After African Union troops were sent to remove the president of one of the Comoros Islands from power, a diplomatic crisis swiftly followed when Colonel Mohamed Bacar escaped, apparently with French assistance. Jonny Hogg watched events unfold on the ground.
從非盟派遣的部隊將葛摩其中一座島嶼的總統去除職權後，一場外交危機正接踵而至，顯然地在法國的協助下，Mohamed Bacar上校得已脫逃。Jonny Hogg在現場關注事件的發展。
My footsteps were the only sound and even they seemed muted in the damp, heavy darkness of a tropical night.
儘管是在潮溼、漆黑的熱帶夜晚，我輕柔的腳步聲還是劃破了四周的寧靜。
I was already regretting my decision to walk to the hotel to send an e-mail. It was too silent for a capital city.
我對步行到旅館發電子郵件的決定已感到後悔。這根本不是首都該有的寂靜。
Suddenly a figure emerged out of the shadows. I started and muttered the traditional greeting, "salaama".
突然在幽暗中出現了一個身影。我嚇了一跳，隨即低聲含糊的說了"salaama"，這是他們傳統的問候語。
"Salaama," came the reply in the darkness. I walked on but the figure was now turning, accosting me, seemingly angry.
"Salaama，"黑暗中傳來了回應。我繼續向前行，但那人影轉向我而且似乎在生氣。
A few minutes later I was a chastened man. Abdul - for that was his name - was not impressed that I had walked past him in the middle of the night without at least stopping to pass the time.
幾分鐘後，我成了個接受管束的人。Abdul – 這是他的名字 – 他對我在深夜裡從他身旁走過也不停下來寒暄一下感到非常不滿意。
I mumbled an apology. My nocturnal niceties evidently were not up to scratch. Abdul, having ticked me off, gave me a big smile.
我咕噥著說了聲報抱歉。顯然我的夜間禮節還未達到標準。責備我的Abdul給了我一個可掬的笑容。
"Perhaps we shall meet tomorrow when you are less stressed."
"等明天你不那麼緊張了，也許我們該見個面。"
As I walked on, I was grinning in the dark.
我在黑暗中露出了微笑，繼續往前走。
The Comoros - or the Islands of the Moon - lie in a crescent shape in the Indian Ocean, north of Madagascar.
葛摩或稱月之島，座落在馬達加斯加以北的印度洋上，呈現出一個新月形狀。
It is a volcanic archipelago and Grande Comore, the largest island, is dominated by the hulk of Karthala, one of the world's most active volcanoes.
她是一個火山群島，其中最大的島嶼稱為大葛摩，上頭就有一座世上數一數二活動最頻繁的活火山Karthala
Since 2005 it has erupted four times. Its forested slopes are streaked with the scars of old lava floes. The electric blue of the Indian Ocean laps against the jet black volcanic rock that forms the island's shoreline.
自2005年至今就爆發了四次。森林覆蓋的山坡上留有一道道之前火山熔岩流過的痕跡。電藍色印度洋碧波萬頃，輕輕拍打著島嶼以黑玉色火山岩形成的海岸線。
To the south are the islands of Moheli and Anjouan, separated by water but part of the Union of the Comoros nonetheless.
南方隔海相望的兩座島嶼Moheli(莫愛利)與Anjouan(安樹昂)仍屬於這個葛摩聯盟的一部份。
Eruptions
The country is infused with a vertigo-inducing sense of other-worldliness.
這個國家處處充滿了那種超脫塵世而令人頭暈目眩的感覺。
Rainbows burst at crazy angles from clouds that boil and surge on Karthala's flanks.
幾道彩虹怪異傾斜自雲端翻騰直衝Karthala火山的兩側。
Large birds that circle above turn out not to be birds at all but giant bats, flapping eerily over the capital, Moroni, with slow, thoughtful wing beats.
看起來體型很大的鳥在上空盤旋，結果那非但不是鳥而是巨大的蝙蝠，怪異地舞動翅膀在首都莫羅尼的上空，緩慢、小心的飛行。
It is not just the islands' volcanoes that are prone to eruptions.
經常爆發的可不只有島上的火山。
Since gaining independence from France in 1975, this Muslim country has seen 20 coups which, if you are interested, works out at approximately one every 1.65 years.
1975年自法國獲准獨立至今，這個穆斯林國家已經發生了20次的政變，如果你有興趣的話，可以計算出大概每1.65年會發生一次。
What is so strange, however, is that the Comorians - desperately poor and with few job prospects - remain some of the most welcoming people I have ever met.
然而，非常奇怪的是葛摩人 - 窮得要死也幾乎沒什麼工作前景 – 卻仍是我所遇過最好客的人之一。
How does such political instability equate with the spiritual peace that seems to permeate the leisurely pace of life there?
這麼不穩定的政局是怎麼和看似已彌漫在悠閒的生活步調裡心靈的平和劃上等號的?
