Commemorating the 40th anniversary of reform and opening up, CCTV Movie Channel has selected 40 outstanding imported films from the 1970s and 1980s, and has been replayed continuously every night since mid-November. Among them, there is a type of war-themed film, such as the French film "The Old Gun", the Yugoslav film "Walter Defends Sarajevo", "The Bridge", the Romanian film "Oak Tree, 100,000 Fires", etc., all of which tell the story of European countries rebelling against Nazi Germany in World War II. Those shocking scenes, flashing moments, reliving the past, such as seeing the deceased, and the story behind the film such as "goodbye friends" is deeply rooted in my mind and is still difficult to give up.
The theme song of the Yugoslav film "Bridge", "Ah, Goodbye Friend", was originally an Italian song, and the foreign title "bella ciao" ("Goodbye, Girl"),is a euphemistic and pompous and tragic song, which was widely circulated as an Italian guerrilla song, and later cited as a film interlude by this "Bridge". After "The Bridge" was introduced to China, the song did not go away, or was hummed by people, or played on the accordion that was popular at that time, and became popular. To this day, the whistle and harmonica music of this song still echo in the ears from time to time and will continue to live up.
"That morning, waking up from a dream, ah, goodbye friends, goodbye, goodbye!
One morning, waking up from a dream, the invaders broke into my hometown..."
In the cruel war, in the face of the test of life and death, some people go to the betrayal of the soul that steals life, and more people go to the spiritual paradise that fights for freedom. In "Walter Defends Sarajevo", the watch shop owner falls under the muzzle of the fascist guns, the film camera looks down from the high mosque tower to the ground, the birds fly in amazement, flying in the air, and the silent picture also says "Ah, goodbye friend"?
"If I'm in, dying in battle, ah, goodbye friend, goodbye, goodbye!"
If I am, killed in battle, please bury me. ”
In 1944, near the end of World War II and nazi Germany on the brink of defeat, a detachment of Partisans was ordered to blow up the German-guarded bridge in order to cut off the German retreat route. Young guerrillas cover their comrades and die in the swamp; in order to complete the task of blowing up the bridge, the guerrillas fall down the high bridge; in the fierce battle, the engineer personally blows up the bridge of his own design... In the Yugoslav film "Bridge", the song "Ah, Friends Goodbye" sounded many times, and each time it appeared, the plot was different, and the emotions involved were different.
"Please bury me in a high hill, ah, goodbye friend, goodbye, goodbye!"
Bury me in a high hill and plant a beautiful flower. ”
Also set in 1944, the Romanian film "Oak Tree, 100,000 Fires" shows the historical events of the Romanian Patriotic Armed Forces launching an uprising, breaking away from the "Axis" group, and carrying out the liberation struggle of the motherland in the style of spy films. "Oak, one hundred thousand fires" is the code word for the secret uprising, and the violinist Koneria who assisted in the uprising was killed by the Nazis and fell in the blooming flowers of white roses...
"Whenever people, walking through here, ah, friends goodbye, goodbye, goodbye!
Whenever people walk by here, they say what a beautiful flower it is. ”
Familiar melodies are engraved in our hearts, and every time we hear them, they are like waves; moving language is like a rubbing in our memory, and it can recall the past by the ears.
"Oak Tree, 100,000 Fire Rush" was released in 1973, and after its introduction, it was translated and produced by the Shanghai Translation Factory, and the male and female protagonists in the film were voiced by Qiao Hazel and Liu Guangning respectively. On the evening of December 13 this year, CCTV Channel 6 rebroadcast this translated film, late at night, when the opening subtitles appeared on the screen, the back of the cast list was clearly visible "Translation: Zhou Mingde" a few big words, my heart suddenly gushed out "Ah, friends goodbye" call ...
