impromptuz

最近開始了HarvardX的Ancient Masterpieces of World Literature，當中精選了的經典世界文學著作包括：The Epic of Gilgamesh 《吉爾伽美什史詩》，One Thousand and One Nights 《一千零一夜》，Tale of Genji 《源氏物語》，Odyssey 《奧狄賽》。

經過一星期後，我終於把The Epic of Gilgamesh部分完成了yeah（鼓掌👏）腦袋充滿了養分 （鼓掌👏👏）。

Epic of Gilgamesh是目前世上已知的最古老的文學作品，形式是英雄史詩 (epic)。雖然寫於1500BC （史詩內容是關於2500BC的故事），但到了1853年才被考古學家發現重見天日。但由於內容是寫於泥板上，現在僅存了只有3,000行左右的內容（現存12塊泥板）。但也幸好它是泥板，如果是一般的羊皮草紙，在大火中已經灰飛煙滅了。clay經過火烤後，會變得更堅固！

沒時間翻譯了，我就直接把我的筆記 paste上來算了（懶）
有關故事內容的我就不放了，不想劇透哈哈
（http://www.ancient-literature.com/other_gilgamesh.html）

Writing Technology 

• Before words, stories are passed on by oral storytelling, e.g. through hymns, songs and poems. Easily to remember.
  (So even when written down, it is intended to be heard rather than read)
• Words in the beginning are used for transactional (e.g. 1 gold for 10 sheeps), administrative, religious and imperial purpose only
• Literature is written on parchments 羊皮紙, papyrus 紙莎草 and clay tablets. It is for high class people because one stories may take lots of animal skins –> expensive!!
• Before paper, literature in the past is often economically constructed due to $$ and its limitation (e.g. clay stones are heavy). i.e. Paper is a very important invention to make literature/knowledge more accessible to more people.

Epic vs Novel 

• Epic is carefully constructed to sound poetic (need to remember that we are reading translated version. The original sound of the language is important)
• Economical in language
• Unlike novels, it lacks psychological development or explicit motivations / development in stories
• Epic is likely recited aloud with feasts at the court

The Epic of Gilgamesh Theme

• Epic qualities: quest, the foundation of a city, relationship between human and god
• City vs countryside (provide timber and water)
• Getting lumber as expedition of life (necessity) to show imperial ambition to build good palace
• The flood story of humanity acknowledge human morrtality god is incredibly powerful
• Human beings and gods dwell in different worlds. There is connection but limited.

Queen的Bohemian Rhapsody和 David Bowie的Space Oddity也是我極喜歡的timeless經典作品。
今天懶洋洋的星期六，我就躺著床上，開大我的Bose speaker，讓自己耳朵無限次懷孕🤰

其實兩首歌也是有點“瘋”的元素。

Bohemian Rhapsody整首歌的結構雜亂無章，是一首零重複也沒有chorus歌，整首歌都是激昂的高潮（Rhapsody本來就是狂想曲的意思）。由於歷來對這首歌也有不同的解釋，樂隊也保持神秘，所以我也不評論什麼了，自己讀讀歌詞吧。

Space Oddity是一首關於太空人Major Tom在太空漂流的歌曲，整首歌充滿空洞感和孤獨感。他的太空船出了問題，在地球的ground control說“Your circuit’s dead, there’s something wrong, Can you hear me, Major Tom?”

太空人當然聽不到，他只能一邊漂浮一邊無助地自言自語，”Here am I floating ’round my tin can, far above the moon, planet Earth is blue, and there’s nothing I can do”。氧氣稀薄，當中其實他已經出現幻聽 – 太空人說“Tell my wife I love her very much”，突然有一把聲音立刻肯定地回應 “— she knows”。可能都是太空人自己潛意識的心願吧。

歌曲結尾的音樂也是夠神了，奇怪的音響360度迴轉（就像機器故障一樣），音量慢慢減弱，就像太空人慢慢在黑暗的宇宙消失一樣….

20th Century Fox 也即將推出直接名為”Bohemian Rhapsody”的電影，講述Queen的成名路。有興趣可以看看trailer。

[Intro]
Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?
Caught in a landslide, no escape from reality
Open your eyes, look up to the skies and see
I’m just a poor boy, I need no sympathy
Because I’m easy come, easy go, little high, little low
Any way the wind blows doesn’t really matter to me, to me

[Verse 1]
Mama, just killed a man
Put a gun against his head, pulled my trigger, now he’s dead
Mama, life had just begun
But now I’ve gone and thrown it all away
Mama, ooh, didn’t mean to make you cry
If I’m not back again this time tomorrow
Carry on, carry on as if nothing really matters

[Verse 2]
Too late, my time has come
Sends shivers down my spine, body’s aching all the time
Goodbye, everybody, I’ve got to go
Gotta leave you all behind and face the truth
Mama, ooh, (any way the wind blows)
I don’t want to die
I sometimes wish I’d never been born at all

[Verse 3]
I see a little silhouetto of a man
Scaramouche, Scaramouche, will you do the Fandango?
Thunderbolt and lightning, very, very fright’ning me
(Galileo.) Galileo. (Galileo.) Galileo. Galileo Figaro magnifico
I’m just a poor boy, nobody loves me
He’s just a poor boy from a poor family
Spare him his life from this monstrosity
Easy come, easy go, will you let me go?
Bismillah! No, we will not let you go
(Let him go!) Bismillah! We will not let you go
(Let him go!) Bismillah! We will not let you go
(Let me go) Will not let you go
(Let me go) Will not let you go
(Let me go) Ah
No, no, no, no, no, no, no
(Oh mamma mia, mamma mia) Mamma mia, let me go
Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me, for me, for me!

[Verse 4]
So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye?
So you think you can love me and leave me to die?
Oh, baby, can’t do this to me, baby!
Just gotta get out, just gotta get right outta here!

[Outro]
Nothing really matters, anyone can see
Nothing really matters
Nothing really matters to me
Any way the wind blows

Ground Control to Major Tom
Ground Control to Major Tom
Take your protein pills and put your helmet on
Ground Control to Major Tom (ten, nine, eight, seven, six)
Commencing countdown, engines on (five, four, three)
Check ignition and may God’s love be with you (two, one, liftoff)