《蝇王》：怎样逃离拼命合群的困境？
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老桑说
就像《蝇王》中的拉尔夫一样，你可能会受到孤独和轻蔑之火的考验，但最终，你会脱颖而出。
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「 朋友，你好，我是老桑。」
老桑在巴布科克牧场保护区
有没有人试图让你做一些你不想做的事情？或者，你是否为了“融入”或试图被同学或同事接纳而不得不做一些你不想做的事情？这就是同伴压力（peer pressure）。它可能真的会使人衰弱，即使你认为它可能会成就你的人生。
《蝇王》（Lord of the Flies）是一部经典小说，探讨了屈服于同伴压力的罪恶。1953年，诺贝尔文学奖得主、英国作家威廉·戈尔丁（William Golding）（后来被改编成电影）创作了这部小说。小说讲述了一场戏剧性的mob（暴徒）们之间的心理冲突，探索了在的巨大压力下坚守立场的挑战。
在第二次世界大战期间，一架英国飞机被击落在太平洋的一个废弃的热带岛屿上。那里没有任何成年人，一群6-12岁的男孩只能自己fend（照顾）自己。拉尔夫（Ralph）被选为领袖，但他的权威很快受到了杰克（Jack）的挑战。
男孩们在岛上maroon（孤立无援），并与人类本能的冲突进行着斗争，努力走向文明避免堕落至野蛮的境地。拉尔夫代表秩序，希望每个人都集中精力建造庇护所并维护好作为救援信号的火焰。另一方面，杰克代表暴力，因为他只对狩猎感兴趣。于是这个团体被分成了两个阵营，他们分别支持拉尔夫和杰克。
随着冲突越来越激烈，几乎所有的男孩都抛弃了拉尔夫，加入了杰克的混乱中。杰克欺凌弱小，通过描绘自己的面部来表现野蛮的外表，为自己失去了纯真而庆祝。拉尔夫拒绝向这种与生俱来的邪恶投降。最后，他逃离了杰克的追捕，遇到了一名正赶来营救他们的英国军官。
在整个故事中，拉尔夫一直都在躲避来自他人的的动作和攻击。他早期的支持者之一，绰号叫猪崽子（Piggy），试图去鼓励他。“我们必须继续，就这样。这是成年人会做的事情。”在面对同龄人的压力时，有时我们不得不去让自己成长，在逆境面前表现得像个成年人而不是孩子。
为了更好地了解男孩们的世界，我最近参观了佛罗里达州西南部的巴布科克牧场保护区（Babcock Ranch Preserve）。虽然那里不是热带岛屿，但亚热带生态系统有许多相似之处。
巴布科克牧场保护区入口处
在这个保护区有四个不同的生态系统，每一个都代表着不同的故事场景——以及所涉及的关于同伴压力不同方面的内容。
01牧场：想吃什么就吃什么Pasturelands: eat what you want
巴布科克牧场
牧场是指一片被草和其他植物覆盖用来放牧牲畜的地区。在巴布科克牧场，周围四处游荡着牛、马和猪，我也乐在其中。在《蝇王》中，杰克催促着他的船员们用长矛去猎杀猪，这一行为逐渐演变成一种对暴力的痴迷。但拉尔夫拒绝野蛮，他靠吃当地的水果来充饥content（满足）自己。
同伴的压力也会影响你对食物的选择。我经历过很多类似的场合，有的人本来已经吃饱了，但却会被其他人强迫着去吃一碗米饭或甜点。或者，那些想在晚餐时喝葡萄酒的人叫我一起共饮，但我没有，这就让他们感到不舒服。说“不，谢谢”可能显得不礼貌，但这其实是最合适的说法。
野猪
