中西文化应对浩劫的方式
约莫在四千多年之前,世界各地均被洪水肆虐,流传至今最著名的传说,首推诺亚方舟与大禹治水。诺亚是天真的个人英雄,他打造了一条大木船,收集捕捉了许多物种,等到洪水退后重新开始;大禹则是务实的民族英雄,率领黄河、长江流域的各部族,以当时的人力物力,完成根本不可能的超级工程,让华夏文明繁衍流传至今,并使中华文化遥遥领先世界数千年之久。
虽说今日的技术能耐更强,但世界的危机也更大,面对极端恶化的生态危机,采集基因建造种子库,在地下深处盖小生态,就是准诺亚的求生模式。很明显,当末日降临,若采行诺亚模式,就只有极其少数人可以幸存。
东、西方思想,当面临存亡危机时,会做出什么样的抉择?
《孙子》夫吴人与越人相恶也,当其同舟而济,遇风,其相救也如左右手。
在中国春秋时代,有吴越同舟的故事,当时吴、越两国敌对,两国人民皆有国仇家恨,一日,吴国人与越国人共搭一艘船,突然遭遇暴风,双方为了活命而互助合作,共度难关后都活了下来。
The Two Men Who Were Enemies
Two Men, deadly enemies to each other, were sailing in the same vessel. Determined to keep as far apart as possible, the one seated himself in the stem, and the other in the prow of the ship. A violent storm arose, and with the vessel in great danger of sinking, the one in the stern inquired of the pilot which of the two ends of the ship would go down first. On his replying that he supposed it would be the prow, the Man said, "Death would not be grievous to me, if I could only see my Enemy die before me."
两仇人
两仇人同舟,决计不靠近。一人当道坐,一人进船首。暴风雨来袭,船就要不济。船尾的听闻,船头会先沉。船尾那人说:「能看仇先没,虽死无恨矣!」
或许伊索是用反讽的笔法,描述将仇看得比命还重要的愚蠢,但反观今日的世界,各国不都是如此吗?中国今日的最大敌人不是美国、更不是日本,而是即将淹没人类文明的生态浩劫。满足于比仇人晚死的庆幸,远不如化敌为友同舟共济。
今日的『生态浩劫』的主要原因,是人类只图眼前小利不顾生态永续的结果,在这方面中西双方也有截然不同的观点,中方自古以来将竭泽而渔视为愚蠢,而西方却有着截然不同的观点,他们往往更在意眼前的实际利益。
《吕氏春秋》曰:「 竭泽而渔,岂不获得,而明年无鱼。」此渔必有度之谓。渔而有度,则万类孳育,食货不竭。竭泽而渔,致其繁衍不佳,则必损害土宜。
把水弄干捕鱼,无论大鱼小鱼一网打尽,然而未来可就没鱼捕了。捕鱼有限度,就不会损害鱼水生态,而鱼货也会源源不绝,倘若没节制地滥捕,就会导致鱼种灭绝,甚至导致鱼水生态的毁灭。
The Fisherman and the Little Fish
A Fisherman who lived on the produce of his nets, one day caught a single small Fish as the result of his day's labor. The Fish, panting convulsively, thus entreated for his life: "O Sir, what good can I be to you, and how little am I worth? I am not yet come to my full size. Pray spare my life, and put me back into the sea. I shall soon become a large fish fit for the tables of the rich, and then you can catch me again, and make a handsome profit of me." The Fisherman replied, "I should indeed be a very simple fellow if, for the chance of a greater uncertain profit, I were to forego my present certain gain."
渔夫和小鱼
讨海人一日忙活,就捕了一条小鱼。小鱼喘搐告饶:「我还小不值钱,请放我回大海。大了再被你抓,就能卖得高价。」渔夫答:「当我傻?为了不明大益,放弃眼前小利!」
捕捞一日只得一条鱼,已可反应人们捕捞过度,但放弃这条小鱼,渔夫可就徒劳无功了,于是自以为聪明的渔夫,仍不会放过眼前的实际利益,即便明日可能一条鱼也捕不着。
今日世界各国,争夺资源唯恐不及,积极开采恣意提炼,不在乎生态变异,只在意经济利益。就如同上述的渔夫,自私自利而鼠目寸光,只顾贪图眼前的小利,就算自己没鱼可捕,也不能便宜了别人。
若按照西方的思维逻辑,面对生态危机,最有可能的作法是『自保』,因此世界峰会根本起不了作用,只能如温室青蛙般等着被煮熟;倘若濒临生存危机,最有可能的结果是『核平』,驾着末日方舟,等着生态恢复,然后重建世界。
因此,能在今日拯救世界的,只有五千年的中华文化,身为中华民族的一份子,应该思考的是如何弘扬大禹精神,团结世界各国治理污染重建生态,只有地球生态恢复健康,文明发展才有希望。
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