MS-09F Dom Tropen
MS-09F Dom Tropen
MS-09F Dom Tropen
MS-09R Rick Dom
MS-09R Rick Dom
Guns, Germs and Steel – Jared Diamond
《火槍﹐細菌﹐鋼鐵》的書名有點無厘頭﹐書名中的三件東西﹐其實是指西方文化征服全球的像徵。作者Jared Diamond反對納粹式的種族主義﹐反對白種人基因優越的理論﹐提出一個嶄新理論﹐解釋為什麼歐亞文化發展遙遙領先﹐當西方已經能建立遠洋殖民船隊﹐美洲澳洲非洲還過著落後的土著生活。作者認為人類文化的進化﹐受制於環境因素影響。因為七大洲地理條件差異﹐才孕育出不同程度的文明。當兩個原本被海洋相隔的文明接觸﹐因為文化程度差距太大﹐落後一方只有被進化一方統治的命運。
故事要從一百萬年前﹐人類最初走出非洲說起。人類從原始狩獵社會﹐進化為農耕社會﹐學懂使用動物作為勞力。農業社會發展為部落﹐人口開始增加和密集﹐社會模式越趨複雜﹐發展出文字﹐宗教和國家體制﹐從而加速發展其他軍用和民用科技。人類從原始人走到擁有火槍﹐發展一環緊扣一環﹐若其中一環欠缺發展的必要條件或動機﹐發展便會停滯不前。作者引用大量考古學資料輔以言語學﹐追溯人類的起源和遷移﹐互相引證美澳非洲的發展的瓶項。
歐亞大陸與其他大陸不同的地方﹐是歐亞大陸橫向申延﹐大部份土地在同一緯度﹐植物的生存條件相若﹐其中一個地方發明耕作後﹐可以很容易帶去其他地方種殖。美澳非大陸南北申延﹐不同緯度的氣候相差很大﹐各地農作物不能交流種植﹐耕作不比狩獵帶來更多的食物﹐原始人看不到耕作的需要﹐便停留在狩獵的生活分式。與狩獵社每個人也要生產食物不同﹐農業社會的食物產量足以支持大量人口﹐可以養活不耕作的人﹐如工匠士兵祭司官員等﹐實行專業分工提升生產力。
除了缺乏農作物﹐美澳二洲還缺乏可以馴養的大型動物。人類在歐亞大陸生活﹐然後發明渡海技術才涉足美洲澳洲。當人類初扺美澳二洲時﹐這兩大洲還是有很多大型動物﹐但牠們因為不是與人類一起進化﹐沒有辨法扺抗原始人的武器﹐很快便被守獵到全部絕種。缺乏大型動物令美澳二洲沒有家畜﹐沒有任何動物代替人類勞力﹐幫助耕作運輸或作為糧食。最致命是病菌起源於人畜交雜相處﹐美澳洲的土著因為沒有家畜﹐對歐亞的病菌沒有扺抗力。美洲土著死於歐洲病菌的數目﹐遠遠超過死於歐洲人槍口之下﹐歐洲病菌殺死了差不多九成以上美洲的原來人口。
在書中最後一章﹐作章把從看橫跨百萬年的時間﹐放大看最近幾千年的歷史﹐解釋同屬於歐亞大陸文化﹐為什麼歐洲又比中國和中東發達。農業在中東美索不達美亞地帶發明﹐那兒曾經建立人類歷史上最早的王國。不過經過幾萬幾千年的耕種﹐那兒的因水源不足導致土地嚴重流失﹐令該地不再土地肥沃盛產糧食﹐橫跨歐亞的王國就此末落。中國地理上是一片大陸地﹐只有長江和黃河分隔﹐軍事上易攻難守﹐很自然便統一整合為一個大國。成為唯一的大國沒有競爭需要發展科技﹐亦因當權者的保守限制科技發展。中國曾發明水車﹐機械鐘和遠洋航海技術﹐離工業革命只有一步之距﹐卻因為皇帝愚昧短視的決定﹐令已發展的技術失傳。反觀歐洲海岸線複雜﹐各國又有高山作天然屏障﹐地理距離不利軍事統一﹐但不至於妨礙貿易交流。在一個國家發展的科技﹐很容易便傳給鄰近國家。如果其中一國君主昏庸頒令廢止科技﹐科技和人材也可以轉住其他國家繼續發展。當看見鄰國因科技提升競爭力的成果﹐最初癈止科技的國家﹐也不得不重新引入科技﹐才可以避免被領先的國家吞併的命運。
有些書不需要看原著﹐只看撮要版已經十分足夠﹐這本書便是屬於這類型。作者提出挑戰常識的新理論﹐必需提供大量資料證據才有足夠說服力。不過他顯然並不是說故事能手﹐書中的資料大多只是平舖直述﹐硬啃四百多頁實在有點枯燥沉悶。若果不是在印度星期天沒地方去﹐一個人去五星級酒店吃自助午餐後﹐下午在庭園的咖啡店幻想自己不是身在印度﹐而恰好身邊只帶了這本書﹐大慨我不會有耐性看完全本書。
The 5th Bangalore Trip
This is my 5th trip to Bangalore. Instead of staying in the guest house, this time I am staying in a new hotel in Electronics City, which is only 5 minutes walk away from the office. When I first went to Bangalore 2 years ago, there wasn’t any business hotel close to the office, but now at least 4 new hotels has opened. My hotel is acceptable, but there are still many little things that drive me nuts in the usual Indian way. For example, the room has a do not disturb light outside of the room, but somehow the room service always ignore the sign. They will ring your door bell at 7:30a giving you your morning newspaper, then ring your door bell again at 8:00a asking you whether you have laundry for the day. Like a typical business hotel, the room comes with a comfortable bed and a large working desk, but they don’t have any lights over the desk. I have to move a pole light from other side of the room to light up the desk area. For whatever stupid reason, the hotel decide only to turn on the boiler from 6a-10a and 6p-10p, if you want to take a shower in the afternoon or at night, sorry you only have cold water. Given that most flight arrive India after midnight and almost every traveler want to take a hot shower the first thing after checking into the hotel, it leaves a very bad first impression. I swear I will never go back to this hotel again.
