我们在漫漫人生路上，不断地变换着各种角色。我们常常因为过于投入而忘却自己，我们也常常因为专注别人而迷失自己。

　　我们必须要常常时时一遍遍提醒自己，或是做出些让自己都震惊或悍动的事情以便引起自己的注意，证明自己的存在！

　　我们常常对镜揣摩自己本来的面目，以便防止有一天自己终将忘却自己。我们需要常常对镜描摹，一笔一笔，一扑一扑，不在于使自己越发的楚楚动人，也不在于使自己更加的生动可人，只在于借助画笔，一遍一遍地加深印象，以防有一天真的无法辨认自己。

　　我们努力地、愣愣地、尽量睁大眼睛，尽量不落下任何分毫，尽量记住镜中的那个人，不要错过任何蛛丝马迹，否则下一次对视，可能我们真的无法辨认出镜中的那个人就是自己！

　　我们恐惧而又贪婪地与镜中人对视，她同样如此赤裸裸地恐惧而又贪婪地紧紧盯着我们，目光如此犀利，以至于我们无处藏身！她如此有恃无恐地紧紧盯着我们，似乎要看透我们每一个毛孔里所深藏的一粒尘埃。她是如此地充满敌意，可她是否想过，我们无非是想将镜中的人牵牵记住，只为战胜自己内心的恐惧，害怕有一天，我们真的忘却自己，只将另一个即将粉墨登场的人误认为——这才是那个我早已迷失的真正的我！

　　我们想尽一切办法，留住那个自己认识的自己。我们伸出手，拼命想抓住，不，挽留住，那个已绝然想离开我们躯壳的自己！我们尽量搜肠刮肚地想出自认为最美妙最有说服力的言辞，无非是想证明自己一直在思想，从未偏离自己的原则，一直都在努力坚守，但，此时我们已开始动摇，不再肯定，眼前人是不是才是最真实的自己？

　　是扮演的角色太多？还是扮演的过于投入？或是观众给予的掌声过于热烈？再或是？……

　　我思——故我在！我黔驴技穷，只余下这一个办法证明自己的存在。任百般变幻的幕幔，任光怪陆离的角色，任流光异彩的灯效，我思——故我在！任万千世界百般魅惑，我依然是我！

　　 来自独角戏小丑的自述

2013春许莹草于津门沽上　　

"LIFE IS LIKE A PLAY" AUTHOR'S PREFACE

　　In our long road of life, we constantly change roles. We often get involved in something or somebody and forget ourselves and even lose ourselves.

　　We must always remind ourselves. Or do something that can shock or move ourselves in order to attract our own attention and to prove our existence!

　　We always use mirrors to figure out our faces in order to prevent that one day we will eventually forget ourselves. That we need always to make up ourselves with mirrors is not intended to make ourselves more attractive, more lively and pleasant, just want to, with the help of a brush, deepen the impression and avoid the case of unable to identify ourselves.

　　We industriously look at ourselves in the mirrors with logy and widely open eyes so try to remember the ones in the mirrors and do not miss anything. Otherwise, we will really be unable to identify ourselves in the mirrors during the next time!

　　We greedily look at the ones in the mirrors in fear. Also, the ones in the mirrors stare at us with unbridled, greedy eyes in fear and the eyes are so sharp that we have no place to hide! That the ones in the mirrors tightly stare at us with impunity seems to see through each hidden dust in our pores. She is so hostile. Whether she ever thought we simply want to remember the ones in the mirrors and only to fight our own inner fears. We afraid that one day we really forget ourselves and another coming on stage would be mistaken for ourselves. - This is the real one I have already lost - I!

　　We tried every means to retain the ones known by ourselves. We held out our hands to desperately try to catch, no, persuade the selves who are absolutely want to get out of our bodies to stay! We try our best to convince with the most glorious and convincing rhetoric which we hardly got. This simply wants to prove that we are thinking, never deviate from our principles, and work hard to stick to, but, at this point, we begin to waver, and no longer sure that the ones in the mirrors are our truest selves?

　　Did we play too many roles? Too much be addicted to the played roles? Or the overwhelming applause from audiences? Or? ……

　　I think - therefore I am! I'm at wit's end. There is only one way to justify our existence. No matter the variously changing curtains, bizarre roles, gleaming lighting effects, I think - therefore I am! There are thousands of different temptations in the world, but I am still me!

　　From the readme of monologue clown

Written at Jinmengu by Xu Ying in 2013 spring

作者：许莹