紐華克境內最為人所熟知的設施,當屬紐華克自由國際機場(Newark Liberty International Airport,原名「紐華克機場」,但在2001年之後改為現名以紀念911事件中的犧牲者)。紐華克機場是紐約都會區最早的一座機場,也是紐約市三座主機場之一,每年接近三千萬人次的進出旅客替紐華克帶來相當程度的產值收入。
費城有三百多年的歷史。美國獨立戰爭期間,費城是美國革命的發祥地,許多具有歷史意義的事件都發生在這裡:1774年和1775年兩次大陸會議在這裡召開,1776年7月4日《獨立宣言》(The Declaration of Independence)在這裡簽署,1787年美國第一部憲法在這裡誕生。1790至1800年間,費城還曾是美國的首都。因此,費城被稱為美利堅合眾國的搖籃。如今費城完好地保存著記載這段光榮歷史的名勝古跡:獨立宮、自由鐘、國家獨立歷史公園、獨立大道、富蘭克林博物館等。
自由鐘等古蹟屬於國家獨立歷史公園(Independence National Historic Park) ,歸美國內政部國家公園處(National Park Service)管理,我正好有國家公園卡(National Park Pass),所以可以免費參觀。除了自由鐘和獨立宮外,也有20餘所和美國獨立建國有關的建築供遊客參觀。
我陪學姐去搭火車去機場後,就一個人到30th Street Station去搭火車去紐華克找大學同學。到了30th Street Station,我才發現,原來我早在三年前就到過那,那時我從華盛頓特區到普林斯頓大學去面談。從費城到紐華克僅一個多小時車程,可是火車票價居然要USD 63。我上次從華盛頓特區到普林斯頓單趟兩個小時車程,來回居然要USD 190,美國火車票價真的是貴到完全不合理!後來聽說其實有華人經營的巴士可搭,以後可別再花冤枉錢了。
IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776 THE UNANIMOUS DECLARATION OF THE THIRTEEN UNITED STATES OF AMERAICA
When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws Nature and Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that they are among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among them, deriving their just power from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than t right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security. Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity, which constrains them to alter their former systems of government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is usurpations, all having in direct object tyranny over these States. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world.
He has refused his assent to laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good. He has forbidden his Governors to pass laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend them. He has refused to pass other laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only. He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.] He has dissolved representative houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasion on the rights of the people. He has refused for a long time, after such dissolution, to cause others to be elected ; whereby the legislative powers, incapable of annihilation, have returned to the people at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the meantime exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without and convulsion within. He has endeavored to prevent the population of these states; for that purpose obstructing the laws of naturalizing of foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migration hither, and raising the condition of new appropriations of lands. He has obstructed the administration of justice, by refusing his assent of laws for establishing judiciary powers. He has made judges dependent on his will alone, for the tenure of their office, and the amount and payment of their salary. He has erected a multitude of new officers, and sent hither swarms of officers to harass our people, and eat out our substances. He has kept among us, in times of peace, standing armies without the consent of our legislatures. He has affected to render the military independent of and superior to the civil power. He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his assent to their acts of pretended legislation. For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us; For protecting them, by a mock trial, from punishment for any murder which they should commit on the inhabitants of these States. For cutting off our trade with all parts of the world; For imposing taxes on us without our consent; For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of trial by jury; For transporting us beyond seas to be tried for pretended offenses; For abolishing the free systems of English laws in a neighboring Province, establishing therein an arbitrary government, and enlarging its boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule these Colonies; For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable laws, and altering fundamentally the forms of our governments; For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever. He has abdicated government here, by declaring us out of his protection and waging war against us. He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people. He is at this time transporting large armies of foreign mercenaries to complete the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of cruelty and perfidy scarcely parallel in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the head of a civilized nation. He has constrained our fellow citizens taken captive on the high seas to bear arms against their country, to become the executioners of their friends and brethren, or to fall themselves by their hands. He has excited domestic insurrection amongst us, and has endeavored to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes, and conditions. In every stage of these oppressions we have petitioned for redress in the most humble terms: our repeated petition have been answered only by repeated injury. A prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a tyrant is unfit to be the ruler of a free people. Nor have we been wanting in attention to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpation, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our separation, and hold them., as we hold the rest of mankind, enemies in war, in peace friends. We, therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress assembled , appealing to the supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the name, and by authority of the good people of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United States Colonies and Independent States; that they are absolved by from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State, they have full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and to do all other acts and things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.
