What About True Democracy? 講到真普選

Duh... So? What has it got to do with True Democracy?

要講服一個聰明人挺困難。但要說服一個蠢人簡直不可能！

I’m a traditionalist. I think revolutionaries should have a nominal understanding of what they fight for. I have therefore enclosed two articles (excerpts and links at the end) for the information of Hong Kong’s Democracy Revolutionaries. There are plenty more information about their Cause, but I shouldn't overload.

The first article explains the super complicated phenomenon of “super delegates” or “unbound delegates” in the US. If you can’t fully understand the mechanism, don’t feel bad. Not even ordinary party fans (US political parties have mostly fans, not members) do. It’s designed to obfuscate. Suffice to say that each super delegate is equivalent to thousands of ordinary party members in terms of voting power — a condensed form of selective democracy I suppose. 

The second article is a Harvard study which shows American election to be the most unfair among Western Democracies. If and when Hong Kong Revolutionaries have successfully discovered “True Democracy” between happy hours and weekend protests, they should export it to their sponsors to repay their generous support.

Since many Freedom Fighters a la Hong Kong are functional illiterates in English and modern Chinese, I’ve prepared a short summary in traditional script for their benefit.

在香港喊破喉嚨爭取「真普選」的民主鬥士們，懂英語的幾位可以自己閱讀以下鏈接的兩篇文章 ：第一篇有關「超級委託人」。第二篇是哈佛的專家調查報告：有系統地比較所有西方民主國家的選舉工程後，專家們認為美國選舉的公平性倒數第一。這類資料很多，港式「革命家」應該負荷不了。但能夠咬緊牙關略讀一兩篇，稍微認識民主偶像大美超級金主共和國的「真普選」實況，對他們的革命事業會有幫助。假如有朝一日他們在香港成功爭取到「真普選」的話，說不定可以輸出回灌通通沒有實現「真普選」的英美贊助國，也算投桃報李。

為了照顧英語有限，看不懂原文的港式革命家，我特別用繁體中文粗略歸納了一下，以供參考。

Tuning into Man's Last Song

I’ve never managed to give a talk according to script. 

But this is a reasonably close approximation of my presentation at 

the University of Hong Kong Main Library on 31 March 2016. 

I discussed the problems of our world today (oh dear) and 

how simulated hindsight had led me to writing Man’s Last Song 

鏈接到中文版：笙歌的世界

First I’d like to thank the HKU Library for the invitation and excellent organisation. When giving a talk on campus, one never knows who’s in the audience. There could be a specialist present on everything I pretend to know something about. It’s therefore safe to declare my ignorance from the onset. 

I don’t read newspapers, and haven’t had a TV since 1982. These days, I rely mostly on books for attitude reinforcement, and the internet for a selective glimpse of current affairs, avoiding distortions and misdirections by the mainstream media as much as possible. That’s why I won’t protest when someone tells me I don’t know what’s going on. I know they’re right. Just that they often don’t know they also don’t know what’s going on. 

According to my non-mainstream impression, the world has become dangerously disoriented for quite some time now. Nearly everyone, regardless of race, cultural background, nationality, religious affiliation, intelligence, degree of sanity and political persuasion seems to agree on one thing: There’s something wrong with the way things are headed. They just can’t agree on what, why, and how to rectify. Incumbent “universal values” seem to promote perpetual procrastination over major and pressing issues of enormous consequences, and endless debates over petty and abstract ones. Even without any knowledge in anthropology, I suspect that wasn’t how Homo sapiens climbed to the top of the food chain.

Anyways, it’s impossible to list all the problems. Just that some of them will eventually affect the planet, or, more precisely, the suitability of this planet for human habitation at current population level and rate of consumption. 

