戲劇表演

Theatrical Performance

女主角和女祭司站在鏡子旁，感到困惑。她們用手指沿著看不見的表面摸索，試著走到一端再走到另一端，但到處都是一樣的——一面無法穿越的牆，延伸到無邊無際。

The diva and the priestess stood near the mirror confused. They ran their fingers along its invisible surface, tried walking along it to one end and then the other but everywhere – it was the same – an impassable wall that stretched to boundless limits.

「Matilda，你對鏡子了解多少？」Itfut問。

“Matilda, what do you know about mirrors?” asked Itfut.

「就像大家知道的一樣：鏡子反射所有站在它們面前的東西，」Matilda回答。

“Just what everybody knows: mirrors reflect everything that stands in front of them,” answered Matilda.

「還有呢？」

“What else?”

「在反射中，左變成右，右變成左。」 「還有呢？」

“That in a reflection, left becomes right, and right, left.” “What else?”

「Sux！就是無法穿過鏡子！我們被困在這裡了！」 「但我們確實以某種方式到了這裡。順便問一下，‘sux’是什麼意思？」

“Sux! That it’s impossible to pass through a mirror! We’re stuck here!” “But we did get here somehow. By the way, what’s ‘sux’?”

「和‘woot！’一樣，只是相反，當一切都很糟糕，你想罵人的時候。」

“It’s the same as ‘woot!’ only the opposite, when everything is really bad, and you want to swear.”

Matilda剛說完，天空立刻變得陰沉，海上開始醞釀風暴。

Immediately after Matilda had spoken, the sky became overcast and a storm began tobrew on the sea.

「Tili，你看，鏡子有反應！」Itfut驚呼。「是的，但這對我們有什麼好處？」Matilda說。

“Tili, you see, the mirror reacts!” exclaimed Itfut. “Yes, but what good is that to us?” said Matilda.

「就是這樣，就是這樣！我們在影像這一邊，那邊是反射的那一邊。鏡子似乎在反映我們的思想！」

“This is what, this is what! We are on the side of images and that’s the side of the reflection. The mirror seems to be producing a reflection of our thoughts!”

「我只有一個想法。我們怎麼到另一邊？」

“I have one thought only. How do we get to the other side?”

「想像我們已經在那裡了。我們互相抓住。你啟動弓，或者更確切地說，感受你脊椎區域的感覺。」

“Imagine that we are already there. Let’s hold onto each other. You activate the bow, or rather the feeling in your spine area.”

「好吧，我們試試看。我只希望事情不會比現在更糟。」

“Okay, let’s do it. I just hope things don’t get any worse than they are now.”

「Tili，Tili！不要屈服於消極的想法。專注於想像我們在那邊。」

“Tili, Tili! Don’t give in to negative thoughts. Concentrate on imagining us there on the other side.”

女主角和女祭司互相擁抱，以免發生任何事情時失去彼此，然後她們靜止不動，望向鏡子。然後，另一邊的景觀開始改變。草和棕櫚樹消失在空氣中，海浪逐漸變成沙子。它們破碎並將沙子拋到岸上，直到變得平滑而平靜。在那邊，和這邊一樣，除了無盡的沙漠和遠處出現的石頭怪物之城，什麼都沒有。現在朋友們可以清楚地看到她們在鏡中的倒影。兩邊的場景完全一樣。

The diva and the priestess embraced so that they would not lose each other if anything happened and then they stood still and looked in the mirror. And then the landscape on the other side began to change. The grass and the palm trees dissolved into the air and the sea waves gradually turned to sand. They broke and threw sand onto the shore until they were smooth and calm. On that side, as on this, there was nothing but endless desert and the city of the glamrocks appearing in the distance. Now the friends could clearly see their reflection in the mirror. The scene on both sides was exactly the same.

「這就是我們要證明的，」Matilda說。「我們在反射中。我們沒有去任何地方。」

“So that’s what we had to prove,” said Matilda. “We are in the reflection. We have not gone anywhere.”

「是的，我們在那裡，但我們也仍然在這裡，」Itfut說。「你不能欺騙鏡子。」

“Yes, we are there, but we are also here still,” said Itfut. “You can’t deceive a mirror.”

「我們得到了我們所要求的。但不，我不會就此止步！讓我們牽著手，想像我們正在穿過鏡子。」

“We got what we ordered. But no, I won’t stop at that! Let’s hold hands and walk forwards imagining that we are passing through the mirror.”

「好吧，我們試試看。」

“Okay, let’s try it.”

她們就是這麼做的，但正如預料的那樣，她們的額頭撞上了牆。

And that is what they did but just as was to be expected, they hit their foreheads up against the wall.

「這不管用，」Itfut說。

”It’s not working,” said Itfut.

「再試一次，」Matilda說。「我們試著倒著走。這招以前有效。」

“Just one more try,” said Matilda. “Let’s try walking backwards. It worked once before.”

但即使這樣也沒有幫助。朋友們坐下來，開始無目的地從一隻手倒沙到另一隻手，然後把沙子扔向鏡子。沙子反彈回來，就像在普通鏡子中一樣。

But even that did not help. The friends sat down and began to pour sand aimlessly from one hand to another and then lobbing it at the mirror. The sand bounced off and was reflected as in an ordinary mirror.

「好吧，Itfut，女祭司，女祭司，有什麼想法嗎？」Matilda問。

“Well, Itfut, priestess, priestess, any ideas?” asked Matilda.

「這面鏡子沒那麼簡單，」女祭司回答。「畢竟這是世界的鏡子。我們需要找到不同的方法。讓我們試著回憶一下我們是怎麼到這裡的。」

“Nothing is quite that simple with this mirror,” answered the priestess. “It is the mirror of the world after all. We need to find a different approach. Let’s try and remember exactly how we ended up here.”

「我在一場同時被拍攝的表演中演出，到處都是鏡子……」

“I was acting in a performance that was being simultaneously filmed and there were mirrors everywhere...”

「就是這樣！記住這個鏈條：生活，表演，電影。你沿著那個鏈條進入了電影。」

“That’s it! Remember the chain: life, performance, movie. You ended up in the movie by moving along that chain.”

「那你呢？你記得什麼嗎？」

“What about you? Do you remember anything?”

「只有非常模糊的記憶。不多。但從我身上有儀式彩繪來看，我們一定在進行一個儀式，這幾乎和你的表演一樣。」

“Only very vaguely. Not much at all. But judging by the fact that I’m covered in ritual paint, we must have been carrying out a ritual, which is almost the same thing as your performance.”

「所以，你也是表演的一部分。但你沒有被拍攝，對嗎？你有拿鏡子嗎？」

“So, you were part of a performance too. But you weren’t being filmed, were you? Were you holding mirrors?”

「不，他們沒有拍攝，也沒有鏡子。」 「那你是怎麼到這裡的？」

“No, they weren’t filming and there were no mirrors.” “Then how did you get here?”

「我們把儀式獻給神，他們在看著我們。」 「他們坐在哪裡？在觀眾席上？」

“We dedicate our rituals to the God, and they watch us.” “And where do they sit? In an auditorium?”

「他們不在我們的世界，Tili。他們居住在超現實中，從我們現在所在的鏡子這一邊觀看。」

“They aren’t in our world, Tili. They reside in meta-reality and watch from this side of the mirror where we are now.”