賓州大學(University of Pennsylvania),賓州大學的名字很容易令人誤會是公立大學,其實它可是一流的私立研究型大學,八所常春藤盟校之一。學校創建於1740年,是美國第四老的高等教育機構,以及美國第一所現代意義上的大學。獨立宣言的九位簽字者和美國憲法的11位簽字者和該校有關。博學多聞的班傑明•富蘭克林(Benjamin Franklin)是學校的創建人。
I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and co-operation he has shown throughout this transition.
Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms.
At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because we, the people, have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.
So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.
Serious challenges
That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.
These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land - a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.
Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America - they will be met.
On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.
On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.
Nation of 'risk-takers'
We remain a young nation, but in the words of scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.
In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted - for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things - some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labour, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.
For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and travelled across oceans in search of a new life.
For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and ploughed the hard earth.
For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.
'Remaking America'
Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.
This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions - that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.
For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act - not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. All this we will do.
Restoring trust
Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions - who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.
What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them - that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply.
The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works - whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account - to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day - because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.
Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control - that a nation cannot prosper long when it favours only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on the ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart - not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.
'Ready to lead'
As for our common defence, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our founding fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and we are ready to lead once more.
Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with the sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.
We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort - even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the spectre of a warming planet. We will not apologise for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defence, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.
'Era of peace'
For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.
To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West - know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.
To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.
'Duties'
As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honour them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment - a moment that will define a generation - it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.
Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with the sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.
We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort - even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the spectre of a warming planet. We will not apologise for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defence, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.
'Era of peace'
For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.
To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West - know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.
To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.
'Duties'
As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honour them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment - a moment that will define a generation - it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.
For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.
Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends - honesty and hard work, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism - these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths.
What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility - a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.
'Gift of freedom'
This is the price and the promise of citizenship.
This is the source of our confidence - the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.
This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed - why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.
So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have travelled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:
"Let it be told to the future world... that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive... that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."
America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.
Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America.
這是我的偶象搖滾團體U2,在美國準總統歐巴馬的就職活動之一,林肯紀念堂外廣場舉行了露天音樂會「四海一家」(We Are One)中的表演,真是熱血奔騰啊!
就職音樂會有至少50萬民眾熱情參與,歐巴馬與拜登伉儷也親臨現場。這場90分鐘的音樂會星光燦爛,演唱的歌手與團體跨越數個世代,最讚當然是U2!他們演唱的Pride (In the Name of Love)原是向民權運動偉人馬丁‧路德‧金(Martin Luther King, Jr., 1929-1968)致敬的!在美國首位非裔總統的就職音樂會演唱Pride (In the Name of Love),意義更是非凡!U2還演唱了另一首名曲City of Blinding Lights!
Pride (In the Name of Love)收錄在1984年的專輯The Unforgettable Fire。滾石雜誌列Pride (In the Name of Love)為「史上五百大最佳歌曲」第378名。
Pride (In the Name of Love)也收錄在U218 Singles和The Best of 1980-1990:
Pride (In the Name of Love)的歌詞:
One man come in the name of love One man come and go One man come, he to justify One man to overthrow
In the name of love What more in the name of love In the name of love What more in the name of love
One man caught on a barbed wire fence One man he resist One man washed on an empty beach. One man betrayed with a kiss
In the name of love What more in the name of love In the name of love What more in the name of love
Early morning, April 4 Shot rings out in the Memphis sky Free at last, they took your life They could not take your pride
In the name of love What more in the name of love In the name of love What more in the name of love In the name of love What more in the name of love...
