Years ago, when Harry Potter was so popular, I got the first two books of the series. After reading them, I lent them to a friend, and told her, in a very generous way, no need to return them. My space for keeping books is very limited. Certainly, it is for something worthier.
很多年以前，當哈利波特很紅的時候，我買了前二本書。讀完後，我把書借給一個朋友，而且很大方的跟她說，不用還我了。我放書的空間有限，要留給比較有價值的書。
Years later, I found myself indulging in watching the TV series of A Game of Thrones. There are 8 seasons in total, and I watched them twice. Twice! I can’t believe myself. I thought fantasy was not my thing. After finished watching the TV series, I wondered if I should get the books to read. I hesitated so long due to the unhappy Harry Potter experience. Then finally one day, I ordered it, got the first book, started reading it on 18 September 2021, and finished it on 10 October 2021, total 800 pages, until my eyes sore, vision blurred. Two days later, I ordered the 2nd and 3rd book of this series.
多年後，發現自己竟然沈溺在看電視影集權力遊戲（冰與火之歌）。總共有八季，而且我看了兩次。兩次！之前還以為奇幻故事不是我的菜。看完影集後，一直很猶豫到底要不要買書來看，基於之前不甚愉快的哈利波特閱讀經驗。有一天，我終於還是下手訂書了。收到第一本書後，九月十八日開始讀，十月十日讀完，總共約八百頁，看到我眼睛痠痛，視線模糊。兩天後，我又訂了這系列的第二和第三本書。
Now I finally realized that Harry Potter is fantasy for children and young adults, while A Game of Thrones is for adults. Fortunately, I did not give up on reading fantasies. But there comes a new problem. There are 7 books in the series, and Ser Martin just finished 5 of them. The last two books were supposed to be published in 2017. Now is 2023, and still there is no sign of the last two books. Will Ser Martin be kind enough to finish them before I die? We can just wait and see la.
現在我明白了，哈利波特是給兒童和年輕人讀的奇幻故事，而權力遊戲是給大人讀的。還好我沒有放棄奇幻故事。不過現在有一個新問題。權力遊戲系列總共有七本書，作者Ser Martin只寫完五本。最後兩本原訂2017年就要出，到現在2021連個影子也沒有。不知道 Ser Martin會不會好心的在我死之前寫完這最後兩本。我也只能等著瞧了。
註：在權力遊戲書中，對貴族的稱呼會在名字前加上Ser，等於今日的 Sir。作者GRR Martin是美國人，也沒有被英國王室封爵什麼的。Ser Martin是我自己編的。
照片是謝小丸子
這篇文章無關貓生食，是我為我的帕比樂英文小教公寓寫的。
我經營的帕樂英文小公寓是小班制英文教學，上課讀沒什麼用的英文小說和有一點用的英文會話，教室在台北市重慶北路二段附近，對課程有興趣的人請留言，有專貓服務。
本文作者謝凱特，譯有「你的貓」一書。東吳大學英文系畢業。２００８年開始經營帕比樂英文小公寓至今。
非比樂事 