多年来，我常去宜昌的长阳、五峰两县旅游，饱餐乡间的自然美食。那里每餐都有一个装满带骨肉的火锅。由于我不是在一个需要学会啃骨头的环境中长大的，所以当主人给我大块的骨头时，我不知道该怎么处理它们。
我知道我的朋友们都很热情好客，所以我尽我最大的努力去和他们相处。但后来，我决定对好心的主人说实话，为自己不太擅长咬东西而道歉，对他们说：“我可以吃点别的吗？”随着时间的推移，他们明白了，于是后来饭桌上就出现了大量的肉丸子！
02柏树沼泽：想穿什么就穿什么Cypress Swamps: wear what you want
巴布科克牧场内的柏树沼泽
沼泽是一片树林覆盖的湿地。巴布科克牧场有一片柏树沼泽，地面被水覆盖，天空被树冠遮蔽。就好像是地面和天空被“打扮”成你看不见的样子，给世界带来了不同的面貌。
在小说中，杰克和他的追随者们用脸部迷彩来躲避他们正在猎杀的猪。但是这种潜在的野性分散了他们的注意力，迫使他们去做一些他们通常不会做的兽性的事情——这甚至导致了两个男孩的死亡。不过，拉尔夫拒绝画自己的脸，他专注于营救而不是狩猎带来的刺激。
遮天蔽日的树木
我们都能感觉到穿时尚衣服的压力。朋友、非朋友的同龄人、小团体、成年人和媒体都可以影响你的选择。你可能想穿“受欢迎的孩子们”的衣服，从你朋友的穿着中寻找线索，跟随最新的名人潮流来感觉“很酷”，或者买一些你不需要的东西，这样你就不会觉得被别人排斥或与众不同。
在很多时候，你的穿着决定了你是什么样的人。拉尔夫拒绝涂脸部迷彩，也不愿携带图腾标志，所以他不归属于任何一个与他价值观不同的部落。由此来看，你也不需要在着装或配饰上隐藏真实的自己。从头顶到脚底，要做你自己，不要像沼泽地一样，无法看到脚下的土地和头顶的天空。
03低平松林：过你想要的生活Pine Flatwoods: live how you want
巴布科克牧场内的低平林地
低平林地是由火维持的生态系统。在巴布科克牧场，那里的树林大概每四年燃烧一次，以滋养土壤，清除灌木丛。不过，较大的树木在这种以火为基础的生态系统中仍得以生存。在《蝇王》中，拉尔夫保持着火焰的信号，希望能得到营救，而杰克则用火来狩猎和杀戮。只有拉尔夫拒绝接受同化。
小说探讨了拉尔夫是如何感受到融入杰克不断壮大的部落的压力。由于忠于自己的想法，拉尔夫受到了taunt（嘲笑）和谴责，最终只能靠自己。他拒绝做别人做的事，也拒绝过别人的生活。他没有被野蛮的烈火“烧死”，而是在每一次“火的考验”中变得更强大、更文明。
我们经常能感受到同化的压力。如果你开始了一份新工作，你可能会觉得必须通过与同伴一起打游戏、抽烟或喝酒来适应新环境。在学校,如果你的室友宿舍打牌或麻将,你可能会被迫参与或冒着被贴上反社会不合群标签的风险。如果你对同化的事物不感兴趣，因此受到其他人冷落的时候，你可能会觉得很“受伤”。
低平林地里高大的树木
建立你自己的社会体系，去接触一些和你有共同兴趣的人。例如，我不喜欢喝酒。没有什么特别的原因，因为它对我没有任何作用。所以，我和其他人有相同的兴趣爱好的人们一起加入了一个茶俱乐部。当我感到有压力被要求喝酒时，我会礼貌地拒绝，因为我心里知道总会有机会和我的茶友们聚在一起。
故事中，拉尔夫把求救信号从一个高的位置附近挪到了靠近庇护所的地方，使它更容易得到维护。作者说：“最伟大的想法是最简单的。“你可能对自己的生活有一些伟大的想法。不管简单与否，试一试吧!