Bangalore has changed a lot since my first visit 2 years ago. The toll bridge linking Electronics City to Bangalore is finally open. Now it only takes 15 minutes from the office to Forum Mall, compare to over 45 minute in the past. Taking the bridge costs Rs45 a day, saving 30 minute for $1 definitely worth the price. However, I suspect the bridge won’t last very long. They forgot to build proper rain drain system for the bridge. When it rains, the center lanes are floated with water as deep as a feet. The bridge opens for the first monsoon season and the pillers already shows signs of rusting and water damage. Our company even issue a warning to the employees warns them not to use the bridge during heavy rain.
Looks like the outsourcing business in Bangalore is doing well. I have met a lot more foreigner this time compare to 2 years ago. There are quite a number of German staying in my hotel and they work for different companies. We love to exchange Indian stories, whining how annoying some of the Indians are and we all agree it sucks living in Bangalore. There are many new non-Indian restaurants opened in last year, Japanese food is in fashion in Bangalore, with the number of Japanese restaurants tripled. Some 5 stars hotels start offer sushi at their Sunday lunch buffet. I am very skeptical about idea of eating raw fish in India, I don’t want to get any food poisoning in Indian. The the number of western restaurants is blooming but the quality of service is deteriorating. In the past the service was supreme, there is always a waiter available when you need one and they call the customers Sir or Madam. Now, maybe the restaurants is spoiled by western customers, their service is no difference from with what we get back home. Food and gloceries is still cheap in Bangalore, although there is an annual 20% pay increase in the high-tech industry, the rest of the people are still very poor.
I see more traffic lights and less cows on the road. The city seems to be less chaotic, I wonder it is just my illusion because I am getting use to the chaos. I hire a cab via the hotel to take me to nice restaurant every night as usual. Somehow the drivers are clueless about the address and they don’t know how to read Google map. To make sure I can dinner on time, I jumped to the front seat and navigate the driver. Since there is no street signs in Bangalore, telling you which street to turn is useless. Google map comes up with a solution, in addition to the street name it also list any landmark at the street corner. The driving instruction in Google map tells you turn right at KFC or BP gas station, pretty neat. I can’t wait to see Google street view comes to Bangalore.
