搜索
“9.11”事件前后泰-摩西AstheruinsoftheWorldTradeTowerssmolderedatthesouthernendofManhattanandthebreezestirredtheashesofthousandsofhumanbeings,anewageofanxietywasborn.IfsomeonehadsleptthroughSeptember11andawakened,RipVanWinkle-liketoday,hewouldopenhiseyesonanastonishingnewlandscape.1．世贸大厦双塔的废墟还在曼哈顿区南端闷燃，微风将几千人的身躯化成的灰烬吹起，一个新的焦虑时代由此开始。如果有人在9月11日那天像瑞普?凡?温克尔那样恰好睡去，一觉醒来，眼前的这一派景象定让他瞠日结舌。GuardsmentotingM-16sarestationedatourairports.ThepresidentoftheUnitedStatesattendsaWorldSeriesgameandtheairspaceoverYankeeStadiumisclosed,alineofsniperspositionedonthestadiumrooftop.Thevice-president'ssafekeeperswhiskhimfromplacetoplace,justashisarch-nemesisOsamabinLadenispresumablymovedfromcavetocavehalfwayacrosstheworld.AnthraxpanicsendsCongressrunningfromitschambers.2．机场里驻进了背着V-16自动步枪的国民警卫队员。纽约扬基体育场上空的空域因美国总统亲临美国两大职业棒球联赛的决赛而关闭，禁止飞机通过。体育场的屋顶之上还部署了一排狙击手。副总统的保卫员们忙不迭地将他不断转移，正如他那难以对付的仇敌奥萨马?本?拉丹一样，据推测他此刻也在世界另一头从一个山洞转移到另一个山洞。议员们在炭疽病的恐慌中弃岗而逃。TheeventsofSeptember11dividedourworldintotworadicallydifferenteras.Wewatchwistfullyasthepre-9/11worlddriftsawayonitsraftofmemory,castinTechnicolorshadesofnostalgia.Wewillrememberthatassassinatedworldasidyllic,secure(nevermindthatitwasneither),wewillspeakofitinthereverenttonesreservedforthedead.(Inourmemory,thepre-9/11worldwaspeaceful,happyandsafeandwewilltalkabtthosedayswithdeeprespectandlovewhichcanonlybefoundintalkingabtdeadpeople.)3．“9?11”事件将我们的世界划为截然不同的两个时代。我们带着惆怅，目送“9?11”之前的世界在怀旧的暗淡色彩中随记忆的小筏渐渐漂走远去。在我们的记忆中，这个突遭袭击的世界永远如诗如面，牢不可破(虽然实际并非如此)。谈到它时，我们总是像在谈论亡灵，语气异常恭敬。Meanwhile,thepost9/11eraloomslikeanunmappedwilderness.Aswithotherunclaimedterritoriesthroughouthistory,afiercebattleisbeingwagedforitspsychic,politicalandmaterialcapital.FormerpresidentBillClintonhascalledthisconflictthestruggleforthesoulofthe21stcentury,andthespoilsofwarincludesomeofourmostcherishedvaluesandliberties.(Inordertowinthiswar,wemighthavetogiveupsomeofourbasicvaluesandlibertieswetreasuremost.)LeadingthechargearethewarriorsoftheBushAdministration,abattalionofsecuritycratsandgeneralswhoareattemptingtocolonizethefuturewiththeirownrepressiveagenda.(...whoareplanningtocarryouttheplantoextendAmericandominationintoareasoriginallybeyondAmericanreach,hence,thecolonizationofthefuture.)4．与此同时，“9?11”之后的日子就像没有标志的荒地呈现在人们面前。与历史上前几次拓荒一样，这场激烈的精神、政治和物质的资本战正在打响。前总统比尔?克林顿称这次较量是“争夺21世纪灵魂的战争”，最后的战利品还包括我们最珍视的价值观和自由。在这场战争中，布什政府的将士们首当其冲，这些视国家安全重于民众自由的官员们准备把他们一贯实行的镇压政策带入未来。