Boundaries and Islands 在边界 在孤岛

在边界 在孤岛

Boundaries and Islands

宁卉

Speaker: Ning Hui (Lulu)

https://yixi.tv/speech/834 http://cdn.yixi.tv/1573449150905-3.mp4

Translator: Congee Reviewer: Patrick and Brian Consolidated Bilingual Video: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TjJ0fUhKMP8

大家好我叫宁卉

Hello, my name is Ning Hui

我是一名国际新闻记者

I am an international reporter

想先带大家进入一个场景

I want to firstly tell a story

这个场景在我的报道经历中还蛮典型的

in a typical setting of my work

但不知道是不是大家

But I kind of wonder if that

对国际新闻记者的工作状态的那个印象

fits your impression of what an international reporter does

一席的策划联络我的那天

On the day I got contacted by Yixi

那天我在马达加斯加

I was interviewing in Madagascar

就是非洲东南的那个面积很大

on the island in southeast Africa

那个大岛上

That big island

我在岛上那个小渔村里

I was at a small fisher village

那是南半球的冬天

It was winter in the southern hemisphere

天气很好

with really nice weather

海面很平静

The sea was calm

村里也没什么人

The village was kind of empty

因为大家都出海了

because everyone went out fishing

我看到就是这边角落里

Sitting here on the beach

坐着一个八十来岁的老太太

was a woman at least 80 years old

就特别想跟她说话

I wanted to talk to her

但她不想理我

But she seemed uninterested

还冲我手里的相机生气

and was kind of mad at my camera

一直到她两个双胞胎儿子

It was not until her twin sons

突然出现在了海平面上的时候

showed up in the sea from a distance

她就忽然就变友善了

that she suddenly became friendly

跟我说

and said

你给我买瓶啤酒吧

she'd talk to me

我就跟你聊天

if I buy her beer

这一家就三口人

It was a family of only three

这个老太太和她两个已经年过半百的儿子

The old woman and her two sons in their 50s

他们都在等这一天的渔获吃第一顿饭

all waiting for the catch for the first meal of the day

他们早上4点就出海了

The sons went out at 4 in the morning

下午3点起风前才回来

and came back just before 3 when it got windy

这一天的收成不算特别好

The catch of the day was not great

一条大鱼

One big fish

三条小鱼

Three small fish

还有一条鳗鱼

And an eel

刚好够吃

Enough for meal

不够卖

but not for sale

老人也没有吃饭

The woman had been waiting too

一边盯着她的儿子烧鱼

and while waiting for her sons to cook

一边跟我说

she said to me that

她说50年前我嫁过来的时候

50 years ago when she married and came in

一次出海能打300斤鱼

the catch of one day could reach at least 300 pounds

然后刚好旁边有个邻居在修船

A neighbor was doing ship repair next to us

他说老人开什么玩笑

and laughed at her words, saying that

十年前我们出去打个六七十斤

a catch of some 70 pounds in a day

已经非常了不起了

was already awesome 10 years ago

如今每天打个三四斤鱼很平常的事情

and it's now common to come back with only a few pounds

我问老人说

I then asked her

50年前300斤

300 pounds 50 years ago

10年前六七十斤

70 pounds 10 years ago

现在三四斤

and now only a few pounds

以后海里会不会就没有鱼了？

What if there's no longer any fish in the sea someday?

那个老人瞪着我说

She stared at me and said

怎么可能呢？

How is that possible?

海里怎么可能没有鱼呢？

How can the sea have no fish?

