暴雨裹着冰雹在车窗上炸开,碎裂成无数的冰晶,铺面印在也生的视线里。雨刷已开到最高档,仍显得有气无力地抹去肆虐的水花与冰雪。车窗的正面,侧面,上面,后面全部沦陷在风暴无情地轰炸之下,车身成了一个巨鼓,密集猛烈雨点锤击,在车厢内的砯然作响。车又仿佛是一个战壕,炮弹在身前身后爆炸,麻痹了藏匿其处也生的听觉。他恍惚间有了幻觉,竟分不清车窗上溅起的是冰花,还是砸碎车窗的玻璃渣。忐忑间他眯起了眼睛,等待着车窗沦陷风暴涌入的一刻。地图上显示前方尚有七英里。这不是穿越七英里的风暴,而是穿过七英里厚的瀑布!耳边的隆隆之声中杂了些同伴们的恐慌的吼声。”慢点!慢点!回头!回头!“吼声击溃了也生最后的心理防线。他驶入了一处歧路,掉转车头。
数英里后,雨声渐歇。
“Ao, you had a perfect poker face! Were you not worried?" 同行的小M问。
"Actually I was really scared."也生叹了口气。
"Ao was scared!"小M向身边的小A惊讶道。
"No, I was joking. I was perfectly calm."也生无表情的面容咧开了轻松嘴角。同伴一愣,满车的又炸开了笑声。
Saturday, December 3, 2016
Sunday, November 13, 2016
读记:生命中不能承受之轻
近来书读书本,无一令我深有感触。昆德拉此书似是例外,然而国政家事,宗教伦理,生别死憾,激荡胸中千言,竟不知如何落笔。几周前读完此书,本以为时间能让思想沉淀,不想时间亦能让思想远去。既不能言,不如不言。
Sunday, October 30, 2016
行记:Gem Lake
又是一天阴雨!适时为我第二次冒雨徒步,添置的Goretex Marmot Shell派上了用场,只是尺码偏大。加上大号的防雨裤,颇是臃肿。想想古人“竹杖芒鞋轻胜马”,一顶斗笠,一双草鞋,隐居山云深处,说来似乎颇是形轻志清如若仙人,平生烟雨潇洒如此,想来实是烟雨中行步不便,只有隐者能解。
Gem Lake途经Snow Lake,然而体积仅有后者几分之一。二者路径初始点位于西城以东六十迈处。我与同伴大鹏抵达起始点,午时初始,云层低垂,欲雨未雨,风动凌凌。路中泥泞,行出不足二里,气温低至露点,雨丝飘散。至Snow Lake湖边,雨声已渐大。
却见云挟裹湖对岸的竖直山崖,驾着风,遮住满眼。山色寒冷,更显清幽。高远处岩岫间卧着几块雪,懒懒地从春天的雪流,总算是耽到了深秋的冰雨,在云后看得不十分真切。水气隔开了青色石壁的倒影,水中半是幽绿的松翠,半是云流雾绕的半裸的岩壁的倩影。云幕更加深处,是亘古楚地神秘的梦泽,不必说那神女的曼妙舞姿,只是云雨之间的模糊,足以让人想入非非。陶诗有”停云霭霭,时雨濛濛“之句。靖节先生独酌于东轩,览半山春雨,何必感叹时运?
Gem Lake途经Snow Lake,然而体积仅有后者几分之一。二者路径初始点位于西城以东六十迈处。我与同伴大鹏抵达起始点,午时初始,云层低垂,欲雨未雨,风动凌凌。路中泥泞,行出不足二里,气温低至露点,雨丝飘散。至Snow Lake湖边,雨声已渐大。
却见云挟裹湖对岸的竖直山崖,驾着风,遮住满眼。山色寒冷,更显清幽。高远处岩岫间卧着几块雪,懒懒地从春天的雪流,总算是耽到了深秋的冰雨,在云后看得不十分真切。水气隔开了青色石壁的倒影,水中半是幽绿的松翠,半是云流雾绕的半裸的岩壁的倩影。云幕更加深处,是亘古楚地神秘的梦泽,不必说那神女的曼妙舞姿,只是云雨之间的模糊,足以让人想入非非。陶诗有”停云霭霭,时雨濛濛“之句。靖节先生独酌于东轩,览半山春雨,何必感叹时运?
