2016年9月29日星期四

The barren rock II

前文說過,不論巴麥尊子爵稱香港為 "barren rock" 一事是真是假,要理解該詞何所指,是否刻意貶抑,必須了解同時代其他人的看法,而大量文獻證據顯示,當年香港的確光禿荒蕪。今日港島樹木茂密,乃拜港府自1870年代起大力植林逾半世紀所賜。

話說回來,巴麥尊子爵這個 "barren rock" 傳說,原來真有所本,他甚至真的從字面上稱呼香港為「荒島」。只是子爵原話實在與現行版本有異,斷章取義亦無法了解原話的背景和上文下理。

子爵原話,出自他寫給義律的私人函件。1841年,義律佔領香港島,並與琦善談判。然而,義律非但未能取得香港主權(琦善只同意英方於島上「擇一處地方寄寓泊船」),英廷交付的多項索償任務亦毫無成果。尤甚者,義律同意英軍完全撤出英廷認為極富經濟價值的舟山羣島,令巴麥尊子爵相當不滿。子爵認為義律對清廷太過軟弱,又違反了英廷多項指令,計劃將其免職,故此先行通知義律此一意向。發信日期為 1841 年 4 月 21 日。信件全文,載於下述由曾任李鴻章西洋顧問與大清海關稅務司的馬士 (Hosea Ballou Morse) 所著著作的附錄G (pp. 641-643):
Hosea Ballou Morse, The International Relations of the Chinese Empire, vol. I, Paragon Book Gallery, New York, 1910.
信中有關香港幾段如下:
My Dear Sir,

… You were ordered to retain Chusan, until the whole of the pecuniary Compensation should be paid; and to require that an Article to that effect should be inserted in the Treaty to be signed with the Chinese P.P. and to be ratified by the Emperor: You have agreed to evacuate the Island immediately, and have submitted to a Refusal on the part of the Chinese to let there be any Treaty whatever signed by the Emperor.

You have obtained the Cession of Hong Kong, a barren island with hardly a House upon it; and even this Cession as it is called, seems to me, from the conditions with which it is clogged, not to be a cession of the Sovereignty of the Island, which could only be made by the signature of the Emperor, but to be a permission to us to make a Settlement there, upon the same footing on which the Portuguese have an establishment at Macao.

Now it seems obvious that Hong Kong will not be the Mart of Trade, any more than Macao is so; that the Trade will still continue at Canton; and unless you shall have obtained in your further Negotiations all the securities which we demanded for our Residents in China, Matters will remain practically just as they have been; our Commercial Transactions will be carried on as heretofore at Canton, where our Merchants will be as hitherto at the Mercy of the Chinese; but they will be able to go and build Houses to retire to, in the desert Island of Hong Kong, instead of passing the non-trading Months at Macao. However, it is possible that I may be mistaken in this Matter; and that Hong Kong may secure to us the same trading advantages which we have hitherto enjoyed at Canton, with the additional benefit of Freedom from molestation of Persons or Property. But still you will have failed in obtaining that which was a Capital point in our view; an additional opening for our Trade to the Northward; and that object would have been attained by the retention of Chusan even during the time allowed for the payment of the Instalments of the Money….
現行的 "barren rock" 傳說(譬如曾俊華那個版本),多是抽出信中兩句,將之修改合併成 "A barren rock, with nary a house upon it. It will never be a mart for trade.",令人以為巴麥尊子爵的意思是由於香港過於荒蕪,無可能發展成貿易市集。然而,若詳讀信件內容,你會發現他根本不是這個意思:

