紐時賞析／初代「米老鼠」版權解禁！ 這些動畫角色10年內將迎來自由

Free at Last For Mickey And Friends

米奇和朋友們終獲自由 二創蓄勢待發

If you’re the creative type and you’re struggling to come up with your next idea, do not fear: some big works, including the original version of Mickey Mouse, entered the public domain Monday in the United States.

若你是創作人，又正苦於發想下個點子，別怕：一些重要作品，包括原版的米老鼠米奇，已於元旦在美國進入公共領域。

And if, on the other hand, you prefer your Disney characters to be cute, cuddly and never-changing, well, ... you might want to stop reading.

反之，若你更想要你的迪士尼角色能夠可愛、令人想擁入懷中且永遠不變，那麼…你可能會想要就此打住不讀。

In 2024, thousands of copyrighted works published in 1928 entered the public domain, after their 95-year term expired.

數千件在1928年發表、受版權保護的作品，隨著95年的期限屆滿，在2024年進到了公共領域。

This means that those characters and stories can be remade — on the page, stage or screen — without permission. (Finally, I can make that Peter Pan musical in which a middle-aged Peter laments unexplained back pains at the end of Act I.)

這意味著那些角色和故事得以在未經許可之下，於書頁、舞台或者螢幕上進行重製。（我終於可以製作那部彼得潘的音樂劇了，劇中第一幕尾聲中將會有個中年的彼得哀怨自己沒有來由的背痛。）

“It’s important for the preservation of our cultural record, for meaningful access to older works for inspiring future creativity,” said Jennifer Jenkins, director for the Center for the Study of the Public Domain at Duke Law School.

杜克大學法學院公共領域研究中心主任珍妮佛．詹金斯指出：「對於我們文化紀錄的保存、為了啟發未來創意而有意義的取用過往作品來說，這很重要。」

The creme de la creme of this year’s public domain class are Mickey Mouse and, of course, Minnie, or at least black-and-white versions of our favorite squeaky rodents that appeared in “Steamboat Willie.” The Walt Disney Co. is famously litigious, and this copyright only covers the original versions of the character.

今年進入公共領域者之中，翹楚正是米老鼠米奇，當然還有米妮，或者說至少是這兩隻備受鍾愛、吱吱叫的齧齒動物在「汽船威利號」裡登場的黑白版本。迪士尼公司以熱愛興訟知名，而該項版權僅包括角色的初始版本。

Tigger was also liberated Monday and could soon be reunited with Winnie-the-Pooh in the reborn character’s next slasher film. Yes, you read that right. In a preview of what could be awaiting other 95-year-old icons, the silly old bear became a sledgehammer-wielding monster in “Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey.” The sequel is slated for February.

跳跳虎也在元旦脫離束縛，很快就可以和小熊維尼在該角色脫胎換骨後的下一部砍殺電影裡團聚。是的，你沒看錯。在「小熊維尼：血與蜜」中，這頭傻氣的老熊化身為揮舞著大錘的怪獸，讓人預見可能等著其他95歲明星的角色。該片續集預定2月推出。

And if that still isn’t enough to get you started, just wait. Over the next decade, freedom awaits all of these characters: Popeye; Pluto; Donald Duck; King Kong (the original film version); Superman; Daffy Duck; Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf and others from the Hobbit; James Bond; Batman; and Captain Marvel.

而如果那還不夠讓你開始著手，就等等吧。未來10年間，這些角色都將迎來自由：（大力水手）卜派、布魯托、唐老鴨、金剛（初代電影版）、超人、達菲鴨、比爾博．巴金斯、甘道夫和其他「哈比人歷險記」的角色、詹姆士龐德、蝙蝠俠、驚奇隊長等。

Get to work, people. And remember, “Freedom’s just another word for nothin’ left to lose.”*

開始動工吧，大家。然後請千萬記得：「自由就是沒有什麼能再失去的換句話說。」*

*This song lyric is still under copyright until 2064.

*這首歌的歌詞直到2064年仍受版權保護。

文／Sopan Deb 譯／高詣軒

說文解字看新聞

【高詣軒】

創作者從過去作品找靈感時，常須顧慮版權問題。紐時此文指出米奇等許多經典角色在美國版權屆期，後人的翻轉創意作品或許將如雨後春筍。

crème de la crème一詞來自法文，指最精華、優秀的人事物，英文是cream of the cream：Oxford and Cambridge are often seen as the crème de la crème of British universities.

The rank and file則指某組織、團體或軍隊裡的普通成員，當單數使用：The rank and file has lost confidence in the party leadership.有連字號時當形容詞用，只能放名詞前面：rank-and-file employees是基層員工。

Squeaky形容發出短而尖銳的聲響或叫聲，但聲音不大；尖銳又嘈雜的聲音可用piercing形容，已到刺耳讓人不舒服的程度；shrill也指令人不悅的高音。

動詞片語squeak through/by/past/in指低空過關或險勝：The President's economic package squeaked through the House of Representatives by 219 votes to 213.