趙嘏：聞笛 / The Flutist Heard from Afar

聞 笛 [唐] 趙嘏	The Flutist Heard from Afar Zhao Gu （AD 806-853 (？)）
誰家吹笛畫樓中， 斷續聲隨斷續風。 響遏行雲橫碧落， 清和冷月到簾櫳。 興來三弄有桓子， 賦就一篇懷馬融。 曲罷不知人在否？ 餘音嘹喨尚飄空。	Who’s playing the flute yonder In that painted tower, I wonder?
	On and off the tune’s wafting near As on and off the wind’s floating here; It soars high to the heavens, where the clouds no longer sail, And falls cool on my curtains, where the Moon shines pale.
	Then, the legend’ry Huan the flutist springs to mind, And Ma the poet, whose Ode to the Flute is the best I find.
	Now the melody’s o’er, who knows if the Muse’s still there While the strains in their echoes are lingering in the air?
	(Translated by Allen Zhuang)

碎畫 / Broken Paintings

碎畫 金雨田	Broken Paintings Jin Yu Tian
鷹，淩空，腳爪抓滿勁力，俯瞰，浩浩山河。徐徐開卷，悲鴻大師的墨魂，展翅而飛。	THE EAGLE hovered above the clouds, its mighty talons clenched and its eyes sweeping across the vast expanse of mountains and rivers below.  On its wings, the soul of the painting came to life as we gently unfolded the scroll by Xu Bei Hong, the late Chinese master artist.
啊！觀者都不禁發出同一個音調。紙，碎裂著，像葉子離開枝椏；木屑，灑脫脫，象塊塊沉淪的田畦。鷹眼如炬，硝煙年代睥睨大地的悲情。	“Ah!” – a gasp escaped all those present in one voice as the paper broke into bits – like leaves torn off twigs – while the wooden roller crumbled into scraps like ridges in the fields sinking asunder.  Yet the bird’s eyes shone like torches, casting sad compassion over a land enshrouded in gunpowder smoke.
這已是我們打開的第三張畫了，另兩幅，一匹仰天嘯馬，一幅壯士悲懷。開到第四卷時，才露出兩對翅膀的尖角，我們的手指再也挪不動了，時間靜止了。	This was the third scroll that we had opened.  The first depicted a horse neighing towards the sky, its head held high; the second showed a group of desperate warriors ready for the last battle.  But the fourth painting stopped short of displaying its full charm. When the tips of a pair of wings appeared, our fingers could not move any further.  Time seemed frozen then and there.
怕到底多少只鷹會羽毛散落在我們的無知好奇中。這些水墨畫，紙張因久燥而變得如斯脆弱不堪。叫我們怎麼忍得再畫幅打開呢！	Still more eagles, we feared, might shed their feathers or break their wings because of our ignorant curiosity.  After long years of dryness, the paper of those ink-and-wash paintings had become extremely brittle.  How could we have the heart to risk damaging more of them?
檀木箱裡，還睡著十多幅畫卷，睡，想是它們多少年沒見光了。而子孫，談起老祖母生前視鑲金花邊的黑褐箱子如珍寶不許人動的感情，就有如那蝴蝶鎖般，鎖住一幅幅都是徐大師的畫的謎一般。	Another dozen of scrolls were still slumbering in the ebony box – in dream, oblivious to light for untold years.  Their current owners recalled how their late grandmother had jealously guarded that dark brown, gold-laced box, forbidding anybody to touch it.  To them, her keen attachment for whatever kept inside was as mysterious as the butterfly-shaped padlock that had been securing Master Xu’s priceless works all the time.
	(Translated by Allen Zhuang)
[原載新加坡《聯合早報》(2000)；收入《不着地族 / A Lift-Off People》(潘正鐳著、Allen Zhuang 英譯；Singapore: All Publishing House, 2002)]

不信東風喚不回 / Regaining the Spring's Breeze

送春 [宋] 王令	A Farewell to Spring                         Wang Ling (AD 1032–1059)
三月殘花落更開， 小簷日日燕飛來； 子規夜半猶啼血， 不信東風喚不回。	Spring’s last month sees flowers fading,                                     they fall, again they bloom; And little eaves find Swallows arriving                                     daily back to their room. Into the midnight the Cuckoo wails,                                     weeping till she bleeds, Convinced her crying never fails                                     to regain the Spring’s breeze.
	(Translated by Allen Zhuang)