「那麼一切都對上了。有一場表演，一面鏡子，你的神像看電影一樣在看著你。」

“Then it all fits. There was a performance, a mirror and your Gods were watching you like a movie.”

「是的，所以現在我們必須逆著這個鏈條回溯：從電影回到表演，再回到生活中。」

“Yes, so now we have to trace the chain back in reverse order: from the movie to the performance and back into life.”

「但你怎麼想像這會發生？我們要在這裡上演一場表演還是什麼？」

“But how do you imagine that happening? Are we going to put on a performance here or something?”

「不。我的直覺告訴我，我們需要以某種方式在電影中回到生活中。」

“No. My intuition tells me that we are required to somehow come back to life right in the movie.”

「所以，就像電影中的英雄活過來，離開銀幕，走到觀眾席？」

“So, it would be like the heroes of a film coming to life, leaving the screen and walking down into the auditorium?”

「差不多是這樣，是的。」 「但我們已經是活的了！」

“Something like that, yes.” “But we are alive already!”

「嗯，顯然還不完全。我們需要做點什麼。」

“Well, clearly not entirely. We need to do something.”

說完，她們再次陷入沉思。與此同時，另一邊的景觀開始恢復原貌。草地、棕櫚樹和海洋依然如初般誘人，彷彿什麼都沒發生過。

And with that they sank into contemplation once again. Meanwhile, the landscape on the other side began to transform to its former guise. The grass, palm trees and sea were just as inviting as before, as if nothing had happened.

「哦，天啊，這面鏡子的屏幕保護程序就是在戲弄我們。」Matilda說。「就像旅行社說，『來我們這裡，跑來我們這裡，爬來我們這裡，我們會送你去天堂！』」

“Oh, God, the screen saver on this mirror is just playing with us.” said Matilda. “It’s like a travel agency that says, ‘come to us, run to us, crawl to us and we’ll send you to paradise!’”

「Tili，我有個想法。」Itfut說。「我不知道誰承諾送你去天堂，但讓我們試著看看現在在我們正常現實中發生了什麼。鏡子可能會顯示給我們看。」

“Tili, I’ve had an idea.” said Itfut. “I don’t know who promises to send you to paradise but let’s try looking at what’s happening now in our normal reality. The mirror might show us.”

「Futichka，是的，讓我們試試！我們沒有什麼可失去的。」 「從你開始吧。」

“Futichka, yes, let’s! We have nothing to lose.” “Let’s start with you.”

「好吧。」

“Okay.”

「和以前一樣，把注意力集中在你想看到的場景上，別忘了弓。」

“Same as before, focus your attention on the scene you want to see and don’t forget about the bow.”

「我想看看我們劇院裡發生了什麼。」

“I want to see what’s going on at our theatre.”

Matilda專注地念叨著什麼，這時鏡子上閃現出清晰的影像，就像在屏幕上一樣……

Matilda concentrated, mumbled something and in that moment a clear image flashed up on the mirror, as on a screen…

在聚光燈照耀的舞台上，穿著文藝復興時期服裝的男女緩慢而莊重地移動著。女士們穿著華麗的白色長裙，裙擺寬大。男士們也穿著白色，身著絲綢短上衣和緊身褲。他們戴著假髮，女士的高而輕盈，男士的深色並捲曲。所有舞者的臉都隱藏在塗成金色的面具後。舞台上充滿了大鍵琴的音樂聲。這些舞者似乎在跳小步舞。他們聚在一起又分開。男士優雅地鞠躬，女士優雅地行屈膝禮，手持打開的扇子。

On a stage flooded with spotlights, couples were moving about slowly and imposingly dressed in Renaissance fashion. The women were dressed in luxurious, white gowns with large full skirts. The men were also in white, dressed in silk tabards and tight-fitting hose. They donned wigs, the women’s high and light, the men’s dark and styled in curls. All the dancers’ faces were hidden behind gold-painted masks. The stage was filled with the sounds of harpsichord music. The couples appeared to be dancing a minuet. They came together and moved apart again. The men made graceful bows and the women elegant curtsies holding their fans open.

舞蹈動作簡單而保留，但有一個小細節：出於某種原因，沒有一個舞者背對觀眾。

The dance movements were simple and reserved with one small detail: for some reason, none of the dancers turned their back to the audience.

顯然，這場戲不僅在舞台上上演，還在拍攝，因為到處都是攝像機。導演站在舞台附近，指揮著行動，給演員、攝影師和燈光助理下達指示。場景如此真實且近距離，以至於Matilda本能地開始敲打鏡子並大喊。

Evidently, the play was not only being acted out on stage but also being filmed because there were video cameras everywhere. Standing close to the stage, the director was managing the action giving instructions to actors, camera operators and lighting assistants. The scene was so realistic and close up that Matilda instinctively began knocking on the mirror and shouting.

「Victo-or！我在這裡，我在這裡！」

“Victo-or! I am here, I’m here!”

女主角的幽靈般的倒影在另一邊模仿她的動作，但顯然沒有人能看到或聽到她。意識到自己在另一邊只是短暫的倒影，她開始移動，以便能更接近Victor。她試圖藉助她的分身抓住他並搖晃他，但沒有成功。在那裡，她是無人可見的，無法觸摸的幽靈。

The diva’s ghost-like reflection moved about on the other side copying her movements but, clearly, no one could see or hear her. Realizing that she was only present on the other side as a momentary reflection, she began to move so that she could get closer to Victor. She tried with the help of her double to grab hold of him and give him a shake, but it didn’t work. There, she was nobody, an invisible, intangible ghost.

「Tili！」Itfut說，將手放在女主角的肩上。「別難過，我們應該知道會這樣。」

“Tili!” Itfut said placing a hand on the diva’s shoulder. “Don’t upset yourself, we should have known that this would happen.”

「不，我受不了。我會瘋掉的！你無法想像我正在經歷什麼！」Matilda緊貼著Itfut，淚水盈眶。Itfut撫摸著她的頭髮，盡力安慰她的朋友。

“No, I can’t bear it. I’ll go mad! You can’t imagine what I’m going through!” Matilda pressed up against Itfut on the verge of tears. Itfut stroked her shock of hair and soothed her friend as best she could.

舞台裝飾成一個舞廳的風格，牆邊排列著華麗的椅子。兩側設有開放式廁所，女士在左，男士在右。沒有隔間，但這些區域有不謙虛的鏡子，可能是為了確保同樣不謙虛的可見性。

The stage was decorated in the style of a ballroom with opulent chairs arranged along the walls. The sides were equipped with open toilets, the ladies to the left and men to the right. There were no booths, but the areas had immodest mirrors, probably intended to ensure equally indiscreet visibility.

與此同時，舞台中央出現了一位女主角，她以藍色的頭髮和華麗的深綠色天鵝絨裙子，腰間系著一個大粉色蝴蝶結，從其他演員中脫穎而出。她的臉上沒有面具，而是塗上藍色的舞台彩妝，故意畫上俗氣的眼妝。女主角驕傲地走來走去，雙手做著大幅度的動作，彷彿在撥開人群，人群尊敬地分成兩排，鞠躬和屈膝行禮。

Meanwhile, the central figure appeared on the stage, a diva, who stood out from the other actors with her blue hair and gorgeous dress of dark-green velvet with a large pink bow at the waist. Her face had no mask but was covered in blue stage paint instead and deliberately vulgar eye make-up. The diva strutted about proudly, making broad movements with her hands as if raking apart the crowd, which respectfully parted into two ranks making bows and curtsies.

