午夜的天堂酒吧

英文，是不是一種自大的語言？

回國後工作相當繁忙，感冒一直沒辦法完全康復
好不容易咳嗽止住了，卻因為星期六一整天教課的關係
我的聲帶已經撐不住了，星期一上班時幾乎完全說不出話來
因為沒辦法說話，所以只好聆聽別人說話


我自己相當愛講話，講話速度也快
也許這是我適合當老師的原因
所以當我不能講話時，感覺是蠻痛苦的
不過，這卻讓我有機會重新檢視我自己的思考應對模式


我一直以為我是很客觀的人
可是當我不能說話的時候
才發現，人只要一開口說話，就很難客觀
因為人在說話的時候，尤其是回應別人的話
腦中的思路幾乎都會自動以自我為出發點
尤其當反應的時間越短時，情況會越明顯
所以難怪在吵架時所說出的話常常會讓人後悔


記得曾經讀過有人批評英文是相當自大且充滿性別歧視的語言
因為不僅很多英文單字是以陽性字串所演變而來
連「我」這個人稱代名詞都一定要用大寫的「I」
我以前也對這樣的觀點深信不移
但是，也許英文只是反映出人在說話時的基本思考模式
語言本身並沒有罪，錯的是使用它的人


點播的是En Vogue首張專輯中的單曲Lies
結合狂野的歌聲和冶艷的外表成功塑造funky divas形象
讓她們首張專輯Born To Sing發行即一鳴驚人
首支單曲Hold On登上R&B單曲榜冠軍和流行單曲榜亞軍
接下來的Lies和You Don't Have To Worry也都奪下R&B單曲榜冠軍
在Lies這首歌當中，提到人們如何玩弄文字遊戲來達到欺騙的行為
謊言雖然不痛不癢，所造成的內心創傷卻遠比肉體之傷要難以痊癒


有一個當國文老師的朋友曾跟我提過
他不喜歡說話，因為他覺得，說太多，會忘了用心去感受
這邊我想節錄他的文章中提到一段紀伯倫說過的話：
「當你不能與你的思想和平共處時，你才說話。
當你不能居住於你內心的寂靜，你便靠嘴生活，聲音是一種解悶的消遣。
在你大部分的談論中，思想已經被扼殺了一半，
因為思想是鳥，即使在語言的牢籠裡展翅，也無法飛翔。」


也許我是因為不甘寂寞，所以把聲音當作是解悶的消遣
只是，我卻像隻作繭自縛的鳥，把自己困在牢籠裡
只能一直呻吟自己的寂寞，卻永遠無法逃出



En Vogue – Lies


Lies, lies, using lies as alibis
Lies, lies, just a devil in disguise


It's the same game
Played in so many ways
Everyone is the victim too
It's just a waste of time
Made for simple minds
So why do people insist on lies


I'll give my life a different way
Refuse to let myself become a victim
Getting caught you in a vicious web of lies, they can hurt you
And destroy you, you watch out for lies, just a devil in disguise


The nation's leaders as well as teachers
Practice lies as a way of lie, yes they do
So think before you speak
Cause what you sow you reap


The truth will always come to light
Will we ever learn one day
That telling lies always bring to matters
Misery and sometimes pain


Lies and deceit
Yes it's running real rampant
Communities suffering, yo I can't stand it
When we think of lies we tend to think of politicians
But what about the husband who's on a mission
Lying to his wife so he can get it on and get some
Coming back home with a dumb expression
Written on a face that he's guilty as a criminal
It's time to change your attitude
People do you hear me, don't listen
To a funky rhyme that's kickin' knowledge that we need
We lie about our hair
And we know we got a weave
Politicians lie about the things they're gonna do
And everybody's tale affects me and you
A smoker lies about the money that he stole
And a dope dealer never tells you how he got his gold
I guess what Debbie T. is really trying to say
When you break it all down we're all the same


I'll live my life a different way
Refuse to let myself be caught up
In a vicious web of lies




2004/05/31