巴布科克牧场内的淡水沼泽
沼泽上有树，沼泽还滋养着芦苇和草。淡水沼泽是季节性的，当河流上涨和降水增加时它就会泛滥，而到了夏天就变得干燥。它们的存在是周期性的。在《蝇王》中，杰克为了保住他在岛上的首领地位而逃避救援，并延续了暴力的循环。但是，拉尔夫想要继续前进。
我曾经和一群年轻人交谈，他们住在一个机会有限的乡村小镇。他们哀叹自己的不幸，哀叹自己的人生怎么也看不到未来。其中有一位后来透露，他曾有机会离开乡镇去上技校，但他选择了不去，因为那样他的朋友们会生气，指责他试图比他们“更好”。
在我看来，这是浪费机会的悲剧。我告诉他，一个拖你后腿的朋友根本不是朋友，我鼓励他无论如何都要去学校试试。虽然他同意了，但我怀疑他的意志太软弱了。我看得出来，他把朋友看得比自己的前途更重要。我真希望他能遇到拉尔夫，因为他对救援和未来的追求，本可以成为一种激励。
管理来自同辈的压力需要平衡。一方面，当你曲意逢迎别人或是假装很合群时，你最终可能会迫不得已地做很多事情。然而，从另一方面来说，你完全可以不这样做，仍然可以与他人和睦相处，也能避免格格不入。
淡水
我的朋友，请保持思想的和行动上的独立性。无论食衣住行哪个方面，都应该忠于自己，在允许的情况下，拒绝非自愿的行为，并且和其他志同道合的人一起建立一个相互支持的群体。就像《蝇王》中的拉尔夫一样，你可能会受到孤独和轻蔑之火的考验，但最终，你会脱颖而出。
本文图片均由老桑拍摄。
往期文章
谢谢收看《老桑说》。
给你启发，激励你上进，陪伴你坚持。
敬请期待下一集。
英文版
English
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Lord of the Flies:
how to beat peer pressure
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「 Hello, my friend！
I'm John Smagula. 」
Has someone tried to get you to do something you didn’t want to do? Or, have you had to do something you didn’t want in order to “fit in” or be accepted by your classmates or coworkers? That’s called peer pressure. It can really pull you down, even when you think it might be lifting you up.
Lord of the Flies is a classic novel that explores the evils of succumbing to peer pressure. Written in 1953 by the Nobel Prize-winning British author William Golding (and later adapted into movie versions), the story involves a dramatic mob mentality conflict, exploring the challenges of standing your ground against tremendous pressure to do the wrong thing.
During World War II, a British airplane is downed over a deserted tropical island in the Pacific Ocean. There are no adults, and a group of boys aged 6-12 are left to fend for themselves. Ralph is elected leader, but his authority is quickly challenged by Jack.
Marooned on the island, the boys struggle with the conflicting human instincts to work toward civilization and to descend into savagery. Ralph represents order, wanting everyone to focus on building shelters and maintaining a signal fire. Jack, on the other hand, represents violence, as he is only interested in hunting. The group divides into two camps supporting Ralph and Jack.
Ralph
The conflict grows fierce, and virtually all the boys abandon Ralph and join Jack’s chaos. Jack bullies the weak, revels in the outward trappings of savagery by painting his face, and celebrates the loss of innocence. Ralph refuses to surrender to this innate evil. In the end he flees from Jack’s pursuit, encountering a naval officer who had just arrived to rescue them.
Throughout the story, Ralph has to dodge the antics and attacks of the others. One of his early supporters, nicknamed Piggy, tried to encourage him. “We just got to go on, that’s all. That’s what grown-ups would do.” When dealing with peer pressure, sometimes we have to “grow up” ourselves, acting as adults and not children in the face of adversity.
To better understand the boys’ world, I recently visited Babcock Ranch Preserve in Southwestern Florida. Although not a tropical island, the semitropical ecosystem would have many similarities. This preserve has four distinct ecosystems, each representing different scenes from the story—and the aspects of peer pressure involved.