Avatar 阿凡達
《阿凡達》未上畫已經轟動全球。James Cameron繼《鐵達尼號》後﹐又一高成本高科技大製作。報章雜誌舖天蓋地的宣傳和報導﹐說什麼打破全球最高票房記錄﹐開創3D電影新紀元。身邊朋友個個更說非看不可﹐想不到我竟然拖了到五月才看。還要在印度工幹週未沒地方打發時間﹐才與同事入戲院消磨一個下午。
不知是否我期望過高﹐還是印度的戲院特別差﹐老實說《阿凡達》老土平凡了無新意。只不過是一流特技加三流科幻小說的大雜燴﹐我不明為什麼有那麼多人為這齣電影感動。我從來也不喜歡看3D電影﹐一來立體眼鏡不照顧我們四眼一族﹐﹐總是載得很不舒服。二來3D效果讓眼睛很疲勞﹐為保持雙眼對正銀幕看到連頸子也硬了。最要命是濾光鏡片讓畫面變得很暗﹐令電影失去原有色彩﹐Pandora星球那些奇幻影色便大打折扣。
異形女主角Sigourney Weaver演女科學家﹐研究Ni’va族的文化和Pandora的生態環境。我還以為她的角色會文武雙全﹐豈料她今次老老實實當個科學家﹐白白浪費荷里活絕無緊有的動作女星。電影的故事大慨人所共知﹐我也不用在此長氣地重述一篇了。以前科幻電影興外星人侵略地球﹐今次則反過來地球人侵略外星人﹐地球人好人變成壞人。故事扮有意義叫觀眾反省現代資本主義文明﹐可是戲中的訊息膚淺得全浮上表面﹐不同批評者能輕易地各取所需﹐將電影套入他們反對的議題。從反對白人殖民時代屠殺印第安人﹐到現代西方文化侵略第三世界﹐到停止砍伐熱帶雨林保護環境﹐甚至香港起高鐵清拆菜園村﹐也可以見到《阿凡達》被挪來引喻借用。
電影表面上反對文化侵略﹐骨子裏卻還是流著大白人主義的血。雖然Na’vi族人在畫面中由電腦合成﹐但他們的角色全由黑人擔當演出。Na’vi族的語言特別請語言學家為電影創造﹐原來是參考太平洋小島的土著語言。主角當然是白人英俊小生﹐一邊當上Na’vi族的救世主﹐還要贏得公主的芳心抱得美人歸。導演潛意識間流露出白人優越的心態﹐沒有白人主角的幫助﹐運用地球人的知識和計謀﹐Na’vi族早就給採礦公司趕盡殺絕了。《阿凡達》由始至終是一齣商業電影﹐加入反資本主義元素只是市場考慮﹐拍攝成本二億卻花一億打廣告﹐與電影中Na’vi族響往的平淡生活背道而馳。片商想盡辨法令觀眾購票入場﹐要比讓觀眾接受電影中的訊息更優先吧。
電影的最大敗筆是劇情太過單薄﹐壞人未免奸得太假太蠢了。那個軍隊司令有勇無謀﹐全軍盡墨皆咎由自取。雖說敵人是只有弓箭的土著﹐但整隊戰機一字排開深入敵陣﹐沒有派先頭隊部偵察開路﹐實在過於輕率犯下用兵大忌。探礦公司高層目光如豆﹐還未看清楚敵人是誰﹐便急著派兵出擊清場。孫子兵法有云「知己知彼﹐百戰不殆」。如果他肯聽女博士之言﹐明白他只是與Na’vi族為敵﹐而是與星球生命體的Eywa為敵﹐重新部署謀定而後動﹐或許先用神輕毒病癱瘓Eywa再出擊﹐也不是不可能取勝。其實Eywa神通廣大﹐為什麼要等到最後關頭才出手呢﹖可能Eywa早便對Na’vi族看不過眼﹐現在正好借人類之手來個大掃除。Na’vi族雖然是土著﹐但畢竟是己進化到懂得用火。人類自開始用火脫離動物之例﹐不再受大自然的束綁﹐便已踏上征服大自然的不歸路。Na’vi族的生活看似環保﹐但隨著人口增多需求增加﹐他們進化到與人類一樣需要去控制大自然﹐也是不過是早夜會發生的事。