原著/梅心怡(Lynn Miles) 譯/蔡宏明
當我們談論到「當代社會的啟發」,我想,指的是社會更意識到自由、民主與人權議題值得打拚的運動。這種啟發是全球性的,到底台灣的國內背景如何,幾乎無法說出明確的起點。這是涵蓋許多世代的集體之事。許多我們今天想的和做的事,不僅受惠於同時代的問題及人物,如:像雷震、陳逸松(註1)、郭雨新(註2)、約翰‧藍儂(註3)及馬丁路德‧金恩(註4)等,這些受惠難於估計,也可回溯到眾多熱愛真理和正義的人:從老子到張金杏(註5),湯姆斯‧佩恩(註6)到喬希爾(註7)。
我可以肯定的是,早年的閱讀經驗,像伏尼契(Voynich)的《牛虻》(註8),對我影響很大。但若論及直接的經驗,我的旅程其實跟隨我眼前的人,像:殷海光、李敖、謝聰敏(註9)、魏廷朝(註10),這些活生生的「牛虻」。我直接受教於這些人,而瞭解「大眾的幸福應先於個人的平安與安適」的意義。他們認為:「大眾都自由了,我才可能自由;一個人的『人的權利』,是整體不可分割的一部份」。這樣的理念影響了我。由於他們,我有點不由自主地變成激進的立場,絕不回頭,或轉變為溫和。
我終究為了他們,在22歲就讀師大時,開始向前邁進——就極個人化的意義上來講,其實有時也會導致點倒退。想要安穩度一生的想法,被調降到次要的地位:像許多其他給我啟示的人一樣,如果我堅持與威權「對決」,我會面臨極大的憂慮。但是,如果被列入黑名單、數十年流放的懲罰是極大的代價,不可否認的,還有烏雲後透出鑲邊光亮的一線希望:我接觸到上百成千的人,他們把對社會公義的熱情分享給其他人,把社會福利放在比自己幸福更重要的位置。每天總是以犧牲和無私行事,鼓舞驚異與敬畏,而我相信我站在巨人的肩膀上。
我現在講的是社會、文化和道德掀起巨浪動盪的1970年代,某個「更廣泛的事情」總是在招手的時代,而那比起單純的政治運動還廣泛得太多了。這是政治、音樂、詩歌、社會風俗,及其他更多—爆炸—超越了連專制的政府也無法遏制的界限。
在1990年代晚期,我被台灣當局列入黑名單即將結束(註11),在日本和美國同列黑名單的台灣朋友,先回到台灣受到「文化衝擊」,他們想讓我知道:當我回來喚醒一如「李伯大夢」般25年的沈睡(註12),要有點心理準備。他們和我聊高速公路、拔地而起的建築、擠滿最新私家車的城市街道。舉目所見,盡是新興的繁榮。
事實上,我已經在這方面做好心理準備,因為在國際媒體中天天吹噓生活水準提昇的國家,總是有令人驚異的統計材料。然而,沒有經濟指標、非物質的發展、沒有具體推論的這類事情,完全出乎我的意料。因為我已經透過閱讀「地下」刊物,很快就清楚並掌握了政治發展的脈動。我一向很清楚「地下」刊物,儘管政府一再查禁,黨外已經另闢蹊徑,超越《自由中國》或《文星》委婉和細緻入微的敦促,而大膽公開鼓吹台灣獨立。我已經知道黨外要敢於草莽一點、敢衝一點。我所不明白的是,其中有社會普遍的支撐。換言之,自由和人權不僅僅是與那些在街頭或在編輯檯發表聲明的人相關的政治概念。他們是日常生活中充滿活力的趨勢,這是巨大轉變的真正範例,至今仍令我驚訝不已。
為何令我驚訝?因為我沒看到解釋發生的論述。當然,很多人投入了熱情和精力,才使它發生;但這並不意謂其必然發生。也有一些社會科學家認為,必要的經濟因素,迫使70年代和80年代自由化。這些因素不足以解釋這種快速、普遍變化的動盪。正如馬克‧吐溫說的:「繁榮是原則最好的保護」,也就是說,人們關注精神和社會之前,必須要先滿足基本的身體需求。但這一點我還有質疑。畢竟,看看美國多麼明快,曾是最繁榮的社會,也會轉向「911後新世界秩序」的鎮壓——以其嚴厲的戒嚴法措施、秘密逮捕、秘密審判,及其餘的相關法令。
今天,台灣海峽源自二次戰後的戰爭,仍陷入潛在的威脅,儘管這個威脅揮之不去,台灣依然處於和平,享受一定程度的政治和社會自由,受到舉世羨慕—如果沒有羨慕,也應該羨慕。但由於我沒有看到社會理論,能論述戒嚴晚期及後戒嚴的「大覺醒」,我不願作任何預測,到底台灣在未來幾年,社會將如何轉變。