01Pasturelands:eat what you want
Pastureland
Pastureland is an area covered with grass and other plants used for livestock grazing. At Babcock Ranch, I was entertained by cows, horses, and pigs roaming about. In Lord of the Flies, Jack prods his crew to use spears to hunt the pigs, an activity that grows into a violent obsession. Ralph rejects the savagery and contents himself by surviving on the native fruits.
Peer pressure may influence your food choices, too. I have been to many meals where someone is full, but a bowl of rice or a dessert is forced upon them. Or, I may be with people who want to have a glass of wine with their dinner, but I don’t, which makes them uncomfortable. It may seem impolite to say, “no, thank you,” but it’s still the best thing to say.
Wild Pigs
For many years, I would travel in Yichang’s Changyang and Wufeng Counties, gorging on the natural country cooking. Each meal would feature a hot pot filled with bone-in meat. I did not grow up in an environment where I learned to gnaw around bones, so when my host gave me large chunks of tender-at-the-bone meat, I didn’t quite know what to do with them.
I know my friends were being hospitable, and I did my best to go along. But later, I decided to be honest with my kind hosts, apologizing that I’m not too good at nibbling, but could I take something else instead? Over time they understood, and plenty of meatballs then appeared!
Cypress Swamp
A swamp is a wetland that is forested. Babcock Ranch has cypress swamps where the ground is covered with water and the sky is hidden by the tree canopy. It’s like the ground and sky are “dressed” in such a way that you can’t see them, giving a different appearance to the world.
In the novel, Jack and his clan use face paint to conceal themselves from the pigs they are hunting. But they become distracted by this wildness, compelling them to do animalistic things they wouldn’t usually do—which even leads to the murder of two of the boys. Ralph, however, refuses to paint his face and stays focused on rescue rather than the thrill of the hunt.
We can all feel pressure to wear fashionable clothes. Friends, non-friend peers, cliques, adults, and the media can all influence your choices. You may want to wear what the “popular kids” wear, take cues from how your friends dress, follow the latest celebrity trend to feel “cool,” or buy things that you don’t need just so you won’t feel excluded by or different from others.
In many ways, you are what you dress. As Ralph refused to wear face paint and carry totems to belong to a tribe that didn’t share his values, you also need not dress or accessorize in ways that hide your true identity. Be yourself from the crown of your head to the soles of your feet, and not like a swamp where the earth below and sky above are hidden.
03Pine Flatwoods: live how you want
Pine Flatwoods
Flatwoods are an ecosystem maintained by fire. At Babcock Ranch, the flatwoods are burned every four years to nourish the soil and clear out the underbrush. The larger trees, however, survive in this fire-based ecosystem. In Lord of the Flies, Ralph maintains the signal fire in hope of rescue, whereas Jack uses fire to hunt and kill. Ralph refused to assimilate.
The novel explores how Ralph felt the pressure to fit in to Jack’s growing tribe. By staying true to himself, Ralph was taunted and condemned, ending up all by himself. He refused to do the things and live the way of the others. Rather than be “burned” by the fire of savagery, he became stronger and more civilized with each trial by fire.
We often feel the pressure to assimilate. If you start a new job, you may feel like you have to play video games, smoke, or drink to fit in. At school, if the roommates in your dorm room play cards or ma jiang, you may feel compelled to participate or risk being labeled as antisocial. If you aren’t interested, you may feel “burned” if the others snub you.
Build your own social system, as there many others who share your interests. For example, I do not like to drink. There’s no particular reason, other than it just doesn't do anything for me. So, I joined a tea club with others with my same interest. When I feel pressured to drink, I politely decline, and know that there will always be an opportunity to get together with my tea friends.
At one point in the story, Ralph moved the signal fire from a high location to one near their living shelters, making it easier to maintain. The narrator says, “The greatest ideas are the simplest.” You may have some great ideas for your life. Simple or not, give them a try!
