June - October 2016
1. Me, Ten Years Ago 十年前的我 (June 2016)
In 2006 I was 32, and I had been living in Taiwan (off and on) for seven years. My older daughter was six years old, my younger daughter was one year old, and I can't tell you how old my wife was because later she'll read this and be angry. 2006年, 我32歲. 已經在台灣來回住了七年. 當時我的大女兒六歲, 小女兒一歲. 我不能告訴你那時候我太太幾歲, 因為她看到這裡時會生氣.
By 2006 we were tired of living in Taichung. The air was making our older daughter sick, we'd had enough of driving through heavy traffic, and my job seemed like a dead end. I started looking around for other jobs, in other parts of Taiwan, and after a great deal of searching I found a job in Taitung, on the east coast of the island. 西元2006年, 我們不想住台中了. 那邊的空氣汙染影響到我大女兒的健康, 每天塞車也讓我們感覺很累, 當時的工作似乎沒有什麼發展性. 所以我開始找其他縣市的工作. 找了一段時間後, 我發現了台灣東部的台東有工作機會.
Moving to Taitung seemed like a good idea. We were looking for somewhere more rural, somewhere with better air, and the job here was better suited to my qualifications. We were never 100% sure that moving to Taitung was the right thing to do, but after many long discussions we decided to give it a try. 我們那時候覺得搬到台東應該是最好的選擇. 我們要住鄉下點的地方, 空氣比較新鮮, 而且我的專業能力符合這裡的工作. 我們不確定搬到臺東是不是最好的選擇, 可是經過多次的討論以後, 我們決定試試看.
So one day in June we loaded the contents of our apartment into a moving van, and the driver set out to meet us in Taitung. My wife drove our two daughters in a car over first, and I followed them by train a week later. By that time we had already found a house on Luo Yang Street, not far from Shin Sheng Elementary. 所以在六月的某一天, 我們把公寓裡的東西裝進一輛搬家卡車裡. 由司機先生開到台東來與我們會合. 我太太跟我們的孩子先和我丈母娘開車過去, 我一個禮拜後才自己坐車到台東. 搬家前我們已經先找到洛陽街上且靠近新生國小的房子了.
I started a job at Tung Hai Junior High School, where I would teach for two years. It turned out to be a fairly easy (if repetitive) job, and I made a lot of friends in that school. I am still in touch with many of these friends, and I have many fond memories of that time. 我剛開始在東海國中上班. 我在那裡上班兩年. 那份工作很簡單, 只是有點無聊. 我在那所學校交到很多新朋友. 我目前還會跟當時的朋友聯絡, 那段時間也留下許多美好的回憶.
When I wasn't working, we explored the county by scooter. I remember feeling astonished at how quiet most of Taitung was, and how little traffic we encountered. The first place I remember driving to was Jer Ben, which seemed miraculously beautiful at the time. Later on we ventured up to Luye, and slowly worked our way up the coast. Sometimes we rented a car, and other times we took the train farther north. It was a very rewarding time for me, and after a few months I knew that moving here had been the right decision. 我們會在我下班時間騎摩托車探索台東縣. 我那時候覺得台東安靜的不可思議, 也不敢相信路上的車那麼少. 我記得我們最先騎車到當時覺得非常美麗的知本. 之後我們騎車去鹿野, 慢慢的我們騎去東海岸. 我們有時候租車, 有時候坐火車往北部. 那段時間對我來說很值得, 住了幾個月之後, 我知道搬到台東是最好的選擇.
Ten years later, and I'm still here. I live in a different part of the city now, and I work at a different school, but I still visit many of the same places, eat a lot of the same food, and do many of the same things. Taitung has been good to me. I can't say that I've never considered leaving it, but for the most part I've been happy here. 十年之後我還在這裡. 我住在城市的另外一區, 在別的學校上班, 可是我還是會重複去一些景點玩, 還是吃一樣的食物, 做同樣的事. 台東對我很好. 我考慮過搬到外縣市, 可是我在台東的生活過得很快樂.
Which isn't to say that I wasn't happy in Taichung, too. City life has its good side, and there are definitely things that I miss about the years I spent living in Taichung. There was the excitement of the city at night, the crowds, and the feeling that something was always happening. But for all of that there are the quiet nights in Taitung, the friends I've made here, and the slower pace of life. When all is said and done I can always visit Taichung, while Taitung is where I'd rather live. 但這並不是說我不喜歡臺中. 住在大都市裡有它的好處. 我住台中那四年也有很多美好的回憶. 城市裡的夜晚很熱鬧, 感覺生機蓬勃. 台東則有寧靜的夜晚和我在這裡認識的朋友, 更有悠閒的生活步調. 整體來說, 我可以隨時去台中玩. 但我只想住台東.
By 2006 we were tired of living in Taichung. The air was making our older daughter sick, we'd had enough of driving through heavy traffic, and my job seemed like a dead end. I started looking around for other jobs, in other parts of Taiwan, and after a great deal of searching I found a job in Taitung, on the east coast of the island. 西元2006年, 我們不想住台中了. 那邊的空氣汙染影響到我大女兒的健康, 每天塞車也讓我們感覺很累, 當時的工作似乎沒有什麼發展性. 所以我開始找其他縣市的工作. 找了一段時間後, 我發現了台灣東部的台東有工作機會.
Moving to Taitung seemed like a good idea. We were looking for somewhere more rural, somewhere with better air, and the job here was better suited to my qualifications. We were never 100% sure that moving to Taitung was the right thing to do, but after many long discussions we decided to give it a try. 我們那時候覺得搬到台東應該是最好的選擇. 我們要住鄉下點的地方, 空氣比較新鮮, 而且我的專業能力符合這裡的工作. 我們不確定搬到臺東是不是最好的選擇, 可是經過多次的討論以後, 我們決定試試看.
So one day in June we loaded the contents of our apartment into a moving van, and the driver set out to meet us in Taitung. My wife drove our two daughters in a car over first, and I followed them by train a week later. By that time we had already found a house on Luo Yang Street, not far from Shin Sheng Elementary. 所以在六月的某一天, 我們把公寓裡的東西裝進一輛搬家卡車裡. 由司機先生開到台東來與我們會合. 我太太跟我們的孩子先和我丈母娘開車過去, 我一個禮拜後才自己坐車到台東. 搬家前我們已經先找到洛陽街上且靠近新生國小的房子了.
I started a job at Tung Hai Junior High School, where I would teach for two years. It turned out to be a fairly easy (if repetitive) job, and I made a lot of friends in that school. I am still in touch with many of these friends, and I have many fond memories of that time. 我剛開始在東海國中上班. 我在那裡上班兩年. 那份工作很簡單, 只是有點無聊. 我在那所學校交到很多新朋友. 我目前還會跟當時的朋友聯絡, 那段時間也留下許多美好的回憶.
When I wasn't working, we explored the county by scooter. I remember feeling astonished at how quiet most of Taitung was, and how little traffic we encountered. The first place I remember driving to was Jer Ben, which seemed miraculously beautiful at the time. Later on we ventured up to Luye, and slowly worked our way up the coast. Sometimes we rented a car, and other times we took the train farther north. It was a very rewarding time for me, and after a few months I knew that moving here had been the right decision. 我們會在我下班時間騎摩托車探索台東縣. 我那時候覺得台東安靜的不可思議, 也不敢相信路上的車那麼少. 我記得我們最先騎車到當時覺得非常美麗的知本. 之後我們騎車去鹿野, 慢慢的我們騎去東海岸. 我們有時候租車, 有時候坐火車往北部. 那段時間對我來說很值得, 住了幾個月之後, 我知道搬到台東是最好的選擇.
Ten years later, and I'm still here. I live in a different part of the city now, and I work at a different school, but I still visit many of the same places, eat a lot of the same food, and do many of the same things. Taitung has been good to me. I can't say that I've never considered leaving it, but for the most part I've been happy here. 十年之後我還在這裡. 我住在城市的另外一區, 在別的學校上班, 可是我還是會重複去一些景點玩, 還是吃一樣的食物, 做同樣的事. 台東對我很好. 我考慮過搬到外縣市, 可是我在台東的生活過得很快樂.
Which isn't to say that I wasn't happy in Taichung, too. City life has its good side, and there are definitely things that I miss about the years I spent living in Taichung. There was the excitement of the city at night, the crowds, and the feeling that something was always happening. But for all of that there are the quiet nights in Taitung, the friends I've made here, and the slower pace of life. When all is said and done I can always visit Taichung, while Taitung is where I'd rather live. 但這並不是說我不喜歡臺中. 住在大都市裡有它的好處. 我住台中那四年也有很多美好的回憶. 城市裡的夜晚很熱鬧, 感覺生機蓬勃. 台東則有寧靜的夜晚和我在這裡認識的朋友, 更有悠閒的生活步調. 整體來說, 我可以隨時去台中玩. 但我只想住台東.
2. Me, Thirty Years Ago 三十年前的我 (September 2016)
1. In 1986 the most popular movie was.. 1986年最受歡迎的電影是:
...which I remember seeing in the theater. I was only 11 years old, so of course I loved it. In retrospect it really wasn't very good. 我記得在戲院看這部電影, 我當時只有十一歲, 想當然而地喜愛這部電影, 現在再看, 它並沒有那麼好!
The soundtrack to that movie was also very popular. I remember owning it on cassette tape. I had a friend, Javier, also in my sixth grade class, who could lipsinc to that song "Danger Zone" quite well. 當時這部電影的電影原聲帶很熱門, 我記得自己也有一塊錄音帶, 那時六年級的同班同學Javier可以跟著Danger Zone 對嘴唱得很好.
2. In 1986 the most popular song was... 1986年最受歡迎的歌曲:
...which I also owned on cassette. Of all the songs on that album I can only remember the hit single. The other songs must not have been very good. 我也有這張錄音帶, 整張專輯我只記得這首最受歡迎的歌, 可能是其他的歌曲都不怎麼樣.
3. In 1986 the most popular comic book was probably... 1986年最受歡迎的漫畫書應該是:
...which, if you're not familiar with comic books, features Batman. I was fanatically devoted to this series, and I read each issue over and over and over. 如果你不熟悉漫畫, 那你應該知道蝙蝠俠. 我愛死這套漫畫了,每一集我都是忍不住看了又看.
I bought most of my comic books at Rocket Comics, a small comic book shop about ten blocks from my house. I used to see the owner at all the comic book conventions. 我大部分的漫畫書都是在Rocket Comics買的, 那家漫畫店距離我家大概十條街, 我以前常看到漫畫書店的老闆在各個漫畫書展.
4. In 1986 the most popular video game was probably... 1986年最受歡迎的電動玩具應該是:
...which would mean that this was the "golden age" of the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). 這應該是任天堂的黃金時期.
I was kind of a Sega Master System (SMS) snob, though of course I also owned and loved all the NES games popular at the time. How many hours did my friends and I search for the mythical "purple boomerang" in Zelda? 雖然我也愛和擁有當時所有任天堂受歡迎的遊戲, 但我比較是Sega Master System的擁護者, 我都不知道自己和朋友花了多少小時尋找薩爾達傳說中的"purple boomerang"?
5. In 1986 the second-most popular movie was... 1986年第二熱門的電影是:
...which is laughable because that movie is/was completely terrible. But it was the 80s, we were Americans, and we didn't know s*&t about Australia. 這很好笑, 因為這部電影很差, 但因為當時是80年代, 我們是美國人, 我們不懂任何澳洲的事.
"That's not a knife! That's a knife."
6. In 1986 the second-most popular song was... 1986年第二受歡迎的歌曲是:
...which they played on MTV endlessly. God, Madonna was SO huge in the 80s! I will admit to liking "Borderline," but after that I lost interest in Madonna.這在電視MTV中一直被播送,天啊! 瑪丹娜在80年代是多麼地有名! 我承認喜歡她的Borderline, 但從那之後, 我對她的音樂就沒有興趣了.
Remember when all the media could talk about was Madonna and Sean Penn? If so, you're probably as old as I am! Madonna was so popular that her career survived Shanghai Surprise. 如果你記得當時所有的節目都在談論瑪丹娜和西恩潘, 那你大概年紀和我差不多, 瑪丹娜的名氣讓她的事業在Shanghai Surprise電影之後還存活下來.
7. In 1986 the second-most popular comic book was probably... 在1986年中, 第二受歡迎的漫畫應該是:
...which isn't surprising, because it was great. It was perhaps a little too adult for me at the time, but I knew it was something revolutionary.這並不令人驚訝, 因為它很棒, 它也許對當時的我來說有點太嚴肅了, 但我知道它具革命性.
The only problem with Watchmen was that the later issues were always delayed. I kept going to Rocket Comics expecting the next issue, and was often told that it would be late.守護者的唯一問題是後來都常常延誤出書時間, 我一直去漫畫書店詢問每一期的漫畫, 但常常被告知出書時間延期了.
8. In 1986 the second-most popular video game was probably... 1986年第二受歡迎的電動玩具應該是:
...which I enjoyed far more than Legend of Zelda. There was also another game for the SMS, Zillion, which was very similar. I loved both games, and as a result my grades suffered. 我喜歡銀河戰士遠勝過薩爾達傳說, 當時SMS也有一個非常類似的遊戲Zillion, 二個遊戲我都愛, 所以當年我的學校成績表現就慘了.
...which I remember seeing in the theater. I was only 11 years old, so of course I loved it. In retrospect it really wasn't very good. 我記得在戲院看這部電影, 我當時只有十一歲, 想當然而地喜愛這部電影, 現在再看, 它並沒有那麼好!
The soundtrack to that movie was also very popular. I remember owning it on cassette tape. I had a friend, Javier, also in my sixth grade class, who could lipsinc to that song "Danger Zone" quite well. 當時這部電影的電影原聲帶很熱門, 我記得自己也有一塊錄音帶, 那時六年級的同班同學Javier可以跟著Danger Zone 對嘴唱得很好.