魚友 / A Fish Companion

魚友 金雨田	A Fish Companion   Jin Yu Tian
撈魚烹鮮，對我的新交邁來說，是個可驚又可喜的經歷。	FOR Mike, a new friend of mine, the “fish-of-your-choice dinner” was a shocking and yet pleasant experience.
東京友人招待大夥到海鮮館吃游水魚，入座前，侍者領我們到一個大魚缸前，魚兒們雖不眨眼，眼睜睜的穿石過草，在人工氣泡間倒也悠悠閑閑，不知禍之將至。	A buddy in Tokyo treated us to the dinner in a seafood restaurant.  Before seating us, the waiter led our group to a large fish-tank.  The fish there, with eyes staring wide, were plying leisurely to and fro amidst the little rocks and seaweed and through the artificial bubbles, ignorant of the imminent disaster for them.
來自亞細安的五個朋友都興高采烈地選了心目中的口欲對象回座，惟獨邁仍在魚缸前發呆。	In high spirits, the five of us from Southeast Asia picked a fish each as we pleased, and then took our seats.  Mike was left alone there, still in front of the fish-tank, apparently bewildered.
酒過三巡，我們都各自享用廚師妙藝下的魚香。邁的面前一盤大生菜，吃得不亦樂乎。洋人嘛，就這麼吃法。	After a few drinks, we were enjoying our individually ordered dish done with exquisite cuisine – except Mike, who was relishing a large plate of salad.  The way Westerners eat, we thought.
散席時，主人付了帳，侍者則提着一個不大不小的膠袋，哦，裏面有條魚！原來，邁看上了它，慈悲心起，不忍眼看活脫脫的它成為自己的腹中肉，只好撈鮮回家啦！	The dinner was over, and our host paid the bill.  Then, the waiter came with a medium-size plastic bag that contained – oh, a live fish in water!  It turned out that Mike had chosen his fish but, not having the heart to see the creature turn into his food, had decided to take it home alive instead.
聽說，這位留日洋學生，窄窄的宿舍裡，從此有條魚陪他讀書做功課！	Since then, I hear, the foreign student has had a fish companion in his small dormitory room during his studies in Japan. (Translated by Allen Zhuang)
[ 原載新加坡《聯合早報》(2000)；收入《不着地族 / A Lift-Off People》(潘正鐳著、Allen Zhuang 英譯；Singapore: All Publishing House, 2002) ]

高錕膺諾獎，香港宜自省(二) / Nobel Award should set off soul-searching in Hong Kong (2)

