[国际新闻] 英伦小岛与世隔绝成欧洲最后封建领地

萨克岛，一座位于英吉利海峡的小岛，美丽地如同胜境，400多年来几乎与外界隔绝。令人诧异的是，目前岛上仍在推行封建制度，民主之风难以吹进。
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　　这座小岛距离英国海岸80公里，在海中延伸约3英里，由陡峭的花岗岩峭壁所环绕。牧场上野花遍地，村舍整洁，优雅的格恩西奶牛悠闲散步。19世纪时，诗人阿尔杰农-斯威伯恩这样描述此地，“微妙而甜蜜，波浪所环绕的福地”。$ a: G1 U4 q+ d; B: F- n8 c

　　但是，这座小岛却是欧洲最后的一块封建领地，岛上的几百名居民，至今仍臣服于一个封建领主的统治。而在这名领主之下，又有40名从仆，作为统治该岛的小领主。人在德国社区+ b: _% [2 N+ c6 C# ~/ l8 M& \

　　如同英吉利海峡中的许多小岛一样，萨克岛原则上讲并不属于英国的一部分，实际上，它哪也不属于。自从威廉入主英国以来，萨克就保持了英国附属国的地位，享有高度的自治，仅在外交上服从英国管理。
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　　在岛上，人们骑自行车、乘坐马车或穿着传统的大靴子徒步走动，必要时才会动用岛上仅有的几部拖拉机。很久以前，负责治理此地的领主为了抵御海盗入侵，招募了40名火枪手，并授予他们封地。如今，岛上享有土地所有权的40名地主，就是当年40名火枪手的后裔或继承人。

　　迈克尔-博蒙特是现任领主，现年79岁，曾经是一名航空工程师，他在1972年祖母去世后，继承了领主地位。他的家族自1852年开始统治该岛。传统上讲，迈克尔-博蒙特是岛上惟一有权养殖鸽子和母狗的人。臣民如果要上诉，需单膝跪地，向博蒙特陈情。政府、法官、治安官及文员的任命，都由领主指定。  x  Q  T* x$ ]' f

　　岛上居民的收入主要来自于每年夏季上岛游玩的游客。岛上多数官员没有工资，纯属自愿工作，只有治安官能够领取到工资。现任的治安官曾经有一段英勇抗击“侵略”的经历。1991年，一名失业的法国人，穿着一身破旧军装，携带一支来复枪和250发弹药登陆，号称要占领该岛，发动了“一个人的侵略”。正当“侵略者”在大街上耀武扬威时，治安官走到“侵略者”跟前，问，“你的这把枪很有意思，请问怎么使用呢？”。于是这名法国佬开始摆弄起枪来作示范，这时埋伏已久的消防队员一拥而上，将“侵略者”拿下。
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　　自从16世纪女王伊丽莎白一世宣布该岛为一位贵族的采邑后，萨克岛在442年间就基本没有什么变化。但是21世纪的到来，给萨克岛带来很大的冲击。萨克岛是《欧洲人权公约》的成员，理应遵守公约的规定，不能再保留封建贵族，也不能再由家族嫡长子世袭议员资格，也不能再仅仅因为领主个人喜好，拒绝推行离婚法。

　　尽管政治权力集中在领主和他的40名封臣手中，但是到目前为止，岛上多数居民都安于现状，无意取消这样的封建制度。但是萨克岛的田园风光和安静氛围吸引了不少外来者前来，并购买岛上的土地。这些外来户希望领主至少能对21世纪的习俗做出一点让步，如同英吉利海峡其他小岛一样，进行民主改革。$ S- W" v3 {3 g( }2 T) F0 \9 T( q
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　　英国负责执行欧洲人权标准的当局给萨克岛两个选择：建立民选政府，否则放弃部分自治权。大领主迈克尔-博蒙特已经表示愿意顺从历史趋势，并放弃世袭领主地位，迈克尔-博蒙特已经不再对臣民的财产征收什一税，也不再强制臣民每年进奉母鸡；但是他仍然征收土地买卖税，如果封臣出售土地，必需向他缴纳三分之一的交易金额作为税金，而且土地的购买者也必需忠于女王陛下。但是改革却遭到了封臣们的反对。人在德国社区; B. t: b; q3 b( `

