合成女僕

Synthetic Maid

同時但在不同的時代和不同的地方……

At the same time but in a different era and in a different place...

如何能夠「同時但在不同的時代」——我們稍後會解釋。時間和空間的運動並不總是線性的，至少在可見和可理解的範圍內是這樣。而僅僅因為某些東西超出了我們的理解範圍，並不意味著它不存在。

How it is possible for something to be ‘at the same time but in a different era’ - we will explain later. Movement through time and space is not always linear, at least within the limits of what can be seen and understood. And just because something lies beyond the limits of our comprehension does not mean that it does not exist.

為了從我們離開女祭司Itfut的時間和空間點移動到新的行動地點，觀察者需要進行一段相當複雜的旅程。

In order to move from the point in time and space where we left priestess Itfut to the new place of action, the observer is required to undertake a rather elaborate journey.

想像你正飛向天空。Itfut從沙地上的一個身影變成一個小點。地球似乎越來越遠，直到它像地圖上的線條一樣，你被提升得越來越高，直到最終，天空的藍色被宇宙的黑色取代。

Imagine that you are flying up through the sky. Itfut transforms from a figure on the sand to a tiny speck. The earth appears to move further and further away until it resembles the lines on a map, and you are lifted higher and higher until eventually, the blue of the sky is replaced by the black of the cosmos.

現在你正飛過黑暗的深淵，但因為有星星，所以並不黑暗，地球仍然像一個藍色的球體在遠處移動。很快，地球只剩下一個點，而你的運動不再可見。到了某個時刻，你在這個位置凍結，被黑暗中的星星包圍，除了星星什麼也沒有。

Now you are flying through the black abyss, but it is not dark because of the stars and Earth is still visible like a blue ball moving away in the distance. And soon Earth is nothing more than a dot and your movement is no longer visible. There comes a point when you are frozen in this position, surrounded by stars in the blackness, nothing but stars.

然後，其中一顆星星突然變成了一個管道。它把你拉進一個發光的隧道，讓你穿過它，感覺像是無限長，同時你又在極快地旅行。

Then, one of those stars suddenly transforms into a tube. It draws you inside a glowing tunnel, pulling you through it for what feels like an infinity and at the same time you are travelling incredibly fast.

最後，速度減慢，你被推到管道的另一端，再次發現自己漂浮在充滿星星的黑色空間中。一顆星星開始變大，你意識到你不再懸掛在那裡，而是在移動。

Finally, the speed slows down, you are pushed out of the other end of the tube and again find yourself floating in black space filled with stars. One star begins to increase in size, and you realize that you are no longer hanging there suspended, you are moving.

然後，星星變成了一個球體，逐漸在你面前擴展成一個藍色的星球。這是地球，但在不同的時代。你進入地球的大氣層，黑暗被藍色取代；就像你在雲中墜落。你發現自己在灰色的霧中漂浮了一會兒，然後再次陷入黑暗，因為在這個時代，太陽已經落下。

Then the star transforms into a ball which gradually expands before you into a blue planet. It is the Earth but in a different epoch. You enter the Earth’s atmosphere and blackness is replaced by blueness; it is as if you are drowning, falling through the clouds. You find yourself floating in a gray fog for a while before being plunged back into darkness this time because, in this epoch, the sun has already set.

在你下方，你可以看到夜晚城市的燈光。你向下飛行，越來越接近閃爍的燈光。你飛過汽車呼嘯而過的高速公路，擠滿人群的廣場，河流，橋樑，發光的公寓樓，房屋，直到最終，你隨機穿過一扇窗戶。

Below you can see the lights of the city at night. You plane downwards drawing ever closer to the flickering lights. You fly across motorways with cars whizzing past, squares filled with people, rivers, bridges, luminous apartment blocks, houses, until finally, you dart in through a random window.

現在我們可以說，這是同一時間，只是我們在不同的時代和不同的地方，具體來說，是在一個正在拍攝音樂劇《完結的小丑》的劇院。

Now we can say that it is the same time only we are in a different epoch and a different place, specifically a theater, in which a film is being made of the musical ‘Finished Clown’.

為什麼是小丑，為什麼是「完結」？是指去世還是指無望、無可救藥、完蛋了？攝製組似乎也不知道，因為他們仍處於所謂的「創作過程」中。

Why a clown and in what way ‘finished’? Finished as in passed away or finished in the sense of hopeless, incorrigible, done-for? The film crew did not appear to know either as they were still in the so-called ‘creative process’.

劇院沉浸在半光中。遺棄的物品和外套隨意地扔在椅子上。少數人坐在觀眾席上，一個打瞌睡，另一個盯著明亮的舞台，劇院工作人員忙著準備排練。舞台設置成一個半圓柱形的變壓器，地板和牆壁上投射著圖像和燈光效果。

The auditorium was immersed in half-light. Abandoned belongings and coats lay thrown across chairs. A handful of people were sitting in the auditorium, one dozing and another staring at the brightly lit stage, where theatre types rushed about busy preparing for a rehearsal. The stage was set up as a semi-cylindrical transformer with images and lighting effects projected onto the floor and walls.

導演站在舞台中央，情緒激動地大聲咒罵。

The director was standing in the middle of the stage, an emotional figure cursing wildly.

