有血有淚的香港傳奇

A Hong Kong legend with blood and tears

http://www.wenweipo.com [2008-04-25]

梁安琪　資深評論員 by Leung On Kei (Liang An Qi) - Experienced Commentator

　

　本屆香港電影金像獎最佳男女主角獎項由來自內地的演員李連杰及斯琴高娃奪得，有傳媒大字標題指「大陸幫」掃獎云云。香港回歸已接近十一年，主流媒體竟然還用上如此分化性的字眼來作報道，可想而知有部分港人的思想仍相當落後。

This year's Hong Kong Film Awards' Best Actor and Best Actress trophies went to mainland artists Jet Li and Xi Qin Gao Hua. Some media outlets screamed in their headlines "the Mainland Gang Swept Awards" etc, etc. Hong Kong has gone back to China for nearly 11 years, but mainstream media is still using such divisive language; one can see that there are some Hong Kong people who are still very much behind the times.
　

　誠然，香港電影界曾被稱為東方荷里活，因種種因素早已風光漸減，近年也因為能打開與內地合作之門才再有新突破，本期最賣座的電影《三國》便是一個好例子。在演員陣容方面，港產男藝人如劉德華、梁朝偉等仍是票房保證之餘，更經常是頒獎禮的贏家，但本港女明星在大銀幕創佳績者已少有數據支持，明顯地內地女星如鞏俐、章子怡、周迅等等除了有機會擔任多套大片的主角，成績更是叫好又叫座。

ndeed, Hong Kong's film industry used to be known as the Hollywood of the East, but due to various reasons, its glory has dimmed. In recent years, breakthroughs came only because it was able to open up more collaborative channels with mainland China. This week's box office champ "The Three Kingdoms" is a great example. In terms of the cast, HK-based male actors like Andy Lau, Tony Leung are still box office draws, and are still frequent award winners. But there is little evidence to show that Hong Kong female artists can succeed on the big screen. Clearly, mainland actresses like Gong Li, Zhang Zi Yi, and Zhou Xun not only get the opportunities to take the lead in big productions, they have also won both commercial and artistic success.

正當眾人在分析有關現象之時，就最近因遺產案幾乎每天在港聞版出現的一個名字——梅艷芳，擦亮了大家的點點回憶，叫人想起香港曾經有過這樣的一位全能女藝人，也曾在香港電影金像獎威風八面過。

Just when everyone is analyzing this phenomenon, a name that has been appearing in the news daily due to an estate dispute - Anita Mui - rekindled our memories, and reminded us that Hong Kong once had such an all-round versatile female artist, who also had her share of great glory and triumph at the Hong Kong Film Awards.
　

梅艷芳成功體現港人拚搏精神

Anita Mui's Success Reflected Hong Kong's Spirit of Hard Work.
　

　梅艷芳的成功，是港人拚搏精神的好榜樣，也堪稱其中一個最有代表性的香港傳奇，從一名幾歲大因家境清貧要在遊樂場賣唱的小歌女，憑著天賦才藝與個人努力，未到四十歲已坐擁過億身家，縱使在工作中受盡白眼，但終於攀上了歌后影后的最高地位，叫曾經小看她的人跌破眼鏡。遺憾的是在名利雙收的同時，卻失落了個人幸福，還身患絕症走完短短的人生路。

Anita Mui's success is a great example of Hong Kong's spirit of hard-work and achievement, and can also be considered one of the most representative legends. Due to her family's poverty, she started singing as a small child in amusement parks. With her natural talent and perserverence, she had already earned over hundreds of millions of dollars before she turned 40. Even though she had to put up with cold words and unfriendly stares in her work, she ultimately earned the highest honors and became the reigning queen of music and film, defeating the expectations of those who despised her. The regret is that when she earned both fame and fortune, she lost her personal happiness (love), contracted a terminal disease and ended her short life.

　筆者在梅艷芳獲得歌唱比賽冠軍之後認識她，合作拍過《歌舞昇平》、《殺妻二人組》兩部電影，最難忘的是她曾應我的邀請，錄了一個自傳式的電台節目，一字一句，時至今日，記憶猶新。記得她曾對我說：「在新秀大賽選出來不久的那段日子，適逢聖誕節時分，接了一些小場子來唱，一場趕一場。」

I met Anita Mui after she won a singing contest, and collaborated with her on two films, "The Musical Singer" (1985) and "100 Ways to Murder Your Wife" (1986). The most unforgettable incident was that, upon my invitation, she agreed to record an autobiographical radio program. I still remember each word, each sentence, to this day. I remember she told me, "Shortly after the New Talent Contest, whenever Christmas came around, I would take up bookings in some small venues, and rush from one to another."