目睹這一場景，Matilda再也忍不住淚水。

Witnessing the spectacle, Matilda could no longer hold back the tears.

「好吧，他們沒有哀悼多久，對吧！」她說，語氣中充滿了痛苦。淚水已經流下她的臉頰。「而且他們很快就找到了替代者！他們在哪裡找到和我一樣的蝴蝶結？」

“Well, they didn’t mourn for long, did they!” she said, the pain audible in her voice. Tears were already streaming down her cheeks. “And they found a replacement quickly enough! And where did they find the same bow as mine?”

「Tili，Tili，別這樣，」Itfut試圖安慰她說。「你很清楚，即使他們找遍全世界也找不到另一個像你一樣的人！那只是對你的可憐模仿！」

“Tili, Tili, stop it,” Itfut said trying to calm her down. “You know very well, they wouldn’t find another like you if they searched the whole world over! That’s a miserable parody of you!”

「Futi，別費心了。我自己看得很清楚。你可以清楚地看到一切看起來多麼驚人，他們會想要我這個穿著破爛連身衣和可憐扭動的人做什麼？」

“Futi, don’t bother. I can see it all very well for myself. You can see perfectly well how amazing it all looks and what would they want me there for with my rubbish jumpsuit and pitiful twist!”

「Tili，Tili，別這樣說自己。我知道你的價值，」Itfut說，將Tili拉到她的懷裡。「你是美麗且無可替代的！沒有人能取代你。這是我告訴你的，女祭司Itfut！而且我見過各種各樣的人，相信我。」

“Tili, Tili, don’t talk about yourself like that. I know what you’re worth,” said Itfut pulling Tili to her chest. “You are beautiful and irreplaceable! No-one could replace you. And that’s me telling you, priestess Itfut! And I’ve seen all sorts, believe me.”

Matilda停止了啜泣，但把自己埋在女祭司的懷裡。她不再想看鏡子裡發生的事情。Itfut擁抱著她，開始輕輕地左右搖晃她。

Matilda stopped her sobbing but buried herself in the priestess’s chest. She had no desire to watch what was happening in the mirror anymore. Itfut hugged her and began rocking her gently from side to side.

「Tili，夠了，冷靜下來。我們會想出辦法的。我保證，我們會回家的。」

“Tili, that’s enough now, calm down. We’ll think of something. We will get back home, I promise you.”

Matilda安靜下來，沒有說話。「看，那裡有新情況發生。」

Matilda was quiet and did not say a word. “Look, something new is happening there.”

突然，沒有明顯原因，大鍵琴音樂被俱樂部音樂取代，演員們開始跳起電子舞，但他們的動作依然如前般緩慢，形成了一種莊重舞廳和俱樂部風格放縱的矛盾結合。舞者排成一排，面對面，但沒有接觸。男士和女士交換了面具，然後背對觀眾，走向各自的更衣室。女士的裙子是露背的，男士的燕尾服則展開得如此寬大，以至於除了兩性都穿著的丁字褲外，所有的魅力都暴露無遺。

Suddenly, for no apparent reason, the harpsichord was replaced by club music and the actors started dancing techno only their movements were just as unhurried as before in a paradoxical combination of imposing ballroom and club-style abandon. The rows of dancers came together facing each other but not coming into contact. The men and women exchanged masks then turned their backs to the audience and made for their own changing rooms. The women’s dresses were open-backed, and the men’s coat tails folded so wide that all their charms were bared except for the thongs that both genders were wearing.

此外，有一位男士的寶藏在緊身連衣褲下不自然地突出。

Moreover, the male treasure of one individual protruded unnaturally beneath his tight-fitting leotard.

Itfut忍不住注意到了。「哦，Tili，你的男士真不錯！」

Itfut could not help but notice it. “Ooh, Tili, what men you have!”

「別被騙了，」Matilda稍微振作起來回答，「那是他們穿的保護罩。你可以在任何體育用品店買到。」

“Do not be fooled,” replied Matilda who had cheered up a little, “it is the protective covers they are wearing. You can get them in any sports shop.”

與此同時，兩性代表走向各自昏暗的廁所，音樂開始播放節奏藍調。舞台上只剩下女主角。她在通常的節奏中跳舞，不忘炫耀她的魅力，包括她裸露的背部，穿著一件要麼是故意暴露，要麼是完全露背的裙子。

Meanwhile, representatives of both sexes went to their corresponding dimly lit toilets while the music began to play rhythm and blues. The diva was the only figure remaining on the stage. She was dancing in the usual rhythm not forgetting to show off her charms, including her naked back, in a dress that was either meant to be revealing or was simply completely open-backed.

Matilda忍不住。

Matilda could not help herself.

「嘿，美人，用蝴蝶結遮住自己！你沒什麼好看的！」

“Hey, beautiful, cover yourself up with the bow! You have nothing worth looking at!”

「哈哈哈，Tili，她聽不見你！」Itfut愉快地說。

“Ha, ha, ha, Tili, she can’t hear you!” said Itfut in good humor.

「她會為我跳舞的，你會看到的！所以，這面鏡子對心理陳述有反應？我們拭目以待。」

“She’ll dance for me yet, you’ll see! So, this mirror responds to mental statements? We’ll see.”

Matilda現在睜大眼睛看著這一切。接下來發生的事情至少不是為了有德之人的眼睛，如果一個人希望保持那種美德的話。

Matilda was now watching the action wide-eyed. What happened next was not for the eyes of the virtuous at least if one wished to preserve that same virtue.

在男士房間的半光中，身影隨著音樂的節奏一起移動。身體交織扭動；舞者交換伴侶，瘋狂地彎腰又直起來。有些人撕掉了上衣，雖然沒有完全裸露。儘管如此，表演顯然有某些界限。舞者不需要脫衣，因為觀眾興奮的想像力可以輕易填補所有肉眼看不見的細節。

In the half light of the men’s room, figures were moving together to the rhythm of the music. The bodies were intertwining and writhing; the dancers swapped partners bending down and straightening up again in a frenzied dance. Some ripped off their tops although weren’t completely naked. There were clearly certain boundaries to the play despite it all. There was no need for the dancers to strip as the viewer’s excited imagination could easily fill in all the details that were invisible to the eye.

男士的狂歡伴隨著壓抑的呻吟。然而，在女士那邊，可以聽到真正令人毛骨悚然的尖叫聲，讓人心驚膽戰。顯然，精神在沒有界限或約束的情況下肆虐。為了至少在表面上保持一些禮儀的界限，表演的組織者謹慎地使用了昏暗的燈光。然而，在半光中，由於舞者的白色服裝，仍然可以看到很多東西。雖然最近顯得更為慵懶，但女士們現在卻狂熱地撕扯著彼此，試圖伸手到裙子和低胸衣下，總之做著各種難以描述的事情。

The men’s orgy was accompanied by stifled moans. However, in the female half, truly eerie screams could be heard that chilled the heart. Spirits were evidently raging unfettered by boundaries or constraint. Wanting to be seen to observe at least some notion of the limits of decorum, the performance organizers had prudently used dim lighting. In the half light, however, much was still visible due to the dancers’ white clothing. Although recently displaying a more languid demeanor, the ladies were now wildly excited tearing at each other, trying to reach under dresses and décolleté and generally doing all sorts of things that are difficult to describe.

