臉書時代的情形 ~ The Facebook Generation

臉書時代的情形
作者: 史杰輝
編輯: 沈若榆

自從大學就學以後，我只要透過臉書就可以毫不費力地知道遠方朋友的情形。反過來說，我朋友無論是美國人或是臺灣人，也都可以隨時跟我聯絡。因爲使朋友能夠交換網站，所以臉書在信息跟娛樂活動上也有所貢獻。
如果可以因此緩和分離的痛苦，又何嘗不可？不過從另外一個角度來看，如此方便的社會網絡，並非人人都能抗拒對臉書上癮。即使臉書是交流工具，也絕對不能取代面對面互動交際。雖然歷經多年網絡上的友情，仍然無法了解那個朋友的情形。如果某人在現實生活中沒有其他的興趣，反而在螢幕前面度過大部分的時間，這並不是我們所樂見的。
我有少數朋友至今仍拒絕用臉書，他們說必須藉由親身的經驗來過真正的生活。由於臉書為我個人帶來許許多多的好處，我不願意放棄這個工具，不過我很關心我使用電腦的時間，希望好好利用我生活的寶貴時間。

The Facebook Generation
Author: James Smyth
Editor: Shen Ruo-yu

Ever since I went to college, I’ve been able to use Facebook to effortlessly keep up with my friends from a distance. And whether my friends are American or Taiwanese, they can use Facebook to keep in touch with me. Because Facebook also lets friends trade web addresses, it’s also made a great contribution to the news and entertainment industries.

If we can use the network to ease the pain of separation, what could be wrong with it? Well, such a convenient social network can be addictive. Though Facebook is a handy communication tool, it still can’t compare to face-to-face interaction. Even if you maintain a friendship with someone for years through the Internet, you can’t understand certain things about their lives. Not cultivating one’s interests outside of Facebook and spending most of one’s life in front of a monitor are not things we should look favorably upon.

I have a few friends who refuse to use Facebook. They say only life in the outside world is real. Because Facebook has done so much good for me, I don’t want to give it up, but I keep track of how much time I spend on the computer; I want to use my limited lifespan wisely.

地域觀念的影響

地域觀念的影響
作者：史杰輝
編輯：周長楨

今天我的同學，思婷，說「半身插進土裡」的村民可能免不了討厭那個地方。我認爲她說得很中肯，所以先把這個思想加以分析。我學生時代常常用尖酸刻薄的話描寫我家鄉。即使我了解那是非常安全跟富有的地方，也以爲村民很淺薄、很高傲。作爲一個青少年，固然很容易流於批評人和事，不過理由不充足的話只是害人害己罷了。我如今的愛鄉土感情比任何時候都強烈。

進一步來説，除了我家鄉以外，我也住過在四個不同的地方，那就是杜克大學、馬德里、一座日本農村跟臺北，都各有千秋。在我腦海裡我管每一個地方都叫過「我家」。每到夢到某個地方的時候，我就知道我在那裡感到自在了。去年世界盃的時候我支持三個國家隊。錦標賽當天我四點起床看了比賽，西班牙勝利之後我就欣喜若狂。

我想這樣的觀點與傳統地域觀念有衝突，不過在這個國際化的社會裡類似我的人會一年比一年多。其實，不少居住在日本的移民哀嘆無論他們住在某個地方幾年，參加幾個當地活動，本地的人還是把他們看成旅客，問他們什麽時候要歸國。這是日本移民的苦衷，跟美國的情形截然不同。縱使日本人注意到移民有形的差異，不過至少得承認有日本血統不是當日本人的必要條件。大家都知道我珍惜我日本鄉下經驗，不過我也感到了這個不能跨越的隔閡。

反過來說，我在臺灣也屬於少數民族，不過我在這裡連一次也沒有被排斥，我覺得非常難得。ICLP的國際化固然扮演很重要的角色，不過我當地朋友也說因爲臺灣已經是多種民族的社會，也受過多種民族統治國家的影響，必然比較開放。到目前爲止，我所觀察到的臺灣的地域觀念簡直是微乎其微。

Regionalism’s Influence
Author: James Smyth
Editor: Zhou Chang-zhen

Today my classmate Stephanie said that some people who are “half-planted in their hometown soil” [a Chinese figure of speech] can’t help hating the place. I think this is very true, so first I’d like to expand on her thought. When I was a student, I often used sarcasm to describe my hometown. Even though I knew it was a very safe and prosperous place, I thought the people there were shallow and arrogant. When you’re an adolescent, it’s natural to criticize other people and things, but if you don’t have a good reason for it you’ll simply hurt yourself and others. My love for my hometown has never been stronger than it is now.

