現在該來想想這些毛茸茸的英雄該擁有什麼樣的名字了。 雖然讓一個拯救世界,使其免於暗中潛伏的克式恐怖生物侵擾的大英雄來說,「Mittens(小手套)」或是「Boots(小靴子)」有點過於滑稽,但事實上,貓咪們很喜歡聽由兩個音節組成,並以長“e”結尾的名字(像是「Fluffy」、「Kitty」或是「咪咪」)。不過歸根結底,給寵物貓咪起什麼名字當然是由所有者來決定,不過有證據表明,貓在他們的群體之間會有自己的名字,而這個稱呼與他們的正牌名字沒有太大的關係。

T.S. Eliot 曾寫道,每隻貓都有三個名字:「與鏟屎官/在家庭日常使用的名字」、「一個獨特且更有尊嚴的名字」、「你永遠猜不到,貓咪自己知道且絕對不會告訴你的名字」。[註]

以上資料應該能夠提供為角色取名的靈感!

<aside> 💡 The Naming of Cats

**T. S. Eliot - 1888-1965**

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.

**貓的命名是一件困難的差事,  這可不只是假日的一環遊戲; 起初你可能會認為我像個瘋子, 當我告訴你,一隻貓必須有三個不同的名姓。

首先,是家人日常使用的名字,  像是彼得、奧古斯都斯、阿隆佐或詹姆斯, 像是維克多或喬納森、比爾·貝睿或喬治—  這些都是想像的到且常見的名字。 這裡也有些聽起來更加動聽、更華麗的選擇,  一些適合紳士,一些適合女子: 像是柏拉圖、亞德墨托斯、伊萊克特拉、狄米特—  但這些仍是想像的到且常見的名字。

但我告訴你,貓需要一個獨特的名字,  一個特有且更有尊嚴的名號, 否則他該如何將尾巴高高舉直,  或舒展鬍鬚來彰顯自己的驕傲? 這種類型的名字,名單我可以給你一串,  像是夸克索、科瑞科帕或蒙克斯特拉普, 像是邦巴露娜,或者傑利羅蘭—  這些名字通常是一貓專屬。

但除此之外,還有一個名字,  那個名字你永遠無法猜到; 這是無法透過人類研究發現的名字—  但貓自己知道,而且永不坦白道。 當你注意到一隻貓進入深沉的冥想,  我告訴你,原因總是相似: 他正全神貫注的的將心思沉浸至思考之洋,  思索著、思索著、思索著他的名字:   他那無法言述,   無法形塑, 深奧且神秘莫測的獨特名字。**


以上為譯者自翻。 此詩引自詩集:老負鼠的貓經(Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats)。目前中英對照版本台灣已有出版,喜歡的不妨去找來看看。

</aside>

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