An Arabian Journey

2019/3/24

看完Levison Wood的《An Arabian Journey》後，心裏怪怪的。

在書最後的Acknowledgements裏，Lev是這樣說的：

I was once given some invaluable advide: ‘To achieve great things, you must surround yourself with great people.’ No expedition, of course, is a one-man show.

Levison Wood是英國作家，攝影家，和探險家。他任職於英國軍隊，但平生最大愛好就是走路探險。他寫了幾本書：Walking the Nile, Walking the Himalayas, Walking the Americas，還有就是這本行走阿拉伯的書了。他現在正在馬來西亞探險，下麵一本書將是有關亞洲的走路探險曆程。

從圖書館借來他的書來看，是因為自己也喜歡到不同地方實實在在地走路遊曆。自己也想走多一些地方，而不隻是局限於歐洲，或其它幾個成熟的旅遊城市。旅遊的興趣已經轉移，所以想先讀一下其它人怎麽走的，積澱一些知識。

“遠征”好象是英國人的傳統，曆代出了好多象Levison Wood這樣的探險家。JRR Tolkien說他最不喜歡旅遊，但他筆下的人物The Hobbit 裏的Bilbo Baggins，the Lord of the Rings裏的Frodo，都是基因裏帶著愛冒風險的英國人，他們的故事就是一出出遠征曆險史。TE Lawrence是Levison兒時的英雄，他的阿拉伯遠征就是要走Lawrence曾走過的路。1959年寫出《Arabian Sands》的Wildfred Thesiger也是英國軍隊出來的作家和探險家，Levison崇拜的對象。

Levison的遠征已經跟前輩們不同了，他在遠方行走，英國後麵有個團隊24小時服務於他，他到不同的地方都有導遊，他的遠征在BBC4台直播，隨行還有工作室，有時還住住五星級賓館。看到這兒，都困惑了。好像我的走路更象走路，更象英國詩人William Wordsworth所寫的詩中一句：I wandered lonely as a cloud。Lawrence的中東行更是下足了功夫，苦學精通阿拉伯語。這些都是基本功。

這樣的遠征，這樣的觀察能夠真實地反映當地的情況嗎：如宗教矛盾，中東局勢，中東民眾的真實心態，民族情緒？我覺得還是有點的。下麵是書中的一些閃光點：

(阿拉伯曆險家Ibn Battutah 中東非常了不起的探險家，不過他作品的好多章節原封不動地抄襲前輩，他的遠征經曆有時讓人覺得不可信):Travelling – it gives you home in a thousand strange places, then leaves you a stranger in your own land.

(Ibn Battutah)　Who lives sees, but who travels, see more.

I was keen to walk, to stretch my legs and feel the sweat pouring down my brow. It makes you feel alive and gives you a sense of achievement, in a way that staring out of a car window can never do. (這也是我在歐洲旅遊的真實感受。每次歐洲之行回來後，腳底都結成一層厚厚的老繭。在山上走路的自由心態，那是多少錢都換不到的。)

(英國曆險家Wilfred Thesiger, Arabian Sands) For me, exploration was a personal vernture. I did not go to the Arabian desert to collect plants nor to make a map; such things were incidental…I went there to find peace in the hardship of desert travel and the company of desert peoples…To others my journey would have little importance. It would produce nothng except a rather inaccurate map which no one was ever likely to use. It was a personal experience, and the reward had been a drink of clean, nearly tasteless water. I was content with that. （也是我的感受。旅遊是一種自我體驗，不一定有什麽目的，但每次旅遊後那深層次的滿足就象無香清水一樣，沁入心脾，潤澤心身。）

Travel is a very personal matter, and what follows is simply my snapshot of one moment in time. (旅遊是很個人的事情，遊記所記錄的隻是那個瞬間的事情與感受。確實是這樣，我也隨便寫一些遊後記，源於旅遊中感動的瞬間，寫下它是加深旅遊的感受。)

(英國曆險家Richard Francis Burton) Of the gladdest moments in human life, methinks, is the departure upon a distant jouney into unknown lands. Shaking off with one mighty effort the fetters of Habit, the leaden weight of Routine, the cloak of many Cares and the slavery of Civilisation, man feels once more happy. (是的，旅遊最快樂的地方就是離開日常固定的生活軌跡，過一種不同的生活。我有個同事上班時總愛說：每天上班就象被困的鳥，在格子間裏敲打電腦鍵盤。每次奔向飛機場時，自己就象放風的鳥，什麽時差，坐飛機，前麵行程的不確定，都不重要，重要的是我能掙脫一會兒。)

(Bedouin Proverb) when you sleep in a house your thoughts are as high as the ceiling, when you sleep outside they are as high as the stars.

(Freya Stark) You will if you are wise and know the art of travel, let youself go on the stream of the unknown and accept whatever comes in the spirit in which the gods may ofter it. (是的，旅遊時越來喜歡隨遇而安，把自己變成當地的一棵樹，一根草，一陣風。Tourist隻是想看自己想看的，還是活在自己的世界裏，跟他/她去多少地方無關。)

(Arabian)I don’t like Lawrence, or your man Burton either. He sneaked into Mecca without permission. The only one I like is Thesiger. He lived with us Aras and got to know us. He had no agenda other than wanting to learn about our ways, I think. Isn’t that what travel should be all about? (旅遊的目的)

I felt as though this was what the real Arabia was all about – this was the real life of the Bedu nomads and therefore of mankind itself. This was the natural state of being for humans. With a belly full of food and a song in the air, what more can man ask for? There was no choice here but to simply exist in perfect harmony with one’s surroundings. There was no struggle, except against one’s self, and a belief in the benevolence of nature.

(希臘曆史學家Herodotus) In peace, sons bury their fathers. In war, fathers bury their sons.

When I got home, I’d make sure never to take anything for granted. I’d tell those around me how much they meant to me. I’d forgive those who’d hurt me and I’d never lose my temper again. I realized there and then that nothing else matters but kindness, compassion, forgiveness and love. (曆經艱辛後的感受，說實在的，很怕看這種遊後老一套心得。也常這樣想，但好象這些都是寫在水上的，一會兒就忘了，一會兒就咬牙切齒了。不過旅遊確實讓人心胸變得開闊，似乎變得更專注於短暫人生中有意義的事情。)

(Kahlil Gibran) Trust in dreams, for in them is hidden the gate to eternity. (藍天白雲下也常有夢想，我的旅遊都是夢想後的行走，非常享受。)

(Holy Qu’ran) When the sun shall be folded up; and when the stars shall fall; and when the moutains shall be made to pass away…and when the seas shall boil; and when the souls shall be joined again to gheir bodies…and when the books shall be laid open; and when the heavens shall be removed; ad when hell shall burn fiercely; and when paradise shall be brought near: every soul shall know what it hath wrought.

總的來說，這本書還是值得一看的。