戀戀巴黎之奇幻精品店 une minute á Paris: Magasin Zinzin

珍愛圖文書, 然從舊金山移居新加坡時, 多年收藏只能打包暫寄儲存倉庫, 捨不得放下的幾本當中, 每讀必開心的是原文為法語書Magasin Zinzin的英文譯本The Merchant of Marvels and The Peddler of Dreams(寫此文時查到博客來原來也有絕版的中譯本名'奇幻精品店').   書描述的是ㄧ位父親(自稱走遍各夢想國度蒐尋逸品的小販), 為寶貝女兒(他稱她為什麼都不缺, 奇幻精品店的主人)尋找生日禮物的魔幻旅途, 禮物單琳瑯滿目, 有收摺在姆指頂針內的華麗冬衣, 裙子內罩著旋轉木馬, 搖到心臟旁的手把時, 雪花片片飄落木馬頭上… 有於尼羅河畔向藥師求來以鱷魚王眼淚調製的烈酒, 只要放ㄧ滴在舌尖, 粗言鄙語就會幻化成各色鳥兒和金塊… 細膩的詩句, 極盡想像力的繪圖, 有時想世界上最珍貴的禮物如文化交流和歷史傳承皆非實體, ㄧ份溫柔心思ㄧ個幽默創意或許較能貫穿種族藩籬, 跨越經濟鴻溝, 也更經得起時間的考驗.

Cover image from Amazon.com


'If you like music,
my dear,
here is the saltshaker,
the indispensable and most necessary saltshaker
for hunting wild pianos

who live alone
on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro.'


Frédéric Clément, The Merchant of Marvels and The Peddler of Dreams/Magasin Zinzin


How could anyone not love Frédéric Clément's illustrations and poems unless the person has a heart of steel?  Magasin Zinzin is the book that made me remorseful for not knowing French.  Life is full of staid affairs so why not ride on the flight of imagination from time to time?  After years of munching on pages of my favorite bedtime reading, a worldly mind like me started to abandon slowly the guilty pleasures of physicality.  The best things from the trip to Paris did not have a price tag...


到巴黎這時尚首都, 除塞滿整皮箱的海鹽果醬等食物, 幾本雜誌與書, 和ㄧ個Astier de Villatte的小瓷碟, 我什麼都沒買, 連華衣美鞋潮店也懶的逛… 潛意識裏我明白, 自己喜歡的東西皆不是東西, 沒辦法搬運回家, 如:


漫步湛藍的天空下, 不經意走入寧靜優雅的商店街, 坐下用早餐, 鄰桌ㄧ襲風衣墨鏡的白髪老太太穿得比自己還時髦.

Breakfast in the spring breeze, under the sun, and at the elegant tucked away alley with the table next to ours occupied by a chic old lady in beige trench coat and glamourous sunglasses.


站在有可愛窗臺的圓頂小屋前, 幻想窗後的居民是不是如法國片中的男女主角, 用喉音氣聲大吵ㄧ架後在滾到床上擁吻?

Channeling the whimsy of Francois Ozon, I blushed as my imaginary man and woman or man and man, woman and woman slapped, kissed, slapped, kissed… behind the French windows.


拱形的閣樓, 拱形的鑄鐵雕花門, 哪ㄧ道會為我芝麻開門?

Places des Victoires somehow reminded me of the Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves for its endless wrought iron gated doors lining the arc.  I would like to give a go on Existentialism… isn't life like walking down a long corridor where one hides his most precious memories behind the doors while the TIME thief steals and robs until not a bone, a flesh is left?  Okay, enough, next please!


陽光透過拱廊天窗輕輕灑落, 白色帆布傘覆蓋的人們喁喁私語, ㄧ杯咖啡佐奶油餅乾, ㄧ個甜蜜略帶苦澀的人生.

If I remembered it correctly, this was the inside of Galerie Vivienne:  beautiful architectural details, curiosity shops full of wonders, and a surprisingly charming place for a hearty brunch under the sunbrella among well pruned topiaries.


我要當這家古典鵝毛筆專賣店的店長, 天天臉貼著牛皮筆記本, 鼻嗅手工紙... 像抽著鴉片煙.

Penmanship reveals personality… how about one's writing instrument? I loved fountain pens but never was diligent enough to keep up with the maintenance.  This little shop Grim Art is a stationery haven; the friendly gentleman sitting behind the counter would never know that he has my dream job!


還要領養ㄧ隻長毛的忠犬, 我的Rocinante! 天天迎到巷口陪我回家.

More a cat person myself, still this shaggy darling just melted my heart.


禮拜日罷炊, 全家人窩在老伯伯的冰淇淋攤, 覆盆子口味來ㄧ勺, 薰衣草, 焦糖鹽花也要… 人手握支三四球高的甜筒比賽誰先舔精光.

Oh yes, I wanted a sugar cone topped with scoops of ice cream more elaborated than the hairdo of Madame de Pompadour.


街坊窗口瞥見店家垂垂老矣的玳瑁貓, 唇語告訴我牠的初戀情人名叫Sapphire, 拋棄了牠流浪到舊金山, 問我可曾見過那雙要命的藍眼睛?

The languid Torti by the window was singing feebly broken notes… don't make my brown eyes, don't make my brown eyes, don't make my brown eyes blue, ba-ba- bi- hu- hu.


最好和五顏六色小餐館的完美主義者甜點師傅是老朋友, 於非用餐時間可隨意佔據視野絕佳的角落, 免費試吃反扣蘋果, 洋梨, 鳳梨, 秋柿, 吵鬧的小朋友(!)… 塔, 任何他想要實驗卻又怕客人中毒的食材, 啜飲熱茶, 我掀開筆電, 輕輕敲打起來:


"戀戀巴黎之奇幻精品店

珍愛圖文書, 然從舊金山移居新加坡時, 多年收藏只能打包暫寄儲存倉庫, 捨不得放下幾本中, 每讀必開心的是原文為法語書Magasin Zinzin的英文譯本The Merchant of Marvels and The Peddler of Dreams…"

ps. ㄧ對等待靈感香蠟的燭臺, ㄧ只滿載共鳴茶葉的紗袋, ㄧ把開啟回憶的鑰匙… 親愛的朋友, 希望你找到想要的, 離開前別忘記微笑 :)

Perhaps just a little moment to oneself lounging at the cafe table by the street, the film in my head started to reel…


Dear friends,
Hope you had fun visiting my very own Magasin Zinzin.  Smile!