Why is colonialism (still) romanticized? | Farish Ahmad-Noor

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Amanda Zhu

I promise you that I will not sing. I will spare you that, at least.

我向各位保證我不唱歌， 不要用我的歌聲殘害大家。

But I am a historian

我是歷史學家，

with a background in philosophy,

也有些哲學的背景，

and my main area of research is basically the history of Southeast Asia,

我主要的研究領域 基本上是東南亞的歷史，

with a focus on 19th-century colonial Southeast Asia.

著重在十九世紀殖民時期的東南亞。

And over the last few years,

過去幾年來，我一直在做的事情

what I've been doing is really tracing the history of certain ideas

是針對構成我們觀點的一些想法，

去追蹤它們背後的歷史，

that shape our viewpoint,

the way we in Asia, in Southeast Asia,

也就是在亞洲，在東南亞，

look at ourselves and understand ourselves.

我們用以看待自己和了解自己的想法。

Now, there's one thing that I cannot explain

身為歷史學家，

有一件事我無法解釋，

as a historian,

and this has been puzzling me for a long time,

且讓我困惑了很長一段時間，

and this is how and why certain ideas, certain viewpoints

那就是：某些想法、某些觀點

為什麼似乎永遠擺脫不掉？

do not seem to ever go away.

And I don't know why.

我不知道為什麼。

And in particular,

我特別有興趣想了解

I'm interested to understand why some people -- not all, by no means --

為什麼有些人——絕對不是所有人——

but some people in postcolonial Asia

為什麼後殖民時期的亞洲會有一些人

still hold on to a somewhat romanticized view of the colonial past,

對殖民往事仍然抱持著浪漫的想法，

see it through kind of rose-tinted lenses

透過粉飾的鏡頭來看它，

as perhaps a time that was benevolent or nice or pleasant,

好像那個時代充滿仁慈、美好、愉快，

even though historians know the realities of the violence

明明歷史學家都知道，

事實上，整個殖民時期歷史

and the oppression

and the darker side of that entire colonial experience.

充滿暴力、壓迫、黑暗。

So let's imagine that I build a time machine for myself.

我們來想像一下， 我為自己打造了時光機。

(Makes beeping noises)

（模仿音效）我打造了時光機，

I build a time machine,

把我自己送回 1860 年代，

I send myself back to the 1860s,

a hundred years before I was born.

我出生前一百年。

Oh dear, I've just dated myself.

天啊，我剛洩露了我的年齡。 好，我回到我出生前一百年。

OK, I go back a hundred years before I was born.

Now, if I were to find myself in the context of colonial Southeast Asia

如果我回到了殖民時期的東南亞，

in the 19th century,

時間是十九世紀，

I would not be a professor.

我不會是教授。

Historians know this.

歷史學家知道這一點。

And yet, despite that,

但，儘管如此，

there's still some quarters that somehow want to hold on to this idea

還是有些人仍然願意相信

that that past was not as murky,

那段過去沒有那麼陰暗，

that there was a romanticized side to it.

它仍然有著浪漫的一面。

Now, here is where I, as a historian,

現在，身為歷史學家的我，

I encounter the limits of history,

在這裡遇到了歷史的限制，

because I can trace ideas.

因為我能追蹤想法。

I can find out the origins of certain clichés, certain stereotypes.

我能夠找到某些陳詞濫調、 某些刻板印象的源頭，

I can tell you who came up with it, where and when and in which book.

我能告訴你，是誰、在何時、 在哪裡、在哪本書中想出來的。

But there's one thing I cannot do:

但有件事我辦不到：

I cannot get into the internal, subjective mental universe of someone

我無法進入一個人內在的主觀心智

and change their mind.

並改變他們的想法。

And I think this is where and why, over the last few years,

我想，就是這個情況、這個原因， 讓我在過去幾年間，

I'm increasingly drawn to things like psychology

越來越沉迷於心理學 以及認知行為治療這類的領域；

and cognitive behavioral therapy;

because in these fields, scholars look at the persistence of ideas.

因為在這些領域， 學者會去研究人對想法的堅持。

Why do some people have certain prejudices?

為什麼人會有某種成見？

為什麼會有某些偏頗的想法、

Why are there certain biases, certain phobias?

