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影响你一生的电影:小屁孩日记——没什么比做自己更酷

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2018年08月23日

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  Wimpy是俚语,意为"哭哭啼啼的;软弱畏缩的",所以wimpy kid在汉语中就有一个十分恰当的对应词:小屁孩。在人们的既定印象中,小屁孩是"幼稚"的代名词,那么小屁孩日记里所叙述的故事,理所应当就是"幼稚""荒谬"且"无聊"的。然而,电影《小屁孩日记》(Diary of a Wimpy Kid)完全颠覆了这一观点。这部电影改编自美国作家Jeff Kinney的同名畅销书,书中连环画的形式被巧妙地转移到电影中,令影片具有了独特的吸引力。而小屁孩幽默机智的语言以及故事中蕴含的成长寓言,不仅吸引了全世界无数的小屁孩,也感动了无数早已不再是小屁孩的成年人。这样一个wimpy kid究竟魅力何在?

艰难的第一天

  相信每个小孩在走进校园大门的前一刻,都有过这样的期待吧:老师不要太严厉,同学亲切好相处,朋友越多越好......即使是最内向害羞的小孩,也不免在心底默默地期望自己能在新环境里受到欢迎,甚至成为学校里的明星。然而大多数情况下,期望越高失望越大。因此,新学校很可能会对一个新来的孩子带来过多的压力,令他陷入无限的焦虑和迷惘之中。

  这种美好的憧憬和随之而来的焦虑在刚上初中的小屁孩Greg身上表现得就更加明显了。诚如这个很有思想的小屁孩所说,新的教育阶段意味着彻底的改变,中学生活实在是太不一样了。

  Greg: Let me just say for the record (以供备案) that I think middle school may be the dumbest (最愚蠢的) idea ever invented. You got kids like me who haven't hit their growth spurt (青春期时身体的快速发育) yet mixed in with gorillas (如大猩猩般丑陋的人) who have to shave twice a day.

  在Greg看来,身体的各种变化如长高、变得强壮等都不算什么,能否受到老师的认可和同学们的欢迎才是真正考验一个学生的决定性因素。英俊又自信的"小大人儿"Greg坚信自己很快便会成为"popularity rank(人气排行榜)"前三甲的明星之一,但开学的第一天,理想与现实的巨大差距就给他上了一课:他受到了大家的冷落。毕竟,谁会围着一个刚入学的小屁孩转呢?

  雪上加霜的事情还在后面。和Greg一起长大的死党Rowley胖乎乎的,他总是伴随在Greg左右,与他形影不离。可惜的是,Rowley非但没能为Greg的光辉形象"锦上添花",反而净帮倒忙。他披着一件诡异的危地马拉斗篷走进教室,引得同学们纷纷侧目。神经大条的Rowley对此却浑然不觉,令Greg叫苦不迭。

  体育课上,为了逃避野蛮的"角斗士游戏",Greg和Rowley躲到了操场的角落里。在那里,他们遇到同样逃了体育课、独自看书的女孩Angie。Angie是校刊编辑,她个性十足,对学校自有独特的解读:

  Angie: This place is an intellectual (知识分子) wasteland. But, you know, it's nice to meet someone more interested in his mind than in his body.

  Rowley: You girls get to jump rope (跳绳). Why are you doing hiding?

  Angie: Avoiding the pain. It all starts in middle school, you know? You are not a kid anymore. The coddling (溺爱) has stopped. Kids are now separated by intelligence. The weak are picked on (作弄). And girls you've known since kindergarten won't even talk to you anymore.

  Greg: OK. Well, sounds like you got it all figured out, so go back to your book.

  Angie: [不理他,继续说] This place is a glorified (被颂扬的) holding pen (围栏). It's where adults put you as you make that awkward (难对付的) transition between child and teenager, so they don't even have to look at you.

  学校真的如Angie所说的那样无聊和差劲吗?Greg困惑了......

班级之星

  一天下来,Greg和Rowley连坐在食堂的餐桌旁吃饭的资格都被爱欺负人的同学剥夺了。他们只能坐在地上,将餐盘放在自己的腿上进餐,模样极其狼狈。面对这个插曲,小哥俩儿的看法却截然不同。

  Greg: I can't be the guy who eats off his lap in the cafeteria. I should be at the top of the food chain by now. Something's got to change, fast.

  Rowley: My mom told me to just be myself and people would like me.

  Greg: That would be good advice if you were somebody else.

  话虽如此,但其实Greg和Rowley在内心深处都不仅仅只是想"做自己"而已,他们希望有朝一日能成为闪亮的"班级之星"。因此选择社团活动时,Greg一口回绝了Angie代表校刊向他抛出的橄榄枝,转而投身更酷、更能吸引同学们目光的摔跤俱乐部。Greg甚至认为,和Angie这样特立独行的女孩混在一起无异于"social suicide"(编者注:社交自杀,指躲开人群,避免社交活动,类似我们所说的避世)。

  Greg: And I need something to make me a class favorite.

