tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71625440988168814492023-11-16T11:41:11.532-05:00Silkworms 蚕Silkwormshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00262059864845801608noreply@blogger.comBlogger81125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7162544098816881449.post-6658975696812658752018-09-12T13:15:00.002-04:002018-09-12T13:15:56.565-04:00住宅和建筑艺术
几经而不得入,最近终于提前订票专门参拜了滨州匹茨堡郊外著名的“流水山庄”,总算可以给这篇起草于十几年前的杂文划个句号了。
三十多年前在北京,先生的单位给他们几个刚分配来的大学生分了一套单元房,两人住大间,十五平米左右,另两人一人住一小间,每间约七平米。先生分到夹在中间的那间小屋。我平时住研究生宿舍,周末会去他那间小屋挤一挤。单人床靠墙边加一条一尺宽的木板,一个小桌子上用砖头和木板搭成一个三层的书架,一把椅子,装杂物的箱子塞在床底下,就是我们的小家。屋子小到有时坐在床边穿鞋,一弯腰,头就会碰到对面的墙上。尽管如此,我们倒也自得其乐,动不动还要“斯是陋室,惟吾德馨”云云。好像要在这样的小屋里成就一番大事业的样子。
Silkwormshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00262059864845801608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7162544098816881449.post-79613366707281579232015-05-06T15:28:00.000-04:002015-05-06T15:28:00.448-04:00Kazakhstan - Astana Sights (3) Silkwormshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00262059864845801608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7162544098816881449.post-91587932291558980782015-05-06T15:19:00.001-04:002015-05-06T15:21:56.964-04:00Kazakhstan - Astana Sights (2)Silkwormshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00262059864845801608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7162544098816881449.post-82372000733289390722015-05-06T15:14:00.000-04:002015-05-06T15:20:26.653-04:00Kazakhstan - Astana Sights (1)Silkwormshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00262059864845801608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7162544098816881449.post-59656657569347420912015-05-03T19:14:00.000-04:002015-05-03T19:16:40.150-04:00Central Asia - Identities Nov. 8, 2014 - May, 2015
Ever
since the collapse of USSR and independence of the central Asian countries,
these countries found crises of new national identity and ideology. While all
five Central Asian countries claim they are secular countries, they all have
revived their Islamic religion and encouraged repair, reconstruct, and build
new, mosques, madras (monasteries), and mausoleums. Silkwormshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00262059864845801608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7162544098816881449.post-12539667384034163442015-05-03T12:34:00.001-04:002015-05-03T12:34:47.661-04:00Kazakhstan - Turkestan Shymkent
Oct. 26, 2014
Dear Colleagues:
Several days have passed since the last interruption. Now I
am writing in a hotel in Shymkent, a third or fourth largest city in the
country. It is in the south of the country, the climate is the same as most
part of Uzbekistan. And in fact there are many Uzbeks live in the region, and
the city is only 2 and half hours to Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan.Silkwormshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00262059864845801608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7162544098816881449.post-4415017326713395882015-05-03T12:27:00.000-04:002015-05-03T12:29:26.232-04:00Kazakhstan - Aktobe Atyrau
Oct. 22, 2014
Dear Colleagues:
I am on a train from Aktobe to a southwest city Atyrau where
there is a village that played important role on the ancient Silk Road. The
train will run for 16 and 1/2 hours so I can take some time to write.
I have been in the city of Aktobe since yesterday afternoon.
