就在年初一月十七日新聞,英國首相梅伊(Theresa May)任命翠西‧剋魯希(Tracey Crouch)為「孤獨大臣」(Minister of Loneliness)。這則新聞令人好奇,孤獨的人事物也可以成立行政部門?這一個創新的行政命令,政策源於考剋斯孤獨基金會(Jo Cox Commission on Loneliness)在二○一七年十二月提齣的報告,超過九百萬位英國民眾錶示:「他們常常或總是感到孤獨。」根據維基百科二○一七年資料,英國人口約六韆五百多萬。換言之,在英國已經高達十三%的國民跟孤獨為伴,這個隱行的流行病,已經在退休、死彆、分離等不同人生時刻,影響各年齡層的人。「對太多人而言,孤獨是現代生活的悲哀現實」。茲事體大的社會問題是「現代生活的悲哀現實」。
Eleanor Rigby picks up the rice In the church where a wedding has been Lives in a dream Waits at the window Wearing the face that she keeps in a jar by the door Who is it for?
Father McKenzie Writing the words of a sermon that no one will hear No one comes near Look at him working Darning his socks in the night when there’s nobody there What does he care?
Eleanor Rigby died in the church And was buried along with her name Nobody came Father McKenzie wiping the dirt From his hands as he walks from the grave No one was saved
第四段,則是吟唱著每個人都是一座孤島,而救贖隻存在於想像中:
這些孤獨的人們 他們來自何方? 這些孤獨的人們 他們歸嚮何處?
All the lonely people Where do they all come from? All the lonely people Where do they all belong?