「這不行。你們都不行！我們是在拍音樂劇還是葬禮？滾開，蠢貨！滾開！回來時要不一樣！」他並沒有解釋這意味著什麼以及他們應該如何改變。但攝製組的成員，一群打扮得花枝招展的雜色人群，並不打算留下來找出答案，紛紛逃向四面八方。

“It won’t do. None of you will do! Are we shooting a musical or a funeral? Get lost, fools! Get lost! Come back different!” What he meant by this and in what way they should return different, the director did not bother to explain. But the members of the film crew, a motley crowd dressed up to the nines, were not going to hang about to find out and fled in all directions.

「好吧，我的女主角在哪裡？她是唯一能激勵我的人。把我的女主角帶來！Max，她會很久嗎？」他轉向他的攝影師問道。「去看看。」

“Right, where is my diva? She’s the only one who inspires me. Bring me my diva! Max, will she be long?” he asked turning to his operator. “Go and find out.”

攝影師跑到舞台後面，很快就回來了。Max是一個年輕人，有口吃的習慣，說話前總是需要很長時間準備：

The operator ran behind the wings and quickly returned. Max was a young man with a stutter, and he had the habit of taking a long time to prepare before saying anything:

「Victor，我們……我們……」

“Victor, we... We-e...”

「我們什麼？我們是誰，我們是什麼，是一個複雜的哲學問題。快說出來！」

“We what? Who we are and what we are is a complex philosophical question. Spit it out!”

「Matilda又在鬧脾氣了。」Max終於說出來了。

“Matilda is being difficult again.” Max finally managed to say.

「快把她帶來！」Victor（這是他們對導演的稱呼）用威嚇的聲音喊道。

“Just get her here!” yelled Victor (which was what they called the director) in an intimidating voice.

「Victor！」一個女人的聲音從舞台後面傳來。「她來了，我在這裡！」隨著聲音，女人自己出現了。她立刻給人一種非常古怪的印象，因為她穿著深綠色的連身衣和巨大的粉紅色厚底鞋，並且戴著一頭淺藍色的頭髮，夾雜著淺紫色的挑染。你可以說她是個「藍金髮」。

“Victor!” A woman’s voice could be heard behind the wings. “Here she is, I’m here!” Following on from the voice the woman herself appeared. The instantly created the impression of being a highly eccentric individual dressed as she was in a dark-green jumpsuit and huge pink platforms, as well as donning a shock of light-blue hair strewn with light-purple highlights. You could say she was a ‘blue blonde’.

「過來，Tili，我的寶貝，我的天使！」Victor走向這位古怪的女人，張開雙臂。「好，轉過來。你不是很美麗嗎！」然後突然改變語氣說：「你怎麼還沒化妝！快回化妝間！」

“Come here, Tili, my darling, my angel!” Victor approached the eccentric woman throwing his arms wide open. “Ok, turn around. Aren’t you beautiful!” and abruptly changing the tone of his voice, he said, “What are you doing here still not made up! Skedaddle back to the dressing room, quick!”

「我不想去。這要花好久好久！」Matilda有拉長元音的習慣。「反正這只是排練！」

“I don’t want to. It takes so lo-o-o-ong!” Matilda had the habit of extending her vowels. “It’s only a rehearsal anyway!”

「我是那個決定是排練還是拍攝的人。從我眼前消失！」

“I’m the one who decides whether it’s a rehearsal or a film shoot. Get out of my sight!”

「我想要糖果！你答應給我巧克力包裹的櫻桃。」Max試圖加入談話，結巴地說：「什麼……什麼……」

“I want a sweet! You promised me chocolate-coated cherries.” “What a b...” Max stuttered, trying to join the conversation. “B, b...” “You’re saying I have such a beautiful what? Hurry up!”

「你說我有多美？快點說！」Max終於說完了：「多麼平庸的選擇——巧克力包裹的櫻桃！」

“What a banal choice — chocolate-coated cherries!” said Max, finally managing to finish his sentence.

「哦，我就是想要一些！」

“Oooh, but I want some!”

「女主角，你知道規則。如果你不拍攝，就沒有獎勵。」Victor說。「拍攝，你就會有獎勵。現在都給我滾開！不，等等，再排練一次你的鞠躬。」

“Diva, you know the rules. If you don’t do a take, you don’t get a treat,” said Victor. “Do it, and you’ll have your treat. Now get lost all of you! No, wait, let’s rehearse your curtsy again.”

Matilda側身，做了一個做作的屈膝禮。

Matilda stepped to one side and gave an affected curtsy.

「哦，多麼粗俗！」Victor喊道。「來，再來一次。按照教過你的方式，手放在胸前……不是在胸上，是在胸前，要有感情，有尊嚴！應該輕盈，不要像小丑一樣！我該怎麼辦呢？算了，滾出去，你這個怪物，不然我自己開槍打你！」

“Oh, how vulgar!” shouted Victor. “Come on, again. Do it as you were taught to, hands to the chest and ... not on the chest, to the chest, and with feeling, with dignity! It should be light, not buffoon-like! What am I going to do with her? That’s it, get out of here, you monster, or I’ll shoot you myself!”

Matilda轉身準備逃跑。

Matilda turned on her platforms and was about to make a run for it.

「不！停下！Tili，親愛的！回來！」Matilda再次轉身，滿懷期待地等待著。

“No! Stop! Tili, darling! Come back here!” Matilda turned again and waited expectantly.

「有時候，你會說出一些天真的話。說真的，這一幕用什麼舞蹈最好，街舞還是房舞？」

“Sometimes, you say something, out of the mouth of a babe. Seriously, what would be the best dance to use in this shot, street or house?”

「需要扭扭舞。就是需要扭扭舞。」女主角回答他。「什麼，什麼，什麼？為什麼？」

“It needs the twist. The twist is what’s needed.” the diva answered him. “What, what, what? Why?”