無法分辨這是舞台上的表演還是真實發生的事情。不過，這有什麼區別呢？「全世界都是舞台」，正如經典所說，生活離舞台只有一步之遙。Matilda冷靜地看著這一切，似乎在等待什麼。Itfut似乎不知道如何反應，發出類似「嗯」的悶聲，震驚地捂住嘴。

It was impossible to tell whether this was a staged act or something that was happening for real. Although, what is the difference? “All the world’s a stage,” as the classic goes, and life is just a stone’s throw away from the stage. Matilda watched it all calmly as if waiting for something. Itfut did not seem to know how to react and made muffled sounds like ‘hmm’ covering her mouth in shock.

最後，銅鑼聲響起，狂歡突然停止。慢藍調音樂開始播放，兩性代表開始緩慢地離開「戰場」，返回舞台。他們看起來都相當不滿。有一個人丟了假髮，另一個人的衣服被撕破，還有一個人看起來半裸。只有他們臉上的面具沒有被碰過。

Finally, a gong sounded, and the orgy suddenly came to a halt. Slow blues music began to play, and representatives of both sexes began slowly leaving the ‘battlefield’ and returning to the stage. They all looked fairly disgruntled. One had lost a wig, someone else’s clothes were torn, and someone else appeared half-naked. Only the masks on their faces remained untouched.

這些舞者排成一排，開始靠近。接觸時（現在是男士和女士），他們把手臂向兩側拉開，開始摩擦身體，做出擺動的前進動作，從面具後面互相看著。

The couples lined up opposite each other and began to draw closer. Coming into contact (men with women now), they pulled their arms back to the sides and began to rub their bodies and make swinging, advancing movements looking at each other from behind their masks.

Itfut忍不住問：「所以，這就是你們的表演？」

Itfut could not contain herself and asked, “So, this is what your performances are like?”

「不，不是所有的表演都這樣，不是一直這樣。別這麼認為。只是我們碰巧在看這個。但有時他們確實會展示這種特殊的藝術。」

“No, not all of them are like this, not always. Don’t assume that. It’s just chance that we’re watching this one. But sometimes they do show this kind of peculiar art.”

「這一切都是真的還是表演？」

“Is it all for real or is it a play?”

「這是表演。但你不會在任何劇院看到這種東西。有時它是在戶外自然中上演的。」

“It’s a play. But you won’t see this kind of thing in any theatre. Sometimes it’s staged outside in nature.”

「為什麼他們不摘下面具？」

“Why don’t they take off their masks?”

「因為在這種時刻，人們不一定會感到舒服去直視他人的眼睛。你可能會看到地獄。」

“Because in moments like these, people don’t necessarily feel comfortable looking another in the eye. You might see hell.”

「對，我知道你指的是什麼。」 「你是什麼意思，Futi？」

“Right, I know what you’re referring to.” “What do you mean, Futi?”

「改天再說。」

“Another time.”

「拜託，這基本上是邊緣的地下活動。這裡幾乎沒有藝術。」 「嗯，我還挺喜歡的，」Itfut咯咯笑道。「我喜歡表現力。」

“Come on, it’s all basically marginal underground. There’s very little art here.” “Well, I quite liked it,” giggled Itfut. “I love expressiveness.”

「看接下來會發生什麼，」Matilda說，彷彿在為某事做準備。

“Watch what happens next,” said Matilda as if preparing herself for something.

與此同時，藍綠色的女主角繼續在搖擺的舞者周圍遊走，他們隨著開放藍調的節奏互相摩擦。但突然間，她莫名其妙地絆了一下，笨拙地用一隻腳跟轉身。傳來撕裂的聲音，蝴蝶結從她的裙子上掉了下來。女主角向後傾倒，腳跟被絲帶纏住，笨拙地摔倒在地，雙腿向上傾斜。場景的魅力和莊嚴瞬間消失。其他演員困惑地僵住，而導演則怒火中燒。

Meanwhile, the blue-green diva continued her parade around the swinging couples, who were rubbing up against each other moving to the rhythm of an open blues composition. But suddenly, she stumbled for no apparent reason and turned awkwardly on one heel. There was the sound of something tearing and the bow fell off her dress. Leaning backwards, the diva got her heels caught up in her ribbons and came crashing clumsily to the floor with her legs tilted upwards. The glamor and pathos of the scene dissolved instantly. The other actors froze in confusion while the director was filled with rage.

Matilda輕輕跳了一下，拍手大笑，比以往任何時候都笑得更開心。Itfut假裝嚴肅但幾乎忍不住笑地轉向Matilda說：「哦，Tili-Tili！這樣的行為可不好。你應該感到羞愧！」

Matilda gave a little jump, clapped and laughed harder than she probably ever had. With mock seriousness but barely containing her laughter, Itfut turned to Matilda and said, “Oh, Tili-Tili! That’s no way to behave. You should be ashamed of yourself!”

「我一點都不覺得羞愧！」Matilda高聲喊道，滿意地看著自己。「我告訴過你，那個美人會為我跳舞的！我的蝴蝶結在我這裡！我的蝴蝶結是為我而生！」她邊說邊繼續旋轉和跳躍。

“I’m not ashamed, not one bit!” shouted Matilda, looking pleased with herself. “I told you that beauty would dance for me yet! My bow is with me! My bow is for me!” she rapped, continuing to spin and jump about.

「好吧，好吧，Tili，夠了！看，你的Victor已經完全瘋了。」

“Okay, okay, Tili, that’s enough! Look, your Victor has gone completely wild.”

導演在舞台上四處奔跑，揮舞著手臂，大喊：「滾開，傻瓜們！走開，你們全都走開！」

The director was rushing around the stage waving his arms about and shouting, “Get lost, fools! Go, all of you!”

劇團成員朝不同方向跑下舞台，然後Victor坐在舞台邊緣，雙手抱頭呻吟。

The troupe ran from the stage in all different directions and then Victor sat down on the edge of the stage, clasped his head in his hands and groaned.

「你在哪裡，我的Tili，我的親愛的！」

“Where are you, my Tili, my darling!”

聽到這些話，Matilda從大笑轉為哭泣，再次啜泣起來。

On hearing these words, Matilda went from laughing to crying and sobbing again.

「我該拿你怎麼辦，我的歡樂，我的悲傷！」Itfut說。「你看，有人記得你，想念你。」

“What am I going to do with you, my joy, my sorrow!” said Itfut. “You see, you are remembered and missed.”

劇院場景逐漸消退，鏡子恢復了通常的海洋背景。朋友們坐在沙灘上，互相擁抱，各自沉浸在自己的思緒中。

The theatre scene gradually faded, and the mirror resumed its usual maritime backdrop. The friends sat down in the sand and gave each other a hug, each busy with their own thoughts.

戲劇演出

Theatrical Performance

Diva 與祭司站在鏡子旁，滿臉困惑。她們用手指輕撫那無形的表面，嘗試沿著鏡面走到一端，再轉向另一端，但無論怎麼走——永遠只是一堵延伸至無限盡頭的屏障。

The diva and the priestess stood near the mirror confused. They ran their fingers along its invisible surface, tried walking along it to one end and then the other but everywhere – it was the same – an impassable wall that stretched to boundless limits.

「Matilda，你對鏡子了解多少？」Itfut問道。

“Matilda, what do you know about mirrors?” asked Itfut.