这个时候刚好这个邻居的妻子

The neighbor's wife happened to be

带着一个小女儿在旁边玩

playing with their little girl and

听到这个时候忽然很坚定地转过来跟我说

turned to me when she heard us and said firmly

我们已经想好了

We already figured it out

捕鱼没有什么出路

Fishing is no go

一有机会我们就会走的

We leave as soon as there is a chance

请允许我晚一些再来告诉大家

I will come back later

这一个采访的前因后果

to the backstory of the interview

不知道你会不会觉得有些疑惑

You might be feeling puzzled that

觉得这个场景看起来也没有什么特别的

my story seems nothing special

的确在我的工作里

Indeed, in my work

我会去到一些非常偏远

I often go to distant places

但看起来也蛮平淡的一些角落

that seem kind of boring

然后看起来也很偶然地去遇到一些人

to meet some people without planning and

听他们讲他们的生活和他们眼里的世界

hear about their lives and the world from their eyes

这样看起来还蛮不起眼的时刻

Trivial moments of this kind

在我的工作中还占据了一个蛮重要的位置

are an important part of my work

我一直在担心说

I always worry that

我可能不是一个非常合格的国际新闻记者

I might not be quite a qualified international reporter

比方说我手机里的突发新闻提醒的那个

Like, the alert on my phone for breaking news

一直都是关闭状态的

is never on

这些年的国际大事

Headline news in recent years like

英国脱欧

Brexit

特朗普推特治国

Trump running the US with twitter

中美贸易战什么

or the trade war

都没有太过频繁地占据我的视线

are mostly overlooked

这样做顶着很大的心理压力

I feel quite some pressure from within

因为作为国际新闻记者

Because for an international journalist

能够对天下大事侃侃而谈

knowledge and speech about big news of the world

应该是基本素养之一

seem to be fundamental

我却把这个侃侃而谈给屏蔽掉了

But I blocked those at my fingertip

有的时候屏蔽掉非常重要的事情

Blocking out these big things

会帮助我定义说

helps reaffirm to myself

我想要成为一名什么样的记者

what kind of reporter I want to become

相比国内新闻的话

Compared with domestic news

国际新闻有更多的大人物

International news is full of big names

普通人本来音量就很低

Ordinary people never have a loud voice anyway

距离远了

And when the distance is great

听不到他们的声音也就罢了

they not only become unheard

那么远

Probably

他们都不存在吧

they become like nonexistent

我们非常依赖那些

We always rely on

很重要和很有名的人来告诉我们

the famous and important people

这个世界上发生了什么样的事情

to tell us what is going on in this world

可明明他们嘴里的那些世界大事

But clearly the big news from their dictations

都是会影响到像这个渔民

affect ordinary people like the fishermen

或者像你我这样的普通人的

and you and me as well

所以说在过去的四五年时间里

So, in the past few years

我一直在寻找这样的故事

I have been looking for stories like this

某个地方的某些人的生活

Somewhere the lives of some people

正在被一些看似抽象的的

are engulfed by some abstract

不可逆的

irreversible

而且远远大于他们个体生活范围的趋势

and overpowering tide that crushes individuals

裹挟着走

and being washed away

只是他们是怎么被裹挟的呢

But how exactly so?

我花很大的力气和时间

I spent a lot of effort and time

去到像马达加斯加这样的国家

visiting countries like Madagascar

刚果（金） 莫桑比克

Congo, Mozambique

哥伦比亚 厄瓜多尔

Colombia, Ecuador

保加利亚 波黑 波兰

Bulgaria, Poland, Bosnia and Herzegovina

墨西哥

Mexico

大概有三十来个地方

Some 30 countries

我去的地方比较多

I visited many places

但在每个国家做的采访的时间比较短

but my stays were always short

很多时候是像一根针一样

Usually I focus on a specific topic

只扎在一个具体的题目上

like pushing a pin into the map

而且题目和题目之间也很不同

and the topics vary a lot too

我有时候还蛮担心的

Sometimes I worry that in this way I might

觉得这样会让我

对这个国家的观察不够广

miss out on opportunities to observe in depth

不够沉浸

and become superficial

但是几年下来也发现

But after these years

虽然说在不同国家有做不同的题目

The distinct topics I do at different countries

它们相互之间好像产生了一些联系

seem to start connecting somehow

也许是另外一种收获吧

This might be some unexpected reward

一席给我一个机会说

Yixi is offering me the chance

让我可以把我看到的不同的题目

to present and share with you

和不同国家之间的一些联系分享给大家

these connections between various topics and countries

今天想讲的是在我的报道里面

My talk today is about

一个内涵和外延都非常广的一个题目

a theme of both depth and scope that I call

我管它叫人的流动与不流动

"the mobility and immobility of people"

我举几个例子

For example

难民

Refugee

2016年10月的时候

In October 2016

我去了法国

I went to France

隔着英吉利海峡跟英国交界的一座城市

to a city bordering the UK across the Channel

叫做加莱

called Calais

加莱的郊区有一片被称作是Jungle

There is a large area in the outskirts

丛林的这样一个地方

called "the Jungle"

