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- 世界末日與冷酷異境 (3731)
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- Way of the Peaceful Warrior: A Book That Changes Lives
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- 讓天賦自由 (1145)
- By 肯．羅賓森, 盧．亞若尼卡
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- 偷書賊 (8041)
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- The Color Purple (311)
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Reading since Apr 12, 2009
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- The Memoirs of a Survivor (30)
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- By Doris Lessing
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Finished in Feb 2008
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- 第13個故事 (5433)
- The Thirteenth Tale
- By 黛安．賽特菲爾德
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Reading since 2009
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- 東谷沙飛傳奇 (25)
- By 乜寇．索克魯曼
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Reading since May 3, 2009
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- 日常vs 荒島的一天 (127)
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Finished in 2010
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- 別再為小事抓狂3你的幸福家庭計畫 (17)
- By Richard Carlson
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Finished (re-read) in 2009
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- 躲進世界的角落（平裝） (542)
- By 幾米
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Finished in 2009
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- 寫給當了教師的可奈子的信 (8)
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Finished in 2009
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- 教海鷗飛行的貓 (348)
- By 路易斯．賽普維達
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Finished on Jun 20, 2009
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- 白老虎 (707)
- By Aravind Adiga, 亞拉文．雅迪嘉
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Finished on Apr 12, 2009
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白老虎
因為對印度好奇、對小說好奇，還有對作者雅迪嘉 (Adiga) 好奇，我在紐約時報週刊中讀到一篇專欄，裡頭收錄幾個針對《白老虎》這本小說提出的問題，由作者Adiga解答。我想對於讀過或沒讀過，或是想讀這本小說的人，這專欄收錄的Q&A應該是了解這本小說不錯的選擇喔~
Q1
Do you think it’s possible that Indians will one day have the political will to eradicate poverty, or do you think Indian politicians and non-poor peopl ... (continue)
因為對印度好奇、對小說好奇，還有對作者雅迪嘉 (Adiga) 好奇，我在紐約時報週刊中讀到一篇專欄，裡頭收錄幾個針對《白老虎》這本小說提出的問題，由作者Adiga解答。我想對於讀過或沒讀過，或是想讀這本小說的人，這專欄收錄的Q&A應該是了解這本小說不錯的選擇喔~
Q1
Do you think it’s possible that Indians will one day have the political will to eradicate poverty, or do you think Indian politicians and non-poor people consider poverty endemic — the poor you will have with you always? — Elaine McCarthy
A1
Dear Elaine, thanks for your question. I’m an optimist on the future of India; I think young Indians want real change and are determined to reduce the corruption and misgovernance that are the root causes of poverty in India. We have seen dramatic reductions in poverty in parts of India that have good governance — in the southern state of Kerala, for instance — and I think that if young Indians step up the pressure on the political system, poverty can be slashed in the coming decade. But time is running out. The environment is an ominous factor — the growing scarcity of fresh water is driving more people into poverty every day — and action has to start now.
我對印度的未來仍是屬樂觀主義者；我認為印度年輕的世代要的是真正的改變並決心要減少腐敗及惡政，這造成印度貧窮的惡源。我們也在印度某些有德政的地方，看見貧窮戲劇化的大量減少──印度以南的喀拉拉，舉例來說──我認為若青年能加快對政府的施壓，貧窮這個議題將會在接下來的十年被猛烈抨擊。但已經沒有時間了。日益流失的飲用水迫使更多的人走向貧窮──因此行動必須現在就開始。
Q2
Why, I wonder, does America practically tie itself at the hip to China, when India, the world’s largest democracy, seems like such a better fit? Is it just the economics or, as my wife suggests, a holdover from India-Soviet Union alliances of the past? — Scott Baker
A2
India and the United States are natural allies in just about every way. They’re both liberal, tolerant, democratic countries in a world where democracy, free speech, and religious tolerance are increasingly under threat. And yet relations between the countries have been poor for so many years. It’s a real shame, and the fault lies on both sides: the United States has been, for decades, the most lavish military donor to Pakistan, a military-run, Islamist country that sponsors terrorism within India.
In turn, India’s inept socialist politicians and diplomats have foolishly abused America far too often in the U.N. and other international forums. What pleases me is that there’s been dramatic improvement in India-America ties in recent years, and a real friendship has started between the countries. But American policy-makers must be sensitive to the negative impact on Indian sentiment of crude, racist, anti-outsourcing rhetoric — and of America’s continuing military aid to Pakistan, which still allows Jihadi terrorists, like the ones who attacked Mumbai last year and killed hundreds of innocent men and women, to train inside its territory. India, for its part, must not ask too many concessions from America and must shed whatever remains of its old knee-jerk anti-Americanism. With give and take, this relationship can grow into the most important one of this century.
