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2002年09月10日

　　人民网伦敦9月9日电在“9·11”恐怖袭击一周年前夕，BBC记者布莱恩特从美国报道说，“美国成了一个噩梦缠身的国家。”布莱恩特这样写道：

　　8月酷热的一个夜晚，在灯火辉映的华盛顿纪念碑下，一名身穿红、白、蓝相间制服的士兵，挺着胸膛，高唱着美国国歌《星条旗永不落》。唾沫星从他的嘴唇飞出，汗珠顺着他的额头滑下。他是如此的全神贯注，好像他的生命都倾注于此。

　　而他的听众则神情凝重，无论男女老幼都把右手抚在心口，嘴里默默地唱着歌词。在舞台两边的是一排身穿作战服、肩扛自动步枪、指头扣着扳机的士兵。此时此刻，美国是一个处在担忧与愿望之间的国家：美国人渴望回到“9·11”之前的生活，但是，这个愿望是不可能实现的。

　　“9·11”带来的变化随处可见。在密西西比机场，布莱恩特前面的是一位乘坐轮椅的女士，她肯定有80多岁了，但机场人员还是命令她脱下鞋子，以确认鞋子里没有装炸药。在飞往华盛顿的途中，驾驶室向乘客发出了警告：要是有谁在自己的座位上不老实，当心飞机上的联邦警卫会打掉你的下巴。

　　你可以感受到2001年9月11日以后的突然变化。昨天那种人们之间可以无拘无束谈话的方式，被对未来的不确定感所取代了。美国成了一个噩梦缠身的国家。自从上个世纪大萧条以来，父母们第一次谈起，孩子们已经没有了自己享受过的那段好时光。

　　在恐惧与误解之中，美国的700万穆斯林已经感受不到“美国梦”，他们被推到了社会的边缘。几乎有三分之二的人说，自从“9·11”以来，他们成了偏见与歧视的受害者。一些人在乘坐飞机旅行时被其他乘客赶下了飞机，另一些人干脆就被禁止登上飞机。

　　还有，在国家安全的名义下，人们失去了自由。嫌疑犯在没有审判的情况下，就被扣押；而律师则被禁止与自己的顾客见面。美国的宪法本应给它的公民一张弘扬自由与民权的支票。然而“9·11”之后，美国开国者的话语被人们遗忘了。

　　就像其他许多人一样，布莱恩特认为，在世贸大楼的遗址，美国发现了一种新的使命感。“9·11”事件结束了美国人在冷战结束后出现的一种迷惑。美国从恐怖敌人可怕的能量中清醒过来。

　　就在“9·11”事件过后不久，很多美国人对为什么有那么多的人憎恶美国感到不解。很遗憾的是，美国的领导人现在似乎已经不再寻找这一问题的答案了。战争的狂轰滥炸已经取代了辩论。

　　美国人对“9·11”事件的反应，让布莱恩特想起了两年前一位扑救山林大火的士兵所说的话。他用迷惑的语气对布莱恩特说：“大火的问题就是，你不可能用子弹消灭这个敌人。”这是一个美国需要认识到的教训。

　　人民網倫敦9月9日電在“9﹒11”恐怖襲擊一周年前夕，BBC記者布萊恩特從美國報道說，“美國成了一個噩夢纏身的國家。”布萊恩特這樣寫道：

　　8月酷熱的一個夜晚，在燈火輝映的華盛頓紀念碑下，一名身穿紅、白、藍相間制服的士兵，挺著胸膛，高唱著美國國歌《星條旗永不落》。唾沫星從他的嘴唇飛出，汗珠順著他的額頭滑下。他是如此的全神貫注，好像他的生命都傾注于此。

　　而他的聽眾則神情凝重，無論男女老幼都把右手撫在心口，嘴里默默地唱著歌詞。在舞台兩邊的是一排身穿作戰服、肩扛自動步槍、指頭扣著扳机的士兵。此時此刻，美國是一個處在擔憂与愿望之間的國家：美國人渴望回到“9﹒11”之前的生活，但是，這個愿望是不可能實現的。

　　“9﹒11”帶來的變化隨處可見。在密西西比机場，布萊恩特前面的是一位乘坐輪椅的女士，她肯定有80多歲了，但机場人員還是命令她脫下鞋子，以确認鞋子里沒有裝炸葯。在飛往華盛頓的途中，駕駛室向乘客發出了警告：要是有誰在自己的座位上不老實，當心飛机上的聯邦警衛會打掉你的下巴。

　　你可以感受到2001年9月11日以后的突然變化。昨天那种人們之間可以無拘無束談話的方式，被對未來的不确定感所取代了。美國成了一個噩夢纏身的國家。自從上個世紀大蕭條以來，父母們第一次談起，孩子們已經沒有了自己享受過的那段好時光。

　　在恐懼与誤解之中，美國的700萬穆斯林已經感受不到“美國夢”，他們被推到了社會的邊緣。几乎有三分之二的人說，自從“9﹒11”以來，他們成了偏見与歧視的受害者。一些人在乘坐飛机旅行時被其他乘客赶下了飛机，另一些人干脆就被禁止登上飛机。

