Pluto

The Secret Sisters

The Secret Sisters/Ann Maxwell

I don't know how this book slipped into my collection of science fiction texts....As far as I'm concerned, it might be categorized as romance suspense.

But still a pleasant read, fascinating and intriguing. A reader doesn't have to know a lot about Anasazi culture or fashion to enjoy it. And both Christy McKenna and Aaron Cain are honest good people, who have their strengths and weakness, thus attracting each other and the reader. As for Jo-Jo, in my younger days, I would feel weary about such a character, but now I somehow wonder what she might be if she survives and meets Christy after all these years, perhaps a modern (as well as wretched, pathetic, sad) Helen herself, maybe?

《黑客列傳》譯者序

來自冥王星的譯者序

時間邁入二零一二年，在今日，電腦已經成為日常生活不可或缺的物品，大部分的硬體（幾乎什麼都是USB插頭，誰還記得以前滑鼠和鍵盤要接不同的接頭？）或軟體，也無須太多專業知識就能使用。甚至電腦也不再是年輕人的玩意兒，許多年邁的爺爺奶奶也學會用網路電話（例如Skype）與遠方的孫子孫女聊天見面。可以說，不管是工作或者休閒娛樂，現代人的生活都脫離不了電腦。

在這樣電腦普及到接近氾濫的年代，記得電腦一開始大到塞滿整個房間的人已經很少了，但知道從「大怪獸」到個人電腦之間演變的人，就更加稀有。似乎不知不覺間，電腦就從遙不可及的學院聖地裡，入侵大家的臥室，再進化到現在幾乎人手一台的平板電腦跟智慧型手機。

而《黑客列傳》這本書提供了這幾十年歷史的真實資料。

史蒂芬‧李維以精湛的寫作手法，娓娓道來六零年代學院派黑客、第二代硬體黑客、八零年代第三代遊戲黑客的故事。他以豐富的訪談資料、翔實風趣的敘述手法，編織成兼具閱讀樂趣以及史實價值的文本。在沒有任何照片的幫助之下，他以文字代替顏料，將黑客的個人特質以及各種機器描繪得栩栩如生，躍然紙上，其文字功力，絕非現今在網路影響之下，越見鬆散與隨意的寫作風格可以比擬。

從本書當中，除了可見電腦沿革的歷史，更可讓我們認識黑客的特質。在李維筆下，雖然三個世代的黑客著重點各有不同，但他們都有對改進系統的熱情以及探索未知的勇氣。雖然這通常對他們的私生活造成負面影響，但也正是這種全心投入的熱情與勇氣，帶來我們現今操作如此容易的電腦，可以說，雖然黑客打造完美系統的夢想尚未（也永遠不會）實現，但他們的確改變了世界的面貌。這種獨特的專注與熱誠，或許正是如今消沈的世代所需要的事物。

當然，如作者觀察到的，黑客文化其實非常男性中心。這或許與當代女性所受的教育依舊以家庭為中心有關，但時至今日，無論男女，只要找到能夠投注全部熱情的事業，想必都能如黑客一般，實踐自我，進而改變世界。希望讀者在看完本書之後，也能被黑客探索的熱情感動，挖掘出自己的志向。

由於本書採用許多訪談資料，所以文中充斥許多口語以及當代文化流行語，雖然讀來活潑有趣，但翻譯時如何保留個人口吻卻也頗具挑戰性。希望讀者在閱讀本書時，能夠更加輕易地理解作者想要傳達的訊息，對那英雄輩出的年代有所認識，並同時享受閱讀似錦文章的樂趣。

Pluto
於2012/03/19

The House of Asterion

The House of Asterion

I found that Borges wrote this short story when investigating the new movie Immortals.

Actually I read this story before but it feels like reading it the first time (or, quoting Asterion's words, the fourteenth time) as I couldn't recall the content when seeing the title. But still, this is a good story. The style is a little bit like that of Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino, philosophical as well as poetical. What's the difference between one and infinity and the difference between a home and a maze? Perhaps what imprisons us is never a concrete architecture, but ourselves. As Minotaur can leave the labyrinth freely but he can never escape from the loneliness and the alienation that separate him from others. No wonder he would be convinced that Theseus is his redeemer and death his redemption.

