故事与历史
Rivers, like men, only learn why they were born near their end. – José Saramago (1922-2010) “Nations reel and stagger on their way; they make hideous mistakes; they commit frightful wrongs; they do great and beautiful things. And shall we not best guide humanity by telling the truth about all this, so far as the truth is ascertainable?” – W.E.B. Du Bois 乌托邦(utopia)由来已久,其要旨就是用简单的方法解决复杂的问题,其根源就是面对复杂的世界人总是希望可以有一个简单的解释。长久以来,人们知道这是做不到的,却从来没有放弃,总是不断尝试不断失败。因此反乌托邦(dystopia)也会时不时出现。 讲故事应该比乌托邦的历史更久远。一个故事就是对世界或对人生的一个简单解释,让我们多一种理解。这也是源于人渴望对复杂不确定的世事有所明了。讲故事写故事的冲动就是为了构建一个虚拟世界,从而更好地理解面前的现实世界。 世界是复杂的不确定的,而人自己其实也是复杂的变化的,没有人确知世界和自己的未来。 There is a certain part of all of us that lives outside of time. Perhaps we become aware of our age only at exceptional moments and most of the time we are ageless. – Milan Kundera ...