高錕膺諾獎，香港宜自省(二) 郭位	Nobel Award should set off soul-searching in Hong Kong (2) Way Kuo
科技提升社會福祉	Technology fosters social well-being
港人善於理財、精於盈利，無可厚非；然而僅此之圖，則生財之道略嫌單薄。本港的大學，在困難環境下排名不錯、成果有限；因政府扶持乏力，不少研究專利落入境外企業之手，大學科研成果與對香港的科研回饋脫節，未能為本港所利用。	Hongkongers have a flair for handling money, and the local economy is highly reliant on financial industry. Yet, an economy based on financial industry alone can hardly be a strong one. Hong Kong government has been sparing with funding for local universities’ research in science and technology. For lack of funds, many patented products born of local research efforts have ended up in the hands of enterprises outside of the territory rather than benefiting the local community.
說到利用科技成果，眾人往往只見產品可以謀利，未能了解科技發展對推動社會福利的長遠效果。 眾所周知，當前香港社會的貧富差距甚鉅，金融業、房地產業雖稱繁榮，鮮能直接造福大眾，而貧富分化，微弱的中產階級早成社會失衡的隱憂。 發展科技業，正好可以彌補產業結構單一的缺失，有助於改善社會生態，造福眾生。以香港金融業的建全基礎，對高科技的經營也必然能達事半功倍的效果。以台灣為例：台灣的高科技蓬勃發展，帶動了其他產業升級，催生了人數眾多的中產階級。	Talking of products born of research, people are apt to look at the monetary value the new inventions could reap from the market. Yet one should give greater emphasis to the social progress and long-term well-being for people that are boosted by advances in science and technology. Hong Kong is known for its wide rich-and-poor gap. The wealth generated in its thriving finance and real estate industries has failed to benefit the broad masses. Hong Kong is under threat from social unrest caused by the widening wealth gap coupled with a weakening middle class, which is worrying. One antidote to the tendency can be found in new-born high-tech industries, as shown in the success story of Taiwan in the past decades. The island’s hi-tech industries have brought about upgrades in other branches of economy and hence the steady growth of a strong middle class, which translates into higher income and better life for the general population.
香港政府最近推出發展六大產業的策略，其中包括創新科技。要大力扶持科技發展，就必須制定相關政策，引導投資，尤其是高科技及具有前瞻性領域的投資。除資源外，還須有眼光、魄力，拿出決心辦實事。 去年，美國正當金融風暴、財政困頓之時，反而大量加碼投資橡樹嶺國家實驗室的科研經費。此所以美國以科技立國屢創高峰的主因之一。 香港雖然錯失扶持高錕、就地發展光纖通訊的機會，但科技發展是日新月異的事業，不但當前有能源、環保等亟待解決的課題，今後還會出現今日尚無從預測的新興領域，如果肯投入，以港人的資質與完善的制度，香港還是有希望在金融之外再創榮景。	Hong Kong government has recently proposed to develop six key industries, including one of “innovative technology”. To bring that initiative to fruition, the authorities have to draw up policies and implement them to attract investment into hi-tech industries, particularly those with long-term potentials. Resources are indispensable, but more importantly the authorities must make up their mind for down-to-earth work. Our leaders may learn something from what the Americans are doing. Last year, despite the financial tsunami that badly hit the economy, the US government has greatly increased – not decreased – funding for research projects at the famous Oak Ridge National Laboratory. This highlights a striking feature of the mechanism for developing science and technology that has helped make the US a great power. True, Hong Kong missed a golden chance of making a profitable use of Kao’s great invention. Yet, fortunately science and technology never cease to advance. Today we are faced with such pressing issues as energy shortage and polluted environment that clamour for solution, while the future is yet to bring us new areas of science unpredictable today. With their intelligence and the helpful social milieu, so long as Hongkongers are willing to put in great efforts, their home city stands yet another good chance of achieving prosperity in more fields than just the financial industry.
反思	Soul-searching needed
高錕的諾貝爾獎，除印證了華人才智出眾之外，是否更帶給港人在教育與高科技投資上又一個反省的機會？	The Nobel Prize awarded to Prof Kao will be more meaningful to Hongkongers if it can trigger their soul-searching about topics of education and investment – into high technology. (Translated by Allen Zhuang)
參閱：高錕膺諾獎，香港宜自省(一) Also see: Nobel Award should set off soul-searching in Hong Kong (1)
[源文初載《明報》(2009-12-02)，作者署名“椅子”；復載於香港城市大學網頁之“校長網誌”(2010-04-22，有刪簡，附加英譯). / Source text was published in Ming Pao Daily (Dec 2, 2009), then posted along with an English version on “Way to Kuo Blog” of City University of Hong Kong website (2010-04-22). ]

高錕膺諾獎，香港宜自省 (一) / Nobel Award should set off soul-searching in Hong Kong (1)

