化為六月息

-----【譯文初稿】-----

廣受歡迎的耶誕傳統舞台劇〝聖誕頌歌 (A Christmas Carol)〞，由美國男演員克里斯托弗‧洛依德 (Christopher Lloyd) 與約翰‧古德曼 (John Goodman)，以及英國女演員簡‧西摩爾 (Jane Seymour) 與簡‧麗孚 (Jane Leeves) 共同演出，在好萊塢的柯達戲院 (Kodak Theatre) 與觀眾朋友見面。

〝聖誕頌歌〞這部節慶經典劇作，是出自英國維多利亞時代 (the Victorian era) 暢銷小說家查爾斯‧狄更斯 (Charles Dickens) 之手，於1843年的12月19日出版，一推出就受到熱烈歡迎，僅僅一周的時間就賣出六千多本，並從此成為聖誕節的經典故事之一。整個故事內容在平安夜揭開序幕，主軸就圍繞在一位名叫艾貝尼惹‧史庫具 (Ebenezer Scrooge) 的小氣富翁，以及為富翁管帳並飽受富翁折磨的員工鮑伯‧克拉奇特 (Bob Cratchit) 身上。

隨著耶誕節到來，史庫具的姪子前來問候並邀請他參加聖誕晚宴，不過史庫具不僅拒絕了，並認為這是騙他錢的伎倆。兩位地方士紳前來為窮人作慈善募款，也遭到史庫具的斷然回絕。史庫具的小氣到了一毛不拔的成度。

就在平安夜當晚，三個幽靈前來拜訪史庫具，它們具有顯現人生活現實情況的能力。首先第一個是〝聖誕過去幽靈 (Ghost of Christmas Past)〞，它重現史庫具過去的時光。第二個則是〝聖誕現在幽靈 (Ghost of Christmas Present)〞，它把史庫具目前的人際狀況顯現出來。第三個則是〝聖誕未來幽靈 (Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come)〞，它帶史庫具前往一個墓地，裡頭有一塊刻有史庫具姓名的石頭。這些幽靈所顯現的景象，驅使史庫具改變他的人生，他回復到年輕時的慷慨與親切。

創作〝聖誕頌歌〞的背景環境，正好是耶誕傳統逐漸消失的時候。飾演史庫具的克里斯托弗‧洛依德說：「狄更斯在寫〝聖誕頌歌〞時，他企圖把耶誕精神帶回英格蘭。那個時候，教會不太受到重視，節慶與團聚，以及各種的慶祝方式都逐漸沒落。而且在工業時代，一切以工作至上，享受耶誕歡慶氣氛總有那麼一點格格不入的感覺。」(SHOWS 2)

已經七十歲的洛依德，在舞台上展開他的演藝生涯，參與超過兩百部的戲劇演出。而在1975年時，洛依德又以〝飛越瘋人院 (One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest)〞一片，開啟了他的電影事業。此後，洛依德在九十多部的電視影集與電影中出現，並三度榮獲艾美獎的肯定。

而飾演聖誕現在幽靈的約翰‧古德曼，則是以多部劇作，例如〝朱門巧婦 (Cat on a Hot Tin Roof)〞、〝安東尼和克麗奧帕格拉 (Antony and Cleopatra)〞等，奠定他在舞台表演的地位。不過古德曼最為人所熟知的，應該是連續演了八年之久的電視情境劇〝羅斯安納 (Roseanne)〞，這不僅讓古德曼七度獲得艾美獎提名，還抱走了一座金球獎 (Golden Globe)。

※ 正式定稿與影像：「 新唐人電視台 ─ 娛樂新幹線 220 」

※ The original article was taken from Reuters Website.  ( 原文取自路透社網站 )




-----【原文對照】-----

INTRO: "A Christmas Carol" comes to Kodak Theatre. A star-studded version of the "A Christmas Carol" comes to life at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. The popular holiday play stars Christopher Lloyd, John Goodman, Jane Seymour, and Jane Leeves. The special engagement will run until January 4.

STORY: A star-studded version of the "A Christmas Carol" comes to life at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. The popular yuletide stage tradition stars American actors Christopher Lloyd and John Goodman, and British actresses Jane Seymour and Jane Leeves.

"A Christmas Carol" is an enduring holiday classic by Charles Dickens, the most popular novelist in England during the Victorian era. Dickens published what he called his "little Christmas Book" on December 19, 1843. It was instantly successful, selling over six thousand copies in just one week. The tale has since become one of the most popular and enduring Christmas stories of all time. It unfolds on Christmas Eve when the rich but miserly Ebenezer Scrooge (Lloyd) and his downtrodden clerk Bob Cratchit are at work in Scrooge's counting-house.

Scrooge's nephew arrives with seasonal greetings and an invitation to Christmas dinner, but Scrooge dismisses him with "Bah! Humbug!" and declares that Christmas is a fraud. Two gentlemen collecting charitable donations for the poor are likewise rebuffed by Scrooge. He refuses to part with any of his wealth, even for the less fortunate.

That night, Scrooge is visited by three ghosts, who reveal truths to him about his life. The first apparition is the "Ghost of Christmas Past" who takes him on a tour of days gone by. The second ghoul is a jolly fellow refers to himself as the "Ghost of Christmas Present" (Goodman), who proceeds to give him a dose of reality about his relationships. And the third specter is the "Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come," a grim and faceless figure who leads Scrooge to a graveyard where a stone marker bears his name. The visions compel Scrooge to make changes in his life and he reverts to the generous, kind-hearted soul he was in his youth.

"A Christmas Carol" was written during a time of decline in the old Christmas traditions. Lloyd provided a brief history of the time period. "When Dickens wrote it, it was his attempt to kind of bring the Christmas spirit back to England," explained the 70-year-old thespian. "At that time, the Church has sort of shut down the festivals and the, and the you know, whole social thing of getting together, and having the wassail and fun, and all the spirit of celebration and the church in many ways had shut that down. And also the break of the industrial age, when everything was work, work, work, and play was kind of blasphemous in a sense." (shows 2) "

Lloyd began his career in theatre and has appeared in more than two hundred plays, including on and off Broadway, regional and summer stock productions. In 1975, Lloyd began his film career in "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest." He has appeared in 90 plus television and movie productions, including the "Back To The Future" trilogy. He is a three-time Emmy Award-winner. Goodman earned stage credits in New York and in Los Angeles in productions such as "Henry VI," "Antony and Cleopatra,""As You Like It," and "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof." But he may best be known for his eight-year run on the hit TV series "Roseanne." He earned seven Emmy nominations and a Golden Globe for the part.

The special engagement of "A Christmas Carol" will continue its Hollywood run through January 4.