到赫氏古堡去

Casa Grande 主楼

一百多年前，加利福尼亚州出现了两个最富有的人——斯坦福和赫斯特。斯坦福在失去了唯一的孩子以后，决定建造一所大学来纪念他。游历了美国所有的名校以后，斯坦福在哈佛大学校长的建议下，创办了斯坦福大学。

有一个不正经的传说，说的是斯坦福来到了哈佛大学，他想要捐一笔钱给哈佛大学，那个时候斯坦福可是没有丁点儿要创办斯坦福大学的念头，他只是想捐点钱给著名的哈佛大学，可是哈佛大学的校长并不十分看得起他和他的钱，要知道，在100年前，西部的富翁在多数人眼里只是一群靠挖金子发家的暴发户，他们优雅又虚假地拒绝了斯坦福的捐赠。斯坦福回到加利福尼亚，创立了斯坦福大学。那将是一所最好的大学——斯坦福一定是这么想的，远远好过哈佛。的确是不正经的传说，听起来像是某个嫉妒斯坦福的家伙编造的谎言。我当然还是相信第一种说法。还有斯坦福对太太说过的，全加州的孩子都是我们的孩子。

赫斯特显然要现实得多，他对捐献和大学都没有兴趣，他的钱全部都用来建造他梦境中的城堡。当然也因为他的那些古董——所有的古董都应该放在真正的古堡里。

赫斯特24岁创办《旧金山观察家报》，成为世界上最大的出版帝国的国王。100年以后，《旧金山观察家报》被华裔企业家收购，那是一个严重伤害了美国主流社会的戏剧性的大新闻，因为赫斯特的确不太喜欢那些中国移民，他管他们叫“黄祸”，而他创办的报纸却被他们收购了。

说起来，赫斯特的钱应该不比斯坦福的少，可是斯坦福果真建了一所好大学，就如同斯坦福希望的那样。而赫氏古堡，富人们以在乡间建造豪华城堡为时髦的时代，赫氏古堡成为了那些时髦中最豪华的一个。

等待穿梭巴士的间隙，我开始使用纪念章自助机器，塞入两个25分硬币和一个1分硬币，1分硬币会变成扁扁的纪念章。我做了很多，每一个都不同，圣西蒙的海兽，圣西蒙的花，赫氏古堡和棕榈树，赫斯特最爱的海神游泳池，美慧三女神的雕像。

散步道上有一座来自埃及的神像，他们说那是嗜血女神，因为她是保护神，又是毁灭神。也许是真的。赫斯特在事业最鼎盛时期拥有25万英亩牧场，26家报纸、13家刊物和8家电台，当然还有其他更多的，可是他什么都带不走，什么也都不是他的了，《旧金山观察家报》卖给了华人，赫氏古堡已经是加州政府的了。

传说赫斯特很喜欢请客，电影明星和政界要人往往坐飞机来赴宴，因为赫氏古堡有自己的机场，也有自己的水利发电厂和电影院，还有野生动物园，赫斯特爱动物，他饲养长颈鹿、熊、虎、狮子和羚羊等一切可以买得到的动物，那些动物被认为是世界上最幸福的动物。

可是整个赫氏古堡只有一间餐厅，客人们不得不按照规定的时间前来用餐。暗淡的银器，天花板上的圣像，画着《但以理书》故事的法兰西壁毯，还有长长的餐桌。他们说的，长长的餐桌，一点实用价值都没有，因为这一头和那一头说话非得借用电话不可。但是美国富人就是爱古代，一切都布置得如同盎格鲁-撒克逊时代某个国王的城堡。

我在想那些国王富有并且自由，他们有自己的土地和军队，独特的城堡；他们互不相干，也许偶尔互相欺骗；他们发动战争，也联姻，像极了我们的春秋战国，真正的乱世。

可是春秋战国的城池已经一个都没有了，除了淹城，传说淹王败给周成王后逃到了常州，他把自己的城堡建筑在三道水三道城的中央——最安全的设计，至少他是这么认为的，他再也不要去想战争的事情了。淹王把唯一的公主嫁给了留王以后，留国火攻淹城，灭了淹国。

3000年前湮灭了的一个小国，它的城却保留到了现在，也许是因为那城太独特了，三道水围绕的城堡。电影里的英国古堡只有一道水，城门前吊着一座桥，桥不放下来，城就是安全的。如果留王到了英国，所有的城堡都不安全。

餐厅的旁边是桌球室，桌球室的旁边是电影馆，客人们在晚餐后看电影，如果他们按照规定的晚上十一点钟到达电影院的话。或者就一直呆在桌球室里，那样不会迟到。桌球也许是100年前的时髦，像现在的高尔夫球，也许再过100年，高尔夫球也不时髦了，我不能想象将来的时髦是什么。

我能想象所有过去了的好日子，客人们聚集在金碧辉煌的大客厅里等待晚餐，他们端着酒，聊着生意和理想。享乐只是他们的日常生活，不是他们的理想，他们的理想，大概就是在乡间造城堡，然后用古董装饰它。也许富人比穷人更容易沮丧，如果他的古董之美及不过另一个富人，他就会沮丧。

那些散发着浓郁气味的古董，我真想好好地看看它们，可是我太困了，眼睛都睁不开了，整个上午，都像是在梦游。

我在电影院里睡了一会儿，我的前排坐着兵，每一个都是光头，他们和我想象中的很不一样，他们的手都放在背后。真是一件奇怪的事情，赫氏古堡的电影院里怎么会出现兵呢？

古堡一景A view of Hearst Catle

客厅 Grand Room

M ore than a decade ago, two richest men, Mr. Stanford and Mr. Hearst appeared in California. After losing his only child, Mr. Stanford decided to build a university in commemoration of his son. The Stanford University hence was established under the suggestion of President of Harvard after his visiting all the renowned universities in the United States.