“笙歌” 的世界

這是我2016年3月31日在香港大學圖書館的演講的中文譯本

細節跟現場所述雖然有分別，但希望基本上能反映當晚很有意思的探討和交流答問

Link to English version: Tuning into Man's Last Song

首先我要感謝港大圖書館的邀請和安排。我知道在大學校園演說要特別小心。座上臥虎藏龍，所有我平時裝懂的課題，都可能有專家在場。為保險計，我想首先來個自白。

自1982年到今天，我家裡都沒有電視。最近十多年我更戒絕了報紙。今天我對世情的模糊印象，主要來自書本和篩選過的互聯網消息，盡量避免了主流傳媒的誤導和污染。所以每當有人指穿我不知所謂，我例不反駁。因為我心知是事實，只不過他們不知自己也是一無所知的迷道中人而已。

根據我的非主流印象，今天的世界一塌糊塗，程度史無前例。這不是由於我個人悲觀，或神經衰弱。全球人士不論背景，唯一的共識是世界不對版了。至於如何走樣，則看法很多，無法一致，更莫論應對方法了。當今流行的 「普世價值」，最顯著的效果似乎是瑣碎事爭辯不休，大談原則；與人類未來有關鍵性影響的巨大事情，則猶疑不決，一拖再拖。我雖然不懂人類學，但夠膽打賭：我們的祖先當初肯定不是光靠嘴巴當上了動物霸主的。

當今人類面對的問題多不勝數，繼續惡化的話，其中不少會影響地球繼續負荷現時的人口水平和資源需求的能力，可以說事關重大。

A Little Soho Story 蘇豪區的小故事

Ah! Soho! Sounds so Chinese. But the name originated in London, probably as hunting grounds for Henry Number Eight and friends. Nobody’s sure. Gradually, the area was taken over by brothels and bars and restaurants, pleasure establishments favoured by privileged gentlemen after shooting foxes. Since the 1980s, prostitutes have been replaced by high margin shops and posh restaurants. Foxes had been long gone. 

蘇豪這個名字很有中國味道，出處卻在倫敦。據說蘇豪區原來是亨利八號和哥們的狩獵場。貴族獵狐完畢，都要輕鬆一下。於是妓院，酒吧和食肆慢慢蓬勃起來。自八十年代後，貨真價實的妓女雖然佔地不多，也難逃被貨真價不實的高級商鋪取代。不知為何，蘇豪這名字甚受歡迎。紐約抄了之後，香港又抄。美國人抄襲肯定有一番道理，說 Soho 代表 South of Houston 街。於是香港連這命名之術也照抄，話 Soho 代表 「荷里活道之南」 －South of Hollywood 才真。其實 Soho 位置在歌賦街以北，叫做 No Go （North of Gough Street）會較有創意。不過香港的強項是抄襲，和取笑大陸人抄襲，不是創新。 

The name Soho attracts copycats for some reason. It’s been recycled in New York and Hong Kong at least. Soho, after due American justification, means South of Houston Street in NYC. Hong Kong  feels the need to copy semanticity as well, and claims it stands for South of Hollywood Road. But Soho Hong Kong is also north of Gough Street. Why not call it NoGo instead? Too original I suppose. I personally prefer the vagueness of Soho London; truly seminal things tend to be shrouded by time, elusive to definition.

Trump for President

中文版鏈接：我也來撐唐納德

The US election is a reality show which many outsiders follow as if their own. But non-Americans of the Brave New World should remember there’s no point agonising over the theatric competition. Entertainment is just entertainment. Don’t risk hypertension over it. Moreover, pardon my perennial repetition: Whoever wins makes no difference. That said, I still have an impertinent preference for Donald I over Clinton II, and I’m not even being sarcastic.

Many non-Americans irrationally cringe at the prospect of a President Trump. Well, I confess I wouldn’t want a friend like him. My contact list is full. But the arguments against him, from an outsider’s perspective, are mostly invalid or irrelevant.