这个地方布满了帐篷和临时棚户

that is full of tents and shacks

比照片显示的要大的多

It is actually much bigger than this picture

这些帐篷是由很多自发聚集到这里的难民

It is built by refugees who came in here

自己搭建的

all on their own

它不是一个正式的难民营

It is not a formal refugee camp

这些难民来自中东非洲的都有

Refugees come from Middle Eastern and African countries

他们白天在帐篷里睡觉

They sleep during the day

晚上会试着去到高速公路上

and go to the highway at night

跳到从过境的长途卡车上 想要偷渡去英国

to try hopping on long-haul trucks to cross the tunnel and sneak into Britain

跳车成功的例子比较少

Success from truck hopping is rare

很多还是花巨资

Many of them still

让人贩把你藏在那个卡车车厢里

pay big bucks to get trafficked in the truck

然后再偷渡过去

to cross the border

每年能够过去几千个人

Every year thousands of people get across

富裕的英国对他们来说很有吸引力

The UK as a rich country is attractive to them

是一个美好生活的目的地

as the destination for a better life

有的原因很实际

Some motivations are practical

可能是说他们原来的国家 已经有社群生活在英国了

Like maybe people from their home country already have a community in the UK

觉得说过去会有依靠

for them to rely on

有的也是因为说

Or also

可能他们会一点点英文

because some can speak a little English

觉得在英国机会会更多

and think Britain has more opportunities

我在那边我个人觉得

I personally feel that

其实这些难民 要想融入欧洲社会是非常地难的

it is difficult for the refugees to fit into the European society

很多是可以融入 但很多会觉得不知道应该做什么

Those managed to fit in may still be at a loss not knowing what to do

在丛林

But in the jungle

虽然说条件非常艰苦

although life is very difficult

但他们至少可以跟他们经历很相似的人

they can still live with people

生活在一起

that share similar experiences

并且还有英国一个美好的念想在那搁着

while having Britain there as a wonderland for a better life

所以虽然从加莱偷渡到英国的成功率很低

So although it is very hard to get across from Calais

还是有大量大量难民涌到了这个丛林里

more and more refugees are still coming to this jungle

我去那边采访的时候

When I went there

这个丛林已经存在18年了

this jungle had been around for 18 years

里面有图书馆幼儿园小学都有

having its own libraries, kindergarten, elementary schools, everything

但是它还是一个以偷渡为目的的地方

But it is still a place for illegal immigration

形成了非常复杂的派系

so there are many complicated factions within

并且形形色色的暴力事件很多

with numerous incidents of violence

没有任何的治理

There is zero governance

离市区又远

and it's far from the urban area

是一片荒地上

in the middle of wilderness

真的是像一个丛林一样的地方

a jungle indeed

我在那里遇到穆罕穆德

I met Muhamoud over there

他是一个苏丹难民

a Sudanese refugee

当时16岁

16 years old

他是在14岁时

He started his refugee journey

走上了这条成为难民的路的

when he was only 14

原因很偶然

because of some accident

一只骆驼突然死了

A camel suddenly fell to death

然后他就必须要成为难民

and then he had to become a refugee

我们听他自己怎么说的

Let's hear his story

有一天阿拉伯人的骆驼

One day a camel of the Arabs

进了我们的土地死掉了

came into our land and died there

是吃了有毒的树叶

It died from eating poisonous leaves

阿拉伯人告诉我们要么支付赎金

The Arabs said either we pay ransom

否则就杀了孩子

or they would kill the children

我们没有办法就逃出了苏丹

We had to flee from Sudan

到了欧洲

and come to Europe

这边安全

where it is safer

这个14岁的男孩

This 14 year old boy ran away

因为一只骆驼死了

because of a dead camel

他的妈妈就跟他说

after his mother told him

你赶紧走吧

to leave as soon as possible

所以他从苏丹搭车到了利比亚

So he hitchhiked from Sudan to Libya

在利比亚付钱给人贩偷渡

paid the smuggler when he was in Libya

地中海到意大利的西西里岛

to cross the Mediterranean to Sicily in Italy

再又一路乞讨

begging on his way

或者说逃票

and taking free rides

跟着其他路上结识的难民朋友们

along with other refugee friends he met on the road

嘴里说的那个好地方

heading to the nice place

就到了加莱

Calais

可以看到

You see

加莱是像穆哈默的这样的难民的

for a refugee like Muhamoud

可能是最后一站

Calais is probably the last stop

最后一条边界线

before the final barrier

跨不过去的边境线

that is insurmountable

边境在难民路上是被标价了的

All borders are priced in the refugee journey

利比亚的话

In Libya

也许几百块钱 人贩子就会在那个偷渡船上给你留一个位置

maybe with only a few hundred dollars the smuggler will reserve a spot on the boat

但是在加莱

But in Calais

如果要试着偷渡的话

trying to cross

那肯定会需要几万块钱

would definitely cost tens of thousands of dollars

穆罕穆德在利比亚还能去挖点土豆

In Libya Muhamoud could still dig some potatoes

干点劳工

and do some labor

攒够钱偷渡到

to save enough

越过地中海

to cross the Mediterranean

但在加莱

But in Calais

他就没有任何办法可以做了

he could do nothing

他一路艰险到了欧洲

He made it through all the hardship to Europe

发现自己依然是在一个丛林一样的地方

only to find himself still in a jungle

被牢牢地挡住了

totally stuck

他很年轻

He is young

他不知道

He doesn't know

他是不是真的能够重建自己的生活

if he could start a new life

但是如果我只是遇到了这个男孩子

If I met no one else but this boy

我可能会还留一点希望

I might still reserve some hope

他很努力

He worked hard

很快就学了一点英文

He quickly learned some English

又很乐观

He was also optimistic

一直问我说

and kept asking

欧洲会不会给他机会

if Europe would give a chance

让他成为一名有用的工程师

for him to become an engineer

遇到他的时候

When I met him

丛林里有一万多人

the jungle had more than 10,000 people

熙熙攘攘的

A complete hustle and bustle

一眼也看不到每个人的未来是什么样子的

that obscures the future of any individual

但是很快我就遇到了另外一个

But soon I came across another person

在难民路上走得更久的一个人

who had been longer on the run

那是在一个比较残酷的时刻

It was at a cruel moment

是几个星期之后

a few weeks later

我再回到丛林里的时候

when I returned to the jungle

那天法国政府下定决心

要把整座丛林彻底地全部拆掉

The French government decided to demolish the entire jungle completely on that day

拆得很快

The progress was quick

半天一天就变成了一堆废墟

Everything was in ruins in half a day

挖土机在隆隆作响的时候

Just as the excavator rumbled

就离这里不远有两个地方

I saw two places nearby

一个地方是当时难民们

One was where people built

自己搭建的一座教堂和一座清真寺

a church and a mosque on their own

我记得当时政府不想动手去拆

The government didn't want to tear them down right up

因为宗教场合

because religious venues

处理起来比较麻烦

could get messy

他们想让难民们自己去拆

Instead they want the refugees to do it

另外一边还有一个帐篷

The other was a tent on the other side

我在那个帐篷里面遇到了

In that tent I met

我刚刚说的第二个难民

the second refugee I just mentioned

他叫Faisal

Faisal

也是来自苏丹

who also came from Sudan

他没有要走的意思

He showed no intention of leaving

那个时候大部分难民

At that time most refugees

要么已经离开去找新的机会

either left already to find new opportunities

要么已经听从法国政府的安排

or followed the orders of the French government

被重新安置了

to be relocated

但他就住在帐篷里一动不动的

But he stayed still in the tent

我想去跟他聊天

I went to talk to him

他并不想多说

He was quite terse

他也说不记得自己多大了

He said he couldn't remember how old he was

可能在路上已经四年了

and had been on the run for four years or so

也不想提逃难的经历

He didn't want to bring up stories of the run

身边的人跟我说

I heard from people around

他其实已经到了英国的

that he had been to the UK already actually

但不知道为什么又回到了丛林

but somehow returned to the jungle

我问他担不担心明天

I asked him if he worried about tomorrow

因为整个丛林都已经会被化为废墟

because the whole jungle would be torn down

然后他很一脸平静地跟我说

He told me calmly

不需要担心的

There is nothing to worry about

与刚刚的那种

In clear contrast

整片丛林变成废墟形成很鲜明的对比是

to the rubbles around

大家看 他的帐篷非常地干净

you see that his tent was well cleaned

他一身也很整洁

He was also tidy

尽可能地很整洁

as tidy as possible

连他捡来的柴火粗细都是一样的

Even the firewood he picked up was of the same thickness

然后他也很平静

and he was utterly calm

我觉得至今为止

By far I think

这个人坐在帐篷里

The man here sitting in the tent

拿着一根树枝

holding a twig

搅着锅里的米糊

to stir the rice porridge in the pot

然后没有情绪的起伏

showing no emotions

不生气

no anger

也没有欲望地跟我说

telling me with no desire

明不明天无所谓的

that he doesn't care about tomorrow

那可能是我遇到过的一个人 最没有希望的时刻

I have never been at such an occasion seeing one showing nearly zero hope

明明帐篷是一个暂时的地方

The tent should clearly be temporary

他们好像都被困住了

but they all seemed trapped

难民是一个争议非常大的题目

Refugee is a highly controversial topic

我们今天不进去那个题目的讨论

and it is not what we tackle today

只不过说

It's just that

有的时候我会听到一些类似这样的问题说

sometimes I hear questions like this

中东的难民为什么非得去欧洲呢

Why do refugees in the Middle East have to go to Europe?