City of Blinding Lights收錄在2004年推出的專輯How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb。City of Blinding Lights拿下2006年葛萊美獎(Grammy Awards)一座大獎:Best Rock Song。
City of Blinding Lights的歌詞:
The more you see the less you know The less you find out as you go I knew much more then than I do now
Neon heart day-glow eyes A city lit by fireflies They're advertising in the skies For people like us
And I miss you when you're not around I'm getting ready to leave the ground
Oh you look so beautiful tonight In the city of blinding lights
Don't look before you laugh Look ugly in a photograph Flash bulbs purple irises The camera can't see
I've seen you walk unafraid I've seen you in the clothes you made Can you see the beauty inside of me? What happened to the beauty I had inside of me?
And I miss you when you're not around I'm getting ready to leave the ground
Oh you look so beautiful tonight In the city of blinding lights
Time...time...time...time...time Won't leave me as I am But time won't take the boy out of this man
Oh you look so beautiful tonight Oh you look so beautiful tonight Oh you look so beautiful tonight In the city of blinding lights
The more you know the less you feel Some pray for others steal Blessings are not just for the ones who kneel... luckily
『觀點360°』本週選播【牛仔褲流行史Blue Jean Confidential】,看看這一百年來,牛仔褲如何成為流行標準配備,跨越性別、年齡層、種族與地域,從實用用途,逐漸衍生出反流行意義及各種象徵,甚至進軍高級時裝界,藉由影片,試圖瞭解只是丹寧布、藍色與鉚釘的基本元素組合,為何可以橫跨百年不變,依舊引導流行。
本週來賓:林國基(服裝設計師、實踐大學服裝設計系老師)
觀點360° 第八十九集。你敢退休嗎?Can You Afford to Retire?(1:19:29)
在面對年輕勞工工資低廉的競爭下,不想放棄工作背後可能是無力退休,畢竟沒人敢擔保退休金計畫能否保障退休生活花費無虞,造成隨著人們壽命愈來愈長,晚年收入卻可能愈來愈少的現象發生。『觀點360°』本週選播的這支【你敢退休嗎?Can You Afford to Retire?】就要藉著美國的退休金政策與面對的困境,來討論台灣能否妥善面對戰後嬰兒潮龐大的退休人口。
館內有200個展室,展出各種藝術品,其中包括著名油畫家竼谷(Van Gogh)的《向日葵》(Vase with twelve Sunflowers)、雷諾(Pierre-Auguste Renoir)的《沐浴者》(The Large Bathers)、羅特列克(Henri Toulouse-Lautrec)的《紅磨坊之舞》(The Dance at Moulin Rouge)、杜象的(Marcel Duchamp)的《走下樓梯的裸女二號》(Nude Descending a Staircase No.2)、莫內(Claude Monet)的《日本橋與睡蓮》(Japanese Bridge and Water Lilies)等。博物館內收藏的美國家具、雕刻、手工藝品也較多。