人民的貧窮不見改善，打著同樣民主、自由、包容口號的美國跟印度都有錯：美國在過去，幾十年的時間，一直是巴基斯坦軍事捐贈者的最大宗；印度境內，伊斯蘭教徒也對恐怖主義者的資助。令我高興的是印度跟美國最近幾年已經有確實地友誼關係。但是美國的政策制定者必須小心的是，對於種族主義、反外包這些造成美國負面印象的議論，以及美國對巴基斯坦持續的軍事支援，光是這件事，印度就不需對美國表示讓步，甚至盡可能的維持這過去就一直存在的反美情結。在供給與獲利間，這樣的關係將會是下一個世紀最重要的事件。
Q3
Where do you see India in next 25 years — culturally, politically, technologically, and human-relations wise?
– Sreenivasa Reddy Gali
你會如何看25年之後印度所處的位置──從文化上、政治上、科技上，及人倫。
A3
I think this is the hardest question of all to answer, and I think about this every day. What I fear is that too many middle-class Indians look at some indicators of prosperity, like the spread of cell phones in the country, while ignoring other indicators, like the growing shortage of fresh water. The worst-case scenario is that India wastes its immense potential and ends up as a country that is significantly richer than it is today, but with deep, lingering class divisions, higher levels of crime and social unrest, and millions who will never have access to the education and economic freedom that is their birthright. In other words, India ends up as a kind of immense South American country in the heart of Asia. India can do much, much better than this, and I hope that its citizens force its government to give them this better future.
這算是在所有的問題中最難的一個了，而我也每天都在思考這個問題。我所害怕的是大多數印度的中產階級著眼於繁榮的指標，像是普及全國的手機，而忽略了其他重要議題，例如水資源日益缺乏。最糟糕的情況是印度，這擁有無限潛力去過比現在更富庶的生活，卻被浪費了。但有著深根柢固的、滯留的階級制度、高級犯罪的手法及動盪不安的社會，還有數百萬那些與生俱來就無法獲得教育及經濟自由的人民。印度可以做更多，比這些更好，而我希望這批評會迫使政府去給予他們更好的未來。
Q4
Is modern India as striated with respect to class and caste as was 1950’s and 1960’s America with respect to race? And do you see this situation improving or devolving? Would an Indian version of Barack Obama, i.e., a member of the minority class, ever have a chance of being elected to India’s highest office or is the political class just too static? — MTD
現代印度涉及到的種姓制度的問題，是否跟五、六O年代的美國種族議題類似？有沒有可能出現印度版的歐巴馬？
A4
The caste system is changing fast in India, and it has become more fluid. There is the real prospect of Mayawati, a politician from the Dalit community (the former underclass of Hindu society) becoming prime minister after this election. However, I think we shouldn’t be looking at the caste or religion of the leaders of India; we should be asking what they do for the poor once they are elected. Mayawati, for instance, has been leader of a major Indian state for a long time and wields immense power there, but she has done little for the poor during her time in office; all indicators are that the condition of the poor may have deteriorated under her rule. There is no alternative to good governance to fix the colossal problems facing India — and just electing someone from a particular caste is no solution.
喀斯特階級制度在印度變得非常快，而且流動性也比較大的。這裡就有一位來自印度不入流的賤民階層中最低層的達立人 (Dalit) 可望成為下一屆總理的女性 Mayawati。然而，我認為我們不應著眼於印度這種姓制度或是宗教領域裡的引領在前的人；我們應該是要問，在他們被選上之後他們有為窮人做什麼。Mayawati，舉例來說，在印度當領袖已經有好長的一段時間，也在這拓展了勢力，但是在她執政的這段時間卻甚少為窮人做過些甚麼；種種的指標顯示貧窮情況在她執政的這段期間更為嚴重。對於一個好的政府除了去改善面對這印度的龐大問題而別無其它選擇──而只是選出這些來自喀斯特中特異分子是不會有解決方案的。
Q5
In an interview you stated “If you were a poor man you’d have to pick China over India any day because your kids have a better chance of being nourished if you’re poor. Your wife is more likely to survive childbirth. You’re likely to live longer. There are so many ways in which India’s system fails horribly.”
Do you think in some ways India should adopt a Chinese model of development? In what ways? Should India sacrifice political freedom for short-term economic growth (assuming that’s an actual trade-off?– vimspot
A5
The only alternative to Indian democracy, which has failed over 500 million people by leaving them in abject poverty, is an improved version of Indian democracy. None of India’s neighbors is truly democratic, yet all of them have failed their poor as well. My point in The White Tiger is to puncture the sense of complacency that too many Indians have — this feeling that, oh, we’re a democracy, all our problems are fixed. Democracy isn’t a panacea. Corruption and misgovernance can thrive within a democracy, as India’s history shows; they have to be addressed before democracy works for the poor.
