必读!对陈淑桦生涯全新的理解「华语乐坛第22条军规」
Sarah's Big Five Factors|淑桦的五大人格
歌手的性格通常会影响她做出的决定。在这里,我们总结了1983—1988年报刊对陈淑桦的200篇报道,从中抽取关于她性格的描述。我们用现代人格理论1,即“五大人格论”(Big Five Factor Model),来总结陈淑桦那时的公众形象,以此重新理解她的性格对作品的影响。
A singer’s personality often shapes how she makes decisions. Here, drawing on the first 200 press reports about Sarah Chen published between 1983-1988, we make an informed estimate of her public personality traits according to the Big Five Factor Model1 and reflect on the connection between those traits and her music.
"Be My True Self" is the Cantonese version of the theme song for Swordsman III: The East Is Red. Composer: Jonathan Lee; Lyricist: Pan Wei-Yuan
粤语版《做个真的我》曲:李宗盛;词:潘伟源
"The Mundane World" is the Mandarin version of the same song, from a film starring Brigitte Lin. Composer: Jonathan Lee; Lyricist: Li Man-Ting
华语版《笑红尘》曲:李宗盛;词:厉曼婷
The song that best fits Sarah Chen’s personality is the theme song for the 1993 wuxia film Swordsman III: The East Is Red. The song has two versions: the Cantonese “Be My True Self” and the Mandarin “The Mundane World,” both sung by Chen. The lyrics differ, but both express a desire to remain true to oneself and to live a carefree life.
The film is an adaptation of Jin Yong’s wuxia novel Swordsman, centering on the return of the formidable Invincible East. Originally a man, the Invincible East (portrayed by Brigitte Lin) gradually becomes more feminine as a result of the deadly martial art he practices. In the film, the Invincible East arrives at a camp of homeless women, appearing as a woman. He sings the song as the women gather around him and later saves them from an attack.
This was the second film in which Sarah Chen collaborated with Brigitte Lin, three years after the 1990 blockbuster Red Dust. It is fitting that the Invincible East, the most feared figure in the martial world, is represented through two women: embodied on screen by Lin and voiced in song by Chen. Rather than diminishing the Invincible East’s power, Lin’s elegance heightens his unpredictability. Likewise, Chen’s gentle yet surprisingly powerful voice brings out an inner strength that might have been obscured by a male voice.
As the song became detached from the film, it endured as a beloved Mandopop classic, distinguished by its rare emphasis on the self. Looking back on Sarah Chen’s career and her eventual decision to step away from music, one cannot help but feel that this song was written for her. The lyrics of The Mundane World cut deep. They feel like Chen’s declaration of independence as she frees herself from the burdens of the mortal world. The beauty and love in Chen’s music are for the world; the pain was hers alone.
最反映陈淑桦性格的歌曲,可以说是1993年电影《笑傲江湖 III:东方不败》的主题曲。这首歌的粤语版是《做个真的我》,华语版是《笑红尘》,均由陈淑桦演唱。两版歌词虽然不同,但都表达了对自我的认可和对超脱尘世的渴求。
这部电影改编自金庸的武侠小说,主题是东方不败重返江湖。东方不败(由林青霞扮演)原本是个男人,但因练葵花宝典而逐渐女性化。在电影里,这首歌出现在夜晚的一幕,女装的东方不败遇到一群江湖女人,她们看着他弹唱了这首歌;随后他又将她们从恶人手中救出。
这部电影是陈淑桦和林青霞第二次合作;三年前的《滚滚红尘》对她俩来说都是很成功的作品。耐人寻味的是,武林最可怕的东方不败在电影里由两个女艺人扮演:林青霞的身影和陈淑桦的歌声。然而,林青霞的俊美非但没有减弱东方不败的威力,反而使他更加变幻莫测。同样,陈淑桦的歌声虽然轻柔却有一种内在的强劲,比男歌手更能衬托出东方不败的外柔内刚。
随着时间推移,这首歌逐渐脱离电影本身,成为一首独特而备受喜爱的华语经典歌曲。回忘陈淑桦的生涯和她最终离坛的抉择,让人感觉这首歌原本是写给她的。《笑红尘》的歌词用在陈淑桦身上再贴切不过,仿佛是陈淑桦独立于尘世的宣言。她音乐里的美丽和爱归属于世人,而痛苦却只是她一个人的。
Ask any longtime Sarah Chen fan, and they will likely tell you that her blood type is A and that she is a Taurus. To a newcomer and outsider like me, that knowledge seems surprising. I do not even know my own astrological sign, let alone someone else’s. Yet interviews with Sarah Chen in the 1980s show that blood type and astrological sign, much like her birthday and hobbies, were central to her public image2,3.