  • 巴麥尊子爵的而且確說香港很荒蕪,甚至連揾間屋都難。即使後者略嫌誇張,前者卻如我前文所述,基本上是事實。
  • 巴麥尊子爵並沒有說香港無可能成為貿易市集。他說的是,就算將香港發展成貿易市集,亦難以超越澳門,更遑論取代廣州的中心地位,不過他亦承認自己可能有錯;在香港做生意,人身同財産安全都有保障,亦不用被清國人話晒事。
  • 巴麥尊子爵的而且確說香港是個「荒島」,只不過詞語原文為 "desert island",而不是 "barren rock"。從信中所見,荒島之說顯然是相對舟山而言。香港開埠之後,英人即統計人口,發現香港全島只有約 4350 居民;就算加埋水上人與外來小販或打工仔,亦不過 7450 人。經濟方面,除了赤柱算是個大市集,其餘村落,莫不是做打漁採石這類採掘業,或有村落有少量農耕。借用近日南海仲裁案中《聯合國海洋法公約》的用語的話,香港島這塊「岩礁」(rock) 大抵也算是能夠「維持人類居住或其本身的經濟生活」(sustain human habitation or economic life of their own) 的島嶼了。相比之下,舟山羣島當時人口卻有十萬,單是面積小香港一半的主島,亦有三萬居民,糧食不僅自足,還有稻米與米酒出口。嚴格來說,稱香港為荒島當然不正確,但正所謂「大雞唔食細米」,對於見慣大場面的英國人而言,一個只得區區七千幾人的貧瘠小島,實在與荒島無異。何況,稱香港為荒島的,大概也只得他罷,其他人一般都只(如實)稱香港為 "barren rock"。


2016年9月26日星期一

小筆記:粵語變讀及文白異讀

音存而字漸失:
  1. 依家兩點鐘
  2. 詐家衣唔畀錢
  3. 伏厘厘(捉迷藏)
  4. 呢副傢撐唔錯
  5. 洗唔洗叫佢翻番嚟
  6. 嘢叫寐水船(潛水艇民間舊稱)?
  7. 老豆過多十幾年就會變伯 yeah(粵拼:je4)公
  8. 時間好 meng(粵拼:man6)
  9. 搞錯?搞到間屋立立亂
  10. 就快要百 leng(粵拼:leng4)萬先買到個廁所
原話:
  1. 而今兩點鐘(「而家」或「依家」都是「而今」變讀;「家下」亦原是「今下」)
  2. 浸假而/詐假意唔畀錢(《莊子.大宗師》:「浸假而化予之左臂以為雞,予因以求時夜;浸假而化予之右臂以為彈,予因以求鴞炙;浸假而化予之尻以為輪,以神為馬,予因以乘之,豈更駕哉!」)
  3. 伏匿匿
  4. 呢副家生唔錯(水滸傳:「兩件家生要幾兩銀子?」家生亦作家私/家具解)
  5. 使唔使叫渠返返來
  6. 嘢叫沒水船?(「乜」原本就讀「咩」me1,mat1 音反而是後起;「沒水」讀「寐水」可能是受北方話影響)
  7. 老頭過多十幾年就會變伯爺公
  8. 時間好(用法源自「打爛沙盆璺到䐁」)
  9. 搞錯?搞到間屋歷歷亂
  10. 就快要百零萬先買到個廁所

2016年9月21日星期三

(講座)The Tree in the Street: The Greening of the City of Victoria

前文提到港府於港島郊區植林,市區街道又如何?皇家亞洲學會香港 (Royal Asiatic Society Hong Kong) 下月剛好有講座,講鮮為人知的香港市區植樹史,有興趣(兼有閒暇及閒錢者)者不妨參加。講座摘要見此

2016年9月17日星期六

The barren rock

近年談論香港史的文章,許多作者不知何解,總強調䦕埠前的香港經濟經已經活力充沛,英國人只是爲了自高成就,才刻意將當時香港貶為一條小漁村或一個荒島(a barren rock)。譬如幾個月前就有這樣一篇書評,實牙實齒說甚麼卸下英人貶香港為漁村荒島的枷鎖,歸返真相云云。

稱香港為 barren rock 一事,傳說出自香港開埠時擔任英國外相的第三代巴麥尊子爵譚普 (Henry John Temple, the third Viscount Palmerston)。據說,譚普批評香港為 "a barren rock with nary a house upon it. It will never be a mart for trade."

此事,學術期刊提過,外國有公營廣播機構也提過,財政司司長曽俊華更提過不止一次,還清楚指出那是1841年的事。很詭異的是,對這麼流行的傳說,竟無人講得出當年的報章書刊有何紀錄。上網搜尋的話,Google 找不到,Bing  找不到,Duck Duck Go 找不到,Internet Archive 與 Project Gutenberg 也找不到。巴麥尊子爵的批評,就好像《攻殻機動隊》裏面的文章《個別的十一人》那般,人人都以為自己讀過,兼說它出自政治哲學家 Patrick Sylvester 手筆,卻無人拿得出原始文獻。

就算巴麥尊子爵真有此批評,也只是孤例而已。英國人是否刻意貶抑香港,還得看同時代其他文獻例子。

查實早在香港開埠前幾十年,已經有人用 barren 來形容香港。譬如自然學家 Dr Clarke Abel 撰於1818年的 Narrative of a Journey in the interior of China,提起他逗留香港時的短暫考察,就有如下敘述 (pp.60-62):
… The general surface of the mountain (筆者按:指太平山), and indeed of every part of the island of Hong-kong that I was able to visit, is remarkably barren, although in the distance it appears fertile, from a fern which I believe to be the Polypodium trichotomum of Kaempfer, which supplies the place of other plants.

