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張愛玲研究新方向講座系列之二十八 New Directions in Eileen Chang Studies Lecture Series #28
Co-hosted by School of Chinese and Department of Comparative Literature, HKU
Co-sponsored by Louis Cha Fund for Chinese studies & East/West studies in the Faculty
& Center for the Study of Globalization and Culture (CSGC) 

「你們看了笑，我真高興極了」：張愛玲與喜劇片

“I'm so glad you laughed at it”: Eileen Chang and the Comedy Films

分享嘉賓 Speaker: Dr. Miki KAWAMOTO 河本美紀

(華語電影史研究者)

主持人 Moderator: Prof. LIN Pei-yin 林姵吟 教授

(School of Chinese, HKU)

日期時間 Date & Time: March 19, 2026 (Thu) 17:00-18:30pm (HKT)

語言 Language: 普通話 Putonghua

地點 Venue: CBA, G/F, Chow Yei Ching Building, Main Campus, HKU

講座模式 Delivery Mode: Face-to-face ONLY (no recording)

報名 Registration:

https://hku.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4TULjPFejKD6fgW

摘要 Abstract:

張愛玲的小說以蒼涼為基調，她本人也常給人冷酷、悲觀、孤獨的印象，然而她卻深愛喜劇。從小就迷戀好萊塢電影與卡通，甚至幻想學習動畫製作，將電影視為亂世生活中明亮的慰藉。她為電懋創作了約20部劇本，大多是很輕快的浪漫喜劇，融入好萊塢神經喜劇的元素，這些喜劇片為1950-60年代的香港國語片注入活潑生氣，在華語圈大受歡迎。張愛玲的喜劇劇本刻意避開小說中那種蒼涼感，採用俏皮對白與大團圓結局，充分展現了她內心調皮、樂觀、可愛的一面。她曾在信中對好友宋淇與鄺文美說：「你們看了笑，我真高興極了」，流露出純粹的喜悅。這種出乎意料的一面，不僅來自她個人對電影的熱愛，也挑戰了中國文化中悲劇至上的傳統思維。張愛玲編寫的喜劇片讓我們得以重新認識她多面的魅力。

Eileen Chang's fiction is often characterized by a tone of bleakness, and she herself frequently gives the impression of being cold, pessimistic, and lonely. Yet she deeply loved comedy. From childhood, she was fascinated by Hollywood feature and animation films, even fantasizing about learning animation production. She regarded the cinematic medium as a luminous solace amidst chaotic era. She wrote about 20 screenplays for MP&GI, mostly romantic comedies, with elements of Hollywood screwball comedy. These works injected lively energy into Hong Kong's Mandarin films of the 1950s and 1960s, gaining popularity throughout the Chinese-speaking world. Eileen Chang's comedy scripts deliberately avoided the bleakness found in her fiction, using instead witty dialogues and happy endings that fully revealed the playful, optimistic, and endearing side of her inner self. In a letter to her close friends Stephen and Mae Soong, she wrote: “I'm so glad you laughed at it,” showing pure joy. This unexpected aspect of her work not only comes from her personal passion for cinema, but also challenges the traditional Chinese cultural emphasis on tragedy. The comedies written by Eileen Chang allow us to rediscover her multifaceted charm.

講者簡介 About the Speaker:

河本美紀  日本大阪大學語言文化學博士，現任教於九州大學、福岡大學。主要研究領域為華語文學與華語電影。著有《張愛玲的電影史》（印刻出版社，2025）、《張愛玲的映畫史》（關西學院大學出版會，2023）。學術論文曾收錄於林幸謙主編《張愛玲：傳奇・性別・系譜》、陳子善編《重讀張愛玲》等專書。目前從事香港文學研究，論文包括〈香港中的日本：近年香港文學中的集體記憶〉（刊載於《野草 增刊號 香港文學特集》，2026）。譯有麥樹堅〈千年獸與千年詞〉（收錄於青野繁治監修《擴散的語言：當代華語文學選集》，朋友書店，2025）。

Dr. Miki KAWAMOTO obtained her Ph.D. in Language and Culture, Osaka University, Japan. Currently, she is teaching at Kyushu University and Fukuoka University. Her main research areas include Sinophone literature and film. Her published works include Film History of Eileen Chang (INK, 2025), Film History of Eileen Chang (Japanese edition) (Kwansei Gakuin University Press, 2023). Her academic contributions include papers in Lim Chin Chown (ed.), Eileen Chang: Legend, Gender, Genealogy, and Chen Zishan (ed.), Rereading Eileen Chang, among others. Currently she is engaged with research on Hong Kong literature. Publications in this area include “Japan Inside Hong Kong: Collective Memory in Contemporary Hong Kong Literature” (Yaso, Special Issue: Hong Kong Literature Feature, 2006), and a translation of Mak Shu-kin’s “The 1000 Beasts and the 1000 Words” (in Spreading Words: A Modern Sinophone Literature Anthology, supervised by Shigeharu Aono, Hoyu Shoten, 2025).

Notice:

1) As requested by the speaker, the seminar will be conducted in a face-to-face mode ONLY; No recording will be provided afterwards;

2) All those who would like to attend the seminar are required to register online (Click HERE) on a first-come, first-served basis;

3) Email of confirmation will be sent to the registered email addresses and participants have to show the screenshot or print-out version of the email for entry of the seminar venue;

4) Walk-in or late-comers will not be allowed for entry of the seminar venue unless situation allows.

ALL are welcome*

*Pre-registration (Click HERE) is required.