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In 1983 Barbara wrote an article for Jade magazine. Jade magazine was a popular magazine, with articles and interviews about famous TV stars.
This is what she wrote:
Reading through LOCH novel like mad after being selected, determine to portrait a cuter image.
I don't write often, but if I do, now I don't know where I should start. Recently, after being selected to play the Huang Rong character, suddenly I have received a lot of attention, making me feel overwhelmed and flattered.
I myself would like nature to run its course, and as a follower in fatalism, I regard that selection result possibly an act of fate. I haven't thought about it beforehand, and this I have already told reporters many times before. Summed up in one sentence, I went to the audition simply because my company had asked me to.
Whether I am a person who deserves attention from others, this I don't know. I only know I have to try my best, regardless of what the results are, and be answerable to myself.
I have never thought I would play the role of Huang Rong, and in the twelve years living in the U.K., I seldom read martial art novels, not even the infamous LOCH novel by Jin Yung.
Returning to Hong Kong which I have left twelve years ago, and took part in the Miss Hong Kong Pageant, I have learned a lot. Therefore I regard winning the Pageant was not my only aim, most importantly is to learn from taking part, gaining knowledge and broaden my horizon.
Although taking up Huang Rong's role isn't something incredible, it does give me a chance to try out a new role, and provides me with more experience. I'm not looking for a quick success but a role which become better with passage of time.
Ultimately I'm still a novice, without much acting experience. Therefore I hope with the carefully and detailed directions provided by the director, I can fulfil the role to his satisfaction. However, I can't rely and depend fully on the director's effort, I ought to apply my best effort too.
As of today, I have already gone through three of the four LOCH novels, and have started on the final novel. Although I dare not say I have completely mastered the character role of Huang Rong, basically I have figured out how her character would be like.
I have told myself,"Yung Mei Ling, you just can't stand with a straight face before the camera, you have to act.". Truth be told, I must not fail to live up to the audience's expectation of Huang Rong, or waste any of the hard work and dedication of the LOCH production team.
Although my aim is rather high, this does not increase the pressure upon myself. I hope things can come more naturally. "The Legend of the Unknowns" is my first drama, I feel my acting is quite natural but I don't know if others would share the same view. There are more scenes in LOCH than "The Legend of the Unknowns", but I firmly believe my past experience in "The Legend of the Unknowns" would help me in LOCH.
Frankly, I'm still a novice, one off past experience could not form a firm base for my acting career and I don't demand a quick success. Even so, I won't model my acting on others. Yung Mei Ling is Yung Mei Ling and ought to have her own direction. Other's success in playing Huang Rong has nothing to do with me, and I must not follow their directions. I have to break away from the mould and create another image of Huang Rong. Only this can I repay the respect the audience offered to me.
Whenever I think of those enthusiastic audiences, I must not relax in my effort. Their high level of respect towards a novice like myself, I find it hard to believe. Where ever I went, there are always a group of enthusiastic fans asking for my signature, or having photos taken with me. At first I felt rather unease with all that but now I get accustomed. The most happy and heart warming moment is when they shouted,"Huang Rong, she's coming."
Not only audiences call me like that, colleagues working in afternoon talk show also call me "Yellow Yung". I think I might even drop my english name "Barbara" and use "Yellow" instead as Yellow Yung is more widely accepted.
Although my first scene in LOCH is yet to come, in my daily live I have unconsciously become Huang Rong myself. I have heard several new friends talking behind my back,"Have you noticed the character and posture of Yung Mei Ling has become cuter recently?" I laughed secretly when I have heard this. Of course I have to immerse myself deep in the Huang Rong character, or else I would end up being a miserable Huang Rong in front of the audience.
This Huang Rong character is not easy to perform, even the cuteness and naughtiness have to be nurtured carefully. I'm definitely not as smart as Huang Rong herself but I hope I can bring liveliness to her character. I would show audience my version of Huang Rong and to leave deep impression within their heart, and do justice to the famous novel of Jin Yung.
To me, playing a role that is so well known by nearly everyone is not easy. As I know nothing about martial art, I'm really worry when I was asked to fight with sword or stick. After taking careful instructions and training by martial art teachers, I think I can now manage that without difficulty. If I've known earlier I have to fight in this "martial art world", perhaps I would have gone up the mountains and be an apprentice of some martial art masters.
I was the first to audition for Huang Rong in the morning during that day, and have to work immediately on the "The Legend of the Unknowns" in the afternoon so I haven't got the chance to see how others or myself had performed.
Only after the final result had been announced was I told by someone. Apart from feeling surprised I was also feeling very cheerful.
Now everything is in the past and my feelings then had been told many times. All in all, I feel "lucky' and "cheerful". Once when I was putting on makeups, Isabella walked in the parlor to visit me and we were having a frank conversation. We get along well. Isabella also remarked that if she ever get the chance to act in drama, she would also like to play roles similar to Huang Rong.
Here I would like to say to you Isabella, I also really hope to play in a good drama with you together.