Butthereisabrighterside,agrowingchorusofdissentingvoiceswhorejectparanoiaandhubrisandquestiontherushtowardbecomingasecuritystate.Thereisadialecticafootinthecountry,astirringofpeacefulpurposethathasbeenlargelyignoredbythemainstreammedia,whichassumesthepublicisthinkinginred,whiteandblue,whenactuallythespectrumofemotions,ideasandopinionsis,likeAmericaitself,multihued.(...whichthinksthatthepublicisthinkingsimplyanduniformly.innewpatriotism,butfailstorecognizethattheemotions,ideasandopinionsareasvariesasthecountryitself.)5．不过，光明的一面仍旧存在：越来越多的人开始反对这种多疑和自大，并对这种视安全为国家最高目标的做法提出质疑。人们开始辩证地思考，对基本上得不到主流媒体重视的和平这一主题热烈讨论。主流媒体一直以为公众的想法只有红、白、蓝三种颜色，殊不知人们的情感、思想和观点正如美国本身，是多姿多彩的。JustbeforehisdeathinNovember2001,KenKeseydescribedthestateoftheunioninsuccinctlyKeseyianterms:Themeninsuitsaretellinguswhatthemeninuniformsaregoingtodotothemeninturbansiftheydon'tturnoverthemeninhiding.”Withtheprescienceofadyingman,Keseyventuredthatthiswasreallyawarbetweenthebrutal,aggressivelymalewaythingshadalwaysbeenandthetimorousandfragilewaythingsmightbegintobe.LikemanyAmericanscontinuetodo,Keseynurturedgreathopesforafutureconstructedonamodelofmutualcooperation,trustandrationalthinking.6．在2001年11月肯?凯西去世前夕，他以独有的简洁对美国做了这样的描写：“穿西装的人(美国官员)告诉我们穿军装的人(美国军队)怎样对付一味窝藏他人(本?拉丹及“基地”组织成员)的人(塔利班)。”即将离开人世的人具有的先知使凯西大胆地将这场战争称做仍是历史上一直存在的野蛮的雄性侵略性方式和“或许刚刚处于萌芽阶段的胆怯和脆弱的处理方式”的角逐。和许多仍旧持这种观点的美国人一样，凯西渴望未来的世界能够建立在互相合作、信任和理智的思考之上。NoLongerInvulnerable7TheattacksinNewYorkandWashingtonshatteredthesenseofinvulnerabilitythatisahallmarkoftheAmericanpsyche.After9/11,welookedateachotherwithneweyes,askednewquestions.Ifyoufoundyourselftrappedinadoomedairplanewithacellphoneinhand,whowouldyoucall?Punditswrotethatthecountryhadlostitsinnocence,overlookingthefactthatinnocenceisnotadesirablequalityinasuperpowernation.不再坚不可摧7．纽约和华盛顿遭受的恐怖袭击使美国人不再相信无所不胜这一美国精神的主要特征。“9?11”事件之后，我们用新眼光对视，并提出新的问题。如果你乘坐的飞机就要失事，你会用手中的移动电话与谁通话?学者们认为这个国家已经不再纯真，却没有认识到纯真对一个超级大国并不可取。Overnight,theUnitedStatesperceivedaswordofDamoclessuspendedoveritsheadandtheensuingwavesofparanoiainitiatedsurrealepisodes:anationwiderunongasmasks;ademandfromthePostalServicethatallmailbeirradiatedagainstbiologicalthreats;and,mostappallingofall,Op-EdsthatdeclaredusingnuclearweaponsagainstMuslimcountrieswouldbejustifiedifterroristskilledsomuchasonemoreAmerican.8．一夜之间，美国感觉到达摩克利斯剑正悬挂在头上，一个接一个以多疑为主调的超现实的插曲出现了：全国抢购防毒面具，邮局辐照所有邮件，严防生物袭击，更让人感到可怕的是专栏上发表的文章，有人扬言，如果再有一名美国人因恐怖分子死亡，美国政府将有理由对穆斯林国家动用核武器。Amongtheunavoidabletruthstoemergefrom9/11isthatbeingonU.S.soildoesnotrenderusimmunefromharm.TheAmericanpeoplenowhavemuchmoreincommonwithmillionsoftheplanet'scitizenswhospendtheirlivesinregionswherearmedconflictorterrorismtakeinnocentlivesdaily.Wetoo