為什麼一幅在完成之初未受到重視的作品,在五百年後卻成為眾人著迷的對象?本週『觀點360°』選播的【蒙娜麗莎傳奇】紀錄片,就以蒙娜麗莎自己的角度,來告訴大家五百年來,怎麼從義大利流浪到法國去,如何餐風露宿,被偷被搶被輕視,到今日成為羅浮宮的鎮宮之寶;如何從一幅小畫(77 x 53公分),變成舉世皆知的文化符號,讓每年有六百萬人擠到羅浮宮,只為看這個有著神秘微笑的女人畫像。
本週來賓:郝廣才(藝術文化觀察者)
觀點360° 第七十七集。暢銷書的背後 BEST-SELLER A TOUT PRIX(上)(01:30)
觀點360° 第七十七集。暢銷書的背後 BEST-SELLER A TOUT PRIX(下)(1:17:26)
在前去紐約前,許多去過的朋友說,紐約真的是世界大都會,一個禮拜的時間根本不夠逛,我到了紐約整整八天,可是那些順便唸得出名字的景點,居然也只去了大概一半而已,如果有機會和時間及體力,紐約可以遊玩個兩週都沒問題。 我們在費城住的是會場附近的旅館The Windsor Suites(1700 Ben Franklin Pkwy, Philadelphia, PA),博物館區,相當靠近市中心,和開會的旅館只有大約五至十分鐘步行路程,一晚大概USD 100吧,我和學姐分攤。我們到費城的路上,在鹽湖城轉機時,飛機就因費城下了場大雪而延誤了,到了費城已經七點多了,而會正好七點開始。我們在費城的前兩天地上還是白茫茫的,不過雪在兩天後就熔光了。
紐約市(英語:New York City,官方名稱為The City of New York),簡稱紐約,是美國人口最多的城市,包括其都會區,它擁有世界上最大的城市區。超過一個世紀的時間,紐約是世界上最主要的商業和金融中心,並評選為世界級城市。紐約在全球範圍內直接影響著媒體、政治、教育、娛樂以及時尚界,其中聯合國總部也位於該市。
紐約在眾多美國城市中,有著獨特的太眾運輸系統,並在人口族群上有著其多樣性及高密度。在2005年,該市有將近170種不同的語言及百分之卅六的人口是非美國當地出生的。因為該市廣大、24小時營業的地下鐵路系統,和繁華的建築物、交通及人們,所以紐約也常被稱為不夜城(The City that Never Sleeps)。其它暱稱還有大蘋果。
美國內戰期間,紐約市有不少動亂和混亂的情況出現,如紐約黑幫(Gangs of New York),和1863年的紐約徵兵暴動等等。其中一些成了美國史上傷亡最慘重的暴動。
1904年,紐約市的一系列新運輸系統一一開始運作,最著名的有紐約地鐵,它們幫助鞏固紐約市。歐洲的大量移民為社會帶來大變動,而反資本主義的工會IWW(Industrial Workers of the World)則被抑制了。後來, 在1920年代,大量非裔美國人從美國南部遷移至紐約市,而一些人則協助建造摩天大樓,創造了曼哈頓那聞名全球的天際線。
自兩次世界大戰以後,紐約市成了主導世界的城市,但1950年起,紐約市經濟開始衰落,只剩下工業和商業,70年代期間,紐約市的犯罪率上漲到了危險程度,因而成為了惡名昭彰的犯罪之都,但自在九十年代中期朱良尼上任後,大幅改善了紐約的治安。到了本世紀初,紐約已成了美國最安全的大都市之一。據說是當時紐約市長朱良尼(Rudolph W. Giuliani)和紐約警局(NYPD)成功地應用了「理窗理論」。
美國威爾森(James Q. Wilson)和凱林(George L. Kelling)兩個研究犯罪學家在1982年提出了「破窗理論」(Broken Windows Theory),該理論認為如果有人打壞了一個建築物的窗戶玻璃,而這扇窗戶又未得到及時維修,當窗戶破了沒人修理,路人經過後一定認為這個地區是沒人關心,沒人會管事,別人就可能受到暗示性的縱容,而去打爛更多的窗戶玻璃。因此引發更多人打破其他的窗戶,於是從這棟大樓開始蔓延到整條街,擴散到其他鄰近街道。久而久之,這些破窗戶就給人造成一種無序的感覺。
很多媒體都把成功整頓治安的功勞歸功於朱良尼。朱良尼在八年任期推動不少市政改革,也成功地改造了不少末落的社區,不過有效地調配警力,從小處大力成功改善治安的大功臣恐怕是當時的紐約市警長William J. Bratton。他在紐約警局的任期僅兩年,就被心胸狹隘的朱良尼換下去。不過William J. Bratton在紐約警局用的系統還一直沿用迄今。共和黨人果然都是不折不扣的政客。
William J. Bratton發現要打擊犯罪除了要增用警力,也還要有效調配警力,把警力優先調配到犯罪率高的地區和時刻。他運用高超的溝通技巧成功說服整個紐約警局重整警力調度。我在紐約時就時常看到警車在尖峰時間呼嘯而過,在各地鐵站外警車一字排開,警察迅速部署,在時間差不多後,又迅速調配到另一處。很樣的配度,甚至可以有效地把一個警察當兩個用,讓紐約市彷彿到處充滿警察。William J. Bratton真的是個很有創意的警政天材,近年來美國各大城市犯罪率開始上升,可是在他當警長的洛杉磯,犯罪率反而是連續五年下降。他在紐約警局的案例,甚至成為美國各大商學院的個案研究教材。