【話當年: 里斯本條約 ~ 簽署在何地? (提示: 一重要旅遊景點)】
【The past: Where was the Treaty of Lisbon signed? (Hint: an important tourist attraction)】

2007年12月13日, 27個歐洲國家領導人共同簽署了「里斯本條約」, 新條約的誕生, 旨在進一步改革歐盟機構, 簡化歐盟的決策過程; 並針對全球氣候暖化、天然能源等政策, 提高歐盟全球競爭力和影響力。大家可知道, 「里斯本條約」是在那裡簽署的呢? :-)

Signed by the heads of state and government of the 27 EU Member States, 'Treaty of Lisbon' was signed on 13 December 2007, intending to reform the functioning of the European Union. Do you know where the signing of Treaty of Lisbon took place? :-)

簽署地就是在里斯本貝倫區的著名建築物 - 在1983年已被聯合國教科文組織列為「世界文化遺產」的哲羅尼莫斯修道院裡面啊! 時任的歐盟輪值主席國正是葡萄牙, 總理是蘇格拉底, 他在《里斯本條約》簽署儀式上首先發表講話。

請大家留意兩張我在網路上找到借用到此的圖片: 1) 國家元首們在哲羅尼莫斯修道院的南大門前大合照, 南大門雖是側門, 卻盡是手工精細繁複的浮雕, 極之華麗。大門高32米, 建於1516-1518年間, 有眾多有意思的浮雕 (另行再談)。2) 簽署儀式在哲羅尼莫斯修道院內的迴廊舉行, 兩層高的迴廊完成於1544年, 是曼努埃爾建築中的不朽之作。迴廊呈拱形天花和四邊形格局, 每根柱子和每個大小拱門是不同款式、雕刻豐富精采的浮雕, 是絕大部分來哲羅尼莫斯修道院參觀的旅客不會錯過的景點。

The Treaty of Lisbon was signed in Belém, at the famous monument called Mosteiro dos Jerónimos - a UNESCO World Heritage Site which was constructed in the 16th century. The then Portuguese Prime Minister and the President of the Council of the European Union José Sócrates gave a welcoming speech prior to the official signing ceremony.

Enclosed in this post are two photos that I found on the internet. They captured some of the most important scenes of the signing ceremony of the Treaty of Lisbon. 1) The first photo shows that the heads of the 27 EU Member States stood and took a group photo in front of the South Portal of Mosteiro dos Jerónimos. Built in years 1516-1518, the South Portal - though not the main portal - is decorated with a large amount of stunning and beautiful carved religious and marital images. 2) The second picture shows where the signing ceremony took place. It's at the cloisters of the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, completed in 1544. The magnificent and elaborate sculptural details and carvings on each column in the cloister are perfect examples of the unique Manueline architecture. This is a must-see place when one visits the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos.

**********************
詳細有關里斯本條約的內容和意義等, 大家可參考歐盟為里斯本條約所建立的官方網站: http://www.lisbon-treaty.org/wcm/the-lisbon-treaty.html

For details of the structure and aims of the Treaty of Lisbon, you may want to visit the official Treaty of Lisbon website managed by the European Union. http://www.lisbon-treaty.org/wcm/the-lisbon-treaty.html

19. 體制理應保護我們 有時它卻殘殺我們

民怨日深，警民衝突（甚至已經超越單純的推撞），背後來自甚麼日積月累的不公和無稽？

有些行為本身就不合法，小販擺檔如是、公民抗命如是，被系統還擊是「lawful」的。但令人咬牙切齒的，是當權者的選擇性執法，警察使用「最低武力」是自衛、金毛保安員驅趕小販是合情合理，這就不算是符合「justice」了。

更甚者，這個系統甚至不是我們自己訂立的。不要跟我說在外國，這些「暴徒」會受怎麼樣的嚴厲反擊，至少他們的執政者是他們選擇出來的。他們有改變權勢的能力。但我們的「system」，是被一雙從北方來的無形之手所操控的，無論你信不信也好。這就是問題癥結所在。

－－

「以卵擊石，在高大堅硬的牆和雞蛋之間，我永遠站在雞蛋那方。」 無論高牆是多麼正確，雞蛋是多麼地錯誤，我永遠站在雞蛋這邊。

誰是誰非，自有他人、時間、歷史來定論。但若小說家無論何種原因，寫出站在高牆這方的作品，這作品豈有任何價值可言？這代表什麼意思呢？轟炸機、戰車、火箭和白磷彈就是那堵高牆；而被它們壓碎、燒焦和射殺的平民則是雞蛋。這是這個比喻的其中一層涵義。

更深一層的看，我們每個人，也或多或少都是一枚雞蛋。我們都是獨一無二，裝在脆弱外殼中的靈魂。你我也或多或少，都必須面對一堵名為「體制」的高牆。體制照理應該保護我們，但有時它卻殘殺我們，或迫使我們冷酷、有效率、系統化地殘殺別人。是我們創造了體制。

"Between a high, solid wall and an egg that breaks against it, I will always stand on the side of the egg." Yes, no matter how right the wall may be and how wrong the egg, I will stand with the egg.

Someone else will have to decide what is right and what is wrong; perhaps time or history will decide. If there were a novelist who, for whatever reason, wrote works standing with the wall, of what value would such works be? What is the meaning of this metaphor? In some cases, it is all too simple and clear. Bombers and tanks and rockets and white phosphorus shells are that high, solid wall. The eggs are the unarmed civilians who are crushed and burned and shot by them. This is one meaning of the metaphor. This is not all, though. It carries a deeper meaning. Think of it this way. Each of us is, more or less, an egg. Each of us is a unique, irreplaceable soul enclosed in a fragile shell. This is true of me, and it is true of each of you. And each of us, to a greater or lesser degree, is confronting a high, solid wall. The wall has a name: It is The System. The System is supposed to protect us, but sometimes it takes on a life of its own, and then it begins to kill us and cause us to kill others - coldly, efficiently, systematically. We made The System.

－－永遠站在「雞蛋」的那方 （村上春樹）
譯文來自 http://www.cw.com.tw/article/article.action?id=5001789