十幾年前在演藝學院看《Cats》，然後莫名地愛上musical，往後數年一口氣看了十多廿齣，逢來港的固然必看；去倫敦三次，每次都係夠膽死五日有四晚都睇，睇埋睇埋那些而家已收檔的如《Starlight Express》。終於，對musical從此免疫，不再「嘩嘩聲」。
十多年後，才無意中發現第一齣看的《Cats》，靈感原來來自大詩人T.S. Eliot的作品《Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats》。我為自己的後知後覺驚訝不已，亦為自己多年來錯愛一位作詞人而汗顏。
拿過諾貝爾文學獎的大詩人T.S. Eliot，何解無拿神寫了一本關於貓貓的詩集？咪又係為咗身邊一班「塞豆窿」。他的詩生動有趣而且讀來音韻鏗鏘，讀已是一種pleasure，再加上他出奇地了解貓的特性，以及一系列古古怪怪但聽起來非常有趣的貓名，如Rum Tum Tugger、Mr. Mistoffelees、Mungojerrie、Rumpelteazer等，所以整本詩集絕對是一本上佳的親子讀物。其實，童心未泯的成年人更應該看，愛貓之人更沒理由不看。不能不提，T.S. Eliot的詩雖好，但畫插圖的Nicolas Bentley亦大大增加讀詩的視覺樂趣，因為他畫的貓貓沒有工整雕琢，但多了幾分童稚味兼性格，所以一定要買有NB畫插圖的版本。
這詩集好看，除了以上種種，還因為詩句所寫的雖是貓性，但隨處也是人的影子，人貓其實何其相似，真固愈讀愈多想像空間，而且還有「aftertaste」，只恨自己讀書時不好好習詩，否則樂趣更多。
噴咗咁多口水，終於到主菜，我揀了幾個比較有特色的貓貓，第一隻登場的就是負責為貓貓起名字的－－沒名字的貓，夠paradoxical吧？
The Naming of Cats
The Naming of Cats is a difficult matter,
It isn't just one of your holiday games;
You may think at first I'm as mad as a hatter
When I tell you, a cat must have THREE DIFFERENT NAMES.
First of all, there's the name that the family use daily,
Such as Peter, Augustus, ALonzo or James,
Such as Victor or Jonathan, George or Bill Bailey--
All of them sensible everyday names.
There are fancier names if you think they sound sweeter,
Some for the gentlemen, some for the dames:
Such as Plato, Admetus, Electra, Demeter--
But all of them sensible everyday names.
But I tell you, a cat needs a name that's particular,
A name that's peculiar, and more dignified,
Else how can he keep up his tail perpendicular,
Or spread out his whiskers, or cherish his pride?
Of names of this kind, I can give you a quorum,
Such as Munkustrap, Quaxo, or Coricopat,
Such as Bombalurina, or else Jellylorum--
Names that never belong to more than one cat.
But above and beyond there's still one name left over,
And that is the name that you never will guess;
The name that no human research can discover--
But THE CAT HIMSELF KNOWS, and will never confess.
When you notice a cat in profound meditation,
The reason, I tell you, is always the same:
His mind is engaged in a rapt contemplation
Of the thought, of the thought, of the thought of his name:
His ineffable effable
Effanineffable
Deep and inscrutable singular Name.
一向不賣人類帳的貓，連起名都要特別過人，太普通、太平凡、別人用過的，一概不屑。恃才傲物？貓兒擔得起這種傲。－－下次看見家裏的貓貓發呆，別打擾牠，你知道牠在想甚麼吧？
