October - November 2018
1. Shiao Ye Liou 小野柳 / Jia Lu Lan 加路蘭
Just now I was thinking about what would happen if my Lego Flash came to life and started granting me wishes. "I'm a magic Lego Flash!" he would say, "And you're AWESOME, dude! I'll grant you three wishes!" 我剛剛在想: 如果我的樂高閃電俠突然有神力並給我三個願望會發生什麼事. 他會跟我說: "我是神奇的樂高閃電俠, 你太棒了! 所以我要給你三個願望!"
"Really?" I'll answer, "But how are you even talking to me now? Aren't you just a piece of plastic? And hasn't it been boring, sitting on my computer for so long?" 我會說:"真的嗎? , 可是你怎麼跟我講話? 你不是一塊塑膠嗎? 坐在我的電腦上那麼久應該很無聊吧?"
"Shut up!" Lego Flash will say, "It's magic! And this is just a story anyway! Don't ask so many stupid questions! I'm here to grant your wishes!" 樂高閃電俠會說: "你閉嘴!" , "是魔法呀! 這只是故事而已, 不要問那麼多無聊的問題! 我來給你三個願望!"
"Ok," I'll say, "Let me think a minute. Three wishes, you say? This is something I need to think about. I wouldn't want to waste my wishes, would I?" 我會說: "好" , "我想一想, 三個願望沒聽錯吧! 我需要好好地想一想. 我不想浪費我的願望?"
Lego Flash will wait very patiently while I think it over. We'll both know that I'm stuck in the office for a while, and neither of us will be in a particular hurry. I'll find it a little creepy that Lego Flash has been alive the whole time, watching me from atop my computer, but I'll try not to think about that and focus on my three wishes. 樂高閃電俠會耐心的等我考慮好. 我們二個都知道我困住在辦公室很久了, 我們都不急. 我覺得樂高閃電俠活生生的在電腦上看著我一段時間有點恐怖, 可是我會試著不想那個問題並把重點放在願望上.
"Got it," I'll finally say. "I want a tall glass of Ayinger beer, a pizza from that place in Dulan, and a plate of spicy chicken wings." 最後我會說: "知道了" , "我想喝大杯的Ayinger啤酒, 想吃都蘭的餐廳的披薩, 還想吃一盤辣雞翅."
It'll take Lego Flash a while to process all of this. "Are you sure?" he'll finally say, "I mean, the way you said it takes up all three wishes. You could get all those things in your car after work! Are you really so lazy? Are you really so unimaginative?" 這會讓樂高閃電俠想一會兒. 他最終會說:"你確定嗎?" , "我的意思是這樣你的三個願望就全都用完了. 那些東西下班之後開車去買就好了! 你真的那麼懶惰嗎? 真的想不出更好的了嗎?"
"Lazy? Unimaginative?" I'll say, "But... that place near Showtime isn't even open now, so I couldn't get that Ayinger even if I wanted to go there... and the pizza place is far from the bar, and the chicken wings..." 我會說: "懶惰? 沒想像力?, 可是秀泰影城附近的商店都還沒開始營業, 就算我開車去還是沒辦法買那種啤酒, 還有... 披薩餐廳離酒吧很遠, 那雞翅..."
"DUDE!" Lego Flash will exclaim, "Do you know what an idiot you are?!? You could literally have ANYTHING - and I'd have to give it to you!! Why not wish for a trillion dollars? Or eternal life? Or super powers? Jesus!! Beer, pizza, and chicken wings?!? You've got to be f*&king kidding me!" 樂高閃電俠會大叫: "大哥! , 你知不知道你多笨? 你可以得到世界上任何的東西, 我一定要給你的! 你不想要一萬億美元嗎? 你不想要永恆的生命嗎? 你不要超級能力嗎? 天啊! 啤酒, 披薩跟雞翅!! 你跟我開玩笑吧!"
"But I really like that beer..." I'll protest lamely. "可是我很想喝那種啤酒..." 我會小聲地抗議.
"It's only beer! Think how many bottles you could buy with a TRILLION dollars!" "只是啤酒而已! 想想一萬億美元可以買得到幾瓶啤酒!"
"...and I was talking about the Italian sausage pizza you know, the one with the green peppers..." "...我說的是義式香腸的披薩, 你知道嗎? 有青椒的那個..."
"Eternal life! Never needing to fear death - ever again!" "永恆的生命! 你不用再害怕死亡了!"
"...and you know they don't have spicy chicken wings at that place in Dulan, so there's something..." "你知道嗎? 都蘭那家餐廳沒有辣雞翅, 所以..."
"Freaking SUPER POWERS dude! You could run at the speed of sound! See through walls! Read people's minds!" "大哥! 超級能力耶? 你可以跑得跟聲音一樣快! 你可以看穿牆壁! 你可以知道其他人在想什麼!"
"...and I'm really very, very hungry. So is it alright if I wish for those things? I could really use a beer right now, and a good pizza to go with it. Maybe... Ok, maybe I'll hold off on the spicy wings, and use that third wish later on. But I can't promise that I won't wish for spicy chicken wings after I finish my pizza. Ok?" "我真的很餓. 所以我可以用願望得到這些東西嗎? 我現在很想喝啤酒, 啤酒跟披薩一起吃很棒. 也許... 也許我現在不吃辣雞翅, 我晚一點再利用第三個願望. 可是我無法保證吃完披薩後不用第三個願望得到雞翅, 好嗎?"
Lego Flash will want to slap himself in the forehead, but he won't be able to because his arms and fingers don't bend that way. Instead he'll only raise his plastic lighting bolt things to the ceiling, imploring God Himself to strike me down with a bigger, much more real lighting bolt. 樂高閃電俠會快受不了了, 可是他的手臂跟手指頭沒辦法動, 所以他只能把塑膠的閃電朝著屋頂, 懇求上帝用比較大, 比較真實的閃電打我.
"F*&k! Fine, dude. Here's your beer and your pizza. But just remember you used up two wishes on those, one for the beer and one for the pizza. You only have one wish left after that. That's it." "天啊! 隨便你. 這是你的啤酒跟披薩. 你要記得你已經用掉了二個願望了, 一個是披薩另外一個是啤酒. 你現在只剩下一個願望了. "
"Great," I'll say as the cold glass of beer and the piping hot pizza appear on my desk, "You're a cool dude, Lego Flash." 當冰冰的啤酒跟熱熱的披薩出現在我桌上時我會說: "很好"', "樂高閃電俠, 你真是個好的朋友."
"Yeah, whatever," he'll say. "I'll be here when you want that third wish. Just... you know... think it over a little bit, ok?" 他會說: "哪裡, 哪裡, 只是... 你知道嗎? 當你要使用第三個願望前多考慮一點!"
I'll nod in agreement, though I won't be listening too hard or thinking about that third wish too much. I'll be thinking about the smell of pizza, the taste of a cold, fresh beer, and maybe - just maybe - how good chicken wings are after a nice pizza... 我會抬頭表示同意, 可是我不會很注意聽, 也部會真的考慮那第三個願望. 我那時候大概想的是披薩跟冰啤酒的味道. 可能 , 就只是可能 , 我會想辣雞翅跟這二樣東西很對味...
And I'll be very, very happy. ...就覺得很滿意.
4. Goodbye to Old Friends
Every once in a while my wife gets sick of looking at my younger daughter's room.
"Oh my God, your room is disgusting!" she'll exclaim, as if we all didn't know that already.
This, predictably, will impel her to command my younger daughter to clean her room - immediately - and with extreme prejudice.
At which point my younger daughter will only sigh at the unreasonableness of all parents, everywhere, and then dutifully - if not willingly - begin cleaning her room.
After what seems like eons she'll finally get the job done, and then, my wife remembering the mess a second time, she'll tell our younger daughter to throw some of her stuff away.
To be fair, my daughter's room really can get filthy, and yes, she collects a lot of crap that only contributes to greater disorder in that part of the house. Aside from the clothes strewn over her floor, there are potato chip bags, unwashed cups from the previous week, and comic books, usually purchased during a trip out of town.
The comic books are always the first things to go. My daughter will tie them into bundles with twine, and they'll get put near our living room door, where we most often forget about their existence. There's a bundle of such comic books sitting by our living room door even now.
Just the sight of that bundle next to the door always makes me sad. There's something indescribably mournful to me about unloved comics, though I have admittedly personal reasons for saying so. Forsaken comic books always remind me of something that happened when I was very little, back when my mother and I were visiting my grandma in Oregon.
I couldn't have been older than six. I can remember my mom and grandma taking me to some little country store where they purchased the comics. I remember an issue of Wonder Woman - don't ask me why, but I was obsessed with Wonder Woman - and an issue of Justice League. There was maybe also a Hulk, maybe a Flash too.
This would have been in 1978, 1979, or at the latest 1980. Think Silver Age. Think comics written and drawn by people who weren't famous.
Anyway, my point being that I had these comics, right? And I was really, truly, gloriously happy in the way that only little boys with new comics can be happy. Having purchased my comics, the three of us went to a jetty near the town of Tillamook, not far from the town where my grandma lived.
We spent a lot of time climbing over the rocks. I remember it being a cloudy day - cloudy is pretty normal on the north Oregon coast - and I remember the sound of seagulls as they came to rest on the other end of the jetty. At one point I put my comics down between some of the rocks, and later came back to where I thought I'd put my comics...
But they were gone. My shiny new Wonder Woman, my Justice League, my other comics - all gone. I called my mother and grandma over, and we looked through every crevice on that jetty, all without success. My comics were gone, and there was nothing anyone could do.
I remember a great existential sadness coming over me then: a six year old's despair over the futility of human endeavor as it related to the acquisition of comic books. I was too sad even to cry. I was too sad to even throw a tantrum. I had done it to myself, I knew; there was no one else to blame, and through a fault of character or a trick of fate I had lost my precious comic books, which were perhaps even then serving as the abode of crustaceans or the nesting grounds of gulls.
Looking at my younger daughter's comic books next to the living room door brings this memory back to me every time. I can't help but wonder if one day she'll feel a similar twinge of regret - decades later - when she thinks about the comic books my wife told her to throw away.
Yes, comic books are just things, and sometimes it's best to get rid of things, but comic books can also be like old friends, with whom we share some treasured memories. Saying goodbye to those "old friends" can be hard, especially if your grandma's just introduced them to you, and you haven't had time to get fully acquainted.
I know that people in Taiwan - and kids in Taiwan - don't have the same kind of attitude towards their comic books that I did growing up. I know that people here don't collect them in the same way. I know that it's often more about the related memorabilia than the comic books themselves, and my daughter probably shares this sentiment.
But it still makes me sad to see those comic books, orphaned on our living room floor. Who will love that issue of One Piece now? Who will care for that edition of Naruto? Seeing them there, I can't help but reflect on other comic books, lost on a jetty in Oregon more than thirty years ago. Things are not people and people are not things, but things often carry the memories of the people we were, of the people who are no longer with us, and even the people we once hoped to be.
Maybe I could just get my daughter to keep her room clean. Then I wouldn't have to see those comic books destined for the recycling truck every month. Our house would smell better too, and I wouldn't have to think about her writhing around in her own debris.
Then again, this has been an ongoing thing for years now. It's not like we haven't tried any number of strategies to fix the problem. Every time it seems like she's turned the corner, and started keeping her room clean, we let our guard down, we relax, only to find out that her room is even worse than before. Soon after, another stack of comic books sits next to the living room door.
"Oh my God!" I can already hear my wife saying, "Your room is so disgusting!" Then the groans, then the dutiful (if slow) cleaning up. Painfully predictable, but maybe the sort of thing that all kids and their parents go through, some of the time. I just hope that in later years my daughter remembers the importance of a clean room, rather than those comic books she treasured, so many years before.
5. What's Going on in Taitung 台東最近發生的事 8
In the Hello, Taitung Person entries I'll be interviewing local residents. They decide what kind of biographical information to include. Some people are more private individuals, and I respect that. Others are happy to make their presence known, and I respect that too. 在 "台東人你好" 這些文章中我會介紹當地的居民. 這些資訊是他們同意分享的. 有的人比較重視隱私, 有的人則開心地讓他人更認識自己. 我尊重這二者不同的做法.
All numbered questions were chosen randomly from a list of 52 questions. 下列編號的問題是隨機由五十個問題中選出來的.
The thoughts and opinions expressed below belong to the person offering them, and may not be shared by the person writing this blog. 下列是被訪問者的想法與意見, 與寫這個blog的我不一定一樣.
It was super cloudy last weekend, so keep in mind that the places in these pictures are twice as pretty when the sun is out. 上周末雲層很厚, 所以記得, 太陽出來的時候這些地方的風景更美麗.
This sign is just north of Fu Gang, which is in north Taitung City. The East Coast National Scenic Area extends from here all the way to Hualien. 這個地標在台東市北邊的富岡的北邊. 東海岸國家風景區是從這裡開始一直到花蓮縣.
Shiao Ye Liou (or "Little" Ye Liou") is just past the sign for the East Coast National Scenic Area. In case you're wondering, the "Big" Ye Liou is near Taipei. Both places are famous for their rock formations. 過東海岸的地標就到小野柳了. "大" 野柳在台北附近. 這兩個景點的岩石形成都很有名.
It's a very quiet place if you know where to go. Most tourists go down the same path to the same set of rocks, but there's another, quieter part near the old campground. 如果你知道怎麼走, 就可以找到比較安靜的地方. 大部分的觀光客都會走同一條步道到相同的石頭, 可是舊露營區附近有比較沒有人的地方.
Near the parking lot there's an interpretive center which explains how the rocks here were formed. Next to the interpretive center are a few stalls selling ice cream and T-shirts. 停車場附近有一遊客中心介紹這裡的岩石形成. 在遊客中心旁邊有些雜貨店賣冰淇淋跟T恤.
Across from Shiao Ye Liou you'll find this old boat. It looks like it's been here forever, but it's really only been here a few years. I guess someone just thought it would be something for tourists to take pictures of. 小野柳對面有這艘舊船. 看起來像在這裡很久的樣子, 但是它是在幾年前被放到這來的. 我猜有人覺得放在這邊給觀光客拍照很酷.
Behind the boat there's a tiny paved road that leads up into the hills. This particular hill belongs to the military, and is where they keep their telecommunications equipment. On Google Maps this is labeled "Monkey Mountain," though I've never heard of it referred to by that name. 船後面有一條路上坡. 這個小山坡是軍事營地. 他們在山坡上安裝他們的電信設備. 在Google Maps上這座山坡叫 "猴子山", 可是我在台東還沒有聽說過這個名稱.
The road leads through a lot of unused land where graves poke through the trees. Then it turns into a dirt track, and approaches a village not far from Jia Lu Lan. 這條路經過很多空地和雜草裡的墳墓. 墳墓之後那條路變成一條泥巴小徑, 並通往加路蘭附近的小村子.
This is Highway 11. Around the corner to the left is Jia Lu Lan, a popular destination just north of Shiao Ye Liou. The peak in the middle is Dulan Mountain. 這是台11線. 在前面轉彎的地方是加路蘭. 加路蘭位於小野柳的北部, 是一個很受歡迎的景點. 前面的山是都蘭山.
Jia Lu Lan is basically just a place to see the ocean. There are several sculptures placed within it. When the Mainland Chinese tourists were still coming this place was a madhouse, but since then it's quieted down nicely. 加路蘭基本上只是一個看海的地方. 這裡還有些雕塑. 大陸客最多的時候這裡好誇張, 但是現在觀光客變少了.
The grass in Jia Lu Lan has seen better days. This place is blazing hot in the summer, and typhoons blow a lot of the topsoil away. 加路蘭的草地變少了. 夏季時這裡超熱, 颱風季時風會把很多表土吹走.
The coastline looking south. Not good for water sports but excellent for fishing. Most surfing takes place further north, from Dulan onward. 岸邊往南看. 不適合在這裡戲水, 可是滿適合釣魚的. 從都蘭往北的海岸可以衝浪.