　　去年秋天，萨克岛进行了全民投票，决定是否要建立普选议会。萨克岛的40名小领主对此表示不满，他们要求停止选举，并开展进一步研究，以明确萨克岛是否真的需要民主制度。迈克尔-博蒙特称，这些小领主会为了他们的特权，“战斗至最后一滴血”。
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　　岛上的一些居民也反对废除封建制度，皮埃尔的家族已经在岛上生活了几百年。她说，“不要忘了，我们现行的制度已经完美运行了450年了，为什么要改变呢。别人说要‘进步’，我们就要‘进步’，别人说多建房能提供更多工作机会，我们就要多建房。把萨克岛改变成和世界和其他地方一模一样，将是一个悲剧。行走在小路上的简易马车，游荡在牧场上的牛群，还有直接来自农场的黄油和奶酪，才是萨克岛之所以为萨克岛的关键所在。”
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Tiny island is a feudal time warp% n# e! s# D3 [6 u5 y- B. L
Sark, in the English Channel, is under pressure to conform to Europe's rules
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Sark, Channel Islands — HERE, on an island that might be called Camelot, the winds of democracy have blown in like the waft from a landfill.# D+ p) }0 a3 i1 L. N8 R

This 3-mile-long stretch of granite crags, flowered meadows, neat cottages and well-behaved Guernsey cows 80 miles off Britain's coast in the English Channel is the last feudal outpost in Europe. Algernon Swinburne, the 19th century poet, called it a "small, sweet world of wave-encompassed wonder."
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Sark has remained pretty much the same for 442 years, since Queen Elizabeth I declared it a noble fiefdom. Transport is by bicycle, horse-and-carriage or Wellington boots. When absolutely necessary, one may resort to one of the island's few tractors. But the neighbors, never frugal with opinions, tend to look up from their gardens and make case-by-case assessments of what constitutes necessity.

Landownership is divided among 40 "tenants." They are the descendants or successors of the 40 men with muskets recruited by the original seigneur, the ruling lord commissioned to defend the isle against pirates and buccaneers. Government administration is by fiat, with the island administrator, judge, constable and clerk appointed by the current seigneur, a 79-year-old former aeronautical engineer whose family has governed Sark since 1852.

But that was all in place long before the 21st century arrived on the gut-churning, twice-a-day ferry from Guernsey; before it was decreed that, in a modern Europe whose members are signatories to the European Convention on Human Rights, it's just not on to have feudal lords, and not on to have seats in the island's parliament bequeathed across generations to eldest sons, and not on to refuse to adopt divorce laws because you don't like them.csuchen.de3 L) z7 b( M: a$ `7 ~! |  ^" e1 ?

Sark, like the rest of the islands that squat in the English Channel, is technically not part of Britain, or anywhere else. As a dependency of the sovereign of England on and off since the days of William the Conqueror, Sark adopts its own tax residency, landownership and environmental standards.' o7 |$ x# a& W& |

But as a dependency, it looks to Britain for its defense and international diplomacy, and to the nearby island of Guernsey for criminal laws. (The bigger island centuries ago was granted Sark as part of its bailiwick, or court bailiff's jurisdiction.) That means that when Britain agreed to respect human rights, so, by extension, did Sark.1 M  U7 T7 ~' B: j
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Until now, no one has been particularly inclined to get rid of the feudal governing system that placed political power in the hands of the seigneur and a parliament made up of his 40 vassals and, more recently, 12 elected deputies.+ v& N8 ~3 Z' |! T7 D

But as outsiders looking for a slice of the island's tranquillity and rural grace have begun to buy up the 40 land allotments, some of the newcomers have demanded at least a nod to the conventions of the 21st century, much as has happened on Guernsey and the nearby island of Jersey. For some, the idea of having to apply to the seigneur for permission to sell land — and pay him one-thirteenth of the sales price — is too charmingly medieval for comfort.

BRITISH authorities, responsible for administering European human rights standards, have given Sark a choice: Either create an elected parliament of a form chosen by the majority of the island's 600 or so residents, or give up some sovereignty.

