昔日文章

史法像所有的蝸牛一樣，行動緩慢。但牠卻不像其他蝸牛，牠可是非常愛冒險的。 像很多冒險家一樣，牠有時候也會做些愚蠢的事。例如走上一輛飛機。 史法住在一個大機場跑道邊緣蓬亂的草叢裡。位於深草叢中的牠， 看不到任何飛機在牠的家園附近升降，但牠能夠聽到飛機的聲音。 牠很多時候都在想，牠要看看是甚麼東西弄出這麼大的聲音，每十分鐘、每一小時如是。牠十分好奇，這就是冒險家的本性。一個夏天的早上，他滑出草叢外的跑道邊緣，出發去看看那是甚麼東西。一個小時之後，史法走了兩米，到了中午，牠走到了機場跑道的中央。 嘈雜的聲音比之前大多了，而牠的腳也感到地下在震動了！（蝸牛的底部就是牠們的腳）。 突然，一聲可怕的巨響在牠身邊響起，史法停住了腳步，幸好牠這樣做，因為一隻飛機的巨大輪子，正颼颼在牠身旁擦過，差一點兒就撞上了。「那究竟是甚麼呢？」史法好奇地問自己。 「儘管現在我不知道，但我總會知道的。」冒險家史法說。接著牠便跟著那個聲音消失的方向走去，留下牠發出微光的黏液在夕陽之中。幸運地（當你冒險的時候你需要運氣），那隻飛機掉頭並且滑到牠的前方，讓乘客下機。這樣一來，史法只需要用多一、兩個小時便能到達那飛機了。 其實，牠是走到一個車輪旁，牠並不知道那是一個飛機的輪胎。牠也不知道那個橡膠山是一個輪胎。牠只是知道牠很有決心，就像所有的冒險家一樣，很想知道更多答案。 慢慢地，史法開始攀爬。牠爬到輪胎的一邊，再爬到輪胎的最高處，接著便爬到另一邊再爬回地上，回到了一個小時之前牠開始的地方。在輪胎的四周，是一道由蝸牛所分泌的黏液的痕跡。 盧爾琛 沙田循道衛理中學 中三

  不少美國主流商業電影導演認為拍片有三難，因而有三忌：一是兒童、二是動物、三是大海。 近十年，唯一一位兩度獲得威尼斯導演金獅獎、兩度獲柏林影展導演金熊獎、兩度奪取奧斯卡金像獎最佳導演獎的華人導演李安，在拍《少年Pi的奇幻漂流》（Life of Pi）時，卻能克服三難，化忌為宜。 在荷李活有規定，只要拍攝動物與人互動的戲，一定要用布偶或特技，不能用真的動物。三百條飛魚從海面上躍起，直撲少年Pi和老虎； 殘忍狡猾的鬣狗一口咬向受傷的斑馬，轉頭攻擊紅毛猩猩時被一巴掌打中；在九十分鐘的海上漂流中，少年Pi與老虎鬥法……等等情節，李安處理得宜，鏡頭緊張驚險而不殘暴。 英美主流童書作者創作動物故事，亦有三忌：一忌虐待動物。西方童書出版界有不名文規定，動物故事不能有渲染或虐待動物的情節。 二是忌渲染暴力。在動物故事中，若作者單從動物的真實角度去描寫人獸爭鬥，一不小心會弄至血肉橫飛，變成「暴力文學」。 三是忌濫情。有些作者寫擬人化的動物故事，往往把毛茸茸的動物寫成可愛有加，而滑溜不能抱在懷裡的動物則成為壞動物；前者得到萬般寵愛，後者則被大加鞭撻，結果淪為過渡濫情，遠離事實，對兒童讀者造成一種負面影響。 在英語童書世界，狄克．金史密夫（Dick King - Smith）以其可愛的農場動物故事，為西方十二歲以下的童書書單生色不少。 在鄉郊務農二十年，金史密夫的動物故事不但遠離寫作動物故事的三忌，還能獨闢蹊徑，樹立寫作動物故事的三宜。 一宜寫田園鄉郊，讓兒童藉此嚮往田園生活，親近動物。金史密夫一九七八年成名作《捉狐者》（The Fox - Buster），描寫住在「狐地農場」裡的三隻小雞，跟隨公雞的領導，在草坑、糞堆上戰鬥，殲滅可怕的狐狸敵人，一如一九四零年受德軍圍攻的英國，向敵人宣示： 「我們永不投降！」其背境是英國小溪、山谷和濃密樹林，深受小朋友喜愛。 二宜啟發兒童同理心。金史密夫不但了解和熟悉動物，也熱愛動物，其故事善於強調動物某些特徵或特性，讓兒童容易明白，產生共鳴。 《小象寶寶》（Poppet）就捕捉了大象害怕老鼠的特性，創作出兩種動物最後成為好朋友的生動故事。 麥凱琳同學有首章翻譯推介，值得一讀。 三宜啟動兒童的好奇心。金史密夫所寫動物故事，其情節並不平淡無奇，但亦不驚嚇駭人，往往在歷險中，讓讀者體會他確是一名「動物冒險故事高手」。 《蝸牛歷險記》（T h e A d v e n t u r o u s Snail），小蝸牛由英國流落至美國，碰上大使和總統，經歷生動有趣。 盧爾琛同學翻譯了本書首章數段，小蝸牛形象躍然紙上，值得一讀。  