「正如大家所知：鏡子會反射出所有站在其前面的東西，」Matilda回答。

“Just what everybody knows: mirrors reflect everything that stands in front of them,” answered Matilda.

「還有什麼？」

“What else?”

「反射中，左邊會變成右邊，而右邊則變成左邊。」 「還有呢？」

“That in a reflection, left becomes right, and right, left.” “What else?”

「糟糕！鏡子根本沒法穿過——我們被困在這裡了！」 「但我們總算到這裡來了。順便問一句，‘糟糕’是什麼意思？」

“Sux! That it’s impossible to pass through a mirror! We’re stuck here!” “But we did get here somehow. By the way, what’s ‘sux’?”

「這和‘woot!’的意思正好相反，當一切都極其糟糕時，你就會爆粗口。」

“It’s the same as ‘woot!’ only the opposite, when everything is really bad, and you want to swear.”

Matilda一說完，天空突然陰沉下來，海面上開始醞釀風暴。

Immediately after Matilda had spoken, the sky became overcast and a storm began tobrew on the sea.

「Tili，你看，鏡子竟有反應！」Itfut驚呼道。「嗯，但對我們有什麼用呢？」Matilda回答。

“Tili, you see, the mirror reacts!” exclaimed Itfut. “Yes, but what good is that to us?” said Matilda.

「就是如此！我們所在的正是影像的一側，也就是反射的一面。鏡子似乎在呈現我們思想的映像！」

“This is what, this is what! We are on the side of images and that’s the side of the reflection. The mirror seems to be producing a reflection of our thoughts!”

「我只有一個念頭：我們究竟該怎麼到達那邊？」

“I have one thought only. How do we get to the other side?”

「想象我們已經在那裡了。大家手牽手，你啟動那像弓般的力量，或者說，感受一下脊椎附近的那股能量。」

“Imagine that we are already there. Let’s hold onto each other. You activate the bow, or rather the feeling in your spine area.”

「好吧，就這麼做吧。我只希望情況不要比現在更糟。」

“Okay, let’s do it. I just hope things don’t get any worse than they are now.”

「Tili，Tili！別讓負面情緒佔據你，專注地想象我們已經到了那邊!」

“Tili, Tili! Don’t give in to negative thoughts. Concentrate on imagining us there on the other side.”

Diva和祭司緊緊相擁，以免一有風險就彼此失散，然後停下腳步凝望著鏡子。隨後，鏡中對面的景色開始變換——草地與棕櫚樹在空氣中消散，海浪漸漸變成了沙，沙粒被沖上岸直到海岸變得平滑寧靜。那邊，如同這邊，全是無盡的沙漠與遠處隱現的glamrocks城。此時，朋友們清晰地在鏡中看到了自己的倒影，兩側的景象竟然完全一樣。

The diva and the priestess embraced so that they would not lose each other if anything happened and then they stood still and looked in the mirror. And then the landscape on the other side began to change. The grass and the palm trees dissolved into the air and the sea waves gradually turned to sand. They broke and threw sand onto the shore until they were smooth and calm. On that side, as on this, there was nothing but endless desert and the city of the glamrocks appearing in the distance. Now the friends could clearly see their reflection in the mirror. The scene on both sides was exactly the same.

「這就是我們需要證明的，」Matilda說，「我們只存在於反射中，根本沒去哪裡。」

“So that’s what we had to prove,” said Matilda. “We are in the reflection. We have not gone anywhere.”

「是啊，我們雖然‘在那邊’，但同時也還在這裡，」Itfut說，「你是無法欺騙鏡子的。」

“Yes, we are there, but we are also here still,” said Itfut. “You can’t deceive a mirror.”

「我們得到了應有的結果。但不，我不會就此罷手！大家手牽手，向前走，想象我們正穿越這面鏡子。」

“We got what we ordered. But no, I won’t stop at that! Let’s hold hands and walk forwards imagining that we are passing through the mirror.”

「好吧，來試試看。」

“Okay, let’s try it.”

「這正是他們所做的，但不出所料，他們的額頭竟撞上了一堵牆。」

And that is what they did but just as was to be expected, they hit their foreheads up against the wall.

“沒用，”Itfut說。

”It’s not working,” said Itfut.

「再試一次，」Matilda說，「我們倒著走試試。以前試過是有效的。」

“Just one more try,” said Matilda. “Let’s try walking backwards. It worked once before.”

「可是那樣也沒用。朋友們只好坐下，漫無目的地把沙子從一隻手倒到另一隻手，再向鏡子上投去。沙子反彈回來，彷彿只是普通鏡子的反射。」

But even that did not help. The friends sat down and began to pour sand aimlessly from one hand to another and then lobbing it at the mirror. The sand bounced off and was reflected as in an ordinary mirror.

「好啦，Itfut，祭司，有什麼想法嗎？」Matilda問。

“Well, Itfut, priestess, priestess, any ideas?” asked Matilda.

「這面鏡子可沒那麼簡單，」祭司回答，「畢竟它是世界的鏡子。我們需要找個不同的辦法，不妨試著回想一下究竟是怎麼到這裡的。」

“Nothing is quite that simple with this mirror,” answered the priestess. “It is the mirror of the world after all. We need to find a different approach. Let’s try and remember exactly how we ended up here.”

「我當時正在參加一場表演，同時還在拍片，而且到處都是鏡子……」

“I was acting in a performance that was being simultaneously filmed and there were mirrors everywhere...”

「就是這樣！記住那條鏈：生命、表演、電影。你正是沿著這條鏈走進了電影。」

“That’s it! Remember the chain: life, performance, movie. You ended up in the movie by moving along that chain.”

「那你呢？你還記得什麼嗎？」

“What about you? Do you remember anything?”

「只記得得很模糊，沒多少。但從我滿身的儀式彩繪來看，我們肯定是在進行一個儀式，這幾乎和你的表演沒什麼兩樣。」

“Only very vaguely. Not much at all. But judging by the fact that I’m covered in ritual paint, we must have been carrying out a ritual, which is almost the same thing as your performance.”

「那麼，你也是參與了一場表演。但當時你並沒有拍片，對吧？你有拿著鏡子嗎？」

“So, you were part of a performance too. But you weren’t being filmed, were you? Were you holding mirrors?”

「不，他們根本沒拍，也沒有鏡子。」 「那你又是怎麼到這裡來的？」

“No, they weren’t filming and there were no mirrors.” “Then how did you get here?”

「我們把儀式獻給神靈，而他們就在旁邊觀察我們。」 「那他們坐在哪裡？在禮堂裡嗎？」

“We dedicate our rituals to the God, and they watch us.” “And where do they sit? In an auditorium?”

「他們不在我們的世界，Tili。他們居住在元現實中，從我們現在這邊的鏡子中觀看。」

“They aren’t in our world, Tili. They reside in meta-reality and watch from this side of the mirror where we are now.”

「那麼一切都有說得通了。曾有場表演、一面鏡子，而你的神明們就像在看電影一樣凝視著你。」

“Then it all fits. There was a performance, a mirror and your Gods were watching you like a movie.”

「是的，所以我們現在必須倒推這條鏈：從電影，再回到表演，然後回到生活。」

“Yes, so now we have to trace the chain back in reverse order: from the movie to the performance and back into life.”

