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乌托邦（Utopia）是个美好的词，出自托马斯·摩尔（Sir Thomas More）1516年出版的一本书名。
摩尔虚构了一个大西洋中的小岛，岛上的国家是一个近似完美的理想国度，完美的社会，每个人都活在喜乐和幸福中。
A
utopia typically describes an imaginary community or society that
possesses highly desirable or nearly perfect qualities for its members.
(Wikipedia)
从此以后， Utopia就成了人们恒久追求和幻想的人间天堂代名词，表现在几乎每种文化的文学作品和哲学思想中，例如：
柏拉图的“理想国”(Plato “The Republic”)
古希腊神话的“黄金时代”(Ancient Greek mythology “The Golden Age”)
圣经中的伊甸园 (The Garden of Eden in the Bible)
陶渊明笔下的“桃花源”(Tao Yuanming’s “Peach Blossom Spring”)
中国古人幻想的“大同世界”（the world of universal harmony）
庄子在逍遥游里说的“无何有之乡”（Chuang-tzu’s “The land of nothingness”）
*今子有大樹，患其無用，何不樹之於無何有之鄉，廣莫之野，彷徨乎無為其側，逍遙乎寢臥其下？（《庄子》）
You,
Sir, have a large tree and are troubled because it is of no use - why
do you not plant it in a tract where there is nothing else, or in a wide
and barren wild? There you might saunter idly by its side, or in the
enjoyment of untroubled ease sleep beneath it.
……
这些都是Utopia在不同文化中的投射，对完美世界的追求是人类的天性。
乌托邦有以下几个特征
（Characteristics of a Utopian Society）
● Information, independent thought, and freedom are promoted.
● A figurehead or concept brings the citizens of the society together, but not treated as singular.
● Citizens are truly free to think independently.
● Citizens have no fear of the outside world.
● Citizens live in a harmonious state.
● The natural world is embraced and revered.
● Citizens embrace social and moral ideals. Individuality and innovation are welcomed.
The society evolves with change to make a perfect utopian world.
幻想总是美好的，最美好的事物总在幻想中。
然而现实从来都是冰冷的，如果说人类命运的一头是乌托邦，另一头的极端状态就是最不好的世界，英文叫做 dystopia，这个词有很多汉译名字，一般译作“反乌托邦”，我更欣赏的译名是“恶托邦”。
恶托邦有以下几个特征
（Characteristics of a Dystopian Society）
● Propaganda is used to control the citizens of society.
● Information, independent thought, and freedom are restricted.
● A figurehead or concept is worshipped by the citizens of the society.
● Citizens are perceived to be under constant surveillance.
● Citizens have a fear of the outside world.
● Citizens live in a dehumanized state.
● The natural world is banished and distrusted.
● Citizens conform to uniform expectations. Individuality and dissent are bad.
● The society is an illusion of a perfect utopian world.
我决定不翻译上面这些characteristics。好在这些英文很简单，几乎没有生词，不难看懂吧。
有很多被称为“反乌托邦小说”的文学作品，最著名的大概要算佛老的最爱 “1984” by George Orwell了。
如果你对反乌托邦小说有兴趣，推荐几本我读过的好书（各人口味不同，仅供参考）：
The Time Machine (1895) by H. G. Wells
Pictures of the Socialistic Future (1891) by Eugen Richter
The Trial (1925) by Franz Kafka
Invitation to a Beheading (1938) by Vladimir Nabokov
Brave New World (1932) by Aldous Huxley
The Moon Is Down (1942) by John Steinbeck
Animal Farm (1945) by George Orwell
The Stand (1978) by Stephen King
The Dark Beyond the Stars (1991) by Frank M. Robinson
乌托邦文学和反乌托邦文学都是幻想，你觉得哪个更接近现实？
乌托邦还没找到，恶托邦层出不穷。桃花源踪影不见，恶狗村千里绵延。——这操蛋的人间。
Photo by Nicholas Fuentes on Unsplash
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Thank you for reading:)