書本介紹 – The Frightful First World War & The Woeful Second World War

之前我已經介紹了整個Horrible Histories系列，所以理論上不太需要另外介紹系列裡面的某幾本書。但是因為最近發生的一些事情，我覺得也該是時候拿這兩本書來說說了。

我的本科不是歷史系，但是也曾經自修會考西方歷史科（畢竟我媽是西史老師）加上在約克這個古城讀大學的時光，歷史對自己來講沒有那麼遙遠。

可是始終因為地理跟時光的差異，西方歷史還是會有一點距離感，學生覺得那邊的歷史只是一堆要硬生生吃下去考試時吐出來的知識也不是沒有原因的吧？對我來說，真正感受到一二戰的震撼，除了參觀波蘭的奧斯威辛集中營之外就是參觀曼徹斯特的戰爭博物館…..

還有這兩本書。

Horrible Histories系列的特點是用輕鬆幽默的手法去介紹歷史，讓小朋友對歷史有多點興趣。但是看過這麼多本系列作品之後，我敢說這兩本講述一二戰的書是系列中最正經的。
當然啦，正經不代表沉悶，作者的一貫風格在兩本書也不是看不到的。只是論內容來講，作者很清楚哪些時候適合搞笑，哪些時候要把笑臉收起來，有哪些界線是不能跳過去的。看這兩本書還是會笑，只是笑中絕對會有淚的。

另外兩本書跟英國戰爭博物館有一些共通點。大家都會講述一些一二戰時發生的大事沒錯，但是兩者的集中點都不是歌頌盟軍有多棒痛罵納粹有多邪惡，而是戰爭下的一般人。一些有血有肉，有自己的家庭生活工作夢想的普通老百姓。
約克城堡博物館的一戰展覽我有去看，整個展覽的設計是跟著幾位住在約克的平民在一戰爆發之後的經歷。我們在展覽中認識到他們在參軍前的生活跟參軍後的去向，很簡單地就把現代人跟當年的人連在一起，一戰的歷史也不再那麼抽象和難以代入。
同樣道理，戰爭博物館跟這兩本書有不少篇幅就是講述普通的平民跟軍人在一二戰時的設身經歷和生活方式，這時候大家感受到的不是勝利者在強調自己有多勇敢，而是戰爭的殘酷跟人們對和平的渴望。

兩本書中印象最深刻的，是Woeful Second World War中的一小段，當中是圖文並荗地講述一次針對某個小城鎮的轟炸。當時城鎮剛好有馬戲團來表演，大家都為了能夠短暫忘掉戰爭的恐怖而樂透了。然而在戰機的猛烈轟炸之下，小城鎮化為烈火，原本開心的歡笑聲也變成慘叫跟求救聲。

這時候大家的直覺就是，這是德軍在轟炸小城鎮對吧？

但是很抱歉，作者筆下的這個小城鎮其實在德國。而無情轟炸的劊子手，是英國皇家空軍。

歷史是由勝利者寫出來的，加上這系列本來是寫給小朋友看的，如果作者把這些事情省略掉不說也沒什麼好驚訝的。但是作者沒有這樣做。作者筆下的兩次戰爭不是單純的邪不能勝正，而是要強調戰爭中大家認定的＂正方＂也會幹出殘害無辜平民的事，＂反方＂的國家也是戰爭的受害者之一。戰爭有勝有敗，但是會有真正的贏家嗎？

一二戰的歷史除了日本侵華那一段之外大家也許會沒什麼感覺，但是對地球另一邊的人卻是心中的傷痕。所以真的，不要拿這種事情來亂開玩笑。這已經不只是國際觀的問題，而是很簡單的一種對歷史的尊重的問題。Horrible Histories的作者很清楚，我也希望大家也一樣那麼清楚。

Since I’ve already introduced the Horrible Histories series as a whole, arguably there is no need for me to focus on any particular books within the series. However, following the events happening these days, I figured that it’s about time to start talking about these two books.

My major isn’t history, but I did self-study CE-level world history (since my mom is a world history teacher herself). Combined with my university life in York, a town steeped in history, history isn’t quite as far away as I thought.