My favorite thing about this area is the coconut palms. I ride my bike through this area every Sunday, and seeing the trees sway back and forth along my route always makes me happy. 這個地區裡我最喜歡的東西是椰子樹. 我每個禮拜天會騎腳踏車經過, 看路邊的樹搖來搖去讓我很高興.
2. The Three-Character Poem 三字經 3
This sign is just north of Fu Gang, which is in north Taitung City. The East Coast National Scenic Area extends from here all the way to Hualien. 這個地標在台東市北邊的富岡的北邊. 東海岸國家風景區是從這裡開始一直到花蓮縣.
Shiao Ye Liou (or "Little" Ye Liou") is just past the sign for the East Coast National Scenic Area. In case you're wondering, the "Big" Ye Liou is near Taipei. Both places are famous for their rock formations. 過東海岸的地標就到小野柳了. "大" 野柳在台北附近. 這兩個景點的岩石形成都很有名.
It's a very quiet place if you know where to go. Most tourists go down the same path to the same set of rocks, but there's another, quieter part near the old campground. 如果你知道怎麼走, 就可以找到比較安靜的地方. 大部分的觀光客都會走同一條步道到相同的石頭, 可是舊露營區附近有比較沒有人的地方.
Near the parking lot there's an interpretive center which explains how the rocks here were formed. Next to the interpretive center are a few stalls selling ice cream and T-shirts. 停車場附近有一遊客中心介紹這裡的岩石形成. 在遊客中心旁邊有些雜貨店賣冰淇淋跟T恤.
Across from Shiao Ye Liou you'll find this old boat. It looks like it's been here forever, but it's really only been here a few years. I guess someone just thought it would be something for tourists to take pictures of. 小野柳對面有這艘舊船. 看起來像在這裡很久的樣子, 但是它是在幾年前被放到這來的. 我猜有人覺得放在這邊給觀光客拍照很酷.
Behind the boat there's a tiny paved road that leads up into the hills. This particular hill belongs to the military, and is where they keep their telecommunications equipment. On Google Maps this is labeled "Monkey Mountain," though I've never heard of it referred to by that name. 船後面有一條路上坡. 這個小山坡是軍事營地. 他們在山坡上安裝他們的電信設備. 在Google Maps上這座山坡叫 "猴子山", 可是我在台東還沒有聽說過這個名稱.
The road leads through a lot of unused land where graves poke through the trees. Then it turns into a dirt track, and approaches a village not far from Jia Lu Lan. 這條路經過很多空地和雜草裡的墳墓. 墳墓之後那條路變成一條泥巴小徑, 並通往加路蘭附近的小村子.
This is Highway 11. Around the corner to the left is Jia Lu Lan, a popular destination just north of Shiao Ye Liou. The peak in the middle is Dulan Mountain. 這是台11線. 在前面轉彎的地方是加路蘭. 加路蘭位於小野柳的北部, 是一個很受歡迎的景點. 前面的山是都蘭山.
Jia Lu Lan is basically just a place to see the ocean. There are several sculptures placed within it. When the Mainland Chinese tourists were still coming this place was a madhouse, but since then it's quieted down nicely. 加路蘭基本上只是一個看海的地方. 這裡還有些雕塑. 大陸客最多的時候這裡好誇張, 但是現在觀光客變少了.
The grass in Jia Lu Lan has seen better days. This place is blazing hot in the summer, and typhoons blow a lot of the topsoil away. 加路蘭的草地變少了. 夏季時這裡超熱, 颱風季時風會把很多表土吹走.
The coastline looking south. Not good for water sports but excellent for fishing. Most surfing takes place further north, from Dulan onward. 岸邊往南看. 不適合在這裡戲水, 可是滿適合釣魚的. 從都蘭往北的海岸可以衝浪.
My favorite thing about this area is the coconut palms. I ride my bike through this area every Sunday, and seeing the trees sway back and forth along my route always makes me happy. 這個地區裡我最喜歡的東西是椰子樹. 我每個禮拜天會騎腳踏車經過, 看路邊的樹搖來搖去讓我很高興.
2. The Three-Character Poem 三字經 3
The first part of the Three-Character Poem can be found here. The second part can be found here. The Three-Character Poem (or "Three-Character Classic") consists of 1071 characters arranged in three-character sentences.
This time I'm including the introduction to the poem found in the All in One 三字經, published by 世一文化事業股份有限公司 (ACME Cultural Enterprises Co., Ltd.) in 1992. I'm not sure why I didn't do this for the first entry.
After the introduction you'll find the third part of the poem, this part numbering 294 characters. This would bring us about 1/3 of the way through the Three-Character Poem.
Oh, and it's worth mentioning that any translation of the Three-Character Poem is very loose, and involves a lot of "reading between the lines." All published editions of this work contain copious notes and commentary, and it's only from these notes and commentary that any translation is possible. If you're not "seeing" the English verses in the Chinese text, this is why. By way of further explanation there are also notes at the bottom.
I placed periods at the end of every four lines of the poem. This was done to enhance its readability, and also reflects the way in which the poem is presented and explained in the book.
Oh, and it's worth mentioning that any translation of the Three-Character Poem is very loose, and involves a lot of "reading between the lines." All published editions of this work contain copious notes and commentary, and it's only from these notes and commentary that any translation is possible. If you're not "seeing" the English verses in the Chinese text, this is why. By way of further explanation there are also notes at the bottom.
I placed periods at the end of every four lines of the poem. This was done to enhance its readability, and also reflects the way in which the poem is presented and explained in the book.
前言 Introduction
在西風東漸之後, 今日的臺灣又面臨日, 韓文化的大肆流行, 雖然在服飾, 裝扮上, 也許流行復古的傳統中國風味, 但令人擔心的是中國文化及傳統倫理觀念的日漸式微, 我們的孩子會在這股外來文化的洪流中, 逐漸失去對傳統文化的認識及接受文學作品薰陶的機會. As Western [and other] cultures began to infiltrate [China], modern Taiwan experienced an influx of Japanese and Korean culture. Even though foreign costume was very popular, and even though this popularity was the reason it replaced more traditional Chinese forms of dress, it caused people to worry about the weakening of traditional Chinese culture and ethics. Our children were swept up in the fervor over foreign cultures, and were gradually losing an appreciation for their traditional culture and not developing an appreciation for [our] culture's literature.
三字經是我國古代學塾所用的兒童啟蒙教材, 全書內容均以三字為一句, 便於郎讀, 易於背誦. 孩子除了可以從中吸收知識外, 更重要的是了解待人接物的方法及處世的原則, 建立正確的人生觀. The Three-Character Poem was used by our country's academics in ancient times as a primer for children. The whole book consists of sentences composed of three characters, which are easy to both memorize and recite. Aside from absorbing information from it, children can also learn how to deal with people, and the principles upon which the world operates. [All of these things help them] establish a proper outlook on life.
三字經相傳是宋人王應麟所撰, 現今的版本曾經章炳麟修訂. 本書採章炳麟修訂版本, 並於書末增錄王應麟原著全文, 供對照參考. The Three-Character Poem was written by Wang Ying-lin during the Song Dynasty. The current version was edited by Jhang Bing-lin. The book you hold in your hands is this same version edited by Jhang Bing-lin, and can checked against the original version written by Wang Ying-lin. [This version has been] appended to the end of the book for reference.
本書內容編排除列出原文, 加上注解及白話翻譯外, 並附有和原文相關或延伸的故事, 也等於是原文的補充說明, 讓孩子能因而更了解經文的意義, 也更喜愛本書. This edition of the book includes the original text of the poem, annotations,vernacular translations, and includes stories related to or derived from the poem. These are presented by way of explaining the poem and helping children understand its meaning, and also to increase their appreciation of it.
三字經的內容包含甚廣, 舉凡天文地理, 科學常識, 歷史知識, 人格教育, 品德培養, 生活倫理... 等, 均在其中, 是孩子啟蒙文學的最佳選擇, 也是孩子進入古文世界的第一步. The scope of the Three-Character Poem is very broad, including astronomy, geography, math, common knowledge, historical facts, character building, the cultivation of morals, ethics and more. Aside from these topics, [the Three-Character Poem] is also the best example of a literature primer, and represents a child's first step into the world of ancient literature.
3. Lego Flash and the Three Wishes 樂高閃電俠跟三個願望
三字經是我國古代學塾所用的兒童啟蒙教材, 全書內容均以三字為一句, 便於郎讀, 易於背誦. 孩子除了可以從中吸收知識外, 更重要的是了解待人接物的方法及處世的原則, 建立正確的人生觀. The Three-Character Poem was used by our country's academics in ancient times as a primer for children. The whole book consists of sentences composed of three characters, which are easy to both memorize and recite. Aside from absorbing information from it, children can also learn how to deal with people, and the principles upon which the world operates. [All of these things help them] establish a proper outlook on life.
三字經相傳是宋人王應麟所撰, 現今的版本曾經章炳麟修訂. 本書採章炳麟修訂版本, 並於書末增錄王應麟原著全文, 供對照參考. The Three-Character Poem was written by Wang Ying-lin during the Song Dynasty. The current version was edited by Jhang Bing-lin. The book you hold in your hands is this same version edited by Jhang Bing-lin, and can checked against the original version written by Wang Ying-lin. [This version has been] appended to the end of the book for reference.
本書內容編排除列出原文, 加上注解及白話翻譯外, 並附有和原文相關或延伸的故事, 也等於是原文的補充說明, 讓孩子能因而更了解經文的意義, 也更喜愛本書. This edition of the book includes the original text of the poem, annotations,vernacular translations, and includes stories related to or derived from the poem. These are presented by way of explaining the poem and helping children understand its meaning, and also to increase their appreciation of it.
三字經的內容包含甚廣, 舉凡天文地理, 科學常識, 歷史知識, 人格教育, 品德培養, 生活倫理... 等, 均在其中, 是孩子啟蒙文學的最佳選擇, 也是孩子進入古文世界的第一步. The scope of the Three-Character Poem is very broad, including astronomy, geography, math, common knowledge, historical facts, character building, the cultivation of morals, ethics and more. Aside from these topics, [the Three-Character Poem] is also the best example of a literature primer, and represents a child's first step into the world of ancient literature.
三字經 The Three-Character Poem (3)
曰水火
It is said water, fire,
It is said water, fire,
木金土
Wood, gold and earth,
Wood, gold and earth,
此五行
These five elements,
These five elements,
本乎數
Gave rise to all things.
十干者
The heavenly stems (1),
甲至癸
From "jia" to "guei",
十二支
The earthly branches,
子至亥
From "dze" to "hai".
曰黃道
It is said that through its orbit,
日所躔
The sun moves among the planets,
曰赤道
It is said that the equator,
當中權
Lies around the Earth's middle.
赤道下
Below the equator,
溫暖極
It is very warm (2),
我中華
We Chinese people,
在東北
Are in the northeast.
曰江河
It is said the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers,
曰淮濟
It is said the Huai and Ji Rivers,
此四瀆
These ocean-going rivers,
水之紀
Stand out among rivers.
曰岱華
It is said Dai and Hua Mountains,
嵩恆衡
Song, Heng and Heng Mountains (3),
此五岳
These five peaks,
山知名
Are famous among mountains.
曰士農
It is said scholars and farmers,
曰工商
It is said laborers and merchants,
此四民
These four types of people,
國之良
Make the country better.
曰仁義
It is said kindness and justice,
禮智信
Decorum, wisdom and honesty,
此五常
These five ideals (4),
不容紊
Cannot be disregarded.
地所生
That which grows from the earth,
有草木
Includes flowers and trees (5),
此植物
These plants,
遍水陸
Fill up the waters and land.
有蟲魚
There are insects and fish,
有鳥獸
There are birds and land animals,
此動物
These animals,
能飛走
Can fly or walk.
稻梁菽
Rice, millet and beans,
麥黍稷
Barley, broomcorn and unsticky grains,
此六穀
These six grains,
人所食
Are eaten by all people.
馬牛羊
Horses, cows and goats,
雞犬豕
Chickens, dogs and pigs,
此六畜
These six domesticated animals,
人所飼
Are raised by all people.
曰喜怒
It is said happiness and anger,
曰哀懼
It is said sadness and fear,
愛惡欲
Love, disgust and greed,
七情具
Are seven native emotions (6).
青赤黃
Green, red and yellow,
及黑白
Also black and white,
此五色
These five colors,
目所識
Comprise all the eye sees.
酸苦甘
Sour, bitter and sweet,
及辛鹹
Also spicy and salty,
此五味
These five flavors,
口所含
Are all the mouth savors.
羶焦香
Musky, burnt and sweet-smelling (7),
及腥朽
Also freshly-killed and rotten (8),
此五臭
These five scents,
鼻所嗅
Are all the nose smells.
匏土革
The "melon flute," clay and leather (9),
木石金
Wood, stone and metal,
與絲竹
Also bamboo stalks,
乃八音
Make eight types of instrument.
曰平上
It is said the flat and rising tones,
曰去入
It is said the falling and "fourth" tones (10),
此四聲
These four sounds,
宜調協
Should be used harmoniously.
高曾祖
Paternal grandparents three generations back (11),
父而身
From your father to yourself,
身而子
From yourself to your children,
子而孫
From your children to your grandchildren.
自子孫
From a son to his children,
至玄曾
To grandchildren and great-grandchildren,
乃九族
In these nine generations,
人之倫
All people are ordered.
父子恩
The love between father and son,
夫婦從
The deference between husband and wife,
兄則友
The care of siblings for each other,
第則恭
The younger children should respect this.
長幼序
The younger should give way to the older (12),
友與朋
Friends and scholars,
君則敬
The king should exercise discretion,
臣則忠
Ministers should do their utmost.
此十義
These ten virtues,
人所同
All people should pursue,
當順敘
When pursuing them,
勿違背
One cannot waver.
斬齊衰
The two types of funeral clothes (13) ,
大小功
The big "gong" and little "gong",
至缌麻
Also the finer hemp clothes,
五服終
Are of five types.
禮樂射
Etiquette, music and archery,
御書數
Chariot-driving, the study of Literature and mathematics,
古六藝
Six ancient arts,
今不具
Are not practiced now.
惟書學
(Now) there is only the study of Literature (14),
人共遵
Which all should follow,
既識字
Acquiring the knowledge of words,
講說文
Reciting the "Shuo Wen" (15).
有古文
There is the ancient way of writing (16),
大小篆
The big and little "Jwan",
隸草繼
Leading to the "tsao" and "li",
不可亂
Do not confuse them.
若廣學
If one studies Literature,
懼其繁
One cannot fear its difficulty,
但略說
If one understands,
能知原
One can comprehend the source of knowledge.
凡訓蒙
All those who begin study,
須講究
Must concentrate upon it,
詳訓詁
Those who understand the value of words,
明句讀
Should study punctuation.
為學者
Those who study Literature,
必有初
Need a good foundation,
小學終
When one completes the study of characters, sounds and meanings,
至四書
Then come the four books (17).
論語者
The Analects of Confucius,
二十篇
Has twelve chapters,
群弟子
Many students,
記善言
Recorded the edifying words (18).
孟子者
Mencius,
七篇止
Has only seven chapters,
講道德
Elucidates morality,
說仁義
Explains righteousness.
作中庸
He who wrote The Doctrine of the Mean,
乃孔伋
Was Confucius' grandson Dze-sse,
中不偏
The middle way does not change,
庸不易
The source remains the same.
作大學
He who wrote The Great Learning,
乃曾子
Was Dzeng-shen, student of Confucius,
自修齊
From the cultivation of yourself to the cultivation of your family,
至平治
Comes the perfection of earthly things.
孝經通
Understanding the Classic of Filial Piety,
四書熟
Knowing the four books,
如六經
Then the six works (19),
始可讀
Can be studied.
詩書易
The Classic of Poetry, the Book of Documents and the Book of Changes,
禮春秋
The Rites of Zhou and the Spring and Autumn Annals,
號六經
These are the six works,
當講求
Which are studied.