Sunday, October 16, 2016
Monday, August 8, 2016
读记:《三体》
又是一部令我双眼干涩红肿三周的书。这种书读多了须得折寿的。
但《三体》确实好看。
此书从文革时期一则往事讲起,想象了宇宙亿万年后的发展。文革时期,天体学者叶文洁饱经迫害,出于对人类社会的失望与仇视,向太空广播了求助信息,希求外太空高等智慧生物降临地球,纠正人类的错误,建立理想世界。八年后,四光年外的三体世界回函地球,于是故事从此展开。叶建立了地球三体组织,以联合志同道合者,成为三体世界在地球的叛徒。三体组织使用虚拟现实游戏招募人员,而政府部门顺藤摸瓜,发现了三体组织在中国的一个分支,并使用纳米线战术歼灭了三体核心领导层,获取了三体世界的信息。原来,三体世界是外太空的高度文明体,其科学技术水平远远领先地球。在三体,即三个恒星相互作用的天体运动中,其周围环绕的行星不断被吞噬,而其时仅存三体文明所栖息的行星。三体行星自然条件恶劣,当得知地球拥有优良的环境资源后,遣送大规模侵袭舰队, 预计四世纪后到达地球。同时,三体向地球发射三枚由高维坍缩而成的智能粒子先舰队一步到达地球。智能粒子简称智子,主要用于干扰地球的粒子加速器,使基于实验的地球物理基础无法继续进化突破。同时智子以高速穿梭人类社会,实时为三体高层监听人类动向。
在自身科技被锁死,而所有决策行动都被智子掌控的情况下,联合国启动了面壁人计划。面壁人计划针对的是三体人思想的透明性,即所有想法都绝对真实,没有欺骗与计谋。而面壁人计划故名思议,即由面壁人在自己的思想中构建计划,如此才能避免智子的监视,同时有权动用巨大的人类资源已实现自己的计划。面壁人不需要向任何人报告计划内容。面壁计划可以表面上十分荒谬,以欺骗三体文明。计划选举四个人类代表,泰勒,雷迪亚兹,西恩斯,以及罗辑。地球三体组织相应选出破壁者,用以识破面壁者的计划。
泰勒原为美国防部长,他的计划冷酷无情:组织大规模太空舰队,在三体舰队来袭之时,使用球星闪电攻击己方舰队,使之离子化,再组织离子化的人类舰队幽灵反击三体。计划由破壁者识破,泰勒自杀。雷迪亚兹更为冷血:在水星放置使用高吨位氢弹以威胁三体,否则将以氢弹轰击太阳,使之膨胀而吞没整个太阳系,侵略双方将鱼死网破。计划被识破。而由于计划毁灭人类的性质,雷迪亚兹 被愤怒的祖国人民投石致死。西恩斯另辟蹊径:使用机器将军官的思想中嵌入恒久的执念,称为“思想钢印”。表面上这种思想钢印是为了修正军队中日益严重的逃亡主义,而实际上,钢印巩固了逃亡主义。钢印族在战争中将背负着逃亡的使命,以使人类在世界覆灭中留存血脉。此计划被西恩斯的妻子破壁,失败。
罗辑成功了。他是唯一一位被三体世界重视并追杀的面壁者,也拥有宏伟构想的面壁者中的唯一另类。他本是一位混吃混喝没有追求的大学天体学教授,当选为面壁者后,动用政府资源为个人的潇洒风流。他的“宇宙社会学”,起初只是自己在受叶文洁启发后的思想玩物,却最终为后来的三体-地球平衡奠定了理论基础。”宇宙社会学“最重要的一点即是“黑森林理论”:在宇宙中不止地球一处文明,但宇宙之广阔,使得文明之间难以知道相互间的存在。若知道了,两个文明之间将会互相猜疑,因为双方都不知道对方是否是善意的。即是自己善意,也不知道对方是否知道自己的善意,相对的,也不知道对方是否知道自己知道对方是善意的。如此往复,猜疑的结果只 能以一个文明的消亡而告终。因此,在黑森林宇宙中,一个文明只有躲在暗处才能保证安全。正如在黑暗森林中游走的神经紧绷的猎人,当看见道旁树干上标出的坐标,一定会去那个坐标将对方消灭,不论是谁。而地球,则是一个在森林中升起篝火的孩子,大声呼喊:”我在这儿!我在这儿!“一颗三体的子弹紧接着擦面而过。惊慌的地球得知自身危险的同时,也了解了对方的坐标。而罗辑的计划,便是以宇宙广播三体的坐标来威胁三体世界。
然而,未及发出威胁,由于地球三体组织的基因导弹,罗辑患不治急症而被迫冬眠,前往两百年后的地球。与此同时,地球联合防御舰队军官章北海被委以重任进入冬眠,前往世纪后的未来,以指导未来的宇宙舰队,纠正逃亡失败主义。
而后人类文明经历的大低谷,威胁纪元,广播纪元,掩体纪元,以致万亿年后,文明仅剩的两名人类从自己的小宇宙中回归大宇宙,标志人类文明的终结,我的(懒病发作)秃笔无法描述万分之一的精彩,至此不提也罢。
宇宙没有恒定的发展趋向,也没有确定的宿命。“分久必合,合久必分”是东方人的观念,民主公平是西方的追求,然而,两者也仅是地球众多思潮的两股而已。换而言之,仅仅是广阔宇宙中纤纤浮尘上的些许碳水化合物的生物电作用而已。若是人能进化到四维以至更高维度,就能发现每时每刻都有无数选择。昨天与今天时间的维度之差,便如同华盛顿湖与麦金利峰的空间之差,人可以选择活在过去,亦可以选择将来。即便如此,依旧有更高维度的限制。在高纬度的宇宙看来,达到时间的维度亦是尔尔。然而渺小的一切,却又是生活的全部。以人一生数十年的短暂,去忧虑千亿年以至恒久的过去与将来,妄矣。呼吸之间,此生已尽。既不能追求时间的跨度,何不侣鱼虾友麋鹿,尽吾生所能,踏遍四方?
Sunday, July 24, 2016
Reading note: Sapiens: a brief history of humankind (final)
Totally mind-blowing.
This is one of the few books that changed how I looked at the world. However, the book is so complex and profound that it is impossible to write some reading notes without writing another small book.
