A pure city.

Camylle 2022-03-23 09:01:40

(1) When I was

returning to China, I was waiting for the train at the station once, and the classic "City in the Sky" was playing on the headphones. When I looked up, I happened to see a tall tree on the opposite side that was covered in golden yellow, its leaves shrank and trembled in the cold autumn wind, and finally a few of them couldn't stand it anymore, and fell into the driveway in a whirl. disappeared. Listening to that mellow and ethereal note like a drop of water, my eyes were so wet with tears.

Since then I have decided that this music is pure sadness.

(2)

However, the city on the cloud in the movie gives it more meaning.

From the first time humans felt the power of skyfire, the city was engraved in mythology. It should be based on clouds, with wind, clouds, rain and dew as nourishment, and look down at the small things on the ground. It is powerful, it is invincible, it is above everything underfoot, and its power is terrifying. While revering and praising it, it also has its own name: laputa.

As the last royal descended to the ground, it died. Its streets were left unrepaired, and gradually covered with moss; its houses also rotted, withered, and shattered into rubble in the long loneliness; it was surrounded by mountains like dark clouds, lightning and storms, blocking it from the outside world. possible. Only the huge flying stone shone on its own, implying that there was once prosperity here. As the old earth song sings: root in the soil, live with the wind, winter with the seeds, sing spring with the birds, no matter how amazing weapons you have, no matter how many poor robots you have, There is no way to survive as long as you leave the land. It was like a Sleeping Beauty sleeping among the thorns, waiting for a kiss from her destined prince to give her life again.

Time slipped silently for hundreds of years. I don't know how many innocent children lie down on the ground without any hindrance after running on the vast grassland, gradually calm down their breathing, and look up at the blue sky, they will think of the legend called Laputa. I don't know how many teenagers look forward to the day when they can take a plane and pass through the fog cover of clouds and mountains to unveil its mysterious veil. On the slightly worn black-and-white photo hanging on the wall, we seem to read another name of laputa: hope.

Seven hundred years. After seven hundred years of silence, it finally regained its power. The colonel must have been so ecstatic. When the flying stone in his hand brushed over the slate engraved with the ancient characters, the slate happily radiated a little light to echo. So under the gaze of the huge ancient tree, hundreds of soldiers fell from the air before they could panic, as if they had thrown a handful of stones. Those who fled back to the spaceship in a hurry watched in desperation as countless robots poured out of the laputa of hope and climbed onto the spaceship - just like the ants who discovered the cake, disintegrated it and made It finally collapsed. Human life is as insignificant in front of laputa as ants in front of rolling wheels. It seems that Laputa will reign over the world again, accepting the adoration and prayers of all things under her feet.

Its hope gives people courage again, doesn't it? Therefore, Bapu can face the seemingly powerful air pirates and the military without flinching; so Bapu can abandon the house he has lived in for many years and the neighbors he knows well, and embark on a completely unknown adventure; so the mother-in-law faces To the storm can say with a smug smile: "It's all here, why don't you go and see?"; so Bapu and Hida can climb up and down the landless city, and deal with the insatiable military; therefore Bapu can throw away the only weapon in his hand without hesitation, stack his hand with Hida's, and firmly recite the spell that destroys everything: Baruda. So the laputa began to collapse, and the robots drained their strength, unable to move, and fell from the air. Its glory will fall apart, and all its dreams will be called a bubble. It seems that the sunken Daxizhou will be the last fate of Laputa, and all the strength, hope, and courage will soon be popular and will fall to the world. It all seemed to end so tragically -

but.

But laputa is another city of innocence.

I still remember Bapu reaching out and catching Hida, who landed on the earth like an angel: "It seems like something will happen." I

still remember Bapu welcoming the brilliance of the first day, standing on the dilapidated city wall, and letting each of them peck at their hands crumbs. Before leaving, don't forget to open the cage door and let them fly high.

I still remember that the old woman made a vicious look to the two children, instructing them to do this and that, and when they finally escaped, they waited for them on the falling rocks until the last moment.

