Unit-1-The-Sea-Gypsies

Unit1TheSeaGypsiesItwasChristmasnightintheUnitedStatesayearagothatagiantwaveofTsunamihitSouthAisa.Itsweptawayatleast200,000Indonesians,SriLankans,ThaisandtouristsfromaroundtheworldontheirChristmasvacations.Butthere’sonegroupwholivepreciselywherethetsunamihithardestwhosufferednocasualtiesatall.TheyaretheseagypsiesoftheAndamanSea,orastheycallthemselves,theMoken.They’velivedforhundredsofyearsontheislandsoffthecoastofThailandandBurma.AsreportedlastMarch,theyare,ofallthepeoplesoftheworld,amongtheleasttouchedbymoderncivilization.Andmiraculouslytheysurvivedthetsunamibecausetheyknewitwascoming.It'stheirintimacywiththeseathatsavedthem.They’rebornonthesea,liveonthesea,dieonthesea.Theyknowitsmoodsandmotionsbetterthananymarinebiologist.They'renomads,constantlymovingfromislandtoisland,livingmorethansixmonthsayearontheirboats.Atlowtide,theycollectseacucumbersandcatcheels.Athightide,theydiveforshellfish.Andthey'vebeenlivingthiswayforsomanygenerationsthatthey'vebecomevirtuallyamphibious.Kidslearntoswimbeforetheycanwalk.Underwater,theycanseetwiceasclearlyastherestofus,andbyloweringtheirheartrate,canstayunderwatertwiceaslong.Theyaretrulyseaurchins.Thisoldmandecidedhewantedtofishforbreakfast.Itwasapufferfish.Ifit'snotcutproperly,itcankillyou.TheMokencutitproperly.WefoundthisMokenvillageonanislandtwohoursbyspeedboatfromthecoastofThailand.IthadbecomesomethingofanexotictouristMeccabeforethetsunami.ABangkokmoviestarandamateurphotographernamedAunwashereonDecember26,takingpicturesofMokenvillagelife,whensomeonenoticedthesearecedingintothedistance.Correspondent:“Howfar?”Aun:“Like...youseetheblueone?”Correspondent:“Yes.”Aun:“Canyouseethebluewater?Youdidn’tseeanywater.”Correspondent:“Nokidding.Youcouldwalkallthewayoutthere?”Aun:“Yeah.”Auncontinuedtakingpictures.TheyshowedtheMokenonthebeachcrying.Correspondent:“Didyouhaveanyideawhytheywerecrying?”Aun:“Ifeelliketheyknowwhatbadwillhappen,butIdon’tknowhowmuchbad.”AndAun’spicturesshowedtheMokenfleeingtowardshighergroundlongbeforethefirstwavestruck.Aun:“Thefirstwater,justcomelike...,overhere.”Correspondent:“Thewatergotthathigh?”Aun:“Yeah...”Andthatwasjustthefirstwave.Theworstwasyettocome,astheMokenknewbecauseofsignsfromthesea.Itwasn’tonlytheseathatwasactingstrangely.Itwastheanimals,too.Onthemainland,elephantsstartedstampedingtowardhigherground.OffThailand’scoast,diversnoticeddozensofdolphinsswimmingfordeeperwater,Andontheseislands,thecicadas,whichareusuallysoloud,suddenlywentsilent.AndthesilencewasheardbySalehKalathalay,thatskilledspear-fishermanwhowasonadifferentpartoftheisland.Heranaroundwarningeveryone.Correspondent:“Whenyoutoldpeopleinthevillage,yousaidsomethingwaswrong,didtheybelieveyou?”Kalathalay:“Theyoungpeoplecalledmealiar.Isaid,‘we’vetoldthestoryofthewavesincetheoldtimes,’butnoneofthekidsbelievedme.Igrabbedmydaughterbythehandandsaid,‘Child,getoutofhere,oryou’lldie!’Shesaid,‘You’realiar,father,you’redrunk.’Ihadn’thadadroptodrink.”Salehbroughttheskepticstothewater’sedge,wherethey,too,sawthesigns.Eventually,everyone,theMokenandthetourists,climbedtohighergroundandweresaved.Butthevillageitself?There’snothingleft.Correspondent:“Whydoyouthinkthetsunamihappened?”Kalathalay:“Thewaveiscreatedbythespiritofthesea.TheBigWavehadnoteatenanyoneforalongtime,anditwantedtotastethemagain.”Correspondent:“Doyouthinkthattheyconsiderthemselvesveryunluckybecausetheirvillagewasdestroyedorluckybecausetheysurvived?”Hinshiranan:“Ithinktheyjusttakeitasamatteroffact.”DrNarumonHinshirananisananthropologist,oneoftheveryfewwhospeakstheMokenlanguage.Correspondent:“TellmewhatisitinyoumindthatpermittedtheMokentoknowthatthetsunamiwascoming?”Hinshiranan:“Thewaterrecededveryfastandonewave,onesmallwave,camesotheyrecognizedthatisnotordinary.Andthentheyhavethiskindoflegendthatpassedfromgenerationstogenerationsaboutsevenwaves.”It’salegendrecitedaroundcampfires,bearinganastonishingresemblancetowhatactuallyhappenedonDecember26.TheycallittheLaboon—thewavethateatspeopleandit’sbroughtonbytheangryspiritsoftheancestors.Beforeitcomes,thesearecedes.Thenthewatersfloodtheearth,destroyit,andmakeitcleanagain.Correspondent:“Sobasically,thistsunamimythisthattheworldisrebornafteritiscoveredwithwater.”Ivanoff:“Yes.”Correspondent:“So,we’rebackto***theBiblicalflood.”Ivanoff:“Yes.”FrenchanthropologistJacquesIvanoffistheworld’sforemostauthorityontheMokenandhasbeenlivingwiththemonandoffformorethan20years.Wejoinedhimonavoyageofdiscovery,whowasgoingtotheMokenislandsoffthecoastofBurma，***amilitarydictatorshipclosedtotheoutsideworld.There’dbeennonewsofwhathadhappenedtotheseMokensincethetsunami.Correspondence:“WeknewthattheMokensurvivedthetsunami,theMokeninThailandsurvived.Wereallydon’tknowforsurewhathappenedinBurma,don’twe?”Ivanoff:“Nobodycanknow,becausenoinformationgetsoutofBurma.Everybodyhastosaynothinghappened.***Thatmeansthetsunamistoppedattheborder—that’sit,finished,endofthestory.”Ivanoff’sboat,aconvertedcargoshipcalled“theMokenQueen”***couldhavesailedrightoffthepagesofJosephConrad.Thecaptainwascalled“LongEar,”thecrewallBurmese,thedeckshroudedinnetstoprotectusfrommalarialmosquitoes.***Allsenseoftimeofthe21stcenturyseemedtoevaporateintothetropicalnightairasweprobedfartherandfartherintowhatoftenseemedtobetheheartofdarkness.Correspondent:***“It’sreallydifficulttogetmoreremotethanthis,isn’tit?”Ivanoff:“***Notthebestpartofthestory.Youareoutsideofeverywhere.Youarenowhere,infact.”Andatdawn,twoMokenboatscameoutofnowhere.Theyinvitedusdown.TheMokenonthetwoboatshadn’tseeneachothersincethetsunamiandstartedexchangingtalesofsurvival.***WhiletheMokenoffThailandhadbeenondryground,theseMokeninBurmesewatershadbeenintheirboats,atsea.AMokenMan:“Thewaterhadsuchunbelievablestrength.Itwasswirlinglikeawhirlpoolasifitwasboilingandcomingfromthedepthsoftheearth.”LiketheirThaicousins,theseMokenalsoknewwhattodo.Sincetheywereatsea,theymadefordeeperwaterandwerespared.Others,likesomeBrumesefishermennearthem,werenot.Correspondent:“Whenyoucan,Iwannaaskhimaquestion,whichis,howcomeheknewsomethingwaswrong,andtheBurmesefishermendidnot?Theyweren’tBurmesebusinessmen;theywerefishermen.Theyshouldknowthesea,too.”AMokenMan:“Theywerecollectingsquid;theywerenotlookingatanything.theysawnothing,theylookedatnothing.Theydon’tknowhowtolook.Suddenly,everythingroseup.Theirboatswerethrownupintheair.Theviolencewasunbelievable”Whenwegottoshore,wetalkedtoafamilyofMokenlivingontheirboatonthebeach.Butduringthetsunami,they’dalsobeenatsea.Westartedbyintroducingourselves.Correspondent:“MynameisBob”Mokenman:“Bob,Bob,Bob,Bob.”Wecameheretofindoutwhetherornotthesepeoplehadsurvivedtsunami.Wewoundupcaptivatedbytheirculture.Wehadneverseenanythinglikeit.Correspondent:“Howoldisthisgentleman?”Ivanoff:“Hedon’t[doesn’t]know.”Correspondent:“Why,Imean,every,everyoneweaskedhowoldtheyare,theansweristhesame----theydon’tknow?Howdoyouexplainthat?”Ivanoff:“Timeisnotthesameconceptaswehave.Youcan’tsayforinstance,‘When.’‘When,’itdoesn’texistinMokenlanguage.Correspondent:“When’doesn’texist,theword,thequestion‘When’doesn’texist?”Ivanoff:“No,no.”AndIvanoffsays“when”isnottheonlywordmissingfromtheMokenlanguage.Ivanoff:“‘Want’”Correspondent:“‘Want?’”Ivanoff:“Yes,youuseitveryoften.Takethatoutofyourlanguageandyouseehowoftenyouuseit.‘Iwantthis,Iwantthat.’”Correspondent:“Thereisnowordfor‘want’.”Ivanoff:“No,thereisawordfor‘take’.Youtakesomething,yougiveoryoutake.Youdon’twant.”Thefactis,theMokenwantverylittle.Whattheydon’twantistoaccumulateanything.Baggageisnotgoodforanomadicpeople.Ittiesyoudown.Theyhavenonotionandnodesireforwealth.RememberSaleh,thespearfisherman,thatwasbreakfast.Hewillthinkaboutlunchlateron.Correspondent:“Ok,thereisnowordfor“when”,thereisnowordfor“want”Anythingelsethatwe’llbe....?”Ivanoff:“Nogoodbye,Nohello.”Correspondent:“Nogoodbyeorhello?”Ivanoff:“Ahem,That’squitedifficult.Youknow,after...imagineafteroneyear,youlivewiththem,andthenyougo.Yougo.That’sit.Finished.”Nogreetings.WhilewewereonaThaiMokenisland,aflotillafromBurmadroppedby.Theydidn’tseemterriblyexcitedbythis.Visitsfromrelatives,andthey’reallrelatives,happenallthetime.Andsincethereisnonotionoftime,itdoesn’tmatterifthelastvisitwasaweekagoorfiveyearsago.There’sjustaconstantcommingling.And,inthewakeofthetsunami,they’reallbusynow,rebuildingtheirboatsandtheirlives.Ivanoff:“AndwhatIsawsincethetsunamiisyes,theytakethisopportunity,youknow,tomakethestronggroupstronger.Forinstance...Youaresittingonhisboat.”Correspondent:“IsitOKwithhim?”Ivanoff:“Yeah,noproblem...Correspondent:“Butit’sjust...hethought...heshouldpointitoutthathewantedtousetheboat?”Ivanoff:“No,hewantedtoworkabitontheboat,but...”Correspondent:“Buthedoesn’tmindwaiting?”Ivanoff:“Ofcoursenot.”Correspondent:“Areyousureit’snotaproblem?”Ivanoff:“I’msure.”ButtheMokendohaveproblems.TheBurmesehaveturnedsomeoftheirislandsintomilitarybases.TheThaisarehavingthemmaketrinketsfortourists,atrendwhichcouldultimatelythreatentheirwayoflifefarmorethananynumberoftsunamis.ButtheMokendon’tseemterriblyworriedbyallthis.Perhapsthat’sbecause“worry”isjustonemoreofthosewordswhichdoesn’t[don’t]existintheirlanguage.（注：可编辑下载，若有不当之处，请指正，谢谢!）