又中又英——all the rage

　　Korean pop music, or K-pop, is all the rage now. Bloomberg has named the K-pop girl group Blackpink the world’s current top band. The expression “all the rage” means to be very popular at a particular time. But there’s a big difference between the world’s top band and the world’s top band of all time. If a band is the top band of all time, it means it’s the best band there has ever been. Almost everyone in the music industry agrees the world’s top band of all time is the English rock band the Beatles. It formed in 1960 and split up in 1970.
　　Two members, John Lennon and George Harrison, are now dead but the Beatles remains the most influential band of all time. Lennon was shot dead in 1980 by a fan outside his luxury apartment, the Dakota. It’s across from Central Park in New York City’s Upper West Side. His killer, Mark Chapman, said he killed Lennon because he wanted to be famous too. I live in the Upper West Side and can walk to the Dakota in 20 minutes. I’ve walked there several times to see the spot where Lennon was killed, aged 40. To me, he is the world’s most gifted modern musician and songwriter.
　　Tomorrow, December 8, will be the 41st anniversary of Lennon’s murder. A part of Central Park across from the Dakota is Strawberry Fields, named after a Lennon song. There is a mosaic on the ground with the word Imagine, also a Lennon song. I have been to Strawberry Fields and the Imagine mosaic many times. A mosaic is a pattern or picture with small different-coloured pieces of stone or glass. To me, Imagine has Lennon’s best lyrics. My favourite line is “Imagine all the people living life in peace.” History has shown Lennon’s hope of a peaceful world is dead on arrival, which means it’s dead before it can start. Many people go to the Dakota and Strawberry Fields every December 8 to place flowers. I will go tomorrow.
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　　韩国流行音乐K-pop现正火红（all the rage）。彭博将韩国女子流行音乐组合BLACKPINK奉为现时全球最顶尖的乐队。习语“all the rage”是指风靡一时、在某一特定时期内极受欢迎。然而，要说全球顶尖乐队与全球史上（of all time）顶尖乐队，两者还是有很大的差别。若一队乐队是the top band of all time，意即它是有史以来最优秀的乐队。音乐业界内差不多人人都认同，全球史上（of all time）顶级乐队是英国摇滚乐队披头四。它于一九六○年组成，一九七○年解散。
　　乐队的两名成员，约翰连侬与佐治夏里逊已不在人世，但披头四仍然是有史以来（of all time）最具影响力的乐队。连侬于一九八○年于其豪华住宅达科他公寓外遭一名乐迷枪杀。那幢公寓就在纽约市上西城中央公园的对面。行凶者马克．查普曼说，他杀害连侬是因为他也想闻名于世。我住在上西城，走路过去达科他公寓也不过二十分钟路程。我也有好几次徒步去看看事发地点，就是连侬于四十岁时遇刺身亡的地方。在我而言，他是世上最具天赋的现代音乐人与作曲家。
　　明天，十二月八日，便是连侬遇害的四十一周年。中央公园向着达科他公寓的部份范围，是以连侬的歌曲命名的「草莓园」。那儿的地面上有个马赛克（mosaic）的铺饰，中央写着Imagine（想像），亦是连侬一首歌曲的名称。我到访过草莓园与「想像」马赛克（mosaic）许多遍。A mosaic就是以不同颜色的石块或玻璃交织镶嵌而成的图案或图画。对我来说，《想像》一曲有着连侬最好的歌词，我最喜欢的一句是「想像世上所有人都和平安稳地生活」。历史告诉我们，连侬对太平盛世的冀望是dead on arrival——意即它还未开始已告终，出师未捷身先死。每年的十二月八日，都会有许多人去达科他公寓与草莓园献花悼念，我明天也会去。
[email protected] 中译：七刻
Michael Chugani 褚简宁