Mr. Rakhym Beknazarov, a professor of Ethnography in the largest university in
the region, Silkwormshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00262059864845801608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7162544098816881449.post-3497233279863950322015-05-03T11:42:00.001-04:002015-05-03T11:43:39.140-04:00Kazakhstan - Astana
Oct. 21, 2014 Clear but cold day (below freezing point)
Dear Colleagues:
I am waiting in an airport again, this time, Astana, the
capital of Kazakhstan. In 1997, the first (and the only so far) president of
the country after independence (1991) from USSR decided to move the capital
from Almaty to Astana, a central north place in Kazakhstan, typical great
steppe environment with vast flat Silkwormshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00262059864845801608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7162544098816881449.post-38868863186019917352015-05-02T22:51:00.000-04:002015-05-03T12:12:48.376-04:00圣地尼泊尔
惊闻尼泊尔大地震,有些心神不定。一个月前刚去过的地方,现在已经面目全非。随便聊聊在那里的见闻和感受吧。
我的尼泊尔之行是为了给自己的“朝圣”之旅做个了结。在此之前已经去过印度境内若干个佛祖曾经亲历过的地方和佛教圣地。这最后一站是去佛祖出生地蓝毗尼(Lumbini)。其实整个旅途应该是倒过来走的。先去佛陀出生地,然后去他开悟之菩提树所在地菩提迦耶(Bodh Gaya),再去他第一次说法之地鹿野苑(Sarnath),最后去他涅磐之处拘尸那揭罗 (Kushinagar)。但我当然并不是像信徒那样为了朝拜而去朝拜。说是朝圣,实际上只是在自己学术考察途中顺便关注一下。释迦牟尼毕竟是伟大的哲学家思想家和世界一大宗教的创始人及身体力行者。是不是信徒都值得拜访一下他的生前足迹。自佛祖涅磐后的两千五百多年来,朝圣者从四面八方络绎不绝来到佛国圣地。不说别国别人,中国东晋高僧法显(337-422)Silkwormshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00262059864845801608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7162544098816881449.post-25927407327771144972015-05-02T22:41:00.001-04:002015-05-02T22:41:57.975-04:00Images from Uzbekistan (8) Amir Temur
Silkwormshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00262059864845801608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7162544098816881449.post-80860358669529932742015-05-02T22:27:00.001-04:002015-05-02T22:28:36.810-04:00Images from Uzbekistan (7)
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F-R0N6BwqGcMs%2FVUWF1RSZ3EI%2FAAAAAAAAAyA%2FayANrZUe9BM%2Fs1600%Silkwormshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00262059864845801608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7162544098816881449.post-65313683104243568242015-04-19T21:50:00.000-04:002015-04-19T21:50:12.271-04:00Images from Uzbekistan (6)Silkwormshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00262059864845801608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7162544098816881449.post-19198614291191630732015-04-19T21:38:00.000-04:002015-04-19T21:38:00.738-04:00Images from Uzbekistan (5)Silkwormshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00262059864845801608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7162544098816881449.post-8272613522137275492015-04-19T21:29:00.000-04:002015-04-19T21:29:37.839-04:00Images from Uzbekistan (3)Silkwormshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00262059864845801608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7162544098816881449.post-89083224810749780442015-04-19T21:22:00.000-04:002015-04-19T21:22:00.086-04:00Images from Uzbekistan (2)Silkwormshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00262059864845801608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7162544098816881449.post-24804392825706726812015-04-19T21:14:00.000-04:002015-04-19T21:14:07.413-04:00Images from Uzbekistan (1)Silkwormshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00262059864845801608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7162544098816881449.post-39633283579288042752015-04-19T21:04:00.000-04:002015-04-19T21:04:23.656-04:00Uzbekistan
