2016年1月4日星期一

第一次接触印度洋的骆驼



澳洲的西南部,有片面积约155万平方公里的大沙漠,为全世界第四大的沙漠。
1822年,地理学者Malthe Conrad Bruun 首次提议把骆驼输入澳洲。探险家John Horrock、Robert Burke 和William John Wills ,分别於1846 和1860年组成骆驼队伍,偿试穿越澳洲的大沙漠。从1870到1900年,为了开发与建设内陆,至少有1万5千头骆驼相继从阿拉伯、印度和阿富汗引进澳洲,那是干旱大陆中最佳的“ 沙漠之舟”。据说澳洲内陆第一架钢琴,就是由骆驼横越沙漠驮运过来的。


到了1920年,铁路公路设备完成后,失去运输功能的骆驼,被放逐在荒野中,变成了野生骆驼。澳洲是世界上唯一拥有许多野生骆驼的国家,当骆驼在阿拉伯半岛被视为是神赐予的珍贵礼物时,澳洲政府在2009年宣布要化1千9百万澳币,扑杀境内1/3的野生骆驼,当时野生骆驼的数量已超过1百万。

沙地阿拉伯在2002年开始把驼肉端上了餐桌,於是澳洲野生骆驼也出口到沙地阿拉伯、阿联猷、汶莱甚至马来西亚。每年穆斯林在朝圣月(Dhul Hijiah)都要宰杀牲口,宰牲时间通常是回教历12月的10、11、12日,规矩是一个穆斯林得杀一只羊,七个人就合宰一头牛或者骆驼。


1977年,26岁的Robyn Davidson ,带了4只骆驼和1只狗,化了9个月的时间,从澳洲中部的Alice Spring出发,行走了2700公里 (1700多英里)徒步穿越沙漠,到达澳洲的西海岸。


Robyn with her trusted dog Diggity. When the dog was tired he would take a ride on one of the camel's backs and once, when Robyn was low on food, she had to eat some of Diggity's dog biscuits

Davidson 先在Alice Spring 跟随澳洲出生的阿富汗裔Sallay Mahomet 3个多月,学习驯养骆驼。准备了1年多,虽然打临时工,又向友人借贷,可是经费还凑不足,最后得到美国国家地理协会的赞助,终於带着骆驼Dookie、Bub、Zeleika、Goliath,还有狗狗Diggity,踏上一趟连原住民部落也认为是一个传奇的沙漠之旅。


Robyn with photographer Rick Smolan who joined her three times during the nine month journey. The photographs he took were published in National Geographic in 1978 and attracted so much interest that Robyn then decided to write the book about her experience

旅途中,《国家地理杂志》摄影师 Rick Smolan 偶尔会与Davidson 会合、拍照;骆驼女子和一只狗狗在荒漠中徒步的报道,很快就成为了轰动世界各地的头条新闻。后来,Davidson把这段经历著书,1980年出版后成为了国际畅销书的《Tracks》,也让好莱坞一直想要把这个真实故事搬上大银幕。

Davidson对好莱坞制片有着强烈的抗拒感,她要的是一部真实的澳洲电影,所以她选择让获得奥斯卡奖“ The King's Speech”的澳洲电影监制 Emile Sherman 来拍摄《Tracks》。2013年,由John Curran 执导和女演员Mia Wasikowska 主演的电影《Tracks》终於完成,影片入围第70届威尼斯电影节主竞赛单元,并在伦敦、多伦多等电影节展映。




有趣的是,Davidson 写旅程来到了最后,4头骆驼第一次看见印度洋时的惊奇滑稽古怪表情,令人不禁莞尔,这是电影中所没办法呈现出来的生动描述。


“ Day195   Six miles short of our goal we unloaded and set out on the final leg . Oh, how my spirits soared. Two hours later I saw it, glinting on the far side of the dunes- the Indian Ocean, end of  trail. An anticlimax? Never. We rode down to the beach towards the sunset and stood thunderstruck at the beauty of the sea.


Robyn Davidson with Bub: Of all the camels Bub was the one who seemed to be the most delighted by the water even though he couldn't drink it. He treated water as if it were a new found toy, splashing around like a toddler. If Robyn was in the water Bub had to be there too

 The Camels simply couldn't comprehend so much water. They would stare at it, walk a few paces, then turn and stare again. Dookie pretended he wasn't scared, but his eyes were popping out and his ears were so erect they pulled his eyelashes back.


After National Geographic was published  in 1978, many referred to Robyn Davidson as 'The Camel Lady.' She was also the inspiration behind a painting of the same name by Jean Burke

 I was riding Bub, and when the surf sent globs of foam tumbling over his feet, he danced and bucked and shied and nearly sent me flying. Zeleika would have nothing to do with that freakish ocean, but the others were entranced. They refused to believe it wasn't drinkable. Each time they took a mouthful, their expressions broke me up . --------------”




4 条评论:

  1. 我看BBC纪录片有介绍过澳洲的骆驼太多了。
    澳洲政府捕抓很多,把骆驼卖给中东国家。

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    1. 几年前,有群污桶烂党员买一只骆驼回来杀,原来是从澳洲运过来滴,这些魔鬼真可恶!

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  2. 不懂骆驼肉味道如何?……^_^

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