有連山
There is the Book of Lian Mountain (20),
有歸藏
There is the Book of Guei Tsang,
有周易
There is the Book of Jhou (21),
三易詳
Three books in all.
有典謨
There is continuity and ministerial advice,
有訓誥
There is imperial admonition (22),
有誓命
There are oaths and commands,
書之奧
This is the deep meaning of the Book of Documents.
我周公
Our honored Lord Jhou,
作周禮
Wrote the Rites of Zhou,
著六官
Established the six types of ministers,
存治體
And preserved national order.
大小戴
The "big" and "little" Dai (23),
註禮記
Summarized the Book of Rites,
述聖言
Narrated the saints' messages,
禮樂備
And the complete rituals.
曰國風
It is said the songs of 15 countries (24),
曰雅頌
It is said the "Ya" and "Song" songs,
號四詩
These four odes,
當諷詠
Should be recited by all.
詩既亡
The Classic of Poetry was forgotten,
春秋作
The Spring and Autumn Annals were written,
寓褒貶
They contain praise and condemnation,
別善惡
Distinguish between good and bad.
三傳者
The three lords Jwan (25),
有公羊
There was Gong Yang,
有左氏
There was Dzuo Shr,
有穀梁
There was Gu Liang.
經既明
After understanding the famous works,
方讀子
You can study every type of philosophy,
撮其要
Select their key points,
記其事
Remember what is important.
Gave rise to all things.
十干者
The heavenly stems (1),
甲至癸
From "jia" to "guei",
十二支
The earthly branches,
子至亥
From "dze" to "hai".
曰黃道
It is said that through its orbit,
日所躔
The sun moves among the planets,
曰赤道
It is said that the equator,
當中權
Lies around the Earth's middle.
赤道下
Below the equator,
溫暖極
It is very warm (2),
我中華
We Chinese people,
在東北
Are in the northeast.
曰江河
It is said the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers,
曰淮濟
It is said the Huai and Ji Rivers,
此四瀆
These ocean-going rivers,
水之紀
Stand out among rivers.
曰岱華
It is said Dai and Hua Mountains,
嵩恆衡
Song, Heng and Heng Mountains (3),
此五岳
These five peaks,
山知名
Are famous among mountains.
曰士農
It is said scholars and farmers,
曰工商
It is said laborers and merchants,
此四民
These four types of people,
國之良
Make the country better.
曰仁義
It is said kindness and justice,
禮智信
Decorum, wisdom and honesty,
此五常
These five ideals (4),
不容紊
Cannot be disregarded.
地所生
That which grows from the earth,
有草木
Includes flowers and trees (5),
此植物
These plants,
遍水陸
Fill up the waters and land.
有蟲魚
There are insects and fish,
有鳥獸
There are birds and land animals,
此動物
These animals,
能飛走
Can fly or walk.
稻梁菽
Rice, millet and beans,
麥黍稷
Barley, broomcorn and unsticky grains,
此六穀
These six grains,
人所食
Are eaten by all people.
馬牛羊
Horses, cows and goats,
雞犬豕
Chickens, dogs and pigs,
此六畜
These six domesticated animals,
人所飼
Are raised by all people.
曰喜怒
It is said happiness and anger,
曰哀懼
It is said sadness and fear,
愛惡欲
Love, disgust and greed,
七情具
Are seven native emotions (6).
青赤黃
Green, red and yellow,
及黑白
Also black and white,
此五色
These five colors,
目所識
Comprise all the eye sees.
酸苦甘
Sour, bitter and sweet,
及辛鹹
Also spicy and salty,
此五味
These five flavors,
口所含
Are all the mouth savors.
羶焦香
Musky, burnt and sweet-smelling (7),
及腥朽
Also freshly-killed and rotten (8),
此五臭
These five scents,
鼻所嗅
Are all the nose smells.
匏土革
The "melon flute," clay and leather (9),
木石金
Wood, stone and metal,
與絲竹
Also bamboo stalks,
乃八音
Make eight types of instrument.
曰平上
It is said the flat and rising tones,
曰去入
It is said the falling and "fourth" tones (10),
此四聲
These four sounds,
宜調協
Should be used harmoniously.
高曾祖
Paternal grandparents three generations back (11),
父而身
From your father to yourself,
身而子
From yourself to your children,
子而孫
From your children to your grandchildren.
自子孫
From a son to his children,
至玄曾
To grandchildren and great-grandchildren,
乃九族
In these nine generations,
人之倫
All people are ordered.
父子恩
The love between father and son,
夫婦從
The deference between husband and wife,
兄則友
The care of siblings for each other,
第則恭
The younger children should respect this.
長幼序
The younger should give way to the older (12),
友與朋
Friends and scholars,
君則敬
The king should exercise discretion,
臣則忠
Ministers should do their utmost.
此十義
These ten virtues,
人所同
All people should pursue,
當順敘
When pursuing them,
勿違背
One cannot waver.
斬齊衰
The two types of funeral clothes (13) ,
大小功
The big "gong" and little "gong",
至缌麻
Also the finer hemp clothes,
五服終
Are of five types.
禮樂射
Etiquette, music and archery,
御書數
Chariot-driving, the study of Literature and mathematics,
古六藝
Six ancient arts,
今不具
Are not practiced now.
惟書學
(Now) there is only the study of Literature (14),
人共遵
Which all should follow,
既識字
Acquiring the knowledge of words,
講說文
Reciting the "Shuo Wen" (15).
有古文
There is the ancient way of writing (16),
大小篆
The big and little "Jwan",
隸草繼
Leading to the "tsao" and "li",
不可亂
Do not confuse them.
若廣學
If one studies Literature,
懼其繁
One cannot fear its difficulty,
但略說
If one understands,
能知原
One can comprehend the source of knowledge.
凡訓蒙
All those who begin study,
須講究
Must concentrate upon it,
詳訓詁
Those who understand the value of words,
明句讀
Should study punctuation.
為學者
Those who study Literature,
必有初
Need a good foundation,
小學終
When one completes the study of characters, sounds and meanings,
至四書
Then come the four books (17).
論語者
The Analects of Confucius,
二十篇
Has twelve chapters,
群弟子
Many students,
記善言
Recorded the edifying words (18).
孟子者
Mencius,
七篇止
Has only seven chapters,
講道德
Elucidates morality,
說仁義
Explains righteousness.
作中庸
He who wrote The Doctrine of the Mean,
乃孔伋
Was Confucius' grandson Dze-sse,
中不偏
The middle way does not change,
庸不易
The source remains the same.
作大學
He who wrote The Great Learning,
乃曾子
Was Dzeng-shen, student of Confucius,
自修齊
From the cultivation of yourself to the cultivation of your family,
至平治
Comes the perfection of earthly things.
孝經通
Understanding the Classic of Filial Piety,
四書熟
Knowing the four books,
如六經
Then the six works (19),
始可讀
Can be studied.
詩書易
The Classic of Poetry, the Book of Documents and the Book of Changes,
禮春秋
The Rites of Zhou and the Spring and Autumn Annals,
號六經
These are the six works,
當講求
Which are studied.
有連山
There is the Book of Lian Mountain (20),
有歸藏
There is the Book of Guei Tsang,
有周易
There is the Book of Jhou (21),
三易詳
Three books in all.
有典謨
There is continuity and ministerial advice,
有訓誥
There is imperial admonition (22),
有誓命
There are oaths and commands,
書之奧
This is the deep meaning of the Book of Documents.
我周公
Our honored Lord Jhou,
作周禮
Wrote the Rites of Zhou,
著六官
Established the six types of ministers,
存治體
And preserved national order.
大小戴
The "big" and "little" Dai (23),
註禮記
Summarized the Book of Rites,
述聖言
Narrated the saints' messages,
禮樂備
And the complete rituals.
曰國風
It is said the songs of 15 countries (24),
曰雅頌
It is said the "Ya" and "Song" songs,
號四詩
These four odes,
當諷詠
Should be recited by all.
詩既亡
The Classic of Poetry was forgotten,
春秋作
The Spring and Autumn Annals were written,
寓褒貶
They contain praise and condemnation,
別善惡
Distinguish between good and bad.
三傳者
The three lords Jwan (25),
有公羊
There was Gong Yang,
有左氏
There was Dzuo Shr,
有穀梁
There was Gu Liang.
經既明
After understanding the famous works,
方讀子
You can study every type of philosophy,
撮其要
Select their key points,
記其事
Remember what is important.
Stuck in the office again. Class in ten minutes, and then another hour of sheer nothingness after that. Sometimes I don't mind being stuck in the office. Sometimes I mind it very much. 又困在辦公室裡了. 十分鐘後有一堂課, 再之後還有一小時的空堂. 有時候我不在乎困在辦公室. 但有時候我覺得很煩.
Just now I was thinking about what would happen if my Lego Flash came to life and started granting me wishes. "I'm a magic Lego Flash!" he would say, "And you're AWESOME, dude! I'll grant you three wishes!" 我剛剛在想: 如果我的樂高閃電俠突然有神力並給我三個願望會發生什麼事. 他會跟我說: "我是神奇的樂高閃電俠, 你太棒了! 所以我要給你三個願望!"
"Really?" I'll answer, "But how are you even talking to me now? Aren't you just a piece of plastic? And hasn't it been boring, sitting on my computer for so long?" 我會說:"真的嗎? , 可是你怎麼跟我講話? 你不是一塊塑膠嗎? 坐在我的電腦上那麼久應該很無聊吧?"
"Shut up!" Lego Flash will say, "It's magic! And this is just a story anyway! Don't ask so many stupid questions! I'm here to grant your wishes!" 樂高閃電俠會說: "你閉嘴!" , "是魔法呀! 這只是故事而已, 不要問那麼多無聊的問題! 我來給你三個願望!"
"Ok," I'll say, "Let me think a minute. Three wishes, you say? This is something I need to think about. I wouldn't want to waste my wishes, would I?" 我會說: "好" , "我想一想, 三個願望沒聽錯吧! 我需要好好地想一想. 我不想浪費我的願望?"
Lego Flash will wait very patiently while I think it over. We'll both know that I'm stuck in the office for a while, and neither of us will be in a particular hurry. I'll find it a little creepy that Lego Flash has been alive the whole time, watching me from atop my computer, but I'll try not to think about that and focus on my three wishes. 樂高閃電俠會耐心的等我考慮好. 我們二個都知道我困住在辦公室很久了, 我們都不急. 我覺得樂高閃電俠活生生的在電腦上看著我一段時間有點恐怖, 可是我會試著不想那個問題並把重點放在願望上.
"Got it," I'll finally say. "I want a tall glass of Ayinger beer, a pizza from that place in Dulan, and a plate of spicy chicken wings." 最後我會說: "知道了" , "我想喝大杯的Ayinger啤酒, 想吃都蘭的餐廳的披薩, 還想吃一盤辣雞翅."
It'll take Lego Flash a while to process all of this. "Are you sure?" he'll finally say, "I mean, the way you said it takes up all three wishes. You could get all those things in your car after work! Are you really so lazy? Are you really so unimaginative?" 這會讓樂高閃電俠想一會兒. 他最終會說:"你確定嗎?" , "我的意思是這樣你的三個願望就全都用完了. 那些東西下班之後開車去買就好了! 你真的那麼懶惰嗎? 真的想不出更好的了嗎?"
"Lazy? Unimaginative?" I'll say, "But... that place near Showtime isn't even open now, so I couldn't get that Ayinger even if I wanted to go there... and the pizza place is far from the bar, and the chicken wings..." 我會說: "懶惰? 沒想像力?, 可是秀泰影城附近的商店都還沒開始營業, 就算我開車去還是沒辦法買那種啤酒, 還有... 披薩餐廳離酒吧很遠, 那雞翅..."
"DUDE!" Lego Flash will exclaim, "Do you know what an idiot you are?!? You could literally have ANYTHING - and I'd have to give it to you!! Why not wish for a trillion dollars? Or eternal life? Or super powers? Jesus!! Beer, pizza, and chicken wings?!? You've got to be f*&king kidding me!" 樂高閃電俠會大叫: "大哥! , 你知不知道你多笨? 你可以得到世界上任何的東西, 我一定要給你的! 你不想要一萬億美元嗎? 你不想要永恆的生命嗎? 你不要超級能力嗎? 天啊! 啤酒, 披薩跟雞翅!! 你跟我開玩笑吧!"
"But I really like that beer..." I'll protest lamely. "可是我很想喝那種啤酒..." 我會小聲地抗議.
"It's only beer! Think how many bottles you could buy with a TRILLION dollars!" "只是啤酒而已! 想想一萬億美元可以買得到幾瓶啤酒!"
"...and I was talking about the Italian sausage pizza you know, the one with the green peppers..." "...我說的是義式香腸的披薩, 你知道嗎? 有青椒的那個..."
"Eternal life! Never needing to fear death - ever again!" "永恆的生命! 你不用再害怕死亡了!"
"...and you know they don't have spicy chicken wings at that place in Dulan, so there's something..." "你知道嗎? 都蘭那家餐廳沒有辣雞翅, 所以..."
"Freaking SUPER POWERS dude! You could run at the speed of sound! See through walls! Read people's minds!" "大哥! 超級能力耶? 你可以跑得跟聲音一樣快! 你可以看穿牆壁! 你可以知道其他人在想什麼!"
"...and I'm really very, very hungry. So is it alright if I wish for those things? I could really use a beer right now, and a good pizza to go with it. Maybe... Ok, maybe I'll hold off on the spicy wings, and use that third wish later on. But I can't promise that I won't wish for spicy chicken wings after I finish my pizza. Ok?" "我真的很餓. 所以我可以用願望得到這些東西嗎? 我現在很想喝啤酒, 啤酒跟披薩一起吃很棒. 也許... 也許我現在不吃辣雞翅, 我晚一點再利用第三個願望. 可是我無法保證吃完披薩後不用第三個願望得到雞翅, 好嗎?"
Lego Flash will want to slap himself in the forehead, but he won't be able to because his arms and fingers don't bend that way. Instead he'll only raise his plastic lighting bolt things to the ceiling, imploring God Himself to strike me down with a bigger, much more real lighting bolt. 樂高閃電俠會快受不了了, 可是他的手臂跟手指頭沒辦法動, 所以他只能把塑膠的閃電朝著屋頂, 懇求上帝用比較大, 比較真實的閃電打我.
"F*&k! Fine, dude. Here's your beer and your pizza. But just remember you used up two wishes on those, one for the beer and one for the pizza. You only have one wish left after that. That's it." "天啊! 隨便你. 這是你的啤酒跟披薩. 你要記得你已經用掉了二個願望了, 一個是披薩另外一個是啤酒. 你現在只剩下一個願望了. "
"Great," I'll say as the cold glass of beer and the piping hot pizza appear on my desk, "You're a cool dude, Lego Flash." 當冰冰的啤酒跟熱熱的披薩出現在我桌上時我會說: "很好"', "樂高閃電俠, 你真是個好的朋友."
"Yeah, whatever," he'll say. "I'll be here when you want that third wish. Just... you know... think it over a little bit, ok?" 他會說: "哪裡, 哪裡, 只是... 你知道嗎? 當你要使用第三個願望前多考慮一點!"
I'll nod in agreement, though I won't be listening too hard or thinking about that third wish too much. I'll be thinking about the smell of pizza, the taste of a cold, fresh beer, and maybe - just maybe - how good chicken wings are after a nice pizza... 我會抬頭表示同意, 可是我不會很注意聽, 也部會真的考慮那第三個願望. 我那時候大概想的是披薩跟冰啤酒的味道. 可能 , 就只是可能 , 我會想辣雞翅跟這二樣東西很對味...
And I'll be very, very happy. ...就覺得很滿意.
4. Goodbye to Old Friends
"Oh my God, your room is disgusting!" she'll exclaim, as if we all didn't know that already.
