Thoughts to you from yours truly - ( 70 ) - April 25, 2011

Thoughts to You From Yours Truly - ( TYYT ) - ( 70 ) - Web is Wonderful Worker But Bad Boss ( 互聯網是好僕人但壞老闆 ) - April, 25, 2011

There is a profoundly inspiring song composed and sung by the great Joni Mitchell that is my undisputed favourite. It is called " Both Sides Now " which beautifully portraits the enigmatic and ever changing nature of love and life. More specifically, it metaphors love and life as the clouds viewed from different perspectives and appearing in countless shapes and forms. So, it is the same with all phenomena in nature and our life.
我十分喜歡一首由Joni Mitchell（茱妮米雪爾）所作的名曲，名字叫Both Sides Now ! (或翻譯作 " 兩面觀吧! " )。歌詞十分美麗和深刻地描寫了人生的變幻無常，以及愛情的神秘和高深莫測。歌詞以雲霧無盡的不同形態，莫測高深的性質， 來比喻愛情和人生，可以用不同角度觀察，便能夠領悟到不同的味道和啟示。大自然和我們生命中的變遷，就有如雲霧般變化無窮，多采多姿，悲歡離合，有得有失。


Imagine a time before the 1970s when the World Wide Web is just an academic term and magical concept which we cannot do without nowadays. The web has increased our daily convenience by leaps and bounds and has revolutionized the instant exchange of information thus improving all vital services such as health, finance, commerce and even social interaction. Lately, it is also instrumental in bringing about the overthrow of autocratic governments and serving the cause of democracy. The web is an undoubtedly wonderful worker for human kind.
讓我們追想1970 前沒有互聯網的年代，當年internet只是一個學術名詞，至今沒它不成了。它令我們日常生活的方便，倍增了不知有多少，也實現了 即時資訊傳遞，改進了所有重要服務，如醫療，金融，商業，以及社交溝通等。近日，它更加有效地幫助推翻一些極權政府，推動了不少民主制度的改革。從這角度 去看，互聯網的確是人類的一個好僕人。


Notwithstanding all the above merits the web is by no means immune from abuses and thus also inevitably subject to the BOTH SIDES NOW syndrome. Starting from the individual level the misuse of the web can lead to crimes of all abominations. Then, over indulgence in web surfing can deprive the individual especially teenagers of the opportunity in acquiring inter-personal communication skills which is vital to success in society later on in their lives. Thirdly, due to the advent of unhealthy video games which propagate violence and ambition ( such as kung fu fighting, war games and world domination ) human values like respect for life, property and other people are grossly degraded. The web is just like every other phenomena in this world. There must be a good and a bad side to things. Therefore, we must reduce the web to a wonderful worker and never let it become a bad boss !
話雖然這般說，但它也是經常被濫用的，所以它亦是無可避免地，成為" BOTH SIDES NOW ! " " 兩面觀吧！" 現象的一部分。在個人的層面，它的濫用可以導致醜惡的罪行。單是沉迷上網，便會令人喪失人與人之間的社交溝通技巧，這對年輕人將來在社會謀生的能力，大打 折扣。第三方面，由於有很多不良電子遊戲的出現 （ 如功夫打鬥，世界爭霸戰，各式各樣的戰爭遊戲 ），都表揚了暴力和強權的邪惡傾向，以及低扁人性和生命價值，對他人生命和財產的輕視，極端不健康。由此可見，互聯網真是一個壞老闆，就有如其他大自然和人類社會的一切現象，都是有好有壞，必須以兩面而觀之。因此，我們一定要把它打壓成為好僕人，不能讓它變成我們的壞老闆，切記，切記！


JKHC ( 鄭冠合 )