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Born of fire 无烟火所诞生的

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【导读】你读过《一千零一夜》吗？那里的宝物中封印着精灵，它们能为主人做各种神奇的事情。但精灵究竟是什么？请看《经济学人》记者撰写的特别报告。
Specialreport:特别报告：
Jinn精灵[注1]
Bornoffire无烟火所诞生的
OurcorrespondenttravelstoSomaliaandAfghanistaninsearchofjinn本报记者前往索马里和阿富汗寻找精灵
THEREisacleftinastonehilloutsideQardho,innorthernSomalia,whicheventhehardestgunmenandfrankincensemerchantsavoid.Inthecooldark,outofthebleachedsunshine,thereisapit,akindofAliceinWonderlandrabbithole,whichissaidtoswirldownintotheworldofjinn.Localssayjinn—genies,thatis—fadeinandoutabovethepit.Sometimestheyshiftintoformsofostrichesandrunoutoverthedesertscrub.在索马里北部卡得侯（Qardho）郊外的石山上有一道大裂缝，那里就连最狠辣的枪手和乳香商人也避之不及。在灼热的阳光照射不到的清凉幽暗之处有一个岩洞，据说它跟《爱丽斯漫游奇境记》中描述的兔子洞[注2]一样盘旋下行，一直通往镇尼的世界。据当地人说，镇尼——也就是精灵（以下称精灵）——会在岩洞上空时隐时现。有时它们会幻化成鸵鸟的样子，消失在沙漠的灌木上方。
TheBibleholdsthatGodcreatedangelsandthenmademaninhisownimage.TheKoranstatesthatAllahfashionedangelsfromlightandthenmadejinnfromsmokelessfire.Manwasformedlater,outofclay.JinndisappointedAllah,notleastbyclimbingtothehighestvaultsoftheskyandeavesdroppingontheangels.YetAllahdidnotannihilatethem.Nofloodclosedovertheirheads.Jinnwerewilledintoexistence,likeman,toworshipAllahandwerepreservedonearthforthatpurpose,livinginaparallelworld,setatsuchananglethatjinncanseemen,butmencannotseejinn.
《圣经》认为，上帝创造了天使，然后依照他自己的形象创造了男人。《可兰经》[注3]中说，真主用光创造了天使，然后用无烟火创造了精灵，之后才用粘土创造了男人。精灵表现不佳，很让真主失望，尤其是它们曾攀到天穹的最高处偷听天使的谈话。但真主并没有杀死精灵，也没有降下没顶的洪水淹死它们。它们像人类一样，按真主的意志，为赞美真主而成为真实的存在，生活在地球上。但它们生活在一个与人类世界平行的世界，这个世界与人类世界之间的角度使它们看得见人类，而人类看不到它们。
LesseducatedMuslimsremainfearfulofjinn.HardlyaweekpassesintheMuslimworldwithoutastrangestoryconcerningthem.Oftenthetalesarefoolishandmelancholy.InAugust,forinstance,MuslimsintheKikandwadistrictofcentralUgandagrewfeverishoverreportsofjinnhauntingandrapingwomeninthedistrict.Sowhenayoungwomanstumbledoutoftheforestoneday,unkemptandderanged,shewasdenouncedasajinn.Villagersbeatheralmosttodeath.Policefinishedthejobwithsixbulletsatcloserange.Theyoungwomancalledoutforherchildreninherlastmoments.Aninvestigationrevealedhertobefromaneighbouringdistrict.Shehadspentdayswithoutfoodorwater,searchingforhermissinghusband.EditorialsinUgandannewspaperscalledonthegovernmentformallytodenytheexistenceofjinn.