… On reaching the shore, I examined the rocks by the water-fall, where they are exposed in large surfaces, and found them composed of basaltic trap, exhibiting in some places a distinct stratification, in others a confused columnar arrangement. It is also divided into distinct, well defined rhomboidal masses, separated from each other by very obvious seams, in which I frequently found cubic crystals of iron pyrites.

… I may now be expected to give some description of the scenery and inhabitants of Hong-kong, but of either I have little to say. Its scenery is composed of barren rocks, deep ravines, and mountain-torrents, but presents few characters of a very picturesque description.
作者登島所見地方,若非光禿禿的玄武岩,就是遠看貌似肥沃,近觀卻是多蕨少樹的貧瘠土地。因此文中 "barren" 一個詞,其實是不夠植被,土壤貧瘠的意思。你可以說他跑不夠多地方,但他由頭到尾並無刻意貶抑,只是如實紀錄而已。

貧瘠一如蘇格蘭離島

事實上,同時代許多其他描述,都清楚表明當年香港相當貧瘠。 1841年的 The Museum of Foreign Literature, Science, and Art, vol. 42 (v.14 of the New Series),就轉載了幾篇文章,其中一篇 (p.360) 將香港比作蘇格蘭西北的 Hebrides 羣島:
Hong-kong may, as regards its scenic appearance, be well compared to the Hebrides, and is quite as barren.
並提到士丹頓從男爵(中環士丹頓街即以其命名)亦稱香港為 "very barren and unproductive"。另一篇文章 (p.361) 分析得更深入。作者說,比起馬來亞和印尼一帶,香港顯得十分荒蕪 。儘管相對而言,香港並非寸草不生,但由於土壤(多為堅硬的花崗岩)、水土流失及風勢緣故,很少樹木可以抵受這樣的環境:
The island of Hong-Kong may be described as a huge pile of ragged hills, which here and there start up into precipitous peaks. It is barren and intractable in its aspect, especially when compared those rich scenes which meet the eye in the straits of Sunda. But this barrenness is relative, for the slopes are covered with a hardy kind of grass, except in spots where the soil has been sifted by an avalanche, or the rock broken into an escarpment by volcanic action. The naked and unproductive character of the hills in the southern parts of China the writer had been led to ascribe to the meagre and hungry nature of the soil, as the rock from which it is produced is a hard sort of granite, yielding but little clay as a material for the sub-soil; when, however, he visited Hong-kong, and found it mainly composed of trap, in which clay is abundant, he began to feel it necessary to modify the opinion which he had formerly entertained. The barren aspect assumed by the projecting points and angles of Hong-kong, or rather the want of trees to clothe and decorate them, must be ascribed to the northeast wind, which blows with such a keen and biting edge, that few trees, save the Pinus Linensis, which resembles our Scotch fir, can endure it.
一篇1846年文章 "Hong-Kong, from Kow-loon" (載於 China, in a series of views, displaying the scenery, architecture, and social habits, of that ancient empire, vol. 3)亦說香港很荒蕪,就算每年有幾個月望落好似好綠,其實想揾顆樹都難:
From the summit to the water's edge there are few or no trees; and, except in the months of May, June, July, and August, when these islands look green, they might be supposed to be quite barren.
而根據 Oh for the Joys of England 一文所載 (Journal of the Hong Kong Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, 1842),當時留駐香港,第九十八軍團的 Lieutenant Orlando Bridgeman 更表示,整個島上,就只有快活谷有一顆樹:
“There is only one spot in the whole of the island that has a tree on it. it is called Happy Valley, and is certainly a pretty spot. The rest of the island is one barren rock and perfectly devoid of all vegetation.”
當然,Lieutenant Bridgeman 未必跑遍了整個島,他這個講法,可能有點誇張,然而綜合各人所述,可知香港所謂 "barren",指的是蘇格蘭高地式的荒蕪。雖未至於毫無植被,但土壤貧瘠,不利農耕。硬要將 "barren rock" 說成荒島,然後再反駁荒島一說,只不過是大打稻草人,斷章取義而已。