Dear Colleagues:
I am writing to you at the airport of Termez, a city on the
southern border of Uzbekistan with Afghanistan. This city is so far the highest
point of my trip. The city’s name is very likely after Demetrius, a general of
Alexander the Great, who, after the death of Alexander, ruled this area. There
are several Silkwormshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00262059864845801608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7162544098816881449.post-32526465833982378142015-03-09T23:35:00.000-04:002015-03-09T23:36:39.653-04:00Faith
Story of Prof. Hou’s Angel
“You
remind me of somebody.” Prof. Hou came directly to me right after class and I
was surprised. It was my first day in the university, and I was still lost in
the fray. During this particular English class, the professor had called me up
to have a short English dialog practice with him in front ofSilkwormshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00262059864845801608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7162544098816881449.post-71473386114294331542015-03-09T22:31:00.001-04:002015-03-09T22:34:32.993-04:00读海子长诗《太阳》
海子出名时我已去国,完全不知道这样一位年轻诗人。只是后来偶然在他的忌日有人纪念他时会读到他的一些诗句。受他的FAN的感染,最近多看了几首,好像也可以说点儿三道点儿四了。
因为不懂诗,我对诗的态度和对音乐的要求基本一样:只要它的旋律和韵律能够吸引、感动我就行了。简单抽象的感官享受。我不会去深挖它其余的东西。当然诗的一些基本要素还是需要的,比如文字要美,想象力要丰富。我并不喜欢那种所谓“诗中有画”的诗。这样的诗太具有描述性和模仿性,失去了诗的独有的想象力和表现力。
海子的想象力和文字表现能力显然超过了常人,有不少漂亮的句子,也有很多出其不意的想象跳跃。那些想象奇特,突如其来,令人吃惊叫好。他说他“跟不上自己快如闪电的思想….. 跟不上自己的景象”(《弥赛亚》),象我这样不懂诗的人自然更是跟不上他的思维跳跃了。不过,他的那些抒情短诗,我觉得也就是众多诗人中一个诗人的诗,大家的不同只是Silkwormshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00262059864845801608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7162544098816881449.post-2219972890781028812015-03-09T22:00:00.000-04:002015-03-09T22:02:32.242-04:00女性视角 – 中国新艺术
在过去的三十多年中,中国女艺术家在用较为自由的方式和风格表达自我方面经历了脱胎换骨的嬗变。随着1978年开始的经济改革和开放政策,女艺术家们逐渐接触到西方国家的当代艺术观和妇女观。她们开始意识到作为女性的自我和作为独立艺术家的自我,并且开始从一个女性艺术家的视角尝试不同的新的表现方式。这次参展的几位艺术家用她们各自独特的手法探索女人的心理和精神生活,女人作为独立的个人,以及女人在对待日常生活和对人类和宇宙、现实和虚无等哲学问题的思考。
崔岫闻
这位艺术家代表性风格是用一个天真可爱的小女孩作模特,表达各种的情感和思想。人们所熟悉的达芬奇的《最后的晚餐》,在艺术家手下变换了一付完全不同的面孔和情境。十三个人物由一个九岁中国女孩面孔表示,讲述着一个中国二十世纪五十至七十年代的故事。这些带着红领巾的孩子们代表了当时中国共产主义少年先锋队的集体理想。“红领巾”对小学和初中七岁至Silkwormshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00262059864845801608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7162544098816881449.post-71939231102649504772015-03-09T21:35:00.002-04:002015-03-09T22:35:17.542-04:00鸟倦飞而知还
近日偶然在网上发现一位旧识去世的消息,感慨点点,信笔写来。喜欢搞中英诗词翻译的朋友们也许碰到过她的名字 - 王知还。
说是旧识,实际上我们认识的时间并不长。但是由于相识的原因,在短短的一年多时间里,我知道了她一些鲜为人知的故事。我为她的遭遇感到人生的不平,也为当权者的“煮豆燃豆萁”和“狡兔死、走狗烹”的行为感到愤慨。
见到王知还是1980年代中期,那时她已经是将近七十岁的老太太了。因她当时是安庆师院的英语老师,我们就称她为王老师。
王老师是一位外交部老朋友介绍来找我先生的。我先生当时在国务院某机关工作,王老太太来北京告状要求平反,需要把状子递到最高一级管事的人手上,就由她的老同事和朋友介绍过来(据说几经辗转,期间有陈白尘匡亚明楚图南等知名人物)。其实他们也是有病乱求医,我先生这样一个小罗卜头哪里能有通天的本事?