「但你怎麼想像這會發生？我們是不是要在這裡上演一場表演之類的？」

“But how do you imagine that happening? Are we going to put on a performance here or something?”

「不，我的直覺告訴我，我們必須以某種方式就在電影中重新獲得生命。」

“No. My intuition tells me that we are required to somehow come back to life right in the movie.”

「那是不是就像電影中的英雄活過來，走出銀幕，步入禮堂？」

“So, it would be like the heroes of a film coming to life, leaving the screen and walking down into the auditorium?”

「大致上就是這樣，是的。」 「但我們其實已經活著了！」

“Something like that, yes.” “But we are alive already!”

「嗯，顯然還不完全如此。我們必須做點什麼。」

“Well, clearly not entirely. We need to do something.”

於是，他們再次沉浸在沉思中；與此同時，另一側的景色漸漸恢復了往日風貌：草地、棕櫚樹和大海仍舊那般迷人，彷彿什麼事情都未曾發生。

And with that they sank into contemplation once again. Meanwhile, the landscape on the other side began to transform to its former guise. The grass, palm trees and sea were just as inviting as before, as if nothing had happened.

「哦，天啊，這面鏡子的螢幕保護程式就在跟我們開玩笑。」Matilda說，「就像一家旅行社大聲喊著：‘快來吧，奔跑吧，爬過來吧，我們送你去天堂！’」

“Oh, God, the screen saver on this mirror is just playing with us.” said Matilda. “It’s like a travel agency that says, ‘come to us, run to us, crawl to us and we’ll send you to paradise!’”

「Tili，我有個點子。」Itfut說，「我不知道是誰保證能送你去天堂，但不如讓我們看看此刻在我們這個正常現實中究竟發生了什麼。也許鏡子會告訴我們答案。」

“Tili, I’ve had an idea.” said Itfut. “I don’t know who promises to send you to paradise but let’s try looking at what’s happening now in our normal reality. The mirror might show us.”

「Futichka，對，就這麼做吧！我們已經一無所有了。」 「那就從你開始。」

“Futichka, yes, let’s! We have nothing to lose.” “Let’s start with you.”

「好吧。」

“Okay.”

「就像之前那樣，將你的注意力聚焦在你想見的景象上，別忘了那股‘弓’的力量（Note:指你脊椎附近那種引力感受）。」

“Same as before, focus your attention on the scene you want to see and don’t forget about the bow.”

「我想看看我們劇院裡到底發生了什麼。」

“I want to see what’s going on at our theatre.”

Matilda 集中精神，喃喃自語了一句，就在那一瞬間，一幅清晰的畫面猶如螢幕般在鏡中閃現……

Matilda concentrated, mumbled something and in that moment a clear image flashed up on the mirror, as on a screen…

在璀璨的聚光燈下，舞台上，一對對情侶緩緩移動，身著文藝復興時期風格的盛裝。女士們穿著豪華的白色長裙，裙擺寬大；男士們則同樣以白裝示人，著絲綢短袍和緊身長褲。他們戴著假髮——女士的假髮高挑輕盈，男士的則烏黑捲曲。所有舞者的面容均被塗有金色的面具遮蓋，舞台上回蕩著古鍵琴的樂聲，彷彿正在進行一支米紐埃特舞。情侶間時聚時散，男士優雅地鞠躬，女士則手持扇子，行著端莊的禮節。

On a stage flooded with spotlights, couples were moving about slowly and imposingly dressed in Renaissance fashion. The women were dressed in luxurious, white gowns with large full skirts. The men were also in white, dressed in silk tabards and tight-fitting hose. They donned wigs, the women’s high and light, the men’s dark and styled in curls. All the dancers’ faces were hidden behind gold-painted masks. The stage was filled with the sounds of harpsichord music. The couples appeared to be dancing a minuet. They came together and moved apart again. The men made graceful bows and the women elegant curtsies holding their fans open.

舞步簡潔內斂，唯獨有一個奇特之處：不知憑什麼，所有舞者從未背對過觀眾。

The dance movements were simple and reserved with one small detail: for some reason, none of the dancers turned their back to the audience.

顯然，這出戲不僅在舞台上演出，同時還在拍攝，因為四處擺放著攝影機。在舞台前方不遠處，一位導演忙碌地指揮著演員、攝影師和燈光助手。現場如此逼真，甚至讓Matilda本能地開始敲打鏡子並大聲喊叫。

Evidently, the play was not only being acted out on stage but also being filmed because there were video cameras everywhere. Standing close to the stage, the director was managing the action giving instructions to actors, camera operators and lighting assistants. The scene was so realistic and close up that Matilda instinctively began knocking on the mirror and shouting.

「Victo-or！我在這裡，我在這裡！」

“Victo-or! I am here, I’m here!”

Diva那猶如幽靈般的倒影在鏡子另一側隨著她的動作輕盈移動，但顯然無人能見或聽其聲。她意識到自己僅作為瞬間浮現的倒影存在，便試圖移動以靠近Victor。她企圖借助自己的分身抓住他、搖晃他，卻全然失敗。那裡，她只是一個無形、難以捉摸的幽魂。

The diva’s ghost-like reflection moved about on the other side copying her movements but, clearly, no one could see or hear her. Realizing that she was only present on the other side as a momentary reflection, she began to move so that she could get closer to Victor. She tried with the help of her double to grab hold of him and give him a shake, but it didn’t work. There, she was nobody, an invisible, intangible ghost.

「Tili！」Itfut一邊輕拍著diva的肩膀，一邊說道，「別難過，我們早該預料到這一幕。」

“Tili!” Itfut said placing a hand on the diva’s shoulder. “Don’t upset yourself, we should have known that this would happen.”

「不，我受不了了，快要瘋了！你無法想像我正在經歷什麼！」Matilda近乎淚崩地依偎在Itfut身旁。Itfut扶撫著她那凌亂的髮絲，儘力安慰這位摯友。

“No, I can’t bear it. I’ll go mad! You can’t imagine what I’m going through!” Matilda pressed up against Itfut on the verge of tears. Itfut stroked her shock of hair and soothed her friend as best she could.

舞台被布置成如同宴會廳的風格，牆邊擺放著華麗的座椅。側邊設有公開式洗手間，女士在左、男士在右，雖無隔間，卻安置了毫不掩飾的鏡子，似乎意欲展現無所遁形的視野。

The stage was decorated in the style of a ballroom with opulent chairs arranged along the walls. The sides were equipped with open toilets, the ladies to the left and men to the right. There were no booths, but the areas had immodest mirrors, probably intended to ensure equally indiscreet visibility.

與此同時，舞台中央走出了一位diva，她那藍色的秀髮與一襲深綠天鵝絨長裙相映成趣，腰間綁著一個顯眼的粉紅蝴蝶結。她的面容未戴面具，而是刷上了藍色的舞台彩妝，再加上刻意誇張的俗麗眼妝。diva昂首闊步、神態自若，雙手大幅擺動，彷彿在撩起人潮；觀眾則恭敬地分成兩排，鞠躬致意、輕輕行禮。

Meanwhile, the central figure appeared on the stage, a diva, who stood out from the other actors with her blue hair and gorgeous dress of dark-green velvet with a large pink bow at the waist. Her face had no mask but was covered in blue stage paint instead and deliberately vulgar eye make-up. The diva strutted about proudly, making broad movements with her hands as if raking apart the crowd, which respectfully parted into two ranks making bows and curtsies.

