「咔哧！」一位媽媽帶著年幼的孩子，踏上了巴士。那孩子睜著機靈的眼睛，不發一語，好奇地左右張望。她的樣子差不多四五歲左右，雙手捏著裙邊，天真的臉上流露出一副害羞的表情。她媽媽牽著她的手，把她帶到我旁邊的位置上。我沒理她們，繼續看我的書。過了一會兒，我被一陣歇斯底里的哭聲從我的「迷幻世界」中喚醒了。回頭一看，原來是我旁邊的孩子，她坐在母親的腿上，張大嘴巴，眼淚順著早已漲紅的臉龐而流下。這下我再也看不了書了，認真地端詳著這對母女。只見那位母親用手輕輕摸著她的頭，說：「乖乖，你要什麼，儘管告訴媽媽，媽媽會給你的！」顯然，那孩子聽慣了這一套，大聲地說：「我要手機！」
這聲音大得全車人都聽得見，我這時才猛然醒覺車上鴉雀無聲，每一個人都在聽著這母女的對話。但那母親毫不遲疑，立即從手袋裏掏出一部手提電話，交給女兒。那孩子看都不看一下，就狠狠地扔在了地上，在母親的耳旁尖叫：「不要這個，要前面的那個！」
我這才看見，扔在地上的電話螢屏已碎裂，那母親趕緊把它撿起來，放在手袋裏。原來前面的阿姨手拿著的，是一部最新潮流的手機。母親面露難色，但馬上又舒展了本來緊蹙著的眉宇，輕聲說：「孩子，媽媽現在沒有另外的手機，我們玩『摸金蛋』吧！」那孩子立即破涕為笑。於是，他們便有模有樣地玩起了這兒戲。我看著他們輪流嘗試把雞蛋摸出來，那孩子每贏一局就大喊：「我贏了媽媽！」 我仔細一看，嘿，那孩子正在耍賴呢！她偷偷地往紅袋子裏看，看見金色的雞蛋時就記住位子，等一下用手去把它拿上來。那母親明明看見了，卻一不勸告、二不阻止，只是一個勁兒跟她玩。突然，一陣電話聲響起，那母親低下頭，在手袋裏尋找另一個電話。那孩子趁機說：「媽媽耍賴！媽媽耍賴！...... 」她的聲音越來越刺耳，而且還開始用尖尖的指甲去刮母親的脖子，刮出一條條痕跡來。不知是庝還是不疼，但我想母親的心裏肯定很傷。可是，她卻若無其事的掏出電話來，按停了那鈴聲，繼續和女兒玩。那孩子沒心情玩了，只是不停的叫：「耍賴！耍賴！耍賴！...... 」
怎知，那母親竟說：「是，是，媽媽耍賴，應該受罰。」 那孩子幸災樂禍地笑了幾聲，舉手「啪啪啪」的打了母親兩記巴掌，力度之大，使母親的臉頓時紅腫起來。車廂裏的人都沸騰了。
「哪聽過孩子打母親巴掌？還把她的臉打得紅腫起來！」
「對啊！何況是那母親根本沒有耍賴！即使有也不應該這樣做啊！這孩子太野蠻了！那母親真可憐，生了個這樣的孩子！」
於是，這母親便領著孩子，在混亂中悄悄的下車了。我看著他們的背影，覺得這孩子簡直是無藥可救了，但給我印象最深刻的是她的母親。當孩子對自己拳打腳踢時，她竟然安然接受！現在孩子已經這麼任性，長大了以後，去哪裡找工作？應聘不成功就去找老闆算賬，要不就和同事打架，這樣的行為可以接受嗎？那母親現在這樣溺愛孩子，究竟是愛？還是害?
