DONNA SUMMER

傳來DONNA SUMMER死於肺癌的消息。YOUTUBE即時多了幾齣她的影片，說她的歌聲喚回少年時……

Donna Summer died of lung cancer.  New videos of her songs are found on Youtube, commemorating the Disco Queen for reminding their youth....

甚麼是死？

近日在facebook上看朋友寫關於死亡；他說，「活在當下」是跟死亡妥協的唯一方法。可惜，這是單方面的妥協呢？

況且，若然是全然放棄對未來、對下一瞬的想望，這又是怎麼樣的生命形式呢？


This incident makes me thinking of what is death.

Also because of a friend’s article on facebook.  ‘Living this moment’ is the only way to reach compromise with death, he says.  But he admits this is only a one-way dealt.

Besides, what a way of life it would be if we completely stop thinking about the future, not even the next moment?

我在想，是甚麼教我們要跟死亡妥協呢？而且是它不妥協，只有人來妥協的「單方條約」？

更甚者，這條約沒有改變這個事實︰死亡從來就在我們額頭對上一吋。

害怕死亡，害怕老病。

其實，我們是害怕不測，害怕死亡忽至，一切計劃成空，失望悵惘……

其實是害怕轉變。

冀望與死亡達成妥協，實則是貪望在變幻莫測的生命中，多得一點心安；也可說是一種自我保護心態，逃避失望。

其實甚麼都沒分別。


What makes us to come into such a dealt with death, a dealt in which you give up nothing but just me yield?

Above all, this makes no difference to a very fact: DEATH is hanging just one inch above our head.

Fear of death, fear of being sick, decay and old.

We are actually afraid of the unpredictable.  All of a sudden, death falls upon us, leaving all  our plan scattered, in worries and remorse....

In fact, it’s the fear of change.

Hoping to reach a compromise with death is a wish for settlement with the unpredictabilities in life.  Frankly speaking, it’s a self-defense mechanism trying to avoid disappointment.

But it just makes no difference.

不好執常，也不好執斷。
珍惜這一刻，也想下一刻。
這是一份緣力，可生可滅……


Not to hold on.  Things are not eternal, exist for a moment, but not unchained.

Treasure this moment, and also the next.

There is a karma.  It may last; it may die....

DONNA SUMMER是一位極富爭議的流行歌手，走紅於上世紀七十年代，一個性解放的年代。身為一個天主教徒，卻以性愛呻吟入歌，當年遭電台禁播。這是專業精神，也是求生之道。

As a controversial female vocalist, Donna Summer reached her climax of fame in the 70s, a time of emancipation of sex and gender.  Coming from a Catholic family, she boldly added in sexual groans in her revolutionary songs and got them banned on radios.  This is professionalism and also a way to live.

零九年，美國總統奧巴馬獲頒諾貝爾和平獎，他未暇出席，請DONNA到場獻唱。高齡六十一，見她寶刀未老的俏態，誰也想不到兩年半後的今日，她已返天國。

In 2009, US President Obama was honored the Nobel Prize in Peace and he invited Summer to sing in the ceremony.  At the age of 61, her energetic performance threw us into surprise with her death just in two years’ time.

DONNA歌藝了得，曾參與百老匯演出，聲線甜美如出谷黃鶯，盡得黑人的音樂天賦。這是生之才華！

請聽聽以下這首WHISPERING WAVES。我相信，不少認識DONNA SUMMER的朋友，都會笑我搞錯了吧？！

This talented singer once sung Broadway operas before her career skyrocketed.  Her voice is as sweet as the tweet of bird.  Please listen to the song attached below, ‘Whispering Waves’ taken from her second album.  You might not recognize it's her voice.

活得精彩，縱然生命倏而來忽而逝，也就不好執著了。

Live the life to the full.  Though it may end in a sudden, we had better let it go.