Eva Purcell-MacIntyre and John MacIntyre celebrating the launch of their book, EVA & ME in 2014. (L-R) Eva(左)和John(右)庆祝新书《伊娃与我》的发布。 Photo credit: Vernon Oickle
文/Cyndi Sweeney
译/Christine Qin Yang
《Eva and Me》(本文译为《伊娃与我》)以深刻的意象和纪实的手法，讲述一个中国孤儿与一位来自新斯科舍省的父亲在卢嫩堡小镇共同生活,以及这段生活旅程如何影响着他们彼此间命运的感人故事。
本书开篇引用了圣雄甘地的名言：“有爱的地方，就有生命。”书中,这位来自卢嫩堡的父亲John MacIntyre用丰富的图文记录了他的中国养女Eva Marie的故事。MacIntyre的散文记录着Eva从一个沉默胆怯的十四个月大的婴儿到充满活力的十二岁阳光少女这光阴间的转变。
MacIntyre告诉我们，他的创作灵感来自于道格拉斯·科普兰为特里·福克斯所著的写真传记《特里》，该传记将特里人所皆知的故事以全新的方式呈现给了大众。MacIntyre回忆道：“自从有了写书的想法，我便开始想用一种有意义的方式来探索我们父女之间，于是照片和文字成为这种方式的主要内容。”
创作伊始，他的女儿Eva对此并没有太感兴趣。MacIntyre笑着分享道：“我一直希望她能加入，但她开始并未参与。我们之间有许多有趣的故事，而且她的故事都非常精彩。”
Eva 这样告诉我：“能和我身边的人分享我的故事，我感到很骄傲。许多读者参与了我们的新书发布会，他们还让我在书上签名，这让我受宠若惊。”
2004年，Eva被从广州的一家收养所带回了卢嫩堡的家，这段旅程跨越了千山万水。即使如此，家人不曾让Eva忘记自己的文化根源。这个远在大西洋彼岸的家庭特意为Eva保留了她的中国传统文化。“对于所有人而言，接受自己的文化根源是很重要的。我们每个人都代表着不同的背景和文化。”
在Eva三岁的时候，MacIntyre一家人又收养了Eva同在中国收养所的妹妹Sonya。从此，她便和妹妹一起享受着南部渔村的美好时光。“这里永远不会让你感到无聊。你可以摘蓝莓、草莓，它们都在罗斯农场里。总之这里有做不完的有趣的事。” MacIntyre接着说：“我觉得无论身在何处，人人都能拥有这样的生活。”
和所有其他12岁的加拿大女生一样，Eva现在很期待圣诞大餐、游行和节日靓丽的装饰。她九岁的妹妹很期待下雪、圣诞老人和妆点圣诞树。
两个孩子的父亲说，这两个女儿都特别喜欢过圣诞节和中国农历新年。“我们每年都会去哈利法克斯市内参加一些节日庆典。我们也和住在Bridgewater小镇的朋友们一起庆祝中国传统新年。”据MacIntyre介绍，卢嫩堡大概有十五到二十个左右中国家庭。每逢春节，他们都做传统中国菜，有些还穿上传统服饰来庆祝。“一对夫妻每年都找来中国龙做装饰，那当然是最有看头的。”对此，妹妹Sonya回忆道：“大家都想要摸一摸龙头。” 中国菜是姐姐Eva最喜欢的菜式，特别是春卷。
MacIntyre还分享道，两个孩子都很认同自己的文化根源，中国文化和加拿大文化都是她们骄傲的资本。作为父亲，他也希望孩子们能对中国和中国文化更感兴趣，因为这是她们的根。“Eva有次跟我说，‘我喜欢当游客’。我希望我自己是一个来卢嫩堡旅游的观光客，这样我可以用不同的视角来体验这里。” MacIntyre说：“她们享受生活，并喜欢做自己。她们很快乐。”
读者可在亚马逊网站和www.macintyrepurcell.com找到《Eva and Me》一书。(完)
Poignant imagery and honest observations reveal the story of a young orphan from China, a father from rural Nova Scotia and their journey building a life together in Lunenburg, impacting both their destinies.
From the opening quote by Mahatma Gandhi, “Where there is love there is life,” Eva Purcell-MacIntyre and John MacIntyre’s book, EVA and ME weaves a powerful combination of recollections and images to tell the story of Eva Marie. MacIntyre’s prose compliment Eva’s transition from a once stoic and cautious 14-month-old baby, to a vibrant and glowing 12-year-old.
MacIntyre says the book was inspired by Douglas Coupland’s ability to tell anew a popular story about Terry Fox in his pictorial biography, Terry. “With that book in mind, I wanted to explore a father daughter relationship in a meaningful way that might be photographically driven and have the text to support,” recalls MacIntyre.
When the idea first hatched, his daughter wasn’t so keen. “I kept pestering her and she wasn’t having any part of it … we all have good stories and I think hers is pretty good,” MacIntyre laughs.
“Sharing my story with my community, I felt very proud,” says Eva MacIntyre. “We had a launch for the book and a lot of people showed up. They asked me to sign their book, and it felt like, wow, this is cool.”
Eva’s journey from a Guangzhou-based orphanage in 2004, to her home in Lunenburg was geographically vast. However the family has woven a cultural link, celebrating both their Chinese heritage alongside their maritime roots. “The most important thing for all of us… is to accept who you are. We’re all amalgams of different experiences and cultures and it will inform who they are.”
When Eva was three-years-old the family adopted her sister Sonya. Together the sister’s enjoy all life has to offer in a south shore fishing village. “You’re never short of anything to do here. You can pick blueberries, strawberries, there’s Ross Farm. It’s a never ending list of things to do,” says MacIntyre. “I think you can make your life like that anywhere.”
Like most 12-year-old Canadian girls, MacIntyre says she’s looking forward to Christmas dinner, decorations and the holiday parade. Her nine-year-old sister is excited for snow, Santa and decorating the tree.
Their father says both girls love the local Christmas parade every year and look forward to Chinese New Year. “We used to go to the big festivals in Halifax, but there’s a group of people who get together in Bridgewater and always have a Chinese New Year festival,” says MacIntyre. Of the 15-to-20 Chinese families living in Lunenburg county, the celebration involves traditional foods and everyone dresses in traditional costume. “One couple even went so far as to get a great big dragon made and it’s always the hit of the day.”
“When the dragon would come out everyone always wanted to touch the dragon,” recalls the sisters. “I think my favourite is the Chinese food,” says Eva. “I really enjoy the egg rolls.”
Their father says the girls feel very proud of their heritage, both Chinese and Canadian and he’d like them to be curious about China, because it’s part of who they are. “Eva says to me, ‘I love tourists. I wish I was a tourist and just visiting Lunenburg and then I could see it all over again in a different way.’,” says MacIntyre. “They love their life and who they are. There are very few unhappy moments.”
EVA and ME is available on Amazon.ca and www.macintyrepurcell.com. (End)