「因為你所有的go-go和R&B都太糟糕了。全都是老掉牙的。」 「什麼？什麼？你是什麼意思，老掉牙，這是現代舞。」 「因為這些都太無聊了！無聊——這就是原因！」

“Because all your go-go and R&B totally sucks. It’s all old hat.” “What? What? What do you mean, old hat, it’s contemporary dance.” “Because it’s all so boring! Boring - that’s why!”

「好吧，解釋得很好。但為什麼是扭扭舞？那是復古的。」

“Right, great explanation. But why the twist? That’s retro.”

「新的就是被遺忘的舊的。你可以把任何被遺忘的東西變成新的時尚。」

“New is the forgotten old. You can make a new fashion out of anything that’s been forgotten.”

「這是個想法。」Max說。

“That’s a th... th-th... That’s a thought.” said Max.

「同意。我們應該試試。」Victor說。「好，去化妝，乖女孩。」

“Agreed. We should try it.” said Victor. “Ok, go and get made up, there’s a smart girl.”

「我化不化妝都很聰明！」Matilda反駁道，然後高興地跳著跑到後台。

“I’m clever with or without my makeup!” Matilda retorted and ran backstage with a happy skip.

Victor招手叫來服裝師，在她耳邊低語了幾句，然後她就消失了。

Victor beckoned the wardrobe-mistress and whispered something in her ear, after which she disappeared.

「好，現在你們這些沒才華的笨蛋，好好看看自己，快點進入天才狀態。快點，快點，我已經看到你們開始閃耀了！Max，你和其他傻瓜！我們需要決定音樂和效果。時間，時間！我們快沒時間了！Matilda一準備好就告訴我。」

“Right, now the rest of you talentless, retards, take a good look at yourselves and quickly assume a genius state. Go on, go on, I can see you beginning to shine already! Max, you and the other bird-brains! We need to decide on the music and effects. Time, time! We’re running out of time! Let me know as soon as Matilda is ready.”

舞台再次成為忙碌準備的旋渦。過了一段時間，如往常一樣，「既有又無」，Victor開始發號施令。

The stage was once again a whirl of bustling preparations. After some time that as always, ‘was and was not’, Victor began giving directions.

「好，一切就緒！Max，Matilda在哪裡？啊，她來了，滿面春風。」

“Right, all set! Max, where is Matilda? Ah, here she comes, all happy and radiant.”

Matilda看起來令人印象深刻。除了她的綠松石色頭髮，她的臉上塗滿藍色的臉妝，眼妝讓人毫無疑問，她是一位徹底的女主角。

Matilda made for an impressive sight. In addition to her turquoise colored hair, her face was covered in blue face paint and her eyes were made up so that there was no doubt, the diva was a total diva.

「好，來吧！過來，我的寶貝！轉過來！」

“Okay, come on! Come here, my darling! Turn around!”

Victor招手叫來服裝師，她手裡拿著一個巨大的粉紅色蝴蝶結，那種女人們曾經在老式裙子背後佩戴的。

Victor beckoned to the wardrobe-mistress, who was holding a huge pink bow, the kind those women used to wear on the backs of old-fashioned dresses.

「等一下！我們只是要給你打扮一下！」

“Just a second! We’re just going to dress you up a bit!”

Matilda一看到蝴蝶結，就向後跳，揮舞著雙手。

Scarcely having glimpsed the bow, Matilda jumped backwards waving her hands about.

「不，不！你瘋了嗎？」

“No, no! Are you mad?“

「你不明白！看看它！它又大又粉又漂亮！」Victor欣賞著他的創作說。「它和你的鞋子顏色相配。完美無瑕！」

“You don’t understand! Look at it! It’s huge, pink and beautiful!” said Victor admiring his invention. “It matches the color of your shoes. It is perfect!”

「我才不穿那個……俗氣的東西！」

“I’m not wearing that ... gaudy thing!”

「但我們要跳扭扭舞。現在你有東西可以旋轉了！」

“But we’re dancing the twist. Now you’ll have something to twirl!”

「這太臭了！我是什麼，洋娃娃嗎？」

“It stinks! What am I, a doll?”

「當然！你是我的活洋娃娃！」

“Of course! You’re my living doll!”

「站著別動。」服裝師不理會女主角的抱怨，把蝴蝶結固定在她臀部上方的腰帶上。其他演員圍住Matilda，試圖安撫她。

“Stand still.” Paying no attention to the diva’s moans, the wardrobe-mistress fastened the bow to the belt just above her bottom. The other actors surrounded Matilda, trying to calm her down.

「別擔心Matilda，這真的很適合你！」 「看起來真的很有趣！」

“Don’t worry Matilda, it really suits you!” “It looks really interesting!”

「太棒了！」 「華麗！」

“It’s fantastic!” “Gorgeous!”

最終，他們成功說服了她。

Eventually, they managed to convince her.

「Tili，親愛的，你看起來非常非常美麗！」Victor說，仍然試圖說服她。

“Tili, sweetheart, you look very, very beautiful!” Victor said, still trying to persuade her.

「非常，非常美麗？」

“Very, super-very?”

「是的，是的。而且你非常聰明！」 「那你現在想要我做什麼？」

“Yes, yes. And you’re so clever!” “What is it you want from me now?”

「我們有個小問題。我們無法決定地板和牆壁的特效。沒有一個合適的。你有什麼想法嗎？」

“We’re having a teeny-weeny problem. We can’t decide on the special effects for the floor and walls. Nothing is quite right. Any ideas?”