However, considering the physical and time differences, there’s still some distance between us and western history, and there’s a reason why some students view western history as nothing more than a bunch of facts to swallow up and spit out during exams. To me, the biggest shocks the two World Wars gave me was during my visits to the Auschwitz concentration camp and the Imperial War Museum in Manchester…

And these two books.

Horrible Histories is most iconic for its relaxed and humourous take on history, in a bid to get kids interested in history. But after reading so many books from the series, I daresay that these two books are the most serious of the lot.

Of course, being serious doesn’t mean being boring, and it’s still possible to find shades of the author’s usual style in those books. It’s just that when it comes to the contents, the author understands when to crack jokes, when to hold those smiles back, and which lines should not be crossed. You can still laugh when reading these books, but there will be tears mixed into it.

Moreoever, there are some similarities between those two books and the War Museum in the UK. Although both will describe the major events in the two World Wars, their focus isn’t about how great the Allies are or how horrible the Nazis are. Instead, they talk about ordinary people in the war. Just average joes with their own lives, families and dreams.

I’ve been to the World War 1 exhibition in York’s Castle Museum, and the whole exhibition is designed to follow the lives of several yorkshiremen after war broke out. We get to know more about their life before and during the war, and in a way the exhibition connected the people in the past and in the present. World War 1 is no longer as abstract and difficult to relate to as it used to be.
Similarly, the War Museum and the two books spend a lot of words talking about the life of ordinary people and ordinary soldiers under the war. What we see isn’t a winner emphasizing their bravery, but the terrors of war and hope for peace.

The most memorable part of those two books is one small section in “The Woeful Second World War", illustrating the bombing of a small town. Back then there was a travelling circus performing in the town, and people were overjoyed to forget about the war, even for a short moment. However, as the planes drop their bombs from above, the town was soon engulfed with flames, and what used to be laughter soon turned into screams of help.

At this point, you’d probably think this is a bombing from the Germans, right?

I’m sorry, but the town the author described was actually in Germany. Who did the bombings? The UK’s Royal Air Force.

History is written by the winners, and Horrible Histories is written for children, so it won’t be surprising if the author decided to omit this bit. But the author didn’t do so. Under the author’s pen, the two World Wars are not simple cases of “good will pervail over evil". During wartime, even the “good" side can murder innocents, and even the “bad" side can be victims as well. There are winners and losers in war, but is there a true “winner" in the end?

The two World Wars, aside from Japan’s invasion in China, may be something we don’t give much thought about. But to the people living in the other side of the globe, those wars are real scars in their hearts. So please, don’t joke about things like this lightly. It’s no longer just a matter of understanding the world, it’s also a matter of respecting history. The author of Horrible Histories understands this, and I hope everyone can do the same.

英文豆知識 – 聖誕蛋糕

既然最近是聖誕節，就來談談跟這個節慶有關的事情吧！

雖然聖誕蛋糕Christmas Cake聽起來不是什麼壞東西，但是這個字對著女生講可是大忌呢～

那為什麼呢？原來是日本幹的好事！現在不同國家的聖誕節都很商業化，日本當然也不例外，而聖誕蛋糕是很好的例子。（畢竟當年的日本很崇洋，能夠吃到聖誕蛋糕的人自然也是潮到出水了吧）現在日本的餅店都會在聖誕節期間推出精緻的聖誕蛋糕，務求在節日氣氛中大賺一筆。
但是聖誕節終會過去，那麼賣不出去的蛋糕怎麼辦？既然聖誕節已經過去了，那還吃什麼聖誕蛋糕呢？結果這些蛋糕就沒人要了….

於是乎，Christmas Cake這個字就被用來形容一些到了一定年齡還是沒有男朋友，嫁不出去的女生，大概就是取笑他們過了食用時間所以沒人要。呃，還真過份的啊。

不過隨著社會改變，結不結婚這些問題女生們都能夠自己決定，選擇晚點結婚或者索性維持單身也沒什麼大不了的。希望Christmas Cake這個字給人的印象不再是安在女性身上的嘲諷，而是帶來快樂跟溫暖的食物吧！

Since it’s Christmas these days, let’s talk about something seasonal then!