In these reports, blood type and astrological sign often function as proxies for her personality. A 1983 Singaporean magazine article4, for example, linked Chen’s dedication to her work with blood type A. A 1986 article from Taiwan reported that Chen wished her mother’s blood type would change to A so that they could get along even better5. In a 1988 Hong Kong interview6, Chen cited her astrological sign, Taurus, as the reason she probably would not have actively pursued singing opportunities had one not been offered to her.
It is unclear whether Chen or the media truly believed in these associations. Blood-type theory, while influential in parts of East Asia7, has little empirical support8, including in research from Taiwan9. Its appeal may lie elsewhere: it provides a simple and socially acceptable way to explain personality differences without assigning blame.
But what do blood type A and Taurus signify in Sarah Chen’s case? How might she be understood through a modern personality framework?
陈淑桦的老歌迷都知道她的血型是A型、星座是金牛座。这种知识在我看来不可思议。我连自己的星座是什么都不知道,更不用说别人的。但从当年对陈淑桦的报道中看来,血型和星座是她公众形象的一部分,地位不亚于她的生日和爱好2,3。
血型和星座是那时对陈淑桦性格的一种说法。1983年的新加坡报道说陈淑桦是A型血,所以事业心强4。1986年台湾的报道说陈淑桦对母亲的愿望是变成A型血,这样她俩就会更和谐5. 1988年的香港采访中,陈淑桦说由于她是金牛座的人,处事比较被动,如果当初没有被发掘,自己不太可能去寻求歌唱机会6。
我们不知道陈淑桦和当时媒体是不是真正相信血型、星座与性格的联系。血型论在东亚有一定的影响力7, 但它没有任何数据支持8, 包括来自台湾的研究9。 不过,血型论之所以出现在当年报刊里,也许是因为血型和星座是本人没法控制的,以血型和星座替代性格,就不用指责到底是谁做错了。
那么A型血和金牛座代表了陈淑桦性格的哪方面?如果去掉这些没有科学证据的说法,现代心理学会怎么界定陈淑桦的性格?
Personality is relatively stable, especially after adolescence10. It also has a strong genetic component, accounting for about 50% of the variance11. While personality is not as fixed as blood type and astrological signs, it affects a singer's decisions and thus deserves a place in Sarah Chen’s singer profile2.
A widely accepted theory describes personality along five dimensions: openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism (OCEAN)1. These traits are typically measured through both self-reports and informant reports. Neither is available for Sarah Chen, but the period reports provide enough material to make an informed estimate of how she might score on the Big Five factors.
Although grounded in those reports, this is not a scientific assessment. The reports also reflect Chen’s public persona, which may differ from her private self. Even with these limitations, a data-driven reading of her Big Five profile helps us understand Sarah Chen as a singer and gives insight into her music.
人的性格相对稳定,尤其是青春期以后10. 性格有很大的遗传性,遗传因素对性格的影响大概占一半11. 虽然性格不像血型和星座一样固定,但它影响歌手做的决定,所以是陈淑桦歌手档案的一部分2.
现代人格心理学将人格(及性格)划分为五个方面:对新事物和观念的开放程度(开放性),自律和责任感(尽责性),外向程度(外向性),合作和顺从倾向(宜人性),以及负面情绪倾向(神经质,或:情绪波动性)1. 人格特质通常通过自评或他人评价来测量。陈淑桦没有自己做测试,也没有熟人替她做测试。但当年的报刊里提供了足够的信息,使我们可以在「五大人格」的框架里对她的性格做出大致推测。
以下篇幅有局限。首先,它不是根据人格测试来的,所以不是科学的说法。其次,这些报道更多呈现的是陈淑桦的公众形象,未必等于她私下的性情。虽然有这些局限,以下「五大人格」的推测不是编造的,而是基于当年的报道。它有助于了解陈淑桦作为歌手的特质,并为她的音乐提供一个新的视角。
Using period reports, we estimate where Sarah Chen could fall on the five personality factors, starting with those we can infer most confidently and ending with those we judge with less certainty. Together, these reports allow us to reconstruct not just Chen’s public persona, but also how she likely functioned as a singer.
