《时空恋旅人》:真爱穿越之旅

何航

If time travel were possible, what would you do? Visit a deceased family member? Correct past mistakes? Perhaps even change history a little bit?
如果可以穿越，你会做些什么？看望已故的家人？纠正过去的错误？或是改变一下历史？
Tim Lake (Domhnall Gleeson), the protagonist in the new romantic comedy About Time, uses his ability to travel back in time to find the love of his life.
最新浪漫喜剧《时空恋旅人》的主角蒂姆•雷克(多姆纳尔•格里森饰)就利用时间穿梭的特异功能回到过去，寻找一生所爱。
The element of time travel in romantic dramas is certainly not new. Movies such as Kate & Leopold (2001), The Time Traveler’s Wife (2009) and Midnight in Paris (2011) are all based on premises taken right out of sci-fi fantasy. Only these films, in spirit, aren’t science-fiction — they’re closer to sweet fables of destiny.
穿越在爱情片中早已不是什么新鲜元素。2001年上映的《隔世情缘》、2009年的《时间旅行者的妻子》以及2011年的《午夜巴黎》皆是将科幻情节搬到大银幕上。但是，这些影片实质上并非科幻片——它们更像是美好的命运寓言。
About Time is also a film in that tradition. Tim comes from a nice, comfortable British family, and he has no serious worries, except for his luck with women. On his 21st birthday, his father (Bill Nighy) reveals a major secret: The men in their family have the ability to go back in time.
《时空恋旅人》也延续了这一惯例。蒂姆来自一个温馨富足的英国家庭，尽管生活无忧无虑，但是爱情方面却一直不走运。21岁生日那天，父亲（比尔•奈伊 饰）告诉他一个天大的秘密：他们家族的男人具有穿越时空、回到过去的能力。
Soon, Tim gets his chance to work on the romance issue when he meets Mary (Rachel McAdams) in a restaurant. He “re-meets” her, perfecting their “chance” encounter. They fall in love, marry and have children.
很快，蒂姆在一家餐馆邂逅了玛丽（瑞秋•麦克亚当斯 饰），他终于有机会来塑造自己的爱情故事了。他穿梭时空回到过去，与玛丽再次重逢，创造出了一次完美邂逅。他们双双坠入爱河，结婚生子。
It may sound cliched, but About Time has more than romance and comedy on its mind. “What keeps it from straying into cloying sitcom turf is the presence of real-life problems and issues, and the comforting and humorous manner in which director Richard Curtis tackles love, sorrow and death,” Claudia Puig writes in a review for USA Today.
尽管剧情听起来可能有些老套，但是《时空恋旅人》并非只是一部爱情喜剧。克劳迪娅•普伊格在《今日美国》中评论道：“ 该片之所以并未落入情景喜剧的俗套，一则是因为片中再现了一些现实生活中的问题，二来是由于导演理查德•柯蒂斯在处理爱情、悲伤与死亡等桥段时运用的治愈系幽默手法。”
To Curtis’ credit, the acclaimed screenwriter (Notting Hill) and director (Love Actually) finds a convincing mix in About Time, making the film feel grounded and authentic. “Time passes, Tim matures, his relationship stabilizes, and the film turns its focus to the whole of life, to other facets of love,” an NPR review says.
该片之所以大获成功，自然也少不了柯蒂斯的功劳。在这位广受赞誉的编剧（作品有《诺丁山》）兼导演（作品有《真爱至上》）的执导下，影片《时空恋旅人》的情节令人信服。美国国家公共电台评论道：“随着时间流逝，蒂姆逐渐成熟，恋情也稳定下来，该片着眼于人的一生以及爱情的其他侧面。”
While time travel may give Tim the unique ability to go back and help friends and family in their struggles, Curtis also explores the limits of this gift — or, according to The New York Times’ review, “the inevitability of life’s end”, which gives the story more emotional weight.
虽然蒂姆拥有了穿越时空、回到过去的神奇能力，他能够帮助朋友和家人摆脱困境，但导演柯蒂斯在电影中也探讨了这种超能力的局限性——即《纽约时报》影评中所提及的“人固有一死”，这为该片增加了一丝伤感。
“About Time is about time,” the article says. “It asks us to reflect on how we all use that resource, how the hours and minutes that make up a day or a life align with our intentions and values.”
《纽约时报》在该篇文章中评论道：“《时空恋旅人》讲述的是一个光阴的故事。让我们反思如何去运用时间，如何将生命中的每一天、每一个分分秒秒同我们的目标与价值观联系起来。”