高錕膺諾獎，香港宜自省(一) 郭位	Nobel Award should set off soul-searching in Hong Kong (1) Way Kuo
高錕獲2009年度諾貝爾物理學獎，在兩岸三地引起驚喜。內地認為，高錕獲獎證明華人對世界科學的貢獻，香港認為是港人的驕傲，台灣則因高錕為中研院1992年當選的院士而再次引為莫大榮耀。誠然，自從李政道、楊振寧1957年獲得諾貝爾物理學獎以來，華人科學家得獎者增至八名（李、楊之後的華人按獲獎時序依次為：丁肇中、李遠哲、朱棣文、崔琦、錢永健、高錕），畢竟是華人之光。此外，高錕以工程學科的專業得諾貝爾物理獎也屬少見。	The 2009 Nobel Prize in Physics awarded to Professor Charles Kuen Kao has brought a surprising joy to Greater China areas. People in mainland China see it as proof that the Chinese have contributed greatly to the world in science, those in Hong Kong take pride in having a Nobel laureate as their fellow Hongkonger, and the Taiwanese share the honour because the awardee has been a member of Academia Sinica in Taiwan since he was elected to it in 1992. In short, Prof Kao has won huge glory for all Chinese communities, having entered the honour roll of Nobelist-scientists of Chinese origin. Since Tsung-dao Lee and Chen-Ning Franklin Yang first won the prize in 1957, the list has now got eight names on it, including – in time sequence – Samuel C.C. Ting, Yuan-Tseh Lee, Steven Chu, Daniel Chee Tsui, Roger Yonchien Tsien, and Charles Kuen Kao himself. Besides, Prof Kao holds a rare status as one of the few technologists to earn Nobel Prize in Physics.
香港的驕傲與遺憾	Pride and regret for Hong Kong
香港人的興奮是基於高錕與香港的淵源：他少年來港，青年時代在香港，大學時代在英國求學、做研究，1970年應香港中文大學之邀創建電子學系，1987年起任中文大學校長約10年，對本港的教研有卓越貢獻。	Hongkongers feel excited because of Kao’s close ties with the territory, where he came at age 15 and spent much of his youthhood. After attending universities and then doing research in Britain, he returned to Hong Kong in 1970 at the invitation of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) to start a Department of Electronics. Then he served as Vice-Chancellor of CUHK from 1987 to 1996, making remarkable contributions to Hong Kong in education and research.
高錕是港人之光。但若問：高錕1966年發明光纖通訊後，如今光纖足跡遍佈全球及太空。然而自1970年始，港府何以未能及時給予扶持，在本港投資研發，令這項科技立足香港並發揚光大，則港人就恐怕自豪不起來了。	Surely, Hongkongers take pride in Kao also because his invention of optical fibre communication in 1966 has been doing wonders all over the Earth and in outer space as well. Yet, should they be asked how come Hong Kong didn’t offer the scientist timely support to help his invention blossom locally into an even greater enterprise and grow further, then they would probably feel less than proud.
與香港有淵源的諾貝爾獎得主，除高錕外還有崔琦；與香港有淵源的頂尖華人科學家，除高錕、崔琦外還有何大一、田長霖、朱經武、張立綱、王佑曾、卓以和、丘成桐等多人。吾人不妨進一步自問：這許多與香港有緣的科技千里馬，何以未能得遇伯樂而一展長才、縱情馳騁呢？何以他們近代的科研只容在西方發揚光大，根植西方的科技工業？	Likewise, other big names can be mentioned, who have similar ties with Hong Kong. Among them are Nobel laureate Daniel Chee Tsui, and such famous figures as David Ho, Chang-lin Tien, Paul Chu, Leroy L.Chang, Eugene Wong, Alfred Y.Cho, and Shing-Tung Yau. Hongkongers could ask themselves: How come these eminent scientists or technologists, while in Hong Kong, did not receive the help and support they well deserved so that they could give a fuller play to their talent and expertise? How come their work could blossom and flourish only in the West, taking root in Western technology-based industry?
華人的資質自然可以媲美世人，但優質高等教育、尤其是高等教育的研究尚未在本地及中國生根。以八位諾貝爾獎獲獎者為例，半數以上的本科都在西方大學畢業。此外，除了李遠哲在台灣清華大學獲得碩士學位外，所有得主的研究生涯，包括博士學位，皆在西方取得。所有人的研究成果也都成於西方，無一例外。如要真正推動社會經濟進步和科技發展，我們尚須重視研究，特別是問題驅動式的研究。	Certainly, the ethnic Chinese are no less endowed than any other people, yet to realize their full potential they need top-quality higher education – especially complete with research on higher education itself, which is yet to take root in Hong Kong and mainland China. Take the above-said ethnic Chinese Nobelists for example. More than half got their bachelor’s degrees in the West, and all of them had postgraduate education up to the doctoral level in the West, except Yuan-Tseh Lee, who earned his master’s degree in Taiwan from the National Tsing Hua University. Then, all of them, without exception, did their research in the West that led them to Nobel Prize. Also, in Chinese society, problem-driven research is yet to receive due emphasis before research work can help boost social-economic progress and advances in science and technology.