"Oxbridge" is a term that refers to the two prestigious（著名的） universities in the United Kingdom - the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge. They are the first and the second oldest universities in the English-speaking world with over 800 years of history.  There is a long history of rivalry（競爭）between the two universities. Apart from competing for university rankings, the two universities also compete in sports competitions like the annual Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race.  Both universities have a lot of colleges with very beautiful architecture and they were featured in a lot of movies and literature. For example, the design of the Great Hall in the Harry Potter movies was inspired by the dining hall of Christ Church College in Oxford. The famous childhood story Alice in Wonderland is also based on real locations and characters in Oxford! What's more, the romantic Chinese poet Xu Zhimo （徐志摩）, an alumnus（男校友）of the University of Cambridge, wrote a famous poem called " Saying Good-bye to Cambridge Again" （〈再別康橋〉）.  Last October, I had the opportunity to visit Cambridge. It was a very lovely town with really beautiful buildings. I joined a guided punting （撐篙）tour along River Cam during which a student told us the stories and history of Cambridge. It was really enjoyable.  I would love to visit Oxford some day! 

This month the news of the new Pope drew the global attention through media. You may have known that the Inauguration Mass （就職彌撒） of Pope Francis was celebrated in St. Peter’s Square, Vatican on March 19, 2013. A crowd of nearly 200,000 people attended.  Do you know who is the first pope? In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus said to Peter, “you are a rock, and on this rock foundation I will build my church, and not even death will ever be able to overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven.” (Mt. 16:18-19) Jesus affirmed Peter’s faith by telling Peter that he would have a special role in history. He charged Peter to feed his lambs and his sheep, therefore St. Peter became the first pope. St. Peter and all the popes that followed him are the spiritual leaders and highest authority of the Church.  Pope i s the Bi shop of Rome and Successor of St. Peter（教宗是羅馬主教和聖伯多祿繼承人）, for that he received the ring of Peter the Fisherman（漁夫戒指）. He is al so God’s ser vant , the Shepherd of Catholics, and Pastor of the Universal Church （普世教會的牧者）, confirming them in the unity of faith, through doctrine and in charity （藉著信理和仁愛在信德內共融）. He and the Apostle Paul were fathers in faith.  Pope Francis is the first Jesuit, the first Latin American and the first Pope Francis. The name Francis he took came from St. Francis of Assisi, a saint well-known for leading a life of poverty and simplicity. “True power is service. The Pope must serve all people, especially the poor, the weak, the vulnerable.” Pope Francis said after his installation on Twitter.  “Yet Christ remains the centre, not the Successors of Peter”, Pope Francis said when he met the media on March 16, “ Christ is the heart of the Church. Without him, Peter and the Church would not exist or have reason to exist. Christ is present in Church and guides her.”