"They said the legislature wasn't human-rights-compliant…. About 10 years ago, the seigneurs in Guernsey had to give up giving permission [to sell land] and collecting money, and I realized from that date that the same thing was going to happen in Sark, that it was all inevitable," said Michael Beaumont, the seigneur, who has tended to rule Sark the only way this island of eccentrics could be ruled: by dry wit, gentle prodding and quiet diplomacy.
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A referendum last fall was supposed to usher in an elected parliament. But the last few weeks it has become clear that Sark's 40 landlords, who would for the first time have to stand for election, aren't giving in without a fight.
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In January, the parliament, known as Chief Pleas, voted to suspend the referendum and study further whether Sark truly wants to go down the democratic road.6 I3 k& h! L: |4 J

"We are now up to our seventh year in discussing a new constitution," said Beaumont, who has made it clear he is prepared to forgo his inherited privilege and defer to progress. "But when you've got a house with a vast majority all made up of [landowners], they're not going to give up their seats, at least not willingly. They're going to fight to the last drop of blood, as far as I can see."人在德国社区+ X7 z  T! D2 T% w
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As early as the 13th century, Sark was a haven for monks and pirates, the treacherous underwater rocks along its coasts serving as weapons against unsuspecting ships. That ended in 1565, when Queen Elizabeth I granted the island as a fief to Helier de Carteret on the condition he ensure the island's safety by retaining 40 armed men.
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Beaumont became seigneur in 1974 on the death of his grandmother, Sibyl Hathaway, dame of Sark, who held the island's population together during Nazi occupation (imperiously requiring the German officers to sign in as visitors at the elegant manor house).人在德国社区$ h5 a: e. D( g' v) D
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Over the years, the island had on its own cast away some of the trappings of feudalism.! Q% ~: r" R/ {8 P3 E2 Y, |
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Beaumont no longer collects an annual tithe on residents' wealth; annual payment of a live chicken to the seigneur also is no longer mandatory; and taxes are a fraction of what they are in Britain, though Beaumont continues to take his treizieme, one-thirteenth of the sales price, whenever one of the original 40 tenements is sold. None can be subdivided or conveyed without his concurrence, and all must be sold to a loyal subject of the queen.' D' m( s( j8 n! {# n# B$ g  P% v

THE seigneur's consent is no longer required for marriage (and no one can remember when he had the right to review the bride on her wedding night). Divorce is still not written into Sark's code, but the island has agreed to accept those granted elsewhere. The law decreeing that tenements must be handed down to the eldest son was changed in 1999 to allow daughters to inherit as well.人在德国社区1 A: j/ {+ L( }" C& `: N- N3 q* V9 j

Still, by tradition and law, Beaumont is the only Sark resident permitted to keep pigeons or an unspayed bitch. And residents with a complaint can still fall on one knee and invoke the Clameur de Haro, a Norman custom under which a person can obtain immediate cessation of any action he considers to be an infringement of his rights." Z, h& W: P/ `# G/ y$ g
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"It usually involves boundary disputes. Say someone is knocking your trees down," explained Jeremy Bateman, the deputy seneschal, or island administrator.

"You can fall on your knees and invoke the Clameur de Haro. You say: 'Haro, haro haro! A mon aide, mon prince, on me fait tort!' [Help me, my prince, someone does me wrong!] And when that's done, everything stops. All work must be stopped until there's a hearing of the court.; A  F0 y% Q9 u# n" T* z8 h
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"It is used occasionally," Bateman said. "I think the last time it was three years ago. A wall was being built on a boundary, and it was invoked. It's quite effective."
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Sark's residents — natives whose families have inhabited the island for generations, mainland Brits looking for a quieter life, and wealthy, often-secretive refugees appreciative of the island's generous tax laws — for the most part rent their homes on short- and long-term leases granted by the tenants. By law, newcomers can live only in homes built before 1976, a regulation intended to allow the construction of new homes for the children of islanders but hold the new arrivals largely at bay.人在德国社区2 x) a6 G1 M) E8 G4 k

Residents survive mainly on the revenue from the thousands of tourists who descend on the island each summer once the terrifying winter gales subside.
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With next to no civil service, Sark is governed by volunteers. The seigneur's chief gardener is also the head of the constitutional review committee. Some people fish during the week and drive a carriage on weekends. Members of Chief Pleas oversee the schools, the sewage system, trash pickup, harbors, fishing, agriculture and health care.

