品味金瓜石的静懿(上) 位于台北东北方的产金古镇——九份在周末时经常涌入大批游客。然而仅隔两公里之遥、更为古老的矿业城镇——金瓜石却是一片沉静与死寂。金瓜石没有迷人的艺术馆或礼品店，更没有暖烘烘的茶馆迎接寻找浪漫地点聊天的情侣们。由于坐落在蔚蓝碧海旁的峭壁上又被群山环抱，金瓜石在视觉与感觉上，都像一处偏远的前哨站。在金瓜石，走在街上的幽灵比人还多。 The gol  d, washed down the mountain by the river and left in the riverbed near Patu, kept on coming. So, when the Japanese began their occupation of Taiwan in 1895, they expanded mining operations here. They built the Prince Hotel in Chinkuashi, a grand mansion boasting the most luxurious rooms the island had ever seen. Miners who had struck it rich stayed here, flaunting their new wealth. Jewelry shops and restaurants featuring Chinese and Japanese cuisine crowded the streets. These truly were Chinkuashi's golden days. But there was a dark side to this world of gold and luxurious living. During World War Two, the local Chinese, forced to work the mines like slaves, were joined by foreign prisoners of war. The Japanese made the men work long hours under extremely difficult conditions. While the workers suffered from exhaustion, starvation and lung disease brought on by work in the mines, their Japanese masters enjoyed the view from the Prince Hotel. 品味金瓜石的静懿 (下) 被河流从山区冲刷下来的金子，沉积在八堵附近的河床中，源源不绝。所以，当1895年日本人开始侵占台湾时，他们就在此地扩大采矿工程。他们在金瓜石兴建了太子宾馆，这座豪邸当年号称拥有岛上居民前所未见的奢华房间。当地一夜致富的矿工们都在此逗留，炫耀彼此新赚的财富。珠宝店和中日风味的餐厅挤满了金瓜石的街道。那时真是金瓜石的黄金时期。 但这纸醉金迷的浮华生活也有黑暗的一面。在第二次世界大战期间，被迫成为采矿奴工的当地中国居民和外国战俘一起采矿。日本人压迫这些奴工在极度恶劣的环境下长时间工作。当工人们深受矿坑内工作引起的体力透支、饥饿和肺病之苦时，日本统治者却在太子宾馆享受着窗外的美景。 但金瓜石并非一直如此。1889年，金瓜石附近的小村落──八堵站──曾是一个热闹的地方。在那个湿热的夏季，数百名工人前来建造横跨基隆河的铁桥，其中有一名广东工人曾在加利福尼亚淘过金。当他在铁桥下阴凉处干活时，随手把淘金盘浸入河沙中淘了淘，想碰碰运气。当他看见盘里的一粒粒黄金时，高声欢呼起来，并在浅溪里手舞足蹈。 |