5.1. Conscientiousness 尽责性 — High ● ● ● ● ●
The clearest and best-supported Big Five trait in the reports is Sarah Chen’s consistently high conscientiousness. Tan Jian-Chang said12,13: “During recording, Sarah Chen emphasized technique. Even after I was satisfied, she would sometimes request another take.” After failing to advance in the 1984 Golden Bell Award competition, Chen said that the experience drove her to pursue perfection in her later work13. Reports from Singapore and Malaysia also frequently described her as a perfectionist who maintaind exceptionally high standards in her work14–16.
5.2. Openness 开放性 — High ● ● ● ● ●
Openness refers to a willingness to engage with new ideas, experiences, and aesthetic possibilities. Reports provide clear evidence that Sarah Chen was high in openness, as she repeatedly experimented with new musical directions, welcomed new collaborators, and sought change rather than repetition17. The best example comes from her own words in a 1985 report18. Chen said that although it would have been easy to continue in the same production style as her popular albums, “I want to try new changes; no matter whether they are good or bad, I will make a bold attempt.” Chen also liked learning from other singers and attended many of their concerts19.
5.3. Extraversion 外向性 — Low to Moderately Low ● ● ○ ○ ○
The reports suggest that Sarah Chen was low to moderately low in extraversion. Her work required frequent public engagement, but multiple reports describe her as quiet and introverted. A 1984 report from Taiwan said that her mother was more outgoing than Chen20. In a 1986 Singaporean report, her mother even apologized to the reporter for Chen’s shyness21. Faced with greater demands for public interaction after her 1985 Golden Bell win, Chen made a conscious effort to become more talkative22. Still, she listed one of her shortcomings as “not talkative, not good at dealing with others",23 and preferred quiet activities such as reading, listening to music, and spending time with family16.
5.4. Agreeableness 宜人性 — Moderately Low ● ● ○ ○ ○
In the 1980s, East Asian cultural norms often encouraged women to appear agreeable, which may have affected how Sarah Chen was described in those reports. This makes agreeableness more difficult to assess with confidence.
Reports suggest that Chen was warm toward fans and friendly with reporters24,25, but was firm in her decisions. A 1988 report16 quoted her as saying that “unless I made the decision myself, nobody could change my mind.” Years later, collaborator Kay Huang described her as “principled,” even stubborn. At the same time, Chen was agreeable to her parents. A 1987 report said that Chen had developed the habit of communicating with her mother, which helped them reach agreement5.
Taken together, these reports suggest that Chen showed interpersonal warmth but also a strong preference for independent judgment. We therefore place her in the moderately low range on agreeableness.
5.5. Neuroticism 情绪波动性 — Moderate to moderately high ● ● ● ○ ○
The reports portray a singer who was moderate to moderately high in neuroticism. Although Chen remained functional and in control of her work under stress, she reported anxiety over both personal relationships and work. She admitted that she feared facing failure after winning the Golden Bell Award, and that the stress of recording a new album made her prone to catching colds 26. After twice breaking up with a long-time partner, she said that fear of losing another relationship made her unwilling to begin a new one15,27. In an interview after the 1985 Golden Bell Award, Chen said that in moments of emotional instability, her mother was the only one who could calm her down28.
Thus, the Big Five profile shows Sarah Chen as a highly conscientious singer who was open to new ideas and musical directions. She was introverted yet publicly engaged, warm yet independent in judgment, and moderately neurotic without losing control (Figure 1).
The Big Five profile shows Sarah Chen as a highly conscientious singer who was open to new ideas and musical directions. She was introverted yet publicly engaged, warm yet independent in judgment, and moderately neurotic without losing control.
Figure 1. Sarah Chen's Big-Five factors according to period reports.
