文章來源：http://blog.udn.com/corecorner/4428917
“Change happens by listening and then starting a dialogue with the people who are doing something you don't believe is right." – Jane Goodall
在26歲芳華正盛時，珍古德（Jane Goodall）開始致力於黑猩猩（chimpanzee）的行為研究；半個世紀過去了，今年高齡76的珍古德，於9月初第十三度造訪台灣，慶祝非洲岡貝（Gombe）研究的50周年，也再度提醒台灣的人民，從大自然的眼光中，重新檢視自己的生存行為與態度。
不像現在大多數人都意識到生態保育的重要性，1960年珍古德踏進岡貝森林時，卻是抱著「雖千萬人吾往矣」的心情，堅毅而孤單地展開長達50年關於黑猩猩的野外研究，也因為珍古德的研究，糾正了學術界對黑猩猩這一物種長期以來的錯誤認識，之後，她長期致力於環境慈善事業，帶給人類如何與動物和諧共存的全新視野。
《華盛頓郵報》（The Washington Post）在日前回顧珍古德的成就，如此介紹她：
Primatologist Jane Goodall began her groundbreaking research into chimpanzee behavior on July 14, 1960: 50 years ago tomorrow. She was a 26-year-old with no scientific experience or college degree. British authorities balked at(畏怯/猶豫)the idea of having Goodall stay alone in the wilderness around Lake Tanganyika(坦葛尼喀湖), in what is now Tanzania(坦尚尼亞), so her mother went with her.
During Goodall's six-month sojourn in the Gombe Stream Chimpanzee Reserve, now Gombe National Park, Goodall saw a chimp strip leaves off twigs to fashion tools for fishing termites from a nest. Until then, scientists thought that humans were the only creatures that created and used tools. This was just the first of many Goodall discoveries that have redefined the relationship between humans and other animals.
即使是在今日地球村，女性獨立意識抬頭，卻也鮮少聽說有女性隻身前往非洲森林探險，因此，50年前，珍古德的這趟旅程可以說是標新立異的創舉，也是極具危險度的一種挑戰－因為，雖然當時動物學家及人類學家都知道，黑猩猩和人類在生物學意義上有近親關係（Chimpanzees share 98.4% DNA with humans, which makes them closer to humans than gorillas.），瞭解黑猩猩的生活方式，可能有助於理解石器時代人類祖先如何生活，但黑猩猩遠比人類要強壯得多，研究牠們是件非常艱辛且危險的事，需要耐心與全力以赴。
不過，對從小就熱愛動物的珍來說，這趟旅程是在圓一個認識環境、理解生命的夢。
“There was one occasion I can never forget. I had followed a chimp deep into the forest. He stopped to rest, and as I sat near him I saw a ripe palm nut and held it toward him on the palm of my hand. He turned his head away. I held my hand closer and then he turned back, looked directly into my eyes, took the nut, dropped it and very gently pressed my fingers with his in a gesture of reassurance. We each understood the other, bridging our two worlds, communicating with gestures that had probably been used by our common ancestor six million years ago.”
從學者的理性研究角度，珍歸納出黑猩猩的行為模式與人類有許多相像之處：They hunt, sometimes engage in cannibalism, make war on each other, adopt orphans, and drum on tree roots and wave branches in ritual-like displays. Some chimps are cunning politicians; others seem devoted to their families.
“They kiss, embrace, hold hands, pat one another on the back, swagger, shake their fists, and throw rocks in the same context that we do these things. There are strong bonds of affection and support between family members. They help each other. And they have violent and brutal aggression, even a kind of primitive war. In all these ways, they’re very like us.”
而從一個熱愛生命的人文關懷者角度，珍教導世人用更同理的眼光，看待不同於己身的生命：
“When I first went to Cambridge University in England,…I was completely horrified to find that the professors and my fellow students were very disapproving of the fact that I had given the chimpanzees names, talked about them having personalities, and described how their minds worked and how they solved simple problems. Above all, they were horrified that I ascribed emotions like happiness, sadness, fear, despair, and grief to the chimpanzees.”
“All these things were uniquely human and not to be talked about in relation to any kind of non-human animal. Fortunately, by that time I was 26, and all through my childhood I had a wonderful teacher about animal behavior - my dog Rusty. He taught me that animals have personalities, minds, and feelings.”
“Gradually since that time in 1960, attitudes towards animals have softened in scientific communities, so we now have students who are studying animal minds. We have students studying animal emotions. And we even have people who are trying to work out ways of coming to grips with animals' personalities, so it's changed, but it still has some way to go.”
諷刺的是，當人類自認為是「萬物之靈」，站在主宰者的高位，人類讓自己持續生存下來的能力卻不見得比動物們高明。珍古德在接受訪問時，感嘆地說：
“In some ways we’re not successful at all. We’re destroying our home. That’s not a bit successful. Chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans have been living for hundreds of thousands of years in their forest, living fantastic lives, never overpopulating, never destroying the forest. I would say that they have been in a way more successful than us as far as being in harmony with the environment.”
也因此，現在的珍古德，每年僅有兩次短暫停留於岡貝，而把大多數時間留給年輕人，四處演講呼籲環境保育的重要。當被問及為什麼不繼續留在森林裡做研究，珍古德的回答是：
“Gombe, with its chimpanzees and baboons, its forests and birds, lizards and butterflies, is my spiritual refuge. Lying under a great tree, looking up at the tiny stars whose light shines down through the rustling leaves, or lying on the beach and gazing up at the moon, puts everything in perspective, gives meaning to my life. Gives me the strength to leave the peace and go back on the road. Sometimes we must leave what we love to save it—and so I stay on the road, raising awareness and support, always thinking of Gombe.”
“I could kill myself trying to save chimps and forests, but if children don't grow up to be better stewards of the environment than we are, then what's the point?”
文章來源：http://blog.udn.com/corecorner/4428917
留言列表