今日香港島密林滿布,說香港舊日到處光禿禿有點難以置信,但翻查史料,今日香港島樹木茂盛,其實是拜港府自1870年代起不斷植林所賜。一般人很難想象這是多麼漫長而浩大的工程。根據學者研究 (Dudgeon and Corlett 1994, Corlett 1999, Hung 2010),到1900年,亦即䦕始植林三十年之後,香港島的樹林覆蓋率亦只有28%;直至1938年,覆蓋率方達70%。

(有關香港的植林史,由港大歷史系學者 Dr Robert Peckham 撰寫的論文 Hygienic Nature: Afforestation and the greening of colonial Hong Kong (2014) 相當值得一讀。)

肚餓不能打仗

既然香港島土地貧瘠,以它為軍港,軍需問題就更形重要。早期文獻中,稱香港為 barren rock,若非出於學術角度,關心的幾乎都是糧食生產,完全與自抬身價無關。譬如據1845年十二月的 The Chinese Repository 記載,香港第三任庫政司孖沙 (Robert Montgomery Martin) 當時正準備返英一趟,其目的很可能是為了說服英廷放棄香港這塊 barren rock,換取可以生產米糧的舟山羣島:
Soon after, we found it mentioned in the Hongkong Gazette that Mr. Montgomery Martin, the treasurer of the colony, was about to proceed to England by way of Bombay, and we suggested that his voyage might have reference to the Chusan question. We now find that the same opinion has been entertained by the Courier, since the arrival of Mr. Martin at Bombay. Our contemporary states that "the object of his journey is to induce H.M. government to give up Hongkong again to Chinese, and to take in lieu the island of Chusan, which it is now found is much better adapted for the purposes of trade, more healthy, and unquestionably more productive. While Hongkong is a barren rock, Chusan is quite the reverse, and would produce rice enough to support a very large population."
1900 年由香港出版的官方歷史 (A.G. M., Hong Kong: a short history of the colony and an outline of the present political situation in China, Hong Kong, Publicity Bureau for South China, 1900, p.17) 當中,稱香港一邊為 barren rock,重點也是放在糧食生產之上:
On one side of the harbour there was an almost barren rock, with practically no food resources; on the other side a large Chinese camp was under construction.
種種文獻顯示,稱香港為 barren rock,並非低貶,而是事實。我反而覺得,是有論者試圖貶低英國人的貢獻才真。

2016年9月5日星期一

多謝王維基

我很欣慰,原以為絶望的局面,結果反而變得對民主派有利(最高興的是朱凱迪能勝出;此外我還投了梁耀忠,尚未知結果),不過原先預想的一些情況,仍成為事實:
  1. 西環黨與土共所佔議席依然紋風不動,港島區工聯會郭偉強一如我所料,得票率遠超民調支持率(民調中佔表示會投票的受訪者8%,最後得票12%),與上屆新界西梁志祥與陳恒鑌的情況相似,相信是配票的結果。
  2. 新界西民主派長尾大混戰之後,結果仍是只得四席,平白益了西環契仔何君堯。
今次選前民調顯示民主派會比上屆少一席,但結果反而多取一席,原因並非西環與土共有甚麼閃失,更非民主派打了一場漂亮的仗,而是一些並非西環嫡系或土共的建制派落敗:新界東、西兩區建制派的選情本來就最吃緊。新界東一輪大混戰之後,范國威與自由黨雙雙落馬,民主、建制兩派一命賠一命,而長毛以1051票險勝方國珊,令民主派僅僅保住過半議席。港島方面,王維基高開低收。我不知他原先的支持者究竟是見民調結果太好而懶得去投票,抑或是轉投了民主派。總之,今次全靠他們,香港的民主派方能多一些喘息的空間。我並不討厭王維基,但今次選舉,民主派命懸一線,任何並非民主派的候選人落敗,都是好事。

(後記:除了多謝王維基原先的支持者,我還要多謝選前敢於急流勇退,顧全大局的幾位民主派候選人;若沒有他們退選,民主派今次肯定連慘勝都做不到。)