This, predictably, will impel her to command my younger daughter to clean her room - immediately - and with extreme prejudice.
At which point my younger daughter will only sigh at the unreasonableness of all parents, everywhere, and then dutifully - if not willingly - begin cleaning her room.
After what seems like eons she'll finally get the job done, and then, my wife remembering the mess a second time, she'll tell our younger daughter to throw some of her stuff away.
To be fair, my daughter's room really can get filthy, and yes, she collects a lot of crap that only contributes to greater disorder in that part of the house. Aside from the clothes strewn over her floor, there are potato chip bags, unwashed cups from the previous week, and comic books, usually purchased during a trip out of town.
The comic books are always the first things to go. My daughter will tie them into bundles with twine, and they'll get put near our living room door, where we most often forget about their existence. There's a bundle of such comic books sitting by our living room door even now.
Just the sight of that bundle next to the door always makes me sad. There's something indescribably mournful to me about unloved comics, though I have admittedly personal reasons for saying so. Forsaken comic books always remind me of something that happened when I was very little, back when my mother and I were visiting my grandma in Oregon.
I couldn't have been older than six. I can remember my mom and grandma taking me to some little country store where they purchased the comics. I remember an issue of Wonder Woman - don't ask me why, but I was obsessed with Wonder Woman - and an issue of Justice League. There was maybe also a Hulk, maybe a Flash too.
This would have been in 1978, 1979, or at the latest 1980. Think Silver Age. Think comics written and drawn by people who weren't famous.
Anyway, my point being that I had these comics, right? And I was really, truly, gloriously happy in the way that only little boys with new comics can be happy. Having purchased my comics, the three of us went to a jetty near the town of Tillamook, not far from the town where my grandma lived.
But they were gone. My shiny new Wonder Woman, my Justice League, my other comics - all gone. I called my mother and grandma over, and we looked through every crevice on that jetty, all without success. My comics were gone, and there was nothing anyone could do.
I remember a great existential sadness coming over me then: a six year old's despair over the futility of human endeavor as it related to the acquisition of comic books. I was too sad even to cry. I was too sad to even throw a tantrum. I had done it to myself, I knew; there was no one else to blame, and through a fault of character or a trick of fate I had lost my precious comic books, which were perhaps even then serving as the abode of crustaceans or the nesting grounds of gulls.
Looking at my younger daughter's comic books next to the living room door brings this memory back to me every time. I can't help but wonder if one day she'll feel a similar twinge of regret - decades later - when she thinks about the comic books my wife told her to throw away.
Yes, comic books are just things, and sometimes it's best to get rid of things, but comic books can also be like old friends, with whom we share some treasured memories. Saying goodbye to those "old friends" can be hard, especially if your grandma's just introduced them to you, and you haven't had time to get fully acquainted.
I know that people in Taiwan - and kids in Taiwan - don't have the same kind of attitude towards their comic books that I did growing up. I know that people here don't collect them in the same way. I know that it's often more about the related memorabilia than the comic books themselves, and my daughter probably shares this sentiment.
But it still makes me sad to see those comic books, orphaned on our living room floor. Who will love that issue of One Piece now? Who will care for that edition of Naruto? Seeing them there, I can't help but reflect on other comic books, lost on a jetty in Oregon more than thirty years ago. Things are not people and people are not things, but things often carry the memories of the people we were, of the people who are no longer with us, and even the people we once hoped to be.
Maybe I could just get my daughter to keep her room clean. Then I wouldn't have to see those comic books destined for the recycling truck every month. Our house would smell better too, and I wouldn't have to think about her writhing around in her own debris.
Then again, this has been an ongoing thing for years now. It's not like we haven't tried any number of strategies to fix the problem. Every time it seems like she's turned the corner, and started keeping her room clean, we let our guard down, we relax, only to find out that her room is even worse than before. Soon after, another stack of comic books sits next to the living room door.
"Oh my God!" I can already hear my wife saying, "Your room is so disgusting!" Then the groans, then the dutiful (if slow) cleaning up. Painfully predictable, but maybe the sort of thing that all kids and their parents go through, some of the time. I just hope that in later years my daughter remembers the importance of a clean room, rather than those comic books she treasured, so many years before.
Local news from the past week or so. From now on I'll be reviewing the news every two months. There just isn't enough Taitung-related news for this to be an every month kind of thing. 上禮拜台東地區的新聞. 以後我每二個月討論一次地區新聞, 因為關於台東的新聞很少.
1. Endless discussion of Taitung's garbage incinerator. Liou Jhao-hao, candidate for County Magistrate assures us that no, it won't be turned on. 永不停止的焚化爐的討論: 縣長候選人劉櫂豪承諾縣民不會啟用.
2. More politics (the elections are coming soon, you know?). Jeng Ming-shian, candidate for the Taitung County Council's first district seat, hosted a dinner at the Naruwan Hotel. 又是政治類的新聞. (你們知道選舉快到了?) 台東縣議員一區候選人鄭銘顯在娜路彎大酒店舉辦競選服務處成立大會.
3. Several elementary students from Cheng Gong Municipality performed in Taipei to promote development in Taitung and Hualien counties. 9 people from Chung Gong were involved in the recent accident involving the Puyuma express train. You just know they were all holding their breath as they took the train back through Yilan. 成功鎮幾個國小生去台北表演, 推廣花東的發展. 而最近有九個成功鎮民在普悠瑪號的事件罹難後, 可想而知, 他們坐火車回來時經過宜蘭的那一段路時大概很緊張.
4. The Taitung County Government is promoting its All Pass card, which offers a cheaper way to travel through the county. 台東縣政府推出台東好玩卡 (迷鹿ALL PASS). 這張卡是提供10選2的旅遊套票.
5. Rao Ching-ling, the KMT candidate for Taitung County Magistrate, released a video, "I Remember Taitung 50 Years in the Future" at a press conference.* 國民黨台東縣長候選人饒慶鈴在記者會上推出 "50年後的台東, 我記得" 影片.
6. I have no idea why this is in a national newspaper, but there's a story about a little girl growing up with goats. If anyone's teaching a student that smells of livestock, now you know why! 我不懂這個報導怎麼會出現在全國的報紙上, 這是關於一則關於一個小女孩跟羊的成長. 如果任何人教的女學生有羊味道, 現在應該知道為什麼了吧!
7. So close to local elections, the subject of bribery has come up in connection with a district chief. The government is still investigating the matter. 選舉接近了, 有位里長候選人疑似涉嫌發放現金. 政府還在調查這件事.
8. To complicate this year's election even further, former County Magistrate Kuang Li-jen is also running for her former seat. It's VERY unlikely that she'll win the election. 讓今年的大選更複雜, 以前的縣長鄺麗貞又參加縣長選舉了. 她被選上的可能性很低.
9. The Taitung County Government spent a lot of money (9.5 million!) installing an AR (Augmented Reality) classroom in Tung Hai Junior High School.** This classroom will be used to study English. The article says it is the first of its kind in Taitung County, but I happen to know that Hot Spring Elementary in Jer Ben has had one for a while now. 台東縣政府在東海國中投入950萬元打造AR教室. 學生可以利用這個教室學英語. 報告說這個AR教室是全縣第一間, 可是知本溫泉國小在很久以前就已經有了.
10. There's an article about 11 good restaurants in Taitung. Some of them are news to me. 有新聞報導介紹11家台東美食餐廳. 其中有些新的餐廳我沒去過的.
11. While incumbent Taitung City mayoral candidate Zhang Guo-jou hits the campaign trail, his wife is busy cooking food. This is the second food-related article today. Man, I'm hungry. 台東市長候選人張國洲忙著選舉的事, 他的太太忙著煮飯. 這是今天第二則關於料理的報告. 我真是很餓了.
12. There was a 5.1 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Taitung last Thursday. 上週四台東外海發生5.1地震.
13. The upcoming election will likely be very close (estimates hover around 10,000), and local candidates are working hard to win more aboriginal votes. 今年選舉二大黨候選人跑遍偏遠鄉鎮. 因為二黨差距只有一萬票, 一定要得到原住民的支持.
14. More reports of corruption with regard to another local candidate. This candidate is accused of trying to buy votes. 有可能其他候選人在做壞事, 以現金行賄選民.
15. A conference was held to launch several new local agricultural products. 最近舉行了農產加工品的成果發表會.
6. Hello, Taitung Person 台東人你好 5
2. More politics (the elections are coming soon, you know?). Jeng Ming-shian, candidate for the Taitung County Council's first district seat, hosted a dinner at the Naruwan Hotel. 又是政治類的新聞. (你們知道選舉快到了?) 台東縣議員一區候選人鄭銘顯在娜路彎大酒店舉辦競選服務處成立大會.
3. Several elementary students from Cheng Gong Municipality performed in Taipei to promote development in Taitung and Hualien counties. 9 people from Chung Gong were involved in the recent accident involving the Puyuma express train. You just know they were all holding their breath as they took the train back through Yilan. 成功鎮幾個國小生去台北表演, 推廣花東的發展. 而最近有九個成功鎮民在普悠瑪號的事件罹難後, 可想而知, 他們坐火車回來時經過宜蘭的那一段路時大概很緊張.
5. Rao Ching-ling, the KMT candidate for Taitung County Magistrate, released a video, "I Remember Taitung 50 Years in the Future" at a press conference.* 國民黨台東縣長候選人饒慶鈴在記者會上推出 "50年後的台東, 我記得" 影片.
6. I have no idea why this is in a national newspaper, but there's a story about a little girl growing up with goats. If anyone's teaching a student that smells of livestock, now you know why! 我不懂這個報導怎麼會出現在全國的報紙上, 這是關於一則關於一個小女孩跟羊的成長. 如果任何人教的女學生有羊味道, 現在應該知道為什麼了吧!
8. To complicate this year's election even further, former County Magistrate Kuang Li-jen is also running for her former seat. It's VERY unlikely that she'll win the election. 讓今年的大選更複雜, 以前的縣長鄺麗貞又參加縣長選舉了. 她被選上的可能性很低.
9. The Taitung County Government spent a lot of money (9.5 million!) installing an AR (Augmented Reality) classroom in Tung Hai Junior High School.** This classroom will be used to study English. The article says it is the first of its kind in Taitung County, but I happen to know that Hot Spring Elementary in Jer Ben has had one for a while now. 台東縣政府在東海國中投入950萬元打造AR教室. 學生可以利用這個教室學英語. 報告說這個AR教室是全縣第一間, 可是知本溫泉國小在很久以前就已經有了.
11. While incumbent Taitung City mayoral candidate Zhang Guo-jou hits the campaign trail, his wife is busy cooking food. This is the second food-related article today. Man, I'm hungry. 台東市長候選人張國洲忙著選舉的事, 他的太太忙著煮飯. 這是今天第二則關於料理的報告. 我真是很餓了.
12. There was a 5.1 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Taitung last Thursday. 上週四台東外海發生5.1地震.
14. More reports of corruption with regard to another local candidate. This candidate is accused of trying to buy votes. 有可能其他候選人在做壞事, 以現金行賄選民.
15. A conference was held to launch several new local agricultural products. 最近舉行了農產加工品的成果發表會.
6. Hello, Taitung Person 台東人你好 5
All numbered questions were chosen randomly from a list of 52 questions. 下列編號的問題是隨機由五十個問題中選出來的.
The thoughts and opinions expressed below belong to the person offering them, and may not be shared by the person writing this blog. 下列是被訪問者的想法與意見, 與寫這個blog的我不一定一樣.
First Name 名字: Dan
Last Name 姓: Paiero
Chinese Name 中文名字: 派小丹
Employment 工作地點: Cram School 補習班 / Artist 藝術家
Country of Origin 國家: Canada 加拿大
Age 年齡: 32歲
Length of Residence in Taiwan 居住在台灣的時間: 9 years (9年)
Place of Residence in Taitung 住在台東地區: Near Feng Nian Elementary School 在豐年國小附近
Favorite Colors 最喜歡的顏色: orange and green 橘色跟綠色
How are you feeling about the last election? I'm feeling kind of depressed. I'm not nearly as depressed as I was during the last U.S. presidential election, but I do find myself wondering just what direction Taiwan is headed in.
This said, I think I'll leave the reasons for my depression out of this entry. They are somewhat personal, and I feel like including them will only trigger people. These reasons are also in this instance somewhat beside the point, because what I really wanted to talk/write about is unpopular opinions, and why it might be good to have a few.
Let's start with Facebook, which we all know and which some of us still love. Let's say you post something there, expecting some kind of response or affirmation. Someone likes your post. Someone else shares your post, and then it's seen somewhere else on Facebook, where it's liked by others. After a while you feel pretty good about what you posted, and you also feel that the response to what you posted reflects on you, the original poster. "I'm worthwhile," you might think to yourself, "What I think - as reflected in what I post - matters."
You could do the same on Reddit, a more anonymous forum for thoughts and opinions. Let's say you post something there, also expecting some kind of response. Someone upvotes your post. Someone else crossposts your post, where it's seen on another subreddit, and then upvoted by others. As with Facebook, you feel pretty good about what you posted, and you might even think your upvoted post reflects on your worthiness as a person.
The opposite is of course also true. Returning to Facebook, let's say that you post something and no one likes it. Let's say that no one bothers to share. After a while you might feel somewhat depressed about what you posted, and you might come to think that you posted something "wrong," or expressed yourself poorly, or that the lack of likes reflects upon your worth as a person. "What's wrong with me?" you might think, "No one cares enough about what I say to like it!"
It could just as easily go the same way on Reddit. No upvotes for you, my friend. Nay, even a few downvotes! Suddenly people are attacking you on a personal level, and you spend the next few days in a black depression, waiting for the storm of downvotes and negative comments to subside. Then, after those trying few days, everyone on Reddit miraculously forgets about the whole thing, and you're left to ponder the gravity of your next post.
The reality being that we often over-identify with our online selves, and also with the social media our online selves inhabit. We come to see people's ("friend's?") online responses to us as a reflection of our true worth as a person, and we come to see social media as an all-encompassing reflection of the world around us. What we are online matters to us. What we say to each other about our online world also matters.
We get into trouble, however, when we fail to realize that there are limits to our online selves, and that they are at best pale reflections of who we really are. We get into trouble when we fail to realize that a lot of the outside world isn't reflected in our social media, and that attempts by social media to measure that wider reality always fall short of the mark.
Politics is one example. Much has been made in recent weeks about how Facebook "radicalizes" political discourse, with more likes given to increasingly extreme points of view. In such situations it is virtually impossible to reach any kind of consensus, the very thing that political discourse ought to be trying to reach. Such "radicalizing" conversations also take a toll on the individuals participating in them, in that prejudices become hardened, and opposing views are increasingly viewed as threatening.
It's in the nature of Facebook to do this to people. It increases participation. It generates clicks. You don't need some team of hackers to break in and spread "fake news." Given enough time we'll do it to each other, all for the sake of likes.
I've had similar experiences with Reddit. You might think the anonymity of most Reddit users would tone down the political rhetoric, but in many cases the opposite occurs. Hungry for upvotes, the two sides of any discussion argue points they don't really believe in with increasing vehemence, merely to win an ephemeral kind of community approval. I've even had people tell me I was "wrong" simply because I didn't have the most upvoted comment, as if that kind of approval signaled a greater degree of correctness, or was more reflective of a larger reality. Let me put it this way: if it was 1939 and the Nazis had a Reddit group, you can be sure that all the nationalistic and anti-semitic comments would be getting the most upvotes.
What worries me most is when this kind of thinking bleeds out into the world beyond the Internet. When people continually assume that the most popular opinion is the right opinion for everyone, we're in real trouble. What people justify with likes and upvotes can be just as easily justified by actual votes, in actual elections, where actual issues matter. Say for example gay marriage. Or the name your country's sports team uses. Or whether nuclear power has a place in Taiwan's future.