某些恐懼？

We live, unfortunately, sadly, in a world where, still, misogyny persists,

不幸的是，我們所處的世界 仍然堅持仇女的態度、

racism persists, all kinds of phobias.

堅持種族主義，以及對某些族群的恐懼。

Islamophobia, for instance, is now a term.

比如，現在有了 「伊斯蘭恐懼症」這個詞。

And why do these ideas persist?

為什麼這些想法會持續存在？

Many scholars agree that it's partly because, when looking at the world,

許多學者同意有部分原因 在於看待世界時，

we fall back, we fall back, we fall back

我們會不斷掉回去、掉回去，

on a finite pool,

掉回到一個有限的窠臼中，

a small pool of basic ideas that don't get challenged.

裡頭裝著不會被挑戰的少數基本想法。

Look at how we, particularly us in Southeast Asia,

看看我們，特別是東南亞的人，

represent ourselves to ourselves and to the world.

如何向我們自己及世界 呈現我們自己。

Look at how often,

看看我們在談論我們自己、我的觀點、 我的身分、我們的身分時，

when we talk about ourselves, my viewpoint, my identity, our identity,

invariably, we fall back, we fall back, we fall back, we fall back

總是會再掉回去、掉回去，

on the same set of ideas,

回到同一組想法，

all of which have histories of their own.

這些想法都有它們自己的歷史。

Very simple example:

一個非常簡單的例子：

we live in Southeast Asia,

我們住在東南亞，

which is very popular with tourists from all over the world.

是世界各地的觀光客 喜歡造訪的熱門地區。

And I don't think that's a bad thing, by the way.

我並不覺得那樣不好。

I think it's good that tourists come to Southeast Asia,

我覺得有觀光客 來東南亞是件好事，

because it's part and parcel of broadening your worldview

因為這能幫助你拓展世界觀、

and meeting cultures, etc, etc.

見識不同文化等等。

But look at how we represent ourselves

但，看看我們如何透過觀光宣傳活動、

through the tourist campaigns, the tourist ads that we produce.

觀光廣告來呈現自己。

There will be the obligatory coconut tree, banana tree, orangutan.

畫面裡一定要有椰子樹、 香蕉樹、猩猩。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

And the orangutan doesn't even get paid.

猩猩沒有領薪水。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Look at how we represent ourselves. Look at how we represent nature.

看看我們如何呈現我們自己。 看看我們如何呈現大自然。

Look at how we represent the countryside.

看看我們如何呈現鄉村。

Look at how we represent agricultural life.

看看我們如何呈現農業生活。

Watch our sitcoms.

看看我們的情境喜劇。

Watch our dramas. Watch our movies.

看看我們的戲劇。

看看我們的電影。

It's very common, particularly in Southeast Asia,

十分常見的是，特別是在東南亞，

when you watch these sitcoms,

當你去看這些情境喜劇時，

if there's someone from the countryside, invariably, they're ugly,

如果有角色是來自鄉村， 一定是長相很醜的人，

they're funny, they're silly,

他們很好笑、很愚蠢，

they're without knowledge.

他們都很無知。

It's as if the countryside has nothing to offer.

看起來好像鄉村沒什麼價值。

Our view of nature,

我們對大自然的觀點，

despite all our talk,

儘管我們談論了那麼多，

despite all our talk about Asian philosophy, Asian values,

儘管我們談論了那麼多 亞洲哲學、亞洲價值觀，

despite all our talk about how we have an organic relationship to nature,

儘管我們談論了我們 和大自然間的關係多麼自然，

how do we actually treat nature in Southeast Asia today?

但現今在東南亞我們 怎麼對待大自然？

We regard nature as something to be defeated and exploited.

我們把大自然視為是 要打敗、利用的對象。

And that's the reality.

事實就是這樣。

So the way in which we live in our part of the world,

我們住在後殖民時期東南亞， 住在世界上這個區域的生活方式，

postcolonial Southeast Asia,

in so many ways, for me,

對我來說，在許多層面上，

bears residual traces to ideas, tropes,

殘留了許多想法、比喻、

陳詞濫調、刻板印象的痕跡，

clichés, stereotypes

that have a history.