I still remember that in that dark night, Hida climbed the high platform of the spacecraft alone, put on a cloak with Bap's body temperature, and expressed his wish to go home in the roaring night wind.

I still remember that robot, who had been sleeping in a foreign land for an unknown time, repeatedly caressing his heart in the ruthless hail of bullets from human beings. It has no words, and can only express its emotions by staring at Xida for a long time and flashing the indicator light: "Please let me take you home."

Still remember that there is a robot covered with moss on the city in the sky. It gently lifts the kites of the two children, just to protect the warm nest of the birds. It may be able to foresee its own destiny - just like the countless corpses standing beside the tombstone or buried under the ancient trees, after finally exhausting all its strength and loneliness, it returns to the land it loves a part of. The little flower that it seems to be holding in its clumsy hands probably also hides this kind of joy and nostalgia.

So, at this moment, Bapu and Shida resolutely recited that spell. Maybe it's their pure feelings without any impurities, maybe it's the city's innocence - not letting it fall into endless desires.

Therefore, the ancient tree that has grown for thousands of years silently witnessed the prosperity of laputa, its decline and loneliness, its vitality, the greed of the invaders, and the two children. of innocence. It finally tightly protected the flying stone that was about to collapse, and that piece of paradise for birds and beasts. It is not rooted in the truly vast and boundless land, but it has probably absorbed this pure power, carrying the flying stone and the legendary city in the sky, shedding its excess desire for power, and only retaining that piece of vitality, in the eyes of everyone. The lower part rises slowly, flies away, and grows endlessly.

The Sky City has truly become a myth since then, and no one can disturb it anymore. However, it seems that it is not dead from now on, without human greed and desire, birds can build their nests on the ground without warning; fish can roam freely in the water; beasts can boldly climb on the shoulders of robots - it should be said It has experienced the phoenix nirvana and has come to life since then.

Maybe when Bapu and Hida grow old, they will tell their children a story: Above that distant cloud, there is a city in the sky. It is pure, free, and undisturbed by outsiders.

Maybe these children will fall asleep with this story and soar with it in their dreams; maybe this story will germinate new seeds of hope and courage in their hearts, driving them to overcome difficulties and obstacles to find a dream-like city in the sky .

Maybe they'll look at the now-sharp black-and-white photo of the laputa, sigh deeply, and stumble over, carefully rolling it up and locking it into the deepest corner of the drawer. Maybe they will forget this simple dream in a complex society. Or maybe they can finally discover that in this world, wherever there is no disputes, no greed, and no intrigue—perhaps in the town where they live, it is a pure sky city.

(3)

Now when I listen to the song "City in the Sky", which is as clear as water, I still inevitably think of the tree that trembled in the bleak autumn wind, and the nostalgia and travel worries that it evoked. More than that, however, I would probably think of an ancient leafy tree somewhere in the universe, its roots tightly wrapped around a gleaming flying stone, its canopy filled with the scent of birds and flowers, and it returned to silence Next to the tree trunk, there will probably be a dark green robot covered with moss. It stretches out its long arms to catch a few naughty little beasts on its shoulders, holds them firmly in the palm of their hands, and slowly returns them to the ground. They jumped away, then looked up and stared at a distant blue planet with a flashing indicator light, then looked back, walked to another part of the grassland, lived with the wind, spent the winter with the seeds, and sang with the birds. Permanent spring.

Like a pure dream.

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Extended Reading

Castle in the Sky quotes

  • Uncle Pomme: The earth speaks to all of us, and if we listen, we can understand.

  • Papa: [playing chess with Dola] What's come over you, my dear? It's not like you to challenge a ship like Goliath. You know, the odds are against you.

    Dola: I'm after treasure. That's all.

    Papa: [Chuckling] I must admit, those kids are cute!

    Dola: Whaddaya mean by that, ya old fool?

    Papa: Nothing, but that little girl *does* remind me of you not so long ago!

    Dola: [Irritated] Who asked ya?

    Papa: Nobody. Oh, look! Checkmate!