儘管女主角給人一種天生輕浮的印象，但她有著非凡的頭腦，從她獨特的角度看待許多事情，有時甚至過於獨特。

Despite the fact that the diva gave the impression of being frivolous by nature, she had an extraordinary mind and saw many things from her own unique point of view, sometimes too much so.

「你不需要任何特效。讓我們把地板做成鏡子，牆壁也做成鏡子。它們會反射整個舞蹈團隊……」 「你的蝴蝶結也會！」

“You don’t need any special effects. Let’s just have a mirror floor and make the walls mirrors, too. They’ll give a reflection of the whole dance group ...” “Your bow too!”

「住手。我不是這個意思。如果一切都是鏡子，可能會發生一些有趣的事情。」

“Stop it. That was not what I meant. If everything is in mirrors, something interesting might happen.”

「好，我們試試。Max，啟動變壓器，我們要把整個舞台變成鏡子。」

“Ok, we’ll try it. Max, run the transformer, we’re turning the whole stage into a mirror.”

「全……全部？」

“A... A-all of it?”

「是的，地板，牆壁，所有的東西。好，大家注意，回到你們的位置！」Victor轉向其他人說。「準備好了嗎？雜耍演員，雜技演員，上場！音樂，開始！

“Yup. the floor, the walls, everything. Ok, attention people, in your places!” said Victor turning to the others. “Ready? Jugglers, acrobats, go! Music, go!

攝影機，開始！」

Cameras, let’s go!”

隨著這一聲令下，之前混亂的雜色人群突然聚集在一起，變得流暢而有風格地移動，就像這場景已經排練過千百次一樣。當然，女主角在整個行動的中心，迷人地旋轉著她的蝴蝶結。

And at that, the previously chaotic, motley crowd suddenly came together transformed, moving smoothly and stylishly, as if the scene had been rehearsed a thousand times before. And of course, the diva was at the very center of the action, charmingly twirling her bow.

啦啦，啦啦啦啦，啦啦啦啦，啦啦啦。如果你從未來過

La-la, lalalala-la, lalalala-la, lalala. If you’ve never been

我們明亮的城市，

To our bright city,

從未在傍晚的河流上夢想到黎明，

Never dreamed till dawn Above the evening river,

如果你從未與朋友漫步在寬廣的大道上，

If you have never strolled with friends Down the vast avenues,

你就從未見過

You have never seen

世界上最好的城市。塔塔達達達！

The best city in the world. Ta-tada-tada-da!

歌聲起航，我的心在歌唱，這些話是關於你的，莫斯科...¹

The song sets sail, and my heart sings, These words are about you, Moscow...¹

就在那一刻，所有的鏡子似乎同時閃閃發光，攝影機聚焦的Matilda在一陣明亮的光芒中被照亮。她繼續隨著音樂的節拍移動，綠色的霧氣從四面八方籠罩著她。Matilda驚訝地停下了舞蹈。霧氣迅速消散，但她周圍的空間被藍色沙漠和黃色天空的幻影填滿。

In that moment, all the mirrors seemed to sparkle simultaneously and Matilda, on whom the camera was focused, was lit up in a flash of bright light. She continued moving to the beat of the music as a green mist engulfed her from all sides. Dumbfounded, Matilda stopped dancing. The mist quickly dissipated but the space around her was filled with a mirage of blue sand and yellow sky.

Matilda的視線似乎變得模糊。她獨自在幻影中，幻影緩慢地穿過她。她能聽到遠處傳來的音樂聲。然後幻影消失了，取而代之的是，Matilda被灰色的身影包圍著，這些身影好像在跳剛才舞台上表演的舞蹈。這些身影穿著灰色、無形的連帽長袍，面孔模糊不清。音樂消退，取而代之的是玻璃般的響聲。這些身影僵住了，困惑地盯著Matilda。Matilda驚恐地回望著他們。

Matilda’s eyesight seemed to go dim. She was alone inside the mirage which was slowly floating right through her. She could hear music playing somewhere in the distance. Then the mirage dissolved and in its place, Matilda was surrounded by gray figures, moving about as if dancing the same dance that was being performed on the stage just moments ago. The figures were dressed in gray, shapeless, hooded robes, their faces obscure and blurred. The music faded and was replaced by a glassy chime. The figures froze and stared at Matilda perplexed. Matilda looked back at them in horror.

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從恍惚中清醒過來，灰色的身影衝向可憐的女人大喊：「合成女僕！合成女僕！」

Emerging from their stupor, the gray figures rushed at the poor woman shouting. “Synthetic maid! Synthetic maid!”

「吃掉她！吃掉她！」

“Eat heo! Eat heo!”

Matilda的腿一軟，在那些身影來得及撲上來之前就昏倒了。

Matilda’s legs buckled and she fainted before the figures had time to pounce.

歌曲《世界上最好的城市》，音樂：A. Babadzhanyan，歌詞：L. Derbenev

Song “The Best City in the World”, music by A. Babadzhanyan, lyrics, L. Derbenev

合成女僕

Synthetic Maid

同時，在另一個時代、另一個地方……

At the same time but in a different era and in a different place...

某事能同時存在於不同時代，其運作方式——我們稍後再解釋。時間與空間的流動並非總是直線性的，至少在我們能觀察與理解的範圍內是這樣。而僅僅因為某事超出我們理解的界限，並不意味著它不存在。

How it is possible for something to be ‘at the same time but in a different era’ - we will explain later. Movement through time and space is not always linear, at least within the limits of what can be seen and understood. And just because something lies beyond the limits of our comprehension does not mean that it does not exist.

