2009年10月23日星期五
那些先来的人,请举手!
2009年10月22日星期四
《羅莉塔》小说封面设计比赛
《羅莉塔》(Lolita),又譯為《洛莉塔》、是俄羅斯裔美國作家弗拉基米爾·納博可夫(Vladimir Nabokov)在1955年發表的成名小說。
注意:下文中包含记述作品情节的段落,或許會降低欣赏原作的興致。
小說描述一位從法國移民美國的中年男子杭柏·杭柏特(Humbert Humbert)在少年时期,与一14岁的少女安娜貝兒发生了一段初恋,最後安娜貝兒因傷寒而早夭,造就了杭伯特的戀童癖(The child I love),他將「小妖精」定義為「九到十四歲」。杭柏特最先被一名富有的寡婦拋棄,後來又迷戀上女房東Charlotte Haze的12歲女兒羅莉塔(Lolita),亲呼她为小妖精。
羅莉塔恣意的挑逗杭伯特,使得杭伯特無法自拔,為了親近這名早熟、熱情的小女孩,杭柏特娶女房東為妻,成為羅莉塔的繼父,他利用零用錢、美麗的衣飾等小女孩會喜歡的東西來控制羅莉塔。小說中的女孩原名桃樂莉·海茲(Dolores Haze),西班牙文發音的小名為羅莉塔(Lolita)或羅(Lo),因此作為書名。後來女房東發現自己的丈夫與女兒的不倫之戀,一時氣瘋往外跑,被車子撞死。杭柏特將羅莉塔從夏令营接出来一起旅行,两人盡情的缠绵。羅莉塔長大後,開始討厭繼父,她意識到「即使是最可悲的家庭生活也比這種亂倫狀況好」。於是她開始跟年紀相當的男孩子交往,並藉著一次旅行的機會脫離繼父的掌握,使得杭柏特一直無法尋獲。
一日杭柏特收到羅莉塔的来信,信上说她已經结婚,并怀孕了,需要繼父的金钱援助。杭柏特給了她400美元現金和2500美元的支票還有把屋子賣了買家先付的10000美元跟房子的契約,羅莉塔向他介紹自己的丈夫奎迪。羅莉塔拒绝了杭柏特再续前缘的要求,杭柏特伤心欲绝,他枪杀了那個帶走羅莉塔的剧作家奎爾弟(作品中被女主角認為是東方天才哲學家),1950年杭柏特因血栓病死於獄中。十七歲的羅莉塔則因難產而死。
由於納波科夫是第一位以戀童癖題材作為主軸撰寫並公開小說的作家,作品在上市初期飽受抨擊,大多數的人稱這部為一本骯髒下流的色情小說,但也成為後世公認的此類作品之經典。
近来有人举办了一个《羅莉塔》小说的封面设计比赛。其中一幅得奬作品来自新加坡。
LOLITA COVER CONTEST
In judging the submissions I tended to avoid lingerie, lollipops, roses, hearts, lipstick prints, butterflies, heart shaped sunglasses, and overtly sexual poses (as well as the unexpected recurring themes of swings and Rorschach blots) which by now have been indelibly linked to the cultural concept “Lolita” if not the novel itself. It’s important to keep in mind that the novel may be considered a love story, but it’s not Lolita who is in love. And, of course, well beyond that one can explore the brutality and humor of the novel, the beauty of the prose and the cleverness of the wordplay. This is a tall order for a book cover, and of necessity draconian choices must be made. I was able to narrow my selection to fifteen or so covers, from which I chose four that were conceptually quite different but all excellent. Keep in mind that any of these could have been first place covers.more from Crikey here.
2009年10月14日星期三
有人忘了“百年树人”吗?- 评早报社论以及韩山元的怪论
2009年10月7日星期三
海湾产油国正计划终止使用美元进行石油交易
(综合讯)有报道指,海湾产油国正在与中俄日法等国家秘密会谈,商议以一揽子货币取代美元,作为石油交易结算货币。
路透社报道说,英国《独立报》著名驻中东记者菲斯克(Robert Fisk)引述来自海湾国家以及香港中资银行的消息,作出了上述报道。报道传出后,美元应声走软。
菲斯克表示,有关方案涉及原油的交易,做法是成立一揽子的结算货币,当中包括日元、人民币、欧元、黄金以及一种海湾地区国家拟推出的联合新货币。
该种新货币将为海湾合作委员会成员国的联合货币,有关成员国包括沙特、阿布扎比、科威特、卡塔尔等。
菲斯克指,参与上述秘密会谈的,包括中国、俄罗斯、日本、巴西的财金官员,另外法国也有参与;并指美国政府也知道有这些会议的存在,但华府并未发现其具体内容。
报导:阿拉伯产油国正计划终止使用美元进行石油交易
http://finance.QQ.com 2009年10月06日 外汇宝网
A graphic illustration of the new world order, Arab states have launched secret moves with China, Russia and France to stop using the US currency for oil trading.
