邻居应和睦相处还是怒目相向？

The recent acrimonious war of words between Malaysia and Singapore, initiated by the former, over water agreements and a tiny island has strained the relations between the close neighbours.

　　To make sense of it, one must look back in history as these unedifying spats, though disturbing to their citizens and investors alike, are not unique to these two neighbours with close links.

　　It is supreme irony that the world is replete with historical precedents of nations, especially those bound by traditional, ethnic, cultural, or religious ties, who had been at each other's throats or were disenchanted with one another for differing reasons.保定翻译公司推荐阅读

　　We have seen how turbulent relations had, over time, led to wars or violent clashes between Arabs and Jews, and between English and Irish, Indians and Pakistanis and, more recently, Serbs and Bosnians.

　　At the lighter end of the scale, there isn't much love lost between Japanese and Koreans, Americans and Europeans, English and French and Thais and Cambodians. Malaysia and Singapore could, perhaps, now fall within this group.

　　What are some of the compelling factors that have brought about these ugly spectacles between countries？ Are there no panaceas that would enable them to co-exist peacefully？

　　Judging from past happenings, the following factors do stand out：

　　Firstly, The close bonds that two nations share are no guarantee that they will always get on famously. In actual fact, the risks of conflicts arising are, perhaps, even higher. This is often true when one neighbour is highly successful and the other not.

　　Such disparity in national fortunes can, and often does, create envy and resentment, especially if the former is perceived as being unhelpful or supercilious in its treatment of the other.

　　Secondly, since time immemorial, serious territorial disputes, usually legacies of history, have continued to be one of the most common causes of war or discord between the protagonists. Unless and until such a dispute is resolved through a mutually acceptable settlement, and not one imposed by a third party, genuine rapproachment between the parties is likely to elude them.

　　Thirdly, throughout the ages, wars had erupted in the name of religion to suit the combatants' own selfish political or military objectives, despite the fact that these would negate the fundamental tenet of that particular faith.

　　Unfortunately, such misuse of religion had happened time and again and this problem remains today.

　　Fourthly, relentless racial hatred has also figured prominently in armed conflicts, with devastating losses in innocent lives and untold human sufferings.

　　The lessons that history has taught us are that peace is sacrosanct and every nation must do its utmost to uphold it. However, the unpredictability of the human mind makes it almost impossible to predict what two antagonistic nations might do in certain adverse circumstances.

　　On the other hand, good neighbourliness, once destroyed, is difficult to be restored fully except in the fullness of time or through the indefatigable statesmanship of sagacious leaders, as well as the will of the people on both sides.

　　Be that as it may, nothing will more swiftly unite two previous foes in a common front if they are threatened by a potential enemy perceived to be more dangerous than their erstwhile opponent.

　　This was how the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation （NATO） came into being after World War II, aimed at safeguarding Western European countries from being swallowed up militarily by the mighty Soviet Union.

　　Now that the Soviet Union is dead and buried, and Russia is no longer a military threat to the West, the cohesiveness of NATO is being put to a formidable test pending the looming American and British led war against Iraq.

　　（The writer is a retired lawyer.）保定翻译公司推荐阅读

　　由马来西亚挑起,新马两国对于水供和一个小岛主权问题的激烈争论,使两国关系陷入僵局。

　　要了解这些毫无意义,对两地人民和投资者造成困惑的争执,得从历史经验里寻找线索。这种情形并不是只发生在关系密切的国家之间。

　　历史上多的是国与国之间不能容忍、相互斗争的例子,尤其是那些在传统、种族、文化和宗教上关系紧密的国家。

　　长期动荡不安的关系,可以演变成暴力冲突甚至战争。阿拉伯人和犹太人、英国人和爱尔兰人、印度人和巴基斯坦人、塞尔维亚人和波斯尼亚人的纠纷,是有目共睹的例子。

　　一些国家则只是彼此厌恶,日本人和韩国人、美国人和欧洲人、英国人和法国人、泰国人和柬埔寨人的关系就是例子。这大致是新马关系目前的写照。

　　是什么原因造成国与国之间的关系恶劣？有没有让它们和平共处的办法？

　　历史经验为我们提供了一些值得注意的因素。

　　第一、国与国之间的紧密关系并不能保证它们永远会和谐共处。实际的情形可能适得其反,双方冲突的危险性可能更高。在其中一个国家迅速成长,它的邻居却停滞不前的时候,情形更是如此。两国之间的发展差距,往往会导致妒忌和怨恨的心理,尤其是当前者被视为高傲自大和不愿意帮助后者。

　　第二、由于历史问题所带来的严重领土争执,一直是国与国之间关系闹僵和开战的原因之一。只有通过双方都能接受的解决方案,而不是第三者强加于它们的裁决,双方才有望重归于好。

　　第三、以宗教为名,实际上是为了自私的军事和政治利益的战争,在历史上层出不穷。虽然战争违反了这些宗教的教义,不幸的是这种滥用宗教的作法,到今天还不时发生。

　　第四、种族之间的仇恨也是武力冲突的主要原因,这往往造成严重的人命伤亡和给人们带来苦难。