為了從我們離開祭司 Itfut 的那一時空點轉移到新的行動地點，觀察者必須經歷一段相當繁複的旅程。

In order to move from the point in time and space where we left priestess Itfut to the new place of action, the observer is required to undertake a rather elaborate journey.

想像你正駕馭著飛行器穿越蒼穹，Itfut 由沙丘上的人影化作一個微不足道的點。大地漸行漸遠，直至看上去只剩下地圖般簡單的線條，而你則被抬升得越來越高，最終藍天被深邃宇宙的黑暗取代。

Imagine that you are flying up through the sky. Itfut transforms from a figure on the sand to a tiny speck. The earth appears to move further and further away until it resembles the lines on a map, and you are lifted higher and higher until eventually, the blue of the sky is replaced by the black of the cosmos.

此刻你正穿梭於那無邊的黑暗深淵中，但並非全然漆黑，因為滿天繁星閃爍；地球也依舊以一顆藍色球體的形態，在遠處緩緩退去。不久後，地球僅成為一個微弱的點，連你自身的移動也變得難以捕捉。最終，你彷彿凝固在這個位置，四周只剩無數星辰圍繞在漆黑中。

Now you are flying through the black abyss, but it is not dark because of the stars and Earth is still visible like a blue ball moving away in the distance. And soon Earth is nothing more than a dot and your movement is no longer visible. There comes a point when you are frozen in this position, surrounded by stars in the blackness, nothing but stars.

然後，其中一顆星突然變形為一根管狀物，將你吸入一條發光的隧道。這隧道似乎無限延展，拉扯著你穿越其中，而你同時以難以置信的速度前進。

Then, one of those stars suddenly transforms into a tube. It draws you inside a glowing tunnel, pulling you through it for what feels like an infinity and at the same time you are travelling incredibly fast.

終於，速度漸漸放緩，你被從管狀物的另一端推出，再次發現自己漂浮在充滿星辰的漆黑空間中。隨著一顆星體逐漸放大，你終於意識到自己不再是懸浮著不動，而正不斷移動著。

Finally, the speed slows down, you are pushed out of the other end of the tube and again find yourself floating in black space filled with stars. One star begins to increase in size, and you realize that you are no longer hanging there suspended, you are moving.

接下來，那顆星轉變成一個球體，並在你眼前逐步膨脹成一顆藍色行星。這正是地球，只不過屬於另一個時代。你穿入地球的大氣層，黑暗隨即被蔚藍取代；彷彿你正從雲端中墜落、逐漸溺水。你曾在一片灰霧中漂浮了一會兒，隨後又被淹沒於黑暗之中，因為在這個時代，太陽早已沉落。

Then the star transforms into a ball which gradually expands before you into a blue planet. It is the Earth but in a different epoch. You enter the Earth’s atmosphere and blackness is replaced by blueness; it is as if you are drowning, falling through the clouds. You find yourself floating in a gray fog for a while before being plunged back into darkness this time because, in this epoch, the sun has already set.

在你下方，夜幕中的城市燈火熠熠。你開始向下滑行，逐漸靠近那閃爍的燈光。你越過高速公路，車輛呼嘯而過；飛越人滿為患的廣場、蜿蜒的河流、橫跨的橋樑、燈光璀璨的公寓大樓和住宅，而最終，你猛地穿進一扇隨機的窗戶。

Below you can see the lights of the city at night. You plane downwards drawing ever closer to the flickering lights. You fly across motorways with cars whizzing past, squares filled with people, rivers, bridges, luminous apartment blocks, houses, until finally, you dart in through a random window.

現在我們可以說，時間依舊，但我們正身處於另一個時代和另一個地方——具體來說，是一座劇院，正在拍攝一部名為《Finished Clown》的音樂劇電影。

Now we can say that it is the same time only we are in a different epoch and a different place, specifically a theater, in which a film is being made of the musical ‘Finished Clown’.

為何選擇小丑？而那所謂的「Finished」又該如何解釋？是指逝去了，還是意味著徹底無望、無可挽回？電影工作團隊似乎也不甚明瞭，因為他們仍處於所謂的「創作過程」中。

Why a clown and in what way ‘finished’? Finished as in passed away or finished in the sense of hopeless, incorrigible, done-for? The film crew did not appear to know either as they were still in the so-called ‘creative process’.

禮堂中沉浸在半明半暗的光線裡。被遺忘的物品和外套隨意散落在座椅上。僅有零星幾人坐在其中，一人打著瞌睡，另一人則凝望著燈光耀眼的舞台；而台上，劇場工作者們正忙於排練、四處奔走。舞台被布置成一個半圓柱形的變形裝置，影像和燈光效果同步投影在地板與牆面上。

The auditorium was immersed in half-light. Abandoned belongings and coats lay thrown across chairs. A handful of people were sitting in the auditorium, one dozing and another staring at the brightly lit stage, where theatre types rushed about busy preparing for a rehearsal. The stage was set up as a semi-cylindrical transformer with images and lighting effects projected onto the floor and walls.

導演站在舞台中央，滿腔情緒地咒罵著。

The director was standing in the middle of the stage, an emotional figure cursing wildly.

「這樣不行，你們一個人都不行！我們到底是在拍音樂劇，還是在辦喪禮？滾開，笨蛋們！滾開！回來時必須得不一樣！」至於他口中所謂「回來要不同」的具體含義，導演懶得再多解釋。但那些衣著講究、形形色色的電影工作人員，根本沒打算逗留探聽，紛紛四散而逃。

“It won’t do. None of you will do! Are we shooting a musical or a funeral? Get lost, fools! Get lost! Come back different!” What he meant by this and in what way they should return different, the director did not bother to explain. But the members of the film crew, a motley crowd dressed up to the nines, were not going to hang about to find out and fled in all directions.