图1:根据当年报刊总结出来的陈淑桦「五大人格」。注:“神经质”是中文课本的用词,但更贴切的用词是「情绪波动性」。
以下五大人格的估计是根据当年台湾、新加坡、马来西亚和香港地区对陈淑桦的报道(1983至1988年春)来的。我们较有把握的判断摆在最前,列在最后的是我们相对不确定的特质。以下的评分不仅呈现了陈淑桦这位歌手的人格,也帮助我们理解她的音乐。
5.1. 尽责性 Conscientiousness — 高 ● ● ● ● ●
报道中最明确的人格特质是陈淑桦非常高的尽责性。谭健常说12-13: “陳淑樺在錄音時,極注重演唱技巧。有時我這關明明已通過,她卻主動喊NG.” 1984年金钟奖落空后,陈淑桦说她闭门思过了一周,仔细研究自己表演上不完善的地方13. 新马地区的报刊也常提到陈淑桦的敬业精神,以及她对工作始终维持极高的标准14–16。
5.2. 开放性 Openness — 高 ● ● ● ● ●
开放性指的是对新经验、观念与审美的接纳程度。当年的报道显示陈淑桦的开放性非常高:她不断尝试新的曲风,换新的制作人,每张专辑后都在寻求转变而不是重复过去17. 关于她开放性最好的例子是1985年报道中她自己的说法18。 她说要延续以前的唱片制作很容易,「但我想尝试更多的改变,不管好不好,都要大胆一点去试。」陈淑桦也喜欢观摩别的歌手的演唱会,从中吸取新东西19.
5.3. 外向性 Extraversion — 低/偏低 ● ● ○ ○ ○
在外向性上,陈淑桦处于低或中等偏低,也就是说她的性格比较内向。但她的工作需要频繁面对公众,和她的性格有出入。1984年台湾报道说她母亲比她开朗20. 1986年一次新加坡记者采访中,母亲向记者客气地说「我们淑桦,不太会做人啦,什么应酬,什么场合,她都不喜欢出席,完全是你们帮忙啦。」21. 1985年赢得金钟奖后,陈淑桦对外的工作增加,她也做了些调整,一次在马来西亚对记者说:「(我)是变得多话了,你不觉得我以前很少话吗?」22. 尽管如此,在1987年台湾采访中,她将自己的缺点列为「不易沟通,话太少」23, 而在歌唱之外,她偏爱的是安静的事,如在家阅读、听音乐、收集茶具、和家人聊天16。
5.4. 宜人性 Agreeableness — 偏低 ● ● ○ ○ ○
八十年代东亚文化对女人的期望往往强调随和和体贴,这种期望可能影响了报刊对陈淑桦性格有多”顺“方面的报道,因此这一维度较难做准确判断。
多篇报道表明陈淑桦珍惜歌迷,对媒体也非常友善24,25, 但她在重要决定上态度坚定、讲原则。1988年为「女人心」做宣传时的采访中16,记者说她是一位柔顺的淑女。陈淑桦说:「我很柔,但一点都不顺。」她说她“有个人的原则,除非她自己决定,否则任谁也改不了她的想法”。离坛数年后,黄韵玲说陈淑桦是个有原则,甚至固执的人。 另一方面,陈淑桦是有名的孝女。1987年的报道说她和母亲合作了十年,“不管做什么,陈淑桦总习惯事先与妈妈沟通“。她说如果和母亲有出入,「也是妈妈的好意,一般而言,我都是接受的。」5
这些报道显示,陈淑桦有一定的温和与体贴,但同时也强调自主判断。因此,我们将她的宜人性置于偏低区间。
5.5. 情绪波动性 Neuroticism — 中上 ● ● ● ○ ○
第五大人格的英文术语是 "Neuroticism,"中文课本通常翻译为“神经质”。但这一翻译容易引起误读,仿佛是暗示“神经病”,和英文词意不符。这里我们用“情绪波动性”,指的是人在多大程度上容易体验到焦虑、担忧及情绪波动。
从当年报道看来,陈淑桦在情绪波动性上属于中等或中等偏上。她的工作压力大,要求高,而她三十年生涯都成功地渡过了风雨,所以她能良好地控制工作状态。但同时,无论在工作上还是情感生活中,她都流露出一些担忧。金钟奖后,她坦言说不再继续角逐金钟是因为害怕失败;而录制新唱片的压力通常让她容易感冒26. 在两度失恋后,她表示既害怕再次分手,又不愿开始新的感情15,27. 金钟奖后的采访中,陈淑桦说在情绪起伏时只有母亲能够安抚她28。
综合来看,在「五大人格」框架下,陈淑桦是一位高度尽责、勇于尝试新方向的歌手。她性格内向但需要面对公众,在人际上温和但不会轻易妥协,在情绪上比较敏感但不至于失控(图一)。
综合来看,在「五大人格」框架下,陈淑桦是一位高度尽责、勇于尝试新方向的歌手。她性格内向但需要面对公众,在人际上温和但不会轻易妥协,在情绪上比较敏感但不至于失控。
How does Sarah Chen’s personality shape her music? Among the Big Five traits, conscientiousness, openness, and low agreeableness are especially important. Without her openness to new musical directions, Chen would never have explored so many genres or reinvented herself album after album.