【註釋】
註1: | 陳逸松,又名虞淵,1907年生,宜蘭人,1931年畢業於日本東京帝國大學法學政治學科。1933年回臺灣執行律師業務。曾任臺北市議員。創辦《臺灣文學》季刊,任《政經報》社長。二二八事件發生時,為二二八事件處理委員會委員之一。後任國民參政會參政員、考試院考試委員、中央銀行常務理事。1953年後,從事橡膠、化學工業的開發工作,並在臺北開設財稅法律事務所。1972年由臺灣去美國居住。1973年赴中國,定居北京。曾任第四、五屆全國人大常委,第六、七屆全國政協常委。後又與中國共產黨漸行漸遠,離中赴美,長居美國。著有《陳逸松回憶錄》。1999年7月5日逝世。 |
註2: | 郭雨新(1908-1985),宜蘭縣人,為黨外運動元老之一。1951年至1971年間擔任中華民國臺灣省臨時省議員、四屆省議員(廿二年),與李萬居、郭國基、吳三連、李源棧、許世賢省議員有省議會「五龍一鳳」之美名。是台灣獨立運動的支持者,1960年與雷震等人籌組反對黨。1975年,郭雨新以「老驥伏櫪,志在千里。烈士暮年,壯心未已」參與立委增額選舉,提出包括國會全面改選、廢除戒嚴令、解除報禁、總統及台北市長直接民選、釋放政治犯、確保言論出版集會結社的真正自由等政見,然而該次選舉他的選區宜蘭竟然出現數萬張的「廢票」而落選,差點激起暴動。郭於1977年離台赴美,1978年1月21日在華盛頓宣佈競選台灣總統,他宣稱「我們堅信倘若台灣人民能對政治主張公開表態,他們多數會選擇一個新而獨立的國家。」。1979年成立台灣民主運動海外同盟。1985年8月2日病逝於美國華盛頓特區亞歷山大醫院,8月24日安葬台灣陽明山。 |
註3: | 約翰‧藍儂(John Lennon,1940-1980),生於英國利物浦,為英國歌手,作曲家,藝術家,和平運動者,樂團披頭四成員。他和保羅‧麥卡尼(James Paul McCartney)兩人是披頭四所有樂曲的主要作詞作曲者,被認為是歷史上影響最大的音樂人之一。 |
註4: | 馬丁路德‧金恩(Martin Luther King, Jr.,1929-1968),著名的美國民權運動領袖,1964年度諾貝爾和平獎獲得者,通稱金恩牧師。 |
註5: | 張金杏,台中人,與謝秋臨同涉「台中地區工委會張伯哲等人案」,被捕時職業為「大肚鄉國民學校教員」,判12年。 |
註6: | 湯姆斯‧佩恩(Thomas Paine,1737-1809),英國諾佛克郡人,推動美國獨立運動的手,是影響美國獨立戰爭關鍵性的人物,沒有他的大力疾呼,美洲獨立可能以失敗告終,他的思想讓世人了解獨立不是任何人給的,而是自然存在的狀態,也啟發了後世一連串的獨立運動,為殖民主義敲起了喪鐘。 |
註7: | 喬‧希爾(Joe Hill,1879-1915)瑞典人,於1902年移居美國,先是流浪一段時間,後從事各種體力工作,幹過多年礦工,1910年他加入激進的世界產業工人聯合會,成為著名的勞工運動活動家,但是使他名聲遠揚的是他寫了很多激昂振奮的歌曲,在工人集會和罷工中傳唱,影響很大。例如:《傳教士與奴隸》(The Preacher and the Slave),《反叛的女孩》(Rebel Girl) 都是世界勞工特別喜愛的戰歌。 |
註8: | 伏尼契(Ethel Lilian Voynich 1864-1960),生於愛爾蘭科克市,曾在俄國待過兩年,接觸革命團體,積極參加活動。她曾冒著生命危險探望被沙皇監禁在獄中的革命者,還在俄國和英國之間寄送宣傳品。這些工作為她以后的文學創作積累了大量的第一手資料。出於對革命者獻身精神的敬佩,她決心寫出一本反映他們鬥爭生活的書。1897年《牛虻》問世,「牛虻」是小說主角的綽號。「牛虻」原是一種嗜血的雙翅目虻科昆蟲。小說裡的主角是一位革命者,被塑造成臨危不懼、寧死不屈、為人民而戰鬥的英雄形象。蘇聯作家尼古拉.奧斯特洛夫斯基在《鋼鐵是怎樣煉成的》中,曾對牛虻有過高度評價。在六、七十年代的中國大陸,牛虻這個人物曾影響了許多當時的青年。 |