That being said, I can still put some points here for reference. One's happiness is subject to chemical reaction. Certain chemicals such as dopamine, can affect how one perceives happiness. Does that mean, in order to achieve happiness in life, we should just obey the chemical system and try to secrete/inject as much dopamine as we can? Non-sense. Happiness consists not only the chemical reaction, but is also decided by whether one is doing something meaningful that satisfies one's life. A recent research showed that it is decided by several factors, the most important being one's expectation of his/her life. If one's expectation is low, he/she is more likely to be happy, and vice versa. Other things, including the community that supports him/her, his/her family, and money of course, also matter to certain extent. This remotely resembles Lao Tzu's saying "See and think frugally".
But it is opposite to the culture we live in. People are brought up in an education that encourages us to be ambitious, entrepreneurial, adventurous. Take my company's culture for example. We brand slogans like "Be bold", "What would you do if you weren't afraid?"and "Do things and ask for forgiveness later", and people love those slogans. Unfortunately, in the historical perspective, those are just the brainchildren of our generation, whereas never had a previous generation advocated those spirits as much as we do. They wanted good citizens to be modest, lenient and meek. Well, not so much. That is true only to certain generations in certain regions of the world, while in other regions and other times, cultures are completely different. If you place yourself in a cosmic historical settings, what you believe firmly today would be bullshit tomorrow. Nothing is forever true. You like free market? Sure. It wasn't even a thing a thousand years ago. You think love is the goal of life? And honesty is the essential goodness? And we should respect science? Each statements only hold true in a certain period of time, but never from the start of time, and may not be true in a hundred years.
Homo sapiens broke the natural selection, which is the norm of evolution for millennials. Creatures survive if they adapt to their environment better than others, so they are more likely to pass their genes to inheritors. The bird's ancestor didn't think about having feathers because they would help it to fly. All happened by random mutation. This may no longer the case, because Homo Sapiens invented gene engineering, so they can direct the evolution of living things, even themselves. They may one day introduce cyborgs, hybrid beings of the organics and the inorganics, or make superhuman. Gene engineering may fundamentally change how we think, how the society is structured, and how human relationship functions. Oh did I mention "human"? Will we still be the same species then? The future is beyond imagination. All our imaginations are simulations of our thoughts, and reflection of the reality. When things become completely different, how do we want what we want?