2010年12月19日 星期日
2010年12月12日 星期日
The Journey
Dawn had just broken, and the sunglow was painted all over the serene sky to announce the start of a fresh new day. As far as we could see, everything was tranquil, and all was peaceful. There was no sound to be heard except for the regular “clip-clop” of the horses’ hooves on the dusty ground. There were brick towers standing high above us, but I didn’t pay them much attention. As I gaze up at the sky, I glimpse a dove sailing gaily through the clouds. We were on a journey from our familiar Persia to a mysterious land – Chang’an, China.
“Shipp!” an arrow broke the silence. I pulled on the reins sharply, and the horses trotted to a halt. I bent down and picked the arrow up. There was no message, nothing inscribed on it, and the tip was sharp and gleamed red. Poison. The word alone sent shivers down my spine. There was no cure for poison, none at all. I pulled the net down and continued.
More arrows rained down upon us. My men behind started panicking. Nervously, I cracked the whip, and the horses galloped faster. Everyone could see unfriendly
faces peering out from the watchtowers that towered above us, glaring. I tugged on the reins again. “Get the goods!” I hollered to my men. We had brought loads of goods along to trade with the local Chinese. We had brought water clocks from Egypt, rugs from our homeland Persia, books from Denmark... According to my father, Marco Polo had once traveled on this same path as I am on now. He called it the “Silk Road”. One of my friends had been to China before – and pronounced it a prosperous country.
The shriek of a man brought me back from my dreams. “A man has been shot!” Jamal, the physician of our troupe, hurried through the caravans.
The next few weeks went by peacefully. I was beginning to think that we had left the dangers far behind. It was a beautiful morning, in which the sun was rising amid a patch of rose and azure and turquoise and lilac. The light breeze fluttered over the treetops, through the leaves and onto our cheeks. Shooting out of the blue came another caravan, charging towards us. They all had blonde hair and their eyes sunk into their sockets. They bellowed something in a foreign language and one man lifted his forefinger to his lips, crossed both his arms in an “X” and drew his right arm across his neck. It didn’t look good. Everyone quietened down. My heart was leaping and my palms were clammy. They strode over and opened the canopy. The goods were in plain sight. Their eyes gleamed with greed and lunged for the goods. At that split second, my men jumped up and started stabbing the robbers with some daggers. At that, I remembered a book I had once seen from China. picture of a man in a book, fighting. I imitated him and made my hand go in a snake-like shape, kneeled down on one foot and tilted my head up. To my surprise, the robbers froze for a second. As if on cue, they all dropped their weapons, leapt upon their caravan and fled. I was a bit puzzled. What was that I did? Was it Kungfu or what? How come it scared the robbers away? Any way, it would be something from China. Three cheers for China! I put that out of my mind for a second and started scanning the caravans. At least none of our booty was robbed. Everyone hoped that the goods would pay well in China.
A couple of weeks later, the men had huge black lumps on their armpits and
necks. Since Jamal had been killed in the bloodbath, nobody knew what it was. Dozens of my men had already died of it, and dozens more were sick. I could only stand and watch helplessly while my men died, one after another. I had lost all hope of reaching that faraway place – what was it called? I could only fight back tears and bury the lifeless bodies with their blank staring eyes next to the path as a monument of the hardships on the way to the China.
One fateful day, we saw a winding jagged wall coming nearer and nearer to us. Finally, we have reached our destination! There was the rock-paved wall with all those towers coming towards us from the horizon and us hurrahing and cheering. The soldiers, standing bold and tall at the gates, glanced at our permission slip and waved us in. We were into the flourishing city in a moment! How exciting everything seemed to us! As far as the eye could see, there were brick-paved streets and carts of goods pulled by horses.
On the market day, we hurried to the square and put up our goods. We saw a
large character on the wall, “唐”.After what seemed like a century, people started
coming along. Some wealthy people traded 50 yards of silk with us just for a water
clock! And then, a burly man offered to trade 600 bales of ceramics and 500 bolts of silk, so we gave him some myrrh, glass, furs and gemstones. How glad he was! A
lot of people were interested in our books and bought some, even though the
letters didn’t mean anything to them. We put up our newly painted ostrich eggs and immediately some women and children bustled over. They traded them with some ceramic plates for their children. This has been the best day of my life!