「對了，我的女神在哪裡？她是唯一能激勵我的人。把我的女神帶來！Max，她會讓我等很久嗎？」他邊對操作員說邊詢問，「去查查吧。」

“Right, where is my diva? She’s the only one who inspires me. Bring me my diva! Max, will she be long?” he asked turning to his operator. “Go and find out.”

操作員迅速跑到舞台側翼後，很快回來。Max 是個口吃的年輕人，他總愛在開口之前深思熟慮許久：

The operator ran behind the wings and quickly returned. Max was a young man with a stutter, and he had the habit of taking a long time to prepare before saying anything:

“Victor，我們…… 我們……”

“Victor, we... We-e...”

「我們什麼？我們到底是誰、又是什麼，這是個複雜的哲學問題。快點說！」

“We what? Who we are and what we are is a complex philosophical question. Spit it out!”

「Matilda又開始捣蛋了。」Max終於說出口。

“Matilda is being difficult again.” Max finally managed to say.

「快把她帶過來！」Victor（即導演）以威嚇的語氣大聲喊道。

“Just get her here!” yelled Victor (which was what they called the director) in an intimidating voice.

「Victor!」背後傳來一個女子的聲音，「她在這裡，我到了！」隨著聲音，一位女子走了出來，她立刻給人一種極為怪異的印象——身穿深綠色連身褲和巨大粉紅厚底鞋，頭髮則是淺藍色，並點綴著淡紫色挑染，可以說她是一個「藍金」。

“Victor!” A woman’s voice could be heard behind the wings. “Here she is, I’m here!” Following on from the voice the woman herself appeared. The instantly created the impression of being a highly eccentric individual dressed as she was in a dark-green jumpsuit and huge pink platforms, as well as donning a shock of light-blue hair strewn with light-purple highlights. You could say she was a ‘blue blonde’.

「來這邊，Tili，我的親愛的，我的天使!」Victor迎向那位怪異的女子，雙臂大幅張開，「好了，轉個身。你多美啊！」說罷，他猛然改變語氣，「你在這裡幹什麼？怎麼還沒化妝！快滾回化妝間，快點！」

“Come here, Tili, my darling, my angel!” Victor approached the eccentric woman throwing his arms wide open. “Ok, turn around. Aren’t you beautiful!” and abruptly changing the tone of his voice, he said, “What are you doing here still not made up! Skedaddle back to the dressing room, quick!”

「我才不呢，太久了！」Matilda總是把元音拖得很長地說道，「反正只是排練而已！」

“I don’t want to. It takes so lo-o-o-ong!” Matilda had the habit of extending her vowels. “It’s only a rehearsal anyway!”

「我決定這是排練還是拍攝。從我眼前滾開！」

“I’m the one who decides whether it’s a rehearsal or a film shoot. Get out of my sight!”

「我要點甜點！你答應過給我巧克力裹櫻桃。」Max結巴著試圖插話：「什麼……什麼……」 「你是說我有什麼美麗的什麼？快點！」

“I want a sweet! You promised me chocolate-coated cherries.” “What a b...” Max stuttered, trying to join the conversation. “B, b...” “You’re saying I have such a beautiful what? Hurry up!”

「多麼平庸的選擇——巧克力裹櫻桃！」Max終於說完了他的話。

“What a banal choice — chocolate-coated cherries!” said Max, finally managing to finish his sentence.

「哦，但我就是想要！」

“Oooh, but I want some!”

「女神，你知道規矩。如果不拍鏡頭，就別想拿獎勵，」Victor說道，「去做吧，你就能拿到獎勵。現在，全部滾開！不，等等，再練一次你的鞠躬。」

“Diva, you know the rules. If you don’t do a take, you don’t get a treat,” said Victor. “Do it, and you’ll have your treat. Now get lost all of you! No, wait, let’s rehearse your curtsy again.”

Matilda移到一旁，故作姿態地鞠了一個躬。

Matilda stepped to one side and gave an affected curtsy.

「哦，真是粗俗！」Victor大喊，「來，再來一次。照你學的那樣做，雙手放到胸前……不是隨便放，而是要放得有感情、有尊嚴！要輕盈，不可滑稽！我要拿她怎麼辦？好了，快走開，你這怪物，不然我親自開槍打你！」

“Oh, how vulgar!” shouted Victor. “Come on, again. Do it as you were taught to, hands to the chest and ... not on the chest, to the chest, and with feeling, with dignity! It should be light, not buffoon-like! What am I going to do with her? That’s it, get out of here, you monster, or I’ll shoot you myself!”

Matilda穿上她的厚底鞋，正打算逃走。

Matilda turned on her platforms and was about to make a run for it.

「不！停下！Tili，親愛的！快回來！」Matilda轉過身來，滿懷期待地等候。

“No! Stop! Tili, darling! Come back here!” Matilda turned again and waited expectantly.

「有時候，你竟能說出稚嫩之言。認真說，這個鏡頭用哪種舞蹈最好呢？街舞還是宅舞？」

“Sometimes, you say something, out of the mouth of a babe. Seriously, what would be the best dance to use in this shot, street or house?”

「它需要扭轉，扭轉正是所需的。」那位女神回答道，「什麼，什麼，什麼？為什麼？」

“It needs the twist. The twist is what’s needed.” the diva answered him. “What, what, what? Why?”

