Tower of Babel

Hyder Consulting宣佈了一項新的計畫，要蓋一座比目前建造中的Burj Dubai高兩倍的摩天大樓。Burj Dubai預計高818公尺，而Hyder Consulting的新大樓則預計1600公尺以上，整整超過一英里！根據參與計畫的顧問，不確定該摩天大樓是否會興建，只知道如果要進行工程的話，地點會在中東某處，想必又是個因石油而致富的暴發戶國家。資料來源：http://freshome.com/2008/03/17/tallest-skyscraper-in-the-world/

看到這篇消息立刻讓我想到Tower of Babel；聖經中人們為了更接近上帝而合力建造的高塔，但建造到一半時，上帝認為如果人類繼續這項工程，他們將變得更團結，並且可以達成任何事情，不受限制，所以決定擾亂他們的語言，並且將人們分散到各地。

And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for mortar. And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children builded. And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do; and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the Lord scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.
--Genesis 11:1-9

台北101完工沒幾年，杜拜大廈就跟著宣佈，現在又有了更高的大樓。想來人類永遠在追求更高的成就，象徵，或慾望。人們所追求的許多東西，究竟是個單純的人生目標，使得在將死之刻時能夠沒有遺憾的前往下個世界；還是個狂妄自大的夢想，最終只會落得混亂的下場？而如同原文所說，建造再高的大樓，登上那n+1層樓看完風景之後，還是得回到地面上來。

我不知道追求那樣的高塔到底是不是正確，但我知道光要達那樣的目標，就要投入大半生甚至一生的時間與精力，而上帝憑什麼可以隨隨便便就把這樣的成就給拿走呢？

期末考前還在這邊碎碎念，找死了我。