"You'll see somebody that's working behind the counter in the food shops, and when you pop into the pub that evening they'll be behind the bar. That's how people support each other and make a living," said Geoff Benfield, a former automotive engineer from the mainland who opened a combination bed-and-breakfast and rocking horse carving studio on Sark.

The constable is one of the few who gets a salary. He earned it in 1991, when an unemployed French nuclear physicist, dressed in military fatigues and armed with an automatic rifle and 250 rounds of ammunition, launched a one-man invasion.
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"He put these notices up, they were all in French, of course, saying he was going to take over the island," Beaumont recalled.

"Everyone took it as a joke, of course, until the next day somebody saw him walking around with a rifle. Fortunately, the constable just had a lot of plain common sense. He walked up to the chap and said, 'That's an interesting rifle you've got there.' And he asked, 'How does it work?'

"So the chap started to show him, and the rest of the fire brigade pounced on him.") W2 V; ~2 }2 v. h
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MANY residents probably would have been content to leave Sark as it was for another 400 years. That wasn't going to happen after billionaire twin brothers Sir David Barclay and Sir Frederick Barclay bought the island of Brecqhou next door in 1993. The island falls under Sark's jurisdiction.
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The reclusive Barclays, owners of the Telegraph media empire and the Ritz Hotel, proceeded to build an enormous castle, complete with medieval-style turrets.9 B. a+ y/ {3 P2 ]( I

Their distaste for Sark's feudal system apparently began when they were informed that Beaumont was due his treizieme on the purchase of the island — a sum of $254,000.
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The Barclay brothers weren't successful in challenging Sark's jurisdiction over Brecqhou, but they did succeed in forcing scrutiny of the island's compliance with the human rights convention.3 E0 a; L) O7 H7 J
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In pushing the island to democratize, officials in London have warned that failure to modernize on Sark's own terms could result in Sark losing some of its independence and being governed more directly by the larger island of Guernsey, an option no one here seems to want.
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Moreover, many residents have become impatient with the domination of the landowners in decision making.
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"The situation we have at the moment is we have about 40 people — perhaps 27 or 28 of them turn up for meetings — who have a seat in government simply because they own land," said Jan Guy, a former head teacher at the island's school who has lived here 19 years.
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"Now, in some cases, their family has owned that land for many years, and several generations. But in many cases, that land has been bought quite recently. So if you came over and you bought a nice tenement, the next meeting of government, you'd be there, governing for the people of Sark. I ask you, do you think that's right?"
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But other long-term residents fear that easing the feudal landowners out of the government will be the beginning of the end.csuchen.de3 p% n* @3 |( O1 x
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"We must remember, it's worked wonderfully for 450 years. Unfortunately, it's a lot of the outsiders who come to the island because they love it, and lo and behold they want to change things once they get here," said Elizabeth Perree, whose family, descendants of original tenants on the island, operates an inn and small farm.csuchen.de6 p5 ]- @, r  K' V# s5 h# i& ^% r# |

"It still has the lovely simplicity of horses and carriages trundling along the roads. Cattle grazing and having lovely butter and cream straight from the farms — all these little things are what make Sark what it is," she said.人在德国社区/ k4 g% b$ ~/ r1 W5 [
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"It'll be a tragedy if it starts to get built up and become like anywhere else in the world," Perree said. "People say, 'progress,' we should do this, we should do that. Someone at the moment is suggesting that we should have more building because that would give more work to people.8 c6 j+ i' j3 `

"But in a funny way, I feel it's special because it has stayed as it was. It's the last feudal state in the Western world, for goodness' sake."

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Michael Beaumont, the seigneur, is willing to defer to progress but says the landowners aren’t. He still collects one-thirteenth of the sales price of any of the 40 tenements, but he no longer takes a tithe of residents’ wealth, and they don’t have to give him a live chicken every year.