「因為你那些 go-go 與 R&B 根本糟透了，早已過時。」 「什麼？什麼？你說過時？那可是現代舞蹈啊。」 「因為它實在太無聊了！無聊——就是這樣！」

“Because all your go-go and R&B totally sucks. It’s all old hat.” “What? What? What do you mean, old hat, it’s contemporary dance.” “Because it’s all so boring! Boring - that’s why!”

「對，說得不錯。但為何要扭轉呢？那太復古了。」

“Right, great explanation. But why the twist? That’s retro.”

「新潮來自被遺忘的舊物。任何被遺忘的東西，都能創造出新的時尚。」

“New is the forgotten old. You can make a new fashion out of anything that’s been forgotten.”

「那……那是一個想法。」Max結巴地說道。

“That’s a th... th-th... That’s a thought.” said Max.

「同意，我們應該試試看。」Victor說道，「好了，快去化妝，就讓那聰明的女孩出場。」

“Agreed. We should try it.” said Victor. “Ok, go and get made up, there’s a smart girl.”

「我不需要化妝也一樣聰明！」Matilda反駁，快活地跳著跑向後台。

“I’m clever with or without my makeup!” Matilda retorted and ran backstage with a happy skip.

Victor招呼了服裝部的主管，並在她耳邊低語了幾句後，她便隨即消失了。

Victor beckoned the wardrobe-mistress and whispered something in her ear, after which she disappeared.

「好了，現在你們這些毫無才華、愚蠢的傢伙，仔細看看自己，迅速展示出天才的狀態。快點，快點，我已經看見你們開始散發光芒了！Max，你和其他那些腦袋空空的傢伙！我們得趕緊決定音樂和效果。時間，時間！我們快沒時間了！一有Matilda化好妝就通知我。」

“Right, now the rest of you talentless, retards, take a good look at yourselves and quickly assume a genius state. Go on, go on, I can see you beginning to shine already! Max, you and the other bird-brains! We need to decide on the music and effects. Time, time! We’re running out of time! Let me know as soon as Matilda is ready.”

舞台再次陷入一片忙碌的準備之中。過了一會兒——正如往常那樣既存在又不存在——Victor開始下達指令。

The stage was once again a whirl of bustling preparations. After some time that as always, ‘was and was not’, Victor began giving directions.

「好了，都準備好了！Max，Matilda在哪裡？啊，她來了，滿臉快樂輝煌。」

“Right, all set! Max, where is Matilda? Ah, here she comes, all happy and radiant.”

Matilda的出場真是令人驚豔。除卻那藍綠色的秀髮，她的臉上塗滿了藍色妝容，眼妝精緻到毫無疑問，這位女神就是那徹頭徹尾的女神。

Matilda made for an impressive sight. In addition to her turquoise colored hair, her face was covered in blue face paint and her eyes were made up so that there was no doubt, the diva was a total diva.

「來吧，快點！快過來，我的親愛的！轉個身！」

“Okay, come on! Come here, my darling! Turn around!”

Victor朝著手持巨大粉紅蝴蝶結的服裝主管招手，那蝴蝶結正是老派連衣裙背後常見的裝飾。

Victor beckoned to the wardrobe-mistress, who was holding a huge pink bow, the kind those women used to wear on the backs of old-fashioned dresses.

「等一下！我們馬上要給你稍微打扮一下！」

“Just a second! We’re just going to dress you up a bit!”

眼看著那蝴蝶結剛露出一角，Matilda便嚇得連忙向後跳，同時揮舞著雙手。

Scarcely having glimpsed the bow, Matilda jumped backwards waving her hands about.

「不，不！你瘋了嗎？」

“No, no! Are you mad?“

「你根本不懂，快看那東西！又大又粉紅，簡直美極了！」Victor讚嘆著自己的發明說，「它跟你鞋子的顏色十分匹配，真是完美無瑕！」

“You don’t understand! Look at it! It’s huge, pink and beautiful!” said Victor admiring his invention. “It matches the color of your shoes. It is perfect!”

「我才不穿那種……俗氣的東西！」

“I’m not wearing that ... gaudy thing!”

「可是我們要跳扭轉舞啊，現在你正好有東西可以旋轉！」

“But we’re dancing the twist. Now you’ll have something to twirl!”

「真噁心！我是個玩偶嗎？」

“It stinks! What am I, a doll?”

「當然！你正是我的活生生的玩偶！」

“Of course! You’re my living doll!”

「站住。」服裝主管毫不理會女神的抱怨，立即將那蝴蝶結固定在她臀部上方的腰帶上。其他演員則圍著Matilda，試圖安撫她。

“Stand still.” Paying no attention to the diva’s moans, the wardrobe-mistress fastened the bow to the belt just above her bottom. The other actors surrounded Matilda, trying to calm her down.

「別擔心，Matilda，這真適合你！」 「看起來真有趣！」

“Don’t worry Matilda, it really suits you!” “It looks really interesting!”

「這太棒了！」 「華麗極了！」

“It’s fantastic!” “Gorgeous!”

最後，他們終於說服了她。

Eventually, they managed to convince her.

「Tili，親愛的，你看起來真、真是美極了！」Victor依然努力說服道。

“Tili, sweetheart, you look very, very beautiful!” Victor said, still trying to persuade her.

「真、超級漂亮？」

“Very, super-very?”

「對對，沒錯，而且你真聰明！」 「那你現在要我怎麼幫你？」

“Yes, yes. And you’re so clever!” “What is it you want from me now?”

