Remembering the Creator of Old Master Q

Mar. 5, 2017 Vol. 245

by Theodore Pigott, special correspondent

Remembering the Creator of Old Master Q

For many, especially those in Chinese communities around the world, Old Master Q has long been a favorite character. For more than fifty years, Old Master Q has appeared in comics that have showcased the everyday lives of Chinese people. Alongside other characters such as Big Potato, Mr. Chin, and Q’s long-time love interest Miss Chan, Old Master Q has made readers laugh and even think. Therefore, it was with great sadness that the world learned of the passing of the creator of Old Master Q, Alfonso Wong, who died of natural causes at the age of 93 in America.

Wong was born in Tianjin, China, and he moved to Hong Kong in 1956. There, he began drawing for a Catholic missionary from France before starting the Old Master Q comic strip in the early 1960s. Wong used the pen name Wong Ze, which was the Chinese name of his eldest son, for the comic strip.

Wong would often turn to events in his own life in Hong Kong to find inspiration for the Old Master Q comic strip. He once said, “My life is like a comic strip. I try my best to make Old Master Q, who is myself, do funny things to amuse the readers.”

Readers were certainly amused, and the comic strip grew in popularity in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and even in overseas Chinese communities all around the world. After Wong’s passing was announced on January 1st, 2017, many social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, were quickly filled with people’s fond memories of growing up reading the Old Master Q comics strip.

In fact, Joseph Wong, the eldest son of Alfonso Wong, has taken over creating the Old Master Q comic strips since 1995. Joseph Wong, who lives in Taiwan, explained one of the reasons for the comic strip’s continuing popularity: “Old Master Q is a comic that portrays everyday life. It depicts the interesting things we experience in everyday life.”

As a result of the comic strip’s popularity, several movies and TV shows have been made about Old Master Q. In addition, Old Master Q toys, gifts, and souvenirs have continued to be popular among several generations of shoppers.

So, although people around the world are mourning the death of Alfonso Wong, the creator of Old Master Q, this popular character will continue to live on in new comic strips, thanks to the efforts of Wong’s son.

Reading Comprehension

( ) 1. What is the main idea of this passage?

(A) The difficulties that Alfonso Wang faced in creating the Old Master Q comic strip.

(B) The growing popularity of comics in Chinese communities around the world.

(D) A look back on the life of Alfonso Wong, who created the Old Master Q comic strip.

( ) 2. The word “amuse” in the fourth paragraph is closest in meaning to “______.”

(A) fool (B) entertain (C) upset (D) bore

( ) 3. According to the passage, where did Alfonso Wong find inspiration for the Old Master Q comic strip?

(A) World news. (B) Classic Chinese literature.

( ) 4. Who has taken over the responsibility of making the Old Master Q comic strip since 1995?

(A) A famous Japanese artist.

(B) A large company in Hong Kong.

(D) A Catholic missionary from France.

( ) 5. Which of the following is NOT true about the Old Master Q comic strip?

(A) It is popular among several generations of readers.

(B) Some movies and TV shows have been made about Old Master Q.

(D) Old Master Q toys and gifts has lost popularity.

Vocabulary and Phrases

1. community n. [C] 團體，界

．Jack is a member of an online scientific community and often expresses his ideas about natural science there.

2. showcase vt. 展現

．The opera singer sang songs that showcased all her talents.

3. alongside prep. 與…一起

．I have been working alongside Lora since 2010, and we have become close colleagues.

4. passing n. [U] (委婉說法)逝世

．The orphan suffered great grief over the passing of his parents.

5. missionary n. [C] 傳教士

．The Roman Catholic missionary devoted his life to helping the poor in city slums.

6. inspiration [] n. [U] 靈感

．The poet usually draws inspiration from her children and writes many interesting poems.

7. amuse vt. 使開心，使歡樂

．The teacher amused his students with funny stories, and they all roared with laughter.

8. popularity n. [U] 受歡迎

．It was shocking that the famous movie star decided to retire at the height of her popularity.

9. announce  vt. 宣布

．The superstar announced in the press conference that she would get married next week, which surprised the public.

10. fond adj. 美好的

．Mrs. Lin still had fond memories of the good old days.