I don't see a definite blueprint of the future in 100 years, nor does anyone. All I know, however, is to live within the current time. 活在当下。
This is one of the few books that changed how I looked at the world. However, the book is so complex and profound that it is impossible to write some reading notes without writing another small book.
That being said, I can still put some points here for reference. One's happiness is subject to chemical reaction. Certain chemicals such as dopamine, can affect how one perceives happiness. Does that mean, in order to achieve happiness in life, we should just obey the chemical system and try to secrete/inject as much dopamine as we can? Non-sense. Happiness consists not only the chemical reaction, but is also decided by whether one is doing something meaningful that satisfies one's life. A recent research showed that it is decided by several factors, the most important being one's expectation of his/her life. If one's expectation is low, he/she is more likely to be happy, and vice versa. Other things, including the community that supports him/her, his/her family, and money of course, also matter to certain extent. This remotely resembles Lao Tzu's saying "See and think frugally".
But it is opposite to the culture we live in. People are brought up in an education that encourages us to be ambitious, entrepreneurial, adventurous. Take my company's culture for example. We brand slogans like "Be bold", "What would you do if you weren't afraid?"and "Do things and ask for forgiveness later", and people love those slogans. Unfortunately, in the historical perspective, those are just the brainchildren of our generation, whereas never had a previous generation advocated those spirits as much as we do. They wanted good citizens to be modest, lenient and meek. Well, not so much. That is true only to certain generations in certain regions of the world, while in other regions and other times, cultures are completely different. If you place yourself in a cosmic historical settings, what you believe firmly today would be bullshit tomorrow. Nothing is forever true. You like free market? Sure. It wasn't even a thing a thousand years ago. You think love is the goal of life? And honesty is the essential goodness? And we should respect science? Each statements only hold true in a certain period of time, but never from the start of time, and may not be true in a hundred years.
Homo sapiens broke the natural selection, which is the norm of evolution for millennials. Creatures survive if they adapt to their environment better than others, so they are more likely to pass their genes to inheritors. The bird's ancestor didn't think about having feathers because they would help it to fly. All happened by random mutation. This may no longer the case, because Homo Sapiens invented gene engineering, so they can direct the evolution of living things, even themselves. They may one day introduce cyborgs, hybrid beings of the organics and the inorganics, or make superhuman. Gene engineering may fundamentally change how we think, how the society is structured, and how human relationship functions. Oh did I mention "human"? Will we still be the same species then? The future is beyond imagination. All our imaginations are simulations of our thoughts, and reflection of the reality. When things become completely different, how do we want what we want?
I don't see a definite blueprint of the future in 100 years, nor does anyone. All I know, however, is to live within the current time. 活在当下。
Sunday, July 10, 2016
读记:柴静《看见》
读《看见》只用了两天,思考与反刍却耗费了两周。放下书的千万种感慨,总算在淬铁的冷静中,逐渐凝固成文字的实体。
其实本不愿写读后感。柴静的一本小书中反应的社会传统以来独善其身的冷漠,弱势少数群体在夹缝中的苟活,作者个人的反思与成长经历,历十年,我短短为文草草结之,总是有些轻率。然而书中字里行间的那种关怀与责任感,以及掩卷闭目心头的沉重感,又使我不得不扫来几笔,不吐不快。
鲁迅当年弃医从文,为拯救国民秉性的麻木不仁。当一个社会,对一个丑陋的现象漠视麻木,是一件可怕的事。何必提当年那张百姓围观同胞被杀害而拍手称快直呼万岁的幻灯片呢?柴静提供了很好的一个例子:一个小区,业主委员会为了减少物业费,在小区内发起投票,结果大部分人支持,于是业委会向物业公司发起诉讼。胜诉。物业公司非但不减免物业费,反而将小区水电停了。于是业主大闹委员会,认为是委员会多管闲事才导致这种状况,甚至扬言要杀掉委员主任。结果发现,闹事的业主之前并没有参与投票,既没有赞成,也没有反对,只有漠视。不寒而栗。我的妈妈是自家小区业委会一员,而我,也见识过业主只要不驯自己意见了,便匿名举报放冷箭,至于别的单元的影响百户居民的事,则选择性失明。这是自私,是公共利益观念的缺失。然而,何管别人瓦上霜,是我自小接受的教育,可我更怀念墨家的侠义精神,急人之所急;怀念孟子的天下为己任的大儒;也怀念船山的天下兴亡,匹夫有责。为什么咱们在个人的僻径上失道渐远?