文化程度不高的穆斯林现在还惧怕精灵。在穆斯林世界中，差不多每个星期都有与它们有关的古怪事件。这通常是些愚昧而又令人伤感的事件。例如今年8月，精灵在中乌干达中部吉坎德瓦（Kikandwa）地区作祟并强奸妇女的说法愈传愈盛，弄得人心惶惶。结果有一天，见到一个衣着不整、神志恍惚的年轻妇女跌跌撞撞地从森林里出来，村民们便斥其为精灵，几乎将她暴打致死。后来警察来了，在很近的距离内向她连开6枪，结束了她的生命。她在生命的最后时刻呼喊着自己的孩子。事后调查说明，她来自附近地区，正在寻找自己失踪的丈夫，好几天没吃饭没喝水。乌干达报纸的社论正式向政府呼吁，要求它否认精灵的存在。
Thatwouldbedivisive.AlthoughafewIslamicscholarshaveovertheagesdeniedtheexistenceofjinn,theconsensusisthatgoodMuslimsshouldbelieveinthem.SomeIslamicjuristsconsidermarriagebetweenjinnandhumanstobelawful.Thereisasimilarprovisionfortheinheritanceofjinnproperty.Sexduringmenstruationisaninvitationtojinnandcanresultinawomanbearingajinnchild.AccordingtotheKoran,theProphetMuhammadpreachedtobandsofjinn.SomeconvertedtoIslam.ThisishowjinndescribetheirconditionintheKoran:
此举会造成争议。尽管史上曾有些伊斯兰学者不承认精灵存在，但舆论普遍认为，虔诚的穆斯林应该相信精灵的存在。有些伊斯兰法学家考虑承认精灵与人类之间的婚姻合法。另一条类似的法律条款涉及精灵财产的继承。经期性生活能让精灵乘虚而入，可能会让女人怀上精灵胎儿。根据《可兰经》记载，先知穆罕默德曾向几批精灵布道，其中有些皈依了伊斯兰教。如下是精灵在《可兰经》中描述自己状况的段落：
Andamongus[jinn]therearerighteousfolkandamongustherearethosefarfromthat.Wearesects,havingdifferentrules.AndweknowthatwecannotescapefromAllahintheearth,norcanweescapebyflight.Andwhenweheardtheguidance[oftheKoran],webelievedtherein,andwhosobelievethinhisLord,hefearethneitherlossnoroppression.AndthereareamongussomewhohavesurrenderedtoAllahandthereareamongussomewhoareunjust.
“吾辈精灵亦有善恶之分。精灵有不同派别，遵持不同规矩。吾等深知，必无抗真主意志逃脱尘世之法，纵插翅亦无从飞去。有闻《可兰经》之道者即信之；信真主者必无惧迷失及镇压。且吾辈中兼有皈依真主与邪恶者。”
InSomaliaandAfghanistanclericsmatter-of-factlydescribedtoyourcorrespondenttherangeofjinntheyhadencountered,fromthesaintlytothedemonic;thosethatcanfly,thosethatcrawl,ploddingjinn,invisiblejinn,gulwithvampirictendencies(fromwhichtheEnglishwordghoulistaken,andshape-shiftersrecognisableinhumanformbecausetheirfeetareturnedbackwards.Occasionallytheclericsfellintoatrance.Afterwardstheyclaimedtheirapparentlybareroomshadfilledwithjinnseekingfavoursorreleasefromamuletcharms.
在索马里和阿富汗，一些神职人员实事求是地告诉本报记者他们碰到过的精灵种类：从圣人型到恶魔型无所不包；有的能飞，有的只能爬；有苦力精灵，有隐形精灵，有与吸血鬼类似的食尸魔（英语食尸魔[ghoul]即源于这种精灵的名字gul），还有变形精灵，但它们变为人形时看得出来，因为这时候它们的脚尖朝后。有时这些神职人员会突然站定不动。一会儿之后他们就会声称，他们看上去空无一物的房间来过不少精灵，它们在讨好神职人员，或者请求将它们从护身符魔咒中放出来。
Aparalleluniverse一个平行的宇宙
AlthoughSomaliaandAfghanistanhavedifferentreligioustraditions(Somaliabeingmorerelaxed,jinnbeliefisstronginbothcountries.War-ravaged,withsimilarlyrudimentaryeducationsystems,bothhaveatraditionofshrinesveneratinglocalsaintswherewomencanpray.Womenaresupposedtobemoreopentojinn,particularly

illiterateruralwomen:bysomeaccountseducationisanoise,aroaringofthought,whichjinncannotbear.Sometimeswomenturnsupposedjinnpossessiontotheirownadvantageandbecomefortune-tellers.Amongthemostpopularquestionsaskedofsuchwomenis:“Willmyhusbandtakeasecondwife?”Theshrinesareoftenlittlemorethanacarvednicheinarock,withcolourfulprayerflagstiedtonearbytrees.Jinnaresaidtobeattractedtotheancientgeographyofshrines,manyofwhichpredateIslam;assomehaveit,theshrineswereattractedtothejinn.