Of course, if the men hadn’t died in the bloodbath with the robbers, they might have seen this wonderful day. I wonder if the world would ever be peaceful. I glimpse a dove sailing through the sky, coming to rest on a tree branch. One day perhaps there would be no fighting. One day.
“Shipp!” an arrow broke the silence. I pulled on the reins sharply, and the horses trotted to a halt. I bent down and picked the arrow up. There was no message, nothing inscribed on it, and the tip was sharp and gleamed red. Poison. The word alone sent shivers down my spine. There was no cure for poison, none at all. I pulled the net down and continued.
More arrows rained down upon us. My men behind started panicking. Nervously, I cracked the whip, and the horses galloped faster. Everyone could see unfriendly
faces peering out from the watchtowers that towered above us, glaring. I tugged on the reins again. “Get the goods!” I hollered to my men. We had brought loads of goods along to trade with the local Chinese. We had brought water clocks from Egypt, rugs from our homeland Persia, books from Denmark... According to my father, Marco Polo had once traveled on this same path as I am on now. He called it the “Silk Road”. One of my friends had been to China before – and pronounced it a prosperous country.
The shriek of a man brought me back from my dreams. “A man has been shot!” Jamal, the physician of our troupe, hurried through the caravans.
The next few weeks went by peacefully. I was beginning to think that we had left the dangers far behind. It was a beautiful morning, in which the sun was rising amid a patch of rose and azure and turquoise and lilac. The light breeze fluttered over the treetops, through the leaves and onto our cheeks. Shooting out of the blue came another caravan, charging towards us. They all had blonde hair and their eyes sunk into their sockets. They bellowed something in a foreign language and one man lifted his forefinger to his lips, crossed both his arms in an “X” and drew his right arm across his neck. It didn’t look good. Everyone quietened down. My heart was leaping and my palms were clammy. They strode over and opened the canopy. The goods were in plain sight. Their eyes gleamed with greed and lunged for the goods. At that split second, my men jumped up and started stabbing the robbers with some daggers. At that, I remembered a book I had once seen from China. picture of a man in a book, fighting. I imitated him and made my hand go in a snake-like shape, kneeled down on one foot and tilted my head up. To my surprise, the robbers froze for a second. As if on cue, they all dropped their weapons, leapt upon their caravan and fled. I was a bit puzzled. What was that I did? Was it Kungfu or what? How come it scared the robbers away? Any way, it would be something from China. Three cheers for China! I put that out of my mind for a second and started scanning the caravans. At least none of our booty was robbed. Everyone hoped that the goods would pay well in China.
A couple of weeks later, the men had huge black lumps on their armpits and
necks. Since Jamal had been killed in the bloodbath, nobody knew what it was. Dozens of my men had already died of it, and dozens more were sick. I could only stand and watch helplessly while my men died, one after another. I had lost all hope of reaching that faraway place – what was it called? I could only fight back tears and bury the lifeless bodies with their blank staring eyes next to the path as a monument of the hardships on the way to the China.
One fateful day, we saw a winding jagged wall coming nearer and nearer to us. Finally, we have reached our destination! There was the rock-paved wall with all those towers coming towards us from the horizon and us hurrahing and cheering. The soldiers, standing bold and tall at the gates, glanced at our permission slip and waved us in. We were into the flourishing city in a moment! How exciting everything seemed to us! As far as the eye could see, there were brick-paved streets and carts of goods pulled by horses.
On the market day, we hurried to the square and put up our goods. We saw a
large character on the wall, “唐”.After what seemed like a century, people started
coming along. Some wealthy people traded 50 yards of silk with us just for a water
clock! And then, a burly man offered to trade 600 bales of ceramics and 500 bolts of silk, so we gave him some myrrh, glass, furs and gemstones. How glad he was! A
lot of people were interested in our books and bought some, even though the
letters didn’t mean anything to them. We put up our newly painted ostrich eggs and immediately some women and children bustled over. They traded them with some ceramic plates for their children. This has been the best day of my life!
