
「可是,他沒穿衣服」。然後呢?您還記得〈國王的新衣〉的結尾嗎?
"But he has got nothing on," said a little child.
"Oh, listen to the innocent," said its father; and one person whispered to the other what the child had said. "He has nothing on; a child says he has nothing on!"
"But he has nothing on!" at last cried all the people.
The Emperor writhed, for he knew it was true, but he thought "the procession must go on now," so held himself stiffer than ever, and the chamberlains held up the invisible train.
在安徒生的筆下,在那小孩道破真相後,故事的發展分三階段進行。首先,有個人將他這句話轉述給第三者。然後是一傳十、十傳百的結果:全民皆曰「可是,他沒穿衣服」。最後,國王即使臉上三條線,還是硬著頭皮繼續他那荒唐的遊行。
這是寓言故事;在現實世界的政治舞台,謊言、假象、神話的拆穿往往沒那麼快。當神奇美妙的華服由大眾傳媒所編織、展現時,整個過程可以拖上個十年以上,或更久。
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