它們都有歷史。

This idea of the countryside as a place to be exploited,

認為「鄉村是個該被 利用的地方」的想法，

the idea of countryfolk as being without knowledge --

認為「鄉下人很無知」的想法——

these are ideas that historians like me can go back,

我這種歷史學家能追溯這些想法、

we can trace how these stereotypes emerged.

這些刻板印象是怎麼出現的。

And they emerged at a time

它們出現的時期，

when Southeast Asia

是殖民資本主義的邏輯 管理東南亞的時期。

was being governed according to the logic of colonial capitalism.

And in so many ways,

在許多層面上，

we've taken these ideas with us.

我們都一直有這些想法； 它們已是我們的一部分。

They're part of us now.

But we are not critical

但我們並不會挑剔，

in interrogating ourselves and asking ourselves,

不會質問我們自己，

how did I have this view of the world?

我怎麼會有這種世界觀？

How did I come to have this view of nature?

我怎麼產生出這種對大自然的觀點？

How did I come to have this view of the countryside?

我怎麼產生出這種對鄉村的觀點？

How do I have this idea of Asia as exotic?

我怎麼會認為亞洲有異國情調？

And we, Southeast Asians in particular,

且我們東南亞人特別

love to self-exoticize ourselves.

喜歡把我們自己異國情調化。

We've turned Southeast Asian identity into a kind of cosplay

我們將東南亞的身分 轉變成一種角色扮演的遊戲，

where you can literally go to the supermarket, go to the mall

你真的能在超級市場或購物中心，

and buy your do-it-yourself exotic Southeast Asian costume kit.

買到自己動手做的 異國情調東南亞服裝組。

And we parade this identity,

我們誇大展示這個身分，

not asking ourselves how and when

完全不問自己，我們的這個形象

did this particular image of ourselves emerge.

是在何時、以什麼方式出現的。

They all have a history, too.

它們也都有歷史。

And that's why, increasingly,

那就是為什麼，身為歷史學家，

as a historian, I find that as I encounter the limits of history,

我越來越覺得我碰到了歷史的限制，

I see that I can't work alone anymore.

我了解到我無法再單打獨鬥。

I can't work alone anymore,

我無法再單打獨鬥，

because there's absolutely no point in me doing my archival work,

因為我做我的建檔工作 是完全沒有意義的，

there's no point in me seeking the roots of these ideas,

我去尋找這些想法的根源 是沒有意義的，

tracing the genesis of ideas

追蹤這些想法的起源

and then putting it in some journal

再將它們投稿到期刊上，

to be read by maybe three other historians.

也許只有三個歷史學家會去讀，

There's absolutely no point.

所以這也是沒有意義的。

The reason why I think this is important is because our region, Southeast Asia,

我認為這很重要，因為我相信，

在接下來的幾年， 我們所處的東南亞區域

will, I believe, in the years to come,

go through enormous changes, unprecedented changes in our history,

會發生很大的改變， 前所未有的改變，

partly because of globalization,

部分是因為全球化、

world politics, geopolitical contestations,

世界政治、地緣政治糾紛、

the impact of technology,

科技的衝擊、第四次工業革命……

the Fourth Industrial Revolution ...

Our world as we know it is going to change.

我們所熟知的世界將會改變。

But for us to adapt to this change,

但若我們要能適應這改變，

for us to be ready for that change,

要能為這改變做好準備，

we need to think out of the box,

我們就需要有創新的思考，

and we can't fall back, we can't fall back, we can't fall back

我們不能一直掉回到同樣的地方，

回到同樣的陳詞濫調、讓人厭煩

on the same set of clichéd, tired, staid old stereotypes.

且一成不變的老式刻板印象。

We need to think out,

我們必須要仔細想想。

and that's why historians, we can't work alone now.

那就是為什麼現在 歷史學家不能單打獨鬥了。

I, I need to engage with people in psychology,

我得要和心理學領域、 行為治療領域的人合作。

people in behavioral therapy.

I need to engage with sociologists, anthropologists, political economists.

我得要和社會學家、 人類學家、政治經濟學家合作。

I need above all to engage with people in the arts

我尤其得要和藝術 以及媒體領域的人合作。

and the media,

because it's there, in that forum,

因為應該是在那樣的討論環境中，

outside the confines of the university,

在大學的局限之外，

that these debates really need to take place.

