Under Montserrat's volcano

Under Montserrat's volcano

By Orin Gordon BBC News, Montserrat

Twelve years ago, after lying dormant for centuries, the volcano on the island of Montserrat erupted. Two years later, two-thirds of the island was devastated by a further eruption. Now, over half of the population has left and those who remain still have much work to do to restore their country.

十二年前, 蒙特塞拉特島上的火山經幾個世紀的休眠後爆發了. 兩年後, 三分之二的島嶼在後續的幾次火山爆發下幾近荒蕪. 現在,超過一半已上的人口已經離去, 留下來企圖重建家園的居民們仍有許許多多的工作要做.

As the small propeller aircraft descended towards Montserrat's airstrip, Jasmine, sitting next to me, closed her eyes tightly and appeared to be saying a silent prayer. The plane touched down, none too gently, and immediately the pilot started braking because the runway - even for an aircraft that seats 19 people - is not that long.

正當螺旋槳小飛機朝著蒙特塞拉特的臨時飛機跑道準備降落時, 坐在我身旁的Jasmine緊閉著雙眼, 看起來似乎在禱告. 飛機笨重的著陸, 駕駛立即開始煞車, 因為這條跑道即使對19人座的小飛機而言,還是不夠長.

A few days later I was looking down on the airport from one of Montserrat's highest hills. I had been taken there by the head of the local government, chief minister Lowell Lewis, who also puts in time as a medical doctor.

幾天後, 我從蒙特塞拉特最高的幾個山丘之一俯瞰整座機場. 當地政府首長(首席部長)Lowell Lewis把我帶上去, 他同時也是位醫生.

Dr Lewis does not do fancy chauffer-driven cars. He himself wrestled his old Toyota up the boulder-strewn road to the top of the hill. From there, a perfect view of the north, but also a full appreciation of the size of the task rebuilding the country.

Dr. Lewis並不想要一輛配有司機的豪華禮車. 他使勁的將他那輛老舊的Toyota從佈滿鵝卵石的路開上山頂. 從這裡不僅可以飽覽整個北邊,也可看出家園重建工程是有多麼的浩大.

There is on Montserrat an airport that would serve the island's needs perfectly. The problem is that it sits abandoned near the volcano in the evacuated zone in the south.

蒙特塞拉特有座機場能完全滿足島上的需求. 問題是它現在被擱置在南邊接近火山的疏散區裡.

What was once the main harbour in the old capital Plymouth also lies deserted under volcanic dust and other debris.

曾經是舊都Plymouth的主要港口也因為火山灰及碎石殘礫而遭棄置.

The rough waters of the north make docking ships a tricky and even dangerous business and the ferry service from the nearby island of Antigua, which had been a lifeline with the patchy air service, no longer operates.

北邊洶湧的海水使得船隻要停靠碼頭都變得非常不容易,甚至是危險. 與往返於Antigua的鄰近島嶼間的渡輪也不再營運, 這一直以來都是輔助航空服務的主要航線.

Flat land is scarce and the new airport is built on a low hill, the top of which has been flattened. But its size restricts the number of tourists, goods and material that can be brought into Montserrat.

由於缺乏平坦的地勢, 新的機場是建於較矮的山丘上, 山頭目前已經被剷平了. 到蒙特塞拉特的遊客人數及貨物商品則都受限於它的規模.

The only way to lengthen the airstrip would be to build an elevated runway across a valley. That would take a lot of money. As would carving out a proper harbour in the safe zone.

在山谷上興建高架跑道是唯一個可以加長機場的方法. 但是所貲不斐. 就如同在安全區域開拓出一個適合的港口.

Moving away

Before the eruption, Montserrat had been doing fine financially, the majority of its income coming from tourism.

在火山爆發前, 蒙特塞拉特的財政狀況良好, 最主要的收入來自觀光業.

At that time most islanders lived in the south, which had tremendous views of one of the Caribbean's natural wonders, the Soufriere Hills volcano. But those majestic views came at a price. The steepness of it became clear once the sleeping giant awoke.

當時大部份的島民們都住在南邊, 在那裡有一個加勒比海的天然奇觀 - Soufriere Hills 火山. 但雄偉的奇景是要付出代價的. 無疑的這個沉睡的巨人曾經甦醒過, 造就了它的險峻.

After the eruption most of the original population left for Britain, the United States and other parts of the Caribbean. Those who remained had to uproot families and livelihoods, and restart in the part of the island designated safe for habitation.