柴静记者很可爱,因为她对于那些已经被社会边缘化的群体,甚至是看似罄竹难书罪无可赦的恶人,也能尽量已客观态度,去理解与宽容。如前些年踩猫事件的主人,她能从经济利益,以及特殊的受众群体角度去采访他人,揭示对象的内心感受,而非痛打落水狗。如非典时期,一家甲级医院院长,为了达到国际卫生部的评价优等,在检查时派遣医疗车带着非典病人在北京市区游荡。他做错了事吗?是的。他是坏人吗?无解。世上有做好事坏事的人,而没有坏人与好人。柴静记者冒生命危险,采访病人,采访院长,深层揭露院长的悔恨,与当初决定的草率。文字中,没有谴责,没有诅咒,没有怨言,而有的,是对事实真相的客观写照,与对院长的内心深度写照。她并没有给他人贴上善恶的标签,发配到恶意的荒原,永世不得翻身。同样的,同性恋,误判犯,流浪中国的德国“废人”,僻远乡村集体自杀的小学生,汶川地震灾区的难民,社会众生,在柴静的笔下,都是需要被了解与关注的群体。
掩卷,心情依然压抑,却有着希望。谢谢柴静,谢谢陈虻,谢谢如此这般的记者。
其实本不愿写读后感。柴静的一本小书中反应的社会传统以来独善其身的冷漠,弱势少数群体在夹缝中的苟活,作者个人的反思与成长经历,历十年,我短短为文草草结之,总是有些轻率。然而书中字里行间的那种关怀与责任感,以及掩卷闭目心头的沉重感,又使我不得不扫来几笔,不吐不快。
鲁迅当年弃医从文,为拯救国民秉性的麻木不仁。当一个社会,对一个丑陋的现象漠视麻木,是一件可怕的事。何必提当年那张百姓围观同胞被杀害而拍手称快直呼万岁的幻灯片呢?柴静提供了很好的一个例子:一个小区,业主委员会为了减少物业费,在小区内发起投票,结果大部分人支持,于是业委会向物业公司发起诉讼。胜诉。物业公司非但不减免物业费,反而将小区水电停了。于是业主大闹委员会,认为是委员会多管闲事才导致这种状况,甚至扬言要杀掉委员主任。结果发现,闹事的业主之前并没有参与投票,既没有赞成,也没有反对,只有漠视。不寒而栗。我的妈妈是自家小区业委会一员,而我,也见识过业主只要不驯自己意见了,便匿名举报放冷箭,至于别的单元的影响百户居民的事,则选择性失明。这是自私,是公共利益观念的缺失。然而,何管别人瓦上霜,是我自小接受的教育,可我更怀念墨家的侠义精神,急人之所急;怀念孟子的天下为己任的大儒;也怀念船山的天下兴亡,匹夫有责。为什么咱们在个人的僻径上失道渐远?
柴静记者很可爱,因为她对于那些已经被社会边缘化的群体,甚至是看似罄竹难书罪无可赦的恶人,也能尽量已客观态度,去理解与宽容。如前些年踩猫事件的主人,她能从经济利益,以及特殊的受众群体角度去采访他人,揭示对象的内心感受,而非痛打落水狗。如非典时期,一家甲级医院院长,为了达到国际卫生部的评价优等,在检查时派遣医疗车带着非典病人在北京市区游荡。他做错了事吗?是的。他是坏人吗?无解。世上有做好事坏事的人,而没有坏人与好人。柴静记者冒生命危险,采访病人,采访院长,深层揭露院长的悔恨,与当初决定的草率。文字中,没有谴责,没有诅咒,没有怨言,而有的,是对事实真相的客观写照,与对院长的内心深度写照。她并没有给他人贴上善恶的标签,发配到恶意的荒原,永世不得翻身。同样的,同性恋,误判犯,流浪中国的德国“废人”,僻远乡村集体自杀的小学生,汶川地震灾区的难民,社会众生,在柴静的笔下,都是需要被了解与关注的群体。
掩卷,心情依然压抑,却有着希望。谢谢柴静,谢谢陈虻,谢谢如此这般的记者。
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