Of course, if the men hadn’t died in the bloodbath with the robbers, they might have seen this wonderful day. I wonder if the world would ever be peaceful. I glimpse a dove sailing through the sky, coming to rest on a tree branch. One day perhaps there would be no fighting. One day.
未來的沉思
3011 年，地球上早已煙霧彌漫，人類依然執迷不悟，他們繼續糟蹋著地球，令它的情況每況愈下。我吃了自己發明的長生不老藥，現在才是30歲。我不忍心看見地球這個樣子，經過一段時間的研究，我終於研製出了一種「清潔機器人」。「他們」身上有一些像吸塵器的吸盤，把小型垃圾吸進身體以後，裏面的機器就會把垃圾分成可分解和不可分解兩類；之後，「他們」它又會在肚子裏把可分解的垃圾進行分解，回到垃圾場後再把它們釋放在不同的區域。我覺得地球終於有希望了，怎知人們的衛生習慣實在太差了，機器人們清潔完畢舊的垃圾，新的垃圾又被拋了出來。我煩惱了好幾年，終於想到了中國先進的X320-15 探索宇宙機，便打了個電話給中央科學院的陳秘書：
「我們地球的環境污染太嚴重了，我覺得大家應該合力找一個新的星球給人類居住下去。」
「但這並不是很容易的事情啊，畢竟人類需要氧氣，水源，熱力等事物才能生存，據研究，這個機會的可能性少於一千萬分之一。」 陳秘書語帶難色。
「不要怕！現在我馬上去徵募隊員！」
我們立即來到中央科學院，登上了宇宙探索機，向茫茫的宇宙駛去。我們以光速向前方駕駛，不消兩個小時就達到了宇宙的邊緣。陳秘書突然叫喊起來:「前面有一個黑洞，大家小心！」
一個主意湧上我的心頭：「大家聽著，大部分黑洞都像一條通道似的，會把我們帶領到另一個宇宙，不如……」
一語未畢，我就聽見了雜亂的回應：「哼! 這是沒可能的事！」
「去還是不去好呢？……」
「這主意太好了，我一定要去! 」
於是，一班追隨我的人（包括陳秘書）就跟著我，乘搭宇宙探索機裏的副飛船，通過黑漆漆的黑洞時，大家都發現自己高了幾寸，而且還有些頭暈眼花的情況出現。這時，工程師突然跑了進來，沖著我們喊：「不好了！控制中心的聯繫部分失靈了！」我知道黑洞的地心引力比木星還要強幾十萬倍，我立即讓飛船釋放一種類似結晶體的物體，並凝結在飛船的外殼上，形成一層「保護膜」。很快控制板上的紅色燈一盞一盞地熄滅了， 一切又似乎恢復了正常。我們差點被拉成長長的「人肉麵條」，永遠消失在宇宙中。幸虧我們的飛船是以特種鋼鐵造成，再加上它以光速行駛和自製的保護膜，這便大大減少了黑洞帶來的殺傷力……
「哇！這實在太美了！」
穿過黑洞以後，大家都歡呼了起來！我們眼前豁然開朗，只見十來顆星球環繞著一顆發出耀眼光芒的紅色星星，美極了！但最引人注目的還是第三顆星球—它簡直就是幾百萬年前地球！它擁有著使人們能繼續生存下去的基本條件—湛藍的海洋、絲帶般的河流、銀白的冰川、若隱若現的大氣層和鬱鬱蔥蔥的森林！大家高興地互相擁抱，我們終於成功了！“它像天堂一樣美，又將是一顆代替我們家鄉—地球的星球，就把它命名為『天球』吧!」駕駛人員用力地踩油門，我們不知不覺回到了我們熟悉的地球。
