As Time Goes By

As Time Goes By 是電影『北非諜影』Casablanca 的主題曲，有不少人往往誤會了另一首，由 Bertie Higgins 所原創的歌 Casablanca，才是該電影的主題歌。而除了歌曲動聽之外，在電影的尾段，有著一段很動人的對話：

　　

Rick:　　Last night we said a great many things. You said I was to do
　　　　the thinking for both of us. Well, I've done a lot of it since then,
　　　　and it all adds up to one thing: you're getting on that plane with
　　　　Victor where you belong.

Ilsa:　　But, Richard, no, I... I...

Rick:　　Now, you've got to listen to me! You have any idea
　　　　what you'd have to look forward to if you stayed here?
　　　　Nine chances out of ten, we'd both wind up in a concentration
　　　　camp. Isn't that true, Louie?

Ilsa:　　 You're saying this only to make me go.

Rick:　　I'm saying it because it's true. Inside of us, we both know you
　　　　belong with Victor. You're part of his work, the thing that keeps
　　　　him going. If that plane leaves the ground and you're not with
　　　　him, you'll regret it. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow,
　　　　but soon and for the rest of your life.

Ilsa:　　 But what about us?

Rick:　　We'll always have Paris. We didn't have, we lost it until
　　　　you came to Casablanca. We got it back last night.

Ilsa: 　　When I said I would never leave you --

Rick:　　And you never will. But I've got a job to do, too.
　　　　Where I'm going, you can't follow. What I've got to do,
　　　　you can't be any part of it. Ilsa, I'm no good at being noble,
　　　　but it doesn't take much to see that the problems of
　　　　three little people don't amount to a hill of beans in
　　　　this crazy world. Someday you'll understand that.
　　　　[she begins to cry] Now, now...Here's looking at you kid.

From『Rick‧Casablanca』

故事裡的 Rick (Humphrey Bogart)，犧牲小我私情，成全心愛的人 Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman) 與她的丈夫 Victor Laszlo (另一位抗敵英雄) 相偕投奔自由，讓刻骨銘心的愛情永存心中，忍著內心的痛苦，目送情人與他人遠去 ......

原來女孩根本就不認同世間會有這樣的男孩，具有這種既高貴又可親的情操，反為會認為這是不少男孩心底裡，都有這種扮偉大，從而自以為很有型的情傷基因。或者女孩一般都比較清醒而實際 (pragmatic)。但儘管這種高尚的情懷，是多麼的不切實際，可至少給男孩們，有一個對愛的衡量標準，可能這個標準門檻太高，但仍不失為一個奮鬥的目標。

有了這個仰望，男孩會想做一個感情專一的好男人，會渴望愛一個人直到永遠的。只是，太多女孩子把這個仰望粉碎了，因為沒有任何女孩愛這樣的男孩，她們覺得這樣的男孩太幼稚、太認真、沒有那種幻得幻失的情趣。於是男孩開始改變，as time goes by 變成女孩喜歡的那種嘴角掛著壞壞。開始學會說甜言蜜語而不是心裏想說的話。開始學會假裝關心，學會給女孩送小飾物討好她，學會如何追求，如何把握愛情。或者看破紅塵，遊戲情場，成為女人恨恨的那種男人。

As Time Goes By，在英文的原意上，雖說不上帶有傷感的色彩，但也不至是完全冷冰冰的 indifferent，而是蘊含了一種無可如何的無奈，就正如那些深受 Casablanca 這個故事感動的男孩，隨著時間的流逝，達致了一個相當無奈的境況：心裏有愛的時候，沒有女孩；有了女孩，卻永遠沒有了愛的感覺。

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