王偉濱
一首風靡20世紀60年代的歌這樣唱道:
If you are going to San Francisco,
Be sure to wear some flowers on your hair.
If you are going to San Francisco,
Youre gonna meet some gentle people there.
(如果你去舊金山,
記得要把花兒插在發間。
如果你去舊金山,
在那兒,定會遇到些溫柔的人。)
舊金山是個浪漫而包容的城市,各式奇奇怪怪的人,都可以在這里找到。
今天要講的這個“怪人”,就屬于舊金山;除了“怪人”,他還有個更加響亮的名號——“美國皇帝”——全稱是“美國皇帝兼墨西哥保護者諾頓一世”(Norton I, Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico)。
我第一次知道“諾頓皇帝”的故事,是在一篇名為《三個九月和一個一月》(“Three Septembers and One January”) 的漫畫中,那是尼爾·蓋曼(Neil Gaiman)的長篇系列漫畫《睡魔》(The Sandman)中的一個小小短篇?!端А肥且徊恳浴皦粝搿保―ream)、“妄誕”(Delirium)、“欲望”(Desire)、絕望(Despair),以及“死亡”(Death)等為主角的神奇漫畫,人稱“為知識分子而作的漫畫”(a comic strip for intellectuals);“諾頓皇帝”出現在這樣的作品中,也算沒有辱沒他的大名。

君主,無論是國王(king)、皇帝(emperor),抑或是親王(prince)、大公(duke),稱呼雖不同,性質卻基本相似,都是在一定地域范圍內,擁有凌駕于普通民眾之上絕對權威的人物。
不過,“君權神授”的說法,雖古已有之,皇帝這種擁有至高無上且毫無節制的權力的生物,卻從來就與“天道”相抵觸。

在《圣經·撒母耳記上》(1 Samuel)中,當以色列人也想像其他部族一樣,擁有一個國王時,先知撒母耳發表了一番慷慨激昂的演講,痛斥這種絕對權威的危害,認為他們純粹是違反“天道”,強加在人民之上的一道枷鎖:
He said, “These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots(戰車)and to be his horsemen and to run before his chariots. And he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his servants. He will take the tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants. He will take your male servants and female servants and the best of your young men and your donkeys, and put them to his work. He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves. And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.” (8:11—18)

(“管轄你們的王必這樣行,他必派你們的兒子為他趕車,跟馬,奔走在車前;又派他們做千夫長、五十夫長,為他耕種田地,收割莊稼,打造軍器和車上的器械。必取你們的女兒為他制造香膏,做飯烤餅。……