By the way, the movie sucks. Anyone who considers to see the movie could save the money and the time. Read the story instead, that surely is a better use of one's time.

Paddy Casey

Paddy Casey

It takes a quiet, lonely night to listen to Paddy Casey.

It is not that all his songs are sad, it's just that the emotion in his songs could be best digested in nocturnal hours. The music is neither sad nor nostalgic (perhaps a little), but honest, perhaps sometimes too honest to face even in Addicted to Company.

The Trees of Pride

The Trees of Pride by G. K. Chesterton

This is not my first G. K. Chesterton, but this is my first mystery story by him. Like Chesterton's works, this story is embellished with his humor and the theme, rather than about the mystery, I think is about the conflict between science and religion, which is also a recurring topic in Chesterton's works.

I didn't find Dr. Brown suspicious until the end. Nevertheless, I did suspect that Squire Vane was not dead at all as, in my opinion, a dead body would hardly turn into dry bones (and no other remains except the hat) just in that short period of time.

After reading the story, I could not help but wonder who is the real proud person, the Squire, the lady, the poet, the doctor, the lawyer, or the art critic? Perhaps they are all arrogant in their particular ways, even the seemingly aloof Treherne and Barbara, although their marriage might signify the union, and thus the compromise, between the major British culture and the local Celtic one.

Owen Pallett

Owen Pallett

With the orchestra, Owen Pallett's music is like a festival, carnival-like, jolly, but sometimes the passion turns violent......

I particularly like Lewis Takes Action and
This is The Dream of Win+Regine (This is The Dream of Emma and Cam).

OneRepublic

OneRepublic Official Site

I am not a person that could appreciate much classic music. However, when music instruments like piano, violin, or cello appear in pop rock or alternative rock music, most of the time I cannot resist, either. Perhaps it's because these instruments adds fresh sensation.

My first OneRepublic song is "Secrets" from The Sorcerer's Apprentice. Then I heard "Stop and Stare" from the first season #1 of Castle. The cello grabs my attention instantly. So I found the two albums and listen from the first track to the last one. Most of OneRepublic's songs are nostalgic, (maybe) a little sentimental, but would linger long in the memory like those dreams passing in the early morning......And the live sessions (especially the unplugged ones) on YouTube are really awesome!

Books on presentation

In the last few years, I have completed translation of three books on presentation with Jedi: 高橋メソッド, Confessions of a Public Speaker, and Slide:ology. The first two books are published, while the last one will be published soon.

Although all three books discuss the same subject, the authors do so in different ways. If Confessions of a Public Speaker talks about what to write in your slide, then the other two books demonstrate how to write the content, again in different styles. 高橋メソッド is applicable to the Chinese character-based presentations while Slide:ology will help those who would like to stylize their slides with a sense of design. Confessions of a Public Speaker is interesting, a little philosophical, and pleasant to read; the other two books are practical and with a lot of examples. Nevertheless, as the authors emphasize again and again, you won't produce great presentation by reading the books alone; what great presentations rely on is practice and rehearse. The books just tell you the knack of it.

Sonnets from the Portuguese

Sonnets from the Portuguese by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

An entry after one year! It's not that I forgot this place or stopped reading. It's just that I am experiencing another phase of life--moving to a country little town that in the first twenty years of my life I didn't even know it exists and trying to settle down.

Oh, I have to say sorry to those who left a comment in this blog that I couldn't manage to reply in time (and probably don't need to as most of the commentators seek urgent help and it's too late now? :-P).

Anyway, I read Sonnets form the Portuguese some time ago and read it again several days ago as my seventh anniversary with my husband arrived. In my reading second time, I was very moved (and might be over moved) by the poetess's passion and imagination, though the wording might be a little archaic. But this poetry, in my opinion, suits every person that is in love, be the love passionate or serene.

Songs of Action

Songs of Actions by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

It never occurred to me that apart from Holmes, Conan Doyle has other works, especially poetry. What surprised me more is that this collection of poetry, or more like a collection of folksongs, comprises works that appeal kinds of human emotions, especially those describing battle field. It is quite difficult to imagine that the one who wrote such ardent poetry should create a over-calm, minute, exact figure like Holmes! But well, this collection is a delight for reading, easy, passionate, and fluent.