迷思 Lost in Thought

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图1: 鸟瞰牛车水
Picture (1): A bird’s eye view of Chinatown

独自背着相机登上高楼俯拍还是头一遭。从未想过，此时此刻牛车水这座古老城市就踩在脚下。战前旧屋依然井然有序地排列着，干净道路依然纵横交错。新与旧、高与矮、先进与落后。强烈对比尽入眼帘，即熟悉又陌生。是时代的巨轮让我能站高望远，也是这巨轮让我找不回立足地的过去。
This is the first time I am toting a camera up the high-rise building by myself to photograph a bird’s eye view of the city. I had never thought that at this very moment, this historic city would be under my feet. The old pre-war houses are still arranged in orderly rows, the clean roads criss-crossing each other. New and old, high-rise and low-rise, cutting-edge and backward – these stark contrasts enter my vision, feeling both familiar and foreign. What allows me to stand here surveying this scene is the sweep of history. The sweep of history is also why I cannot find anything from the past to anchor me.

图2: 原貌馆
Picture (2): Chinatown Heritage Centre
往下走不难发现，小学教科书里艳丽外表的“原貌馆”，不到几年光景，竟如此落魄。破墙烂瓦与四周氛围显得那么格格不入。翻新后，想必也挥不去旧日情怀。
As I descend, it isn’t hard to detect the Chinatown Heritage Centre, which appears so vibrant in primary school textbooks. Within just a handful of years, it has gone downhill so badly. Its broken walls and crumbling tiles clash terribly with the rest of this neighbourhood, but I think even renovation will not erase its power to evoke nostalgia.

图3: 原貌馆
Picture (3): Chinatown Heritage Centre

图4: 过去与现在
Picture (4): The past and the present
馆外立着一尊自己也不知为什么会伟大的红头巾塑像，忧伤与无奈的表情，迎来正是天真无邪韩国小女孩的玩闹。或许那女孩永远也不会知道这玩偶背后所隐藏着的故事。倘若，赋予这尊塑像生命，她又会说些什么？
Outside the centre stands the statue of a samsui woman who has no idea why we think she is heroic. Right now, that sorrowful helpless expression happens to look upon the innocent frolics of a little Korean girl.Perhaps that girl will never learn what story this figure is hiding. If this statue was brought to life, what would she have to say?

Translation: Teng Qian Xi