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[ 本帖最后由日月光于 2007-3-9 16:12 编辑 ]

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探访世界上最后一个独立封建王国世外桃源萨克岛在英吉利海峡中，有一个名叫萨克岛的奇特小岛。在那里，一位年长的“领主”统治着岛上的居民。如今，这个奇异的世外桃源即将拥抱民主制度，一种古老的生活方式可能将永远作古。小岛巨变：废除封建制度晚了五百年　　约翰·迈克尔·鲍蒙特就是这样一位不同寻常的“领主”。这位七十九岁的前飞机工程师看上去和任何其他一位七十来岁的老者很相象——他喝茶，料理花园，闲逛。尽管他是如此的和蔼，但他是世界上最后一个独立的封建王国的世袭最高统治者。　　萨克岛长4.8公里，宽1.6公里，离法国海岸四十公里。作为该岛的领主，鲍蒙特的地位是让人羡慕的。自从1565年英国女王伊丽莎白一世将该岛赐予贵族赫里尔·德·卡特雷以来，领主们一直统治着这片礁石岛屿。　　鲍蒙特现在每年只要向英国交纳1.79英镑，就能“永远”保住该岛。作为回报，领主拥有批准萨克岛人购买和销售住宅的特权；他还有权从每一宗土地交易中提取1/13的所得税。　　不过鲍蒙特拥有特权的日子已经不多了。2006年10月初，这个处于英国保护之下的自治岛屿决定让全岛的610名居民一律享有选举权。岛上的40名土地拥有者不再担任岛上政府机构“最高法庭”的职务。鲍蒙特将失去抽税特权，也不再享有否决权。　　萨克岛比西欧多用了五百年才废除封建制度。明年，岛上的成人将头一回走向投票站，一人投一票，选出28名新的“最高法庭”成员。萨克岛将成为一个民主政体。怀旧小岛拒绝现代化　　如果需要什么事情来证明岛上的怀旧气氛的话，人们只要看看由鲍蒙特的母亲哈萨维夫人一手掀起的大“起义”就知道了。在她年事已高时（她活了九十岁），哈萨维夫人要求允许在岛上行驶电池动力的轻型马车，以方便那些行动不便的人。　　“上帝啊，那件小事也几乎引发了一场革命，”领主说，“她说没有那种马车就没法出去活动，但最高法庭不同意。我想他们当时可能觉得那是在向汽车化的道路迈进。” 尽管在现代化的道路上行进缓慢，但当该岛的巨变到来时，领主鲍蒙特却很平静。“实际上，我对这一结果一点也不吃惊，”自己也投票赞成这一变革的鲍蒙特说，“老制度是运行得不错，但过去三十年来，岛上已经发生了巨变。旅游在上世纪九十年代达到巅峰。岛上原来的地产被出售给英国人，而不是由岛民子孙来继承。新思想也来到了岛上。因此我一直认为变革是不可避免的。” 媒体大亨推动变革　　现在回过头看看，萨克岛古老制度的命运其实在1993年已是初露端倪。当时英国每日电讯报报业集团的老板、亿万富豪巴克莱兄弟以233万英镑的价格，买下了邻近萨克岛的布雷克候岛。该岛受萨克岛管辖，因此兄弟俩不得不交纳十七万英镑的税款，而这些钱直接落入了鲍蒙特的腰包。　　让巴克莱兄弟更为恼火的是岛上实行的长子继承权，这意味着财产必须传递到男性继承人手里。他们说，这一点违犯了欧洲人权公约。他们就长子继承权一事提出了诉讼，并获得胜诉。萨克岛因此变革了法律，让长女也有继承权。　　但在一些人看来，萨克岛的变革还不够显著。巴克莱兄弟抨击萨克岛“令人尴尬”的管理制度，称领主“代表着封建制度让人难以接受的面孔”。从那以后，萨克岛的古老制度开始遭受日益严厉的审视。岛上的管理者们意识到，必须作出变革。因此在今年早些时候，管理者们向岛民们提供了两种改革方案：缩小未经选举产生的最高法庭成员的权力，或者实行普选。岛民们选择了后者。土地问题急需解决　　现在，萨克岛还是保守派“小政府”理想的天堂。但它完全是依赖人们的善意和义务服务来运转的，那些反对向民主制度转变的人担心这一切即将发生变化。岛上的商店店主菲利斯·朗说：“税收将会提高，因为人们突然希望从为岛上所做的事情中获得报酬。” 　　一个更为紧迫的问题就是土地所有制问题。地产的租赁者们会有何反应？