Freshwater Marsh
Swamps have trees, whereas marshes support reeds and grasses. Freshwater marshes are seasonal, flooding when rivers rise and precipitation increases, and then becoming dry in the summer. They lead a cyclical existence. In Lord of the Flies, Jack shunned rescue to stay chief of the island and perpetuate the cycle of violence. Ralph, though, wanted to move forward.
I once spoke to a group of young adults who lived in a rural town with limited opportunity. They bemoaned their ill fortune and how they just weren’t going anywhere in life. One later confided that he had a chance to leave and go to technical school, but chose against it because his friends would become angry and accuse him of trying to be “better” than them.
To me, this is a tragedy of wasted opportunity. I said that a friend who holds you back is no friend at all, and I encouraged him to try out the school anyway. He agreed, in principle, but I suspect his will was too weak. I could tell he valued his friends more than his own future. I wish he could have met Ralph, whose drive for rescue and a future could have been an inspiration.
Managing peer pressure requires balance. On the one hand, when you ingratiate yourself to others or fake being part of a group, you eventually may become forced to do more things you may not want. Yet on the other hand, you can still be cordial with others to work together and avoid being incompatible.
My friend, be independent in mind and action. Whether it’s your food, clothing, life, or journey, stay true to yourself, resist involuntary actions when you can, and build a support system of other like-minded people. Just like Ralph in Lord of the Flies, you may be tested by the fire of loneliness and scorn, but in the end, you’ll come out ahead.
{ 今日英文速记卡 }
1.Mob \ ˈmäb \
a)含义：n. 暴徒；暴民
b)例句：
i.Written in 1953 by the Nobel Prize-winning British author William Golding (and later adapted into movie versions), the story involves a dramatic mob mentality conflict, exploring the challenges of standing your ground against tremendous pressure to do the wrong thing.
1953年，诺贝尔文学奖得主、英国作家威廉·戈尔丁(William Golding)(后来被改编成电影)创作了这部小说。小说讲述了一场戏剧性的暴徒们之间的心理冲突，探索了在做错事的巨大压力下坚守立场的挑战。
ii.As the mob surged, the police drew back.
由于暴徒激增，警察开始向后撤退。
c)近义词：crowd, horde, mass
2.Fend \ ˈfend \
a)含义：v. 供养；照料
b)例句：
i.There are no adults, and a group of boys aged 6-12 are left to fend for themselves.
那里没有任何成年人，一群6-12岁的男孩只能自己照顾自己。
ii.But they see our children, and the old folk fend for themselves.
但他们看到了我们的孩子，看到了古老的民族在照料着自己。
c)近义词：guard, protect, secure
3.Maroon \ mə-ˈrün \
a)含义：v. 使孤立
b)例句：
i.Marooned on the island, the boys struggle with the conflicting human instincts to work toward civilization and to descend into savagery.
男孩们在岛上孤立无援，与人类本能的冲突进行着斗争，努力走向文明避免堕落至野蛮的境地。
ii.The car broke down and left us marooned in the middle of nowhere.
汽车抛锚，把我们困在了荒郊野外。
c)近义词：abandon, forsake, strand
4.Content \ kən-ˈtent \
a)含义：v. 使满足
b)例句：
i.Ralph rejects the savagery and contents himself by surviving on the native fruits.
但拉尔夫拒绝野蛮，靠吃当地的水果来满足自己。
ii.Martina contented herself with a bowl of soup.
马丁娜喝了一碗汤就心满意足了。
c)近义词：gratify, please, satisfy
5.Taunt \ ˈtȯnt \
a)含义：v. 奚落；逗弄
b)例句：
i.By staying true to himself, Ralph was taunted and condemned, ending up all by himself.
由于忠于自己的想法，拉尔夫受到了嘲笑和谴责，最终只能靠自己。
ii.They do not taunt you to finish what you started.
它们并不会在一旁嘲笑你，迫使你看完已经开始的书。
c)近义词：deride, hassle, heckle
Thank you for watching me to inspire, encourage, and accompany you.
See you next time.
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