印度的民主使五百萬的人民活在卑賤的貧窮生活裡，而唯一可以扭轉這情勢的就是要去改善這印度版的民主。印度鄰近的國家沒有一個是真正的民主，而每一個也都使他們的人民陷入貧窮。這本《白老虎》就是要去戳破太多印度人有的自滿──這種感覺就像是：噢！我們是很民主的，所有的問題都已經解決了。民主並不是萬靈丹。
腐敗跟惡政可以在民主包裝下滋長，就像是印度的歷史所呈現：民主體現在窮人身上前他們總會先發表些甚麼。
Q6
I am a white American married to an Indian immigrant. We are both highly educated and well mannered. The Indian community will not socialize with us even though we are raising our son Hindu and make efforts to join social circles. What do you think is the cause of this? Our general feeling is that the Indian expats fear American socialization of their children and do not want us around as and example of mixed marriages.– Clifton Williams
A6
Dear Clifton, I’m really sorry to hear this. I can tell you that most Indians are welcoming, friendly people — and I bet that once your comment is posted, dozens of Indians living in America will write to say that they’d be happy to have you and your wife over for dinner. Certainly, if you were here in Mumbai, where I live, you’d have no shortage of friends. India has been governed for five years by Sonia Gandhi, an Italian-born woman who married Rajiv Gandhi, an Indian politician: she is accepted as Indian here, and is loved by millions. It is the case, though, that Indians who migrate to America become more conservative, insular, and nostalgic than they would be here. They didn’t speak to me much when I was in America, either, if that’s any consolation. I never got invited anywhere for dinner in the Indian community; they didn’t want their daughters marrying a punk like me, either. Just ignore them and visit India; you’ll never feel isolated again.
我真抱歉聽到這樣的消息。我敢告訴你大多數的印度人是好客的、友善的──而且我也敢打賭一旦你的回應被放到網路上，許多的在美國的印度人會寫信告訴你他們很樂意跟你及你的太太共進晚餐。當然，如果你在孟買，我住的地方，你不會少掉朋友的。印度有五年的時間被蘇尼亞甘地執政，她在義大利出生後來嫁給拉吉夫甘地，一位印度的政治家。她被這裡的印度人接受，且被百萬的印度人民愛戴。還有一個例子，印度人在移民到美國會變得比較保守、孤立，且思念家鄉，我在美國的時候他們聊得沒有在這裡多，如果可以給你些安慰的話。我在印度社區從沒被人家邀請去吃晚餐，他們不會希望他們的女兒嫁給我這個混蛋。只要拋開這些，來趟印度，你將不會覺得被孤立。
Q7
What unites India and gives it a collective identity despite its bewildering diversity? Is it Indian civilization’s concept of “dharma”? If so, how would you see the younger generation of Indians enamored with the imported Western “desires” reconciling the ancient and time-tested concept of dharma. — Arvind C
A7
What unites India is the innate liberalism of its culture, I think. Indians are a liberal, tolerant people: there is room for free speech and debate here. No other country in South Asia is as free as India; that is why India is the only truly stable country in a region torn by civil strife and chaos. Look at the example of Pakistan, for instance, which is plunged in chaos. What keeps India strong is its freedom. In the last 10 years, this freedom of expression has come under attack from various extremist groups — Hindu extremists, Islamic fundamentalists, ultra-nationalists — and I fear that freedom of speech is diminishing by the day. Without its freedoms, India turns into a failed state like Pakistan.
印度人天性是自由的、能容忍的族群：在印度，這裡有自由言論以及批評的空間。沒有任何一個南亞的國家能比印度還要自由；這就是為什麼印度是唯一能真正的從一個鬥爭與混亂的區域變成一個國家。看看巴基斯坦這個例子，它被陷入在混亂之中。自由就是為什麼能維持印度的國力。在過去的十年裡，言論的自由被來自於各式各樣的激進份子攻擊──印度激進份子、伊斯蘭原教主義者，以及極端國家主義份子──而我害怕的是言論自由漸漸被削弱。沒有自由，印度會淪落到巴基斯坦這種地步。
Q8
Your book is transformational writing. Superb. Why are so many people of Indian origin so upset about your depiction of reality there? I can understand Slumdog Millionaire being slightly offensive, but why your book? — Dionisio Filipo Romano
為什麼這麼多印度的人民會對於你對印度現實的刻畫表現不快？
A8
The White Tiger is an edgy book — and I did want it to start a debate within India about where the country is headed. Some Indian readers have been very upset — and some of the things said about the book and me have been extreme. However, I would point out that it’s Indians living abroad — especially in the U.S.A. — who have been the most upset. I don’t particularly want them to like me — many of these expatriates are right-wing nuts, and fund Hindu extremist organizations in India, and it’s a badge of honor to be abused by them. Here in India, The White Tiger is a best-seller, and has sold nearly 150,000 copies. That’s the key thing for me.
《白老虎》是本諷刺銳利的小說──而我也希望這可以在印度掀起評論，去思考究竟印度有甚麼遙遙領先的。有些印度的讀者會感到不快─有些認為我的書跟我這個人太極端了。然而，我想說的是這是對於一位旅外的印度人──尤其是美國──才是最感到失望地了。我並不特別要這些移入印度的人喜歡我──他們多是支持右派的傻瓜，而且還提供印度激進份子組織資金。
在印度，《白老虎》是本暢銷小說，而也有賣出了將近一百五十萬本的。這對我來說有特別關鍵的意義。
ipiq
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