2020上山前，在山下讀的兩本自然文學
對很多香港人來説，2019年是非常難過的一年，在大眾媒體中屢屢看到負面消息，不安的情緒會教人不知所措。新年伊始，不如拾起書本，游走自然文學的虛構小說到報導文學，認知、思考再重新面對這些情緒。
1. 關於失明：《拾貝人》 安東尼．杜爾
美國小說家安東尼．杜爾曾奪普立茲小說獎，他在29歲時出版首本短篇小說集《拾貝人》，在博物學的基調之上，寫出海岸、松林、荒原等不同地景的故事。書内同名作品《拾貝人》刻劃了一個因病失明的學者，在海岸獨居的故事。文中細緻描寫了貝殼的觸感，人與自然物種的互動，及在面對兩難時的選擇。失明雖然是物理上的缺失，但在複雜人生選擇時，似乎又成為了另一道自身的盾牌。
2. 關於死亡：《生還——自山難中獲救》
日本記者羽根田治，以樸實的文字及紮實的採訪，記下了八個登山者死裡逃生的經歷。在無路可走、嚴苛的環境，加上內心的恐懼，這些直接面對死亡的體悟，如何逃離困境？在不同登山者冷靜、智慧和勇氣之下，他們各自講述自己的故事。羽根田治在後記寫道，不是每個人都願意談及這些尷尬的經驗，亦有受訪者在故事出版前反悔，不希望再度在公眾目光提及相關事情。在面對死亡之後，我們該如何反芻，回應自己內心抑壓的情緒？或許書中的八個故事能給予提示。
Two Nature Literature You Should Read Before Hiking in 2020
2019 was a tough year for Hong Kong. We are bombarded by negative news and emotions on a daily basis. In the new year, let's find refuge in literature and rethink and reimage our city through the lens of nature.
1. The Shell Collector by Anthony Doerr
Anthony Doerr, an American author who won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction wrote his first short story – “The Shell Collector”, at the age of 29. The book is a collection of eight stories about different natural landscape such as seashore, forests and wilderness as backgrounds. The first story of the collection is also called The Shell Collector tells the story of a blind scientist living alone on an island. The interaction between human and other natural species are delicately described from the scenes of his touch of seashells. In the tale, there are situations that he needed to make difficult decisions which could inspire others when they have to make theirs.
2. ドキュメント生還: 山岳遭難からの救出
(Survival: Rescued from the Mountain) by Haneda Osamu
Another good read is written by a Japanese journalist, Haneda Osamu (羽根田治), currently only available in Japanese and Chinese. The book recorded life-threatening experience of eight mountaineers. When we face danger in the mountain, can we cheat death? The mountaineers showed how their calmness, intelligence and bravery saved their lives. In the book Osamu discussed that not everyone is willing to talk about these “embarrassing” moments and some interviewees changed their mind and requested not to publish the stories. The stories in his book might give some insights to those who need to address their emotions after facing death.