最近得到一張老照片，內容是1900年發生的上海的一次死刑。
死刑，說來挺痛苦和殘忍的，不過攝影師的註釋卻稀釋了這份悲哀，由這個死刑犯自導自演了一場黑色幽默的戲劇。抄錄攝影師的註釋如下：
"This notorious river pirate killed several persons. The last offense was the gouging out of a man's eyes. He is placed in the cage with planks coming snugly around his neck; several flat stones are placed under his feet. He stood in the thoroughfare of the six gates of the city (old Shanghai) for one day each. During all that time he had to stand erect or strangle. He was then placed in an open square where one stone was to be removed each day until he died of strangulation. This fiendish punishment is seldom resorted to, and has created great excitement among the Chinese. Dense crowds were around the criminal every day; yesterday, the day for removing the stones, his friend in some way got to him some deadly opiate by which he killed himself. The first day he (the criminal) allowed snap shots at 50 cents. The second he charged $5.00 Mexican silver ($2.00 gold). I gave it on condition he would take off his hat to show his face. Two Chinese photographers got pictures of him and placed them in their windows as ads. The crowd to see and buy the pictures became so great, the Chief of Police ordered the pictures taken down, as the crowds obstructed the streets. "
我嘗試著翻譯了下：
"這個聲名狼藉的河盜殺了很多人，最後一次作案是剜出了一個男人的眼睛。他被關在籠子裡，脖子被枷板夾住，腳下墊了幾塊平石頭，每天在上海舊城六座城門的大道上遊街示眾。他必須站地很直，否則就會被勒死。然後他會被放到一塊空地上，每天抽走一塊腳下的石頭，直到最後被勒死。這種殘忍的刑罰很少被實施，但這仍然是中國發明的眾多死刑中的一種。成群的烏鴉每天都等在罪犯的周圍。昨天，就在移走石頭後，他的朋友通過某個關係給了他一些致命劑量的鴉片讓他自殺。第一天，他（罪犯）收50美分可以隨便拍照，第二天漲到了5塊墨西哥鷹洋（相當於2塊金幣），我給了他，但條件是他必須摘下帽子露出臉。兩個中國攝影師也拍了照片並放到櫥窗裡做廣告。人們爭相觀看和購買照片，因為這場景太少見了。後來警察隊長因為人群阻塞了街道而禁止拍照。"
中國從來不缺無聊的看客，這份悲哀無論在什麼樣的年代都是沒法被稀釋的。