　　還有，在國家安全的名義下，人們失去了自由。嫌疑犯在沒有審判的情況下，就被扣押﹔而律師則被禁止与自己的顧客見面。美國的憲法本應給它的公民一張弘揚自由与民權的支票。然而“9﹒11”之后，美國幵國者的話語被人們遺忘了。

　　就像其他許多人一樣，布萊恩特認為，在世貿大樓的遺址，美國發現了一种新的使命感。“9﹒11”事件結束了美國人在冷戰結束后出現的一种迷惑。美國從恐怖敵人可怕的能量中清醒過來。

　　就在“9﹒11”事件過后不久，很多美國人對為什么有那么多的人憎惡美國感到不解。很遺憾的是，美國的領導人現在似乎已經不再尋找這一問題的答案了。戰爭的狂轟濫炸已經取代了辯論。

　　美國人對“9﹒11”事件的反應，讓布萊恩特想起了兩年前一位扑救山林大火的士兵所說的話。他用迷惑的語气對布萊恩特說：“大火的問題就是，你不可能用子彈消滅這個敵人。”這是一個美國需要認識到的教訓。

　　如果美國的總統們總是趨于把問題簡單化，那么美國在海外的軍事行動衹能為全球的恐怖主義推波助瀾，而不是消滅它。(史宗星)

American Dream on hold

By Nick Bryant
BBC Washington Correspondent

It is a sultry August evening, and under the shimmering spire of the Washington Monument, a barrel-chested soldier, dressed in red, white and blue, barks out the words of Star Spangled Banner.

Spit is sparking off his lips, beads of sweat race from his brow.

This a performance of such passionate intensity that it seems at times that his very life depends on it.

For his audience, too, a moment of epiphany, young and old standing with hands on hearts, quietly mouthing the words.

Has America found new purpose amid the ruins of Ground Zero?

Yet off to the sides of the stage is a jolting reminder of what many people here call the new normalcy - teams of troops dressed in musty combat-fatigues, with automatic rifles slung over their shoulders and fingers on the triggers.

Sunday night at the bandstand on the Mall - a possible target for al-Qaeda.

This right now is a country torn between dread and desire - its people longing for a return to pre-9/11 life, but knowing full well that will never be possible.

The signs of change are everywhere.

That woman in a wheelchair I was standing behind at the airport in Mississippi - she must have been in her eighties - who was ordered to take off her white slippers to make sure they were not packed with explosives.

Air crackdown

Those ominous cockpit announcements, made on the approach to Washingtons National Airport, warning that anyone foolish enough to leave their seat runs the risk of having their jaw broken by a federal air marshal.

Those times when I still catch myself watching the planes lower their landing gear as they bank over the Potomac River, just to make sure they do.

Tight security has added new tensions to air travel

This country changed with manic suddenness on 11 September 2001 - the carefree conversations of a thousand yesterdays replaced with talk of an uncertain future.

America has become an anxious nation of fragile dreams.

And for the first time perhaps since the Great Depression, parents speak openly of their children growing up in a country worse off than the one into which they themselves were born.

Some say the American Dream itself could well have been put beyond the reach of the seven million Muslims who call this country home, pushed onto the fringes of society in a climate of fear and misunderstanding.

Almost two-thirds say they have been the victims of prejudice and discrimination since last years attacks, some forced off planes by suspicious passengers, others not even allowed to board.

Civil rights threatened

And what of the freedoms that have been sacrificed in the name of national security?

Suspects have been held without trial, lawyers barred from meeting their clients.

The US Constitution was supposed to have provided a promissory note for its citizens, enshrining their liberties and freedoms.

Nabil al-Marabh - initially suspected of terrorism - said he was mistreated in jail

Yet in the rush to judgement after 11 September, the words of its founding fathers have all too easily been cast aside.

Like many others, I share the view that in the ruins of Ground Zero, the country rediscovered a new sense of purpose and mission - that the attacks brought to an end the post-Cold War era of drift and confusion when America appeared to be sleep-walking through history.

The country awoke to the terrifying capabilities of its terrorist foes, rallying behind a leader of unbending beliefs, who described a battle of right against wrong, a triumph of good over evil.

For a brief moment after 11 September, millions of Americans wondered why it was that so many people hated them so much.

Anxious nation

Sadly the countrys leaders appear to have ended the search for an answer. The bombast of war has drowned out the debate.

And that is why in some ways the American response to 11 September reminds me of the tough-talking soldier I met two summers ago, whose job was to help tame the wildfires ravaging the forests of Idaho.

The problem with fires, he told me, in a voice of bewilderment, is that theyre an enemy which cant be defeated with a bullet.

It is a lesson that the country needs to understand.

For if its successive presidents opt for such reductionism, the projection of Americas military power abroad could easily exacerbate the problem of global terrorism rather than eradicate it.