李光耀離開我們四年了……在孫燕姿的眼中,他是怎樣的存在呢?孫燕姿發長文曾追憶與李光耀的點點滴滴,她竟與這位老者有這麽多的交集。
孫燕姿回憶,在最後的日子裏,李光耀聽到夫人柯玉芝生前最愛的歌曲,依舊眼泛淚光。現在,天堂的他們也許終于團聚了。希望在天堂幸福,新加坡懷念著你………
★以下爲孫燕姿po出的原文★
Ms Sun on Mr Lee’s legacy: I am a product of the late 1970s. At the edge of Gen X, not quite Gen Y.
孫燕姿-李光耀時代下的産物:我是1970年代的産物。在X世代的邊緣,卻不像Y世代。
Those in my generation have parents who are part of the “grateful old” – a term I coined not to offend, but in recognition of the fact that they had witnessed the transition from what was to what is under the rule of the PAP.
在我那一代的同輩們,都有著“心存感恩”的父母與長輩。我用這個詞是爲了不得罪人,但無可否認的,他們見證了在人民行動黨的領導下所帶來的改變。
But my peers and I grew up in a different era. We read English literature and watched American sitcoms. For us, leaders are not idolised, change is openly embraced and alternative opinions are often taken to be “cool” and to be a sign that one has personality.
但是,我和我的同輩都成長在不同的時代。我們閱讀的是英國文學,看的是美國情景喜劇。對我們而言,領袖是不能被偶像化的,我們對變化抱持著開放的態度,接納不同的意見被認爲是一件很酷也很有個性的事。
As we entered the workforce, we heard phrases like “Lee dynasty” and “false democracy”.
當我們踏入社會,我們聽到了一些名詞,例如“李家王朝”和“假民主”。
Suddenly, it was deemed intellectual for one to have another opinion about the man behind the Singapore Story.
突然間,我們對這位新加坡領導人有了不一樣的見解。
Human rights and freedom of the press were pressing issues of the day for my generation – not wealth or capitalism. Mr Nelson Mandela won universal reverence, as did Ms Aung San Suu Kyi. What about Mr Lee Kuan Yew?
在我的那個年代,財富和資本主義不是一個很重要的議題,而是人權與新聞自由。曼德拉和昂山素姬得到了世人的敬仰。那李光耀先生呢?
In the midst of this, I remembered my father’s advice, that I should always strive to have a mind of my own.
在這中間,我想起來了父親對我的教導,那就是我必須要有自己的主見。
I believed it took special insight, otherwise known as wisdom, that comes only with time, to pass judgments or form opinions. More so on a man. I remained circumspect then.
我相信這需要一定的洞察力,這種智慧會隨著時間的推移,幫助我們做出決策與決定。對一個人來說也是如此。所以我時刻都保持謹慎。
Today, I do not see myself as a direct result of Mr Lee’s exceptional accomplishments. I do, however, look to the people whom I love the most as living testimonials of his legac
對我而言,我不認爲今天的自己與李光耀有太直接的關系,我反而認爲,在他的領導下爲我和我愛的人帶來更好的環境有更直接的關系。
My mother once lived in what was effectively an illegal opium den, but later moved into a beautiful HUDC apartment by working long hours and walking home to save on 25-cent bus trips.
我媽媽曾經住在非法的毒窟,後來她努力地加班賺錢,每天走路回家只爲了省下25毛錢的巴士票,最後她如願地搬到環境比較好的政府公寓。
My father washed dishes to pay for his doctoral studies, but later could afford to take us on holidays to Malaysia and eventually New Zealand.
我爸爸爲了完成他的博士學位幫人打工洗碗,後來他有能力帶我們一家人到馬來西亞和新西蘭旅遊。
Eventually, my son will have a shot at making it to the best university in Asia.
He will be able to afford an HDB flat on his own and will enjoy beautiful greenery and waterways wherever he chooses to work or live in Singapore.
最終,我的孩子會有機會入讀亞洲最好的大學。無論他選擇在新加坡居住或工作,他都有能力居住在政府組屋,享受著這片美麗的土地。
He will not have to worry constantly about air pollution, clean water and two-hour-long traffic jams. And he will be secure in the knowledge that hard work, good ethics and a good education will get him somewhere.
他不需要擔心空氣汙染問題,水源問題,和塞車問題。他能確保他的知識受到保護,他的努力,良好的職業操守,以及良好的教育能帶領他到他想要的位置。
Perhaps these have come to be taken as basic expectations of many of my fellow Singaporeans. But these are needs that I have decided are important to me and my loved ones, now and for the future.
也許這也是大多數新加坡人的期許。但對我而言,這個期許對我和我愛的人都很重要,無論是現在還是未來。
I remember vividly my meetings with Mr Lee. Some were formal and austere, rather quiet and awkward – or at least in my imagination. But there were also fleeting moments of intimate friendliness and genuine warmth.
我清楚地記得我每一次與李光耀先生的見面。有時是正式場合,有時是安靜帶點尴尬的 – 也許只是我自己想像是尴尬的。但是我每次都能感受到他帶來一絲真誠的溫暖。
It was hard to not be in awe of this man. I remember thinking to myself: This must be what it feels like to be a fan.
你很難不對這個男人心生敬畏。我記得我心裏說過:這就是粉絲面對偶像的心情吧。
I remember one incident when we were to be photographed together. As I kept a respectful distance, he impatiently asked me to move closer to him.
我記得有一次我們被安排一起拍照。我尊敬地對他保持一定的距離,但是他很耐心地讓我站得離他近一點。
Another time, he was in good spirits and asked me jovially who was the lucky man whom I was married to.
還有一次他精神很好地問我,是哪個幸運的男人娶了我。
I like a smiling Harry. (This is how I address him – a rather rude way, I know, to speak to the founding father of Singapore, and therefore, I do it only in private.)
我喜歡微笑的哈利。(這樣稱呼新加坡的開國元老有點粗魯,但我只在私底下這樣稱呼他)
注:Harry是李光耀的英文名
It felt like a very precious moment for me.
這對我來說是很珍貴的一刻。
I remember singing his wife’s favourite song, Que Sera Sera, at the Business China Awards in 2011, not long after her demise. (Senior Minister of State) Josephine Teo later told me in private that she saw tears in his eyes.
我記得在李光耀夫人逝世不久,我在2011年通商中國上演唱了李光耀夫人最愛的的Que Sera Sera。楊莉明(高級國務部長)後來私下告訴我,在我演唱時,她看到了李光耀的眼裏含著淚水。
That was probably one of my proudest moments as a singer.
這是作爲歌手最讓人驕傲和光榮的時刻之一。
孫燕姿 寫于2015年
再見,李光耀…….願天堂安好,新加坡國運永昌……