《一叶读秋》是作者陈慧谷在安大略湖边秋叶缤纷的时刻写下的第一本随笔和评论集。在作者看来，移居到他国生活，实际上是将一个人单一的人生截成两半或者演绎出两段人生，原先熟悉而舒适的人生，包括生活方式、社会环境、周边关系统统被留在国内，留在记忆里。它们虽可以充当今后看世界的比较和对照，却不能用来满足基本的、更高层次的生活和精神需求。而此后的另一半，自己则不得不从孩童开始重新社会化。我不敢肯定人生有如此两段截然不同的经历，就等于有了两辈子，但这种感觉真的很独特、很奇妙。在这个自觉的社会化过程中，自己能够清晰地感受和感知关于这个社会的点点滴滴，从表面、具体、特例而深入、抽象、一般。这个过程，被不经意地记录在这本文集中。

从踏访城市、建筑、街道、湖畔、法庭开始，到入学英语学校、参加心理健康协会的义工活动、帮助社区义卖、聆听牧师讲经；从亲历金融危机带来的社会和经济创伤，目睹垃圾工人罢工后城市的狼藉，体会“恶法亦法”的机理与法律演进的路径，到观察市政选举，分析多元文化，详解金融稳定，忧虑全民医保体系。

从懵懵懂懂，到一知半解，再到若有所悟，我体会到，加拿大的政治稳定中不乏暗流汹涌，环境优美并非只是上天赐予，教育先进在于体制和理念，福利健全而隐忧无限；我还了解到移民生活一样可以丰富多彩，摆脱沉闷的方法是积极投入、热心参与和创造激情。

《一叶读秋(加拿大社会观察散记)》为您一一讲述。

《一叶读秋(加拿大社会观察散记)》由陈慧谷编著。

序：一叶读秋（A Small Sign Can Indicate a Great Trend）

第一辑 政经评论（Political and Economic Comments）

 从热闹中看门道——加国政府、政党与党争

 扳手劲，大选时机未到

 省议员的“群众座谈会”

 读国会议员的“季度报告”

 投票是一道复杂的算式

 旁观多伦多市长选举

 伊朗的困境

 伊朗足球队的绿色汗巾

 泰米尔人的愤怒

 后院养鸡，应对危机

 医疗业失守与漫漫严冬

 金融的力量——读陈志武《金融的逻辑》

 投资难民、投资大师及其他——兼议借款投资产品

 鲤鱼翻身——加拿大金融体系稳定性考略

 微博报道——加拿大第41届国会大选

第二辑 法眼看法（Legal Glance）

 加拿大也有“躲猫猫”

 灰狗巴士斩首案简析

 超市捉贼的正当性争议

 矿坑中的金丝雀——兼议“公民拘捕权”的法律演进

 司法公开与媒体责任

 共管物业的选战风波

 垃圾中藏有隐私权?

 老建筑中读“司法”

 从“打死我也不说”的现实版谈起

 公共福祉是最高的法律

第三辑 社会观察（Social Watching）

 利益角斗场——以多伦多垃圾工人罢工为例

 大学教师也罢工

 路权、规则和文化

 “All Way”停牌断想

 保姆风波中的文化冲突

 国殇日，不宣泄仇恨

 魁北克，想说爱你不容易

 多元文化：看起来很美

 花季少年何以成为“小难民”

 走出愤青思维的误区

 “中华情”的未了情

 古巴的两个世界

 芝加哥自由行

第四辑 生活留痕（Life Imprint）

 开放日，我们逛街去

 多伦多街头观景

 公益遇阻的生活哲学

 生活需要“目击证人”