「我們遇到了一個小問題，無法決定地板和牆壁的特殊效果，總覺得少了點什麼。你有什麼好點子嗎？」

“We’re having a teeny-weeny problem. We can’t decide on the special effects for the floor and walls. Nothing is quite right. Any ideas?”

儘管那位女神給人輕浮隨性的印象，她卻擁有非凡的智慧，總能從獨到的視角觀察世間萬象，有時甚至觀察得過於深刻。

Despite the fact that the diva gave the impression of being frivolous by nature, she had an extraordinary mind and saw many things from her own unique point of view, sometimes too much so.

「你們根本不需要任何特殊效果。咱們就用鏡面地板，牆壁也都裝成鏡子，這樣就能反射出整個舞蹈團的身影……」 「你的蝴蝶結也要變成鏡面！」

“You don’t need any special effects. Let’s just have a mirror floor and make the walls mirrors, too. They’ll give a reflection of the whole dance group ...” “Your bow too!”

「住口，那不是我的意思。要是全都用鏡子，說不定會出現點奇妙的效果。」

“Stop it. That was not what I meant. If everything is in mirrors, something interesting might happen.”

「好吧，我們試試看。Max，啟動變形裝置，我們要把整個舞台都變成鏡子。」

“Ok, we’ll try it. Max, run the transformer, we’re turning the whole stage into a mirror.”

「全……全部都要嗎？」

“A... A-all of it?”

「對，地板、牆壁、全部都要！好了，注意了，各就各位！」Victor轉向其他人說，「準備好了嗎？雜耍的、特技的，開始動起來！音樂，走起！」

“Yup. the floor, the walls, everything. Ok, attention people, in your places!” said Victor turning to the others. “Ready? Jugglers, acrobats, go! Music, go!

「攝影機，開拍！」

Cameras, let’s go!”

就在此時，原本混亂而雜亂無章的人群突然變得井然有序，動作流暢而極具風采，彷彿這情景已排練千遍。當然，女神依然處於舞臺中央，優雅地旋轉著她的蝴蝶結。

And at that, the previously chaotic, motley crowd suddenly came together transformed, moving smoothly and stylishly, as if the scene had been rehearsed a thousand times before. And of course, the diva was at the very center of the action, charmingly twirling her bow.

啦啦，啦啦啦啦，啦啦啦啦，啦啦。如果你從未嘗過

La-la, lalalala-la, lalalala-la, lalala. If you’ve never been

那熠熠生輝的城市風貌，

To our bright city,

在黃昏的河流上方，直到黎明前的夢境也未曾降臨，

Never dreamed till dawn Above the evening river,

如果你從未與朋友們一起漫步在廣闊的大道上，

If you have never strolled with friends Down the vast avenues,

那你絕對未曾見證過

You have never seen

世界上最美的城市。嘟嘟嘟嘟嘟！

The best city in the world. Ta-tada-tada-da!

歌聲起航，我的心隨之歌唱，這些詞句全都獻給你——莫斯科...¹

The song sets sail, and my heart sings, These words are about you, Moscow...¹

就在那一刻，所有的鏡子彷彿同時閃爍起來，而鏡頭正聚焦的Matilda頓時被一道耀眼的光芒照亮。她依然隨著音樂節拍舞動，卻被一層綠色迷霧從四面八方緩緩吞噬。驚愕之下，Matilda停下了舞步，綠霧很快散去，但她周遭卻出現了一幅藍沙與黃天構成的幻境。

In that moment, all the mirrors seemed to sparkle simultaneously and Matilda, on whom the camera was focused, was lit up in a flash of bright light. She continued moving to the beat of the music as a green mist engulfed her from all sides. Dumbfounded, Matilda stopped dancing. The mist quickly dissipated but the space around her was filled with a mirage of blue sand and yellow sky.

Matilda的視線漸漸模糊起來，她獨自身處在那緩緩飄散穿越而過的幻境中，遠處隱約傳來音樂聲。隨後，幻境消解，而取而代之的是一群灰色身影，彷彿在重演剛剛舞台上所展現的舞蹈。這些身影身著灰色、無定形並帶帽的長袍，面容模糊不清。音樂逐步消退，轉為悠揚的玻璃鐘聲，那些人影頓時僵住，錯愕地盯著Matilda，而她則以驚恐的神情回望著他們。

Matilda’s eyesight seemed to go dim. She was alone inside the mirage which was slowly floating right through her. She could hear music playing somewhere in the distance. Then the mirage dissolved and in its place, Matilda was surrounded by gray figures, moving about as if dancing the same dance that was being performed on the stage just moments ago. The figures were dressed in gray, shapeless, hooded robes, their faces obscure and blurred. The music faded and was replaced by a glassy chime. The figures froze and stared at Matilda perplexed. Matilda looked back at them in horror.

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從恍惚中甦醒的那些灰衣人沖向那可憐的女子，大聲喊道：「合成少女！合成少女！」

Emerging from their stupor, the gray figures rushed at the poor woman shouting. “Synthetic maid! Synthetic maid!”

“Eat heo! Eat heo!”

“Eat heo! Eat heo!”

Matilda的雙腿突然軟弱無力，還未等那些人影撲上前，她便已昏倒過去。

Matilda’s legs buckled and she fainted before the figures had time to pounce.

歌曲《世界上最美的城市》，音樂：A. Babadzhanyan，歌詞：L. Derbenev

Song “The Best City in the World”, music by A. Babadzhanyan, lyrics, L. Derbenev