paradigm,初初相识,是在谈论思维方式的转变(paradigm shift)中的,要到今日,才知是专研科学史的孔恩(Thomas Kuhn)于上世纪60年代赋予这个词新时代的意义,是他在汗牛充栋的科学史料中上下求索,最终恍悟:不同的时代,词语虽相同,意义却不同。所以亚里斯多德的运动、物质等概念与牛顿的,看似一个词,其实所指相去万里。这不禁让我想起如今工作交流中,在深入讨论一个主题前,我们常常会先统一认识,to make sure the common language we use refers to the same meaning,以免各说各话,误解丛生而不自知。
以前我也曾读过Shakespeare的“All the world's a stage”, 对他将人类的生存状态分为七个阶段,分别用婴儿、儿童、情人、士兵、法官、老叟和返老还童的七种形象代表指称印象深刻,但我从来也没有像陈之藩先生这样深思探究:为什么莎翁会用法官形象来代表其间的一种?我曾以为理所当然的(中年是人一生的成熟收获阶段:富有经验,代表权威、尊严),在他眼中却是迷惑不解,经过他的红颜知己元方解释,他才明白法官其实暗喻人性中喜好品头论足、藏否人物、妄加判断之痼疾,我亦因此有了新的视角去看待这个隐喻。
口衔银匙出生的Alain de Botton,显赫家世为他提供了优渥的教育背景,剑桥历史系出身,毕业后转攻哲学,先后就读伦敦大学国王学院和哈佛大学,后弃学术研究而埋头码字,自1993年起,以每两年一本的高效不断推出新书,在欧洲迅速崭露头角,其间更是跨界触电搞起节目制作,开办公司、学校,是个公认的英伦才子。
quant: 理学专家(数学模型设计者);designer of mathematical models; Derman, a physcist and financial risk engineer, is perhaps the best known "quant".
swot: 刻苦用功; someone who spends too much time studying and seems to have no other interests - used in order to show disapproval
ten years of sweat and swot: 十年寒窗
wonk: 书呆子,死读书的学生 —— swot Policy wonk: 政策游移分子 Lord Giddens’s reputation among policy wonks (as well as an endorsement from Mr Clinton) will propel it onto shelves in high places.
meritocracy: 知识界精英; Does meritocracy shade toward fascism?
sui generis: 独树一帜,独特的 He argues that Oakeshott requires us to systematically discard programmes and ideologies and view each new situation sui generis.
below the belt:不公正的,不正当手段的; Her remark was a bit below the belt. to hit someone below the belt = to stab someone in the back: 暗箭伤人
pinko:左倾分子; He was sent on a State Department-funded world tour in 1956, seducing potential pinkos with his improvisations.
带来一种更趋于自省的文化(The act of stopping several times a day to observe what you're feeling or thinking can become, after weeks and weeks, a sort of philosophical act. It's like the Greek dictum to “know thyself,” or the therapeutic concept of mindfulness)。
Coming to the end, there are two farewell touching me.
One is the letter full of regrets coming from a lover who betrayed her boyfriend:
"Dear Dan,
There are so many things I want to say to you. I thought I'd have the rest of my life to do that. But I don't think you'd listen to me now, and I don't blame you. After what I've done, I wouldn't listen to me either. It's amazing really, the way we humans behave. The capacity we have to bring disaster to our lives. The way I brought disaster to ours. It's even more bewildering when you think that all any of us are really searching for is someone to stand beside... someone to look at and say: 'Yes, you make the difference.' 'You bring me peace.' I think some people have a gene for love, they know what it is. Giving it and receiving it in return just comes naturally to them. It seems I don't have that chromosome, because being loved by you was, I see now, all I ever wanted. And for some reason, I took it and I broke it. But I believe that love is strong, that love endures, and if it does, then so does hope."
Reading this letter, he took her back. Love defeat the hurt feeling.
Another is a husband who is betrayed by his wife twice saying goodbye in tears:
"In time you will meet someone, I'm just going to be another man coming in and out of your life. I'm not your true love. And that's the fact that would slowly destroy me. I need to be at the heart of my own life, not on the fringe of someone else's. So I'm saying goodbye."