 没有手机的日子

 为城市添绿

 露营纪事

 公民教育课——LINC班纪事之一

 小课堂，大社会——LINC班纪事之二

 好好学习，天天向上——LINC班纪事之三

 欣欣向荣的中文报纸业

 多伦多公共图书馆掠影

 送人玫瑰，手有余馨

 “美加哥俩好”趣谈

 穿行加拿大——致访加友人

跋：两样生活（The Two Ways of Life）

除保守党外，有资深经验和广泛基础、可能做上执政党的就是自由党了，但该党过去几年党首能力不行，所谓将熊熊一窝，硬是错过了机会，去年底，新党首刚上台，看来有些要改变的意思，至少目前知道韬光养晦，在大家不熟悉他的时候，没有瞎折腾，以免坏了大家的胃口。当然，也有些政党没有太多的当权的愿望或暂时只作壁上观，那也乐得旗帜鲜明地表明自己的立场，既不必惟大党是从，也不必一切以选民为转移。绿党便是如此，那位类似家庭妇女式的首领不像政客那样油嘴滑舌，其鲜明的主张也成为一道风景，那就算是政治生活中的绿叶吧。

加入政党，参加竞选，被选为议员，当然就是参政了，议员可以兼任行政职务，所以，内阁成员大都是众议员，可谓是“议行合一”了。这也与美国的总统班子成员不同。从这里可以看出，加国是议员直选而非政府首脑即总理直选，但要做成总理，在党内也一定要过五关斩六将，一定得有十八般武艺才行。在本人所在选区，则大意不得，否则，也会在“阴沟”里翻船。如前所述，政府与国会之间的关系谁强谁弱不一定，两者始终存在牵制关系，即便是作秀，在野党也不会让执政党太顺利，否则，自己就永无出头之日，但能否出头又却取决于自己的金钢钻是否够硬。当然，执政党如果占了绝对多数，在野党也就只能做些敲边鼓的工作，静观对手出错，这叫后发制人。如果组阁的政党在国会议员没有超过半数(是相对多数，通常会组成联合政府，几个政党在内阁中都会出任部长等职务)，那么，他就可能被在野党“整死”，这当然也就是“限制滥权”的内在根据了。在加国，总理的行政权并不算小，但总理的施政报告和政府的预算报告是要国会通过的，不仅如此，这两个报告还是“信任投票”，即如果这两个报告不能通过的话，就等于对政府投了不信任票。前几天政府预算通过时，NDP的党领一再提醒自由党，这是你们第47次对政府投“信任”票了，千万不要忘记了你们的地位和责任啊，也算是讽刺加挑拨离间吧，只不过，这是公开的罢了。

总之，在加国政坛，政党是为取得政权或参与政治而设的，所有政治活动都离不开“党争”，党争有时是为不同政见而争，有时直接表现为权力之争，相当多的场合很难区分。倒是前些日子的约克大学罢工，NDP就是置学生于不顾，坚持反对复课(表面上当然是针对省府的学校拨款政策)，表现了其一贯支持工会的立场。保守党在这次的预算案中，也在相当程度上吸收了自由党刺激经济的愿望。所以，在实际施政过程中，党与党区别到底有多大，不仅取决于其立场，还取决于政治和经济形势。但客观上，这个社会存在不同的利益诉求和主张，因此，通过政党来表达和争取利益，通过选举和议会中的不断的争斗，通过轮流“坐庄”，起到了在相互对立中理解、妥协和取得大多数一致意见的结果，也起到了对当权者较为严厉和广泛的监督。这一次自由党同意预算案，就预设了“监督执行”的前提，使得预算案中那些模棱两可的用语在执行中还将接受来自反对党的不断的挑战，使得执政党没有可以喘息的时候，因此，任何一次斗争的结束，仅仅表明今夜“西线无战事”，而转眼间，一场更为严峻的考验又开始了。做这样的领导和执政党，需要意志力，也需要智慧，仅有政治手腕不行，没有智慧同样呆不长。