2. In 1986 the most popular song was... 1986年最受歡迎的歌曲:
...which I also owned on cassette. Of all the songs on that album I can only remember the hit single. The other songs must not have been very good. 我也有這張錄音帶, 整張專輯我只記得這首最受歡迎的歌, 可能是其他的歌曲都不怎麼樣.
3. In 1986 the most popular comic book was probably... 1986年最受歡迎的漫畫書應該是:
...which, if you're not familiar with comic books, features Batman. I was fanatically devoted to this series, and I read each issue over and over and over. 如果你不熟悉漫畫, 那你應該知道蝙蝠俠. 我愛死這套漫畫了,每一集我都是忍不住看了又看.
I bought most of my comic books at Rocket Comics, a small comic book shop about ten blocks from my house. I used to see the owner at all the comic book conventions. 我大部分的漫畫書都是在Rocket Comics買的, 那家漫畫店距離我家大概十條街, 我以前常看到漫畫書店的老闆在各個漫畫書展.
4. In 1986 the most popular video game was probably... 1986年最受歡迎的電動玩具應該是:
...which would mean that this was the "golden age" of the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). 這應該是任天堂的黃金時期.
I was kind of a Sega Master System (SMS) snob, though of course I also owned and loved all the NES games popular at the time. How many hours did my friends and I search for the mythical "purple boomerang" in Zelda? 雖然我也愛和擁有當時所有任天堂受歡迎的遊戲, 但我比較是Sega Master System的擁護者, 我都不知道自己和朋友花了多少小時尋找薩爾達傳說中的"purple boomerang"?
5. In 1986 the second-most popular movie was... 1986年第二熱門的電影是:
"That's not a knife! That's a knife."
6. In 1986 the second-most popular song was... 1986年第二受歡迎的歌曲是:
...which they played on MTV endlessly. God, Madonna was SO huge in the 80s! I will admit to liking "Borderline," but after that I lost interest in Madonna.這在電視MTV中一直被播送,天啊! 瑪丹娜在80年代是多麼地有名! 我承認喜歡她的Borderline, 但從那之後, 我對她的音樂就沒有興趣了.
Remember when all the media could talk about was Madonna and Sean Penn? If so, you're probably as old as I am! Madonna was so popular that her career survived Shanghai Surprise. 如果你記得當時所有的節目都在談論瑪丹娜和西恩潘, 那你大概年紀和我差不多, 瑪丹娜的名氣讓她的事業在Shanghai Surprise電影之後還存活下來.
7. In 1986 the second-most popular comic book was probably... 在1986年中, 第二受歡迎的漫畫應該是:
...which isn't surprising, because it was great. It was perhaps a little too adult for me at the time, but I knew it was something revolutionary.這並不令人驚訝, 因為它很棒, 它也許對當時的我來說有點太嚴肅了, 但我知道它具革命性.
The only problem with Watchmen was that the later issues were always delayed. I kept going to Rocket Comics expecting the next issue, and was often told that it would be late.守護者的唯一問題是後來都常常延誤出書時間, 我一直去漫畫書店詢問每一期的漫畫, 但常常被告知出書時間延期了.
8. In 1986 the second-most popular video game was probably... 1986年第二受歡迎的電動玩具應該是:
...which I enjoyed far more than Legend of Zelda. There was also another game for the SMS, Zillion, which was very similar. I loved both games, and as a result my grades suffered. 我喜歡銀河戰士遠勝過薩爾達傳說, 當時SMS也有一個非常類似的遊戲Zillion, 二個遊戲我都愛, 所以當年我的學校成績表現就慘了.
...and 1986 also saw the theatrical release of Platoon, the Karate Kid, Part II, and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. 1986 was also when Europe's "The Final Countdown," Berlin's "Take My Breath Away" (from the Top Gun soundtrack), Europe's "The Final Countdown," and the Pet Shop Boys' "West End Girls" hit the charts. In 1986 comic book shops were also selling The Man of Steel, the Mutant Massacre, and Marvel's New Universe. In 1986 I was also playing Kid Icarus, Alex Kidd in Miracle World, and Out Run. 1986 also saw the appearance of many other things, and in such profusion, that I can't remember them all. 1986年也看了Platoon 前進高棉, the Karate Kid, Part II, and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home 星艦迷航記IV：搶救未來 這幾部片. 也有歐洲合唱團的"The Final Countdown,"柏林樂團的"Take My Breath Away" (出自捍衛戰士原聲帶),寵物店男孩的"West End Girls"受歡迎. 1986年的漫畫店也賣蝙蝠俠對超人:正義曙光 , X戰警:天啟 和漫威漫畫. 1986年的電動玩具我玩Kid Icarus, Alex Kidd in Miracle World 阿歷克斯小子奇幻世界大冒險, and Out Run. 1986年也看了許多其他的作品, 只是我無法一一記住而已.
...but it was a good time, 1986. I was 11 years old, I was in the sixth grade, and it was a good time to be alive. 1986是很好的一年, 我當時11歲, 就讀六年級, 活著真好!
3. Me, Five Years Ago 五年前的我 (September 2016)
Five years ago I was writing this blog! That makes it much easier to remember. 這個blog是我五年前寫的. 這樣比較容易記得!
Back then I was 36 years old, I was living in Taitung, and I was working at Tung Hai Elementary School, where I am still a teacher. 我那時候36歲, 住在台東. 也已經在東海國小教書.
According to my blog, in 2011 I did the following: 根據我的部落格, 我2011年做了這些事:
1. I went to the Taiwan Beer Distillery in Hualien for the first time. 我第一次去花蓮酒廠 .
2. I joined my very first marathon in Kaohsiung. 我第一次參加高雄馬拉松.
3. I wrote the "Sex in Taiwan" entry, which is (by far) the most popular entry ever posted here. It has received 22,000 views over the past five years. 我寫了"Sex in Taiwan"那篇文章. 它是這個部落格最受歡迎的文章. 五年之內有22,000人看過.
4. I went to Taroko Gorge. 我去太魯閣.
5. I was pressured by my wife to apply for a Taiwanese driver's license. I still haven't done it! 我太太給我蠻多壓力, 因為她覺得我應該考台灣汽車駕照. 我還沒有做!
6. I thought a lot about the disaster at Fukushima and Taipower's plans to build more reactors in north Taiwan. (So were a lot of other people.) 我在想福島核災會不會影響到台電在北部再蓋核電廠的計畫. 還有很多人也這麼想!
7. I went back to the States for the summer. I don't remember most of what we did there, but I do remember seeing Captain America: The First Avenger in the theater. 我暑假的時候回美國. 我不記得大部分在那邊做了什麼事, 可是我記得那時候在電影院看了美國隊長.
8. I rode my bike between 60 and 100 km a week. 我每個禮拜騎60到100公里的腳踏車.
9. I learned that our cat had jumped from our seventh floor balcony, breaking both of its back legs. This cat spent the following month trapped in a cage in our living room, and is somehow still alive (and mobile) now. 我發現我們的貓從七樓的陽台跳下去一樓. 牠後面兩隻腿斷掉了. 牠後來在客廳裡的籠子生活一個月. 最驚人的是牠還活著, 也有辦法走路.
10. I joined the Green Island Marathon. That was fun. 我參加綠島馬拉松.
11. I bought a lot of books in Taipei. 我在台北買很多本書.
12. I was, like the rest of Taiwan, worrying about plasticizers and whatever else might be in the food we eat. It was a scary year to eat out. 我跟其他人一樣擔心塑化劑在食物裡面. 那一年在外面吃飯很恐怖.
13. I went to "Janfusan Fancy World" in Yunlin for the first time. I believe that my older daughter had a choir activity in Taitung then, so she didn't go. That was also fun. 我第一次去雲林的劍湖山世界. 那時候我大女兒去參加合唱團的活動, 所以只有妹妹可以跟我們一起去. 很好玩的一天.
14. I bemoaned the lack of Halloween activities in Taitung. Now that my kids are older it doesn't bother me so much. 我覺得台東沒有萬聖節活動好可惜. 我的孩子已經過了那個年紀了, 所以我現在不是很在乎這件事.
15. I attended the "Microsoft Partners in Learning Global Education Forum" with two Taiwanese coworkers in Washington D.C. We were there for about five days, with all expenses paid. The Smithsonian is AWESOME. 我跟兩位同事去華盛頓D.C.參加"Microsoft Partners in Learning Global Education Forum." 我們大約在那裡五天的時間, 不用付交通費, 也不用付飯店的錢. 史密森尼博物館很棒.
16. I had a really rough December when my mom almost drank herself to death. In the end she pulled through, but it was a difficult time for everyone in my family. 我那一年的十二月很難過. 我媽因為喝太多酒的問題差一點就沒命. 她現在沒事, 可是那時候對我家人來說很困難.
17. I read Richard Dawkin's "The Selfish Gene." Good book. 我讀 "自私的基恩" 那本書. 滿好看!
18. I ate a lot of beef noodles. 我吃很多牛肉麵.
19. I drove up the Southern Cross-Island Highway. 我開車去南橫公路.
20. I joined the Taitung Lohas Marathon. 我參加台東樂活馬拉松.
21. I worried about the "opening up" of Taiwan to Mainland Chinese tourists. After Tsai Ying-wen's election, the number of these tourists has gone down dramatically. 我擔心太多大陸客來台這個問題. 蔡英文被選上之後, 大陸客的人數越來越少.
22. I joined the Flowing Lake (now called the Puyuma) Triathlon. That was my first. 我參加活水湖鐵人三項 (現在叫普悠瑪). 是我第一次參加鐵人三項.
23. I ate at the Farmaggio pizza restaurant on Shin Sheng Road a lot. It had just opened. I recently heard that they're going to close. 我去新生路上的Farmaggio披薩很多次. 他們那時候剛開幕. 我最近聽說他們要結束營業.
24. I joined the Beautiful Taitung Triathlon. That was the worst triathlon experience ever. 我也參加了台東之美鐵人三項. 那真是很不好玩的經驗.
And what about you? Where were you in 2011? What were you doing? What were you eating? Where were you working? 那你呢? 你2011年在哪裡? 你那時候在做什麼? 你那時候喜歡吃什麼? 你那時候在哪裡工作?
Back then I was 36 years old, I was living in Taitung, and I was working at Tung Hai Elementary School, where I am still a teacher. 我那時候36歲, 住在台東. 也已經在東海國小教書.
According to my blog, in 2011 I did the following: 根據我的部落格, 我2011年做了這些事:
1. I went to the Taiwan Beer Distillery in Hualien for the first time. 我第一次去花蓮酒廠 .
2. I joined my very first marathon in Kaohsiung. 我第一次參加高雄馬拉松.
3. I wrote the "Sex in Taiwan" entry, which is (by far) the most popular entry ever posted here. It has received 22,000 views over the past five years. 我寫了"Sex in Taiwan"那篇文章. 它是這個部落格最受歡迎的文章. 五年之內有22,000人看過.
4. I went to Taroko Gorge. 我去太魯閣.
5. I was pressured by my wife to apply for a Taiwanese driver's license. I still haven't done it! 我太太給我蠻多壓力, 因為她覺得我應該考台灣汽車駕照. 我還沒有做!
6. I thought a lot about the disaster at Fukushima and Taipower's plans to build more reactors in north Taiwan. (So were a lot of other people.) 我在想福島核災會不會影響到台電在北部再蓋核電廠的計畫. 還有很多人也這麼想!
7. I went back to the States for the summer. I don't remember most of what we did there, but I do remember seeing Captain America: The First Avenger in the theater. 我暑假的時候回美國. 我不記得大部分在那邊做了什麼事, 可是我記得那時候在電影院看了美國隊長.
8. I rode my bike between 60 and 100 km a week. 我每個禮拜騎60到100公里的腳踏車.
9. I learned that our cat had jumped from our seventh floor balcony, breaking both of its back legs. This cat spent the following month trapped in a cage in our living room, and is somehow still alive (and mobile) now. 我發現我們的貓從七樓的陽台跳下去一樓. 牠後面兩隻腿斷掉了. 牠後來在客廳裡的籠子生活一個月. 最驚人的是牠還活著, 也有辦法走路.
10. I joined the Green Island Marathon. That was fun. 我參加綠島馬拉松.
11. I bought a lot of books in Taipei. 我在台北買很多本書.
12. I was, like the rest of Taiwan, worrying about plasticizers and whatever else might be in the food we eat. It was a scary year to eat out. 我跟其他人一樣擔心塑化劑在食物裡面. 那一年在外面吃飯很恐怖.
13. I went to "Janfusan Fancy World" in Yunlin for the first time. I believe that my older daughter had a choir activity in Taitung then, so she didn't go. That was also fun. 我第一次去雲林的劍湖山世界. 那時候我大女兒去參加合唱團的活動, 所以只有妹妹可以跟我們一起去. 很好玩的一天.
14. I bemoaned the lack of Halloween activities in Taitung. Now that my kids are older it doesn't bother me so much. 我覺得台東沒有萬聖節活動好可惜. 我的孩子已經過了那個年紀了, 所以我現在不是很在乎這件事.
15. I attended the "Microsoft Partners in Learning Global Education Forum" with two Taiwanese coworkers in Washington D.C. We were there for about five days, with all expenses paid. The Smithsonian is AWESOME. 我跟兩位同事去華盛頓D.C.參加"Microsoft Partners in Learning Global Education Forum." 我們大約在那裡五天的時間, 不用付交通費, 也不用付飯店的錢. 史密森尼博物館很棒.
16. I had a really rough December when my mom almost drank herself to death. In the end she pulled through, but it was a difficult time for everyone in my family. 我那一年的十二月很難過. 我媽因為喝太多酒的問題差一點就沒命. 她現在沒事, 可是那時候對我家人來說很困難.