  Angie: [突然插话] What about class favorites?

  Greg: Don't you ever say"Hi!" or "Hello!" before you start talking?

  Rowley: Hi. Angie: Hello.

  Rowley: Oh, Greg's only here because he really wants something (大人物)....

  Greg: [紧张地大笑,不让Rowley说完] Rowley! I was just saying that I would really like to nail (揭穿) these people because it's so obvious that they're only doing these activities to get in the yearbook.

  Angie: You know, I like your point of view. You should sign up for the school paper. We are the voice of the people. Well, the people are mostly idiots, so I guess, technically speaking, we're the voice of the people, making fun of the people.

  Greg: Thanks, but I can't be on the paper because I'm gonna be in the paper a lot. So that would be a conflict of interest (利益冲突).

  Angie: You are the people. Got it.

Rowley 变身人气王

  万圣节到了,Greg与Rowley合计着一起去小镇北边要糖果和零食。路上,Rowley遭到街头小混混的欺负,Greg挺身相助,不料却引来更多本地不良少年的围追堵截。慌乱逃跑中,他们穿越了传说中会吞噬小孩子的The Devil Worshiper Woods(敬魔者森林)。幸运的是,他们非但没被吃掉,还意外收获了糖果,满载而归。

  这次成功的冒险为Greg找回了久违的自信。万圣节假期结束返校后,他热情满满地"忽悠"Rowley和自己一起加入学校的Safety Patrol(安全协管员)。

  Greg: Now that's what I'm talking about. Safety Patrol, the cops of middle school. You boss people around〔1〕, report the jerks, and miss class three times a week.

  然而,Greg对于安全协管员的理解却和负责老师Mr. Winsky所介绍的大相径庭:

  Mr. Winsky: Safety Patrol is a sacred trust. When you put on this vest (协管员的"制服") and that badge (徽章), you become a protector of the weak. You become an enforcer of the laws of this school, because today's litterer and jaywalker (乱扔垃圾的人和横穿马路的人) is tomorrow's window breaker and graffiti vandal (破坏文化艺术的人), and it's our job to stop it. So I ask you, are you ready for the job?

  Greg & Rowley: [热血沸腾地] Yes!

  Mr. Winsky: Then welcome to Safety Patrol. Just remember, with great power comes great responsibility〔2〕.

  听完Mr. Winsky慷慨激昂的介绍之后,Greg和Rowley终于如愿以偿成了Safety Patrol的一员。尽管大多数时候,Greg和Rowley在Safety Patrol都还干得不错,但接二连三的突发事件还是令Greg阵脚大乱。冬天到了,在一次躲避球游戏中,粗心的Greg害得Rowley一头栽进雪堆里,左臂骨折。但"塞翁失马,焉知非福",Rowley因此获得了大家的普遍关注。同学们发现他有一种淳朴自然的幽默感,都喜欢和他在一起。更令Greg大跌眼镜的是,在新任校刊漫画家的竞选比赛中,自己一直轻视的系列漫画作品Zoo-Wee-Mama!居然将他的作品击败,而这套作品的作者不是别人,正是Rowley。

  Greg梦寐以求的一切,都被Rowley误打误撞地"抢"走了。在那之前,他一直自负地以为"Rowley is pretty lucky to have me as a friend",直到现在他才发现,自己原来才是Rowley身边的陪衬品。为了成为人气王,他费尽心思却一无所获,而坚持做自己的Rowley却不费吹灰之力就成了众人追捧的明星。妒忌的火焰顿时在Greg心中熊熊燃烧起来。

虚荣心战胜友情?

  命运有时候就是阴差阳错。Greg在执行送幼儿园小朋友回家的任务时,迎面碰上万圣节那天得罪的不良少年。迫不得已的Greg只好让所有小朋友藏到附近工地的大坑里,把小朋友们都吓坏了。Greg穿着从Rowley那儿借来的雨衣,目击者把他误认为Rowley。眼看着无辜的Rowley即将成为替罪羔羊,Greg却犹豫着迟迟不敢坦白。当他终于鼓足勇气向Rowley说明真相时,Rowley却已经被Safety Patrol开除。

  Greg: So, listen. It's kind of funny, you know, the whole Safety Patrol thing.

  Rowley: Yeah?

  Greg: Ready for the funny part? Well, I'm the one who terrorized (吓坏) those kids!

  Rowley: What?

  Greg: Yeah, and I think we can both learn some valuable lessons from this.

  Rowley本以为Greg是真心认错,却没想到Greg所说的lesson,竟然是劝他"下次别再把雨衣借给别人"!面对他的毫无悔意,一向憨厚宽容的Rowley终于忍无可忍了。

  Rowley: You know what, Greg? You are not a good friend.

