Art In The Age Of SARS1

　　Outside a traditional Chinese medicine shop in Hong Kong, locals mill about2 , their mouths covered with white masks. They look like ordinary Asian shoppers in the age of SARS — but they are in fact actors shooting the forthcoming film"The City of SARS. "An anguished look at life in the territory during the epidemic , the film includes a segment starring veteran Hong Kong actor Eric Tsang as a flashy businessman contemplating suicide after the pneumonia outbreak threatens to ruin him financially."[SARS is] our Titanic , " says Tsang between takes."A lot of acts of bravery and heroism were involved. "

　　Every artist knows that turmoil fuels creativity. And from February to June in 2003, nothing has caused more turmoil in Asia than severe acute respiratory syndrome. Now, from Shanghai to Singapore, the drama of living with SARS is producing an artistic movement of sorts. Through a wide range of new paintings, photographs, plays, films and songs, Asia's artists are expressing the diverse emotions — fear, anger and even hope — triggered by the disease .

　　Some artists are simply determined to make a record of this atypical3 period."Artists are more sensitive than ordinary people, "says a Singaporean painter. His abstract work"A Year to Remember", made with oil, batik, sand and rice paper on canvas, has no special message but was inspired by the complex feelings that emerged while he listened to the daily news of the war in Iraq and the progress of the disease .

　　Others intend their art to provoke discussion. Singaporean playwright and actress Li Xie wrote the interactive Mandarin-language play"SARS"after witnessing negative reactions — like the ostracization of medical workers — in the early days of the outbreak. Li's drama, which requires audience participation, has been playing to positive reviews. Ordinary citizens, too, have felt compelled to create . When the Hong Kong Arts Center announced the creation of a SARS-inspired exhibited called"A Time Like This", it was flooded with entries from the general public . Students, forced to stay home after school was suspended, contributed more than 80 poems, cartoons and drawings — many about the extreme boredom they felt while in isolation. The Shanghai Museum of Art is holding an online exhibit and sale of calligraphic art inspired by SARS — the proceeds of which will go4 to SARS research.

　　The director of"The City of SARS"is hopeful that his flick will capture a momentous time in history."No other event like this may pass my way again, "he says.

　　练习题：

　　Ⅰ. True or False:

　　1. People outside the medicine shop are ordinary Asian shoppers in the age of SARS.

　　2. Through a wide range of new art forms Asia's artists are expressing the diverse emotions triggered by the disease .

　　3. All the artists simply determined to make a record of this atypical period.

　　4. The Shanghai Museum of Art held an exhibit to make profits for its own sake.

　　Ⅱ. Questions:

　　1. How did the Singapore painter make his abstract work A Year to Remember?

　　2. Why Li Xie wrote the play"SARS"?

　　答案：

　　Ⅰ. 1. F 2. T 3 . F 4 . F

　　Ⅱ.1. He made his work with oil, batik, sand and rice paper on canvas.

　　2. He wrote the play after witnessing the negative reactions in the early days of the outbreak.

　　参考译文：

　　“非典”之艺术

　　香港一家中药店门外, 一群戴着白口罩的本地人四处乱转, 貌似非典时期亚洲普通的药店顾客。实际上, 他们是正在拍摄电影《非典之城》的演员。这部电影再现了非典流行时期香港人糟糕的生活面貌, 其中一个片段讲述一个由香港著名演员曾志伟扮演的鲁莽商人受非典影响陷入经济困境, 意欲自杀。拍摄间隙, 曾说:“‘ 非典’像我们的泰坦尼克事件,其中涌现了许多英勇无畏的事迹。”

　　艺术家们都知道, 动乱会激发创造力。2003 年2月到6月间亚洲没有比严重的呼吸道综合症更能引起轩然大波的了。当前, 从上海到新加坡, 以对抗非典为题材的片子促生了各种艺术形式。通过一系列新的绘画、摄影、戏剧、电影和歌曲, 亚洲的艺术家们表达了由这场疾病触发的复杂情感——恐惧、愤怒以及希望。

　　有些艺术家只是想记录下这段非典型时期。新加坡一位画家说:“ 艺术家比普通人更敏感。”他的抽象画《难忘的一年》是用颜料、蜡印、沙子和米纸在帆布上制作的。作品没有特别的信息, 不过是从每天听伊拉克战争和非典报道时产生的复杂感情中获取灵感创作的。

　　另一些艺术家的作品意在引发讨论。新加坡剧作家兼演员李勰, 在非典爆发初期, 目睹了诸如医护人员的冷漠等负面影响之后, 写了一部话剧《非典》。这部需要观众参与的话剧, 得到了积极的反响。

　　普通民众也跃跃欲试。当香港艺术中心宣布举行一次以非典为主题的名为《此时此刻》的展览时, 公众踊跃参与。因学校停课待在家中的学生寄来了80 多篇表现他们隔离期间 枯燥生活的诗歌、卡通和绘画。上海美术馆举行了一次非典书法作品在线销, 其收益将用于非典研究。

　　导演希望《非典之城》这部电影能捕捉住这一重要的历史时段。他说:“ 我的生活中再也不会发生这样的事了。