17. I read Richard Dawkin's "The Selfish Gene." Good book. 我讀 "自私的基恩" 那本書. 滿好看!
18. I ate a lot of beef noodles. 我吃很多牛肉麵.
19. I drove up the Southern Cross-Island Highway. 我開車去南橫公路.
20. I joined the Taitung Lohas Marathon. 我參加台東樂活馬拉松.
21. I worried about the "opening up" of Taiwan to Mainland Chinese tourists. After Tsai Ying-wen's election, the number of these tourists has gone down dramatically. 我擔心太多大陸客來台這個問題. 蔡英文被選上之後, 大陸客的人數越來越少.
22. I joined the Flowing Lake (now called the Puyuma) Triathlon. That was my first. 我參加活水湖鐵人三項 (現在叫普悠瑪). 是我第一次參加鐵人三項.
23. I ate at the Farmaggio pizza restaurant on Shin Sheng Road a lot. It had just opened. I recently heard that they're going to close. 我去新生路上的Farmaggio披薩很多次. 他們那時候剛開幕. 我最近聽說他們要結束營業.
24. I joined the Beautiful Taitung Triathlon. That was the worst triathlon experience ever. 我也參加了台東之美鐵人三項. 那真是很不好玩的經驗.
And what about you? Where were you in 2011? What were you doing? What were you eating? Where were you working? 那你呢? 你2011年在哪裡? 你那時候在做什麼? 你那時候喜歡吃什麼? 你那時候在哪裡工作?
4. Me, Thirty-Five Years Ago 三十五年前的我 (September 2016)
In 1981 I was six years old. I was living with my mother in West Seattle. My father had just left us, and I think my mother was working in a mail room somewhere. 1981年的時候我六歲, 跟媽媽一起住在西雅圖的西區. 我爸爸剛離開我們. 我媽媽應該是在一個郵件收發室上班.
My memory of that time is very hazy. This is to be expected, as I was only six years old. If I think very hard, I can remember a few details, but nothing very important. 我忘記很多那個時候的事情了. 當然忘記了; 我那時候才六歲. 如果我努力回想, 可以想起一些細節, 只是都不是很重要的事情.
I was a student at Cooper Elementary School, which was not far from the house where we lived. I can remember visiting a book fair there, and being fascinated by a book about aliens. I opened the book to a page featuring the "men in black," and wondered why they would choose to live in the center of the Earth. Wasn't it hot down there? 我那時候在Cooper國小就學. 那國小離我們家不遠. 我記得那時候去了學校書展, 找到一本關於外星人的書. 我打開書中的一頁是介紹 "黑衣人" , 當時覺得很奇怪, 他們為什麼要住在地心? 住在那裏不會很熱嗎?
I also remember running around the school playground, with a friend whose name I can't recall. There were a bunch of girls chasing us. At one point they surrounded us, and then decided to lift up their skirts. Why they chose to do this we had no idea. 我也記得在操場跑來跑去, 跟一位我忘了名字的同學玩. 還有一群女同學在追我們兩個. 她們抓到我們的時候, 把裙子拉上來, 給我們看內褲. 我們那時候搞不懂她們為什麼要這麼做.
There was a park near Cooper Elementary. In the park there was some kind of community center, and on Halloween the community center set up a haunted house made of cardboard boxes. I remember being scared when I was inside. 我的國小附近有一座公園. 公園裡有一棟社區中心. 萬聖節的時候社區中心的人用很多盒子做一個小鬼屋. 我記得鬼屋裡面很可怕.
There were also these neighbor boys. I think they were in high school. They kept sitting on my mom's car. I have no idea why, but I remember this being a problem. 還有住在我們家附近的那些男生. 他們大概是高中生. 他們很喜歡坐在我媽的車上面. 我不知道原因, 可是我記得這是一件令人頭痛的事情.
Which reminds me that my mom drove a yellow Opel. This yellow Opel didn't have power steering, and I can still remember the smell of the leather seats. If you've never driven a car without power steering, let me tell you that it's a lot of work. 這件事也讓我想起那時候我媽媽開一輛黃色歐寶的車. 那輛歐寶的車沒有動力方向盤. 我還記得車裡真皮座椅的味道. 我跟你講, 開沒有動力方向盤的車很累!
And there was my mother's good friend, Barbara, who lived in a house next door to us. I was friends with Barbara's daughter, Trudy. Sometimes Trudy and I would sit on the front steps of her house, and Trudy would eat their dog's food from a big bag. I asked her why she wanted to do this, but I don't remember her answer. 還有我媽媽的好朋友Barbara. 她住在我們隔壁. 我跟Barbara的女兒Trudy是朋友. 有時候我跟Trudy會坐在他們家門前的樓梯, 然後Trudy會吃他們家狗的乾飼料. 我問過她為什麼要做這種事, 可是我忘記她的回答了.
Around that time I discovered an extremely explicit centerfold under a bush near our house. I recall feeling very confused by the woman's genitals. I brought the centerfold back home, and asked my mom about it. She grew very embarrassed, and threw it in the trash. 那時候我也發現家附近的小樹下有一張 "什麼都可看的到" 的成人雜誌照片. 我看到圖中小姐的秘密地方, 也覺得很好奇. 我把雜誌照片帶回家, 問我媽媽一些健康教育問題, 可是我媽媽覺得很丟臉, 就把照片丟掉了.
In the summer of that year, my mom drove me down to a diner in southern Washington state, and from that diner my grandmother picked me up, and took me down to her house in Bay City, Oregon. I spent my summers in Bay City until I was out of elementary school. 那一年暑假, 我媽開車帶我去華盛頓州的南部, 然後我外婆在那邊的一家餐廳接我. 她帶我去她俄勒岡州灣城的家, 那後我在那裡過暑假. 直到我念國中的時候我們暑假都這樣子.
Later I met my stepdad for the first time. I remember thinking that he was the kindest man I'd ever met. He was sitting in our living room, and my mom was telling me that we were going to live in his house. I was also going to have a new stepbrother, Jeff. I was ok with all of these things. 之後沒多久, 我第一次跟我繼父見面. 我記得我想著他是世界上最善良的人. 他坐在我們的客廳, 然後我媽跟我說我們兩個要去住在他家. 我也會有一個新弟弟叫Jeff. 我記得那時候完全同意這件事情.
I called him "Tom" back then. It's funny to think about now. 我那時候叫他 "Tom." 現在想想蠻好笑的.
I remember having a lot of T-shirts with their own slogans. Things like "My Mom Loves Me... I'm an Angel!" and crap like that. I suppose I only wore them because my mom liked them. 我記得那時候我有很多 "標語" 的T恤. T恤上的 "標語" 是 "我媽媽愛我... 我是個天使!" 那種話. 我穿那種T恤的原因應該是我媽很喜歡.
That's about it. Like I say, I was six. 我那時候留下來的回憶差不多這樣子. 我才六歲而已.
If you look up 1981 on Wikipedia, you'll also discover that Raiders of the Lost Ark was the biggest movie, "Bette Davis Eyes" was the biggest song, Frogger debuted in the video arcades, and John Byrne was probably the biggest name in comics. Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan were Presidents of the U.S., and Chiang Ching-kuo was President of Taiwan. 如果用維基百科找1981年的事, 你會發現那一年 "法櫃奇兵" 是最受歡迎的電影, "Bette Davis Eyes"是最受歡迎的歌曲, "青蛙過河" 是最受歡迎的電動玩具, 還有John Byrne是最受歡迎的漫畫家. 卡特跟雷根是當時的美國總統, 還有蔣經國在台灣當總統.
But of course I don't remember any of those things. I was only six, after all. 當然我不記得那些事情. 我才六歲!
My memory of that time is very hazy. This is to be expected, as I was only six years old. If I think very hard, I can remember a few details, but nothing very important. 我忘記很多那個時候的事情了. 當然忘記了; 我那時候才六歲. 如果我努力回想, 可以想起一些細節, 只是都不是很重要的事情.
I was a student at Cooper Elementary School, which was not far from the house where we lived. I can remember visiting a book fair there, and being fascinated by a book about aliens. I opened the book to a page featuring the "men in black," and wondered why they would choose to live in the center of the Earth. Wasn't it hot down there? 我那時候在Cooper國小就學. 那國小離我們家不遠. 我記得那時候去了學校書展, 找到一本關於外星人的書. 我打開書中的一頁是介紹 "黑衣人" , 當時覺得很奇怪, 他們為什麼要住在地心? 住在那裏不會很熱嗎?
I also remember running around the school playground, with a friend whose name I can't recall. There were a bunch of girls chasing us. At one point they surrounded us, and then decided to lift up their skirts. Why they chose to do this we had no idea. 我也記得在操場跑來跑去, 跟一位我忘了名字的同學玩. 還有一群女同學在追我們兩個. 她們抓到我們的時候, 把裙子拉上來, 給我們看內褲. 我們那時候搞不懂她們為什麼要這麼做.
There was a park near Cooper Elementary. In the park there was some kind of community center, and on Halloween the community center set up a haunted house made of cardboard boxes. I remember being scared when I was inside. 我的國小附近有一座公園. 公園裡有一棟社區中心. 萬聖節的時候社區中心的人用很多盒子做一個小鬼屋. 我記得鬼屋裡面很可怕.
There were also these neighbor boys. I think they were in high school. They kept sitting on my mom's car. I have no idea why, but I remember this being a problem. 還有住在我們家附近的那些男生. 他們大概是高中生. 他們很喜歡坐在我媽的車上面. 我不知道原因, 可是我記得這是一件令人頭痛的事情.
Which reminds me that my mom drove a yellow Opel. This yellow Opel didn't have power steering, and I can still remember the smell of the leather seats. If you've never driven a car without power steering, let me tell you that it's a lot of work. 這件事也讓我想起那時候我媽媽開一輛黃色歐寶的車. 那輛歐寶的車沒有動力方向盤. 我還記得車裡真皮座椅的味道. 我跟你講, 開沒有動力方向盤的車很累!
And there was my mother's good friend, Barbara, who lived in a house next door to us. I was friends with Barbara's daughter, Trudy. Sometimes Trudy and I would sit on the front steps of her house, and Trudy would eat their dog's food from a big bag. I asked her why she wanted to do this, but I don't remember her answer. 還有我媽媽的好朋友Barbara. 她住在我們隔壁. 我跟Barbara的女兒Trudy是朋友. 有時候我跟Trudy會坐在他們家門前的樓梯, 然後Trudy會吃他們家狗的乾飼料. 我問過她為什麼要做這種事, 可是我忘記她的回答了.
Around that time I discovered an extremely explicit centerfold under a bush near our house. I recall feeling very confused by the woman's genitals. I brought the centerfold back home, and asked my mom about it. She grew very embarrassed, and threw it in the trash. 那時候我也發現家附近的小樹下有一張 "什麼都可看的到" 的成人雜誌照片. 我看到圖中小姐的秘密地方, 也覺得很好奇. 我把雜誌照片帶回家, 問我媽媽一些健康教育問題, 可是我媽媽覺得很丟臉, 就把照片丟掉了.
In the summer of that year, my mom drove me down to a diner in southern Washington state, and from that diner my grandmother picked me up, and took me down to her house in Bay City, Oregon. I spent my summers in Bay City until I was out of elementary school. 那一年暑假, 我媽開車帶我去華盛頓州的南部, 然後我外婆在那邊的一家餐廳接我. 她帶我去她俄勒岡州灣城的家, 那後我在那裡過暑假. 直到我念國中的時候我們暑假都這樣子.
Later I met my stepdad for the first time. I remember thinking that he was the kindest man I'd ever met. He was sitting in our living room, and my mom was telling me that we were going to live in his house. I was also going to have a new stepbrother, Jeff. I was ok with all of these things. 之後沒多久, 我第一次跟我繼父見面. 我記得我想著他是世界上最善良的人. 他坐在我們的客廳, 然後我媽跟我說我們兩個要去住在他家. 我也會有一個新弟弟叫Jeff. 我記得那時候完全同意這件事情.
I called him "Tom" back then. It's funny to think about now. 我那時候叫他 "Tom." 現在想想蠻好笑的.
I remember having a lot of T-shirts with their own slogans. Things like "My Mom Loves Me... I'm an Angel!" and crap like that. I suppose I only wore them because my mom liked them. 我記得那時候我有很多 "標語" 的T恤. T恤上的 "標語" 是 "我媽媽愛我... 我是個天使!" 那種話. 我穿那種T恤的原因應該是我媽很喜歡.
That's about it. Like I say, I was six. 我那時候留下來的回憶差不多這樣子. 我才六歲而已.
If you look up 1981 on Wikipedia, you'll also discover that Raiders of the Lost Ark was the biggest movie, "Bette Davis Eyes" was the biggest song, Frogger debuted in the video arcades, and John Byrne was probably the biggest name in comics. Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan were Presidents of the U.S., and Chiang Ching-kuo was President of Taiwan. 如果用維基百科找1981年的事, 你會發現那一年 "法櫃奇兵" 是最受歡迎的電影, "Bette Davis Eyes"是最受歡迎的歌曲, "青蛙過河" 是最受歡迎的電動玩具, 還有John Byrne是最受歡迎的漫畫家. 卡特跟雷根是當時的美國總統, 還有蔣經國在台灣當總統.
But of course I don't remember any of those things. I was only six, after all. 當然我不記得那些事情. 我才六歲!
5. Me, Now 現在的我 (September 2016)
1. What's your name? 你叫什麼名字?
My name? Well, if you know me, then you know my name. If you don't know me, you might be able to use the Internet to find out. If you aren't able to use the Internet to find out, maybe you can guess. If you can't guess, maybe you can ask a friend to help you find out. If you don't have any friends, perhaps you and I can be friends one day. 我的名字? 如果你認識我, 你應該知道我的名字. 如果你不認識我, 你應該可以使用網路找到我的名字. 如果你不能利用網路找到, 或許你可以猜猜看. 如果你猜不到的話, 你可以找朋友幫忙. 如果你沒有朋友的話, 也許我們兩個人以後有機會當朋友.
