今天，日本遭受了有歷史記錄以來最嚴重的地震，我們的心將與她同在。但容我再加一句：請留意日本未來幾天甚至幾週的表現，我們定會受益匪淺。這一論斷來自1995年我作紐約時報駐日主編時採訪神戶大地震的經歷，那次浩劫令6000人罹難，30萬人無家可歸。

It's not that Japan's government handles earthquakes particularly well. The government utterly mismanaged the rescue efforts after the 1995 quake, and its regulatory apparatus disgraced itself by impounding Tylenol and search dogs sent by other countries. In those first few frantic days, when people were still alive under the rubble, some died unnecessarily because of the government's incompetence.

但觀察的對象並不是日本政府。它並不擅於應對地震。在神戶地震中，政府救援不力，只會依靠外國救援犬，可謂丟盡顏面。在震後最初的幾天慌亂中，由於政府的無能，很多瓦礫下的倖存者失去了本應保住的生命。

But the Japanese people themselves were truly noble in their perseverance and stoicism and orderliness. There's a common Japanese word, 「gaman,」 that doesn't really have an English equivalent, but is something like 「toughing it out.」 And that's what the people of Kobe did, with a courage, unity and common purpose that left me awed.

我們要觀察的是日本的人民，他們堅韌、淡定、堅守秩序，洋溢著高貴的氣質。日本人常常用一個詞「我慢」（忍）——英語裡沒有一個嚴格意義上對應的詞——有點類似於toughing it out（勇於承受、堅持到底）。這正是神戶民眾展現出的品質，他們同心同德、勇於擔當，令我敬畏。

Japan's orderliness and civility often impressed me during my years living in Japan, but never more so than after the Kobe quake. Pretty much the entire port of Kobe was destroyed, with shop windows broken all across the city. I looked all over for a case of looting, or violent jostling over rescue supplies. Finally, I was delighted to find a store owner who told me that he'd been robbed by two men. Somewhat melodramatically, I asked him something like: And were you surprised that fellow Japanese would take advantage of a natural disaster and turn to crime? He looked surprised and responded, as I recall: Who said anything about Japanese. They were foreigners.

在日本的日子裡，我屢屢被端莊的禮儀和井然的秩序打動，但從沒有像神戶大地震中這樣被震撼過。整個神戶都被摧毀，所有商店櫥窗都被震碎。我在城裡四處遊蕩，企圖找出搶劫或暴力爭搶救援物資的事件。最後，我終於如願，找到一位貨店老闆，他剛剛遭到兩名男子劫搶。我有點誇張地問他類似「你對本國同胞借天災之機犯罪感到吃驚麼」這樣的問題。他面露驚色，答道：誰說搶劫我的是日本人了，他們是外國人。

Japan has an underclass, the burakumin, and also treats ethnic Koreans with disdain. But compared to other countries, Japan has little extreme poverty and a greater sense of common purpose. The middle class is unusually broad, and corporate tycoons traditionally were embarrassed to be seen as being paid too much. That sense of common purpose is part of the country's social fabric, and it is especially visible after a natural disaster or crisis.

日本也有底層社會，也有（針對韓裔人士的）民族歧視。但與其它國家相比，日本人鮮有極端貧困者，也因此更加心齊。中產階層異常寬泛；因在民眾眼中收入過高商業鉅子常常尷尬。同心同德是社會結構的支柱，這在災難或危機後尤為明顯。

I don't want to overdo that. Japan's civility masks problems with bullying from schools to the work place, gangs like the yakuza rake in profits from illegal activity, and politicians and construction tycoons exchanging favors so as to loot the taxpayer. But it was striking in the aftermath of the Kobe earthquake to see even the yakuza set up counters to give away supplies to earthquake survivors. And Japan's social fabric never tore. Barely even creased.

