1963 年,希爾弗斯坦第一本繪本《一隻向後開槍的獅子:拉夫卡迪歐》問 世,大人小孩都不約而同愛上這隻人模人樣、愛吃棉花糖、向後開槍也從不失誤 的獅子拉夫卡迪歐。這部繪本也是則童話,擬人化的寫法讓動物增添了親切感與 奇幻色彩;它更像是意味深長的生命寓言,每一個轉角處都有值得省思的議題。
比人類還要多愁善感的拉夫卡迪歐,像是喬治·歐威爾(George Orwell,1903-
1950)筆下的雪球,儘管《動物農莊》90聚焦在對俄國共產主義的批判,但殊途 同歸的結局是--拉夫卡迪歐和雪球一樣,在故事的結尾再也分不清楚自己是 誰?
希爾弗斯坦書寫動物的態度,不僅透過動物的可愛來拉近與孩子的距離,更 多的是藉此來反思人們與動物相處的方式,尤其當獅子拉夫卡迪歐準備在草原上 狩獵時,連讀者也開始躁動了。從繪本到詩集,俯拾皆是作者對自然與動物的關 愛、動物與人類之間互動所演繹出的瘋狂奇想,以及環保意識與生命教育,每每 都像是一個小石子,看似不經意丟進讀者的心中,卻能夠實質的引起迴響與反省 的漣漪。本節便從「與寵物共舞」、「動物狂想曲」、「火雞的立場」等面向析論 之。
一、與寵物共舞
寵物是家人,是家庭相簿中的溫馨元素,是回憶中極具分量的一員,回想那 一段愛犬的〈小便訓練〉(“HOUSEBROKEN”)91(圖 4-4-1)時光,爸爸和爸爸 手上的報紙印象最深刻,乖巧的狗狗總能確實瞄準報紙,完成小便訓練。「你訓 練牠方便在報紙上?好的。但是,請讓我先看完」。握著溼答答的報紙的爸爸好 無奈,與寵物共舞總是有著無人意外的驚喜。
HOUSEBROKEN The puppy’s housebroken at last?
Lord only knows he was needin’ it.
You’ve trained him to go On the newspaper?Fine.
But please--not while I’mreadin’ it.
圖 4-4-1:“HOUSEBROKEN”, Every Thing on It, p. 90-91.
狗是人類最忠實的夥伴,對於家的防衛總是滴水不漏,特別是在狂歡的聖誕 夜,宵小最容易趁虛而入,在〈耶誕節與狗〉(“CHRISTMAS DOG”)92(圖 4-4-2)中,那隻狗盡責的表現簡直可圈可點,溫馨聖誕節因為牠而沸騰,跨頁中飛 奔著的兩個身影,連貫而絕妙的律動感,盡忠的狗兒最赤誠的旁白(詩句):
「有人爬下煙囪來了嗎?一個留鬍子的小偷--帶著一個大布袋想搶這個家?我 又叫又吼,我還要他的靴子。他痛叫失聲,拎著他的布袋跑」。狗兒開心的守住 聖誕樹,盡忠的程度連被趕走的聖誕老公公都驚嘆連連。
91謝爾·希爾弗斯坦,鄭小芸譯,〈小便訓練〉,《每一種料都加》,臺北市:玉山社,2012,頁 90-91。
CHRISTMAS DOG Tonight’s my first night as a watchdog,
And here it is Christmas Eve.
The children are sleepin’ all cozy upstairs, While I’m guardin’ the stockin’s and tree.
What’s that now–footsteps on the rooftop?
Could it be a cat or a mouse?
Who’s this down the chimney?
A thief with a beard–
And a big sack for robbin’ the house?
I’m barkin’ I’m growlin’ I’m bittin’ his butt.
(…)
The stockin’s are safe as can be.
Won’t the kiddies be glad when they wake up tomorrow
And see how I’ve guarded the tree.
圖 4-4-2:“CHRISTMAS DOG”, Falling Up, p. 133.
二、動物狂想曲
聽一首動物狂想曲,驚喜總是源源不絕,來自孟菲斯,喜歡〈研究研究〉
(“INVESTIGATING”)93(圖4-4-3)關於「大象的尾巴是如何從大象的屁股纏 繞出來的」,秀爾教授,認真研究後領略了這份「驚喜」,他的備忘錄上已經記 下:「再也不敢做大象尾巴的研究」(當我們近距離做研究,常常會發生出乎意料 的事)。
INVESTIGATING Professor Shore, from MemphisState,
decided to investigate
just how theelephant’stailwas tied Onto the elephant’s leathery hide.
Well,whilehewas investigating, Something happened, so nauseating
And so disgusting that I fear it Just might make you sick to hear it.
So let’s just say Professor Shore Doesn’tinvestigatetails no more.
(you’ll find the surprises happen mostly when we investigate too closely.)
圖 4-4-3:“INVESTIGATING”, Every Thing on It, p. 102-103.