2. What's your address? 你的地址是什麼?
It will be obvious from this blog that I live in Taiwan. It will also be obvious that I live in Taitung, on the east coast. If you research a little further, you'll discover that I live in an apartment building, and that I work in a public elementary school. Taitung isn't that big. You can probably find me if you try. 從這個部落格就知道我住在台灣. 我住在東海岸的台東也很明顯. 如果你再多留心一點的話, 你會發現我住在一棟公寓大樓裡面, 在公立國小上班. 台東很小. 找到我應該沒問題.
3. What's your phone number? 你的電話幾號?
I thought you already had my phone number. Why haven't you called? I've been waiting and waiting! 我以為你已經有我的電話. 你為甚麼沒打電話給我? 我等很久了!
4. Where are you from? 你從哪裡來?
I am from Seattle. Seattle is a city in Washington State. Washington State is one of the fifty states that comprise the United States of America. The United States of America is one of 197 countries in the world, or 193 if you only count countries that are members of the United Nations. 我從西雅圖來的. 西雅圖在華盛頓州. 華盛頓州是美國50州的其中一個. 美國是世界上197個國家中的一個, 或是聯合國193個國家的其中一個.
Taiwan, sadly, is no longer a member of the United Nations. 很可惜台灣不是聯合國的國家之一.
5.Where's the cat? 貓在哪裡?
The cat is in my apartment. It's sleeping. Please don't bother it. It's had a long day. 我的貓在我的公寓裡面. 牠在睡覺. 請你不要把牠吵醒了. 牠很累.
6. What are you doing? 你在做什麼?
Right now I am typing. I am also drinking coffee. In about one hour I will go teach a class. About two hours after that I will eat lunch. After lunch I will teach another class. After I teach the second class I will probably be typing this again. At 4:30 I will teach a class at the Taitung County Government building. Then I will go home. Then I will eat dinner. Then I will watch a movie. Then I will go to bed. Good night. 我正在打字喝咖啡. 我一個小時後要上課, 上完課後兩個小時要吃午餐. 午餐後我還要上一節課. 教完課後大概繼續打字. 我4:30的時候要去台東縣政府那邊多上一節課. 然後我回家,吃晚餐, 看電影. 那之後我去睡覺. 晚安.
7. Are you busy? 你在忙嗎?
Right now? No, not really. I will be much busier tomorrow. 現在嗎? 不是很忙. 我明天會比較忙.
8. Are you tall or short? 你是高的還是矮的?
Most Taiwanese people would say that I am tall. I have some foreign friends, however, who would say that my height is average. I don't think anyone would think of me as short. 大部分的臺灣人會說我很高, 可是我有一些外國朋友會說我的身高普通. 不會有人覺得我很矮吧.
9. Are you young or old? 你年輕還是年紀大?
At 41, I don't think of myself as young. But I'm not old yet - I can still get around pretty well. 41歲的我不算什麼年輕人, 可是我還沒到年紀大的時候. 我的身體還是很健康.
Most Taiwanese people would try to be very polite and tell me that I am young, but I don't tend to believe them. 很多台灣人很有禮貌地跟我說我還是很年輕, 可是我不相信這種話.
My opinion? If you think 41 is old, you probably haven't gotten there yet. If you think 41 is young, you're probably older than 41. If you're telling someone they're old or young, you're probably either trying to either make yourself feel better, or them feel worse. 我的意見? 你如果覺得41歲很老的話, 你大概還沒到這個年齡. 如果你覺得41歲很年輕的話, 你大概過了這個年齡. 你如果跟別人說他們年老還是年輕, 原因大概是想讓自己舒服一點, 或是讓他們的心情差一點.
10. Are you fat or thin? 你很胖還是很瘦?
Some guys were joking about me being "fat" the other day, so I must be thin. I think compared to a lot of guys my age I'm in good shape. 某天我的朋友們開玩笑說我"胖", 所以我大概是瘦的. 跟同年齡的男人比, 我的身材是不錯的.
11. Who is she? 她是誰?
I don't know who she is. You'll have to be more specific. The only female in the office right now is one of our school's English teachers. 我不知道她是誰. 你要再具體一點. 目前在辦公室的女人只有我們學校的英文老師.
12. Where's the restaurant? 餐廳在哪裡?
Which restaurant? My favorite restaurant? My favorite Western restaurant is the Dulan Diner in Dulan. My favorite Chinese restaurant is the He Nan Wei on Shin Sheng Road. I also like the Chen Hong Shin Pork Noodle restaurant on Chuan Guang Road. 哪一家餐廳? 我最喜歡的餐廳嗎? 我最喜歡的西式餐廳是都蘭那邊的都蘭食堂. 我最喜歡的中國餐廳是新生路上的河南味. 我也很喜歡傳廣路上的陳紅心豬肉麵店.
13. Excuse me, I'm looking for a shirt. 不好意思. 我在找襯衫.
Then I think you should go to Uniqlo. That's where I buy most of my shirts. Or you could go to Giordano, or Hang Ten, or any of those other ones. I don't really buy clothes anymore. Maybe I should? 那你要去Uniqlo吧. 我在那裡買大部分的襯衫. 你也可以去Giordano, 還是Hang Ten, 還是其他的地方. 我最近很少買衣服. 可能我應該多買幾件衣服.
14. What languages do you speak? 你會講什麼語言?
I speak English and Mandarin. I can understand a little bit of Taiwanese and German. The Taiwanese is from listening to my wife's relatives' drunken conversations on Chinese New Year. The German is from studying it in high school. I can't speak Taiwanese or German well though. Never got the practice. 我會講英文跟國語. 台語跟德文知道一點點. 我懂一點台語的原因是以前跟太太的家人過中國新年. 我懂一點德文的原因是我在高中的時候學過. 其實我不大會講台語或是德文. 我的練習不夠.
15. What do you do every day? 你每天做什麼?
Monday to Friday I go to work. I run on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I usually go bicycling on Saturday mornings, and swimming on Sunday mornings. On Friday and Saturday evenings I enjoy beer. Lately I watch more movies than I read books, though this may change at any time. 禮拜一到禮拜五是我的上班日. 我禮拜二跟禮拜四去跑步. 通常禮拜六早上騎單車, 禮拜日去游泳. 我禮拜五, 六晚上喜歡喝啤酒. 我最近看比較多的電影, 看比較少的書, 可是這個狀況隨時會改變.
16. What kind of movies do you like? 你喜歡哪一種電影?
For me, nothing beats a good horror movie. But good horror movies are hard to find. I watch all the superhero movies, though I have to say they've been about 50/50 this year. Lately I've been watching a lot of movies from the 1970s. The last good movie I saw was All the President's Men, from 1976. 我超喜歡好看的恐怖電影. 可是好看的恐佈電影很難得. 我看過所有的超人電影, 可是今年的超人電影只有一半是好看的. 我最近看很多1970年代的電影. 我覺得1976年的 "大陰謀" 滿好看.
17. Who's your favorite movie star? 你最喜歡的影星是誰?
That's a tough one. Maybe Sean Connery, but he's been in a lot of bad movies. Or maybe Idris Elba. Or Charlize Theron? I'd have to think about that some more. I'll get back to you. 這個問題很難. 有可能是史恩·康納萊, 可是他也出現在很多很差的電影裡. 有可能是伊卓瑞斯·艾巴, 還是莎莉·賽隆. 這個問題我還要再想想. 以後再跟你講.
18. What kind of books do you like? 你喜歡哪一種書?
If we're talking about fiction, my favorite genre is science fiction, hands-down. If it's non-fiction, I like books about space, books about space travel, books about time travel, books about quantum mechanics, books about Taiwan's animals, books about Taiwan's plants, books about Taiwan's history, books about magic/witchcraft, books about economics, books about comic books, books about ancient history, or books about strange religions. If I'm reading in Chinese, I prefer topics that are both more "local" and more "serious." If I'm reading in English, I prefer books that are strange. 如果是小說的話, 我最喜歡的是科幻小說. 如果是非小說類的書, 我喜歡的主題包括外太空, 太空旅行, 時間旅行, 量子力學, 臺灣野生動物, 臺灣植物, 臺灣歷史, 魔法, 經濟, 漫畫, 古代歷史和奇奇怪怪的宗教. 我看中文書的時候喜歡比較 "當地的" 和比較 "嚴肅" 的題材. 如果看英文書, 我喜歡奇怪的內容.
19. What kind of sports do you like? 你喜歡哪一些運動?
My favorite sport to watch is American football. I also used to watch a lot of road cycling when I had cable. I enjoy taking in a baseball or soccer game, too. Not fond of basketball. 我最喜歡看的運動就是美式足球. 我以前有MOD的時候也很喜歡看單車比賽. 看棒球還是足球也不錯. 我不喜歡看籃球.
My favorite sport to play? Soccer can be fun. I run, swim, and bike a fair amount, so of course I enjoy those activities most of the time. I know a lot of guys who are into surfing, and I like attempting that sport, but I am an exceedingly poor surfer. 我最喜歡玩什麼運動? 足球不錯. 我通常跑步, 游泳, 還有騎單車, 所以我當然喜歡這些運動. 我有很多朋友喜歡衝浪. 我也喜歡這麼做, 可是我的技術很爛.
20. Do you usually wash your car on Saturday? 你通常在禮拜六的時候洗車嗎?
No, I never wash our car. I barely drive the thing. My wife uses it to drive back and forth to Guanshan every day, so it's usually just me and my bike. I really don't care if that thing's clean or not. If it works, great. If it's dirty, it's not a problem for me. 不. 我不洗我們的車. 我很少開它. 我太太每天利用它到關山, 我通常騎單車. 我不在乎車子是髒的還是乾淨的. 可以開就好了. 它很髒也沒有關係.
My name? Well, if you know me, then you know my name. If you don't know me, you might be able to use the Internet to find out. If you aren't able to use the Internet to find out, maybe you can guess. If you can't guess, maybe you can ask a friend to help you find out. If you don't have any friends, perhaps you and I can be friends one day. 我的名字? 如果你認識我, 你應該知道我的名字. 如果你不認識我, 你應該可以使用網路找到我的名字. 如果你不能利用網路找到, 或許你可以猜猜看. 如果你猜不到的話, 你可以找朋友幫忙. 如果你沒有朋友的話, 也許我們兩個人以後有機會當朋友.
2. What's your address? 你的地址是什麼?
It will be obvious from this blog that I live in Taiwan. It will also be obvious that I live in Taitung, on the east coast. If you research a little further, you'll discover that I live in an apartment building, and that I work in a public elementary school. Taitung isn't that big. You can probably find me if you try. 從這個部落格就知道我住在台灣. 我住在東海岸的台東也很明顯. 如果你再多留心一點的話, 你會發現我住在一棟公寓大樓裡面, 在公立國小上班. 台東很小. 找到我應該沒問題.
3. What's your phone number? 你的電話幾號?
I thought you already had my phone number. Why haven't you called? I've been waiting and waiting! 我以為你已經有我的電話. 你為甚麼沒打電話給我? 我等很久了!
4. Where are you from? 你從哪裡來?
I am from Seattle. Seattle is a city in Washington State. Washington State is one of the fifty states that comprise the United States of America. The United States of America is one of 197 countries in the world, or 193 if you only count countries that are members of the United Nations. 我從西雅圖來的. 西雅圖在華盛頓州. 華盛頓州是美國50州的其中一個. 美國是世界上197個國家中的一個, 或是聯合國193個國家的其中一個.
Taiwan, sadly, is no longer a member of the United Nations. 很可惜台灣不是聯合國的國家之一.
5.Where's the cat? 貓在哪裡?
The cat is in my apartment. It's sleeping. Please don't bother it. It's had a long day. 我的貓在我的公寓裡面. 牠在睡覺. 請你不要把牠吵醒了. 牠很累.
6. What are you doing? 你在做什麼?
Right now I am typing. I am also drinking coffee. In about one hour I will go teach a class. About two hours after that I will eat lunch. After lunch I will teach another class. After I teach the second class I will probably be typing this again. At 4:30 I will teach a class at the Taitung County Government building. Then I will go home. Then I will eat dinner. Then I will watch a movie. Then I will go to bed. Good night. 我正在打字喝咖啡. 我一個小時後要上課, 上完課後兩個小時要吃午餐. 午餐後我還要上一節課. 教完課後大概繼續打字. 我4:30的時候要去台東縣政府那邊多上一節課. 然後我回家,吃晚餐, 看電影. 那之後我去睡覺. 晚安.
7. Are you busy? 你在忙嗎?
Right now? No, not really. I will be much busier tomorrow. 現在嗎? 不是很忙. 我明天會比較忙.
8. Are you tall or short? 你是高的還是矮的?
Most Taiwanese people would say that I am tall. I have some foreign friends, however, who would say that my height is average. I don't think anyone would think of me as short. 大部分的臺灣人會說我很高, 可是我有一些外國朋友會說我的身高普通. 不會有人覺得我很矮吧.
9. Are you young or old? 你年輕還是年紀大?
At 41, I don't think of myself as young. But I'm not old yet - I can still get around pretty well. 41歲的我不算什麼年輕人, 可是我還沒到年紀大的時候. 我的身體還是很健康.
Most Taiwanese people would try to be very polite and tell me that I am young, but I don't tend to believe them. 很多台灣人很有禮貌地跟我說我還是很年輕, 可是我不相信這種話.
My opinion? If you think 41 is old, you probably haven't gotten there yet. If you think 41 is young, you're probably older than 41. If you're telling someone they're old or young, you're probably either trying to either make yourself feel better, or them feel worse. 我的意見? 你如果覺得41歲很老的話, 你大概還沒到這個年齡. 如果你覺得41歲很年輕的話, 你大概過了這個年齡. 你如果跟別人說他們年老還是年輕, 原因大概是想讓自己舒服一點, 或是讓他們的心情差一點.
10. Are you fat or thin? 你很胖還是很瘦?
Some guys were joking about me being "fat" the other day, so I must be thin. I think compared to a lot of guys my age I'm in good shape. 某天我的朋友們開玩笑說我"胖", 所以我大概是瘦的. 跟同年齡的男人比, 我的身材是不錯的.
11. Who is she? 她是誰?
I don't know who she is. You'll have to be more specific. The only female in the office right now is one of our school's English teachers. 我不知道她是誰. 你要再具體一點. 目前在辦公室的女人只有我們學校的英文老師.
12. Where's the restaurant? 餐廳在哪裡?
Which restaurant? My favorite restaurant? My favorite Western restaurant is the Dulan Diner in Dulan. My favorite Chinese restaurant is the He Nan Wei on Shin Sheng Road. I also like the Chen Hong Shin Pork Noodle restaurant on Chuan Guang Road. 哪一家餐廳? 我最喜歡的餐廳嗎? 我最喜歡的西式餐廳是都蘭那邊的都蘭食堂. 我最喜歡的中國餐廳是新生路上的河南味. 我也很喜歡傳廣路上的陳紅心豬肉麵店.
Then I think you should go to Uniqlo. That's where I buy most of my shirts. Or you could go to Giordano, or Hang Ten, or any of those other ones. I don't really buy clothes anymore. Maybe I should? 那你要去Uniqlo吧. 我在那裡買大部分的襯衫. 你也可以去Giordano, 還是Hang Ten, 還是其他的地方. 我最近很少買衣服. 可能我應該多買幾件衣服.
14. What languages do you speak? 你會講什麼語言?
I speak English and Mandarin. I can understand a little bit of Taiwanese and German. The Taiwanese is from listening to my wife's relatives' drunken conversations on Chinese New Year. The German is from studying it in high school. I can't speak Taiwanese or German well though. Never got the practice. 我會講英文跟國語. 台語跟德文知道一點點. 我懂一點台語的原因是以前跟太太的家人過中國新年. 我懂一點德文的原因是我在高中的時候學過. 其實我不大會講台語或是德文. 我的練習不夠.
15. What do you do every day? 你每天做什麼?
Monday to Friday I go to work. I run on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I usually go bicycling on Saturday mornings, and swimming on Sunday mornings. On Friday and Saturday evenings I enjoy beer. Lately I watch more movies than I read books, though this may change at any time. 禮拜一到禮拜五是我的上班日. 我禮拜二跟禮拜四去跑步. 通常禮拜六早上騎單車, 禮拜日去游泳. 我禮拜五, 六晚上喜歡喝啤酒. 我最近看比較多的電影, 看比較少的書, 可是這個狀況隨時會改變.
16. What kind of movies do you like? 你喜歡哪一種電影?
For me, nothing beats a good horror movie. But good horror movies are hard to find. I watch all the superhero movies, though I have to say they've been about 50/50 this year. Lately I've been watching a lot of movies from the 1970s. The last good movie I saw was All the President's Men, from 1976. 我超喜歡好看的恐怖電影. 可是好看的恐佈電影很難得. 我看過所有的超人電影, 可是今年的超人電影只有一半是好看的. 我最近看很多1970年代的電影. 我覺得1976年的 "大陰謀" 滿好看.
17. Who's your favorite movie star? 你最喜歡的影星是誰?
That's a tough one. Maybe Sean Connery, but he's been in a lot of bad movies. Or maybe Idris Elba. Or Charlize Theron? I'd have to think about that some more. I'll get back to you. 這個問題很難. 有可能是史恩·康納萊, 可是他也出現在很多很差的電影裡. 有可能是伊卓瑞斯·艾巴, 還是莎莉·賽隆. 這個問題我還要再想想. 以後再跟你講.
18. What kind of books do you like? 你喜歡哪一種書?
If we're talking about fiction, my favorite genre is science fiction, hands-down. If it's non-fiction, I like books about space, books about space travel, books about time travel, books about quantum mechanics, books about Taiwan's animals, books about Taiwan's plants, books about Taiwan's history, books about magic/witchcraft, books about economics, books about comic books, books about ancient history, or books about strange religions. If I'm reading in Chinese, I prefer topics that are both more "local" and more "serious." If I'm reading in English, I prefer books that are strange. 如果是小說的話, 我最喜歡的是科幻小說. 如果是非小說類的書, 我喜歡的主題包括外太空, 太空旅行, 時間旅行, 量子力學, 臺灣野生動物, 臺灣植物, 臺灣歷史, 魔法, 經濟, 漫畫, 古代歷史和奇奇怪怪的宗教. 我看中文書的時候喜歡比較 "當地的" 和比較 "嚴肅" 的題材. 如果看英文書, 我喜歡奇怪的內容.
19. What kind of sports do you like? 你喜歡哪一些運動?
My favorite sport to watch is American football. I also used to watch a lot of road cycling when I had cable. I enjoy taking in a baseball or soccer game, too. Not fond of basketball. 我最喜歡看的運動就是美式足球. 我以前有MOD的時候也很喜歡看單車比賽. 看棒球還是足球也不錯. 我不喜歡看籃球.
My favorite sport to play? Soccer can be fun. I run, swim, and bike a fair amount, so of course I enjoy those activities most of the time. I know a lot of guys who are into surfing, and I like attempting that sport, but I am an exceedingly poor surfer. 我最喜歡玩什麼運動? 足球不錯. 我通常跑步, 游泳, 還有騎單車, 所以我當然喜歡這些運動. 我有很多朋友喜歡衝浪. 我也喜歡這麼做, 可是我的技術很爛.
20. Do you usually wash your car on Saturday? 你通常在禮拜六的時候洗車嗎?
No, I never wash our car. I barely drive the thing. My wife uses it to drive back and forth to Guanshan every day, so it's usually just me and my bike. I really don't care if that thing's clean or not. If it works, great. If it's dirty, it's not a problem for me. 不. 我不洗我們的車. 我很少開它. 我太太每天利用它到關山, 我通常騎單車. 我不在乎車子是髒的還是乾淨的. 可以開就好了. 它很髒也沒有關係.
6. Me, Forty (One) Years Ago 四十一年前的我 (October 2016)
Before I turned 36,
36歲前
36歲前
visited Taroko,
去太魯閣
去太魯閣
or joined a marathon,
或是參加馬拉松
或是參加馬拉松
Before I turned 32,
32歲前
32歲前
lived in Taichung,
住在台中
住在台中
or taught at Tung Hai,
或在東海國中教書
或在東海國中教書
Before I turned 26,
還沒26歲
還沒26歲
had a kid,
當爸爸
當爸爸
or came to Taiwan,
或是來台灣
或是來台灣
Before I turned 21,
21歲前
21歲前
finished high school,
我高中畢業
我高中畢業
or worked at UPS,
或在UPS上班
或在UPS上班
Before I turned 16,
在我還沒16歲時
在我還沒16歲時
read books,
看書
看書
or fell in love,
或戀愛
或戀愛
Before I turned 11,
11歲前
11歲前
watched Top Gun,
看捍衛戰士
看捍衛戰士
or played Metroid,
或玩銀河戰士
或玩銀河戰士
Before I turned 6,
六歲前
六歲前
discovered porn,
發現成人雜誌照片
發現成人雜誌照片
or lived in West Seattle,
或住在西雅圖西區
或住在西雅圖西區
Before all of that,
在這些事之前
在這些事之前
I was just a tiny baby,
我只是個小寶寶
我只是個小寶寶
And I don't remember.
而且不記得任何事.
而且不記得任何事.
7. Me, Years From Now 幾年以後的我 (October 2016)
5 years from now, after everyone in Taiwan realizes how awesome I am, they'll erect a giant statue in my honor. 五年後, 每個台灣人都會知道我多棒, 然後他們會用高大的雕像紀念我.
They'll build this statue on top of Li Yu Mountain, and it will be the eighth wonder of the world. You'll be able to see it from Green Island, Orchid Island, and even Cheng Gong. 他們會把雕像建立在鯉魚山上, 那也會成為世界第八大奇蹟. 你可以從綠島, 蘭嶼, 甚至成功看到它.
10 years from now, they'll proclaim January 14th to be "National Adam Day." 十年之後, 政府會宣布一月十四日為 "國立亞當日."
And on that day, no one will have to work, or do anything they find unpleasant. On that day pizza, my favorite food, will be free for all. And it'll be illegal to put shrimp on any pizza, anywhere in Taiwan. 那一天大家不用上班, 也不用做他們不喜歡做的事. 那一天我最喜歡的食物披薩將是免費的. 那一天在台灣放蝦子在披薩上會是違法的事情.
20 years from now, they'll put my picture on Taiwan's money. 二十年之後, 我的照片會在台幣上出現.
Sun Yat-sen will still be on the 100 NT note, but I'll have my arm around his shoulder - like we're best buddies. Those baseball guys will still be on the 500 NT note, but they'll be giving me a high-five. The mikado pheasants will still be on the 1000 NT note, but I'll be cooking them, at a really fun-looking barbecue. 孫中山還會在100元上, 可是照片上我很親切的用一隻手搭著他的肩. 那些打棒球的人還在500元上, 可是他們都跟我舉手擊掌. 帝雉也還在1000元上, 只是我很開心的烤著牠們.
40 years from now, Taiwan will have a colony on the moon. 四十年之後, 台灣在月球上會有一個殖民地.
By then I'll be very old, but I'll still be very spry. I'll be living in Taitung, in a nice but small house overlooking the ocean. One day I'll receive an invitation to visit Taiwan's moon colony, and I'll happily accept it. 那時候我將很老了, 我還是很會運動. 我將會住在台東, 住在海邊的小房子. 有一天會收到臺灣政府寄給我的請帖請我去月球. 我會很高興的接受這邀請.
Then I'll have many adventures, in this solar system and in others. 然後我會在這個太陽系和其他太陽系展開冒險.
Until one day, while visiting the planet Taiwan in a distant star system, I'll meet a scientist who has invented a real, working time machine. This time machine won't transmit anyone physically through time, but using a person's DNA, it will transmit their consciousness backwards through time to one of their ancestor's bodies. The ancestor's consciousness will be sent forward in time, to the other host body in the future.* 直到有一天, 我的旅程去到一個遙遠的太陽系的 "台灣星" 的時候. 我會在那裏碰到一位時光機器的發明者, 他的機器不會把你的身體送到其他的時間. 這部機器會使用穿越者的DNA和傳送穿越者的意志到他們的祖先的身體裡. 這樣子他跟自己祖先的意志會交換時代, 所以他的祖先就被傳送到未來了.
Because an exact copy of myself is living over a hundred years before, I will become the scientist's test subject, and he'll send me back to the year 1975, when I was born. 因為跟我一模一樣的人在100年前已經存在, 所以我會當發明者的實驗對象. 然後他會用時光機器送我到1975我出生的那一年.
But along the way something will go wrong, and the process will give me amnesia. When I arrive in my infant body I won't remember anything of what happened before. 可是我被送過去的時候出了一些問題, 所以我出生的時候沒辦法記得自己的過去. 在嬰兒的身體裡, 我不記得所有發生過的事情.
Until just now, when I wrote all of it down. 直到現在我把這些事寫下.
And you'll know that I was telling the truth when they start building my statue on top of Li Yu Mountain, 5 years from now. Just wait a while! You'll see! 等到五年後他們在鯉魚山上開始蓋我的雕像, 你們就知道我現在說的是實話. 等一等! 你們就知道!
They'll build this statue on top of Li Yu Mountain, and it will be the eighth wonder of the world. You'll be able to see it from Green Island, Orchid Island, and even Cheng Gong. 他們會把雕像建立在鯉魚山上, 那也會成為世界第八大奇蹟. 你可以從綠島, 蘭嶼, 甚至成功看到它.
And on that day, no one will have to work, or do anything they find unpleasant. On that day pizza, my favorite food, will be free for all. And it'll be illegal to put shrimp on any pizza, anywhere in Taiwan. 那一天大家不用上班, 也不用做他們不喜歡做的事. 那一天我最喜歡的食物披薩將是免費的. 那一天在台灣放蝦子在披薩上會是違法的事情.
Sun Yat-sen will still be on the 100 NT note, but I'll have my arm around his shoulder - like we're best buddies. Those baseball guys will still be on the 500 NT note, but they'll be giving me a high-five. The mikado pheasants will still be on the 1000 NT note, but I'll be cooking them, at a really fun-looking barbecue. 孫中山還會在100元上, 可是照片上我很親切的用一隻手搭著他的肩. 那些打棒球的人還在500元上, 可是他們都跟我舉手擊掌. 帝雉也還在1000元上, 只是我很開心的烤著牠們.
By then I'll be very old, but I'll still be very spry. I'll be living in Taitung, in a nice but small house overlooking the ocean. One day I'll receive an invitation to visit Taiwan's moon colony, and I'll happily accept it. 那時候我將很老了, 我還是很會運動. 我將會住在台東, 住在海邊的小房子. 有一天會收到臺灣政府寄給我的請帖請我去月球. 我會很高興的接受這邀請.
80 years from now, I'll most likely be dead. Or at least that's what everyone will think. What will really happen is another story.... 八十年後, 我大概不存在了. 大家應該都是這樣子想, 真正發生的事不是這樣子...
