Saturday, October 13, 2007

An incovenient truth... about myself

有些電影,看完便算;有些電影,看完會引發你的反思和想象,有深的、有淺的;也有些電影,看完你會很深刻,深刻至你想到有必要做一些事,而奧斯卡金像紀錄片《An Inconvenient Truth》(個人認為中台所譯《不願面對的真相》比香港《絕望真相》更貼題)便是屬於這一類 —— 芝加哥太陽報影評人Roger Ebert這樣說:「You owe it to yourself to see this film。」意思是你必須要看此片,因為這是你欠自己的。我很贊同,你看後亦會明白。

在片中Al Gore引用了邱吉爾(Winston Churchill)在1936年說過的一句話:「We are entering a period of consequences。」指出今天地球暖化的事實,其實是我們自工業革命後一代又一代的人類、包括你和我在地球村居住的每個人、種種不顧大自然的行為後果,並且亦必須要為到它的現況所負責,並且更重要的,是我們今日仍然有選擇,會否參與在補救的行列,或是對地球叔叔的病情仍然視而不見。

I have a confession to make here:我身為基督徒,從前總覺得幹嗎要做這麼多環保措施去愛護環境呢?反正我深信主有再來的一天,現存的天地遲早都要被廢去,上帝要給我們一個新天新地... 所以我一直以來只認同環保的道德價值,卻沒有相信環保的必須性或果效。遇著一些極端或沒有智慧的環保份子用衝動的方式爭取環保或漫罵沒有參與他們行列的人,我反而會感到世界對環保的鼓吹已到達霸權的地步。當年看《The Day After Tomorrow》,也不過在享受和驚歎它超卓的特效,對環境問題卻仍無動於中。今天看罷《An Inconvenient Truth》,我對地球暖化的迫切性徹底改觀,我相信它會明顯地改變我往後的生活方式。上帝給我們人類的一個重要使命,是要好好管理大地,我想從現在開始我要加入這個行列了,感謝Al Gore喚醒了在這方面一直沉睡的我!自命冷靜的我或許不會被他的誠懇影響,但我沒可能不被他在片中那種直接、facts by facts地將這些我們不願面對的真相打動。雖然Al Gore得諾貝爾獎後馬上受到攻擊,說他自己其實也有很多不環保的生活方式,但無論這些政治的小動作的真實性有多大,我想對我來說已經不重要了。

寫Al Gore和他這套《An Inconvenient Truth》,不是因為他剛得諾貝爾和平獎才來奉承一番。事實上好幾個月前我已經被他編寫的同名書中的精美裝幀設計、精采圖片和information graphics深深吸引。一張張雪山上雪綫上移(不是髮綫上移)的前後對比照片、一幅幅顯示地球叔叔病情越見嚴重的圖表,已經叫我在書店中看得入迷,於是毫不考慮便用兩百塊錢將它買了下來。可是書是買了回家,我還是騰不出時間細閱裡面的文字,書本最後還是被束之高閣,相信要待自己有空才會拿來翻一翻... 又一次證明單單瀏灠圖片,沒有咀嚼其中的文字,印象往往是不會深刻的。

不少人都知道我買DVD的習慣,是很少買首輪新出的影碟。大部份時間我只會在影音店買下那些一百元三套曾經被出租過的二手DVDs。慢慢我客廳的櫃裡面,都已積存了不少買了卻還未看的影片。這套《An Inconvenient Truth》,便是數星期前跟太太閒逛時買下來的,然而其實我都已經淡忘了它的存在... 這天如平常的周末中午一樣,我們一家人總愛一面吃午飯一面看DVD。開飯前想想今天看甚麼戲,想起一位弟兄在月初跟我提及過,說一群青少年人在團契週會看得悶透了,又剛看過新聞報導Al Gore得獎,才想起自己其實也買了這隻DVD,才即管拿來看看,想不到對自己會那麼震憾!(對,只是對我,兩個女兒說影片悶得發慌,太太看時也照例沒有多大專注...)

由於太深刻,我連電影結束前的字幕也不放過,要留在沙發上要看完它為止。字幕除了羅列出影片的工作人員名單外,亦建議了很多一般人能參予去減緩全球暖化的實際方法。最後,字幕說如果你相信祈禱,請你為這件事、為參與的人、和仍然冷淡的人禱告。很喜歡其中它用的一句:

When you pray, move your feet.