看著這一切壯觀景象，Matilda再也抑制不住淚水。

Witnessing the spectacle, Matilda could no longer hold back the tears.

「哎呀，他們悲傷的時間一點也不長，對吧！」她哽咽著說，聲音中滿是疼痛，眼淚已沿著臉頰不斷滑落，「而且他們很快就找到了代替者！他們竟然還找到了和我一模一樣的蝴蝶結！」

“Well, they didn’t mourn for long, did they!” she said, the pain audible in her voice. Tears were already streaming down her cheeks. “And they found a replacement quickly enough! And where did they find the same bow as mine?”

「Tili，Tili，住口吧，」Itfut試圖安撫她，「你很清楚，就算遍尋全球，也找不出另一個像你這樣的人！這完全是在悲慘地模仿你！」

“Tili, Tili, stop it,” Itfut said trying to calm her down. “You know very well, they wouldn’t find another like you if they searched the whole world over! That’s a miserable parody of you!”

「Futi，別煩我。我自己看得很清楚，你也看得出來，一切竟是那般驚人。那又何必要我穿著這破爛連身衣和可憐兮兮的扭曲造型出場呢？」

“Futi, don’t bother. I can see it all very well for myself. You can see perfectly well how amazing it all looks and what would they want me there for with my rubbish jumpsuit and pitiful twist!”

「Tili，Tili，別這樣說自己。我知道你的價值，」Itfut將Tili摟入懷中說，「你是那麼美麗且無可替代！沒有人能取代你，這可是我，祭司Itfut由衷地告訴你！相信我，我見過太多了。」

“Tili, Tili, don’t talk about yourself like that. I know what you’re worth,” said Itfut pulling Tili to her chest. “You are beautiful and irreplaceable! No-one could replace you. And that’s me telling you, priestess Itfut! And I’ve seen all sorts, believe me.”

Matilda停止了哭泣，卻將自己深深埋進祭司的懷抱。她已不再想觀看鏡中發生的一切。Itfut緊緊抱住她，輕輕將她左右搖晃，試著撫平她的心情。

Matilda stopped her sobbing but buried herself in the priestess’s chest. She had no desire to watch what was happening in the mirror anymore. Itfut hugged her and began rocking her gently from side to side.

「Tili，夠了，現在冷靜些。別擔心，我們會想出辦法的，我向你保證，我們一定會回家的。」

“Tili, that’s enough now, calm down. We’ll think of something. We will get back home, I promise you.”

Matilda默不作聲，只輕輕道：「看，那邊出現了新情況。」

Matilda was quiet and did not say a word. “Look, something new is happening there.”

突然間，不知何故，古鍵琴樂聲被俱樂部音樂取代，演員們開始跳起電子舞曲，但他們的動作依舊從容自若，形成一種矛盾的組合：既有豪華宴會的優雅，又帶有夜店狂歡的放縱。舞者們排成一列，面對面卻未曾接觸；男士與女士在互換面具後轉身背對觀眾，各自前往更衣室。女士的禮服露出背部，而男士的外套尾巴摺得極寬，所有魅力無所遁形，只剩下雙性皆穿的底褲隱約可見。

Suddenly, for no apparent reason, the harpsichord was replaced by club music and the actors started dancing techno only their movements were just as unhurried as before in a paradoxical combination of imposing ballroom and club-style abandon. The rows of dancers came together facing each other but not coming into contact. The men and women exchanged masks then turned their backs to the audience and made for their own changing rooms. The women’s dresses were open-backed, and the men’s coat tails folded so wide that all their charms were bared except for the thongs that both genders were wearing.

此外，有一位男士身上的「珍寶」不自然地從他的緊身連體衣下凸出來。

Moreover, the male treasure of one individual protruded unnaturally beneath his tight-fitting leotard.

Itfut不禁注意到這一幕，「喔，Tili，你這男人真多！」

Itfut could not help but notice it. “Ooh, Tili, what men you have!”

「別被騙了，」稍稍振作起來的Matilda回答道，「那只是他們穿的防護罩而已，任何運動用品店都能買到。」

“Do not be fooled,” replied Matilda who had cheered up a little, “it is the protective covers they are wearing. You can get them in any sports shop.”

與此同時，男女分別前往各自那略顯昏暗的洗手間，而音樂也換成了節奏藍調。舞台上只剩下一位diva，在舞動中依舊保持著慣常節奏，不忘展示她的魅力——那破格裸露的背部，在那件或是刻意走性感風的禮服中若隱若現。

Meanwhile, representatives of both sexes went to their corresponding dimly lit toilets while the music began to play rhythm and blues. The diva was the only figure remaining on the stage. She was dancing in the usual rhythm not forgetting to show off her charms, including her naked back, in a dress that was either meant to be revealing or was simply completely open-backed.

Matilda再也壓抑不住自己的情緒。

Matilda could not help herself.

「嘿，美人，把你那蝴蝶結蓋住點！你一點都不好看！」

“Hey, beautiful, cover yourself up with the bow! You have nothing worth looking at!”

「哈哈哈，Tili，她聽不見你說話！」Itfut笑著說。

“Ha, ha, ha, Tili, she can’t hear you!” said Itfut in good humor.

「她最終會為我跳舞的，你等著瞧吧！那麼，這鏡子會對心靈語言有反應嗎？拭目以待。」

“She’ll dance for me yet, you’ll see! So, this mirror responds to mental statements? We’ll see.”

Matilda此刻目不轉睛地注視著演出，接下來所發生的一切，若想保有一點貞潔，則絕非適合凡夫俗子直視。

Matilda was now watching the action wide-eyed. What happened next was not for the eyes of the virtuous at least if one wished to preserve that same virtue.

在男廁半明的燈光下，身影隨著音樂緩緩移動，彼此交纏扭動；舞者們不停更換舞伴，彎腰後又豎直身軀，進行著一場狂熱的舞蹈。有些人撕下了上衣，雖然並非全然裸露。雖然表演似乎依舊保有一定界限，舞者們也無需全部剝光，然而觀眾那亢奮的想像力足以將那些難以見得的細節自行補全。

In the half light of the men’s room, figures were moving together to the rhythm of the music. The bodies were intertwining and writhing; the dancers swapped partners bending down and straightening up again in a frenzied dance. Some ripped off their tops although weren’t completely naked. There were clearly certain boundaries to the play despite it all. There was no need for the dancers to strip as the viewer’s excited imagination could easily fill in all the details that were invisible to the eye.

男士的狂歡中伴隨著壓抑的呻吟聲；然而，在女士那邊，卻傳來令人毛骨悚然的尖叫，足以使人心驚膽跳。顯然，某些靈魂不受任何約束，正肆無忌憚地釋放著自己。為了讓觀眾至少能窺見一些禮儀的界限，表演組織者謹慎地採用了低光照明。但在那半明的燈光中，由於舞者穿著一身白衣，很多細節依然隱約可見。儘管女士們最近顯得有些慵懶，此刻她們卻狂熱興奮，彼此扯扯拉拉，試圖伸手探進對方的禮服及低胸處，各種情節難以言表。

The men’s orgy was accompanied by stifled moans. However, in the female half, truly eerie screams could be heard that chilled the heart. Spirits were evidently raging unfettered by boundaries or constraint. Wanting to be seen to observe at least some notion of the limits of decorum, the performance organizers had prudently used dim lighting. In the half light, however, much was still visible due to the dancers’ white clothing. Although recently displaying a more languid demeanor, the ladies were now wildly excited tearing at each other, trying to reach under dresses and décolleté and generally doing all sorts of things that are difficult to describe.