Just because something is popular doesn't make it right. Just because something is good for most people doesn't make it good for everyone. This is why someone coined the phrase "tyranny of the majority," and why protections extended to minority groups (and minority opinions) are important in any democracy. We need to remain on guard against the fact that popular opinion often goes the wrong way, just as it did in Nazi Germany in the late 30s and early 40s. Most people are perfectly capable of believing any number of ridiculous things, and we only protect ourselves from this fact by allowing dissent, and learning from opposing points of view.
With this situation comes another fact of democratic life: the need to make your voice heard. Participants in any democracy have a responsibility to translate their thoughts and interests into political activity, especially if these thoughts and interests are unpopular. It is through the dialogue thus engendered that change occurs, and it is through this dialogue that a democratic state comes to reflect present values. If people don't participate, and if they don't make their voices heard, then the nation as a whole suffers, and our laws and institutions less accurately reflect our society.
In Taiwanese terms, this means coming into conflict with others and/or embarrassing yourself. I know many Taiwanese people who fear nothing more than disagreement and the airing of unpopular opinions, primarily because disagreements and unpopular opinions seem to endanger social harmony. A lot of this thinking goes back to Confucian ideals, but it contradicts the principles on which democracy is based. A fully-functioning democracy demands your participation. A fully-functioning democracy demands that you risk pissing off friends, relatives, and strangers. A fully-functioning democracy demands that you fight for what you think is right (within legal limits of course).
It's not so different on Facebook or Reddit. You can be popular on either platform by saying either bland things or by agreeing with popular opinion. You can do so, and over time you'll feel loved. But over time you have to ask yourself, are you really speaking for yourself, or are you speaking for others? Are you controlling social media, or is it controlling you? Are you a reflection of Facebook, Reddit, or existing institutions, or are you determined to make Facebook, Reddit, or existing institutions reflections of yourself? Of course some people, rallying behind the cry of "realism" will always urge you to conform, but is that always the best course for everyone?
A lot of people didn't vote in the last election. Maybe they were busy. Maybe they forgot. I don't know. But I hope more of us vote the next time, and I hope more of us vote with our hearts and with our consciences. I can't blame anyone who conscientiously voted against issues I care about - at least not in this instance - but I can blame those who voted, or didn't vote, because they feared disapproval. After all it's not about likes, upvotes or social censure, but about matters much more important.
10. 10 Weirder Destinations in Taiwan 十個比較特別的台灣景點
1. Q: Is it useful for you to know Taiwanese? Why or why not? 你覺得學會台語有用嗎? 為什麼?
A: Um, I don't actually know any Taiwanese. I can speak a little bit of Mandarin*, that's what I studied, but my taiyu or Taiwanese is really bad, so... It's not useful in that I don't know any. Um, I can mutter through a "Hello, how are you?" kind of thing, but it's only been an issue once, and I was doing a work program up in Tou Cheng, and a lot of people would flip between Mandarin and Taiwanese, and that was the only time where I was like, "Well, I don't understand exactly what's going on right here, can you please explain it in Mandarin?" So it wasn't a big issue for me. 嗯, 其實我完全不會講台語. 我會講一點點中文, 我學過中文, 可是我的台語很爛, 所以對我來說台語沒用. 嗯, 我會用台語打招呼, 不會台語的不方便只發生過一次. 那時我在頭城參加半工半讀的活動, 很多人說話時中文和台語夾雜. 當時我只好說: "我不清楚現在是什麼情形, 請你們說中文." 所以那個問題不大.
2. Q: What is special about Taitung? Is Taitung special? 台東有什麼特別的地方? 台東很特別嗎?
A: I definitely think Taitung's special, um... There is a very big difference I feel between the west coast and the east coast. I think that's pretty easy for everyone - everyone who's been - to both sides of the coast can say. And, I've lived in Hualien. I can definitely say that I feel Hualien looks more [like] Taipei would. I don't think Taitung does that as much. There's in the past four or five years been a big resurgence in what I'd call "Taitung identity," and there's a lot of pride down here in the nature and the people. So I think Taitung is a definite special place. Uh, there's a lot of really old culture, and pride in that culture that you see walking around and it's very visible. So I think Taitung is definitely a special place in Taiwan for sure. 我非常確定台東很特別. 嗯... 我想西部跟東部的差別很大. 我想這對每個人來說很明顯 - 對來過的人來說 - 去過東, 西部海灘的人都會這麼說. 我也住過花蓮. 我確定花蓮比較像台北. 我想台東並不像花蓮一樣與台北比較相似. 這四 五年的 "返鄉潮" 我認為是台東身分的認同, 很多縣民覺得這裡的大自然跟人都很讚. 所以我想台東真是個很特別的地方. 嗯, 這裡保有許多古老的文化, 逛街的時候處處都可以看得到. 這裡的人都尊重這個文化. 所以我想台東是個特別的地方沒錯.
3. Q: Is it better or worse to be a homosexual in Taiwan? Why? 在台灣當同性戀的人比較好嗎? 為什麼?
A: Well, I've never been gay, so I can't really say. [I'd like to] point that out, I've never actually been homosexual in Taitung, Taiwan, anywhere I've ever lived, so I don't actually know. I would say, based on the way politics are going in Taiwan... it's becoming more socially acceptable. There's a whole bunch of things about female homosexuality, male homosexuality, and the difference between that in Taiwan and gender roles. I would say... definitely it's changing, and it's definitely a conversation that's going on. And again, Taiwan does look toward a lot of Western countries in Europe and the USA, and they are setting social policy around that. So, I think it's improving for social acceptability for sure. I do not know how it is in the family. I can't argue anything about the family, just 'cause I don't know. I do know, I've met a few "out" or openly homosexual Taiwanese people, and I haven't seen a lot of discrimination in the social world. I don't know how it goes on privately. 我不是同性戀所以沒辦法說. 這是我特別要註明的事, 我在台東, 台灣或是其他地方都沒當過同性戀, 所以我什麼都不知道. 我會說順著台灣政治政策發展的方向... 同性戀者會越來越受社會的接受. 女女戀, 男男戀和其他在台灣的性別角色的事件. 社會真的是在改變, 這種討論在社會中正在發生. 再來, 台灣也跟進國家歐洲與美國, 在社會政策上討論著同志議題, 所以在社會接受度方面有進步. 我不知道每個家庭裡的狀況. 我沒辦法談論同志對家庭裡的影響, 因為我根本不知道. 我知道的是, 我碰過幾個出櫃的台灣人, 我沒感覺到社會的歧視影響到他們的人生. 在比較私人的地方我就不知道了.
4. Q: Where are you going after this interview? 這個訪問結束之後你要去哪裡?
A: I'm gonna go get a fruit juice, drink that fruit juice, then go to work, then I think I'm gonna watch a movie after work. 我要去買果汁, 並把那杯果汁喝掉, 然後去上班, 下班之後我想看電影.
5. Q: Are Taiwanese women sexy/attractive? Why or why not? 台灣的女人性感 /很吸引人嗎? 為什麼?
A: Well, I don't really have a "type" when it comes to women - as far as I know - so I'd say like, I've been to a few different countries, and women everywhere are sexy. So, it's kind of a hard thing to say like "all Taiwanese women" - definitely no, but yeah, I've dated a few women here, and they've been amazingly... I wouldn't date them if I wasn't attracted to them. That's pretty straightforward. Um, so yeah, I'd say there's an attractive quality about every woman that I've dated, be it Taiwanese or not. 其實我並沒有特定喜歡哪一種類型的女人 - 我不覺得女人有特定的類型. 所以我會說, 我去過幾個國家, 到處都有性感的女人. 所以很難說: "所有的台灣女人" - 不是這樣子, 我和幾個這裡的女性約會過, 她們都超級......當然, 如果她們不吸引我, 我就不會跟她們約會了. 所以我想我約會過的女人都有吸引人的特色, 不管是台灣人或是其他地方的.
6. Q: Do you feel you are paid enough for the work you do? Why or why not? 你覺得你的薪水夠了嗎? 為什麼?
A: Yeah, I feel I'm paid enough for the work I do. Um, my payment right now is staggered between... depending on what classes I teach, but, at the same time I can remember doing child care in Canada and I was paid much less than I was being paid here. And I had to work twice as long, I had to do twice as much stuff, and I got paid half as much, so I definitely feel valued here. 我想我的薪水夠高. 嗯, 最近我的薪水會變動... 因為課數的關係, 在這同時我也想到我在加拿大作這種工作的時候, 薪水比現在低很多. 我在那裏上班的時間是這裡的二倍, 要做的事是這裡的二倍, 而且我的薪水是這裡的一半, 所以我當然比較滿意我這裡的工作.
7. Q: Have you ever had Tunnel 88? What was your experience like? 你有沒有喝過八八坑道高粱酒? 你的經驗如何?
A: I've had Tunnel 88. I think it was, oh within my first month in Taiwan. I went to a family dinner with some coworkers of some of my friends and... there was a big bottle of Tunnel 88. All I can remember is sitting on the back of a scooter, yelling at the guy driving me home to pull over so I could puke. Um, I would recommend it to try it, I wouldn't recommend it as a main drink. I mean, I like drinking beer. You know, finish work have a beer. I feel fine about having a bottle of beer. I would not feel fine having a bottle of Tunnel 88 every night. I don't think my liver would be fine with it. I don't think many parts of my body would be fine with it. But I think it's definitely something to try. 我喝過八八坑道. 好像是我第一個月在台灣時. 我跟朋友的同事一起吃晚餐... 有一大瓶八八坑道. 我只記得自己坐在摩托車後面大聲叫司機停下來, 因為我很想吐. 嗯, 我想喝喝看沒問題, 可是不要常常喝. 我的意思是我喜歡喝啤酒. 你知道的, 下班之後喝一杯啤酒. 我覺得喝瓶啤酒沒問題. 但我不覺得每天晚上喝瓶八八坑道是件好事. 我不覺得我的肝受得住, 我的身體的其他部位也會變得很不好. 可是喝喝看還是可以的.
8. Q: What countries have you visited? 你去過哪些國家?
A: Um, not enough. I'd say that. First country I ever visited outside of my home was Kenya, which was great. Had a wonderful time there. And then it was Malaysian Borneo, which is the only country I've revisited here in Asia. That's... it reminded me a lot of Taitung, just in terms of the nature, the relaxed pace of life. Um, Japan I had a... I had a good time in Japan but I wouldn't go back there. Didn't hold a lot of interest for me. Laos. I had a fantastic time in Laos. And Myanmar, I had another wonderful time there. Then um, I don't know what's next. I'd like to go to Vietnam, uh maybe in the winter? I'm drawn more to... lesser tourist countries, or countries that have less of a tourism industry. Not Singapore. I have some friends who've been to Tokyo, and that just looks like a nightmare to me, so... 嗯, 不夠多. 這是我的想法. 我第一次出國去的國家是肯亞. 那個經驗很棒. 我在那裏玩得很開心. 之後我去馬來西亞婆羅洲, 那是我在亞洲唯一去過二次的國家. 那... 我覺得那邊很像台東, 也有大自然跟舒緩的生活方式. 嗯, 日本我有一個... 我覺得好玩, 可是不想再去一次. 我不是很有興趣. 寮國. 我在寮國玩得超開心. 還有緬甸, 很好玩. 我還沒決定下次要去哪裡. 我想去越南玩, 有可能是冬天. 我比較喜歡觀光客不多的國家, 觀光業沒那麼發展的國家. 不是新加坡那種. 我有幾個朋友去過東京, 但我覺得那對我會是一場惡夢...
9. Q: What are your thoughts on local night markets? 你對當地的夜市有什麼看法?
A: Uh, the Taitung night market**? Um, I like it. It's definitely changed. In a few years it isn't as big or as busy as other night markets in Taiwan, which I like, just because I don't like big crowds of people. The night market here I think it's fine for the people of Taitung. 嗯, 台東觀光夜市沒錯吧? 嗯, 我喜歡. 這幾年內它改變了很多 , 它不像外縣市的夜市那麼大和熱鬧. 但我喜歡這樣, 因為我不喜歡人山人海的地方. 我想這裏的夜市適合這邊的人.
10. Q: What are some problems specific to the area you live in? 你的社區有什麼特別的問題?
A: "Problems specific to the area I live in..." Uh... well, traffic I'd say can be an issue just in terms of where the lights go on and off. Dogs. I have a skateboard and a bicycle, and there's some areas where I just can't go on on my skateboard 'cause dogs will jump out and run at me. Um, other than that... not a lot, it does get pretty quiet at night out there. I'm far enough away I don't hear the jets***. I'd say... the overall traffic, just in terms of like stopping at red lights and looking behind you before you pull out in your car. And keeping the dogs somehow on a leash or not yelling at me. "社區有什麼特別的問題..." 嗯... 有紅綠燈的地方交通很差. 狗. 我有滑板跟腳踏車, 有的地方我沒辦法溜滑板因為狗會跳出來追我. 嗯, 其他的... 問題不多, 天黑的時候我住的社區很安靜. 我離市區夠遠, 所以聽不到戰機的聲音. 我想... 路況, 特別是在紅綠燈停下來的時候. 還有上路前看看後方有沒有來車. 還有把狗綁好, 不要讓牠對我叫...
7. Mei He / San He 美和 / 三和
Mei He and San He are the northernmost towns in Tai Ma Li Township. Both are just south of Jer Ben, on the other side of the Jer Ben River. There's nothing famous in either town. 美和跟三和是太麻里鄉最北邊的小村落. 這二個村落在知本南邊, 知本溪的另外一邊. 這附近沒有什麼景點.
This is the north end of Mei He. In the background you can see the "Tai Ma Li Township" pillar. To the right, behind the election poster, the aboriginal boy points the way to the Jer Ben Hot Spring Area. 美和的北部. 這裡立著太麻里鄉的標示牌. 右邊, 在選舉海報後面, 有一個原住民孩子指往知本溫泉區的方向.
This is the southern end of San He, where Highway 9 starts ascending the big hill. The house on the hill is part of the village of Shan Yuan. There's another village called Shan Yuan north of Taitung City, in Beinan Township. 這是三和的南部, 也是台9線開始上高坡的地方. 山坡上的房子位在杉原村. 這個杉原村位在台東市北邊, 這是另一個在卑南鄉的杉原村.
This is the same area, looking north. This stretch of coast is known as "White Sand Bay," but it's not really white, and it's not good for swimming. 同一個地點往北邊看. 這一段海岸叫白沙灣, 可是沙子不是很白, 這裡也不適合游泳.
San He's Seashore Park. Definitely the worst seashore park I can think of. 三和海濱公園. 在海濱公園中, 這個是最差的吧.
Behind the park there's an area used by local fishermen. It's full of buoys and other fishing equipment. 公園後方有在地漁夫的用地. 到處都有他們的浮標跟其他的設備.
Along the seashore there's A LOT of trash. Local residents may have dumped this trash here, or it may have been washed here by the tides. 海邊的垃圾真多. 不知道是當地人亂丟的或是海浪沖進來的.
Looking south from the San He Seashore Park. Tetrapods and local garbage don't exactly make for natural splendor. It sure is quiet though. 在三和海濱公園往南邊看. 消波塊跟垃圾再次破壞了大自然的景色. 還好這附近滿安靜的.
Aquaculture is a big industry around San He, and there are many pools like this one. 水產養殖在三和附近是項重要的產業. 這地區有很多這樣的水池.
This always confuses people, but the road leading through Mei He and San He is Highway 9, NOT Highway 11. Highway 11 merges into Highway 9 in Mei He. 很多人容易搞錯, 經過美和跟三和的那條公路是台9線, 不是台11線. 台11線在美和北邊變成台9線.
Roadside stand selling sugar apples. Sugar apples are the biggest crop in both Mei He and San He, and I've heard stories of fabulously rich farmers in this area. Dragonfruit, bananas and roselle flowers are also grown around here. 路邊的小店在賣釋迦. 釋迦是美和跟三和最有名的農產品, 我也聽說這附近有的農夫很有錢. 在這個地區還有人種火龍果, 香蕉跟洛神花.