我會的。

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9 Comments:

At 10/15/2007 12:37:00 AM, Blogger big_head said...

I'm so glad that he got a Nobel Prize. Pray that more people will be awaken to treat the planet earth with better care. It often annoys and aggravates me that the U.S. is probably one of the most wasteful people. I'm learning from a friend from HK to bring containers to restaurant to pack the left-over.

> I have a confession to make here:我身為基督徒,從前總覺得幹嗎要做這麼多環保措施去愛護環境呢?反正我深信主有再來的一天,現存的天地遲早都要被廢去,上帝要給我們一個新天新地...

You should really read C.S. Lewis's The Last Battle of the Narnia series for his depiction of new heaven and new earth and how it's related to our present world, even though it's not a hardcore theology discourse.

 
At 10/15/2007 01:46:00 AM, Blogger ablogaday said...

Reading Wittmer's Heaven is a place on earth already convinced me that there is some connection between this world and the new earth. But BigHead, I'll assure you that I'll grab one from the library to see what more could be said. Thank you for recommending!

Just wanna provoke a little discussion here:

1. 一份套餐有沙律作前菜、炒粉麵飯一碟、及飲品一杯,賣HK$35

2. 單炒粉麵飯一碟,賣HK$32

我知以自己的胃口,只想亦只能吃炒粉麵飯一碟或更少。那麼我應該怎樣order才算比較環保呢?

 
At 10/15/2007 01:30:00 PM, Blogger big_head said...

I would order #2 if that's all I can consume.

If you want the drink, how about you order #1 and pay $35 but ask to skip salad?

We have cars here, so it's easier to bring container. I may also finish the salad, eat a little bit of noodle, and save the left-over noodle in a container. yes, in LA, we're big on saving leftover food at restaurants.

 
At 10/16/2007 01:25:00 AM, Blogger ablogaday said...

BigHead, in HK I seldom know any man, and fewer than a handful of women, who will save leftover food in containers and bring it with him or her. Not including me. Probably because eating outside and cooking at home will cost more or less the same here in HK, when comparing to LA, where eating outside with some good service will cost a fortune.

One more case here, it's my usual breakfast scenario:

1. 早餐有餐疍通粉一碗、腸仔兩條及牛油多士一件、熱飲一杯,賣HK$19

2. 以我的胃口,我只想單吃一碗餐肉通粉(HK$13),疍和其餘的通通不要了,然來一杯熱飲(HK$8),共要HK$21

若你是我,你會怎樣選?

 
At 10/16/2007 10:54:00 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

to ablogaday,

對曾蔭權, 民主運動是文化大革命. 香港有希望.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_V2qJWdxes

by Hong Kong Loudspeakers.

 
At 10/17/2007 09:03:00 AM, Blogger big_head said...

> 若你是我,你會怎樣選?

hm... that's difficult. the pricing is really strange!

i don't like 腸仔 either. and the difference is $2. what can $2 buy these days?

if i were you, i might give in to order the $19 breakfast, and then i'll nag the waiter/waitress/cashier/everyone about their strange pricing!

 
At 10/17/2007 04:33:00 PM, Blogger ablogaday said...

BigHead, that's the kind of pricing I always encounter for breakfast and tea-time (I always go for a later lunch in order not to crash with people). I really don't want to see what I ordered end up in the litter bin. More and more I find myself willing to pay more in order not to waste any food with my mouth and hands. Very often you need to pay more for protecting the environment, isn't it? Yes, I won't force myself eating more than how much I want or eating something I don't really like just for the sake of not wasting.

This is also why I don't like people asking me to finish what is left on the table by giving the reason that because I'm the thinnest guy among them, while the true cause is having somebody to finish the food they don't want will ease their conscience, not because they care about my weight.

HK Loudspeaker, thanks for providing the hyperlink. Whatever political reform you're advocating to HK, I think people here need more than that.

 
At 11/25/2007 05:13:00 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ching Ching

Thanks for lending me this meaningful DVD for weeks! Inspiring indeed, thanks a lot!

By the way, just want to say:
Happy 17th anniversary! God bless your whole family!

 
At 11/26/2007 05:20:00 PM, Blogger ablogaday said...

Thanks ah Foon! You're always the first to greet me for the anniversary. It always warm my hearts that my family is on someone's mind all the time... well... once every year at least.

 

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