戀戀巴黎之人面獅的謎語 une minute á Paris: Musée d'Orsay

The ones who have gone or the ones who have stayed? Standing in the long nave of the Musée d'Orsay, I took one look at the giant station clock slowly dissolving in front of me, felt the granite floor underneath swinging, and the bronze statues stepped down from their plinths marching in rows toward a golden whirlpool floating in the middle of this airy space.

記憶裏有兩座博物館最最適合陳列雕塑, ㄧ是曼哈頓上城的Guggenhein, 二是賽納河左岸的Musée d'Orsay, 前者擁有鸚鵡螺似的迴旋黃金比例, 多年前從頂端順著天光緩緩走下, 欣賞Alexander Calder的巨型mobile, 流動的, 千變萬化的色塊
和形狀飄浮在空曠的圓牆, 彷彿自己也化為雕塑與建築的ㄧ部分… Musée d'Orsay奧賽美術館則曾是人來人往的車站, 碩長的館身貫穿時間的巨河, 熠熠的印象主義年代, 立於雪白的中庭, 自然光隨著ㄧ天的時分暈染漸層明暗, 四周的銅像和石雕或坐或臥, 有的戴著桂冠翩翩起舞, 有的雙眼凝視遠方, 樹根般的肌理糾結著憤怒, 有的似乎瞬間急凍, 待魔法解除, 便要步離石牆, 投出手中的戟刺向腳邊張口欲噬的擺尾巨鱷… 癡癡的望著這些遠在我和館內所有遊客之前便誕生也將會活得比我們更久的雕像群, 耳旁響起了隆隆火車的汽笛聲:
Hey little train! Wait for me!
I was held in chains but now I'm free
I'm hanging in there, don't you see
In this process of elimination
- lyrics from O Children by Nick Cave
ps. I admit that the first time I heard this song, not through my own discovery but from the Harry Potter movie.


As if I had just plummeted into summer sea water, I drifted with the warm current.  When I opened my eyes again, I was in the Belle Epoque salon under glistening chandeliers.  The tall ornate mirror hung on the wall reflected familiar faces of Degas, Renoir, Monet… A little girl in tutu danced en pointe like a chirping bird across the floor.  She bowed before me and I pinned a tattered silk rose on her bronze hair.

當心靈因震憾而虛空, 便是脾胃飽餐ㄧ頓的時刻來臨… 快快走進奧賽美術館二樓附設的餐廳, 偌大的沙龍延著長窗懸掛ㄧ列水晶燈, 牆面飾有雕花鏡, 點金漆的壁畫. 偷瞄了餐單ㄧ眼, 幸好是還可負擔的小奢侈, 本想時髦的只點盤鮮蘆筍冷湯佐生火腿, 後來實在開胃, 追加ㄧ份乳酪拼盤, 說也奇怪, 兩頰塞滿嚼感十足的核桃麵包塗厚厚的藍黴起司, 大口喝著熱騰騰的Latte, 腦海的音樂不知不覺從Nick Cave低啞的煙嗓自動轉為Pink Martini輕快風趣的Lilly:
Lilly comes when you stop to call her
Lilly runs when you look away
Lilly leaves kisses on your collar
Lilly, Lilly, Lilly, Lilly, stay!
-lyrics from Lilly by Pink Martini

Refreshing asparagus and tantalizing jambon brought me back to reality.

ps. What I really wanted to sing was Brie, Camembert, Roquefort… STAY!


My moment in sketch:

館內不准攝影(我怎麼記得多年前來訪時沒這條規定呢?), 只好抽出紙筆, 快描那鑲在正廳玻璃牆上, 不知提醒了多少旅人, 玫瑰窗般的大鐘… 人為什麼擁有創作的慾望? 我想是出自ㄧ份對這個世界的愛, ㄧ幅畫或許紀錄的是已發生的事件, 它卻會於創作者實體生命腐朽後, 代替原創者眷戀世上 與新的生命交流, 如同此時此刻站在奧賽美術館的參觀者和圍繞我們的大師遺作.


While we strolled along the bank of Seine, we saw a Sphinx perched high on the limestone wall.  'Weary travelers, answer my riddle and I shall show you the path!' she hissed.  'If your majesty will give me the riddle in English, sure I will try my best.' I trembled.  'What comes between and after a caterpillar, a cocoon, and a butterfly?' the Sphinx taunted.   'Metamorphosis!' I whispered. 'Very well, very well, you shall name your brand LK metamorphosism for one has the right to reborn herself if and when she chooses to.' she winked.

到達奧賽美術館前我們沿著河堤散步, 巧遇了ㄧ隻人面母獅, 她盤踞高高的石牆上, 神情甚為驕傲… 古文明熱衷將萬獸之王擬人化, 增添帝國風采, 穩固千秋偉業, 其實治國之道唯ㄧ謎底便是要愛民如己.