11. portray vt. 描述，描繪

．The writer is good at portraying the beauty of nature in his books.

12. depict [] vt. 描繪，描寫

．The movie depicts the life of the noted actor Charlie Chaplin, who is considered one of the most important figures in the history of thefilm industry.

13. souvenir n. [C] 紀念品

．I bought some post cards and key chains as souvenirs of my trip to London.

14. mourn [] vt. (對死者感到)憂傷，哀悼

．When the news of the bus accident was reported, the whole country mourned the deaths of their fellow citizens.

15. effort n. [C] 試圖，嘗試

．My father made an effort to stop smoking and start exercising for the sake of his health.

Words for Recognition

1. Old Master Q n. 老夫子

王家禧筆下的漫畫人物，該系列漫畫有著詼諧的畫風，內容呈現華人的生活底蘊

與人生百態，深受各地華人的喜愛。老夫子為這系列連環漫畫的主角，總是身穿長衫馬褂，角色個性風趣幽默、愛幻想、富正義感、喜歡冒險。

2. Big Potato n. 大蕃薯

大蕃薯是老夫子最要好的朋友，性格樂天卻好吃懶做。

3. Mr. Chin n. 秦先生

秦先生也是老夫子要好的朋友，外表俊朗且性格幽默。

4. Miss Chan n. 陳小姐

老夫子的追求對象。

5. Alfonso Wong n. 王家禧 (1923~2017)

筆名王澤，是位知名漫畫家。他畫的《老夫子》聞名中外，風靡整個華人界。

6. Tianjin n. 天津

中華人民共和國的直轄市、國家中心城市和北方最大沿海開放城市。

7. Hong Kong n. 香港

中華人民共和國的特別行政區，位處於珠江三角洲的東南岸，曾為英國殖民地長

達一百五十年之久。直到1997年7月1日，香港的主權才轉移給中國。

8. Facebook n. 臉書

由馬克·祖克柏在2004年所創辦，為全球知名的社群網站，使用人數高達幾十億人。

9. Twitter n. 推特

提供社群網路和微網誌服務，可以讓用戶發布不超過140個字元的訊息，這些訊息被稱為推文(Tweet)，是網際網路上瀏覽量最大的十個網站之一。

Translation

悼念《老夫子》的作者

對許多人來說，尤其是全球華人界，老夫子一直是個深受喜愛的角色。五十多年來，老夫子在漫畫中充分展現中國人的生活底蘊。老夫子與其他角色，例如大蕃薯、秦先生和老夫子一心想追求的陳小姐等，逗得讀者開懷大笑、甚至反思。因此，當《老夫子》作者王家禧在美國壽終正寢、享壽93歲的消息傳出，全球舉世哀悼。

王家禧出生於中國天津，1956年移居香港。在那裡，他先為一位來自法國的天主教傳教士繪畫，直至1960年代初開始創作《老夫子》連環漫畫。王家禧以自己長子的中文名字王澤作為筆名來創作連環漫畫。

王家禧經常藉由他在香港生活的點滴來找尋畫《老夫子》的靈感。他曾說過：「我的一生就像漫畫，我儘可能的讓老夫子，也就是讓我自己耍寶去逗樂讀者。」

讀者的確被逗樂了，他的漫畫風靡香港、臺灣，甚至全球海外的華人圈。王家禧逝世的消息於2017年1月1日公布後，許多社群媒體網站，例如臉書和推特，貼文滿是人們看《老夫子》連環漫畫長大的美好回憶。

事實上，王家禧的長子王澤從1995年時就已經接手創作《老夫子》連環漫畫。住在臺灣的王澤解釋這部漫畫人氣不減的原因之一是：「《老夫子》是一本描繪日常生活的漫畫。它描述我們日常生活碰到的趣事。」

由於連環漫畫受到歡迎，《老夫子》也拍成電影和電視節目。此外，老夫子的玩具、禮物和紀念品，在好幾個世代的消費者中，人氣始終持續不墜。

所以，雖然全球人士悼念《老夫子》作者王家禧辭世，但託王家禧兒子的福，這個高人氣角色將持續活在新的連環漫畫中。

閱讀測驗解答：1. D 2. B 3. D 4. C 5. D