來進行這些討論。

And they need to take place now,

這些討論現在就必須要產生，

because we need to understand that the way things are today

因為我們需要了解現今的狀況

are not determined by some fixed,

並不是由某種固定的、

鋼鐵般的歷史軌道所決定，

iron historical railway track,

but rather there are many other histories,

而是還有許多其他的歷史，

many other ideas that were forgotten, marginalized, erased along the line.

許多其他被忘卻、邊緣化、 抹除了的想法。

Historians like me, our job is to uncover all this, discover all this,

像我這樣的歷史學家， 我們的工作就是要發掘這一切，

but we need to engage this, we need to engage with society as a whole.

但我們必須讓整個社會參與。

So to go back to that time machine example I gave earlier.

回到我前面提的時光機例子。

Let's say this is a 19th-century colonial subject then,

比如在十九世紀殖民時代，

and a person's wondering,

有一個人很納悶：

"Will empire ever come to an end?

「殖民帝國會有結束的一天嗎？

Will there be an end to all this?

這一切會有結束的一天嗎？

Will we one day be free?"

有朝一日我們會獲得自由嗎？」

So the person invents a time machine --

於是，這個人發明了時光機——

(Makes beeping noises)

（模仿音效）

goes into the future

前往未來，

and arrives here in postcolonial Southeast Asia today.

到了現今的後殖民東南亞。

And the person looks around,

這個人四處看看，

and the person will see,

這個人會看到，

well yes, indeed,

是的，的確，

the imperial flags are gone,

殖民帝國的旗幟不見了，

the imperial gunboats are gone, the colonial armies are gone.

帝國的砲艦不見了， 殖民軍隊不見了。

There are new flags, new nation-states.

有新的旗幟、新的國家。

There is independence after all.

終究還是獨立了。

But has there been?

但這段時間真的是獨立的嗎？

The person then watches the tourist ads

這個人接著看到了觀光廣告，

and sees again the banana tree, the coconut tree and the orangutan.

再次看到香蕉樹、椰子樹和猩猩。

The person watches on TV

這個人去看電視，

and watches how images of an exotic Southeast Asia

看到東南亞人一而再，再而三

are being reproduced again and again by Southeast Asians.

製造自己異國風情的形象。

And the person might then come to the conclusion that, well,

這個人可能會下的結論是，

notwithstanding the fact that

儘管殖民主義

已經結束了，

colonialism is over,

we are still in so, so many ways

在許多層面上，我們仍然

living in the long shadow of the 19th century.

生活在十九世紀揮不去的陰影下。

And this, I think, has become my personal mission.

我想，這已經成了我個人的使命。

The reason why I think history is so important

我認為歷史非常重要，

and the reason why I think it's so important for history

我認為「歷史必須超越歷史」非常重要，

to go beyond history,

because need to reignite this debate about who and what we are,

因此我們必須重啟「我們是誰」、 「我們是什麼」的討論。

all of us.

我們所有人，我們會說：

We talk about, "No, I have my viewpoint, you have your viewpoint."

「不，我有我的觀點， 你有你的觀點。」

Well, that's partly true.

這只有部分正確。

Our viewpoints are never entirely our own individually.

我們的觀點從來就不完全 是我們自己個人的。

We're all social beings. We're historical beings.

我們都是社會的生物。 我們都是歷史的生物。

You, me, all of us,

你、我、大家都是。 我們身上帶著歷史。

we carry history in us.

It's in the language we use. It's in the fiction we write.

歷史存在於我們使用的語言中、 我們撰寫的小說中、

It's in the movies we choose to watch.

我們選擇觀看的電影中，

It's in the images that we conjure when we think of who and what we are.

當我們思考我們是誰的時候、 歷史存在於此時腦中浮現的影像。

We are historical beings.

我們是歷史的生物。

We carry history with us,

我們帶著歷史，

and history carries us along.

歷史也帶著我們前行。

But while we are determined by history,

雖然我們是由歷史所決定，

it is my personal belief

但我個人相信，

that we need not be trapped by history,

我們不必被歷史綁住，

and we need not be the victims of history.

我們不必當歷史的受害者。

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）