160 years from now, explorers on Jupiter's moon Europa will find my body, frozen in the ice. No one will know how I got there - not even me. But using scientific techniques perfected in the year 2176, they'll transfer my mind into the body of a younger, healthier clone. 160年之後, 在木星附近的木衛二, 一群探險者會發現星球上的冰裡有我. 大家不會知道我怎麼到那裡的. 我自己也不知道. 他們會用2176年的科學技術把我的思想傳送進去較年輕健康的身體.*
Then I'll have many adventures, in this solar system and in others. 然後我會在這個太陽系和其他太陽系展開冒險.
Until one day, while visiting the planet Taiwan in a distant star system, I'll meet a scientist who has invented a real, working time machine. This time machine won't transmit anyone physically through time, but using a person's DNA, it will transmit their consciousness backwards through time to one of their ancestor's bodies. The ancestor's consciousness will be sent forward in time, to the other host body in the future.* 直到有一天, 我的旅程去到一個遙遠的太陽系的 "台灣星" 的時候. 我會在那裏碰到一位時光機器的發明者, 他的機器不會把你的身體送到其他的時間. 這部機器會使用穿越者的DNA和傳送穿越者的意志到他們的祖先的身體裡. 這樣子他跟自己祖先的意志會交換時代, 所以他的祖先就被傳送到未來了.
Because an exact copy of myself is living over a hundred years before, I will become the scientist's test subject, and he'll send me back to the year 1975, when I was born. 因為跟我一模一樣的人在100年前已經存在, 所以我會當發明者的實驗對象. 然後他會用時光機器送我到1975我出生的那一年.
But along the way something will go wrong, and the process will give me amnesia. When I arrive in my infant body I won't remember anything of what happened before. 可是我被送過去的時候出了一些問題, 所以我出生的時候沒辦法記得自己的過去. 在嬰兒的身體裡, 我不記得所有發生過的事情.
And you'll know that I was telling the truth when they start building my statue on top of Li Yu Mountain, 5 years from now. Just wait a while! You'll see! 等到五年後他們在鯉魚山上開始蓋我的雕像, 你們就知道我現在說的是實話. 等一等! 你們就知道!
8. What's Going On In Taitung 台東最近發生的事 1 (October 2016)
Local news from the past week or so. Some of it's from Google, some of it's from Facebook. If you can read Chinese, I've linked the news articles to below. 這些是上個禮拜左右的新聞, 有的新聞從Google, 有的新聞從FB上來的. 看懂中文字的讀者可參考以下提供的網址.
1. A foreign resident's dog was shot, and afterward one of the dog's paws had to be amputated. Last I heard, the foreign resident was looking for the perpetrator. 有人拿槍射一位外國人士的狗, 之後那隻狗的一隻腳需要截肢. 所以那位外國人士在找那位罪犯.
2. High school students from Taitung won 1 gold, 3 silver, and 1 bronze medals in the track and field events which are part of the National High School Track and Field Competition. 臺東的高中生在全中田徑賽獲一金三銀一銅.
3. The Taitung County Government returned a stone relic to the Queen of Heaven temple. This stone relic dates back to the Ching Dynasty. 台東縣政府把一個古物還給天后宮. 這塊石器是清朝時候所留下的文物
4. As a way of promoting tourism, an advertisement featuring Chr Shang's Mr. Brown Boulevard now adorns a double decker bus in Hong Kong. The advertisement will run for one month. 為了推廣臺東旅遊, 一幅臺東池上的伯朗大道廣告在香港的叮叮車出現. 這個廣告會持續一個月.
5. An article in TVBS questioned whether or not funds for disaster relief were apportioned differently according to party affiliation. Farmers in Taitung were only able to apply for 110,000 NT per 10 square kilometers, whereas Pingtung and Kaohsiung farmers were able to apply for 450,000 NT per 10 square kilometers. Taitung's County Magistrate, Justin Huang, is affiliated with the KMT, while the county and city heads of Pingtung and Kaohsiung are members of the DPP. TVBS新聞問風災補助有沒有分藍綠. 臺東縣農民一公頃只能申請到十一萬, 可是高屏地區可以申請到四十五萬. 台東的縣長黃健庭是國民黨. 高屏地區的縣市長是民進黨的.*
6. Taitung joined Airbnb's online lodging platform. I don't know why this is such a big deal, but the last time I visited the Taitung County Government offices they were very excited about it. 臺東縣加入Airbnb旅遊服務平台. 我不知道這件事為什麼那麼重要, 可是我上次在縣政府時他們對這件事很興奮.
7. Taitung County Magistrate Justin Huang presented an elderly man with 5000 NT, a plaque, and several other gifts. The man, a member of the Beinan Tribe, is now 105 years old. 台東縣長黃健庭送給一位長者5千元, 金牌, 和一些禮物. 這個卑南族的長者已經105歲了.
8. The army conducted a missile-firing exercise of the coast of Taitung. This exercise was halted after a Mainland Chinese police vessel was detected off the eastern coast of Orchid Island. 國軍在台東海岸實施 "國軍精準武器射擊", 後來他們發現蘭嶼東邊有中國的海警船, 所以停止活動.
9. After a landslide in Wu Lu Village, Haiduan Township, the village chief is missing. It is not known whether or not he is still alive. After the landslide it began to rain in earnest, and people in that area were isolated from settlements further east by other landslides. Not a good time for people in Haiduan. 海端鄉霧鹿村發生土石流. 當地村長生死不明. 那次土石流之後又開始下大雨, 當地居民因為更多的土石流而被隔離在山裡面. 最近當海端鄉民很辛苦.
10. A local farmer won a lot of money through an electronic receipt. It was the first time in Taitung that anyone won so much through this kind of receipt. 第一次臺東縣農民贏得無實體電子發票100萬元.
11. Because of Typhoon Aere, boat service between Taitung, Green Island, and Orchid Island was suspended. Service was resumed on October 7. 因為颱風艾利要經過台灣, 所以台東往返蘭嶼綠島的船停開. 直到十月七日恢復行駛.
12. Last Friday there was an earthquake and a lot of rain, with roads either flooded or buried under landslides. The landslides closed down the South-Link Highway to both trains and cars, and roads north towards Hualien weren't much better. It was a very disastrous weekend. 上個禮拜五發生地震和下大雨. 很多路被水或是土石淹沒. 因為土石流的關係, 南迴公路跟鐵路不通. 往花蓮方向的路也有很多問題. 是個很慘的周末!
13. The Taitung County Government's Society Office gave concert tickets to county residents over the age of 60. This concert was also a way of thanking volunteers who assisted with disaster relief after recent typhoons. This concert was held on the 14th of this month. 台東縣政府的社會處舉辦演唱會, 也把演唱會的票送給60歲以上的縣民. 這個演唱會的主要目的是為了感謝救災志工. 演唱會的舉辦日期是這個月十四日.
14. County residents will be able to collect driftwood from October 14 to November 13. There are two collection periods: the first for residents of each area, and a second for all residents of Taitung County. 台東縣民從十月十四日到十一月十三日可以撿拾漂流木. 第一階段是開放設籍在當地民眾，第二階段是開放設籍台東縣民.
15. Residents of Taitung had a difficult time returning from other parts of Taiwan after the three-day weekend. With several roads damaged by rains, it wasn't an easy drive back. 三天連假之後, 台東縣民要回到台東的路很痛苦. 以路況來說, 水災的影響還是很大.
16. The Taitung County Government is issuing a new kind of certificate to improve tourism. Residents attend a 6 hour class on tourism, English, and emergency medical assistance. The deadline for applying for this certificate it October 21. 台東縣政府推廣新的旅遊認證. 要取得認證的縣民要上6小時的課程. 這個課程關於旅遊, 英語, 還有急救. 報名至21日止.
17. On October 13th a meeting was held to explain to farmers how they can apply for government assistance after the recent flooding. 十月十三日台東農民可以參加風災說明會, 關於如何申請風災補助.
18. The Pacific Island Youth Leaders arrived in Taitung. It is hoped that their visit here will lead to tourism, cultural exchanges, and even agricultural cooperation between Taitung and other Pacific island nations. 太平洋群島青年領袖來到台東. 縣政府希望他們來之後, 臺東跟太平洋群島的國家的旅遊, 文化, 還有農業交流變多.
19. Farmers (fishermen?) in Taitung have been raising "white shrimp." The article does not state whether they are Pacific white shrimp, Indian white shrimp, or Chinese white shrimp. Whichever kind they are, these shrimp will be packaged for markets next year. 臺東農漁民開始養殖白蝦. 報告上沒說是哪一種白蝦. 不管是哪一種, 最快明年調理包上市.**
20. And remember that stone relic from #3 above? The Taitung City mayor and several other government officials welcomed it back into the Queen of Heaven temple. 你記得上面第三點提到的古物嗎? 臺東市長還有些縣議員歡迎古物回到天后宮.
1. A foreign resident's dog was shot, and afterward one of the dog's paws had to be amputated. Last I heard, the foreign resident was looking for the perpetrator. 有人拿槍射一位外國人士的狗, 之後那隻狗的一隻腳需要截肢. 所以那位外國人士在找那位罪犯.
2. High school students from Taitung won 1 gold, 3 silver, and 1 bronze medals in the track and field events which are part of the National High School Track and Field Competition. 臺東的高中生在全中田徑賽獲一金三銀一銅.
3. The Taitung County Government returned a stone relic to the Queen of Heaven temple. This stone relic dates back to the Ching Dynasty. 台東縣政府把一個古物還給天后宮. 這塊石器是清朝時候所留下的文物
4. As a way of promoting tourism, an advertisement featuring Chr Shang's Mr. Brown Boulevard now adorns a double decker bus in Hong Kong. The advertisement will run for one month. 為了推廣臺東旅遊, 一幅臺東池上的伯朗大道廣告在香港的叮叮車出現. 這個廣告會持續一個月.
5. An article in TVBS questioned whether or not funds for disaster relief were apportioned differently according to party affiliation. Farmers in Taitung were only able to apply for 110,000 NT per 10 square kilometers, whereas Pingtung and Kaohsiung farmers were able to apply for 450,000 NT per 10 square kilometers. Taitung's County Magistrate, Justin Huang, is affiliated with the KMT, while the county and city heads of Pingtung and Kaohsiung are members of the DPP. TVBS新聞問風災補助有沒有分藍綠. 臺東縣農民一公頃只能申請到十一萬, 可是高屏地區可以申請到四十五萬. 台東的縣長黃健庭是國民黨. 高屏地區的縣市長是民進黨的.*
6. Taitung joined Airbnb's online lodging platform. I don't know why this is such a big deal, but the last time I visited the Taitung County Government offices they were very excited about it. 臺東縣加入Airbnb旅遊服務平台. 我不知道這件事為什麼那麼重要, 可是我上次在縣政府時他們對這件事很興奮.
7. Taitung County Magistrate Justin Huang presented an elderly man with 5000 NT, a plaque, and several other gifts. The man, a member of the Beinan Tribe, is now 105 years old. 台東縣長黃健庭送給一位長者5千元, 金牌, 和一些禮物. 這個卑南族的長者已經105歲了.
8. The army conducted a missile-firing exercise of the coast of Taitung. This exercise was halted after a Mainland Chinese police vessel was detected off the eastern coast of Orchid Island. 國軍在台東海岸實施 "國軍精準武器射擊", 後來他們發現蘭嶼東邊有中國的海警船, 所以停止活動.
9. After a landslide in Wu Lu Village, Haiduan Township, the village chief is missing. It is not known whether or not he is still alive. After the landslide it began to rain in earnest, and people in that area were isolated from settlements further east by other landslides. Not a good time for people in Haiduan. 海端鄉霧鹿村發生土石流. 當地村長生死不明. 那次土石流之後又開始下大雨, 當地居民因為更多的土石流而被隔離在山裡面. 最近當海端鄉民很辛苦.
10. A local farmer won a lot of money through an electronic receipt. It was the first time in Taitung that anyone won so much through this kind of receipt. 第一次臺東縣農民贏得無實體電子發票100萬元.
11. Because of Typhoon Aere, boat service between Taitung, Green Island, and Orchid Island was suspended. Service was resumed on October 7. 因為颱風艾利要經過台灣, 所以台東往返蘭嶼綠島的船停開. 直到十月七日恢復行駛.
12. Last Friday there was an earthquake and a lot of rain, with roads either flooded or buried under landslides. The landslides closed down the South-Link Highway to both trains and cars, and roads north towards Hualien weren't much better. It was a very disastrous weekend. 上個禮拜五發生地震和下大雨. 很多路被水或是土石淹沒. 因為土石流的關係, 南迴公路跟鐵路不通. 往花蓮方向的路也有很多問題. 是個很慘的周末!
13. The Taitung County Government's Society Office gave concert tickets to county residents over the age of 60. This concert was also a way of thanking volunteers who assisted with disaster relief after recent typhoons. This concert was held on the 14th of this month. 台東縣政府的社會處舉辦演唱會, 也把演唱會的票送給60歲以上的縣民. 這個演唱會的主要目的是為了感謝救災志工. 演唱會的舉辦日期是這個月十四日.
14. County residents will be able to collect driftwood from October 14 to November 13. There are two collection periods: the first for residents of each area, and a second for all residents of Taitung County. 台東縣民從十月十四日到十一月十三日可以撿拾漂流木. 第一階段是開放設籍在當地民眾，第二階段是開放設籍台東縣民.
15. Residents of Taitung had a difficult time returning from other parts of Taiwan after the three-day weekend. With several roads damaged by rains, it wasn't an easy drive back. 三天連假之後, 台東縣民要回到台東的路很痛苦. 以路況來說, 水災的影響還是很大.
16. The Taitung County Government is issuing a new kind of certificate to improve tourism. Residents attend a 6 hour class on tourism, English, and emergency medical assistance. The deadline for applying for this certificate it October 21. 台東縣政府推廣新的旅遊認證. 要取得認證的縣民要上6小時的課程. 這個課程關於旅遊, 英語, 還有急救. 報名至21日止.