　「那時還未到有唱片公司人員安排接送的階段，我趕場時穿過尖沙咀的人群，有人出言侮辱，吸毒呀，道友婆呀等等甚麼都有人說。我聽見後難過到不得了。心想，為什麼要受這些人的氣？為什麼要受這些苦？」

"At that time, my record company still had not begun to arrange for transportation for its artists. One time, when I was rushing from one show to the next through TsimShaTsui's crowds, somebody insulted me, saying that I was a drug user, an addicted drug lady, etc. I have heard other people say all sorts of things. I was so sad upon hearing all of that. I thought, why do I have to put up with this? Why do I have to endure such hardship?"
　

　「當時我很想扔下化慙箱轉頭大罵那些人，可是再回心一想，要是我這樣做就真的甚麼也完了，以後怎去做歌星？還有好形象？」

"At that time I really wanted to throw down my make-up box and give these people an earful, but I also thought, if I really did that, then everything would be over. How would I be able to become a singer? There would be no good public image left."
　

　「於是我低下頭向前大踏步走，希望走過這一段路就甚麼路都能走過。」

"So I just put my head down and stepped away quickly, wishing that if I could make it through this stage, then I could make it through any other."
　

習慣吃苦　忍辱負重

Used to Hardship, Endured Adversity to Shoulder Big Responsibilities

　梅艷芳一出道便習慣了捱苦、吃苦，想不到這竟成了她的宿命，痛苦總是在她的生活中糾纏不休。上周《文匯報》報道：「病危開演唱會，阿梅捨命絕唱。」有其主診醫生就遺產案在庭上作供，謂向梅艷芳建議立遺囑時，對方反指首要任務是舉行演唱會，到在演唱會期間，腳皮下已出血……。

From the moment she came onto the scene, Anita Mui got used to enduring hardships, but who knew that would become her long-running fate? Pain never really left her life. Last week, Wen Wei Pao [this newspaper] reported, "Performing in concert when gravely ill, Ah Mui sacrificed her life to give her final performance." Her principal physician, testifying during her estate dispute trial, said when he suggested that Anita should draw up a will, Anita responded that her first priority was to hold her concert series. By the time the concert was underway, she was already bleeding beneath the skin of her feet....

閱這則新聞，眼角滑下了一串淚。多麼佩服這樣的一個藝人，為了做好自己的本份，事事絕不欺場，忍辱負重故然有修養，到踏著血咬實牙關在生命最後的日子，還能完成八場個人演唱會以交待歌迷告別舞台，這種職業道德，對演藝的愛和堅持，正是她成就的來源。

After reading this news, I cried. I am so in awe of this artist. To fulfill every responsibility, she never took shortcuts or gave anything short of the best. You can tell she had learned tremendous virtue by enduring adversity to achieve bigger things, but not only that, she was literally standing on bloodied feet to fight through her last days, and still managed to finish eight concert performances to bid farewell to her fans. This kind of professional work ethic, her love for and perseverance in the name of art, are the sources of her success.

近日本地女星難成天后，非關「大陸幫」來掃獎，來搶飯碗，只因少有梅艷芳的聲、色、藝，更重要的是，欠缺了那種把為工作奮鬥凌駕於生命的決心。遇困難而軟弱尋死，或價值觀只著重金錢利益的人，讀梅艷芳的故事，是否應該有所啟發呢？

In recent years, Hong Kong's native female artists find it difficult to make it to the top, but it has nothing to do with a "mainland gang" swooping in to take the awards, to compete for Hong Kong artists' livelihoods. It is difficult because it is so rare to find someone with Anita's voice, beauty, and artistry. But more importantly, today's artists don't have the determination to give priority to hard work over their personal lives. Those weaklings who want to commit suicide in face of difficulties, or those whose sense of value is only measured in monetary rewards -- after reading Anita Mui's story, shouldn't they have learned something and gained some realization from it?

　

（文匯論壇） Source: (Wen Wei Forum)
　