Although Christmas cakes don’t sound half bad, but it’s actually taboo to call a girl like that.

But why? Turns out it’s all Japan’s doing! Nowadays, Christmas is pretty commercialized in many countries, and Japan is no exception. Christmas cakes are one good example. (After all, back in the day the Japanese looked up to the West, and being able to have Christmas cake meant being the trendiest guy in town) And so these days, bakeries in Japan rush to make fancy Christmas cakes, in a bet to get the money rolling in during the holiday cheer
.
Christmas will eventually come and go, but what about the remaining cakes? Since the season is over, what’s the point of having Christmas cake? As a result, those cakes end up being forgotten and left to rot…

And so, the slang Christmas cake is used to describe women at a certain age who are still single and unmarried. Simply put, they are mocked for being past their “expiry date" and dumped by others. Er…that does sound rather uncalled for.

However, as society continues to change, women began to have their say in marriage, and choosing to marry later or to stay single altogether is nothing special. Let’s hope that in the future, Christmas cakes will remind people of food that brings warmth and happiness, and not mockery placed on women!

書本介紹 – The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

雖然這本書很值得介紹，但是要介紹這本書可一點也不容易。

要寫一篇書評少不免要透露書本的內容，畢竟讀者不了解內容又怎會知道這本書是不是他們的菜呢？但是看過這本書之後，我覺得這次要剛好相反。

我不能透露任何內容，讀者開始看這本書時，最好是除了書名跟封面之外對它一點認識也沒有。
這樣的狀態下去看，才能最切實的感受到故事帶給讀者的震撼與心理上的衝擊。（我就是之前聽說過故事內容所以有了心理準備，結果看的時候真的有差別…如果當初沒被劇透就好了）

不過真的要略略談一下的話…（書評這樣草草了事可不行嘛）

這是一個跟兩個孩子的友情有關的故事

這是一個有關於兩個世界的故事

這是一個很沉重的故事

這也是一個很真實的故事。也許人物都是虛構出來的，但他們的經歷在現實世界可能曾經發生過，甚至現在世界上的某角落也在上演著同樣的事情

我們能祈求的是，這樣的故事將來不會再發生。

Although this book is definitely worth recommending, trying to introduce this book is not an easy task.

Usually when it comes to book introductions or reviews, you’re bound to write about the contents of the book at some point. After all, how would readers figure out if a book is their cup of tea when they don’t even know what the book is even about? However, after reading this book, I realized I have to do the opposite.

I cannot reveal anything about the book’s contents. In fact, it might be for the best if readers have no clue what the book is about, aside from the book title and the cover design.

That way, when you first read the book you’ll be able to experience the full brunt of the mental shock the story gives you. (I’ve already heard of some of the story’s contents, so I was mentally prepared when tackling this book. It certainly felt different, and I wish I didn’t get spoiled beforehand)

But if I really have to talk about the story in brief… (It’s not right to end the book review this sloppily, after all)

This is a story about the friendship between two boys.

This is a story about two different worlds.

This is a heavy story.

This is also a realistic story. Sure the characters might be made up, but the things they go through might have happened in real life before. Perhaps they are also happening right now, in some corner in the world.

All we can pray for is that, this story will never happen again in the future.

書本介紹 – Discworld

之前說好要寫的嘛～先聲名一下：我是這個系列的忠實粉絲，所以廢話跟發廚可能會比較多（？）不過也希望能夠好好介紹這個系列吧！

之前已經說過這系列是作者Terry Pratchett最有名的作品，那麼Discworld為什麼會這麼特別呢？先從世界觀開始說起吧！Discworld直譯就是碟子世界，看起來就是這樣子：

