramming for exams, the feeling of freedom when they are finally finished, the enjoyment of packing, and the joy of leaving that horrible place for good. Well, not for good, but at least for one solid month. University is better than high school after all. |
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