Whew, finally finished this book!

I am very amazed by the writing style of the author Milan Kundera. Excellent narrative. He can transform a small thought that takes one split of a second into so many pages... covering all the desires, motivation, and background. That's so real. Every thought that we have is connected to millions of things happened before. Plus, he infiltrates the history of Prague seamlessly. 

I like the idea that how he put the lightness of life : "We can never know what to want, because, living only one life, we can neither compare it with our previous lives nor perfect it in our lives to come."

There are many tiny pieces of ideas that I like. I like how he puts about misunderstanding of words... and love.

"He suddenly recalled the famous myth from Plato's Symposium: People were hermaphrodites until God split them in two, and now all the halves wander the world over seeking one another. Love is the longing for the half of ourselves we have lost."

However, closer to the end of the book, I got a little tired of the constant digression...even though kitsch I know is a very central idea that the author wants to convey. Another thing is that the details of Tomas' mistresses are way beyond my tolerance level closer to the end. I guess if I haven't finished the book all at one time, it would have been okay.

In general, an inspiring read.

人去樓空

才過幾天, 桌上的東西都給一掃而空

就像大自然殺戮後禿鷹們蜂擁地清理現場一樣

沒有親目其境是明智之舉

 

G爸爸說我不寫作,太浪費了, 應好好培養

倒真諷刺,人在彼邦, 中文程度都退步到不知甚麼境界

竟最近對中國文學感興趣起來

考完試要好好惡補!

 

發現有很多字句任你怎樣傳譯都不能傳神...

 

Bright moon, when did you appear?
Lifting my wine, I question the dark night sky.
Tonight in the palaces and halls of heaven
what year is it, I wonder?

I would like to ride the wind, make my home there,
Only I hide in a jade room of a beautiful mansion,
As I could not bear the cold of high altitudes.
So I rise and dance and play in your pure beams,
this human world — how can it compare with yours?

Circling red chambers,
low in the curtained door,
you shine on the sleepless.
Surely you bear us no ill will —
why then must you be so round at times when we humans are parted!

People have their grieves and joys, their togetherness and separation,
The moon has its dark and clear times, its waxings and wanings.
Situations are never ideal since long ago.
I only hope we two may have long long lives,
So that we may share the moon's beauty even though we are a thousand miles apart.

(from Wikipedia)

Everyone has a chance to be someone
reachin’ for that distance… dreams are never too far…
Through times are hard, you still fight
Until you get to where you wanna be..

Re Chorus

Woh oh woh oh. you keep trying so hard…
‘Cause you know it from the start
That you’d make it through it all

Chorus

Dreams are there for you to make it
Never stop believing
‘Cause you can make it… keep on dreaming
it will take you to a place that you haven’t been
You’ll see it happen in your eyes
It’s the power of the dream

II
Never let anyone to turn you down
You can make it happen
Find the strength in your heart
I know it’s tough
But you’ve got more than enough
to make it through
You’ll get to where you wanna be

(Repeat Pre Chorus and Chorus)

Bridge

You know you’re gonna make it through it all
Don’t you ever let go.