不过，这种体制，缺陷也很明显——有时长期限于“党争”，决策效率太低，政府做事，总有各种不同声音，碍手碍脚，缩手缩脚，不要说“举国”力量办事不行，举省、举市都不行。蒙特利尔市办了1976年的夏季奥运会，直到2008年才通过在该市收取“奥运特别税”还清了欠款，成为奥运史上入不敷出的典型案例，不知道为什么加国人民不集体出一把力气。政府似乎也不负责任，是吧？还有，这种体制很花钱，无论是选举，还是常年的开会，成本很高，加国为支持各种反对党的活动，政府预算中还专门有款项用于各个政党的开支，去年底各个政党的临时一致行动，就是针对哈柏想减少政党预算而采取的激烈行动，这差点导致哈柏下台，想想也是，哈柏想通过预算卡他人的脖子，他人岂能袖手旁观，干脆，一起端了他的饭碗，由此可见，党争之争，非同儿戏，也都是性命交关的事情。是耶，非耶？恐怕不是一个字可以断定。P8-9

序：一叶读秋

《一叶读秋》是我在安大略湖边秋叶缤纷的时刻写下的第一本随笔和评论集。

我是两年前在“半推半就”中踏上加拿大安大略湖畔多伦多这片美丽的土地开始海外移民生活的。相信许多有过“空中飞人”经历的都有过类似的纠结：加拿大政治稳定、环境优美、教育先进、福利健全，是一个享受生活的好地方。同时，作为移民，却不得不接受生活单调、沉闷，缺乏激情，少有商业机会、自身被边缘化的现实。这些概括当然并不完整，也不是所有人的一致看法，甚至有许多误区，但大家都这么口口相传、传递着与这样的描述相差无几的感受。

我也曾被这些感受困扰着。两年的旅居生活中，我所认识的来自大陆的移民们，有的在坐满“移民监”刹那间叹出一口气说，终于可以回到从前那活色生香的生活中去了；有的则在回流还是杲下去的想法中左右为难地挣扎着；更多的人发现了自己可能在朦朦胧胧中一直要寻觅的那些东西：真实的自我、简单的生活、平等的氛围。我属于后者。

在我看来，移居到他国生活，实际上是将一个人单一的人生截成两半或者演绎出两段人生，原先熟悉而舒适的人生，包括生活方式、社会环境、周边关系统统被留在国内，留在记忆里。它们虽可以充当今后看世界的比较和对照，却不能用来满足基本的、更高层次的生活和精神需求。而此后的另一半，自己则不得不从孩童开始重新社会化。我不敢肯定人生有如此两段截然不同的经历，就等于有了两辈子，但这种感觉真的很独特、很奇妙。在这个自觉的社会化过程中，自己能够清晰地感受和感知关于这个社会的点点滴滴，从表面、具体、特例而深入、抽象、一般。这个过程，被不经意地记录在这本文集中。

两年下来，从踏访城市、建筑、街道、湖畔、法庭开始，到入学英语学校、参加心理健康协会的义工活动、帮助社区义卖、聆听牧师讲经；从亲历金融危机带来的社会和经济创伤，目睹市政工人罢工后城市的狼藉，体会恶法亦法的机理与法律演进的路径，到观察市政选举，分析多元文化，详解金融稳定，忧虑全民医保体系；从懵懵懂懂，到一知半解，再到若有所悟，我大体上体会到，加拿大的政治稳定中不乏暗流汹涌，环境优美并非只是上天赐予，教育先进在于体制和理念，福利健全而隐忧无限；我还了解到，移民生活一样可以丰富多彩，摆脱沉闷的方法是积极投入、热心参与和创造激情。加国市场成熟度高，获取暴利的机会不多；规范程度也高，没有酒量一样可以经商；多元文化不只是政府的口号，而且是生活中的真实感受，不要拿自己当外人，更不必老想着给自己贴上非主流的标签。

米兰·昆德拉曾将“生活在别处”喻为一种在远方的遁世的生活方式和生活状态加以讥讽，写作并出版这本集子说明，我，凡胎肉身，纵然一时有逃避喧嚣生活的念头，也断然是遁不了世的。庞朴先生曾主张“由入世而出世”，再“出出世而入入世”的人生态度，以此观照自身，我心有戚戚。

谨将本书献给我的妻子吴洁和儿子陈诺。我们其乐融融，在这大洋彼岸有天有地温馨舒适的家中，在油盐酱醋的生活原味里，在瓶瓶罐罐的磕磕碰碰中，在春天种花、夏天除草、秋季扫叶、冬季铲雪的平淡而从容的日子里，我们一路相伴走过。在最近一次晚餐的欢乐时光中，我们仨讨论、推敲、碰撞，形成了关于本书的书名的一致意见。

陈慧谷

2010年圣诞

跋：两样生活(Two Ways of Life)

"Where are you from？"

"Where are you going？"

Answering those questions in a philosophy class is difficult -- the answers are blowing in the wind. But answering the same questions in my Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) class is a breeze.