阿拉伯世界也有非常富裕的地方

There are also very rich places in the Arab world

可以让他们去

for them to go to

比如说海湾国家好了

like the Gulf countries

他们很富裕

that are rich

而且在文化和宗教上也更相似

and have similar culture and religion

我有在卡塔尔的首都多哈

I was once in Doha, the capital of Qatar

做过一个听起来跟难民

doing a subject that seems

毫无关系的一个题目

not at all related to refugees

可能刚好给刚刚那个问题一个入口

It might shed some light on the question

卡塔尔

Qatar

海湾地区很典型的一个小国家

A typical small Gulf country

有石油有天然气

And because it has oil and natural gas

富得流油四个字基本上就可以概括了

it is overwhelmingly rich, literally

而且还蛮准确的

Overwhelmed by oil

只不过说卡塔尔有260万人口

It's just that of the 2.6 million population of Qatar

住在那的有260万人

2.6 million residents

只有30多万人是真的卡塔尔人

Only about 300,000 people are citizens

剩下的230来多万都是外来劳工

The remaining 2.3 million are foreign workers

真的卡塔尔人才富得流油

Only the citizens are overwhelmingly rich

他们如果想盖房子

If they want to build a house

政府给地

the government offers land

给优惠的贷款

and generous loans

想念书

For education

出国念到博士都是免费的

it's free to study abroad all the way till PhD

想工作就可以工作 不工作也

You can go to work if you want and [it doesn't really matter] if you don't

所以这样一个富得流油的小国

For a small country overwhelmingly rich

要大兴土木

the construction industry

要有非常好的服务行业

and the service industry

非常依赖外来的劳工

rely heavily on migrant workers from foreign countries

但是如果你第一次到卡塔尔的话

But in your first visit to Qatar you probably

也许见不到尤其那些底层的外来劳工

will not see the foreign workers especially those at the very bottom

那些很明亮清凉的高楼大厦和商城里面

都没有他们的身影的

The bright and cool highrise towers and shopping malls do not have the slightest sign of their existence

劳工们两点一线

They spend their day shuttling to and from

只是在工地和劳工宿舍

the construction site and the labor quarters

六成的外来劳工全部都住在劳工营地里

60% of the foreign workers live in labor quarters

我有去到其中一个劳工营地

I actually visited one of those

刚好是下班的时候

It was right when people left work

下工的时候

On their way out

他们三三两两走在路上

they walked by twos and threes

都不吭声

without talking

然后看着也很疲惫

and looking very tired

在超市里买菜

They shopped in grocery stores

在ATM机前面等着取款

and lined up before the ATM

在卡塔尔的外来劳工里面

Of the foreign workers in Qatar

八成都是青壮男性

80% are young men

不是说没有很多女性劳工

It's not that women don't exist

尤其家政这一块有很多女性的

There are quite some women especially in housekeeping

只不过说

It's just that

为了避免他们谈恋爱

to prevent different sexes from dating

或者说避免更多的麻烦

or additional troubles

比如说性交易

such as sex trade

那些雇佣了女性劳工的公司们

companies that hire female workers

会给女生设宵禁

set curfews, so that the women

晚上8点之后就不能出门了

cannot go out after 8 pm

我记得我在这个劳工营外头

I remember, outside this labor quarter I asked

问路过的劳工三个问题说

three questions to workers passing by

你从哪里来

Where are you from?

你在这多久了

How long have you been here?

你喜不喜欢多哈

Do you like Doha?

他们从各种各样的地方来

They come from all kinds of places

印度

India

斯里兰卡

Sri Lanka

尼泊尔

Nepal

菲律宾

Philippines

大部分还是南亚和东南亚的

Mostly from south and southeast Asia

待的时间有长有短

The length of stay varies

三五个月

a few months

三五年

three years or five

八年的都有

even up to eight years

但是第三个问题可能是有点奇特

But the third question was probably too odd

大部分人都会顿住说

Most people will pause and say

这有什么好问的

What?

或者很生气地摇头说

or shake their head angrily and say

当然不喜欢了

Of course not

但你为什么要问这个问题

but why are you asking?