Fields near the ocean, just over the river from Jer Ben. Many of these fields have been abandoned. I'm guessing the soil isn't very good for farming. 靠近海邊在知本溪附近的農田. 很多農地看起來荒廢了. 我猜想這附近的地養分不高.
We found a few dogs living near this abandoned house. At least they were friendly. Dogs can make driving down many of these roads a dangerous undertaking. 我們在這棟廢棄的房子附近發現一群狗. 還好他們都很友善. 狗時常讓許多農村道路變得很危險.
8. 20 Tang Dynasty Poems 二十首唐詩
This is the north end of Mei He. In the background you can see the "Tai Ma Li Township" pillar. To the right, behind the election poster, the aboriginal boy points the way to the Jer Ben Hot Spring Area. 美和的北部. 這裡立著太麻里鄉的標示牌. 右邊, 在選舉海報後面, 有一個原住民孩子指往知本溫泉區的方向.
This is the southern end of San He, where Highway 9 starts ascending the big hill. The house on the hill is part of the village of Shan Yuan. There's another village called Shan Yuan north of Taitung City, in Beinan Township. 這是三和的南部, 也是台9線開始上高坡的地方. 山坡上的房子位在杉原村. 這個杉原村位在台東市北邊, 這是另一個在卑南鄉的杉原村.
This is the same area, looking north. This stretch of coast is known as "White Sand Bay," but it's not really white, and it's not good for swimming. 同一個地點往北邊看. 這一段海岸叫白沙灣, 可是沙子不是很白, 這裡也不適合游泳.
San He's Seashore Park. Definitely the worst seashore park I can think of. 三和海濱公園. 在海濱公園中, 這個是最差的吧.
Behind the park there's an area used by local fishermen. It's full of buoys and other fishing equipment. 公園後方有在地漁夫的用地. 到處都有他們的浮標跟其他的設備.
Along the seashore there's A LOT of trash. Local residents may have dumped this trash here, or it may have been washed here by the tides. 海邊的垃圾真多. 不知道是當地人亂丟的或是海浪沖進來的.
Looking south from the San He Seashore Park. Tetrapods and local garbage don't exactly make for natural splendor. It sure is quiet though. 在三和海濱公園往南邊看. 消波塊跟垃圾再次破壞了大自然的景色. 還好這附近滿安靜的.
Aquaculture is a big industry around San He, and there are many pools like this one. 水產養殖在三和附近是項重要的產業. 這地區有很多這樣的水池.
This always confuses people, but the road leading through Mei He and San He is Highway 9, NOT Highway 11. Highway 11 merges into Highway 9 in Mei He. 很多人容易搞錯, 經過美和跟三和的那條公路是台9線, 不是台11線. 台11線在美和北邊變成台9線.
Roadside stand selling sugar apples. Sugar apples are the biggest crop in both Mei He and San He, and I've heard stories of fabulously rich farmers in this area. Dragonfruit, bananas and roselle flowers are also grown around here. 路邊的小店在賣釋迦. 釋迦是美和跟三和最有名的農產品, 我也聽說這附近有的農夫很有錢. 在這個地區還有人種火龍果, 香蕉跟洛神花.
Fields near the ocean, just over the river from Jer Ben. Many of these fields have been abandoned. I'm guessing the soil isn't very good for farming. 靠近海邊在知本溪附近的農田. 很多農地看起來荒廢了. 我猜想這附近的地養分不高.
We found a few dogs living near this abandoned house. At least they were friendly. Dogs can make driving down many of these roads a dangerous undertaking. 我們在這棟廢棄的房子附近發現一群狗. 還好他們都很友善. 狗時常讓許多農村道路變得很危險.
8. 20 Tang Dynasty Poems 二十首唐詩
Every Taiwanese person studies at least a few of the Tang Dynasty poems at some point in their life. Either they study these poems in a collection, or as part of their Chinese curriculum. Many people also study these poems again, much later, in college. Depending on how deeply you want to understand the poems, you can opt for either a children's collection or one of the more scholarly editions aimed at adults.
The importance of these poems to an understanding of Chinese culture cannot be overestimated. They inform Literature, parts of them have become idioms, and you'll even find them written into the corners of famous paintings. They cast a long shadow, but there's no need to feel intimidated by them. Most of them are actually easy (and fun!) to learn.
The introduction to the poems below was taken from 華一兒童啓蒙文學2: 唐詩 ("The Hua Yi Guide to Children's Literature 2: Tang Dynasty Poems"). This book was published by 華一書局 (Hua Yi Books) in 1982. I have the feeling that this particular guide is long, long out of print.
在進入 "唐詩的世界" 以前, 先讓我們來了解一下, 詩是怎麼產生的? Before entering the "world of Tang Dynasty poetry," let's learn a little bit about how the poems came to be.
在我國古老的時代裏, 人與人交往, 除了自己的親戚以外, 很少有見面講話的機會. 尤其在還沒發明文字以前, 人們要完整的表達心裏的話, 更是困難重重. 可是人跟其他動物一樣, 生下來就有啼叫的本能. 因此, 我們聰明的祖先, 便利用工作, 遊戲的時候, 把一些令人感動的想法, 編成有節奏的短歌, 歌詞非常簡單, 有時還一直反覆不停. 就這樣一人唱大家和的情形下, 慢慢的聯絡起眾人的感情: 另一方面也建立起 "詩" 的形式, 奠定我國文化的根基. In ancient times, people in our country had few opportunities to communicate with those outside their family circle. This was especially true before the invention of writing, and during that time expressing one's deepest thoughts and feelings was very difficult. But people are just like other animals, born with the ability to communicate. For this reason our wise ancestors preserved heartfelt sentiments in short songs that they would sing during their work or leisure activities. The words to these songs were very simple, and sometimes involved repetition. In this way people shared their emotions through song, and communicated these emotions to other people. They also established the forms of poems, and provided a basis for our nation's culture.
這種利用詩歌來表達心裏感觸的方式, 不但符合我們中國人溫文儒雅的個性, 而且也充分的發揮了中國地大物博的文化特色. 於是, 儘管朝代不停的轉換, 詩的生命卻始終不斷. This way of expressing one's feelings through poetic songs not only suits the gentle and elegant personalities of we, the Chinese people, but also demonstrates an appreciation for China's geography and cultural heritage. Poems have a life of their own, extending beyond the duration of any dynasty.
到了唐朝, 詩人們在富足, 安樂的生活下, 創作了許多不巧的詩篇, 同時也把中國詩的領域, 帶上最顛峰的境界. 今天, 只要我們提到 "詩", 就會馬上聯想到唐詩. 難怪現代人常說: 熟讀唐詩三百首, 不會吟詩也會吟了. With the arrival of the Tang Dynasty, poets wrote many classic Chinese poems, and pushed the boundaries of the art during more prosperous times. Today, we need only mention "poetry" and the Tang poems immediately come to mind. This is why modern people usually say: "Read 300 Tang Dynasty poems and you will not be disappointed."
那麼, 唐詩的世界到底是怎樣的呢? So what is "the world of Tang Dynasty poems," really?
我們都知道, 詩的句子很短, 字數一定, 可是所表達的意思卻很完整. 在這本書上, 我們選的詩有絕句, 律詩, 古詩和樂府四種體裁. 古詩和樂府是唐朝人學漢, 魏以前人的作法寫的詩. 相傳本來古詩和樂府都是配有歌曲的詞, 後來因為沒有留下歌譜, 現代的人也不知怎麼唱了. 不過唐朝的時候, 仍然有人會吟唱這些曲調, 只是後來漸漸受到冷落, 詩人們也不再寫古詩和樂府詩了. 本書上選的這幾首, 都是很有名的. 例如: 陳子昂的登幽州臺歌和孟郊的遊子吟, 相信小朋友都曾聽說過. As we all know, the sentences in the poems are very short, and the number of words/characters is set, but the meanings within them are expressed fully. In this book we have selected quatrains, "lu" poems, [more] ancient poems, and "yue fu" poems. The [more] ancient poems and the "yue fu" poems were written by Tang Dynasty scholars studying Wei methods of writing poetry. The [more] ancient and "yue fu" poems were traditionally used as lyrics to accompany music, but because the music to them was lost modern people don't know how to sing them. Nevertheless in Tang times these poems were often sung, it's just that they slowly fell out of favor and later poets stopped writing the [more] ancient and "yue fu" styles of poetry. The few examples of these kinds of poetry found in this book are all very famous. For example: "Chen Dze-ang's "Song of Arrival in a Peaceful Province" and Meng Jiao's "The Wandering Child Sings." [We] believe that every child has heard of these poems.
至於被稱為近體詩的絕句和律詩, 除了押韻和對仗的要求外, 它們的字數都有一定的限制: 不是五個字, 便是七個字. 絕句每首四句, 律師每首八句, 甚至可以八句以上, 不過那又稱為 "排律" 了. Modern poems like quatrains and "lu" poems, in addition to rules about rhyming and apposition, are restricted in terms of the number of words/characters in each line. These are not 5 word [poems], but rather 7 word poems. Quatrains consist of four lines, while "lu" poems consist of 8 or lines or more. "Lu" poems longer than 8 lines are referred to as "pai lu."*
知道這個分別以後, 我們才能輕鬆欣賞唐詩. 為了讓小朋友對整首詩有一個完整的認識, 在 "詩意" 裏, 我們把該首詩的精神和意思, 用非常淺顯的文字, 有連貫的表達出來. 然後再在 "詩話" 裏, 把這首詩的內容, 作法, 意義和欣賞的方法, 簡單扼要的解釋一下, 希望能幫助大家在欣賞的時候, 不致於找不到頭緒. 為了追求原詩的韻味, 我們特別將一些字的念法, 用讀音標示出來, 以方便同學在朗頌的時候, 更能體會詩的 "音響". 例如常見的有: "白", "斜", "綠", "我", "北", "百", "誰".... Now that we understand the differences between types of Tang Dynasty poems, we can begin a relaxed appreciation of them. In order to provide children with the fullest understanding of each poem, under "Meaning of Poem" we've highlighted the spirit and meaning of [each poem] in plain text to make their import clear. After this, under "Commentary on Poem," we explain the contents, form, [deeper] meaning and method of approaching the poem. It is our hope than in thus assisting everyone in an appreciation of the poems we won't confuse you, and [students] will be able to enjoy the poems as they were originally intended. [For this reason] we have included phonetic symbols indicating the original pronunciation of certain words/characters, so that students can read the poems aloud with the correct intonation. For example, commonly seen forms of pronunciation [in the poems] are: "白"(bo), "斜"(shia), "綠"(lu), "我"(uh), "北"(bo), "百"(bo), "誰"(shui)....
唐詩的內容包羅萬象, 除了抒情, 寫景, 詠史和描寫各種事物外, 也用來寫信和對話. 不僅心中難過要寫詩, 心情愉快要寫詩, 甚至看到花落, 下雨, 風吹也要小提大作一番. 這種無微不至的寫作方式, 確實留給我們許多模倣的對. 小朋友! 熟讀這些唐詩以後, 希望你也能夠信手寫上一首好詩! The content of Tang Dynasty poems is far-ranging. Aside from lyricism, depictions of landscapes, history and descriptions of various [other] things, they were also used as letters and [attempts] at conversation. Some poems were written in a time of sadness, others were written in a time of joy, some were written while watching the petals fall from flowers, or during the rain, or in the midst of a great wind. Their unparalleled method of execution can engender in us many different emotions. Children! After reading these poems we hope you will write a poem of your own!
9. Unpopular Opinions
The importance of these poems to an understanding of Chinese culture cannot be overestimated. They inform Literature, parts of them have become idioms, and you'll even find them written into the corners of famous paintings. They cast a long shadow, but there's no need to feel intimidated by them. Most of them are actually easy (and fun!) to learn.
The introduction to the poems below was taken from 華一兒童啓蒙文學2: 唐詩 ("The Hua Yi Guide to Children's Literature 2: Tang Dynasty Poems"). This book was published by 華一書局 (Hua Yi Books) in 1982. I have the feeling that this particular guide is long, long out of print.
唐詩的世界 The World of Tang Dynasty Poetry
在進入 "唐詩的世界" 以前, 先讓我們來了解一下, 詩是怎麼產生的? Before entering the "world of Tang Dynasty poetry," let's learn a little bit about how the poems came to be.
在我國古老的時代裏, 人與人交往, 除了自己的親戚以外, 很少有見面講話的機會. 尤其在還沒發明文字以前, 人們要完整的表達心裏的話, 更是困難重重. 可是人跟其他動物一樣, 生下來就有啼叫的本能. 因此, 我們聰明的祖先, 便利用工作, 遊戲的時候, 把一些令人感動的想法, 編成有節奏的短歌, 歌詞非常簡單, 有時還一直反覆不停. 就這樣一人唱大家和的情形下, 慢慢的聯絡起眾人的感情: 另一方面也建立起 "詩" 的形式, 奠定我國文化的根基. In ancient times, people in our country had few opportunities to communicate with those outside their family circle. This was especially true before the invention of writing, and during that time expressing one's deepest thoughts and feelings was very difficult. But people are just like other animals, born with the ability to communicate. For this reason our wise ancestors preserved heartfelt sentiments in short songs that they would sing during their work or leisure activities. The words to these songs were very simple, and sometimes involved repetition. In this way people shared their emotions through song, and communicated these emotions to other people. They also established the forms of poems, and provided a basis for our nation's culture.
這種利用詩歌來表達心裏感觸的方式, 不但符合我們中國人溫文儒雅的個性, 而且也充分的發揮了中國地大物博的文化特色. 於是, 儘管朝代不停的轉換, 詩的生命卻始終不斷. This way of expressing one's feelings through poetic songs not only suits the gentle and elegant personalities of we, the Chinese people, but also demonstrates an appreciation for China's geography and cultural heritage. Poems have a life of their own, extending beyond the duration of any dynasty.
到了唐朝, 詩人們在富足, 安樂的生活下, 創作了許多不巧的詩篇, 同時也把中國詩的領域, 帶上最顛峰的境界. 今天, 只要我們提到 "詩", 就會馬上聯想到唐詩. 難怪現代人常說: 熟讀唐詩三百首, 不會吟詩也會吟了. With the arrival of the Tang Dynasty, poets wrote many classic Chinese poems, and pushed the boundaries of the art during more prosperous times. Today, we need only mention "poetry" and the Tang poems immediately come to mind. This is why modern people usually say: "Read 300 Tang Dynasty poems and you will not be disappointed."
那麼, 唐詩的世界到底是怎樣的呢? So what is "the world of Tang Dynasty poems," really?
我們都知道, 詩的句子很短, 字數一定, 可是所表達的意思卻很完整. 在這本書上, 我們選的詩有絕句, 律詩, 古詩和樂府四種體裁. 古詩和樂府是唐朝人學漢, 魏以前人的作法寫的詩. 相傳本來古詩和樂府都是配有歌曲的詞, 後來因為沒有留下歌譜, 現代的人也不知怎麼唱了. 不過唐朝的時候, 仍然有人會吟唱這些曲調, 只是後來漸漸受到冷落, 詩人們也不再寫古詩和樂府詩了. 本書上選的這幾首, 都是很有名的. 例如: 陳子昂的登幽州臺歌和孟郊的遊子吟, 相信小朋友都曾聽說過. As we all know, the sentences in the poems are very short, and the number of words/characters is set, but the meanings within them are expressed fully. In this book we have selected quatrains, "lu" poems, [more] ancient poems, and "yue fu" poems. The [more] ancient poems and the "yue fu" poems were written by Tang Dynasty scholars studying Wei methods of writing poetry. The [more] ancient and "yue fu" poems were traditionally used as lyrics to accompany music, but because the music to them was lost modern people don't know how to sing them. Nevertheless in Tang times these poems were often sung, it's just that they slowly fell out of favor and later poets stopped writing the [more] ancient and "yue fu" styles of poetry. The few examples of these kinds of poetry found in this book are all very famous. For example: "Chen Dze-ang's "Song of Arrival in a Peaceful Province" and Meng Jiao's "The Wandering Child Sings." [We] believe that every child has heard of these poems.
