【新译 X 世界】NO.65:充满了“极端”的科威特

中东

科威特

01●

The tiny state of Kuwait, an emirate located at the northern end of the Persian Gulf, is a land of extremes. Summer temperatures are among the hottest in the world—only Death Valley has exceeded the local record—annual rainfall ranks near the bottom, and freshwater is scarce. Less than one percent of the desert landscape is arable, but the sands hold the seventh largest national oil reserves, the source of Kuwait’s immense wealth. As with the other oil-rich nations in the gulf region, petrodollars have given rise to a culture of conspicuous consumption.

位于波斯湾北端的酋长国科威特是一个充满了“极端”的微型国家。这里在夏季是世界上最热的地方之一，只有死亡谷的年降雨量少于当地记录，而且淡水稀缺。只有不到百分之一的沙漠区域是可耕种的，但在这片沙漠中却有着第七大国家石油储备，这是科威特巨大的财富来源。与海湾地区其他盛产石油的国家一样，石油收入催生了一种炫耀性消费的文化。

02●

Kuwait’s modern prosperity had humble beginnings. Before its oil fields were discovered in the 1930s, pearls were a major export and the area was home to seaport traders, fishermen, and nomads. The energy industry and closer ties with the West, particularly after liberation during the Gulf War in 1991, gradually imported foreign values along with affluence. Today, Kuwait’s approximately 1.3 million citizens live a luxurious lifestyle, supported by a service industry that employs more than three million low-wage foreign workers. 

虽有如今的繁荣，科威特在起步时并不起眼。在20世纪30年代发现油田之前，珍珠是主要的出口产品，该地区是海港贸易商、渔民和游牧民族的家园。拥有着能源工业和与西方的密切关系，尤其是1991年海湾战争期间解放后，随着富裕程度的提高，科威特逐渐获得了外国价值观的引入。今天，科威特约有130万公民过着奢侈的生活，在服务行业则有300多万低薪外籍工人被雇佣。

03●

In his photography, Italian photographer Cecconi sees a mismatch between materialism and religious tradition. He spent four months photographing the country in 2019 and 2020 “Extreme consumerism is a form of compensation for the inner tensions,” he says. “Our capitalist system says if you buy things you’ll feel better. It happens to every one of us. The difference is that they have the money to do anything they want.” For some that could be a Ferrari or even building a private replica of the Roman Colosseum. 

意大利摄影师塞科尼从自己的作品中看到了科威特物质主义和宗教传统之间的错位。他于2019到2020年之间花了四个月时间在这个国家拍照。“极端消费主义是对内心紧张的一种补偿，”他说。“资本主义制度告诉我们，如果你买东西，你会感觉更好。这对我们每个人都适用。然而不同的是，科威特人有钱做任何他们想做的事。”对于一些人来说，这可能是买一辆法拉利，甚至也可能是建造一座罗马斗兽场的私人复制品。