Ten months ago I quit my job in China, said goodbye to familiar faces,places and life as I knew it, then came to Canada to start life as I didn't know it, or didn't know it first--hand. Actually, by the time I came, my wife and son had been living here for more than two years. (My wife works in a local company and my son studies in a junior high school. ) I wanted to come not only to see my family, but also to renew my residence card. To do that I needed to live in Canada for two years; the card would then be valid for another five years. If I didn't renew the card I would have to apply for a visa each time I came to see my wife and son. Hardly convenient.

Immigrants to Canada who apply for residence cards sometimes laugh that we are going to "immigration jail" because we have to stay here for a long period by law. Of course we say jail in jest-after all, we want to be here and we're thankful to be here. Many people come to Canada to escape dis-crimination and war, poverty and disease. Many others are luckier and come more comfortably, to seek better career and business opportunities and to give their children better, or at least wider, education opportunities. But whoever you are and for whatever reason you come, you hope to have a hap-py, successful new life.

You hope but you also fear. You fear your new life won't be happy or successful. There is the real possibility of failure. Of frustration, alienation.When you think about those fears the joke about immigration jail starts to feel less funny.  Which helps explain why many immigrants become "frequent flyers",traveling back and forth between their new and native countries on a regular basis. At least it helps explain why I used to fly back to China. Escaping to my native country now and then -- even the thought that I could escape if things got out of control for me in my new country - was consoling,rejuvenating. How I used to worry that I wouldn't be able to adapt to Canadian society！ I didn't exactly think of myself as an old dog, but I frequently wondered whether I could learn new tricks.

There is, however, a downside to being a frequent flyer. The residence --card clock stops as soon as you leave the country and starts again only when you come back. So your time out of Canada is like a time--out in hockey, which stretches out the length of the game. To renew your card you have to live here two years, however long that two years takes you！

Flying back to Canada in past January, I looked at a calendar and counted how many days and months I still had to "serve". Before this trip, I thought, I lived in Canada three months in total. That leaves twenty--one more months. Maybe I'll try to do it all at once, then as soon as I "do my time" go back to China.

But that, as they say, was then. Since the plane ride my mind has changed. Nothing dramatic happened on the plane to change it.Indeed,nothing dramatic happened after it, either.Yet that's the point, my life hasn't ended since I've been in Canada. Things are okay or better. Even my life in China hasn't ended. You know how people tell the father of the bride that he's not losing a daughter, he's gaining a son？ Well, I've gained a new life without quite losing my old one. I now have two totally different lives,one in China and one in Canada, and I've realized that each is fine in its own way.

How different are they？ Well, consider first an average workday of mine in China. Here is my diary entry from October 15, 2009 :

8 a.m. Early morning tea in a teahouse with a lawyer, who gave me his opinions about a contract I sent him last night.

9 - 11:30 a. m.Attended a finance and securities market forum meeting. One hour later participated in a small group discussion and made a speech on how to, identify financial fraud.

12 noon. Lunch with old friends who came to the meeting from Beijing and other cities.

2 p. m. Back at our company I scanned newspapers and browsed the stock market on the Web.

3 p. m.After the stock market closed I heard a report from the investment team. We discussed the recent economic situation and analyzed market trends.

4:30 p.m. A department manager who runs a private equity fund reported to me.He intended to introduce an opportunity for direct investment to our colleagues and gather their opinions.He offered details about the investment proposal.

6 p.m. Dinner in a famous seafood restaurant in CBD with a business partner seeking to invest in our company.Confirmed the framework for cooperation and discussed details.