尽管索马里和阿富汗有不同的宗教传统（索马里更宽松些），这两个国家中对精灵的崇信都是根深蒂固的。两国都饱受战乱袭扰，教育体系一样简陋，也都有崇拜当地圣贤的圣坛传统，妇女也都可以在这样的圣坛下祷告。人们认为妇女更容易与精灵沟通，农村文盲妇女尤甚。从某些记载看，教育是一种噪音，一种思想的怒吼，是精灵无法忍受的。有时妇女利用所谓精灵附体谋利，成了算命者。这些妇女最常被问及的一个问题是：“我的丈夫会再讨老婆吗？”这些所谓圣坛有时不过是岩石上凿出来的壁龛，再加上附近树上捆着的有祈祷语的彩色旗幡。许多这些圣坛的时代早于伊斯兰教的起始，据说精灵会被它们的古老地舆吸引。有些人认为圣坛也会受精灵吸引。
Islamteachesthatjinnresemblemeninmanyways:theyhavefreewill,aremortal,facejudgmentandfillhelltogether.Jinnandmenmarry,havechildren,eat,play,sleepandhusbandtheirownanimals.Islamicscholarsareindisagreementoverwhetherjinnarephysicalorinsubstantialintheirbodies.Someclericshavedescribedjinnasbestial,giant,hideous,hairy,ursine.SupposedyetisightingsinPakistan'sChitralarebelievedbylocalstobeofjinn.Thesekindsofjinncanbekilledwithdateorplumstonesfiredfromasling.
伊斯兰教义认为精灵在许多方面与人类相似：它们有自己的意志，不会长生不老，都会面临末日审判并进地狱。精灵和人类都可以结婚，可以有子女，都吃饭、玩耍、睡觉、饲养各自的家畜家禽。至于精灵的身体是物质的或是虚幻的，伊斯兰学者有不同见解。有些神职人员将精灵描绘为凶残、庞大、丑恶、多毛、像熊一样的生物。据说有人在巴基斯坦的吉德拉尔（Chitral）目击了所谓雪人，当地人相信这就是精灵。可以用弹弓发射枣核或者李子核射杀这几种精灵。
Buttomorescholarlyclericsjinnarelittlemorethananenergy,apulseformofquantumphysicsperhaps,aliveatthemarginsofsleepormadness,andmoreofteninthewhisperingofasingleunwelcomethought.Anextensionofthiselectricdescriptionofjinnisthattheyarenotbeingsatallbutthoughtsthatwereintheworldbeforetheexistenceofman.Jinnreflectthesensibilitiesofthoseimaginingthem,justasinAssyriantimestheyweretakentobethespiritsresponsibleformanias,whomeltedintothelightatdawn.
但对更博学的神职人员来说，精灵不过是一种能量，或许就是量子物理中脉动形式的一种。它们是人们在半睡半醒与似狂非狂时的臆想；在更多的情况下，它们只是一种令人不快的单一念头的呓语。这一精灵的电子化描述引申一下就是：其实根本就没有精灵，它们只是人类对自己存在之前的世界的想法而已。精灵反映了那些想象它们的人的情感，正如亚述时代的人们设想的，它们是引起狂乱的灵体，会在凌晨的阳光下冰消瓦解。
Whenadonkeybrays驴子啼叫时
TheEnglishwordgenie,fromanunrelatedFrenchroot,isnowtoosoftandgooeywithDisney'sAladdintocatchtheacidqualitiesattributedtojinn.SepidehAzarbaijani-Moghaddam,aspecialistonAfghanistanwhohasundertakenanthropologicalresearchonjinnbelief,reckonsshemayoncehavebeeninthepresenceofjinn.ShewasridingwithothersintheAfghanprovinceofBadakhshan.Itwastowardsdusk.Theycamedownintoavalley

forestedatthebottom.Thehorsestensed.“SuddenlyfromoutofthetreesIfeltmyselfbeingwatchedbynon-humanentities.”Acoldfearovercameher,“thefearoflosingthefacultyofreason”.AKabulclericdescribesthissortoffeelingasashockattheexistenceofotherness.Animalssenseitalso:whenadonkeybrays,itissaid