至於被稱為近體詩的絕句和律詩, 除了押韻和對仗的要求外, 它們的字數都有一定的限制: 不是五個字, 便是七個字. 絕句每首四句, 律師每首八句, 甚至可以八句以上, 不過那又稱為 "排律" 了. Modern poems like quatrains and "lu" poems, in addition to rules about rhyming and apposition, are restricted in terms of the number of words/characters in each line. These are not 5 word [poems], but rather 7 word poems. Quatrains consist of four lines, while "lu" poems consist of 8 or lines or more. "Lu" poems longer than 8 lines are referred to as "pai lu."*
知道這個分別以後, 我們才能輕鬆欣賞唐詩. 為了讓小朋友對整首詩有一個完整的認識, 在 "詩意" 裏, 我們把該首詩的精神和意思, 用非常淺顯的文字, 有連貫的表達出來. 然後再在 "詩話" 裏, 把這首詩的內容, 作法, 意義和欣賞的方法, 簡單扼要的解釋一下, 希望能幫助大家在欣賞的時候, 不致於找不到頭緒. 為了追求原詩的韻味, 我們特別將一些字的念法, 用讀音標示出來, 以方便同學在朗頌的時候, 更能體會詩的 "音響". 例如常見的有: "白", "斜", "綠", "我", "北", "百", "誰".... Now that we understand the differences between types of Tang Dynasty poems, we can begin a relaxed appreciation of them. In order to provide children with the fullest understanding of each poem, under "Meaning of Poem" we've highlighted the spirit and meaning of [each poem] in plain text to make their import clear. After this, under "Commentary on Poem," we explain the contents, form, [deeper] meaning and method of approaching the poem. It is our hope than in thus assisting everyone in an appreciation of the poems we won't confuse you, and [students] will be able to enjoy the poems as they were originally intended. [For this reason] we have included phonetic symbols indicating the original pronunciation of certain words/characters, so that students can read the poems aloud with the correct intonation. For example, commonly seen forms of pronunciation [in the poems] are: "白"(bo), "斜"(shia), "綠"(lu), "我"(uh), "北"(bo), "百"(bo), "誰"(shui)....
唐詩的內容包羅萬象, 除了抒情, 寫景, 詠史和描寫各種事物外, 也用來寫信和對話. 不僅心中難過要寫詩, 心情愉快要寫詩, 甚至看到花落, 下雨, 風吹也要小提大作一番. 這種無微不至的寫作方式, 確實留給我們許多模倣的對. 小朋友! 熟讀這些唐詩以後, 希望你也能夠信手寫上一首好詩! The content of Tang Dynasty poems is far-ranging. Aside from lyricism, depictions of landscapes, history and descriptions of various [other] things, they were also used as letters and [attempts] at conversation. Some poems were written in a time of sadness, others were written in a time of joy, some were written while watching the petals fall from flowers, or during the rain, or in the midst of a great wind. Their unparalleled method of execution can engender in us many different emotions. Children! After reading these poems we hope you will write a poem of your own!
[Twenty Tang Dynasty Poems 二十首唐詩]
春曉 Spring Dawn 孟诰然 by Meng Kao-ran
春眠不覺曉,
Spring sleep insensible of dawn,
處處聞啼鳥.
Everywhere the chirping of birds.
夜來風雨聲,
With night came the sounds of a storm,
花落知多少?
How many flowers have fallen?
春眠不覺曉,
Spring sleep insensible of dawn,
處處聞啼鳥.
Everywhere the chirping of birds.
夜來風雨聲,
With night came the sounds of a storm,
花落知多少?
How many flowers have fallen?
雜詩 Miscellaneous Poem 王維 by Wang Wei
君自故鄉來,
You've just arrived in our hometown,
應知故鄉事.
You probably know the hometown news.
來日綺窗前,
When you arrived I looked out my window,
寒梅著花未?
How many flowers blossomed on the plum tree?
君自故鄉來,
You've just arrived in our hometown,
應知故鄉事.
You probably know the hometown news.
來日綺窗前,
When you arrived I looked out my window,
寒梅著花未?
How many flowers blossomed on the plum tree?
竹里館 The Bamboo Grove 王維 by Wang Wei
獨坐幽簧裏,
I sit within the lonely bamboo,
彈琴復長嘯.
Playing a zither and singing loudly.
深林人不知,
No one knows I'm in this forest,
明月來相照.
There is only the bright moon shining upon me.
獨坐幽簧裏,
I sit within the lonely bamboo,
彈琴復長嘯.
Playing a zither and singing loudly.
深林人不知,
No one knows I'm in this forest,
明月來相照.
There is only the bright moon shining upon me.
相思 Affinity 王維 by Wang Wei
紅豆生南國,
The red bean tree grows in the south,
春來發幾枝.
With spring it grows new branches.
願君多採擷,
I hope you pick a few and bring them back to me,
此物最相思.
They represent our affinity.
紅豆生南國,
The red bean tree grows in the south,
春來發幾枝.
With spring it grows new branches.
願君多採擷,
I hope you pick a few and bring them back to me,
此物最相思.
They represent our affinity.
新嫁娘 Newly-Married Wife 王建 by Wang Jian
三日入廚下,
After three days she enters the kitchen,
洗手作羹湯.
Washes her hands and makes a stew.
未諳姑食性,
She doesn't know what flavor her mother prefers,
先遣小姑嘗.
So she first asks her sister-in-law to try it.
三日入廚下,
After three days she enters the kitchen,
洗手作羹湯.
Washes her hands and makes a stew.
未諳姑食性,
She doesn't know what flavor her mother prefers,
先遣小姑嘗.
So she first asks her sister-in-law to try it.
小松 Little Pine Tree 王建 by Wang Jian
小松初數尺,
The little pine shoots up a few meters,
未有直生枝.
But has yet to grow other branches.
閒即旁邊立,
I relax, standing next to it,
看多長卻遲.
Noticing how slowly it grows.
小松初數尺,
The little pine shoots up a few meters,
未有直生枝.
But has yet to grow other branches.
閒即旁邊立,
I relax, standing next to it,
看多長卻遲.
Noticing how slowly it grows.
登鸛雀樓 Ascending the Guan Chue Pagoda
王之渙 by Wang Jr-huan
白日依山盡,
At sunset the sun sinks behind the mountains,
黃河入海流.
The Yellow River flows toward the sea.
欲窮千里目,
If you want to see farthest of all,
更上一層樓.
You must ascend to a higher floor.
王之渙 by Wang Jr-huan
白日依山盡,
At sunset the sun sinks behind the mountains,
黃河入海流.
The Yellow River flows toward the sea.
欲窮千里目,
If you want to see farthest of all,
更上一層樓.
You must ascend to a higher floor.
夜宿山寺 Spending the Night in a Mountain Temple
李白 by Li Bai
危樓高百尺,
The tower teeters at a hundred meters,
手可摘星辰.
My hands can almost touch the stars.
不敢高聲語,
I fear to speak loudly,
恐驚天上人.
Afraid to alert heavenly spirits.
李白 by Li Bai
危樓高百尺,
The tower teeters at a hundred meters,
手可摘星辰.
My hands can almost touch the stars.
不敢高聲語,
I fear to speak loudly,
恐驚天上人.
Afraid to alert heavenly spirits.
夜思 Nighttime Thoughts 李白 by Li Bai
牀前明月光,
At the foot of the bed the moon appears,
疑是地上霜.
Making the earth look frosted.
擧頭望明月,
I look up to the moon,
低頭思故鄉.
And look down to recognize my hometown.
牀前明月光,
At the foot of the bed the moon appears,
疑是地上霜.
Making the earth look frosted.
擧頭望明月,
I look up to the moon,
低頭思故鄉.
And look down to recognize my hometown.
獨坐敬亭山 Sitting Before Jing Ting Mountain 李白 by Li Bai
衆鳥高飛盡,
A flock of birds ascend the heavens,
孤雲獨去閒.
Clouds drift lazily across the sky.
相看兩不厭,
Looking back at me unperturbed,
只有敬亭山.
There is only Jing Ting Mountain.
衆鳥高飛盡,
A flock of birds ascend the heavens,
孤雲獨去閒.
Clouds drift lazily across the sky.
相看兩不厭,
Looking back at me unperturbed,
只有敬亭山.
There is only Jing Ting Mountain.
憫農詩 A Poem for Longsuffering Farmers
李紳 by Li Shen
鋤禾日當午,
Every hot day around noon,
汗滴禾下土.
Their sweat drips into the earth.
誰知盤中飧,
Who knows that the rice in our bowls,
粒粒皆辛苦.
Grows from the hard work of farmers.
李紳 by Li Shen
鋤禾日當午,
Every hot day around noon,
汗滴禾下土.
Their sweat drips into the earth.
誰知盤中飧,
Who knows that the rice in our bowls,
粒粒皆辛苦.
Grows from the hard work of farmers.
渡漢江 Crossing the Han River 李頻 by Li Ping
嶺外音書絕,
I lived abroad in study,
經冬復歷春.
Two winters and springs passed by.
近鄉情更怯,
As I approach closer and closer to my home,
不敢問來人.
I fear to greet those coming up the road.
嶺外音書絕,
I lived abroad in study,
經冬復歷春.
Two winters and springs passed by.
近鄉情更怯,
As I approach closer and closer to my home,
不敢問來人.
I fear to greet those coming up the road.
登樂遊原 Arriving at the Chariot Fields
李商隱 by Li Shang-yin
向晚意不適,
As evening approaches I grow sad,
驅車登古原.
And ride my chariot to the old fields.
夕陽無限好,
The setting sun is glorious,
只是近黃昏.
It has almost disappeared.
李商隱 by Li Shang-yin
向晚意不適,
As evening approaches I grow sad,
驅車登古原.
And ride my chariot to the old fields.
夕陽無限好,
The setting sun is glorious,
只是近黃昏.
It has almost disappeared.
問劉十九 A Question for Liou Shr-jiou 白
居易 by Bai Ju-yi
錄螘新醅酒,
I have here a fresh pot of wine,
紅泥小火爐.
Red clay warmed upon the fire.
晚來天欲雪,
It will snow in the evening,
能飲一杯無?
How many cups will we drink?
居易 by Bai Ju-yi
錄螘新醅酒,
I have here a fresh pot of wine,
紅泥小火爐.
Red clay warmed upon the fire.
晚來天欲雪,
It will snow in the evening,
能飲一杯無?
How many cups will we drink?
秋夜寄 邱員外 Sent from the Official, a Fall Night
韋應物 by Wei Ying-wu
懷君屬秋夜,
Recalling you during a fall night,
散步詠涼天.
The coolness of our walks.
空山松子落,
The pine cones fall throughout the mountains,
幽人應未眠.
I doubt you're sleeping.
韋應物 by Wei Ying-wu
懷君屬秋夜,
Recalling you during a fall night,
散步詠涼天.
The coolness of our walks.
空山松子落,
The pine cones fall throughout the mountains,
幽人應未眠.
I doubt you're sleeping.
江雪 River Snow 柳宗元 by Liou Dzong-yuan
千山鳥飛絕,
In the high mountains with no sign of birds,
萬徑人蹤滅.
Nor signs of other people.
孤舟簑立翁,
A lone fishing boat upon the water,
獨釣寒江雪.
Fishing the snowy river.
千山鳥飛絕,
In the high mountains with no sign of birds,
萬徑人蹤滅.
Nor signs of other people.
孤舟簑立翁,
A lone fishing boat upon the water,
獨釣寒江雪.
Fishing the snowy river.
終南望餘雪 祖詠 by Dzu Yong
終南陰嶺秀,
The mountains to the south are especially beautiful,
積雪浮雲端.
Their peaks float above the clouds.
林表明霽色,
Even though the sun shines brighter beyond the forest,
城中增暮寒.
The city is still much colder.
終南陰嶺秀,
The mountains to the south are especially beautiful,
積雪浮雲端.
Their peaks float above the clouds.
林表明霽色,
Even though the sun shines brighter beyond the forest,
城中增暮寒.
The city is still much colder.
尋隱者不遇 A Missed Meeting 賈島 by Jia Dao
松下問童子,
I ask the child under the pine tree,
言師採藥去.
He says his teacher has gone to pick medicinal herbs.
只在此山中,
He is somewhere on this mountain,
雲深不知處.
The clouds are thick and I don't know where.
松下問童子,
I ask the child under the pine tree,
言師採藥去.
He says his teacher has gone to pick medicinal herbs.
只在此山中,
He is somewhere on this mountain,
雲深不知處.
The clouds are thick and I don't know where.
答人 A Reply 太上隱者 by Tai Shang Yin Je
偶來松樹下,
I happen upon a pine tree,
高枕石頭眠.
And rest my head upon a rock in sleep.
山中無曆日,
There is no calendar in the mountains,
寒盡不知年.
The cold reaches its height and I do not know the year.
偶來松樹下,
I happen upon a pine tree,
高枕石頭眠.
And rest my head upon a rock in sleep.
山中無曆日,
There is no calendar in the mountains,
寒盡不知年.
The cold reaches its height and I do not know the year.
涼州詞 A Song for Liang Jhou 王翰 by Wang Weng
葡萄美酒夜光杯,
A cup of grape wine at night,**
A cup of grape wine at night,**
欲飲琵琶馬上催.
The sound of a pipa intrudes upon my reverie.
The sound of a pipa intrudes upon my reverie.
醉臥沙場君莫笑,
If in my stupor I fall asleep here, on the battleground, don't laugh,
If in my stupor I fall asleep here, on the battleground, don't laugh,
古來征戰幾人回?
How many warriors have returned from ancient battles?
How many warriors have returned from ancient battles?
9. Unpopular Opinions
This said, I think I'll leave the reasons for my depression out of this entry. They are somewhat personal, and I feel like including them will only trigger people. These reasons are also in this instance somewhat beside the point, because what I really wanted to talk/write about is unpopular opinions, and why it might be good to have a few.
Let's start with Facebook, which we all know and which some of us still love. Let's say you post something there, expecting some kind of response or affirmation. Someone likes your post. Someone else shares your post, and then it's seen somewhere else on Facebook, where it's liked by others. After a while you feel pretty good about what you posted, and you also feel that the response to what you posted reflects on you, the original poster. "I'm worthwhile," you might think to yourself, "What I think - as reflected in what I post - matters."
You could do the same on Reddit, a more anonymous forum for thoughts and opinions. Let's say you post something there, also expecting some kind of response. Someone upvotes your post. Someone else crossposts your post, where it's seen on another subreddit, and then upvoted by others. As with Facebook, you feel pretty good about what you posted, and you might even think your upvoted post reflects on your worthiness as a person.
It could just as easily go the same way on Reddit. No upvotes for you, my friend. Nay, even a few downvotes! Suddenly people are attacking you on a personal level, and you spend the next few days in a black depression, waiting for the storm of downvotes and negative comments to subside. Then, after those trying few days, everyone on Reddit miraculously forgets about the whole thing, and you're left to ponder the gravity of your next post.
The reality being that we often over-identify with our online selves, and also with the social media our online selves inhabit. We come to see people's ("friend's?") online responses to us as a reflection of our true worth as a person, and we come to see social media as an all-encompassing reflection of the world around us. What we are online matters to us. What we say to each other about our online world also matters.
We get into trouble, however, when we fail to realize that there are limits to our online selves, and that they are at best pale reflections of who we really are. We get into trouble when we fail to realize that a lot of the outside world isn't reflected in our social media, and that attempts by social media to measure that wider reality always fall short of the mark.
It's in the nature of Facebook to do this to people. It increases participation. It generates clicks. You don't need some team of hackers to break in and spread "fake news." Given enough time we'll do it to each other, all for the sake of likes.
