The tram is part and parcel of everyday life in Finland in much the same way as gastronomy is. It is a good reason to involve the tram in Finland in every possible sense. A quintessential Helsinki tram experience takes you past the city’s palatial monuments. The living pace in Singapore is fast, and we demand high speed in transportation too. The slow going tram in Finland, by comparison, is like a gentleman walking nobly on the street and living out his own unique lifestyle. The tram came into service on dating back to hundred years ago, and is one of the earliest forms of public transport in Finland. Getting around Helsinki on tram is an interesting experience as you can observe and photograph the lives of people in a relaxing way without needing to worry about the snow, sun or rain. Most tram passengers are not rushing for time. Instead they may just want to take a rest and think during the ride. In trams, the history is visible in the present. The tram simply looks very different from the other vehicles in the city and it is often pretty old-fashioned, even the latest versions of it. More importantly, surprisingly old models are in active use. In Helsinki, the oldest tramcars are actually older than many parts of the city. 在20世纪初欧洲的许多城市,有轨电车曾风行一时。不同的城市,不同的有轨电车,成就了不同的城市经典。但随着其他公共交通方式的普及,旧时的有轨电车不是被陆续拆卸,就是被继续现代化。在有轨电车幸存下来的城市,“叮叮咣咣声”成为绝唱,它们晃悠悠地穿过城市的老街区,不紧不慢,被这个时代所遗忘。这些有轨电车发展到今天,也成为那个时代的靓丽风景和永恒不变的历史印记。 我对有轨电车的印象,来自于香港的老电影。无论高兴,或者悲伤,香港电影里的情绪与氛围渲染常常在电车车厢的光影里演绎出不一样的诗意。这些关于电车的镜头,记录某种怀旧情结、呈现出浓郁生活气息的画面,让我不知不觉融入某种情景之中,与电影里的人物命运相连。 芬兰的有轨电车于如今它依然是赫尔辛基城主要的交通工具之一。每日乘坐电车的旅客超过二十万人次,它墨绿色的车厢早已与这座城市融为一体。在过去一百多年的风风雨雨里,电车上的乘客换了一批又一批,如果电车有记忆的话,也许它自己也数不清在这一百多年里见证了多少历史时刻,见证了多少人的悲欢离合。它就像一位百岁老人,带人游走在新旧之间,饱览城市的各种景象。搭乘电车能够带着人穿越赫尔辛基 450 多年的历史,体味从现代到古老,从悠闲到繁忙,从静谧到生动的韵律。 Helsinki’s trams are somewhat different from those of Prague. In Helsinki, many say that the city proper ends where the tram lines end, and some even decide where to live on the basis of whether it can be reached by the tram or not. Thus, the tram can be seen as a central epitome of urbanity, even more so than the subway, which often reaches the suburbs, but quite unlike, say, the car. For many, this sort of urbanity of a certain form of transportation is undoubtedly an advantage because it can be used as a means to strengthen their own urban identity. 每次都选择电车,是因为它能够带着我穿越这座城市多年的历史,体味从现代到古老,从悠闲到繁忙,从静谧到生动的韵律。它的线路贯穿最时尚的现代楼群、赫尔辛基城最古老的建筑、悠闲的咖啡馆、商场林立的最繁忙的市中心。上车时,我并未想过目的地是哪里,就只是想看看外头的情景,边在一个舒适的空间内看看雪中的赫尔辛基,随着电车的经典路线感受这座古城在雪中的平和与温情。电车给了我一个合适的距离去观察,让我能够用一个观察者而不是参与者的姿态去欣赏熟悉的场景。只要一站的距离,电车就会将我带到白教堂广场,并将雪中白教堂的美与肃穆送给我。 很多时候,我会在车上收获一种完全放松的状态,什么都不用去想,就只是静静地注视窗外的教堂广场,看着广场上相依的情侣;看着亚历山大大街上的餐馆亮起的霓虹灯,猜想着这座城市会不会正在发生文人笔下因为冬天的寒冷而引发的浪漫桥段;看熟悉的街角是否依然有人边喝咖啡,看着雪中的露天市场,是否还有专注工作的手工艺人等等。 If a city has trams, there is a good chance that it is a city that wishes to provide means of transportation that are urban, public, social, restrictive but reliable, pleasing to the senses, environmentally-friendly, and history-conscious. Most of these qualities are, to my mind, worth encouraging, and it is easy to see that they could – and should – be combined with other aspects of the city as well, not only with its transportation system. They should characterise the city at large and, of course, they could be promoted by other means than by the tram alone. I say ‘should’ because, to my mind, this would help to make the city a good place to live, work and visit. Its opposite would be a city which values extreme individuality and freedom in transportation and elsewhere. Everyone can imagine where that leads. All this means that the tram directs and limits the experience of the city in its own way, quite like other ways of moving do, but it also makes some experiences possible that cannot be had in any other way. Thus, this reminds us of the simple fact that every solution concerning a city leads to some limitations but also to some possibilities. It is a matter of planning to try to see where different solutions lead, although all the planning in the world cannot foresee everything.
有的时候,我在想,赫尔辛基的电车会不会有老爷车的魔力,能够带领我穿越时空,回到一百年前的午夜赫尔辛基,回到一百年前,给我一个机会能够静静地打量这座森林之城;能够让我在阿尔托这位杰出建筑师在这座城市留满印记前,打量它有着怎样的味道。一百年前,有什么样的人跟我一起出现在这绿色的电车里?相同的空间内,不同的时间里的他们有着怎样的装扮,又会谈论些什么?亦或是他们跟今天的芬兰人一样害羞,只是安静地看向窗外?他们眼中的窗外,又和现在我眼中的窗外有什么不同?那个时代的芬兰电车路线是否也跟现在的一样,会绕遍赫尔辛基的老街区?亦或是那个时代,老街区还不老,而是充满摩登味道的新兴地带? 我们的电车情结,或是因为复古的文艺情怀,或是出于对慢生活的渴望。如果有时间,不妨乘坐一趟旧式的有轨电车,它们虽然不快,却可能是融入一座陌生城市时,你所能找到的最好的交通工具。
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