降落後，大家嚇了一跳，因為張院長垂頭喪氣的，好像剛收到了什麼壞消息。他一看見我們，就說：「唉，你們和其他隊員分手後，他們的氧氣儲存箱無緣無故地爆炸，氧氣都漏了出來，他們都……唉！」大家肅然低頭默哀了三分鐘。我看見一旁的陳秘書在飲泣，便想起了他在臨走前對在另外那隊執行任務的妻子說：「親愛的，我們一個星期後在地球上再見吧！」 怎知，他的終生伴侶就喪生在茫茫宇宙中……我把手輕輕放在他的肩上，我也感覺到喉嚨裏有一塊東西哽住似的，有點想哭的感覺。
三分鐘過去了，我忽地想起我們帶來的喜訊：「張院長，我們發現了一個很適合人類居住的星球！」他飽含淚光的雙眼掠過一絲希望：「那個星球上是怎麼樣的呀？」我的其中一位隊員肯定地回答：「報告院長，那裏和未被污染的地球是一模一樣的！」
於是，人們如獲至寶，搬進了如同聖地一般的天球。
2000年的歲月如同一滴水般從我的手指間悄悄溜走了，天球上面的人已不知是第幾代了，他們甚至不知道自己的祖先是從地球移居而來的，以為人類一直是在天球一代又一代地繁衍, 但最不幸的是他們又開始大肆捕殺珍貴的受保護動物，濫伐森林；人們無限度地在天球南北極冰川開採新的能源，使海洋大範圍地受到污染，無數可憐的海獅、北極熊及企鵝等天球極地動物受到牽連; 他們還建造了數不清的化工廠、發電廠、塑膠廠……這些工廠排放出大量的污水廢氣，天球上發生了可怕的溫室效應, 使天球的大氣層越來越稀薄，一條條清澈的河流變得混濁不堪，一片片綠色的森林變成了茫茫沙漠，北極的冰川加速融化，每年都有一些地勢低窪的地方被海水淹沒……人們在自己的世界裏享受著每一天。我面對著這一切，無能為力。只好默默坐在房間裏，等待著世界末日的到來。想不到，地球的悲劇竟又將在天球上重演……
最後，可憐的天球不勝負荷，果然發生了一連串的傷亡力極大的地震、一場場巨大的海嘯、一座座火山接連爆發，天球上的地區繼而又發生了無數的旱災、水災、風災……最後一次大規模的爆炸無可避免地發生了，這一切都在我的意料之中。當晚，我獨自乘著飛船離開了天球，成為了宇宙裏唯一的生存者。我黯然坐在飛船的一角沉思。突然， 只聽艙門上傳來一陣淒厲而又急切的敲門聲……
「我們地球的環境污染太嚴重了，我覺得大家應該合力找一個新的星球給人類居住下去。」
「但這並不是很容易的事情啊，畢竟人類需要氧氣，水源，熱力等事物才能生存，據研究，這個機會的可能性少於一千萬分之一。」 陳秘書語帶難色。
「不要怕！現在我馬上去徵募隊員！」
我們立即來到中央科學院，登上了宇宙探索機，向茫茫的宇宙駛去。我們以光速向前方駕駛，不消兩個小時就達到了宇宙的邊緣。陳秘書突然叫喊起來:「前面有一個黑洞，大家小心！」
一個主意湧上我的心頭：「大家聽著，大部分黑洞都像一條通道似的，會把我們帶領到另一個宇宙，不如……」
一語未畢，我就聽見了雜亂的回應：「哼! 這是沒可能的事！」
「去還是不去好呢？……」
「這主意太好了，我一定要去! 」