火山爆發後, 大部份原有的居民都已前往英國,美國, 還有其它加勒比海國家. 留下來的人則必須將他們的家庭與生計全部遷離, 並在島上其它標定為安全棲息的地方重新開始.

Daniel used to be a windsurfing instructor at one of Montserrat's upmarket hotels. Today he runs a restaurant with his English wife Margaret in the safe zone.

Daniel過去曾在蒙特塞拉特的高價飯店擔任風帆衝浪教練. 現在他和他英國的妻子Margaret在安全區域開了一間餐廳.

The restaurant is in their living room. Danny is a prize fisherman and the sea is in his blood. If he is unhappy about not being on the beach, he does not show it.

他們把起居室挪出來當做餐廳. Danny是一流的漁夫,海就在他的血液裡流動著. 即使對無法待在海灘上感到不高興, 他也不會表現出來.

He is chatty and full of stories about the famous people he taught to windsurf in the old days.

他很饒舌,而且講得大部份都是往昔他教名人風帆衝浪的種種事蹟.

He and his wife have had to move several times, when there have been flows from the volcano, so he understands the deep frustration others feel about having to start all over again.

他和他的妻子搬遷了好幾回, 每次都是因為火山的溶岩流, 所以他很清楚知道其他人對於必須一再重新開始那種深受挫折的感覺.

Overseas aid

Many people in Montserrat think that the authorities are too strict in interpreting the data that the scientists give to them and are far too cautious in deciding how much of the island should be designated unsafe.

許多在蒙特塞拉特的人認為當局對科學家給的資料所做的詮釋太過嚴格, 對判定島上有多少是不安全的地方太過小心.

We have been living with this volcano for many years, they tell me, and there is no way - and here they mention one of the areas just inside the unsafe zone - there is no way that place is in danger.

我們跟這座火山一起生活了許多年, 他們告訴我, 並且談到一個劃定在非安全區內一點也不危險的地方.

Jasmine, whom I met on the plane, has taken advantage of her British citizenship to come to live in the UK.

我在飛機上遇到的Jasmine, 她拿著英國公民的身份住到英國去.

But when it comes to the question of how much the mother country is doing to help, many of those back in Montserrat feel that Britain can do far more than they have done so far.

但是當被問及英國給予多少援助時, 許多回到蒙特塞拉特的人都感到英國其實應該可以做得更多.

"Montserrat can pay its own way," Dr Lewis told me. But first they need the money to pay for the things - a bigger airport and a new harbour for a start - that will give them a fighting chance. It will cost about $200m (£100m).

"蒙特塞拉特是可以靠自己賺錢的," Dr. Lewis 告訴我. 但首先他們須要經費以支付一個較大的機場及新港口,這樣他們才有成功的機會. 這個費用高達200萬元(100萬英磅).

Debra Barnes Jones, who has just finished her tour of duty as governor, told me much of that money will have to come from private sector investment.

Debra Barnes Jones, 她剛結束了總督的任期, 告訴我大部份的援助都來自於私人機構的投資.

Britain cannot fund it in full. "Not even the chief minister expects that," she said.

英國沒辦法提供全部的資助. "就連首長也不抱什麼希望" 她說.

More disruption

The whole thing was brought home to me as I prepared to leave.

正當我準備要離去時, 整件事深深的衝擊到我.

Normal service had been disrupted and a smaller plane, with only seven seats, had been despatched to do the job.

正常的航班被打亂了, 換成一個七人座的小飛機來執行這項航務.

The pilot took one look at my equipment case and ordered it off the plane. I asked him why.

駕駛朝我的器材箱看了一眼並指定這個不能上飛機. 我問他原因.

"Every kilo counts," he said. "We have a short distance to get this up and if we don't..."

"每一公斤都要算得很清楚,",他說. "我們在這麼短的距離就得升空,如果我們不..."

"We go into the sea?" I asked him softly. "No," he said "we slam into another hill."

"我們會栽到海裡頭去?" 我輕聲的問. "不," 他說 "我們會撞上另一座山."

I saw the look on the other passengers' faces and shut up for duration of the half-hour hop to Antigua.

我看著其他乘客們臉上的表情, 然後閉上我的嘴巴開始朝著約莫30分鐘航程的Antigua出發.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/6924215.stm Published: 2007/08/01 08:16:41 GMT © BBC MMVII
註:蒙特塞拉特或蒙瑟拉特島（Montserrat）是加勒比海之中的島，由哥倫布在1493年以西班牙內同名的山命名。蒙特塞拉特是英國海外領地。