Without her exceptionally high conscientiousness, Chen’s music would not have been this good – so good that it moved even an anti-fan like me, encountering her work decades later, to labor over music she had long left behind.
Without her independence and firmness in judgment, Chen would not have held so firmly to her own taste, style, and choices. The internet often frames her as the vessel for songwriters and producers, even fulfilling Jonathan Lee’s dreams. But the truth was that Chen was not easily accommodating – her first collaboration with Lee on the album Woman’s Heart was full of conflicts17,29. According to Ding Xiaowen, the song we hear is what Chen chose to make, not what Lee asked of her.
Music offered Sarah Chen, an introverted and sensitive singer, a way to express the love and warmth she felt. The incredible depth in her music came from an introvert looking inward and expressing the most intricate and beautiful human emotions—emotions that my words cannot describe are captured by Sarah Chen’s music.
陈淑桦的性格如何影响她的音乐?在五大人格中,尽责性、开放性、和较低的宜人性对她音乐创作有极大的影响。如果不是因为她对新音乐方向有极高的开放性,陈淑桦的音乐不会那么多样化,也不会每次出唱片都换新的造型和歌路。
如果不是因为她有极高的尽责性,陈淑桦的音乐不会达到尽善尽美的高度——她的作品如此完美,在她退离乐坛数十年后还能打动像我这样的反粉。「记忆的门」这一两年来的工作是陈淑桦音乐优质的见证。
若不是陈淑桦的独立与坚持,她也不会多年来坚守自己在音乐上的审美观、演唱风格和歌路的选择。三十年来网上舆论总说她是李宗盛捧红的人,李宗盛自己也说「淑桦其实是实现了我的梦想」,但这些只是片面之词。当年的报道表明陈淑桦绝不是没有主见、受人指使的歌手。她和李宗盛第一次在《女人心》专辑中的合作是两人吵架吵出来的17,29。丁晓雯说,听了李宗盛《别说可惜》的弹唱,完全没想到陈淑桦最后唱出来的版本完全不同。
陈淑桦内向而敏感,音乐给她提供了表达温暖和深情的方式。她音乐的深度来自于一个内省的歌者,不断地琢磨如何表达人和人之间最贴切和美丽的感情。那些我无法用文字描述的感情,烙在了陈淑桦的歌声里。
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19. 香港记者. 陈淑桦难忘的。。。. 香港报刊 (1988).
20. 碧姬. 陈淑桦泉甘甜. 台湾报刊 (1984).
21. 综艺杂志. 陈淑桦首次公开男友身世,这一段情已快成历史. 综艺杂志 (1986).
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23. 朱秀琴. 三歌后在海边说心事. 台湾报刊 (1987).
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25. 陈淑桦. 陈淑桦十九日来马,亲笔写信问候歌友. 马来西亚报刊 (1986).
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27. 芳进. 陈淑桦述初恋故事:对爱情充满憧憬,感情世界不再空白. 马来西亚报刊 (1988).
28. 辜振滨君. 揭开“金钟歌后”陈淑桦的星路历程:“浪迹”歌坛多年,伴侣仍在“天涯”,她要“打开失去钥匙的心锁”. 台北航讯 (1985).
29. 鱼儿. 陈淑桦突破十五万大关(女人心). 马来西亚报刊 (1988).