Reader’s Digest
● Silence is Golden
A man enters a religious order in which you’re
only permitted two spoken words a year. At the end of his first year, the head
of the order asks him for his two words. As he’d often felt hungry during the
year, he whispers, “More food.”
By the end of his second year, he’d often
felt cold, so when asked for his two words, he replies, “More blankets.”
During his third year, he decides he isn’t
really suited to a silent order. So when he comes before the leader to utter
his two words, he admits he hasn’t been very happy these past three years, and
that he’s leaving the order.
“You might as well go,” the leader replies.
“You’ve done nothing but complain ever since you arrived.” (RD2012, July, p.110)
沉默是金
有一個人加入一個宗教團體，這個團體規定每個人一年只准講出兩個字。第一年結束時，這個團體的頭頭問他要講的兩個字是甚麼。由於他整年都覺得很餓，因此他有氣無力地說：「好餓」。
第二年結束時，由於他老是覺得很冷，因此當他被問到要講哪兩個字時，他說：「好冷」。
到了第三年，他確定實在不適合參加這個緘默團體；因此當他來到團體領導人面前要說出他的兩個字時，他表示這三年一直過得很痛苦，因此決定離開。領導人回答說：「你還是離開比較好；自從你來之後，就只會抱怨」。 (RD2012, 七月號, 110頁)
● The Plight of Elephants
in Thailand
Elephants who work on the streets have poor
health and diets. They’re also overworked, cruelly handled and vulnerable to
road accidents. They have an expected five-year life span as opposed to the
65-year average.
Elephants involved in illegal logging on
the Thai-Burmese border live little better in terms of health and treatment. The
use of amphetamines to increase their work rates is reportedly rife.
Trekking elephants in so-called sanctuaries
are deliberately underfed to control aggression. The howdahs (chairs) on their backs – used to carry tourists – cause
damage to the animals’ spines. “The training regimes are based on submission
and cruelty.”
The use of a sharp metal hook known as an ankus on the animal’s most sensitive
areas, such as the head , mouth or inner ear, is designed to stab the elephant
into submission and break its spirit. Starvation may be added as an extra
measure. (RD2012, July, p.46)
泰國大象的悲慘
在街頭工作的大象們通常營養和健康狀況都很差。牠們不但工作超量、被虐待，而且常常因道路意外事故而傷亡。牠們大概只有五年可活，遠低於平均壽命65歲。
就健康和處境而言，在泰緬邊境非法伐木工地做工的大象們的狀況也好不到哪裡；據說使用安非他命來增加牠們工作效率的作法非常普遍。
在所謂「保護區」裡載客的大象都被故意餵不飽，以控制牠們的脾氣。牠們背上的座椅(載觀光客之用)對牠們的脊椎造成傷害。「訓練大象的基本原則就是用殘酷的手段逼牠們就範。」人們在大象最敏感的部位——例如頭、嘴、或內耳——使用一種尖銳的金屬鉤(稱為ankus)，目的是藉由刺痛牠們來迫使牠們乖乖就範，放棄反抗；讓牠們挨餓只能算是次要的方法。 (RD2012, 七月號, 46頁)