我並不想粉飾日本社會。扯下端莊的面具，日本從學校到工廠恃強凌弱曾出不窮，黑幫利用非法活動肆意謀取暴利，政客勾結地產大亨掠奪納稅人的錢。但令人震驚的是，神戶大地震後，連黑幫也建立站點向倖存者分發物資。日本的社會組織罕遭擠壓，更未曾被撕裂。1

This stoicism is built into the Japanese language. People always say 「shikata ga nai」 – it can't be helped. And one of the most common things to say to someone else is 「ganbatte kudasai」 – tough it out, be strong. Natural disasters are seen as part of Japan's 「unmei,」 or fate – a term that is written by combining the characters for movement and life. I remember reading an ancient account, I believe from 16th century Jesuit visitors, of an earthquake devastating a village, and then within hours the peasants began rebuilding their homes.

這種淡定節制已經進入日本的語言。人們經常說「這是宿命」。另一句常用的話是「不要放棄」。自然災害被視作日本「命運」（生命+運動）的一部分。我曾讀到一段古代著述——應該是16世紀耶穌會人士寫的——說一場強震摧毀了村莊，但村民幾小時內就開始重建家園。

Uncomplaining, collective resilience is steeped into the Japanese soul. We sent our eldest son to Japanese school briefly, and I'll never forget seeing all the little kids having to go to school in shorts even in the dead of winter. The idea was that it built character. I thought it just gave kids colds. But it was one more effort to instill 「gaman.」 And it's 「gaman」 that helped Japan recovered from World War II and tolerated the 「lost decade」 after the bubble economy burst in about 1990. Indeed, it might be better if Japanese complained a bit more – perhaps then their politicians would be more responsive.

日本人靈魂中深浸著無怨無悔、共克時堅的精神。我的長子曾在日本學校短期就讀，所有孩子都必須在嚴冬中穿短袖上學，這一幕令我至今難忘。此舉是為了塑造孩子的品格，我覺得會令孩子感冒。但它也是灌輸「忍」的一種努力。這種忍的精神使日本能從二戰中重新崛起，也能在1990年代經濟泡沫破裂後「失去的十年」中淡定自若。也許，日本人應該學會一點抱怨，這樣政客們才能更加體恤民情。

One factor may also have to do with our relationship with nature. Americans see themselves as in confrontation with nature, taming it. In contrast, the Japanese conception is that humans are simply one part of nature, riding its tides — including many, many earthquakes throughout history. The Kanto earthquake of 1923 killed more than 100,000 people. The Japanese word for nature, shizen, is a modern one, dating back only a bit more than 100 years, because traditionally there was no need to express the concept. In an essay in the Times after the Kobe quake, I made some of these same points and ended with a 17th century haiku from one of Japan's greatest poets, Basho:

日本民族性格中關鍵的一點是人與自然的關係。美國人認為二者是對立的，人需要征服自然。相反，日本人認為人是自然的一部分，應與之同起同落——包括經歷無數次的地震。1923年關東地震令10萬人罹難。直到100年前，日本進入現代社會後，日語才用「率真」一詞專門表示自然。之前根本沒必要表達這個概念，因為它已浸在人們的生活中。在神戶地震後一篇隨筆中，我也提出了類似觀點，並以日本17世紀著名詩人芭蕉的俳句結尾：

The vicissitudes of life.

人有悲歡離合

Sad, to become finally

憂傷散去

A bamboo shoot.

新筍已然發芽

I find something noble and courageous in Japan's resilience and perseverance, and it will be on display in the coming days. This will also be a time when the tight knit of Japan's social fabric, its toughness and resilience, shine through. And my hunch is that the Japanese will, by and large, work together — something of a contrast to the polarization and bickering and dog-eat-dog model of politics now on display from Wisconsin to Washington. So maybe we can learn just a little bit from Japan. In short, our hearts go out to Japan, and we extend our deepest sympathy for the tragic quake. But also, our deepest admiration.

日本人的堅忍中，有一種高貴的勇氣，這在未來幾天將充分體現。同時，日本如織的社會結構，也將透過其堅強與韌性煥發光芒。我預測，日本大體上將共克時堅，這與從威斯康星到華府充斥爭吵、撕咬和偏激言論的政治模式形成鮮明對比。所以，我們興許能從日本學到些什麼。今夜，我們的心與日本同在。大地震後，我們要給予日本的不僅是深深的同情，還有深深的欽佩。

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