註9: | 謝聰敏(1934-)彰化人,於1964年參與彭明敏、魏廷朝的《台灣人民自救宣言》起草,表明台灣前途由人民自決,9月20日三人因此被捕並以叛亂罪嫌起訴。1965年4月8日,謝聰敏被判有期徒刑十年。1970年出獄之後,又於1971年因花旗銀行爆炸案、被誣為台獨暴力事件,與魏廷朝、李敖等一同被捕入獄。1981年擔任台灣人公共事務會副會長。曾任立法委員、國策顧問。 |
註10: | 魏廷朝(1935-1999),桃園縣龍潭鄉人,台灣的人權工作者與政治人物,1964年涉《台灣人民自救宣言》案被捕,並以叛亂罪嫌起訴,判刑八年。1970年出獄之後,又於1971年因花旗銀行爆炸案判刑10年、1979年美麗島事件遭逮捕。曾任立法委員。 |
註11: | 本文作者梅心怡(Lynn Miles)於1971年被國民黨當局列為不受歡迎人物,驅逐出境,名列黑名單25年,直到1996年才解禁。 |
註12: | 《李伯大夢》是典型的美國通俗小說,為華盛頓‧歐文(Washington Irving)的作品。描繪殖民地時代哈德遜河邊小村落,主角李伯(Rip Van Winkle)平日遊手好閒,為避免惡妻數落,經常買醉,後來發生一段奇遇,竟然在卡茲奇山上長睡二十年,醒來下山發覺一切景物全非。 |
【原文】
A Tenuous Peace
by/Lynn Miles(梅心怡)
When we talk about "contemporary society's opening" I suppose we are referring to the movement towards greater social awareness of freedom, democracy and human rights as issues worth struggling for. And when we speak of the Taiwan context for what was an opening on a scale of global sweep, I think it is next to impossible to place the beginning of this awareness at any particular point in time. It is a collective thing spanning many, many generations. Much of what we think and do today owes an immeasurable debt not only to people who contemporaries in the period in question, people like Lei Chen 雷震, Chen Yi-sung 陳逸松, Kuo Yu-hsin 郭雨新, John Lennon 約翰‧藍儂 and Martin Luther King 馬丁路德‧金. Our debt extends far back in time to the multitudes of people who gave of their passion for truth and justice, ranging from Laoze 老子 to Chang Chin-hsing 張金杏, Thomas Paine 湯姆斯‧佩恩 to Joe Hill 喬希爾.