在海湾地区国家

In the Gulf countries

做外来劳工必须遵循一个叫做

foreign workers must follow rules

kafala制的这么一个外劳保障制度

from the Kafala system

意味着你一定要有本地人

which means to work here you must have someone local

真的本地人

citizens, not just residents

或者说本地的公司给你做担保

or some local company to make a guarantee

在卡塔尔

In Qatar

担保人一度有非常非常夸张的权力

the guarantor once had extraordinary powers

没有担保人的允许

Without the permission from the guarantor

你不能换工作

you can't change jobs

不能结束你的合同

or end your contract

甚至你都不能离开卡塔尔

or even leave Qatar

在卡塔尔这个金字塔的上面

On top of this pyramid in Qatar

一切都是卡塔尔人说了算的

The Qatari decides everything

在这样的制度下会引发很多问题

Such a system causes many problems

比如说

For example

卡塔尔要办足球世界杯

Qatar is hosting the 2022 World Cup

所以它雇佣了更多的劳工

and needs to hire more workers

当然也吸引了很多劳工组织的注意力

It also attracted the attention of many labor organizations

刚刚说的那个卡法拉制度

The Kafala system we just mentioned

就被很多劳工组织批评

got criticized by many labor organizations

有了一些好转

Some improvement followed

但是劳工受到的剥削 和他们受到虐待的新闻

But the exploitation and abuse of workers

还是非常的多

are still frequently in the news

劳工中介会跟东南亚和南亚

When agents go to southeast Asia and south Asia

去招工的时候说

to recruit workers they would say

耐热是你可以去这个地方打工的唯一条件

The only requirement is that you can tolerate heat

只不过说

It's just that

虽然也是在热带地区生活的人

even for people from the tropical area

就是无法想象在卡塔尔这样一个沙漠国家

it is impossible to imagine a desert country like Qatar

夏天动辄50度的那种高温

has high temperatures easily exceeding 50 °C in the summer

不是说你抗热就能够抵御到的

that is not that easily resisted

每年卡塔尔的建筑工地上

Every year at construction sites in Qatar

因为气温恶劣

because of harsh temperatures

也因为管理不当

as well as poor management

死掉的劳工都有几百个

hundreds of workers die

有的劳工为了得到工作机会

To get a job, some workers

会给黑心中介付高利贷

pay ripoff loans to greedy agents

来了之后

After they come

这边的公司又拖欠工资

The company can delay paying salary

刚刚说了

We just said

要离开卡塔尔也很不容易

it's not easy to leave Qatar either

等到他们全身而退的时候

When they finally get to leave

可能比来之前更穷了

they could actually become poorer than before

大家再看一眼刚刚卡塔尔那个天际线

Let's take another look at the skyline of Qatar

有一句话形容这个场景说

A description of this scene is like this

这里有二十一世纪的现代生活

The modern life of the 21st century here

却是靠中世纪的劳力制度来支撑的

is supported by a labor system of medieval times

当我知道这一些的时候

When I heard about this

会觉得说

I thought that

这肯定是暂时的吧

This has to be temporary, right?

这样的人口流动是暂时的吧

Human migration of this kind must be temporary, right?

见好就收

Earn something and then leave early

赚到一点钱就回去

Make a little and then go back

不行的话换个地方

Switch places when needed

但不是的

Doesn't work this way

再回头看一下刚刚那个劳工营的情景

The labor quarter in the picture just now

这个是卡塔尔为了应对国际批评

is actually a vanity project of Qatar

而造的一个门面工程

built in response to international criticism

是最好的劳工营

It is the best of all labor quarters

那天晚上的时候

That night

我有去到市郊更外围的一些地方

I went to the outskirts of the city too

那里劳工宿舍的形态变得非常地复杂

where the labor quarters become more complicated

法外之地的地方

like lawless territories

再往沙漠深处里面去的话

And deeper into the desert

还会有那种几千几千人住在一起的

there are still larger labor quarters

大型劳工集体宿舍

where thousands of people live together

除了工作 什么都没有

There is work and then nothing else

这里只需要你的劳力 不会给你任何生活的空间的

This place needs nothing but your labor and doesn't offer any room for one to live a life

没有人喜欢这样的生活

Nobody likes this

他不会问说你喜不喜欢多哈

No one says hello by askng "do you like Doha"

他会问说你什么时候走

The standard greeting is "when are you leaving"

你赚够钱了吗

"Have you made enough money?"

有的人说一两个月就走

Some people say leaving in a month or two

有的人说一两年吧

Some say a year or two

但有一个孟加拉的劳工跟我说

But a Bangladeshi worker told me

他听到有人说一两个月就走的

Whenever he hears a month or two

就根本不会相信

he would dismiss it

他说一旦来到这

because once you arrive

你就走不掉了

you are trapped for good

说这话的时候

When he said this

瓦斯姆这个劳工45岁

he was 45 years old

他19岁就来海湾地区打工了

He came to work in the Gulf countries at 19

走掉了一次

and left once

就是家里给他安排相亲结婚的时候

when the family set up his marriage

但是回到孟加拉之后发现

But he found after returning to Bangladesh

在海湾简单的劳力就有不错的收入 这也意味着他没有学到什么技能

that simple labor brought good income in Gulf countries which also meant he learned no advanced skills there