On February 16, 2017, I overheard the death of teacher Zhou Mingde, and I felt a sudden feeling. Shortly before his death, he was active in promoting cultural exchanges between China and Romania. Teacher Zhou Mingde and I got acquainted with the "Translation Friends Salon" WeChat group of the Foreign Affairs Translation Association. At a book reading party, I met Ms. Sheng Tianmin, the wife of the late famous translator Mr. Cao Bao, and Mr. Sheng asked me to convey her gratitude to Mr. Zhou Mingde, because she received a copy of "Translation Friends" in the 2015 issue of Zhou Mingde, which contained Zhou Mingde's article "Translation Giant" in memory of Mr. Cao Bao. In the text, Teacher Zhou recounted that he entered the Russian major of East China Normal University in 1960 and read many works translated by Mr. Cao Bao. On January 17, 1987, the Shanghai Overseas Translators Association was established, and Teacher Zhou and others participated in the preparatory work at the beginning of the preparatory work, and received support and guidance from Cao Bao. After joining the Shanghai Translation Association, Zhou Mingde listened to and talked to Mr. Cao Bao in the activities many times, and benefited a lot. He said in the text: "Cao Bao has set an example in his lifetime, and what we should learn and imitate is: the unswerving translation ambition of the loyal translation industry, the translation spirit of tireless and diligent translation, the pursuit of perfection in the pursuit of perfect translation style, and the character of the translator who is willing to be willing to be behind the scenes." Mrs. Grass Baby was very emotional when she read this article. After I relayed Teacher Sheng's words to Teacher Zhou Mingde in the WeChat group of the "Translation Friends Salon", Teacher Zhou was extremely moved, and Teacher Zhou and I have known each other since then.
In the WeChat group, Teacher Zhou often sends you some information about cultural exchanges between China and Romania, such as the exhibition of Romanian national costumes "Leaf Clothes" held in Shanghai. One day, he suddenly sent me a message, it turned out that he learned that I went to the Shanghai Writers Association to organize a Nobel Prize winner in literature to meet readers at the "Sinan Mansion", and he was preparing for the Romanian Poetry Recital in Shanghai, so he wanted me to ask me how to rent the venue of the Sinan Mansion. Teacher Zhou enthusiastically introduced Romania to me in an e-chat with me, hoping that I would have the opportunity to take a walk and have a look. I learned that Teacher Zhou had had an amputated leg due to a leg disease, had limited mobility, and rarely went out, but he had always been an important liaison and "bridge" between the Shanghai Translation Association and the "China-Romania Friendship Association" and the Romanian Cultural Exchange and the "Bridge" of the Romanian Cultural Exchange, and he was worried about it for the best, and he could not hear any pessimistic and sluggish mood on the phone. Soon, Zhou Mingde invited me to attend the Romanian poetry recital, but unfortunately, I was not in Shanghai, afterwards he sent a photo of the event through WeChat, I saw him sitting in a wheelchair, one leg drooping, dressed neatly, the inside of the dark blue coat was a big red cardigan, the collar of the cardigan revealed a white collar, wearing a round tongueless hat, radiant...
I slowly learned that Zhou Mingde studied in Romania when he was young, and he always believed that he was a foreign language talent cultivated and educated in New China, and without the motherland, he would not have his own today. He once said in a WeChat message in the early morning of premier Zhou Enlai's death on January 8, 2017: "I am the only person of my generation and ethnic group who was personally received by Premier Zhou, listened to Premier Zhou's speech with his own ears, and personally recorded the premier's speech to the students studying in Romania in March 1965!" I miss, respect, and imitate Premier Zhou with special feelings..." Zhou Mingde has translated a large number of Romanian literary works, such as the film script "The Wave of the Danube" and "Oak Tree, 100,000 Fires" and so on. After his death, the China-Romania Friendship Association sent a letter of condolence, highly praising his contribution to promoting friendly exchanges between China and Romania during his lifetime. An intellectual, who loves the motherland and the cause, and puts this great love into action, diligently pursues, although he is sick and disabled, he has ideals and ambitions, unremitting efforts before his death, and is respected after his death, his life is valuable!
"Ah, goodbye friends", revisiting those excellent literary translations and translated films, will remind you of many translators who have worked hard behind the scenes. Mrs. Sheng Tianmin, the lady of the grass baby, also left this year, and the old lady in her eighties devoted all her energy to the introduction of the grass baby's works and the establishment of the "grass baby book house" in her last days.
If there is no reform and opening up, can we see so many excellent foreign films? In addition to the translations and productions of the above Eastern European countries, there are also excellent classic translations and productions of France, Britain, Germany, Austria, Russia, the United States, Japan, India and other countries that opened a window for us to understand the outside world decades ago. The translators and voice actors who silently dedicate themselves behind the characters of the film, and many unsung heroes deserve to be remembered and praised.
"Ah, goodbye friend!" In fact, you have not gone far. Whether it is the artistic image in the story, or the friend in real life; whether it is the call in the song, or the gaze of the world.
Column Editor-in-Chief: Wu Bin Text Editor: Wu Bin Title Image Source: Visual China Picture Editor: Xiang Jianying