說不清這究竟是精心編排的舞台劇，還是真實上演的現場場景；但究竟有何分別呢？正如那句老話所言：「人生如戲」，生活與舞台僅一步之遙。Matilda平靜地觀看著這一切，彷彿在等待著某個契機，而Itfut則似乎茫然不知如何反應，發出含糊的「嗯」聲，驚訝得捂住了嘴巴。

It was impossible to tell whether this was a staged act or something that was happening for real. Although, what is the difference? “All the world’s a stage,” as the classic goes, and life is just a stone’s throw away from the stage. Matilda watched it all calmly as if waiting for something. Itfut did not seem to know how to react and made muffled sounds like ‘hmm’ covering her mouth in shock.

終於，一聲鑼響傳來，狂歡的派對頓時戛然而止，緩慢的藍調樂曲隨之響起，男女參與者紛紛從這「戰場」緩緩走回舞台，他們個個滿臉不悅：有的丟了假髮，有的衣衫破損，有的甚至半裸著身，唯獨臉上的面具依舊完好無缺。

Finally, a gong sounded, and the orgy suddenly came to a halt. Slow blues music began to play, and representatives of both sexes began slowly leaving the ‘battlefield’ and returning to the stage. They all looked fairly disgruntled. One had lost a wig, someone else’s clothes were torn, and someone else appeared half-naked. Only the masks on their faces remained untouched.

情侶們彼此對列，逐漸靠攏，男與女此刻開始真正接觸，他們隨即將雙臂放回兩側，開始相互摩擦身體、做出來回搖擺前進的動作，並透過面具互相窺視著對方。

The couples lined up opposite each other and began to draw closer. Coming into contact (men with women now), they pulled their arms back to the sides and began to rub their bodies and make swinging, advancing movements looking at each other from behind their masks.

Itfut按捺不住，問道：「所以，你們的表演就是這樣的嗎？」

Itfut could not contain herself and asked, “So, this is what your performances are like?”

「不，不是全部都是這樣，並不是每次都這樣。別想當然，那只是我們碰巧看到這一幕而已；不過，有時候他們確實會展示出這種獨特的藝術。」

“No, not all of them are like this, not always. Don’t assume that. It’s just chance that we’re watching this one. But sometimes they do show this kind of peculiar art.”

「究竟是真實發生的，還只是一場戲呢？」

“Is it all for real or is it a play?”

「這只是一場戲。但你在任何劇院都見不到這種表演。有時候它是在大自然中上演的。」

“It’s a play. But you won’t see this kind of thing in any theatre. Sometimes it’s staged outside in nature.”

「那他們為何不摘下面具呢？」

“Why don’t they take off their masks?”

「因為在這樣的情境下，人們往往不太願意直視彼此的雙眼。你可能會看到地獄般的景象。」

“Because in moments like these, people don’t necessarily feel comfortable looking another in the eye. You might see hell.”

「對，我知道你在暗示什麼。」 「Futi，你是什麼意思？」

“Right, I know what you’re referring to.” “What do you mean, Futi?”

「另談吧。」

“Another time.”

「得了吧，其實這些都只是些邊緣地下的表現，真正的藝術少之又少。」 「嗯，我倒挺喜歡的，」Itfut咯咯笑著說，「我愛那種表現力。」

“Come on, it’s all basically marginal underground. There’s very little art here.” “Well, I quite liked it,” giggled Itfut. “I love expressiveness.”

「接下來，看看會發生什麼，」Matilda彷彿在為接下來的場面做著心理準備般地說道。

“Watch what happens next,” said Matilda as if preparing herself for something.

與此同時，那位藍綠色的diva繼續在搖擺的情侶間巡遊，她隨著現場現場藍調樂曲的節奏翩然起舞，時而輕輕觸碰彼此。然而，忽然間，她莫名其妙地絆倒，單腳踉蹌轉了個身，隨著一聲撕裂般的響聲，她衣服上的蝴蝶結竟脫落了。她身形向後傾斜，結果高跟鞋竟被自己的緞帶絆住，狼狽地倒在地上，雙腿朝上拱起。那一刻，原先的魅力與哀愁瞬間化為烏有，其他演員一時陷入茫然，而導演則憤怒至極。

Meanwhile, the blue-green diva continued her parade around the swinging couples, who were rubbing up against each other moving to the rhythm of an open blues composition. But suddenly, she stumbled for no apparent reason and turned awkwardly on one heel. There was the sound of something tearing and the bow fell off her dress. Leaning backwards, the diva got her heels caught up in her ribbons and came crashing clumsily to the floor with her legs tilted upwards. The glamor and pathos of the scene dissolved instantly. The other actors froze in confusion while the director was filled with rage.

Matilda猛地跳了一下，拍手大笑，笑得比以往任何時候都激烈。Itfut故作莊重又忍不住噴出笑聲，轉向Matilda說：「哦，Tili-Tili！這樣的行為根本不應該，你應該感到羞愧！」

Matilda gave a little jump, clapped and laughed harder than she probably ever had. With mock seriousness but barely containing her laughter, Itfut turned to Matilda and said, “Oh, Tili-Tili! That’s no way to behave. You should be ashamed of yourself!”

「我才不羞愧，一點也不！」Matilda邊喊邊露出得意的表情，「我早就告訴過你，美麗終究會為我起舞！我的蝴蝶結仍在我這裡！我的蝴蝶結是屬於我的！」她伴隨著旋轉和跳躍，繼續這般快活地表演。

“I’m not ashamed, not one bit!” shouted Matilda, looking pleased with herself. “I told you that beauty would dance for me yet! My bow is with me! My bow is for me!” she rapped, continuing to spin and jump about.

「好吧，好吧，Tili，夠了！看啊，你的Victor已經完全瘋掉了！」

“Okay, okay, Tili, that’s enough! Look, your Victor has gone completely wild.”

導演在舞台上忙碌奔走，揮舞著雙臂大聲喊道：「滾開，傻瓜們！你們全部給我滾！」

The director was rushing around the stage waving his arms about and shouting, “Get lost, fools! Go, all of you!”

戲班成員各自四散奔逃，而後Victor坐在舞台邊緣，雙手捧頭低聲呻吟。

The troupe ran from the stage in all different directions and then Victor sat down on the edge of the stage, clasped his head in his hands and groaned.

「我的Tili，我的摯愛，你在哪裡！」

“Where are you, my Tili, my darling!”

聽到這話，Matilda從笑聲中頓時轉為哭泣，啜泣不止。

On hearing these words, Matilda went from laughing to crying and sobbing again.

「我該怎麼辦你，我的歡欣，我的悲愴！」Itfut說，「你看，大家都記得你，也都在懷念你。」

“What am I going to do with you, my joy, my sorrow!” said Itfut. “You see, you are remembered and missed.”

戲院的場景漸漸消散，鏡子又恢復了往日海洋般的背景。朋友們在沙地上坐下，互相擁抱，各自陷入自己的沉思之中。

The theatre scene gradually faded, and the mirror resumed its usual maritime backdrop. The friends sat down in the sand and gave each other a hug, each busy with their own thoughts.