於是，一班追隨我的人（包括陳秘書）就跟著我，乘搭宇宙探索機裏的副飛船，通過黑漆漆的黑洞時，大家都發現自己高了幾寸，而且還有些頭暈眼花的情況出現。這時，工程師突然跑了進來，沖著我們喊：「不好了！控制中心的聯繫部分失靈了！」我知道黑洞的地心引力比木星還要強幾十萬倍，我立即讓飛船釋放一種類似結晶體的物體，並凝結在飛船的外殼上，形成一層「保護膜」。很快控制板上的紅色燈一盞一盞地熄滅了， 一切又似乎恢復了正常。我們差點被拉成長長的「人肉麵條」，永遠消失在宇宙中。幸虧我們的飛船是以特種鋼鐵造成，再加上它以光速行駛和自製的保護膜，這便大大減少了黑洞帶來的殺傷力……
「哇！這實在太美了！」
穿過黑洞以後，大家都歡呼了起來！我們眼前豁然開朗，只見十來顆星球環繞著一顆發出耀眼光芒的紅色星星，美極了！但最引人注目的還是第三顆星球—它簡直就是幾百萬年前地球！它擁有著使人們能繼續生存下去的基本條件—湛藍的海洋、絲帶般的河流、銀白的冰川、若隱若現的大氣層和鬱鬱蔥蔥的森林！大家高興地互相擁抱，我們終於成功了！“它像天堂一樣美，又將是一顆代替我們家鄉—地球的星球，就把它命名為『天球』吧!」駕駛人員用力地踩油門，我們不知不覺回到了我們熟悉的地球。
降落後，大家嚇了一跳，因為張院長垂頭喪氣的，好像剛收到了什麼壞消息。他一看見我們，就說：「唉，你們和其他隊員分手後，他們的氧氣儲存箱無緣無故地爆炸，氧氣都漏了出來，他們都……唉！」大家肅然低頭默哀了三分鐘。我看見一旁的陳秘書在飲泣，便想起了他在臨走前對在另外那隊執行任務的妻子說：「親愛的，我們一個星期後在地球上再見吧！」 怎知，他的終生伴侶就喪生在茫茫宇宙中……我把手輕輕放在他的肩上，我也感覺到喉嚨裏有一塊東西哽住似的，有點想哭的感覺。
三分鐘過去了，我忽地想起我們帶來的喜訊：「張院長，我們發現了一個很適合人類居住的星球！」他飽含淚光的雙眼掠過一絲希望：「那個星球上是怎麼樣的呀？」我的其中一位隊員肯定地回答：「報告院長，那裏和未被污染的地球是一模一樣的！」
於是，人們如獲至寶，搬進了如同聖地一般的天球。
2000年的歲月如同一滴水般從我的手指間悄悄溜走了，天球上面的人已不知是第幾代了，他們甚至不知道自己的祖先是從地球移居而來的，以為人類一直是在天球一代又一代地繁衍, 但最不幸的是他們又開始大肆捕殺珍貴的受保護動物，濫伐森林；人們無限度地在天球南北極冰川開採新的能源，使海洋大範圍地受到污染，無數可憐的海獅、北極熊及企鵝等天球極地動物受到牽連; 他們還建造了數不清的化工廠、發電廠、塑膠廠……這些工廠排放出大量的污水廢氣，天球上發生了可怕的溫室效應, 使天球的大氣層越來越稀薄，一條條清澈的河流變得混濁不堪，一片片綠色的森林變成了茫茫沙漠，北極的冰川加速融化，每年都有一些地勢低窪的地方被海水淹沒……人們在自己的世界裏享受著每一天。我面對著這一切，無能為力。只好默默坐在房間裏，等待著世界末日的到來。想不到，地球的悲劇竟又將在天球上重演……
最後，可憐的天球不勝負荷，果然發生了一連串的傷亡力極大的地震、一場場巨大的海嘯、一座座火山接連爆發，天球上的地區繼而又發生了無數的旱災、水災、風災……最後一次大規模的爆炸無可避免地發生了，這一切都在我的意料之中。當晚，我獨自乘著飛船離開了天球，成為了宇宙裏唯一的生存者。我黯然坐在飛船的一角沉思。突然， 只聽艙門上傳來一陣淒厲而又急切的敲門聲……
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