真的就是碟子般的圓盤型世界，由４隻大象支撐著，下面還有一隻名叫Great A’Tuin的超巨大海龜，在無邊無際的外太空中漫游著。Great A’Tuin為什麼要漫游，漫游到哪裡去一直是Unseen University的魔法師們之間爭論不斷的問題，不過倒是有人提出他是想生兒育女，而這個說法就叫作The Big Bang Theory。

嗯，Discworld就是這樣的一個故事。

在Discworld裡，除了我們熟悉的物理跟自然定律之外，一個很重要的法則是Narrative Causality。簡單點來說，一些我們經常看到的故事老梗在Discworld裡可以說是變成了定律。有些看似不可能的事情會發生其實真的是因為劇情的要求。說個例子吧，＂萬中無一的機會＂理論上應該真的是萬中無一，但是在Discworld裡，＂萬中無一的機會＂幾乎一定成功。主角以一敵眾能夠開無雙開爽爽這個老梗，在Discworld也是金科玉律。有不少故事人物都會知道而且利用這些故事老梗呢

如之前所說，Discworld的特色在於它對這些老梗的諷刺跟惡搞，但是隨著作者文筆的進步，Discworld的重點不再只是惡搞，而是要寫出一個好故事。另外作者也會在故事中透露出自己對人生的見解以至對人性跟社會的反思，讓作品增加不少深度，值得讀者好好思考

Discworld也算是很長壽的奇幻小說系列，單是主要的作品就有４０多本，還有一堆主線以外的番外篇作品。你可能會覺得這可不行啊，要把４０多本通通看完不知道要看到民國多少年啦！其實也不用太擔心，Discworld跟別的系列有一點不同：它的故事主線不止一條，而是擁有多條故事線跟主角群，雖然有些故事線會互相連結（例如在最大城市Ankh-Morpork發生的主線）但是把這些主線分開來看也沒問題的。所以慢慢來慢慢看就好～

Discworld大約有５條主線：跟著膽小鬼魔法師Rincewind遊歷世界的Rincewind主線；以死神為主角，探討死亡的Death主線；以住在Lancre的巫婆三人組為主角，大玩故事老梗的Witches主線；以Ankh-Morpork的特警隊為主角，可以說是Discworld版偵探小說的City Watch主線；還有以Discworld裡的科技變遷和對它的影響為題的Industrial Revolution主線。番外作品除了探討宗教觀的兩本書和科普作品Science of Discworld系列，還有對象是青少年，跟Witches主線有連結的Tiffany Aching主線。

哪本書是哪個主線？要從哪一本開始看？當然要先看懶人包：

雖然有一兩本新書沒有被加進去，不過算是很完整的懶人包，跟著它就OK了！我是從City Watch主線開始看的，以這個作為起點應該不錯說！
當然啦，你也可以從一切的起點Rincewind主線開始看，不過老實說，The Colour of Magic跟The Light Fantastic都是很早期的作品，不論文筆還是對人物的描述都沒那麼好（有些人物的性格在這兩本書跟之後的作品分別大得根本就是兩個人。對，Vetinari，我說的就是你）
不過看了這兩本再看後期的作品，可以切實感受到作者文筆的進步呢～

至於哪幾本書最最值得看的？不少粉絲公認的選擇就是Small Gods跟Night Watch這兩本。不論是故事的張力，人物的刻劃還是對社會的探討，這兩本都是系列的最高峰。對Discworld有興趣的話，這兩本是不看不行der

雖然Discworld在外國超級有名，但是只有City Watch主線的書出了官方中譯版，其餘的好像都是有生之年系列…嗯，算是一大遺憾吧…可是想到要原汁原味地保留Terry Pratchett那種獨特的文筆跟幽默感，Discworld系列可以說是一個很難翻譯的作品啊。不過既然定位差不多（？）的Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy系列也能出中譯，翻譯Discworld應該不是不可能的任務吧？然而個人覺得最好還是看原作，這樣才能感受到Terry Pratchett最原本的才華！

可惜作者已經過世了，系列也在The Shepard’s Crown這本作品中告一段落…不過正如Great A’tuin依然在漫遊著，Discworld在讀者心中也是長存的吧？

謝謝你，Terry Pratchett！一路好走！