科技產業投資受輕視	Technology overlooked for investment
港人的慣性思維是將本求利，講究以小本博大利；風氣所及，本地尖子學生往往不願修讀理工科技，只鍾情金融財貿，以為後者獲利較高較快。此非年青學子之過、亦非青年學子之福，實乃上焉者作風保守未能了解高科技在現代世界中扮演的角色。與世界其他地區國家相比，如此輕理工獨重金融商業也屬罕見。 何況，若僅以獲利而論，科技的創利潛力最高。試想1970年高錕來港時，港府若能投資千萬港元作為研發推廣經費，將他的發明轉化為科技產品及相關服務，則本港有機會成為世界通訊之都，40年來將獲利逾億上兆。 再進一步，當年港府若能以光纖科技為引領，率先發展通訊軟硬件多項科技及周邊技術，如醫療器材、能源、運輸等產業，在香港建立高新科技開發園，則何須遲至今日還在提議發展創新科技等優勢產業？	Hongkongers are apt to look for a big profit on a small capital, and many are good at it. This has made many top-notch local students to flock into programmes in finance and business that promise high and quick returns while shunning studies in science and technology. The craving for one coupled with aversion to the other is rarely found elsewhere. This is not in the best interest of young Hongkongers, but they are not to blame. It is the fault of those in higher positions of influence, who fail to see the key role of science and technology in today’s world. In reality, potential returns from technology can be the highest. Just imagine what enormous profits could have been generated for Hong Kong if the authorities had given Prof Kao timely, ample support – say an investment of HK$10 million – to help turn his invention into hi-tech products and related services based in the territory. Then Hong Kong could have become a world-class hub of telecommunication, with the profits accumulated over the past 40-odd years approaching HK$ one billion. Suppose, moreover, Hong Kong government had then decided to further utilise the new-born optical fibre by taking the lead in developing various telecom hardware and software products giving rise to derivative technologies for use in fields of medical apparatuses, energy, and transport, or even by launching a science park in the territory. What great changes would then have been brought about in Hong Kong?
科技是高生產力的基石，高生產力帶來高利潤、高福利、高附加價值，這已是常識常理。精明的港府，何以多年來未能把眼光放遠一點？當年高錕應邀回到香港，在中文大學創建電子學系，固然是一項成就，但可惜大才小用，此後未能有更大作為。其時新加坡方立國數年，科技尚未起步；台灣的新竹科學園也遲至十年後才建立；韓國科技正做初期探討；日本也才開始推出高品質的汽車及半導體產業，然而如今各地的科技發展都遠遠走在香港前頭。 香港不須負擔國防預算，但香港對本地科技研發的資助僅佔本地生產總值（GDP）的0.8%，不但低於台灣、新加坡，而且遠低於中國內地。香港對科技的投入，可說是杯水車薪。長此以往，香港不但比不上北京、上海，甚至可能也落後於北鄰的深圳。 （待續）	It is now everybody’s knowledge that science and technology will push up productivity, bringing higher profits and additional value, and better welfare for society. Those in Hong Kong government, being smart and sensible, ought to have taken a longer view of scientist Kao’s potentialities beyond his launching of a new Department of Electronics at CUHK, which makes only a small part of his achievements. At that time, Singapore was still too young a new-born nation to care about science or technology, Taiwan was yet to take another decade before its Hsin-Chu Science Park was launched, South Korea was in its early years of growth in technology, and Japan was just beginning to turn out high-quality automobiles and semiconductor products. Yet all of these places today are way ahead of Hong Kong in science and technology. Hong Kong’s public funding for science and technology accounts for a mere 0.8 per cent of the local GDP, even though the territory bears no burden of national defence expenditure. That meagre percentage compares poorly with that in Taiwan or Singapore, or even that in mainland China. Hong Kong’s investment in science and technology is utterly inadequate. Should this situation be allowed to go on unimproved, Hong Kong is very likely to lag behind places like Beijing and Shanghai, or even behind Shenzhen, its close neighbour to the north. (Translated by Allen Zhuang) (To be continued)
參閱：高錕膺諾獎，香港宜自省（二） Also see: Nobel Award should set off soul-searching in Hong Kong (2) [源文初載《明報》(2009-12-02)，作者署名“椅子”；復載於香港城市大學網頁之“校長網誌”(2010-04-22，有刪簡，附加英譯). / Source text was published in Ming Pao Daily (Dec 2, 2009), then posted along with an English version on “Way to Kuo Blog” of City University of Hong Kong website (2010-04-22). ]