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12月6日 South China Morning Post 的 Sunday Post Magazine 載有 Peter Simpson 的文章，講清華大學歷史教授郭黛姮這個月開始遍訪全球，嘗試為散失各地的一百多萬件圓明園文物建檔。
1860 年英法聯軍火燒了圓明園，很多珍寶都跑到了英國與法國的博物館，所以這兩地是必然的目標。
當年的強盜是今天的文明大國，文物是肯定不會歸還的，但人家卻不光有法可依，而且更有情有理呢！
且聽大英博物館的發言人 Hannah Boulton 非常精闢的論述﹕
She cites the 1753 and 1963 British Museum acts, which state that items cannot be “deaccessioned” from the collection.
She also cites the 1970 Unesco convention on cultural property. This allows countries that have signed up to the act to request the return of items — but only those antiquities taken after that date.
也就是說，有國法、國際法可依。但更妙的是還有合情合理的「硬道理」﹕
“The Chinese collection, like the Parthenon Marbles and Rosetta Stone, are now part of a world collection for all to see. This is the main argument for retaining such items here. There is nowhere else where the world’s human culture is so widely on show,” says Boulton.
當年英法所為，真有點替天行道的味道了！
把一己的私利裝扮成普遍的真理，這是個人、階級與國家常用的伎倆。很多所謂的「普世價值」，我看也是同類貨色。把槍桿子換上筆桿子，改變不了騙子的本質！
還是最講文化的法國人聰明。館藏圓明園文物最多的 Musée chinois de l’impératrice （位于 Chateau de Fontainebleau Museum 之內）根本不肯回應記者的查詢。難怪雨果早在148年前便如此說﹕
I hope that a day will come when France, delivered and cleansed, will return this booty to despoiled China.
唉，再等它 148 年吧！
真不好意思，我們台北故宮也有滿室的贓物。
英國人這麼【合理化】的說辭，看來我們的現任國史館館長，也有差不多的說法。她說簽於1952年的中日合約，明訂土地與人民從日本手中歸還於中華民國，而當時的古物早都隨老蔣到台灣了，所以她說這是有國際法源的根據。
我每次想到這個邏輯，常會覺得很好笑。
[版主回覆12/10/2009 12:05:00]「法尚應捨，何況非法」。聽痴人說法，只可一笑置之。
年紀越大，越覺得情大于理、理大于法。
“There is nowhere else where the world’s human culture is so widely on show,” says Boulton.
What kind of reasoning is this? If the right to pillage is based on one’s unparalleled ability to show to the world what one has, Brittan is no long in this position today.
[版主回覆12/10/2009 10:47:00]I guess it's more rewarding to spend your time to try to find out why the second wine you tasted two days ago was so full-bodied.
You are D right!
Maybe I should stay inebriated from the second wine which I tasted 2 days ago so as to remain thankful to those European raiders for their good wine, the Italians included.
[版主回覆12/10/2009 17:09:00]d smart, and bd serious, u.
Look forward to being invtied to taste your good wine as a qualified drinker next time.
The word "Ribena" will be banished from my mouth forever, I promise. The words "Body" and "Texture" will be articulated smoothly and profusely in future.
[版主回覆12/10/2009 17:45:00]As Vito Corleone said: When did I ever refuse, my friend?
People can commit all kinds of ( criminal ) action, as long as they can come up with a seemingly plausible justification.
We all know that, just observe the children playing in the kindergarten.
Little Michelle to Alison : thanks for lending me your ruler. you must remember to take it back by tomorrow. If you forget to ask for it after tomorrow, the ruler belongs to me forever……….
Drink and be merry, and an early Merry christmas to you and the family.
[版主回覆12/10/2009 23:13:00]
Reason turned rationalization … the Brits do it, Michelle and Alison do it, you and I do it, consciously or unconsciously. And this becomes Horror when "reason" is married to Power. Think of the Nazis, the bad "communists", the bad "democrats", and every dictator in every family or office. But yes, have a happy holiday season, a season of deliverance and cleansing. And great wine, and friendship.