Given that kind of schedule, it's no wonder I often felt I didn't know where I was or where I was going to, as if I were lost.

Now, my life in Canada. Every day I generally have four things to do.

1. Study English at a ESL school.

2. Cook dinner for my wife and son.

3. Pick stocks through online transactions.

4. Read and write at night.

If my life in China is an apple, my life in Canada is an orange. We can't say which is better; both taste good in their own ways. I've always enjoyed my hectic, demanding life in China. What's surprising to me is how much I enjoy my more laid--back lifestyle here in Canada. Somehow, it suits me just as well.  Since I've been in Canada I've learned a lot, and not only from my language school. Let me share three of the things I've learned~ each comes from a different experience I had over the last year. The first concerns the past, the second the present, and the last the future.

The first "lesson" relates to Remembrance Day, which Canadians mark every November 11 to honour victims and veterans of war.At first my family didn't know whether we should participate. We weren't alone: in the Chinese community there was, ironically, a big quarrel over whether to take part, and if so, how. The question presented itself again in my LINC class,in which some people come from China and some from Korea. Remembrance Day also honours the many Canadian soldiers who fought in the Korean War,which also saw Chinese soldiers fighting with and against Korean soldiers.

But I realized that the Chinese and Koreans in my class got along well together, and that we had all come to live in peace in Canada, and that Canada welcomed us. I realized the main purpose of Remembrance Day was not keep planting and watering the seeds of hatred in our hearts - it was to remember and thank all those soldiers and others who contributed so much,and in many cases everything, to give us the peace we enjoyed. That in my view is the healthiest attitude to have toward history and the past. My wife and son felt the same way. This Remembrance Day the three of us wore poppies, observed a two--minute silence, and recited the famous wartime poem "In Flanders Fields".

My second experience and lesson also involves a serious subject. I read in the newspapers that ever since a boy died because of the H1N1 virus,people have really been worrying about the possibility of getting it. More and more people have decided to get vaccinated. Unfortunately, this was noteasy to do at first. People had to wait a long time in line at clinics. The first morning that a number of clinics opened for the general public, people lined up for several hundred meters. It was the same story at the clinic I went to.When a staff member working in public health saw it was impossible to give everyone shots that day, she asked some in line to leave. "I believe," she said, "that Canadians will show their goodness and their respect for the most in need on this occasion. " After that, No protesting, No any complaining, many people who had lined up a long time left the line quickly. Some people gave their numbers to children at the end of the line.I was deeply impressed. How kindly and considerate Canadians are！

My final story is about something else that made me feel I would have a beautiful future in Canada. One day this summer my family went camping with a couple who were born here. We all drove two and a half hours from Toronto to Silence Lake, which is in an Ontario provincial park. In our outdoor activities together, the most important thing we learned from our Canadian friends, apart from some survival skills, was consciousness about the importance of caring for the environment. When we took their dog out for a walk, the dog went to the washroom right on the path we were taking.Our host immediately fished a plastic bag out of his pocket and put the dog poop into the bag. It gave me a shock. To do this in the wilderness, with no one else around！ Smiling at my reaction, the man told me that when he was a boy the environment was much better than now. So he couldn't be tolerant of pollution or environmentally damaging activities.At the end of ourcamping trip our friends cleaned the ground again and again. They carefully collected and classified all garbage; nothing escaped them. Most of us have a general awareness of the importance of protecting the environment.But often we don't take the steps we need to take to protect it.

Similarly, many people want to adapt to Canadian society but neglect to take the steps that can help them to do so. I find myself trying to take more and more of them as time goes by. Nowadays I write an article every week and publish it in a local paper. I volunteer to help some people with mental health challenges. I connect with politicians to discuss social problems. In short, I try to contribute to my new country by continuing to learn "new tricks".

I want to contribute to Canada because I've come to love it. At the same time I still love my motherland, China. I love my first country, my second country, and these are my two totally wonderful different ways of life.

本文为笔者在2009年10月一次社区活动中的演讲稿