He left her without hesitation. The broken heart can't hold love any more.
Although this is totally different from what happened between us, but I can't help thinking of the dilemma we are facing: Which way will we go? What will be ahead of us? Where is my limits? Where is yours? Can we never say goodbye again? Can we make it? Can love endure?
What is the highest state of love,of the relationship between two persons?
Lovers、soul mates、bosom friends、companions、confidants、compadres、amigos、pals、 father and daughter、 mother and son、brother and sister...... You can name it whatever you want.
Jealous?
Yes. Definitely.
She finally found someone, so did he. Lucky for them.
Yes, this is movie, but movie is the mirror of real life. And such love, such relationship does exist in this world.
I Finally Found Someone
I finally found someone,
who knocks me off my feet;
I finally found the one
who makes me feel complete...
It started over coffee,
we started out as friends;
It's funny how from simple things;
the best things begin...
This time is different;
It's all because of you!
It's better than it's ever been;
Cuz we can talk it through;
My favorite line was "Can I call you sometime?";
It's all you had to say...
To take my breath away...
This is it!
Oh, I finally found someone;
Someone to share my life;
I finally found the one;
to be with every night;
Cause whatever I do
It's just got to be you!
My life has just begun,
I finally found someone...
Did I keep you waiting? (I didn′t mind)
I apologize (Baby, that′s fine)
I would wait forever
Just to know you were mine;
Ya Know -
I love your hair(Are you sure it looks right?)
I love what you wear(Isn't it too tight?)
You're exceptional!
I can't wait for the rest of my life...
This Is It!
Oh, I finally found someone;
Someone to share my life,
I finally found the one;
to be with every night...
Cause whatever I do
It's just got to be you
My life has just begun;
I finally found someone...
And whatever I do.
It's just got to be you!
My life has just begun...
I finally found someone...
Where is my someone? How could I possibly find? What if I messed up before I find my someone? What if I finally found my someone but there was no any chance to be with every night?
平心而论,做为一本惊悚小说,《谋杀的解析》不过尔尔。但其匠心独具处,是在真实的历史背景下嵌入虚假的故事,毫不避讳的让历史人物以实名现身,再辅以稍加篡改的历史事件,为读者堆砌出一个海市蜃楼,在赐予读者似真还幻的阅读体验中,佐以精神分析学鼻祖弗洛伊德的洞察人心的心理分析,用他最著名的俄狄浦斯理论来层层解析一个疑云重重的虐杀迷案,让读者不到最后一章不知事实真相。此外,精通莎士比亚戏剧,横跨演艺界和法学界的英俊作家Jed Rubenfeld,还不忘于其中穿插有莎士比亚以来,文学史上的最大谜团——哈姆雷特的著名独白:"To be or not to be”——及英雄何以一再延误、坐失良机、无力采取行动使得事态失控的矛盾心态的全新解读,而这最后一点,恰恰是全书最激发我兴趣的。
关于"To be or not to be":
盛行已久的观点:哈姆雷特是个唯美主义者,缺乏果敢行动的能力。To be意味着活着,不采取行动;Not to be意味着死亡,采取行动对抗。
至于研究经费与科研成果,既是相辅相成,又是相生相克的:有经费,不一定能很快出成果;不在一定期限内出成果,就很难再有经费;失去经费,更不可能出成果。在同行竞争、经费压力下,要求科学家能抢占先机,迅捷发布科研成果;但科学研究又需要严谨不懈细致缓慢的论证,坚实充分的数据,如何在两者之间平衡,成为现代科学家不得不面临的一个窘境、困境,这就是《直觉》一书设定的一根主线。正是沿着这一轴线,两位风格迥异的实验室主任和一群博士后粉墨登场,围绕着一个“look too good to be true"的科研成果,嫉妒与失落,信任与怀疑,造假与揭露,交织在一起,不但掀起科学界的滔天巨浪,彻底改变各色人等命运轨迹,还波及到媒体与法庭,笔锋所至,顺带讽刺一下美式媒体报道的断章取义与法庭辩争的荒诞可笑,一层又一层,错乱有致得展现人性的复杂莫测。