To be sure, I was greatly influenced by such early reading experiences as Voynich's Gadfly, but in terms of immediate experience, my journey began with people who were right before me, people like Yin Hai-kuang 殷海光, Lee Ao 李敖, Hsieh Tsong-min 謝聰敏 and Wei Ting-chao 魏庭朝 -- gadflies in the flesh. It was they who taught me first-hand the meaning of placing the welfare of all before one's own safety and comfort, who infected me with the idea that I cannot be free until all are free, that one's person's rights are part and parcel of everyone's rights. It is thanks to them that I was moved willy-nilly to a radical position of commitment allowing no thought of turning back or steering a more moderate course.
If thanks to them I finally, at the age of 22 while a student at Shihda, began moving forward, in a very personal sense it also meant moving backward, as thoughts of security and career were relegated to the back burner: like so many others who served as my inspiration, I was confronted with daunting worries if I insisted on "crossing swords" with authority. But if such penalties as getting blacklisted and banished to decades-long exile were the onerous prices to be paid, one could not deny that there was also the silver lining, which was that I was brought into contact with hundreds if not thousands of other people who shared a passion for social justice, who put the welfare of larger society before their own. Sacrifice and selflessness were the order of the day, encouraging wonder and awe, and the belief that I was standing on the shoulders of giants.
I am speaking of the great social, cultural and moral upheaval of the 1970s, a time where "something bigger" always beckoned -- far bigger than a mere political movement. This was politics, music, poetry, social mores, and much, much more -- an explosion -- which transcended borders and which repressive governments were helpless to contain.
In the late 1990s, as my time of exile from Taiwan was drawing to a close, Taiwanese friends in Japan and the US who had been back to Taiwan after a long absence felt the need to prepare me for the "culture shock" that they were certain lay in store for me when I returned to awaken from my Rip van Winkle-like quarter-century slumber. They spoke of expressways, high-rise buildings, city streets packed with the latest-model private cars. Burgeoning affluence wherever you looked.
In fact, I was prepared for all that, for these were the sort of material wonders that one would expect in a country whose rising standard of living was being trumpeted daily in the international media. What I was quite unprepared for, however, was the sort of thing for which there is no economic yardstick, the immaterial developments finding no concrete corollary. Because I had done a good job of keeping up to speed on political developments through an avid following of the "underground" press, I was quite aware that, despite repeated government bannings, the Dangwai had moved way beyond the gentle and delicately nuanced urgings of a Free China 自由中國 or Wenhsing 文星, to such bold declarations as open advocacy of Taiwan independence. I already knew the Dangwai to be daring to the point of recklessness. What I did not understand was that this had socially pervasive underpinnings. In other words, freedom and human rights were not just political abstractions that concerned those who were inclined to take their declararations to the streets or the editorial room. They were the vibrant currents of everyday life.This was a true paradigm shift of mammoth proportions, and one which amazes me still.
Why does it amaze me? Because I see no ready explanation for why it happened. Sure, a lot of people's passion and energy went into making it happen. But that does not mean that it was bound to happen. There are those social scientists who believe that the economic factors necessary to force a liberalization were present in the 70s and 80s, and these factors are sufficient to explain the upheaval that brought about such quick and pervasive change. As Mark Twain said, "prosperity is the best protector of principle," meaning that one has to satisfy basic bodily wants before one can turn one's attention to spiritual and social concerns. But I am not certain about that. After all, see how readily the US, one of the most prosperous of societies ever, turned to the repression of the post-911 New World Order, with its draconian martial-law measures, secret arrests, secret trials, and all the rest of it.
Today, despite the still-lingering threat of its being caught in the crossfire of a potential cross-straits war whose origins go back to even before the end of World War Two, Taiwan is at peace, enjoying a level of political and social freedom that is the envy of the world, or should be if it is not. But because I see no social theory that can account for the Great Awakening of the late- and post-martial law period, I am reluctant to offer any predictions concerning the social course that Taiwan will follow in the coming years.
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