  Greg: Whoa. How could you even say that? I'm a great friend.

  Rowley: If you were a good friend, you would have told Mr. Winsky the truth.

  Greg: Okay, one thing. You can't get mad about just ...

  Rowley: You only care about yourself. You hated my cartoon. You made fun of my clothes. You disrespected (不尊重) Joshie. You broke my hand and you didn't even seem sorry.

  Greg: That broken hand was the best thing that ever happened to you!

  Rowley: Don't call me. Don't come by my house. We are done.

  Greg把"诬陷事件"说得如此轻描淡写,难怪Rowley最后愤怒地说出"We are done",表示两个人的友谊就此结束了。Rowley的话一针见血地指出了Greg的问题:他只在乎自己,忽略了生活中重要的人--时刻陪伴他左右的Rowley。银装素裹的校园,两位死党的友谊也降到冰点。

真正的明星

  Greg终于找到了他擅长的事业--担任合唱团领唱。他相信,他能够借此一举成名。但他的这个梦想却被仗着父母的势力在学校作威作福的女生Patty彻底粉碎了:她不仅抢了Greg合唱团领唱的角色,还在音乐剧《绿野仙踪》的演出中当众奚落他。只是对于此时的Greg来说,他关心的只是坐在台下的Rowley的反应。令他失望的是,Rowley看上去根本不在乎他的表现。怒火中烧的Greg和Patty在舞台上打成一团,把音乐剧变成了摔跤赛,令音乐老师和坐在台下的妈妈都大失所望。

  然而,和Rowley冷战终究不是长久之计。亲子舞会上,Greg的妈妈劝他与Rowley和好。

  Mom: I think it's time you two make up.

  Greg: I can't.

  Mom: Sweetheart, he's your best friend. And sometimes, when somebody's worth it, you just have to put yourself out there.

  Greg: I wouldn't know what to say.

  要面子的Greg其实早就后悔自己的幼稚和以自我为中心,只是他并不懂得如何道歉,不恰当的言词反而激化了矛盾,两人几乎动起手来。偏偏在这时,"万圣节不良少年"又出现了,他们逼Rowley做了一件最可怕的事......

  Greg进校之初,校园里流传着一个"千年奶酪"的传说。在学校的篮球场上有一片奶酪,被学生们敬畏地称为Cheese Touch。据传,谁不小心碰到它,就会被诅咒,成为全校最不受欢迎的人。因此,就连打扫操场的清洁工人也对它心怀恐惧,从来不敢把它扫走。这显然是"校园前辈"整新人的又一个花样。几个不良少年当然对Cheese Touch也有所耳闻,于是逼迫Rowley捡起奶酪咬一口。同学们纷纷涌来操场看热闹,Rowley痛苦万分。关键时刻,Greg从人群中走了出来,像明星一样站到众人面前,撒了一个谎。

  Patty: Oh, my god! Rowley Jefferson ate....

  Greg: I ate the cheese! [人群纷纷后退,Greg走上前捡起cheese] Yes, I ate it. And you know what, people? I just did you all a huge favor. I ate the cheese to show you all how stupid this whole school is. The wrong friends. The wrong lunch table. The wrong butt. It's all meaningless just like this cheese. I know it. You all know it. So come on. Everyone else who's sick of it, step forward and join me!

  结果不言而喻:同学们并没有被Greg的话说服,也没能消除成见,反而像躲避瘟神一样四散逃开。但是有一个人却没有逃走,那就是见证了这段珍贵的友谊破镜重圆的Angie。

  Angie: Not bad, Heffley (编者注:Greg的姓). Not bad at all.

  Greg: [转向Rowley] So you want to come over after school and play?

  Rowley: Yeah! Okay.

  Greg牺牲自己看重的人缘挽救了自己和Rowley的友谊,两人终于冰释前嫌。

  回头来看,Greg和Rowley这两个小屁孩和我们是不是有那么一点相似呢?Greg以自我为中心,却不是真的自私,而是还没学会怎么去顾及他人的想法;他爱面子,看重别人对自己的看法和评价,是因为他还没能真正了解对自己来说什么才是最重要的。而Rowley则像Greg的互补面。他没有Greg的机灵劲儿,却难得糊涂,迟钝的性格反而造就了他的宽容和大度;他为了朋友能"两肋插刀",对陌生人也从不斤斤计较。别人嘲笑他奇异的爱好时,他满不在乎,依然如故;人们众星捧月地围着他时,他安之若素,不忘老友。也许一开始我们会觉得Rowley不够出色不够酷,可是经过时间的考验我们才发现,还有什么比永远做自己更酷呢?为什么一定要成为别人眼里的明星、在意外人的评价呢?生活从来不是用来证明什么的,跟随自己的心去体会,生命就会闪亮。


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