I've had similar experiences with Reddit. You might think the anonymity of most Reddit users would tone down the political rhetoric, but in many cases the opposite occurs. Hungry for upvotes, the two sides of any discussion argue points they don't really believe in with increasing vehemence, merely to win an ephemeral kind of community approval. I've even had people tell me I was "wrong" simply because I didn't have the most upvoted comment, as if that kind of approval signaled a greater degree of correctness, or was more reflective of a larger reality. Let me put it this way: if it was 1939 and the Nazis had a Reddit group, you can be sure that all the nationalistic and anti-semitic comments would be getting the most upvotes.
What worries me most is when this kind of thinking bleeds out into the world beyond the Internet. When people continually assume that the most popular opinion is the right opinion for everyone, we're in real trouble. What people justify with likes and upvotes can be just as easily justified by actual votes, in actual elections, where actual issues matter. Say for example gay marriage. Or the name your country's sports team uses. Or whether nuclear power has a place in Taiwan's future.
With this situation comes another fact of democratic life: the need to make your voice heard. Participants in any democracy have a responsibility to translate their thoughts and interests into political activity, especially if these thoughts and interests are unpopular. It is through the dialogue thus engendered that change occurs, and it is through this dialogue that a democratic state comes to reflect present values. If people don't participate, and if they don't make their voices heard, then the nation as a whole suffers, and our laws and institutions less accurately reflect our society.
In Taiwanese terms, this means coming into conflict with others and/or embarrassing yourself. I know many Taiwanese people who fear nothing more than disagreement and the airing of unpopular opinions, primarily because disagreements and unpopular opinions seem to endanger social harmony. A lot of this thinking goes back to Confucian ideals, but it contradicts the principles on which democracy is based. A fully-functioning democracy demands your participation. A fully-functioning democracy demands that you risk pissing off friends, relatives, and strangers. A fully-functioning democracy demands that you fight for what you think is right (within legal limits of course).
It's not so different on Facebook or Reddit. You can be popular on either platform by saying either bland things or by agreeing with popular opinion. You can do so, and over time you'll feel loved. But over time you have to ask yourself, are you really speaking for yourself, or are you speaking for others? Are you controlling social media, or is it controlling you? Are you a reflection of Facebook, Reddit, or existing institutions, or are you determined to make Facebook, Reddit, or existing institutions reflections of yourself? Of course some people, rallying behind the cry of "realism" will always urge you to conform, but is that always the best course for everyone?
A lot of people didn't vote in the last election. Maybe they were busy. Maybe they forgot. I don't know. But I hope more of us vote the next time, and I hope more of us vote with our hearts and with our consciences. I can't blame anyone who conscientiously voted against issues I care about - at least not in this instance - but I can blame those who voted, or didn't vote, because they feared disapproval. After all it's not about likes, upvotes or social censure, but about matters much more important.
What's that, you say? You've been to the 101 already? You've visited Taroko several times? You're bored of Sun Moon Lake? 你說什麼? 你已經去過台北101了嗎? 你去過太魯閣好幾次? 你厭煩了日月潭?
Ok then, allow me to suggest a few weirder destinations. These are places absent from most tourist literature, and also places which may or may not agree with your personal sense of "fun." 好吧! 那我來告訴你一些奇怪的地方. 這些地方在大部分的觀光雜誌找不到, 也不一定每個人都會覺得這些地方 "好玩."
Be warned, however, that I am a weird person. I happen to think Jojo's Bizarre Adventure is the best comic series ever written, I happen to like bands that give other people headaches, and I happen to think that corn on pizza is... ok. 然而你要有心理準備, 我是一個奇怪的人. 我覺得Jojo冒險野狼是世界上最好看的漫畫書, 我也喜歡大部分人聽了會頭痛的樂團, 我也認為披薩上放玉米粒......還好.*
By the way, I've linked many of the places discussed here to Google Maps, and there are some notes after the "Related Entries" below. 對了! 我把以下提到的景點連結上Google地圖, 並且在下面的"相關文章"之後還有些建議.
1. Jin Luen Hot Springs, Taitung County 台東縣的金崙溫泉
The Jin Luen Hot Springs lie about 45 minutes south of Taitung City, in Tai Ma Li Township. Most tourists are familiar with the Jer Ben Hot Spring Area just outside the Taitung City limits, but few people make the trip down to Jin Luen, which boasts many smaller (and weirder) hot springs. Weirdest of all is the saltwater hot spring next to the graveyard. 金崙溫泉位在台東市以南四十五分鐘的車程的太麻里鄉內, 大部分的觀光客比較認識離市區不遠的知本溫泉區, 可是較少人去過比較小的金崙溫泉區, 那裏有多個小一點(和奇怪點)的溫泉, 尤其是墳墓旁邊的鹹水溫泉. (1)
2. Shr Ti Ping ("The Stone Ladder"), Hualien County 花蓮縣的石梯坪
Shr Ti Ping is on Highway 11, not far from the Taitung County Line. It's a set of stone "wells" eroded into the coastline by the sea. You can also embark on whale-watching tours from the port near here. 石梯坪在台11線上, 靠近台東縣的邊界. 海邊有許多個慢慢被海水侵蝕出來的石"井". 你也可以在附近的漁港參加賞鯨活動. (2)
3. Nan Fang Ao Fishing Port, Yilan County 宜蘭縣的南方澳漁港
I like boats and I like seafood. The Nan Fang Ao Fishing Port has both of these things, and it's an interesting place to walk around besides. The beach near there is unimpressive, but the drive down from the south is very scenic, and it can be a fun place to people-watch. 我喜歡船跟海鮮. 這二樣南方澳都有, 它也是一個適合逛街的地方. 雖然那附近的海灘沒有什麼特色, 可是在公路上從上往下開去的風景真是美不勝收, 也是個看人們工作的有趣的地點. (3)
4. Old Academies 書院
These are essentially the Confucian version of one-room schoolhouses, left over from the Ching Dynasty. I've been to a few of them, and they range from ominous abandoned structures to tourist-friendly places, full of statues that look like they were imported from the nearest amusement park. The Feng Yi Academy in Feng Shan District, Kaohsiung City is probably a good place to start. 這是清朝遺留下來的學校建築. 我去過幾間書院, 有的像鬼屋, 有的像遊樂園一樣有可愛的人偶. 如果你沒去過這種地方, 從高雄市鳳山區的鳳儀書院開始最適合. (4)
5. Keelung Island, Keelung City 基隆市的基隆嶼
North of Keelung Port there's a little island (more like a piece of rock) sticking out of the water. If you want, you can take a boat over there from the port. Is it an idyllic subtropical retreat? Nope. But after you go, you can have a fun time asking people if they've been to Keelung Island! 基隆港北邊有一座小島 (比較像塊大石頭). 你可以從基隆港坐船過去. 它是個美麗的亞熱帶小島嗎? 當然不是, 可是你去過以後就可以神氣的問親戚朋友: "你去過基隆嶼嗎?" (5)
6. The Coca Cola Museum, Taoyuan City 桃園市的可口可樂博物館
This is part of the bottling plant in Taoyuan. I have to say I haven't been in there yet. We drove down there from Taipei, and after arriving found out that you need to make reservations beforehand. It's in the middle of an industrial area, there's absolutely nothing else interesting around there, but if you're passing through that part of Taoyuan it MIGHT be worth a look. 這是可口可樂桃園的裝瓶場. 我還沒進去過, 因為上次從台北去時, 管理員跟我們說要先預約才能參觀. 它位在工業區中間, 附近沒有其他的景點, 可是如果你碰巧經過那個地區, 應該可以看一下.
7. Shuei Ba National Park, Hsinchu County 新竹縣的雪霸國家公園
Shuei Ba National Park is my favorite national park in Taiwan. It can be an ordeal to get to, but the scenery up there is glorious. I visited it a couple times when I lived in Hsinchu, and I'd say it compares favorably to Jade Mountain and Taroko National Parks. 雪霸國家公園是我最喜歡的台灣國家公園. 去到那裏真是一項考驗, 可是風景令人讚嘆. 我住新竹的時候去過兩次. 那裏的風景跟玉山及太魯閣國家公園一樣好. (6)
8. Beigang Municipality, Yunlin County 雲林縣的北港鎮
A strange little town around a really old temple. The temple is seemingly the only thing keeping the town alive, but during temple festivals (of which there are many) this place can be a good time. There's also an old sugar refinery in this town which has been converted into a tourist destination, but if I were you I wouldn't bother with it. 可愛的小鄉鎮擁簇著古老的廟宇. 廟的存在好像為鄉鎮注入了活力, 有廟會的時候這裡很熱鬧. 這裡也有一座成為觀光景點的舊糖廠, 可是朝天宮真的比較有趣. (7)
9. Bu Dai Port, Jia Yi County 嘉義縣的布袋漁港
Again, I like boats and I like seafood. There's a fun seafood market near the fishing port, and walking around the empty roads away from the center of town can be interesting. While you're in this area you could easily drive into Jia Yi City and visit the City God Temple, which is my favorite temple of that type in Taiwan. 再一次重申我喜歡船跟海鮮. 這個好玩的海鮮市場靠近漁港, 走在市區附近空曠的道路很有趣. 你在這附近的時候也可以順路往嘉義市區的城隍廟走, 那是我在台灣最喜歡的城隍廟. (8)
10. The Northeast Coast of Pingtung County 屏東縣的東北部
You can approach this area from two directions: from Highway 26 to the south or from Taitung County to the north (via Highway 199 Alternate). There's NOTHING famous here, but something about its weird, mournful character always draws me in. I especially like the village of Shu Hai, which boasts one of the saddest hot springs you'll ever see. 你可以從二個方向開車到這個地區: 一是從南邊的26公路或是二從北邊的台東縣199甲縣道. 這個地區沒什麼有名的景點, 可是那裏怪異, 悽悵的特色一直都吸引著我. 我特別喜歡那邊的旭海村, 那裏有著全島最可憐的溫泉. (9)
Ok then, allow me to suggest a few weirder destinations. These are places absent from most tourist literature, and also places which may or may not agree with your personal sense of "fun." 好吧! 那我來告訴你一些奇怪的地方. 這些地方在大部分的觀光雜誌找不到, 也不一定每個人都會覺得這些地方 "好玩."
Be warned, however, that I am a weird person. I happen to think Jojo's Bizarre Adventure is the best comic series ever written, I happen to like bands that give other people headaches, and I happen to think that corn on pizza is... ok. 然而你要有心理準備, 我是一個奇怪的人. 我覺得Jojo冒險野狼是世界上最好看的漫畫書, 我也喜歡大部分人聽了會頭痛的樂團, 我也認為披薩上放玉米粒......還好.*
By the way, I've linked many of the places discussed here to Google Maps, and there are some notes after the "Related Entries" below. 對了! 我把以下提到的景點連結上Google地圖, 並且在下面的"相關文章"之後還有些建議.
The Jin Luen Hot Springs lie about 45 minutes south of Taitung City, in Tai Ma Li Township. Most tourists are familiar with the Jer Ben Hot Spring Area just outside the Taitung City limits, but few people make the trip down to Jin Luen, which boasts many smaller (and weirder) hot springs. Weirdest of all is the saltwater hot spring next to the graveyard. 金崙溫泉位在台東市以南四十五分鐘的車程的太麻里鄉內, 大部分的觀光客比較認識離市區不遠的知本溫泉區, 可是較少人去過比較小的金崙溫泉區, 那裏有多個小一點(和奇怪點)的溫泉, 尤其是墳墓旁邊的鹹水溫泉. (1)
Shr Ti Ping is on Highway 11, not far from the Taitung County Line. It's a set of stone "wells" eroded into the coastline by the sea. You can also embark on whale-watching tours from the port near here. 石梯坪在台11線上, 靠近台東縣的邊界. 海邊有許多個慢慢被海水侵蝕出來的石"井". 你也可以在附近的漁港參加賞鯨活動. (2)
I like boats and I like seafood. The Nan Fang Ao Fishing Port has both of these things, and it's an interesting place to walk around besides. The beach near there is unimpressive, but the drive down from the south is very scenic, and it can be a fun place to people-watch. 我喜歡船跟海鮮. 這二樣南方澳都有, 它也是一個適合逛街的地方. 雖然那附近的海灘沒有什麼特色, 可是在公路上從上往下開去的風景真是美不勝收, 也是個看人們工作的有趣的地點. (3)
These are essentially the Confucian version of one-room schoolhouses, left over from the Ching Dynasty. I've been to a few of them, and they range from ominous abandoned structures to tourist-friendly places, full of statues that look like they were imported from the nearest amusement park. The Feng Yi Academy in Feng Shan District, Kaohsiung City is probably a good place to start. 這是清朝遺留下來的學校建築. 我去過幾間書院, 有的像鬼屋, 有的像遊樂園一樣有可愛的人偶. 如果你沒去過這種地方, 從高雄市鳳山區的鳳儀書院開始最適合. (4)
North of Keelung Port there's a little island (more like a piece of rock) sticking out of the water. If you want, you can take a boat over there from the port. Is it an idyllic subtropical retreat? Nope. But after you go, you can have a fun time asking people if they've been to Keelung Island! 基隆港北邊有一座小島 (比較像塊大石頭). 你可以從基隆港坐船過去. 它是個美麗的亞熱帶小島嗎? 當然不是, 可是你去過以後就可以神氣的問親戚朋友: "你去過基隆嶼嗎?" (5)
This is part of the bottling plant in Taoyuan. I have to say I haven't been in there yet. We drove down there from Taipei, and after arriving found out that you need to make reservations beforehand. It's in the middle of an industrial area, there's absolutely nothing else interesting around there, but if you're passing through that part of Taoyuan it MIGHT be worth a look. 這是可口可樂桃園的裝瓶場. 我還沒進去過, 因為上次從台北去時, 管理員跟我們說要先預約才能參觀. 它位在工業區中間, 附近沒有其他的景點, 可是如果你碰巧經過那個地區, 應該可以看一下.
Shuei Ba National Park is my favorite national park in Taiwan. It can be an ordeal to get to, but the scenery up there is glorious. I visited it a couple times when I lived in Hsinchu, and I'd say it compares favorably to Jade Mountain and Taroko National Parks. 雪霸國家公園是我最喜歡的台灣國家公園. 去到那裏真是一項考驗, 可是風景令人讚嘆. 我住新竹的時候去過兩次. 那裏的風景跟玉山及太魯閣國家公園一樣好. (6)
A strange little town around a really old temple. The temple is seemingly the only thing keeping the town alive, but during temple festivals (of which there are many) this place can be a good time. There's also an old sugar refinery in this town which has been converted into a tourist destination, but if I were you I wouldn't bother with it. 可愛的小鄉鎮擁簇著古老的廟宇. 廟的存在好像為鄉鎮注入了活力, 有廟會的時候這裡很熱鬧. 這裡也有一座成為觀光景點的舊糖廠, 可是朝天宮真的比較有趣. (7)
Again, I like boats and I like seafood. There's a fun seafood market near the fishing port, and walking around the empty roads away from the center of town can be interesting. While you're in this area you could easily drive into Jia Yi City and visit the City God Temple, which is my favorite temple of that type in Taiwan. 再一次重申我喜歡船跟海鮮. 這個好玩的海鮮市場靠近漁港, 走在市區附近空曠的道路很有趣. 你在這附近的時候也可以順路往嘉義市區的城隍廟走, 那是我在台灣最喜歡的城隍廟. (8)
You can approach this area from two directions: from Highway 26 to the south or from Taitung County to the north (via Highway 199 Alternate). There's NOTHING famous here, but something about its weird, mournful character always draws me in. I especially like the village of Shu Hai, which boasts one of the saddest hot springs you'll ever see. 你可以從二個方向開車到這個地區: 一是從南邊的26公路或是二從北邊的台東縣199甲縣道. 這個地區沒什麼有名的景點, 可是那裏怪異, 悽悵的特色一直都吸引著我. 我特別喜歡那邊的旭海村, 那裏有著全島最可憐的溫泉. (9)
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