要想回孟加拉

But back in Bangladesh

再用同样的工种赚钱是不可能的

it was impossible to make that much money with labor

但是家里人已经很习惯了

But his parents already got used to him

他是那个会往家里汇钱的人

being the one sending money over

他之前在迪拜

He was previously in Dubai

有赚到钱

and made some money

但存款并不多

but wasn't able to save much

回家之后娶妻生子

After having his wife and children

能给家里的钱就越来越少了

He could support his parents less and less

而且还引发婆媳不和

The money also causes conflicts between generations

所以无奈之下就还是要一个人出来做外劳

He could not help but leave again

把妻儿都留在了老家

with his wife and children in the hometown behind

这个时候迪拜的经济有一些问题

Dubai's economy had some problems back then

所以他没有办法很容易地找到工作

He couldn't easily find a job

就来到卡塔尔做司机

and came to Qatar as a driver

他跟我说

He told me that

赚到一点钱不难

It's not difficult to make a little money

难的是决定何时收手离开

The hard part is deciding when to leave

老家永远有更多的难题

The hometown always has more problems

需要更多的钱来解决

that need more money to fix

你就永远栽在这了

and one becomes stuck here for good

我听着他一边跟我念叨说

I listened as he talked about his two children

他一双儿女要读书结婚盖楼

who will go to school, get married, build houses

他越算那个账目就越担心

The more math he did, the more worried he got

一边就想起我遇到的另外一个劳工

And right there another worker came to mind

他叫做吉米

whose name is Jimmy

就是照片中间的那一位

This one in the middle of the picture

他有一半的中国血统

He is half Chinese

来自菲律宾

He is from Philippines

见到他的时候是他60岁生日前后

I met him about the time of his 60th birthday

他终于买了一张单程票要彻底离开卡塔尔

when he finally bought a one way ticket to leave Qatar for good

他已经在海湾国家 沙特到卡塔尔工作了30年了

He had been in the Gulf countries for 30 years from Saudi Arabia to Qatar

离开前已经是个收入不错的工程师

and had become a well-paid engineer before he left

但他不是自己决定要60岁这天离开的

But he didn't choose to leave on his birthday

60岁是卡塔尔的法定退休年龄

The retirement age in Qatar by law is 60

到这一天

So on his birthday

他在卡塔尔的工作签证和生活的权利

his work visa and right to live in Qatar

全部都停掉了

all terminated

他不得不走

He had to go

没有了劳力他不得不走

when his labor was no longer sought

我还记得我在机场看他走到那个登机口

At the airport he walked to the gate

然后又就很快地走进了飞机

and then quickly into the plane

连我都有一种黄粱一梦的感觉

At that moment even I wondered if all was just a dream

卡塔尔很小

Qatar is small

像一个孤岛一样

like an island

但是不停地有人过来

But people keep coming in

用青春换取价值

trading their youth for money

但也把一生都给了这个陌生又很冷酷的国家

and giving their whole life to this alien and cruel country

觉得加莱难民营是不是也很像

Don't you think the Calais refugee camp is similar?

像是一个许下了美好的诺言

Both are like a bubble

但不负责兑现那个承诺的一个泡沫一样

that makes a promise but does not deliver

如果说要在我的报道经历和我的记忆里

In my reporting experience and my memory

再找一个特别有孤岛特质的画面的话

another snapshot that resembles an island so much

那会是在刚果金

was in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

准确地说

To be precise

是在刚果金的一个港口城市

it was at Matadi in Congo

叫做马塔迪的一顿中国人的家宴上

at the port city where we joined a dinner party with a number of Chinese

招待我们的 我们喊他老韩

The host is known as Uncle Han

老韩家在这一座城市的一个省长大道上

Han's house is on the so-called "governor's avenue"