17. On October 13th a meeting was held to explain to farmers how they can apply for government assistance after the recent flooding. 十月十三日台東農民可以參加風災說明會, 關於如何申請風災補助.
18. The Pacific Island Youth Leaders arrived in Taitung. It is hoped that their visit here will lead to tourism, cultural exchanges, and even agricultural cooperation between Taitung and other Pacific island nations. 太平洋群島青年領袖來到台東. 縣政府希望他們來之後, 臺東跟太平洋群島的國家的旅遊, 文化, 還有農業交流變多.
19. Farmers (fishermen?) in Taitung have been raising "white shrimp." The article does not state whether they are Pacific white shrimp, Indian white shrimp, or Chinese white shrimp. Whichever kind they are, these shrimp will be packaged for markets next year. 臺東農漁民開始養殖白蝦. 報告上沒說是哪一種白蝦. 不管是哪一種, 最快明年調理包上市.**
20. And remember that stone relic from #3 above? The Taitung City mayor and several other government officials welcomed it back into the Queen of Heaven temple. 你記得上面第三點提到的古物嗎? 臺東市長還有些縣議員歡迎古物回到天后宮.
9. 台灣民俗由來 The Origin of Taiwanese Customs (1 of 4) (October 2016)
The (Chinese) questions and answers below are from the book "The Origins of Taiwanese Customs." The Chinese was written by Lin Mao-shian, and the English translation was written by me. 下列的中文問題跟答案來自於台灣民俗由來這本書. 這本書的作者是林茂賢先生. 我則是將他書中的部分內容翻譯成英文.
Below are chapters 1-8 from the "Folk Beliefs" section. Next month I'll introduce sections 9-16. There are 32 chapters in all. 以下是 "民俗信仰" 第一到第八章的部分. 下個月我要介紹第九到第十六章的部分. "民俗信仰" 這個單元總共有三十二章.
1. Q: 拜拜時的 "天公 " 指的是誰? Who is the "Tian Gong" that people pray to?1
A: "天公" 指的是玉皇大帝, 閩南語稱為 "天公伯." 在民間信仰裡, 玉皇大帝是神明的主宰, 也是地位最高的神, 民間的凡人當然要祭拜祂囉! 由於天公的生日是每年的農曆正月初九, 所以 "正月初九拜天公" 就成了很重要的習俗. 拜天公的時間通常是農曆正月初九的凌晨十二點, 除了要準備好祭拜的牲禮外, 當天還要注意, 不能將衣服晾在屋外, 也不能清理水肥, 避免對天公不敬. "Tian Gong" refers to the Jade Emperor. In Taiwanese, he is called "Uncle Tian Gong." In popular belief, the Jade Emperor is the master of the gods, and also the highest in status. For this reason, it's obvious why people want to worship him. Tian Gong's birthday falls on the ninth day of the first lunar month, and praying to Tian Gong on this day has become a very important custom. The time to pray to Tian Gong is usually twelve o'clock in the morning, and aside from preparing the appropriate offerings, you should be careful not to dry clothes inside your house, or to clean up manure. This is done to respect Tian Gong.
2. Q: 為什麼有些媽祖臉是黑的? Why are the faces of some Matsus black?2
A: 媽祖本名林默娘, 傳說她精通法術, 在十六歲那年救了出海遇難的爸爸, 哥哥和其他商船. 默娘在二十八歲時得道升天為神, 之後只要有漁民遇到海難, 祂都會顯靈相救, 所以被認為是海洋的守護神. 臺灣的媽祖神像有膚色, 黑色, 紅色, 金色和白色, 其中黑色的被稱為 "黑面媽祖," 一種說法是因為牠長期被供奉在廟中, 臉被香的煙燻黑; 另一種說法是黑面媽祖比較凶悍, 負責捉妖, 除煞等任務. Matsu was originally named Lin Mo-niang, and legend has it that she was a magician. When she was 16 years old, she saved her father, brother, and other people from a disaster at sea involving several merchant ships. When Mo-niang was 28, she was called up to heaven, and afterward saved fisherman from many other disasters at sea. For this reason she came to be seen as the protective spirit of the ocean.
Taiwanese statues of Matsu are flesh-colored, black, red, gold, and white. The black version of her statue is called "Black Faced Matsu," and it is said that she's been enshrined in the temple so long that her face has been blackened by the smoke. Another explanation is that Black Faced Matsu [has a black face because she] is more aggressive. This is because catching demons in one of her many tasks.
3. Q: 為什麼會有媽祖遶境活動? Why is there a Matsu "Rao Jing" activity?3
A: 媽祖本是沿海地區庇護漁民的神明, 之後向海外傳播, 現在已成為華人的重要信仰, 在臺灣尤其盛行. 每年元宵節後到農曆三月二十三日這段期間, 各地媽祖廟都會舉行盛大的慶祝儀式, 其中白沙屯媽祖進香, 北港媽祖遶境和大甲媽祖遶境進香, 都是國家指定的重要民俗活動. "遶境" 是指神明定其巡視, 保佑人民平安健康. 而媽祖遶境大多在農曆三月間, 所以閩南語有 "三月瘋媽祖" 這句俗諺. Matsu was originally a deity that protected fisherman in coastal waters [near China], and was later carried to other places. She is now one of the most important Chinese deities, and this is especially so in Taiwan.
Every year after Lantern Festival, during the 23rd day of the third lunar month, Matsu temples everywhere host a grand celebration, which includes "Matsu's pilgrimage through the white sand." The Rao Jing activities in Beigang and Dajia4 are also very important cultural activities in Taiwan. "Rao Jing" refers to the god arriving for her inspection, and to the granting of peace and health to the people. Because most of the Matsu Rao Jing activities occur during the third lunar month, in Taiwanese it is often said that "The third month is [when people go] crazy for Matsu."
4. Q: 千里眼和順風耳是誰? Who are "Thousand League Eyes" and "Ears Like the Wind?"5
A: "千里眼" 叫做高明, 能看到千里以外的事物, 他的弟弟 "順風耳" 叫做高覺, 能聽見千里以外的聲音, 他們原本都是桃花山裡的妖精. 友一天, 媽祖路過桃花山, 兩兄弟不僅擋住媽祖的去路, 還想逼祂嫁給他們, 於是媽祖與他們鬥法, 而兩人最終還是敵不過媽祖的神威. 後來媽祖將千里眼和順風耳收為部下, 並且利用他們超乎常人的 "眼力" 和 "耳力," 協助祂救濟有苦難的人們. "Thousand League Eyes" was called Kao-ming. He could see things more than 1000 leagues away. His younger brother, "Ears Like the Wind" was called Kao-jiao, and he could hear sounds from more than 1000 leagues distant. They were originally spirits that lived on Peach Blossom Mountain.
One day, Matsu passed by Peach Blossom Mountain, and the two brothers blocked her path, demanding that she marry both of them. She fought a battle of wits against them, and in the end the two brothers were no match for the divine power of Matsu. Afterward Matsu accepted them as subordinates, and made use of their extraordinary eyesight and hearing to help people in trouble.
5. Q: 為什麼關公會變成神明? Why did Guan Gong become a god?
A: 關羽是三國時蜀漢的大將, 他與劉備, 張飛結拜為兄弟, 一起為國家奮鬥, 後人十分景仰他的忠義精神, 便將他奉為神明來祭祀. 在華人的宗教信仰中, 關羽的地位備受尊崇, 被奉為 "武聖,"民間的信眾則尊稱祂為 "關公," "關聖帝君" 等. 關公廟遍及全台, 香火鼎盛, 不但警界供奉祂, 希望辦案如有神助, 正義得以彰顯, 就連商家也將祂視為財神來祭拜, 是臺灣重要的神明之一. Guan Yu was a general for Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period. He swore brotherhood with Liou Bei and Jang Fei, and they fought for their country together. Those who came after Guan Yu admired his sense of righteousness, and began to worship him as a god. Guan Yu is respected by many, and for this reason he has been memorialized as "Wu Sheng" [War God] and revered among the people as "Guan Gong," "Emperor Guan Sheng," and by other names. There are Guan Gong temples all over Taiwan, and incense is burned in his honor. Police officers ask for his heavenly intercession in matters of justice, and businessmen also worship him as a god of wealth. He is one of Taiwan's most important gods.
6. Q: 台灣人最常拜的財神有哪些? Which gods of wealth to Taiwanese people usually pray to?
A: 在台灣傳統民間信仰中, 人們認為虔誠的祭拜神明可以得到庇佑, 讓一切平安順利, 並藉此獲得心靈上的力量. 此外, 由於適度的財富是讓生活順遂的一部分, 所以人們會祭拜 "財神," 尤其是依靠做生意賺錢的商人, 更視財神為重要的供奉對象. 財神有很多位, 多半是將歷史人物神格化後所產生的, 以滿足人們追求富裕的物質欲望, 而台灣人最常祭拜的財神有土地公, 關公, 寒單爺, 虎爺等. In traditional Chinese folk beliefs, people believe that through proper worship of the gods one can be blessed with peace, prosperity, and spiritual strength. Aside from this, and because a moderate amount of wealth is part of living a successful life, people worship "gods of wealth." This is especially true of those who earn money by doing business, and such people view gods of wealth as an important object of worship. There are many gods of wealth, and most of them can be traced back to historical figures who realized the commonly held goal of becoming wealthy. The gods of wealth most often worshiped by people in Taiwan are Tu Di Gong, Guan Gong, Lord [or "Grandfather"] Han Dan, Lord Tiger, and a some others.
7. Q: 為什麼台灣有很多土地公廟? Why does Taiwan have so many Tu Di Gong temples?6
A: 土地公又稱為 "福德正神," 祂是台灣人最普遍的信仰, 幾乎所有華人都虔誠的信奉祂. 土地公是最基層的神, 祂的職務繁多, 不僅要守護鄉里, 庇佑人民, 還要照顧牲畜, 橋梁, 田園等, 所以台灣到處可以見到土地公廟, 替當地的信徒解決煩惱. 閩南語有句俗諺: "田頭田尾土地公," 意思就是土地公無所不在, 就連墓園都能看到土地公的牌位或神象, 可以說是社區的守護神. Tu Di Gong is also called "Fu De Jung Shen."7 He is the most commonly worshiped god in Taiwan, and almost all Chinese people revere him in one way or another. Tu Di Gong is the most necessary of gods, and his duties include protecting the village, blessing the people, and taking care of livestock, bridges, and fields. You can see Tu Di Gong's temples everywhere in Taiwan, and he is the local believer's recourse in times of trouble. There is a saying in Taiwanese: "From the top to the bottom of the field is Tu Di Gong." The meaning of this is that Tu Di Gong is everywhere, and his tablets and statues can even be found in cemeteries. It could be said that he is the spirit that protects the community.
8. Q: 為什麼商人不拜土地婆呢? Why don't businessmen pray to the Tu Di Gong's Wife?
A: 由於土地公樂善好施, 喜歡幫助窮人, 所以玉皇大帝派祂下凡, 來當人民的守護神. 可是一同來到人間的土地婆卻有不同想法, 土地婆覺得人們想要變得有錢, 就要自己努力工作, 不能只靠神明保佑, 而且土地婆不喜歡土地公凡事都要管. 據說每個月的農曆初二, 十六, 是土地婆固定回娘家的日子, 因此商人會趁此時祭拜土地公, 向祂求財, 不用擔心被土地婆破壞, 這也是 "做牙" 的由來. Tu Di Gong is very charitable and enjoys helping people, so the Jade Emperor sent him to earth so that he could offer his spiritual protection to the people. But Tu Di Gong's wife, who arrived in our world at the same time, has a different way of thinking. Tu Di Gong's wife thinks that if people want to become rich, they should work harder, and not rely on the gods' blessings. She also doesn't like Tu Di Gong to be so busy all the time.
It is said that during the second and sixteenth days of each lunar month, she returns to her parents' house, and for this reason businessmen use these two days to worship Tu Di Gong, and to ask him for wealth. During these two days they don't need to worry that Tu Di Gong's wife will spoil their wishes. From this custom comes the "Dzuo Ya" (Wei Ya) celebration.8
Below are chapters 1-8 from the "Folk Beliefs" section. Next month I'll introduce sections 9-16. There are 32 chapters in all. 以下是 "民俗信仰" 第一到第八章的部分. 下個月我要介紹第九到第十六章的部分. "民俗信仰" 這個單元總共有三十二章.
1. Q: 拜拜時的 "天公 " 指的是誰? Who is the "Tian Gong" that people pray to?1
A: "天公" 指的是玉皇大帝, 閩南語稱為 "天公伯." 在民間信仰裡, 玉皇大帝是神明的主宰, 也是地位最高的神, 民間的凡人當然要祭拜祂囉! 由於天公的生日是每年的農曆正月初九, 所以 "正月初九拜天公" 就成了很重要的習俗. 拜天公的時間通常是農曆正月初九的凌晨十二點, 除了要準備好祭拜的牲禮外, 當天還要注意, 不能將衣服晾在屋外, 也不能清理水肥, 避免對天公不敬. "Tian Gong" refers to the Jade Emperor. In Taiwanese, he is called "Uncle Tian Gong." In popular belief, the Jade Emperor is the master of the gods, and also the highest in status. For this reason, it's obvious why people want to worship him. Tian Gong's birthday falls on the ninth day of the first lunar month, and praying to Tian Gong on this day has become a very important custom. The time to pray to Tian Gong is usually twelve o'clock in the morning, and aside from preparing the appropriate offerings, you should be careful not to dry clothes inside your house, or to clean up manure. This is done to respect Tian Gong.