In fairness, at least three of the coups were orchestrated by the French mercenary, Bob Denard.
公平地說，至少有三次的政變是由法國傭兵Bob Denard(鮑勃‧德納得)精心策劃的。
Anti-French protests
Once more, in recent days, the Comorians have had to contemplate the possibility that they are not masters of their own political fate.
在最近幾天裡又發生了一次，葛摩人已不得不思考他們並非是掌控自己政治命運的人這種可能性。
In the space of a few hours, I saw the warmth and friendliness of a Comorian welcome turn into shaking fists and thrown stones. Anti-French protests swept the country.
幾小時前，我看到葛摩人揮舞著拳頭、丟擲石塊，而非他們向來好客的熱情與親切。反法的抗議橫掃整個國家。
Even the Comorian government said it appeared that France had been quietly helping the rebel Anjouanaise president, Mohamed Bacar.
就連葛摩政府也認為這看起來像是法國在暗中幫助反叛的安樹昂總統Mohamed Bacar。
He escaped by speedboat to the French island of Mayotte, evading 1,000 African Union and Comorian soldiers sent to remove him from power.
他乘著快艇逃離並前往法國屬地馬約特島，躲開了一千名前去免除他職權的非盟及葛摩士兵。
In the hours leading up to the invasion, people spoke of bringing Mohamed Bacar to justice for his alleged crimes.
準備入侵的幾個小時裡，人們談論著要使Mohamed Bacar因著自己可能的罪愆接受制裁。
One man said, shaking with anger: "We are ready to eat. It will not be easy to eat a whole man but we shall eat Mohamed Bacar."
其中一個人氣得全身發抖: "我們準備將Mohamed Bacar吃了，就算很不容易我們也打算把他吃了。"
Metaphorical perhaps, but so far the feast has been denied them. He is currently requesting asylum with France.
也許是隱喻，但到現在他們仍舊未能享用這套大餐。他目前正向法國要求政治庇護。
Just before the invasion, a helicopter carrying two French policemen crashed off the coast of Anjouan. The French authorities say it was surveying illegal fishing.
就在入侵前，一架搭載有兩名法國警察的直昇機墜毀在安樹昂的外海。法國當局表示當時正在調查非法補漁。
Graffiti in Moroni says: "Since when have the French ever surveyed illegal fishing?"
莫羅尼市的街頭上的塗鴉: "是什麼時候起法國曾調查非法捕漁? "
Some suspect the helicopter was there to rescue Bacar.
一些人懷疑這架直升機是要前來解救Bacar。
Ansur, a Comorian, told me that people might attack the French embassy in Moroni.
葛摩人Ansure告訴我，人們可能會攻擊法國在莫羅尼市的大使館。
He is a neat, quiet English teacher and I hardly believed him. Yet when Colonel Bacar escaped and independent but unconfirmed reports said ammunition boxes addressed to the French embassy had been found in his headquarters, Ansur was proved right.
他是個乾乾淨淨且沉默的英文老師，我簡直無法相信他的話。然而當Bacar上校成功脫逃後，再加上獨立但未經證實的報導指出在他的總部發現幾個裝有彈藥的盒子是要給法國大使館的，Ansur是對的。
Throat-slitting gestures
He too was in the crowd, baying anti-French slogans as lines of police held them back.
當警察排成好幾道人牆阻止群眾前進，他也在當中，用長長的聲調喊著反法的標語。
I was told to leave because I was white and could be mistaken as French. The same people who had welcomed me so warmly made throat-slitting gestures as they went past.
由於我是個白人而且很可能被誤以為是法國人，因此被勸離當地。那些曾熱情招待我的人們從旁經過時還做了一個割喉的手勢。
Tear gas and bullets were used to disperse the crowd but emotions remained high.
群眾被催淚瓦斯和子彈驅散，但是情緒依然高張。
The day after I left, the main hotel in Moroni was attacked after it was rumoured French nationals were hiding there.
我離開後的一天，莫羅尼市主要的旅館遭到攻擊，因為謠傳有法國人藏身在那裡。
"Time and time again the French have interfered in our country," Ansur told me with rage. "They must leave."
"法國一再的干預我們國家，"他憤怒的說。"他們非離開不可。"
I liked the Comorian people very much, their passion and their gentleness. I do not know the truth of the political intrigue that swirls around the tiny archipelago but I hope that, when these latest tremors have died down, more people will visit the Islands of the Moon.
我非常喜歡葛摩人他們的熱情與和善。我不清楚席捲整個小群島的政治陰謀背後的真相為何，但我希望在最近這些動盪逐漸平息之後，將會有更多的人造訪月之島。
They will not regret it. And perhaps if you live in the shadow of a volcano, it is not surprising if you are a bit explosive.
到此一遊的人們絕對不虛此行。或許你在火山的陰影下也會有點暴躁，這是一點也不意外。
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/7330498.stm
Published: 2008/04/05 11:06:34 GMT
© BBC MMVIII