According to an improper legend, Mr. Stanford came to Harvard University with a substantial donation as he had no thought of establishing the Stanford University at all. With a pure hope of donating some money to the famous Harvard in mind, Mr.Stanford, himself, and his money haven’t earned much respect from the President of Harvard. As you probably know, the rich people from the West, in the eyes of majority of people, were a group of new-riches by only digging for gold. Hence, they refused the donation of Mr. Stanford gracefully and falsely, who established the Stanford University after returning to California.That would be the best one, much better than Harvard, Mr.Stanford must have thought so. An improper legend indeed, it sounds like a lie made by a guy jealous of Mr. Stanford. I, however,still believe in the story. Mr. Stanford once said to his wife, all kids in California were our children.

Mr. Hearst, however, obviously being much more realistic, has shown no interest in donation and university as all his money was used in building his dream castle. Of course, it was also because of his antiques which should all be put into a real castle.

Mr. Hearst became the king of the world’s largest publishing empire after establishing theSan Francisco Observerat the age of 24. 100 years later, it was purchased by an American-Chinese,a dramatic story seriously hurting the US mainstream society,because Mr. Hearst did not love those Chinese immigrants, calling them the Yellow Peril, but his newspaper was purchased by them.Talking about money, Mr. Hearst should be as rich as Mr.Stanford. But the Stanford, as expected by Mr. Stanford, became a great university. Meanwhile, the Hearst Castle became the most luxurious one amongst all the fashionables during the age when rich people considering builded luxurious castles in the countryside as a vogue.

I began to make commemorative medals from self-service machines when I was waiting for the shuttle bus. As I put two quarter coins and a dollar coin, the latter was turned into a flat medal. I made a lot of them, each different, sea animals and flowers in San Simeon, the Hearst Castle and palm trees, Mr.Hearst’s most favorite Neptune Pool and statue of the Three Graces.

People say the statue from Egypt on the walkway is a bloodthirsty goddess, as she is the goddess of both protection and destruction.Mr. Hearst owned 250,000-acre ranch, 26 newspapers, 13 magazines and 8 radio stations in the most prosperous period of his career. Of course, there were more, but he could not take anything with him as they now belong to others, theSan Francisco Observerwas sold to the Chinese immigrants and the Hearst Castle is now the property of California government.

It was said that Mr. Hearst loved inviting people, and movie stars and political figures all attended the banquets by plane, as the Hearst Castle has its own airport, water power plant and theaters,and even a wild animal zoo. He was passionate about animals as he had a giraffe, a bear, a tiger, a lion and an antelope and all the other animals one could buy, who were considered the happiest animals in the world.

There was only one dining room in the Hearst Castle, and guests had to come to dinner at the specified time. The dull silver, icons painted on the ceiling, the French tapestry with painted story from the Book of Daniel and the long table, guests complained that the extra-long table was of no actual value at all, as people on both sides almost had to talk through telephones. But the American rich people just loved the ancient age, everything had to be arranged like some king’s castle in the Anglo-Saxon time.

In my opinion, those kings were wealthy with freedom, they had their own land and army and unique castles. They were independent from each other with occasional deceits, war and marriage, just like the Spring and Autumn Period in our history, days with true turbulence.But all the cities of the Spring and Autumn Period were gone, except for the Yancheng City.It was said that King Yan of the state fled to Changzhou after being defeated by Emperor Cheng during the Zhou Dynasty, building his castle at the center of three moats and three circle of cities, the most secure design according to the King himself at least. He would not have to think about the war any more. The Liu state defeated and destroyed the City by fire after the King married the only princess to the King of Liu.

The city of a small state, which vanished 3,000-year ago, is still preserved to the present time, probably due to the uniqueness of the city as three moats circled around the architecture. There is only one moat around British castles in movies, and the cities remain safe as long as the drawbridge remains hung up. If it were kept in the UK, all castles were not in a safe condition.

A billiard room stood close to the dining room as a theater hall was next to it, and guests could watch movies after dinner if they arrived at the theater hall 11:00PM according to the rules, or they could prefer to stay in the billiard room the whole evening. Billiard was probably most fashionable a hundred year ago, just like golf at present, which might not be the vogue in the time of a century. I just cannot imagine the fashions in the future.

I could imagine the good old days in the past: all guests gathered in the magnificent living room for dinner, holding wine in hands and talking about business and ideals. Pleasure was only their daily life, but not their ideal, which was probably to build castles in the countryside with decoration of antiques. It was highly probable that the rich were more likely to be depressed than the poor if the beauty of his antiques was inferior to those of another rich man.

I wish I could take a closer look at those antiques with strong smells. But I just felt too sleepy to open my eyes, as for me, the whole morning was like sleepwalking.

I took a nap in the theater for a while, while sitting in front of me were a group of soldiers,everyone of whom was bareheaded. They were much different from what I imagined as their hands were put on the back. It was so weird to see soldiers appear in the theater of the Hearst Castle.

海王星池 The Neptune Pool