神枱上的手藝

尋晚九龍海旁人流不絕,除左自遊行黎香港既同胞外,仲有好多人响香港文化中心出沒.點解呢?原來今日係元宵佳節,特區政府康文署响文化中心搞左個元宵燈會,等大家個個都做辛棄疾,响寶馬雕車香滿路之下,會否回首望到燈火闌珊處既佳人?

It was crowded in Kowloon coast yesterday. Not only free travelers from China, but also Hong Kong citizens, gathered in the Hong Kong Culture Centre.  Why? It is because it was Chinese Valentine Day(Yuan Xiao), which poets left everlasting love poetries about this festival. Have you met your Mr/s Right during this day?

既然係元宵,就當然唔少得花燈,而元宵節仲係新正頭時份,所以花燈主題係十二生肖,好有新年氣氛,

During the day, spectacular paper-made lanterns are one of the highlights. As it is still close to Chinese New Year, the theme of the lantern is the tradition chinese12 horoscopes. It made the venue rich in new year atmosphere.

 

當然亦唔少得一眾單身男女測紅鶯,睇下月老有冇乜野啟示,等大師預告下自己既未來係點.
另一邊有傳統既手藝表演,有樹皮畫,剪紙藝術,仲有燈謎,其中有一檔好多人駐足.

As it was the Valentine's Day, palmistry booth was another popular venue for (desperate) love searchers. The fortune teller examined your hand and told your love future. On the other side, masters from China showed their unique handcrafts with bark, paper-cutting and even flour. Among these, the Dough Figurines using flour lured most people.

先唔講呢個麵係一個錯別字(正寫係「麪」),呢個檔係廣東省文化廳支持既,而主理呢個檔既,係邊一位大師呢?

The booth was supported by Department of Culture of Guangdong Province. And the craftsman in-charge of the booth was...

係一位一頭銀絲,身上一件純黑仿西裝唐褸,腳穿同款黑色西褲,相信年過古稀既老師傅.老師傅既架生,只要竹籤數支,麫粉若干,同一個木架,正襟危坐,全神貫注响度整麫粉公仔,老師傅响我地面前顯其功架,左手姆指一扼,右手食字一捏, 兩隻鳯凰响香港文化中心既十指巢展翅翱翔

an elder whose hair was all silver. Dressed in Traditional Chinese style, the only tools he used was toothpicks, flours, and the most important, his hands. By pressing here and there, two phoenix flapped their wings in the Culture Centre.

大家見到如此奇技,好似自出娘胎以黎見都未見過咁,大嘆驚奇,掌聲鼓勵,畢竟,掌聲很便宜,也唔駛大本錢,自己得快樂了,也要給人一點回報嘛.

隔離既工作人員同老師傅講左幾句,老師傅就架起木架,孤身走去大舞台,老師傅雖然年紀唔細,仍健步如飛.佢師傅開口同工作人員講幾句話,講得一口流利廣東話,雖然牙齒只係比某位上演緊溏心風暴既高登人士多幾顆,但都仲係字字鏗鏘,彬彬有禮

點解呢位老師傅吸引我既注意,因為如果大家响銅鑼灣閒逛既時候,應該都會响恆隆中心一頭,見到一位老先生

While people were attracted by the delicated skill of the craftsman, them may not realize that such figurines could also be found locally, in the heart of Hong Kong.

呢位老先生叫陳伯,唔會比呢位老師傅後生多少,有少少寒背,每日風雨不改,响銅鑼灣地帶對出附近,垃圾筒隔離擺地攤,以一雙手做其陳列架,豎起兩支竹籤,賣同老師傅一樣既麫粉公仔,角色有孫悟空,亦有其他卡通人物,有陣時,會有鎖匙扣,或者其他玩具賣.响CBD一帶絕對只此一家,但以我地幾日觀察黎講,垂詢者稀,徨論用幾十元真金白銀同佢買一個公仔

Surnamed Chan, he is around the same age as the Guangdong craftsman. Day after day, he opens his ground booth outside Causeway Centre. Using his hands as shelf, he sells exactly the same figurines as the craftman in Guangdong makes. Traditional Chinese figures like Sun Wukun, shows their talents in this busy and crowded district. Though his skill was unique, few if not none passers were interested, based on our observation.

呢位老先生有冇俾食環趕,已經唔係重點,當我地政府禮聘(雖然唔一定要重金)廣東省既老師傅黎香港獻技既時候,又有冇留意到其實本土都有一樣既師傅,响度默默耕耘?究竟係隔離飯香,定係連特區政府都唔知有呢位老師博?

While our Government invited famous Guangdong masters to perform in front of Hong Kong people, did they or even us realize people with similar skills have been working hard without being recognized?

我地冇同呢位老師博交流過,唔知道同胞們對呢門手藝既重視程度,但觀其介紹,有政府支持,最少應該上左神枱,變做大時大節俾人拎出黎供奉既神主牌,證明廣東省既特色文化,事實係,响廣東省有地方專門教授呢門手藝

更甚既係,响香港手工藝度度都係整攤檔整舖頭既時候,麫粉公仔既手藝,正無聲無色咁煙沒於本港,或者明年,嗰位老師傅再黎香港表演,我地又驚歎一聲,拍手一陣,又滿足咁走開,就好似打完飛機,滿足了就拿起紙巾,把手尾清理掉.

If you identified a single old man sitting on a small chair in Causeway Bay, showing different kinds of dough figurines on ground, pay some attention to them. Sometime ago, you applauded for exactly the same skill, exactly the same figurines, and exactly the same culture.