萨克岛会引入英国大陆的所有权制度吗？从岛民们的谈话中可以明显地感觉到，这些问题的解决方案关系到这个小岛的未来。此刻，萨克岛还有鲍蒙特——该岛的第22位、也可能是最后一位领主。尽管鲍蒙特可能会保留自己的象征性地位，但岛民们知道，不管岛上的变化现在看起来多么小，它再也不会是从前的样子了。世外桃源：拖拉机是最快捷的交通工具　　任何一位初次来到萨克岛的人很快会意识到，这里的生活节奏缓慢。实际上，前往萨克岛的行程就是一个放慢节奏的过程：你要先坐飞机到根西岛，然后换乘的士到圣彼得港，再坐四十五分钟的轮渡，最后乘坐一辆由拖拉机牵引、被称为“哈蟆架”的客运挂车，从萨克岛的港口来到被当地人称为“村里”的地方。拖拉机是岛上速度最快的交通工具，因为萨克岛超出海平面只有30.5米，地势凸凹不平。岛屿周围大多是犬牙交错般的悬崖。在萨克岛的中心，也就是“大道”上，有个“小商店”。“大道”的尽头有一座两监室的牢房，不过它更多的是被用来供游客过夜，而不是接纳犯人。村庄外面的小路两旁排布着灌木树篱，篱笆墙外的田野上葱翠一片。随着夕阳消逝在英吉利海峡上，一名穿着长统胶靴的男子往他的自行车篮子里装满了蘑菇。打破这一片宁静的，只有“小观园”客栈的主人德莫特，他正在嘀咕着：“是谁在采我的蘑菇啊？” 上诉者要“高声鸣冤” 　　萨克岛有着奇特的法律条文。在觉得自己受了委屈或是受到了某种攻击时，萨克岛人可以有权动用那本古老的法令全书，读出“高声鸣冤”章节。“申冤”者可以单膝下跪，将自己的帽子投到地上，用诺曼底口音的法语祈祷说：“攻击方立即停止他所做的事情。”与此同时，“申冤”方会向岛上的法庭提起正式的控诉。　　如果能看到萨克岛人援引“高声鸣冤”法令，那会是件很有意思的事，但这几乎是不可能的了——这一惯例最后一次被引用，已经是在三十六年前了。当时，一堵花园围墙引起了一起小纠纷。领主享有奇特权力　　领主鲍蒙特住在一幢十七世纪的石结构庄园宅邸内。这幢宅邸有漂亮的花园，很让旅行者们着迷。在书房里，悬挂着最近来访的英国王室成员的照片。查尔斯王子也曾在领主的宅子里住宿过。　　萨克岛及其古老的生活方式现在仍能激起人们的兴趣。比如，领主被授予一些其他岛民享受不到的奇特特权——有权养一只没有阉割的狗；有权养鸽子；有权保有被海浪冲到岛上的漂浮物。　　除了保留着一些有趣的习俗之外，领主究竟干些什么事情呢？鲍蒙特说：“我的职责是必须任命岛上的官员。”鲍蒙特要任命全岛最关键的管理职位——管家（该职位现在由一位名叫雷格的前军官把持着）、民事和刑事法官、秘书、司库。领主同时还是全岛多种事务的总联络人。　　除此之外呢？“如果出现了这些官员无法处理的问题，或者这些官员出问题了，我就必须采取措施。比如，在起重机掉进港口时，我们就要将它拖到根西岛。” ! Y0 w% s* S) e3 C; S9 v$ ?
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Landownership on Sark is divided among 40 “tenants,” the descendants or successors of the 40 men with muskets who were recruited by the original 16th century lord to defend the island against pirates and buccaneers. Britain is warning the dependency that some of the feudal customs there don’t adhere to European human rights standards.4 y* B8 F% `3 S, H& r }# U

[ 本帖最后由日月光于 2007-3-9 16:14 编辑 ]

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