说是大道 其实就是一条土路

which in fact is actually just a shabby unpaved road

刚果金治安非常不好

Congo has really poor security

偷抢事件很泛滥

with rampant theft and robbery

这条土路的尽头因为住着省长

Because the governor lives at the end of the road

所以是这个城市治安最好的地方

this road has the best security in the city

我的酒店刚好也在这条大道上

My hotel happens to be on this road too

去老韩家就几步路

only a short walk to Han's house

不过天黑下来走得还是很忐忑的

But it was still a bit scary to walk over after it got dark

到了老韩家

When I arrived at his place

打开两道铁门

I crossed two iron gates

越过四条非常壮实的狗

and passed four fierce dogs

才到了他家

before I truly got in

等到在他的厨房坐下来

But it was until I sat down

我才真的被吓到了

that I got really stunned

一张小桌子

I saw a small table

上面摆满了鸡鸭鱼肉螃蟹猪蹄

of gourmet meal from chicken to fish and duck to crab

慢慢一桌子的菜

A table of one plate after another

我记得有一盘肉我吃得特别鲜

The meat of one plate was particularly yummy

我以为是鱼肉 一直到最后老韩才跟我说那是龙虾肉

For the entire day I thought it was fish until Han told me that it was lobster

那可能是我采访路上吃的最好的一顿了

It was probably the best meal I ever had on an interview

老韩是在刚果内战结束的时候来的刚果金

Han came to Congo at the end of the civil war

那是2004年

in 2004

我想如果你我在电视上

I think if it were you and me

看到非洲哪里有战乱的消息

seeing the TV broadcasting news of warfare in Africa

应该会拿起遥控器换频道吧

we would pick up the remote to switch channels

但老韩和他的亲戚们却意识到这是商机

but Han and his relatives find business opportunities

战后重建

Reconstruction after the war

所有的物资会很缺乏

means high demand for all kinds of supplies

他们就来这里开零售店

They came here to open retail stores

一开就开了十几年

that somehow lasted for more than ten years

老韩特别骄傲

Han is proud about his accomplishments

他跟我说

He told me that

他从老家带了几百号人过来

he brought in hundreds of people from his hometown

而且99.99%都是成功了的

of which 99.99% became successful

他跟我定义了一下成功是什么

He defined success to me as well

他说可能是在老家是游手好闲的

which is how a loafer back in hometown

或者说是一个小木工

or some nobody like a little carpenter

来了这边捞了一栋别墅回去

makes enough money here to build a house back home

我们在聊天的时候

During our chitchat

又有老韩的几个朋友加入了这个饭局

more friends of his joined the dinner

有一个医生

A doctor

有一个大学毕业生

A college graduate

刚刚毕业

who freshly left school

过来给一个中国公司的科技产品做维护的

to do tech service here for a Chinese company

还有一个在刚果金开过车

And a contractor whose business included driving

砍过木头修过路的这么一个承包商

logging and road construction

还有这个承包商

over the years

从国内喊来的一个道路工程师

And a road engineer the contractor recruited from China

他们来这个国家的时间有长有短

Their stay in Congo varies

工程师只来了几个月

The engineer was in only for a few months

一直抓着我问说

and kept asking me

刚果金是不是这个世界上最糟糕的国家

if Congo was the worst country in the world

那个大学生待了半年

After having stayed for half a year

已经不是特别想待了

the college graduate already started getting bored

想说可能肯尼亚是更好的一个地方吧

and wondered if Kenya would be better

承包商是待了有点久

The contractor was around longer

他一直说

and said

一开始也觉得这个国家又乱又穷

he initially felt Congo was messy and poor

待久了就习惯了

but gradually felt better

觉得天气很好

Like, weather is good

而且用人很便宜

and labor is cheap

老韩见的最多

Han is the most experienced

他跟我说他有很多亲戚

He told me that many of his relatives

赚到了钱回老家 玩了两年

returned home after having made money and goofed around for a while back home

在老家觉得无聊 又回来刚果金的 他说在这还是一个小老板当当

then got bored and came back to Congo to become a little boss here

在国内一点竞争力都没有

instead of being not competitive at all back home

只有那个医生他说

The doctor said

他是逃来非洲的

that he fled to Africa

因为国内有一个妻管严

because he had a strict wife back home

还有一个很凶狠的母亲

and a very demanding mother

他夹在两个女人中间实在受不了

He couldn't stand being sandwiched between the two

就逃到了刚果金

so he fled to Congo

然后逃过来就待了好几十年

and stayed for tens of years

从我这个局外人的感官看来

To me as an outsider it seems

那两道铁门好像把刚果金

the two iron gates appear to have locked out

其实也是丛林一样的现实

the real world of Congo

给锁在了外面

the jungle-like reality

他们拿着二锅头侃天侃地

They talked over liquor

言语间很朴素也很冒失

opening up themselves and blurting out plain words

但是也有很多很难察觉到的一些辛酸

with a barely perceptible tinge of bitterness from hardship

我能够感觉到他们相互间的那种依赖

I could feel their dependence on each other

也大概知道说类似这样的一顿家宴

I also knew that a dinner party like this

是他们在这个陌生的地方的

in a foreign country gave them

一个避风港一样的地方

almost a shelter

想要去欧洲寻找一个生活的可能性

The refugees trudge to Europe for a possibility of living

但其实不知道应该怎么做

but have no concrete idea about what to do

最后被困在一个像丛林一样的地方

and end up trapped somewhere like a jungle

忍着各种苦难 但是为了赚钱

Migrant workers endure suffering of all kinds to make money

不得不一直待在那

and stay in a foreign land

有可能一晃

for much of one's life time

就大半辈子都搭进去了的外劳

in almost a fleeting moment

以及说去非洲淘金

And expats venturing in Africa for a gold rush

明明是一件见好就收回家盖楼的事情

something that should have been momentary

却也把淘金这么一个暂时的事情

but somehow also turned into

过成了十几几十年的生活

a life for tens of years or more

如果说我们单独去看他们的故事的话

When we look at these stories each on its own

可能会觉得

we may feel that

其实就是全球化背景下一个一个的普通人

it's just ordinary people living in the times of globalization

他们各自有各自的背景

each with one's own background

各自有各自的选择

and choices

想要活下去

hanging on

想要活得更好

and trying to live better

但是如果把他们放在一起

But these stories, when connected

也许看到更多一点

seem to reveal something more

比方说驱动他们脚步的一些力量

like the forces pushing them forward

或者说其实这个力量背后

or even behind such forces

这个世界基于历史种族文化和现实 拧在一起其实好像都无法撼动的一种阶层感

a seemingly insurmountable hierarchy intertwined in history, ethnics, culture, and reality

