送朋友一本我2024年出版的書《我以星辰書寫看不見的天空》，朋友問我書名怎麼這樣長，「不利於銷售呀！」他說。我請他去看書中那篇讀書隨筆<我以星辰書寫我志在天空>。我說我本想直接拿它作書名，但感覺有點狂妄，才改成了現在這個。現把那篇文章稍作修改貼在這裏。在美以伊戰火猶烈的今日來看，仍不算過時吧。「以星辰書寫我志在天空」這是T.Z.勞倫斯的回憶錄《智慧七柱》卷首題詩的句子。這本書曾被改編成電影，《阿拉伯的勞倫斯》（Lawrence of Arabia)。獲奧斯卡七項大獎。其實原著比電影精彩多了，主要因為勞倫斯卓爾不凡的文采。正如他自己所言，他之所以在那一百來名援助阿拉伯起義的英國人中獨佔鳌頭青史留名，是因為他雖「人微位卑，卻有一支生花妙筆、無礙辯才、以及堪稱機靈的大腦。」這話一點也不誇張，那些比他位高人尊，或比他更英勇無畏的戰友都湮沒在歷史長河，他這位年輕下級軍官之所以脫穎而出，被人認識、崇尚、銘記，是因為他寫了這本書。我讀了這本書，也被他激情而不失準確的敘述打動，銘記最深的是卷首獻辭，獻辭的前一節是：「我愛你，所以我才掌控此波濤人馬，/以星辰書寫我志在天空，/誓為你爭自由。」傳說他這獻辭其實是寫給他同性戀男友，一個早夭的阿拉伯美少年的。他愛屋及烏，也愛上了那個愛走極端的民族。下面這段概括阿拉伯民族性的話也讓我難忘：「這個民族是黑白分明的，不只是在視覺上，也在內心最深處。他們的思想只在處於最極端才會安心⋯⋯他們是一個心胸狹窄的民族，毫無好奇心，遲鈍的心智完全不作為。他們的想象力很鮮活，可是沒有創造力。他們依循着部落民族與洞穴民族的偶像前進。他們是最不怨天尤人的民族，毫不貭疑地接受人生的安排。」這是在評說阿拉伯人嗎？我怎麼覺得拿來評說中國人也合適。......
"Lawrence of Arabia" , The Arab spring. Do not give up hope /"沙漠革命記" Revolt in the Desert, 到"智慧七柱"Seven Pillars of Wisdom, http://hcbooks.blogspot.tw/2016/08/lawrence-of-arabia-arab-spring-do-not.html
Renowned for his role in the Arab revolt against the Ottoman empire during World War I as well as his vivid writing, "Lawrence of Arabia" was born on August 16th, 1888. Warlike and scholarly, vain and modest, part showman, part hermit; he was also racked with self-doubt and guilt
"All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes, to make it possible."
--from "Seven Pillars of Wisdom" by T. E. Lawrence
In his classic book, T.E. Lawrence—forever known as Lawrence of Arabia—recounts his role in the origin of the modern Arab world. At first a shy Oxford scholar and archaeologist⋯⋯
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'Lawrence in Arabia'
By SCOTT ANDERSON
Reviewed by ALEX VON TUNZELMANN
Historians have never known what to make of this scholar, writer, soldier and imperialist.
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