我也來撐唐納德（特朗普）

English link: Trump for President

美國大選就像一場連載真人秀。很多外人越看越投入，連自己不是美國人也忘記了。看到唐納德這個混蛋越戰越勇，血壓跟著上升。這個壞傢伙也可以當總統！氣死人了！見到他那髮型，真不開胃！我奉勸大家且不要動氣。第一，這是美國大選，不關咱們屁事。第二，民主選舉不過娛樂事業，誰當選最後都一樣。看了哪麼多場表演還看不出來，不會是腦筋出了毛病吧？

不錯，唐納德擺明是個混蛋。但哪個美國政客不是呢？布希一世不是？布希二世不是？克林頓一世不是？和平獎得主，無人飛機殺人王，當年以「改革」為競選口號的奧巴馬不是？難道好戰婆娘克林頓二世不是？唐納德不同之處，是他一舉一動都擺明是個徹頭徹尾的大混蛋。在美國政壇，很久沒有見過這樣言行一致的人物了。老實說我也被感動了。

A Beginner Meditator's Reflections

中文鏈接：初學靜坐筆記

Homo sapiens are but one recent life-form on a mediocre planet in a universe comprising hundreds of billions more impressive ones. Genetically, we overlap banana by about 50%. Nevertheless, probably through some short-term evolutionary mishaps, modern humans manage to disregard these humbling facts with baffling self-confidence. Our contemporaries have no qualms about dismissing “reality” if it transcends their five dull senses. That’s partly why meditation — a human discovery which has been tested for a few thousand years — are commonly viewed with suspicion, even derision, by present-day urbanites. Fortunately, many “amazing” claims of meditation have been verified by inquisitive remnants of our species. Google for researches on the subject by any reputable institution (try Harvard, for example), and you might be surprised by the amount of investigations done in the past few decades.

Naturally, most meditation guides and insights are from accomplished masters. However, the experience of a beginner may prove comforting, if not necessarily helpful, to someone who’s curious about the basics such as what to do during meditation and how to deal with mental noises. I don’t have the answers, of course, but do have conjectures based on a few months of daily practice. I hope they are worth sharing.

初學靜坐筆記

Link to English: A Beginner Meditator's Reflections

大部分有關靜坐的論述和指導文章，都出自高人手筆。對一個有興趣卻未開始的人來說，另一個初學者的經驗和 「心得」 可能有更貼身的啓發作用。初學靜坐的人，有兩個最通常的問題。其一是：「打坐時做什麼？」 其二是：「念頭不斷，如何處置？」 這些問題看似簡單，其實很深。我雖然沒有答案，但短短十個月的靜坐經驗，給了我某些大家可能覺得有趣的妄想，便儘管寫出來分享一下吧。

不少摩登 「智人」 都忘記了我們不過是宇宙數以千億星球其中一顆小行星的表皮寄生新物種，身上的遺傳因子有一半與香蕉相同，客觀說絕不出色。但任何咱們遲鈍六根覺得難以掌握的現象，他們都會毫不猶疑地斷定不應該！不可能！心理作用云云。幸而科研人員的努力，某程度上打擊了21世紀智人的巨大自信。這在量子物理的領域最為明顯。鮮為人知的是，經過幾千年考驗，卻被現代人懷疑的 「靜坐」，這幾十年來亦被科研 「平反」。頂級的中西學府如哈佛之類，都做了大量工作。有興趣不妨花幾分鐘搜狐或Google一下。

Hong Kong & Taiwan's "Brain Drain"

鏈接到中文版：港臺 “腦外洩”

The following SCMP article doesn’t surprise me (http://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1300687/more-residents-leave-hong-kong-experts-worry-about-brain).  I think a severe “brain drain” has been going on for some time, as evidenced by the high proportion of intellectual dross in the community. 

Historically, HK’s talent outflow was predominantly westward. Now it’s north and west. Both Taiwan and HK suffer a silent leakage of useful people. Silent because the more serious the depletion, the less we hear about it. The mainstream media don’t like the story, and the alternative voices are gone. Two million Taiwanese live in mainland China. Serious enough? Hush hush.