我们看到的是

What we really see is

不同现实下的鲜活的人正在横冲直撞

people clashing with the different realities they live in

试着寻觅他们在这个阶层里的边界

trying to find the boundaries of their hierarchy

有的时候看起来是个很个人的选择

Sometimes choices that appear very personal

其实特别特别地普遍

are in fact totally general

有的时候是暂时的

Some things seem temporary

但可能他们又被固定住了

but people get stuck

有的时候这就是他们想要的吧

Sometimes people seem to go after what they want

但可能他们又是被逼着在继续的

but they may be forced to do so and have no choice

我想找的就是这样的横冲直撞

I am looking for such kind of rampage

看到他们的边界

that tests boundaries

以及普通人构筑的一个个孤岛

and various little islands made of ordinary people

当然在这个过程当中我也会看到更多

In the mean time I of course see a lot more

有的时候是一些偏见误解

I sometimes see biases and misunderstandings

或者说是一些无可奈何的不公平

other times helpless injustice

比如说我们一开始提的那个马达加斯加老人

Like for the old woman in Madagascar

她无法想象这么广袤的大海

She can't imagine that such a vast sea

有可能不会给他们安身立命的机会

would not give a chance for them to settle down

她也不像她年轻的邻居那样 对未来还有什么特别多的希望

She is unlike her young neighbor either and is not hoping much for the future

与刚刚我们几个故事里面的人物不同

She is different from the characters in my other stories

她一辈子都没有挪过窝

She never moved at all for her entire life

那个老人让我想起

She reminds me of some people

我曾经在亚马逊热带雨林里面

I once came across in the Amazon rainforest

遇到过的一些原住民社群

in the aboriginal communities

他们一穷二白

They are destitute

只想像祖父辈那样地活着

They only want to live like their grandfathers

然后死掉

and then die

但是在他们非常清贫普通的家园里

But in their very poor and ordinary homes

却有着很多人千里迢迢过来的

there are invaluable resources

念念不忘的无比宝贝的资源

that many people crave

资源和资本的流动

The mobility of resources and capital

要比这些人的流动的可能性快得多

is much faster than that of people

只不过说要开发这些资源

It's just that to develop these resources

或者是说得到经济飞速增长的代价

and to attain rapid economic growth

就是他们的家园的样子要完全被毁掉

mean the demolition of these people's homes

而他们不会是在这过程中获得任何利益的人

and they will not gain any benefits from it

比如说把我带到马达加斯加这个小渔村原因

The reason I went to this small village in Madagascar

是因为2018年的有一条新闻说

was news in 2018 that said

中国有一家公司

a company in China

要在马达加斯加投资27亿个美金

wanted to invest $2.7 billion in Madagascar

在当地的渔业资源上

on local fishery resources

如果成功的话

This investment will be

会是这个国家的最大的一笔投资

the biggest ever in this country if successful

但是我们刚刚透过那个老人一家的生活

But from the life of the old lady's family

也能够简单地看到

we can also easily see

这个国家的渔业非常脆弱

how fragile fishery is in this country

管理很不善

Management is poor

捕鱼不可持续

Fishing is not sustainable

连那些依赖水产作为食物来源的传统渔民们

Even traditional fishermen depending on aquaculture for food

果腹都很难

find it hard to find enough to eat

但是呢

But

给大家看一张图

please take a look at this picture

这张图是半年内 马达加斯加经济海域的捕鱼活动

it shows fishing activities in the economic waters of Madagascar within half a year

密密麻麻的

It's so densely packed

刚刚说的那个协议后来不会继续

The mentioned investment did not materialize

但是这个世界对这片海域

But this sea area

事实上是所有海域

and virtually all sea areas

对这片海域的胃口不会消失

are still coveted by the insatiable appetite of this world

只不过说那个老人看不到眼前几十海里以外的地方

It's just that the old woman cannot see farther than tens of miles

她也感觉不到说

She can't fathom

怎么可能这个世界的胃口会那么大

such immense appetite of this world

大到可以吃光大海

that cannot be fulfilled by the already large sea

她的想法也非常不重要

Her thoughts are not important either

事实上她身后50万

The same is true for the 500,000 traditional fishermen behind her

马达加斯加的传统渔民的声音都太弱小了

Their voice is weak

他们会在这个过程中就无声地被牺牲掉

They are quietly sacrificed in the process

我有的时候看国际新闻的头条

Sometimes from the headlines of international news

觉得这个世界在发生翻天覆地的变化

I find this world changing dramatically

但我自己因为很多时间在路上

But I am constantly on the road

就会在那种特别慢的时间点里面

at a pace that is particularly slow

我会在热带雨林里面躲蚊子 特别多蚊子

Like in the rainforest I try to fight the many mosquitoes

我会在长途汽车上

I sit on a coach

感觉那个汽车永远不会停

that seems to never stop

或是飞机外面有大江大河的

Or on a plane I see big rivers outside the window

一直在慢慢地动

moving slowly

或者也会在街头盯着一些老妇人看

In the street I also observe old women

不管肤色宗教语言文化

of whatever color, religion, language, culture

这种老妇人的神态非常地相似

They all look very similar

都是辛苦了一生那样的神态

a look that summarizes life-long toiling

在这样的时候

At those moments

我总会把那些二十一世纪的大议题 跟眼前非常片刻的景象重合在一起

I always superimpose these fleeting moments before my eyes on top of the big issues of the 21st century

这些年我们聊移民

We talk about many things these days

聊资本

Immigration

聊技术

Technology

消费

Consumption

国家

Nation

资本

Capital

真相后真相

Truth and post-truth

种种种种的力量

Powers of all kinds

其实裹挟着这里的我们 和这个世界上角落的所有的人的

actually wrap inside all of us right here and all people in every corner of this world

有的时候这样的力量给出一些窥探的机会

Sometimes the powers give a chance for us to peek

我们看到更多

and see more

但我觉得更多的时候

But I think more often than not

这些力量可能是在我们的身周筑起了一道

these forces build a wall around us

绕不过去也爬不到顶的墙

that cannot be circumvented or surmounted

这样的墙把我们围在里面

With such a wall

很有可能我们其实身处暴风雨的正中心

we might be in the very eye of a storm

却感觉不到一点点的波澜

but feel not even a slightest wave

很难说清楚为什么

It's hard to tell why

因为我有记录到

Maybe it's because I recorded

马达加斯加的老渔民的只字片语

sporadic words from an old woman in Madagascar

并且带到了这里

and brought them here

作为一个个体的记者

I feel quite proud

我还蛮骄傲的

as an independent reporter

我觉得记者的形态有很多

I think reporters have various forms

有的很重要

Some are big names

有的刨根揭底

Some roots out

去寻找那个能够打开真相魔盒的钥匙

finding the key to the box of truth

我这一卦可能是那种非常开心能够到

I might be the kind who feels glad enough

世界角角落落里面 听到截然不同的故事和截然不同的说法

to visit one after another corner of the world to hear very different stories and opinions

那些故事和那些说法 可能都是真相 可能都不是

These stories and opinions may all be the truth or may not be

这些脚步

These steps I take

有的时候能够帮助我打破

sometimes help me

我对这个世界的一些猜想

break existing assumptions about this world

如果也能帮大家打破一些 大家对这个世界的猜想的话

If my work can similarly help you break some existing assumptions about this world as well

那就太好了

I will feel so delighted

我小时候看过一部电影

When I was young I watched an Italian movie called

意大利的电影

Nuovo Cinema Parasido

里面有个老头

The old Alfredo said

跟一个懵懂的少年说

to the little boy Toto

你不要一直留在这

You have to go away for a long time

在一个地方待久了

Living here day by day

就会以为这是全世界

You think it's the center of the world

我还蛮深以为是的 就送给大家

I like that message quite much and want to say the same to you

我也会继续去到不同的角落里

I will continue visiting different corners

去遇到那些老人和那些懵懂少年们

to meet old people and naive teenagers

我觉得此时此刻

I feel at this moment

这就是我想要成为的那个记者的样子

This is the type of reporter I want to become

谢谢大家

Thank you

Subtitle translated by Congee

English subtitle timeline alignment by Congee

Subtitle translation reviewed by Patrick and Brian

Dedicated especially to medical professionals in China