很快我们就知道,王老太太本人就曾经是通天人物,而Silkwormshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00262059864845801608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7162544098816881449.post-53320660085310957462015-03-09T21:29:00.000-04:002015-03-09T22:53:15.922-04:00萧桐印象
萧桐是艺术家、教授,碰巧也是名人之后。最近有机会见到他本人和更多的作品,对他的艺术有了进一步的了解。他的作品画面饱满,人物结实有力,色彩明亮、空间处理讲究,还有独特的对主题的选择和表述方法。一句话:有看头。
也许从出生不久就笼罩在“右派”父亲萧乾的阴影下,少年时又目睹父亲被挂着牌子挨批斗、抄家,亲临父亲自杀未遂的场景,又随父母被下放湖北“五七干校”,性格受到压抑;也许只是天性使然;也许真正洞悉人生、大智若愚,萧桐是个随遇而安、谦虚谨慎、不喜张扬的人。同是艺术家、同是名人之后、同时赴美留学、同在一起打小工挣饭钱,艾未未早已以他狂放不羁的个性和艺术风格名扬天下,而萧桐则默默无闻地隐蔽在美国中西部的一个小城镇,三十多年如一日,兢兢业业地画他的画、教他的课,过他安安静静世外桃源的日子。艾未未曾跟他说:去美国就要去纽约,去中国就要去北京;你说你不在北京呆着跑石家庄去干吗?萧桐真的就在石家庄Silkwormshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00262059864845801608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7162544098816881449.post-17286697134656037762013-11-19T16:54:00.000-05:002013-11-19T16:58:01.863-05:00学英语的故事
我们那时候,在远在天边的戈壁沙漠,绝大多数人都想不到会学什么英语。上初中时学了一年维吾尔语,为了加强民族团结;又学了一年俄语,为了反对苏修。但不知道为什么没有为了反对美帝国主义让我们学学英语。我们学校其实当时有一对年轻的印尼归国华侨老师,教什么忘了,但肯定不是英语,他们自己私下里说话却都用英语。
我知道有一门外语是英语,是因为听我爸爸说我爷爷英语特别好。我爷爷从小在英国人办的育婴堂长大,后来又在教会学校学习毕业,有一次全省英语考试,他居然得了第一名,第二名是个美国人。我没见过我爷爷,所以学英语没沾上他的光。连我爸爸也没好好跟他的爸爸学。我只听过我爸爸用英文背诵“总理遗训”(余致力国民革命,凡四十年… …;革命尚未成功,同志仍需努力),一字不落,听起来像是日语,一字一蹦地,不过已经让我万分吃惊了。我怎么从来不知道我爸爸还会说英语!我爸背诵时我妈妈背过脸去偷笑,原来她也学Silkwormshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00262059864845801608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7162544098816881449.post-9776034152257550592012-12-21T21:26:00.000-05:002012-12-23T11:13:32.300-05:00Paul Foreman>>
On this last day of the Maya Long Count cycle 13.0.0.0.0., our calendar of December 21, 2012, I am indeed loosing a precious friend and family member, Paul Foreman.
Paul is a poet, writer, idealist, intelligent and knowledgeable intellect, optimistic and nice person, and a good friend of my family.
We came to know him through his wife Foster who first became my close friend with Silkwormshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00262059864845801608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7162544098816881449.post-37520104410797796362012-12-13T17:44:00.001-05:002012-12-13T17:45:49.863-05:00“世界末日” 和玛雅文明...
掐指一算,离冬至就十几天了。好莱坞大片《2012》所渲染的玛雅预言的“世界末日”就快到了。认识不认识的,从搞学术的到做“预测学”的,总有人在问:是真是假?似乎不弄清楚就糊里糊涂地一命呜呼有点冤枉。我只能说:等着瞧呗,不就十几天了吗?不过为了让真关心的人能够安安稳稳地渡过这几天,我也不妨在这里聊几句。
什么是玛雅文明?
坊间对玛雅文明的认识有一个很大的误区,认为它象古埃及文明一样,早就衰亡得烟消云散了。实际上,玛雅人和玛雅文化自出现到现在一直都存活着,现在仍然有八百万玛雅人生活在危地马拉和墨西哥等国。作为文化,它的三十多种语言仍在使用,民间宗教信仰和礼仪仍在实行。只不过也象其它一些古老文明一样,玛雅文明的辉煌期早已过去。简单地说,玛雅文明是一个位于中美洲、形成于公元前5至4世纪、衰落于公元13世纪、由说玛雅语的玛雅人组成的高度发达的社会实体。玛雅人从公元前3世纪开始就用自己的文字Silkwormshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00262059864845801608noreply@blogger.com0