研究斑馬似乎安全多了,尤其是關在動物園柵欄裡的斑馬,但如果你要和斑 馬討論:「你是黑底加白條紋呢?還是白底加黑條紋?」這樣的問題肯定會激怒 牠,牠會沒完沒了的反問一大堆讓人措手不及的問題,像是「你是有壞習慣的好 小孩呢?還是有好習慣的壞小孩?你是偶而安分愛吵鬧的小孩呢?還是偶而吵鬧 很安分的小孩?」看看那隻〈問題斑馬〉(“ZEBRA QUESTION”)94(圖4-4-4)
齜牙咧嘴的怒氣,沒有人敢再問斑馬關於條紋的問題了。
ZEBRA QUESTION I asked the Zebra,
Are you black with white stripes?
Or white with black stripes?
And the zebra asked me, Are you good with bad habits?
Or are you bad with good habits?
Are you noisy with quiet times?
Or are you quiet with noisy times?
(…)
I'll never ask a zebra About stripes
Again.
圖 4-4-4:“ZEBRA QUESTION”, A Light in the Attic, p. 125.
動物狂想曲,奔放且狂野,尤其那些餓過頭的動物們最瘋狂,看看魔術師希 比雅慘不忍睹的下場就能明白;如果你錯過〈魔術師希比雅的最後一場秀〉
(“SYBIL THE MAGICIAN’S LAST SHOW”)95(圖 4-4-5),也只能抱憾,不會 加映、安可也沒用,因為希比雅企圖從帽子中拉出兔子的瞬間,反而被拉進帽子 裡,希比雅瞬間消失引來滿堂喝采,當觀眾在誇讚「這是我們看過最棒的表演」
時,帽子裡傳來啃骨頭的響聲,這都是因為希比雅疏忽餵食紅蘿蔔的緣故,飢餓 兔子的反擊空前絕後,希比雅根本招架不了。
SYBIL THE MAGICIAN’S LAST SHOW Magical Sybil was much too cheap
To buy her rabbit a carrot.
He grew so thin, just bones and skin, So starved he couldn’t bear it– – And so, as she reached into her hat To grab him by the ears,
She felt a tug, she felt a pull, And WHAP– – she disappeared,
“The greatest act we’ve ever seen,”
We cheered for Magical Sybil.
But all that remained was a hat and a cape And the sound of a bunny
Goin’, “Nibble…nibble…nibble.”
圖 4-4-5:“SYBIL THE MAGICIAN’S LAST SHOW”, Falling Up, p. 66.
三、火雞的立場
〈觀人園〉(“PEOPLE ZOO”)97(圖4-4-6)或許更合宜,將人關在小到不能再 小的籠子裡,上面掛著「小孩請勿餵食」的警示牌,「享受」兩點三十分送來的 麵包和茶,接受動物們指指點點、吐口水,如果你也認為這樣的待遇太不堪,那 麼來「觀人園」參觀時請小心,作者警告讀者一定要假裝自己是動物,叫囂、亂 吼、學牛叫都好,避免被認出是人類,關進另一個觀人園的牢籠。
PEOPLE ZOO I got grabbed by the elk and the caribou.
They tied me up with vine lassoo And whisked me away to Animaloo, Where they locked me up in the People Zoo.
Now I’m here in a cage that is small as can be ,
(…)
So if you come visit, just howl, honk, or moo
And try to pretend you’re an animal, too.
‘Cause if you’re a person, they’ll throw you into
Cage Two of the zoo here in Animaloo.
圖 4-4-6:“PEOPLE ZOO”, Falling Up, p. 80.
希爾弗斯坦關愛動物的立場鮮明,他是素食主義者,也撻伐人類因為私慾而
子裏(……)」人類融化了北極,北極熊只好霸佔人類的冰箱。
IN HER…
IN her long mink coat And her buckskin pants And her lizard-skin boots With the rattlesnake bands And her beaver hat
With the raccoon iails We heard her shouiin’…
圖 4-4-7:“IN HER…”, Every Thing on It, p. 104.
BEAR IN THERE There's a polar bear
In our Frigidaire-
He likes it 'cause it's cold in there.
With his seat in the meat And his face in the fish And his big hairy paws In the buttery dish,
He's nibbling the noodles, He's munching the rice,
He's slurping the soda, He's licking the ice.
And he lets out a roar If you open the door.
And it gives me a scare To know he's in there- That polary bear In our Fridgity daire.
圖 4-4-8:“BEAR IN THERE”, A Light in the Attic, p. 47.
第伍章 謝爾.希爾弗斯坦的穿梭遊戲
翻閱希爾弗斯坦的作品,除了享受「詩書畫共舞」的美妙外,另一種驚喜便 是從中發現「穿梭」的足跡,筆者在此章中所歸納的穿梭,有作者精心布局的角 色換位,不同作品的角色,從這一冊飛越至另一冊,跨越時空亮相;有作者將筆 觸探入經典童話,將現實元素互文童話角色的有趣亂入。從敘事角度而言,有著 奇幻作品中的穿越身影,角色在作品間游移,且毫無違和的與不同的作品融於一 爐;就閱讀的視覺感官來說,忽然窺見「穿梭」而來的熟悉面孔,霸氣在此插 旗,是另一種意外的驚喜。作家將意猶未盡的想像延伸到另一個作品中,除了讓 創作靈感接軌,也鮮明的貫徹了作品的特色。筆者於此節中,將就「瘋狂的角色 穿梭」、「一腳踩進童話裡」,析論希爾弗斯坦作品中,「互文」100的遊戲軌跡。