幻滅與追悼：評《麥兜故事》和《麥兜菠蘿油王子》

二零二零年十一月四日稿。發表於微批。

文章節錄：

//作為一部「表面上」供兒童觀看的卡通，《麥兜故事》絲毫不迴避悲觀情緒。反之，它視悲觀為一種現實的共識，甚而是良心的共識。//

//懷舊的前提，往往是在乎一個人的自知（self-knowledge）遠多於其建構「宏大」敍事的野心。//

另附筆者對本雅明〈失物招領處〉的迻譯（據Edmund Jephcott英譯本）：

//「丟失的物品」──恆常，當我們碰上一個村落或城鎮的風景時，那第一瞥的印象之所以總是如此無可媲美且又難以復得，迺是源於其近景和遠景間存在的那種嚴謹的扣連感：該時習慣還未發揮作用。而一旦當我們回過神並開始自覺於自己的所在時，眼前那一「風景」便會迅即消失，就像一座我們剛踏入的房子的正面一樣──它本來還未因我們在感知習慣上對環境的恆常探索而變得顯著。故當我們一旦開始對周遭環境熟悉後，那原初的畫面將永遠不能復原。

（"Articles lost.— What makes the very first glimpse of a village, a town, in the landscape so incomparable and irretrievable is the rigorous connection between foreground and distance. Habit has not yet done its work. As soon as we begin to find our bearings, the landscape vanishes at a stroke, like the façade of a house as we enter it. It has not yet gained preponderance through a constant exploration that has become habit. Once we begin to find our way about, that earliest picture can never be restored."）

「尋回的物品」──那段永不退讓予前景，亦不因我們接近而消解的藍色距離；那惟一當觸及時，不會愈發攤展和放長，而只會顯得更為堅實和有壓迫感的東西：是那着色的背景帷幕。這就是一切舞台表演能有如此無與倫比的「氛圍」的原因。

（"Articles found.— The blue distance which never gives way to foreground or dissolves at our approach, which is not revealed spread-eagled and longwinded when reached but only looms more compact and threatening, is the painted distance of a backdrop. It is what gives stage sets their incomparable atmosphere."）//

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