(translated by eblc2006)
The original article comes from www.barbarayung.net
當選後才惡補射鵰 決心演得比人便俏
好不容易才執筆，但落筆之際，却又不知應該從何說起。近日自從被選演黃蓉後，
很多人突然對我關注起來，使我著實有點受寵若驚。
我個人是一個順應自然，安於天命的宿命論者信奉者，我當選黃蓉可能就是命運的安排，事前自己一點也沒想過，這些我已跟記者們說過很多遍了。總之一句話，公司安排我去試鏡我便去。
其實我是不是一個真正值得人家注視的人呢？我自己也不知道。我只知道盡自己的能力做好，
無論成績怎樣，只求對得住自己便是。
我從來沒想過自己會扮演黃蓉，我在英國住了十二年，很少看武俠小說，就是大名鼎鼎的金庸原著『射鵰英雄傳』也從未看過。
重回到濶別十二載的香港，參加香港小姐競選，我從中獲益良多。因此我認為參選港姐爭取寶座並不是唯一目的，重要的是從中吸取知識，增廣見聞。
雖然當選黃蓉算不上是一件怎麼了不起的事，但至少給我一個機會嘗試一些新角色，從而吸取更多經驗。我並不是要求自己一步登天，只希望循序漸進，慢慢進入角色。
我畢竟是新人，演戲經驗尚淺，所以希望藉著導演循循善誘的悉心指導，能夠幫助我把這個角色演好。
話雖如此，我不能完全倚賴別人，自己也應該盡力。
到今日為止，我已經看完了四集「射鵰」之中的三集，現在已進軍第四集。雖然我不敢說自己已經完全可以掌握黃蓉的性格，但基本上我已經揣摩到角色的特性。
我曾經對自己這樣說：「翁美玲，你決不能站在鏡頭前面木無表情，你必須有所表現。」真的，我不可以辜負觀眾對黃蓉的期望，更加不可以白費了所有參與「射鵰」工作人員的心血。
雖然我對自己的要求頗高，但我並不因此而加重自己的心理壓力，我希望一切都可以來得自然些。「十三妹」是我有生以來所演的第一套劇集，我覺得在演出方面都很自然，不知人家看了會否有同樣的感覺？雖然我在「十三妹」的戲份不如「射鵰」的多，不過，我深信吸收了「十三妹」的演出經驗，多少對我在「射鵰」的演出會有幫助。
誠然，我是一個新人，一次的演出經驗可能不足以鞏固我的演戲基礎，我亦不奢望一步登上青雲路。可是，我不會因此而模仿他人，翁美玲就是翁美玲，應該有自己的路向。人家演得出色與我無關，因為我不能跟從別人的路線走，我必須脫離人家的範疇，塑造另一個黃蓉形象，這樣才對得起觀眾對我的愛戴。
想起那群熱情觀眾，就更加不容鬆懈，他們對我一個新藝員這樣愛戴，真叫我難以相信。無論我走到大街小巷，都有一批一群的熱情影迷叫我簽名，要求我跟他們一起拍照。對於這些，我初時感到很不自在，但如今習慣了。令我最開心的，就是當他們大叫：「黃蓉呀！黃蓉來了。」我聽了不禁甜在心頭。
不單觀眾這樣叫，甚至錄影「婦女新姿」的工作人員，他們每見到我也高呼：「YELLOW 翁！」我想，我可能要將我的英文名字巴巴拉翁摒棄，改為YELLOW翁會更為人接受！
縱然「射鵰」到今日為止還未有我的戲份，但在日常生活裡，我已經不知不覺間變為黃蓉的化身。
我曾經聽過幾位我不大熟識的朋友私私竊語地說：「你們有沒有發覺翁美玲的舉止神韻比以前俏得多呀！」聽到這句話，我暗地裡笑。當然，我應該將自己融化於俏黃蓉身上，難道他們想見到一個「古氣袋黃蓉」嗎？
這個黃蓉可不容易做呀！就是「嬌俏」也是要培養出來的，捫心自問不及黃蓉的冰雪聰明，我希望可以將黃蓉演活，螢幕上演出我自己的黃蓉，使觀眾留下深刻的印象，不可糟塌金庸先生的名著。
對於我來說，要演一個這樣已深入人心的小說人物，並不容易。我對武術一無所知，可說是花拳綉腿，叫我舞刀弄槍、跳跳蹦蹦，真驚力有不逮，不過經過武術指導的悉心指導，想必我一定可以慿付裕如。要是早知道我自己要「置身武林」的話，可能我會上山拜師學法。
可是當日我是第一個試鏡的，上午試鏡之後，下午就要拍「十三妹」，匆忙之際，根本看不到其他對手的演出，亦不知道自己做得怎樣。
直至結果公佈後，方有人告訴我，我聽到這個消息也感到意外，意外之餘當然喜上眉梢啦。
一切已成過去，當時的感受也說得太多。總括而言，我覺得只有「幸運」和「喜悅」四個字。
一次，我在化粧之際，寇鴻萍走到化粧間探我，我們談得十分投契，依莎貝拉(寇鴻萍英文名)還表示，若她有機會演話劇，希望能夠演到類似黃蓉的角色呢！
在此我告訴你依莎貝拉(寇鴻萍)，我也很希望跟你一起演一齣好戲呀！
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