2. Q: 為什麼有些媽祖臉是黑的? Why are the faces of some Matsus black?2
A: 媽祖本名林默娘, 傳說她精通法術, 在十六歲那年救了出海遇難的爸爸, 哥哥和其他商船. 默娘在二十八歲時得道升天為神, 之後只要有漁民遇到海難, 祂都會顯靈相救, 所以被認為是海洋的守護神. 臺灣的媽祖神像有膚色, 黑色, 紅色, 金色和白色, 其中黑色的被稱為 "黑面媽祖," 一種說法是因為牠長期被供奉在廟中, 臉被香的煙燻黑; 另一種說法是黑面媽祖比較凶悍, 負責捉妖, 除煞等任務. Matsu was originally named Lin Mo-niang, and legend has it that she was a magician. When she was 16 years old, she saved her father, brother, and other people from a disaster at sea involving several merchant ships. When Mo-niang was 28, she was called up to heaven, and afterward saved fisherman from many other disasters at sea. For this reason she came to be seen as the protective spirit of the ocean.
Taiwanese statues of Matsu are flesh-colored, black, red, gold, and white. The black version of her statue is called "Black Faced Matsu," and it is said that she's been enshrined in the temple so long that her face has been blackened by the smoke. Another explanation is that Black Faced Matsu [has a black face because she] is more aggressive. This is because catching demons in one of her many tasks.
3. Q: 為什麼會有媽祖遶境活動? Why is there a Matsu "Rao Jing" activity?3
A: 媽祖本是沿海地區庇護漁民的神明, 之後向海外傳播, 現在已成為華人的重要信仰, 在臺灣尤其盛行. 每年元宵節後到農曆三月二十三日這段期間, 各地媽祖廟都會舉行盛大的慶祝儀式, 其中白沙屯媽祖進香, 北港媽祖遶境和大甲媽祖遶境進香, 都是國家指定的重要民俗活動. "遶境" 是指神明定其巡視, 保佑人民平安健康. 而媽祖遶境大多在農曆三月間, 所以閩南語有 "三月瘋媽祖" 這句俗諺. Matsu was originally a deity that protected fisherman in coastal waters [near China], and was later carried to other places. She is now one of the most important Chinese deities, and this is especially so in Taiwan.
Every year after Lantern Festival, during the 23rd day of the third lunar month, Matsu temples everywhere host a grand celebration, which includes "Matsu's pilgrimage through the white sand." The Rao Jing activities in Beigang and Dajia4 are also very important cultural activities in Taiwan. "Rao Jing" refers to the god arriving for her inspection, and to the granting of peace and health to the people. Because most of the Matsu Rao Jing activities occur during the third lunar month, in Taiwanese it is often said that "The third month is [when people go] crazy for Matsu."
4. Q: 千里眼和順風耳是誰? Who are "Thousand League Eyes" and "Ears Like the Wind?"5
A: "千里眼" 叫做高明, 能看到千里以外的事物, 他的弟弟 "順風耳" 叫做高覺, 能聽見千里以外的聲音, 他們原本都是桃花山裡的妖精. 友一天, 媽祖路過桃花山, 兩兄弟不僅擋住媽祖的去路, 還想逼祂嫁給他們, 於是媽祖與他們鬥法, 而兩人最終還是敵不過媽祖的神威. 後來媽祖將千里眼和順風耳收為部下, 並且利用他們超乎常人的 "眼力" 和 "耳力," 協助祂救濟有苦難的人們. "Thousand League Eyes" was called Kao-ming. He could see things more than 1000 leagues away. His younger brother, "Ears Like the Wind" was called Kao-jiao, and he could hear sounds from more than 1000 leagues distant. They were originally spirits that lived on Peach Blossom Mountain.
One day, Matsu passed by Peach Blossom Mountain, and the two brothers blocked her path, demanding that she marry both of them. She fought a battle of wits against them, and in the end the two brothers were no match for the divine power of Matsu. Afterward Matsu accepted them as subordinates, and made use of their extraordinary eyesight and hearing to help people in trouble.
5. Q: 為什麼關公會變成神明? Why did Guan Gong become a god?
A: 關羽是三國時蜀漢的大將, 他與劉備, 張飛結拜為兄弟, 一起為國家奮鬥, 後人十分景仰他的忠義精神, 便將他奉為神明來祭祀. 在華人的宗教信仰中, 關羽的地位備受尊崇, 被奉為 "武聖,"民間的信眾則尊稱祂為 "關公," "關聖帝君" 等. 關公廟遍及全台, 香火鼎盛, 不但警界供奉祂, 希望辦案如有神助, 正義得以彰顯, 就連商家也將祂視為財神來祭拜, 是臺灣重要的神明之一. Guan Yu was a general for Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period. He swore brotherhood with Liou Bei and Jang Fei, and they fought for their country together. Those who came after Guan Yu admired his sense of righteousness, and began to worship him as a god. Guan Yu is respected by many, and for this reason he has been memorialized as "Wu Sheng" [War God] and revered among the people as "Guan Gong," "Emperor Guan Sheng," and by other names. There are Guan Gong temples all over Taiwan, and incense is burned in his honor. Police officers ask for his heavenly intercession in matters of justice, and businessmen also worship him as a god of wealth. He is one of Taiwan's most important gods.
6. Q: 台灣人最常拜的財神有哪些? Which gods of wealth to Taiwanese people usually pray to?
A: 在台灣傳統民間信仰中, 人們認為虔誠的祭拜神明可以得到庇佑, 讓一切平安順利, 並藉此獲得心靈上的力量. 此外, 由於適度的財富是讓生活順遂的一部分, 所以人們會祭拜 "財神," 尤其是依靠做生意賺錢的商人, 更視財神為重要的供奉對象. 財神有很多位, 多半是將歷史人物神格化後所產生的, 以滿足人們追求富裕的物質欲望, 而台灣人最常祭拜的財神有土地公, 關公, 寒單爺, 虎爺等. In traditional Chinese folk beliefs, people believe that through proper worship of the gods one can be blessed with peace, prosperity, and spiritual strength. Aside from this, and because a moderate amount of wealth is part of living a successful life, people worship "gods of wealth." This is especially true of those who earn money by doing business, and such people view gods of wealth as an important object of worship. There are many gods of wealth, and most of them can be traced back to historical figures who realized the commonly held goal of becoming wealthy. The gods of wealth most often worshiped by people in Taiwan are Tu Di Gong, Guan Gong, Lord [or "Grandfather"] Han Dan, Lord Tiger, and a some others.
7. Q: 為什麼台灣有很多土地公廟? Why does Taiwan have so many Tu Di Gong temples?6
A: 土地公又稱為 "福德正神," 祂是台灣人最普遍的信仰, 幾乎所有華人都虔誠的信奉祂. 土地公是最基層的神, 祂的職務繁多, 不僅要守護鄉里, 庇佑人民, 還要照顧牲畜, 橋梁, 田園等, 所以台灣到處可以見到土地公廟, 替當地的信徒解決煩惱. 閩南語有句俗諺: "田頭田尾土地公," 意思就是土地公無所不在, 就連墓園都能看到土地公的牌位或神象, 可以說是社區的守護神. Tu Di Gong is also called "Fu De Jung Shen."7 He is the most commonly worshiped god in Taiwan, and almost all Chinese people revere him in one way or another. Tu Di Gong is the most necessary of gods, and his duties include protecting the village, blessing the people, and taking care of livestock, bridges, and fields. You can see Tu Di Gong's temples everywhere in Taiwan, and he is the local believer's recourse in times of trouble. There is a saying in Taiwanese: "From the top to the bottom of the field is Tu Di Gong." The meaning of this is that Tu Di Gong is everywhere, and his tablets and statues can even be found in cemeteries. It could be said that he is the spirit that protects the community.
8. Q: 為什麼商人不拜土地婆呢? Why don't businessmen pray to the Tu Di Gong's Wife?
A: 由於土地公樂善好施, 喜歡幫助窮人, 所以玉皇大帝派祂下凡, 來當人民的守護神. 可是一同來到人間的土地婆卻有不同想法, 土地婆覺得人們想要變得有錢, 就要自己努力工作, 不能只靠神明保佑, 而且土地婆不喜歡土地公凡事都要管. 據說每個月的農曆初二, 十六, 是土地婆固定回娘家的日子, 因此商人會趁此時祭拜土地公, 向祂求財, 不用擔心被土地婆破壞, 這也是 "做牙" 的由來. Tu Di Gong is very charitable and enjoys helping people, so the Jade Emperor sent him to earth so that he could offer his spiritual protection to the people. But Tu Di Gong's wife, who arrived in our world at the same time, has a different way of thinking. Tu Di Gong's wife thinks that if people want to become rich, they should work harder, and not rely on the gods' blessings. She also doesn't like Tu Di Gong to be so busy all the time.
It is said that during the second and sixteenth days of each lunar month, she returns to her parents' house, and for this reason businessmen use these two days to worship Tu Di Gong, and to ask him for wealth. During these two days they don't need to worry that Tu Di Gong's wife will spoil their wishes. From this custom comes the "Dzuo Ya" (Wei Ya) celebration.8
10. Walking Around Downtown Yuli 在玉里市區散步 (October 2016)
Yuli is a town and a municipality. It's on Highway 9, in Hualien County, about halfway between Taitung City and Hualien City. 玉里市區在玉里鎮. 它位於台九線上, 臺東市與花蓮市中間.
As far as I know, the only famous thing there is the "Yuli noodles." I've had them at two different restaurants, and I didn't really like them. 就我所知, 玉里最有名的東西好像是玉里麵. 我在兩家餐廳吃過玉里麵, .我不怎麼喜歡.
It was very hot when I was there. I walked around, hoping to find something interesting. I didn't have any luck. 我在那邊的時候天氣很熱. 我在街道上走了一會兒, 想找些有趣的事物. 但我的運氣不怎麼好.
The picture above is their local market. There were some stalls in the market serving food that looked good, but it was so hot that I'd lost my appetite. 上面的照片是那裡的菜市場. 那邊有的攤子賣的食物看起來很好吃, 可是天氣太熱, 我沒有胃口.
Along the way I picked up a tourist brochure. Not very enlightening. "Yuli was originally called Pu Shr Ge 璞石閣, and has a history stretching back to 1853..." 我散步的時候隨手拿了一張簡介. 還是搞不清楚玉里哪裡好玩. "玉里鎮在1853年時稱璞石閣."
I made two separate trips around Yuli that day, but couldn't find anything except the market, some restaurants, and a big temple. 我在那裡饒兩大圈, 只經過菜市場, 一些餐廳, 還有一間廟.
I eventually arrived at Highway 9, where it passes through the city. Still nothing. 終於走到台九線經過市區的部分. 還是找不到什麼景點.
And then I found a bike trail. I followed this trail to a very pretty area where people grow rice. The scenery was very beautiful. 然後我看到一條自行車道. 我沿著車道走就進入農民種米的地方. 那邊的風景很漂亮.
But by that point my camera wasn't working. Ah well. I guess you'll just have to imagine it? 可是這時候我的照相機壞掉了. 真是的! 你只好自己想像那邊的風景了.
After taking in the view, and having developed a bad sunburn, I walked back. I felt a little defeated by downtown Yuli. Is there really nothing interesting there? Or was I just looking in the wrong places? 欣賞風景跟被曬傷之後, 我走回玉里市區. 我對玉里市區有點失望. 真的沒什麼有趣的景點? 還是我找錯地方?
Maybe I'll find something cool there another time. I hope so. I don't go to Yuli often, but in a town that big, you think there'd be something worth writing about! 我希望以後在那裡會發現很酷的地方! 我不常去玉里, 只是他們市區那麼大, 應該有其他值得寫的地方!
As far as I know, the only famous thing there is the "Yuli noodles." I've had them at two different restaurants, and I didn't really like them. 就我所知, 玉里最有名的東西好像是玉里麵. 我在兩家餐廳吃過玉里麵, .我不怎麼喜歡.
It was very hot when I was there. I walked around, hoping to find something interesting. I didn't have any luck. 我在那邊的時候天氣很熱. 我在街道上走了一會兒, 想找些有趣的事物. 但我的運氣不怎麼好.
The picture above is their local market. There were some stalls in the market serving food that looked good, but it was so hot that I'd lost my appetite. 上面的照片是那裡的菜市場. 那邊有的攤子賣的食物看起來很好吃, 可是天氣太熱, 我沒有胃口.
Along the way I picked up a tourist brochure. Not very enlightening. "Yuli was originally called Pu Shr Ge 璞石閣, and has a history stretching back to 1853..." 我散步的時候隨手拿了一張簡介. 還是搞不清楚玉里哪裡好玩. "玉里鎮在1853年時稱璞石閣."
I made two separate trips around Yuli that day, but couldn't find anything except the market, some restaurants, and a big temple. 我在那裡饒兩大圈, 只經過菜市場, 一些餐廳, 還有一間廟.
I eventually arrived at Highway 9, where it passes through the city. Still nothing. 終於走到台九線經過市區的部分. 還是找不到什麼景點.
And then I found a bike trail. I followed this trail to a very pretty area where people grow rice. The scenery was very beautiful. 然後我看到一條自行車道. 我沿著車道走就進入農民種米的地方. 那邊的風景很漂亮.
But by that point my camera wasn't working. Ah well. I guess you'll just have to imagine it? 可是這時候我的照相機壞掉了. 真是的! 你只好自己想像那邊的風景了.
After taking in the view, and having developed a bad sunburn, I walked back. I felt a little defeated by downtown Yuli. Is there really nothing interesting there? Or was I just looking in the wrong places? 欣賞風景跟被曬傷之後, 我走回玉里市區. 我對玉里市區有點失望. 真的沒什麼有趣的景點? 還是我找錯地方?
Maybe I'll find something cool there another time. I hope so. I don't go to Yuli often, but in a town that big, you think there'd be something worth writing about! 我希望以後在那裡會發現很酷的地方! 我不常去玉里, 只是他們市區那麼大, 應該有其他值得寫的地方!
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