總括來說,今次民主派大起大跌,大混戰然後大換血,西環與土共則大致輕鬆過關。至於那些親建制而不完全受西環或土共操縱的幾路人馬,則成為最大的犧牲品。

2016年9月3日星期六

遊兵太多

是次選舉,本來絶望,但今昨兩日民主派多人退選,令形勢露出一線曙光。

可是情況依然嚴重。儘管街上不時聽到建制派助選團大呼選情嚴峻,實情是,建制派的參選名單,從未像今屆協調得那麼好。以2012年新界西為例,建制派多了土豪陳強以及尚未成為西環契仔的何君堯兩人搞局,分走了近 5-6% 選票,危及工聯會麥美娟及民建聯陳恒鑌與梁志祥的選情。今年有人涉嫌恐嚇自由黨周永勤使其退選之後,建制派於各區完全沒有唔湯唔水的多餘名單,大大減低落選風險,甚至有餘裕於港島區配票扶植第三勢力,使西環多潻契仔。

相比之下,民主派於多區長尾混戰,難以收拾。

今屆選舉,關鍵落在新界東、西兩區,但潛在風險最大的其實是港島區。許多人看過最近兩次民調結果,都預料民主派會取得至少兩席,甚至見工聯會郭偉強的支持度只有 6%,而認為民主派有望取得三席。這些人忘了建制派配票之精準和無所不用其極。前面提過 2012年新界西一役,民建聯就是將譚耀宗名單 3-4% 選票過了給陳恒鑌與梁志祥,救了他們。今年西環黨於毋須自救,而港島是他們唯一有大量多餘票的一區,若其夠狠,分一點票給郭偉強加強防守之餘,還可將部分選票配給並非直屬西環的詹培忠或黃梓謙,說不定可鑽民主派內鬥的空子,多吃民主派一席,令民主派只餘最後一席。

反過來說,排於長尾末端幾個民主政黨的支持者,除非集中票源,否則斷無可能贏得第三席。然而這幾個黨的支持者為數相若,又誰也不服誰,怎看也難以成事。

九龍東與九龍西則幾成定局,儘管各民主派系大混戰,但建制派並無多餘名單,其手握票數又僅足自己淡定當選,無論民主派系再怎麼爭鬥,建制派也不會意外地多一席或少一席。

今屆民主派能否保住過半議席,關鍵始終在於新界東、西兩區,尤其是新界西,不但有大混戰,排於長尾分布末端的還要是在本區活動多年的幾個傳統政黨,很難指望他們的支持者有策略地投票。我們幾乎可以預見兩區民主派各有超過一成選票會毫無效益地浪費掉。香港明明是支持民主的人比較多,卻是連地區直選也讓惡棍與奴才得勝,最終釀成大禍,令人嘆息。

2016年9月2日星期五

最尾的日子

對下星期的立法會選舉,我再提不起勁做一些量化分析了。無論是參選名單、滾動調查、媒體報道、網民議論抑或街頭風景,都宣告着同一事態,那就是:民主派即將大敗,守不住立法會地區選區半數議席,再作分析也只是確認一個人人有眼見的事實罷了。本來已經視法治如無物的殖民政府,取得議會話事權之後會立甚麼法例,相信大家心中有數。

今日的幼兒,以後會成為少年,開始懂事。若他們問為何在香港連生存都這般艱難,甚至連批評一下政府都可以招禍,我們該如何回答?我想不出。香港被中國佔領的頭十幾年,還未至於民不聊生,何解情況於短短幾年間就急轉直下?

許多人都有責任 ── 現正掌權的惡賊、只管耳根清靜,連年輕人呻吟吶喊一下都責備的老市花、有如一盤散沙的庶民、抱着難民心態,只想揾夠就走而不願反抗的人⋯⋯我們全都難辭其咎。覆巢之下無完卵,要來的或許始終要來,可是我從未試過像今日那樣,有種凌駕於挫敗感和無力感之上,而確確實實地體會到,對不起下一代的感覺。

我沒有甚麼可以呼籲大家了。這一刼原本巳看不到多少生機,若然閣下連落街投票這最後掙扎都不做的話,就更鐵定是逃不過了。請好好享受來屆立法會會期開始前的日子吧。以前只想揾夠跳船的年代快將過去了。出年起,就算你低頭做順民,但未及跳船就已經禍從天降的日子只會愈來愈多,不過也請你放心,我可以保證,社會上埋怨的聲音將會愈來愈少。在這個意義之下,你是會生活得相當清靜的。