Robert Fisk in The Independent:
In the most profound financial change in recent Middle East history, Gulf Arabs are planning – along with China, Russia, Japan and France – to end dollar dealings for oil, moving instead to a basket of currencies including the Japanese yen and Chinese yuan, the euro, gold and a new, unified currency planned for nations in the Gulf Co-operation Council, including Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait and Qatar.
Secret meetings have already been held by finance ministers and central bank governors in Russia, China, Japan and Brazil to work on the scheme, which will mean that oil will no longer be priced in dollars.
The plans, confirmed to The Independent by both Gulf Arab and Chinese banking sources in Hong Kong, may help to explain the sudden rise in gold prices, but it also augurs an extraordinary transition from dollar markets within nine years.
More here
SELF-DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIOR IN CELLS MAY HOLD KEY TO A LONGER LIFE
Carl Zimmer in The New York Times:
Deep down, we are all cannibals. Our cells are perpetually devouring themselves, shredding their own complex molecules to pieces and recycling them for new parts. Many of the details of our endless self-destruction have come to light only in the past few years. And to the surprise of many scientists, links are now emerging between this inner cannibalism and diseases likeAlzheimer’s disease and cancer.More :here.
“There’s been an explosion,” said Daniel Klionsky of theUniversity of Michigan. “All of a sudden, researchers in different fields are seeing a connection.” In fact, as Dr. Klionsky wrote in a paper published online in Trends in Cell Biology, this cannibalism may extend our lifespan. Increasing our body’s ability to self-destruct may, paradoxically, let us live longer. Our cells build two kinds of recycling factories. One kind, known as the proteasome, is a tiny cluster of proteins. It slurps up individual proteins like a child sucking a piece of spaghetti. Once inside the proteasome, the protein is chopped up into its building blocks.
研究称英国学生在英语水平上不如外国学生
人类只是地球第六大物种
台湾《中国时报》报道,讲述改变了地球的100大物种的新书《地球演化了什么?》(What on Earth Evolved?)认为人类只是地球第六大物种,第一大物种是蚯蚓。第二是供应氧气给其他生物的海藻,第三至第五名依次是蓝绿藻(Cyanocacteria)、根瘤菌(Rhizobia)和乳酸菌(Lactobacilus),智人排名第六,第七至第十名分别是石珊瑚、酵母菌、感冒病毒和青霉菌。作者Christopher Lloyd说,他的排名系根据物种的生存时间长短、对地球的影响、演化的成功程度和地理环境的散布等多项标决定。蚯蚓存在六亿年,遍布地球各角落,为包括人类在内的许多物种提供了基本的生物模范。而人类在地球生存才十六万年,相较于蚯蚓,人类对地球环境的影响相对短浅。他强调这本书旨在让大家看清人类依赖蚯蚓和名单上所有其他物种才能生存。
2009年10月5日星期一
THERE ARE 237 REASONS WHY WOMEN HAVE SEX
Tanya Gold in The Guardian:More here.
Do you want to know why women have sex with men with tiny little feet? I am stroking a book called Why Women Have Sex. It is by Cindy Meston, a clinical psychologist, and David Buss, an evolutionary psychologist. It is a very thick, bulging book. I've never really wondered Why Women Have Sex. But after years of not asking the question, the answer is splayed before me.
Meston and Buss have interviewed 1,006 women from all over the world about their sexual motivation, and in doing so they have identified 237 different reasons why women have sex. Not 235. Not 236. But 237. And what are they? From the reams of confessions, it emerges that women have sex for physical, emotional and material reasons; to boost their self-esteem, to keep their lovers, or because they are raped or coerced. Love? That's just a song. We are among the bad apes now.
2009年10月1日星期四
WHY I SLEPT WITH 1300 WOMEN
Sebastian Horseley in Open
I remember the first time I had sex—I still have the receipt. The girl was alive, as far as I could tell, she was warm and she was better than nothing. She cost me £20.
I was 16 then and I’m 47 now. I have spent 25 years throwing my money and heart at tarts. I have slept with every nationality in every position in every country. From high-class call girls at £1,000 a pop to the meat-rack girls of Soho at £15, I have probably slept with more than 1,300 prostitutes, at a cost of £115,000.
I am a connoisseur of prostitution: I can take its bouquet, taste it, roll it around my mouth, give you the vintage. I have used brothels, saunas, private homes from the Internet and ordered girls to my flat prompt as pizza. While we are on the subject, I have also run a brothel. And I have been a male escort. I wish I was more ashamed. But I’m not. I love prostitutes and everything about them. And I care about them so much I don’t want them to be made legal.
More here