港臺 ”腦外洩“

Link to English Version: Brain Drain

友人傳來南華早報有關香港人才外流的文章（http://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1300687/more-residents-leave-hong-kong-experts-worry-about-brain）雖無新意，卻頗有警示作用。

其實香港的人才外流，英文的所謂 「腦外洩」，已經流了一段時間。稍為留意今天社會上腦渣滓的不尋常比例，便可一瞥端倪。香港過往的腦外洩都往西去，後期回流的也不少。二十一世紀的流向比較多樣，有北有西，有喜有悲。台灣跟香港都有嚴重的腦外洩問題，但聲音不多。傳媒不報道，大家便聽不到。而外洩越嚴重，警號聲便越微弱，因為會發警號的人都跑了。兩百萬台灣人搬了回大陸生活工作，夠嚴重吧！還是別提了。不提便沒有問題啦！台灣是塊民主福地，有美國認同，請大家鼓掌！

咕嚕的心魔

                                                                                                                               illustration claire tam : clairetam.com

十三年的牢獄生涯快將過去。雖則度日如年，回頭看也不過眨眼之間。

再過五個星期，咕嚕便可以恢復自由，重新做人。

他現在才發覺，做人難，重新做人更難。

太陽出來之後，心魔還有活下去的空間嗎？

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Read English Version: Gollum's Demon

 

啪啪啪！突然爆響的拍門聲，把咕嚕嚇得坐直起來。
「警察查房！」

他感覺胸口受壓，呼吸困難，身體冰冷，腦袋空白，像中了邪，也像被點了穴。覺得反胃，但不夠氣力嘔吐。

外面又敲了三下門，沒有喊話，節拍沒有剛才急促，力度也減了大半，明顯有些敷衍，正在拖延時間。門外的人低聲交談了幾句，接著是片刻靜默，只有鑰匙輕微碰撞的金屬聲。

身邊的她，痴痴地望著他。廉價時鐘酒店的窗門都用黑卡紙封了。一線微弱的陽光，從卡紙間的裂縫擠了進來，正好投射在她圓白的臉龐上。他剛才努力的汗水，在她的臉上反射著暗淡的晶瑩。兩片瘀紅厚唇，一斑斑的像隔夜豬肝。瘀唇間夾了一束粗糙油膩的長髮。望著她大得異常的微突眼睛，咕嚕突然覺得她很像日本電影中的魔童。

「陳先生，咩事呀？」 連她也感覺到氣氛不對勁。

她這一問，倒把他解了穴。他攤開雙手，竪起手指，像魔術師準備變戲法的手勢：「乖乖，唔好出聲。噓！乖！」他一邊說，一邊把濕膩的被單拉高，把她蓋上。

她很乖地讓他將自己蓋起來；她一向都很乖。

門被大力推開。霎時間地動山搖，卻沒有聲音，像默片里的爆炸。

一條光柱直插他雙眼。手電筒的光十分熾熱，整個頭被熱力逼得要爆裂。

「警察！」

被一喝之下，他遽然失禁，暖暖的尿液不住地流，好像有個無限大的尿囊。尿液的暖氣把他冰冷的身體解凍。他打了個大冷顫，然後微微低頭，崩堤般猛吐，都吐在自己身上，流到床上。濕透了的被單，令下面的細小人形更加突出。

她仍然乖乖地捲曲在他身旁，動也不動，也沒有作聲。。。

譚炳昌初稿刊於過渡 2015.11.28

 

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《咕嚕的心魔》
是《幽靈的獨白》故事集
其中一個短篇

 

 

2022年6月由山頂文化出版
在三聯，中華，商務，誠品和「一本」app 有售
http://www.mybookone.com.hk

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Read English Version: Gollum's Demon

鏈接到其他 過渡 短篇故事