Taking it a step further, I’ve now lived in four other places: Duke University, Madrid, my Japanese farming village, and Taipei, each of which has its own great qualities. I’ve thought of each place as “my home” before. Whenever I start to dream of a place, I know I’ve become comfortable there. I supported three teams during last year’s World Cup. I woke up at 4 AM to watch the championship game, and I was celebrating all day after Spain won.

I imagine my attitude conflicts with traditional regionalism and nationalism, but in today’s internationalized society there are more people like me every year. To tell the truth, though, more than a few emigrants to Japan complain that no matter how many years they’ve lived there, and no matter how many local activities they’ve participated in, the natives see them as guests and ask them when they’re planning to return home. This is completely different from the emotional burden carried by, for example, an emigrant to America. Though the Japanese easily distinguish a person looks different, they should at least acknowledge that Japanese ancestry is not a necessary condition for being a Japanese person. You all know I treasured my experience in Japan, but I also felt this kind of distance from people when I lived there.

Though I am also a minority in Taiwan, I’ve never felt left out here, and I find that amazing. ICLP’s international atmosphere obviously plays a big role in that, but my Taiwanese friends also say that because their island already has so many ethnic groups, and it has been governed by many different nations, it has a more open society. As far as I can tell, Taiwanese-style “nationalism” is a rare thing.

日本教育的好處 ~ Japanese Education’s Strong Points

日本教育的好處
作者：史杰輝
編輯：周長楨

大學畢業後我在日本五所國立中小學校教了兩年的英文。我一共跟四十多位老師跟一千多個學生一起上課。根據我的觀點這種了解日本教育的機會真是鳳毛麟角。日本教育跟我國教育比起來，缺陷有倒是有，可是在原則方面也有很明顯的優點，以下我要擧一些例子。

許多美國朋友，尤其是男生表示他們小學的時候討厭上課因爲令他們悶得發慌。更可憐的是許多教育者以爲類似的坐立不安的學生有精神病，因此讓他們天天吃葯。不過孩子本來不適合坐著念書，而需要常常運動、體驗。雖然日本也有不少應升學主義而成爲「書呆子」的學生，但是學校都爲了培養四育起見，進行各種各樣的活動，尤其是小學。我的學生往往要參加似乎無限的活動，包括園藝、種田、每日運動、藝術、表演、工作經歷、拜訪療養院等等，這幫助學生同時明白和培養自己的興趣和擴大經驗的範圍。我認爲一般的學校之所以智育站首要地位就是因爲智育是最容易管理的方面而已。

美國老師的標準與地位都不如日本老師。日本用淘汰制度挑選老師，原因在於該工作的名聲、穩定性，而且薪水很高。老師也在教書生涯中受訓練、加班。因此我認識的日本老師大部分都不但聰明而且認真。

我最後要討論日本老師的責任感。如果學生受傷或是被逮捕，醫生跟警察一定給學生的「担任老師」打電話，老師無論如何都會到學生那裡去。開學的時候老師爲了了解學生的家庭情形起見要拜訪他所有學生的家。老師也每個星期都要看學生寫給他們的日記，然後老師給學生私人指導。我不要說美國老師應該像日本老師一樣當學生生活上最重要的人，原因之一是日本跟美國有不能調和的文化差異，不過我個人在日本教書的時候感到我跟自己中小學老師的距離是一個缺憾。

因爲受到時間的限制，我只能談到這三個現象，不過因爲我對這個話題相當有興趣，歡迎各位老師跟同學隨時跟我一起討論日本教育的情形。

Japanese Education’s Strong Points
Author: James Smyth
Editor: Zhou Chang-zhen

After graduating from college, I taught English in Japan for two years. I had class with over 40 teachers and 1000 students altogether; it was a precious opportunity to learn about Japanese education. Though Japanese schools don’t surpass my home country in every respect, it still has many good qualities, some of which I’ll describe here.

Many of my American friends, especially men, have told me that they hated going to elementary school because it bored them out of their minds. What’s worse is that many educators assumed restless students like them had mental problems and fed these children medicine day after day. But young people aren’t meant to sit and read all day: they need to exercise and try different things. Although Japan has more than a few bookworms, its schools, especially elementary schools, still offer several kinds of activities designed to provide a well-rounded training of the body, knowledge, teamwork, and morality. My students participated in a seemingly endless number of events, including gardening, rice-planting, daily exercise, art, work experiences, visiting nursing homes, and so forth. This helped them realize their own interests and abilities and expand their horizons. I think the majority of schools devote most of their time to the “knowledge” side of education simply because that’s the easiest to teach.

Japanese teachers have to meet higher standards than their American counterparts and also receive more respect. Teachers have to compete for positions in Japan because the occupation has so much esteem, stability, and remuneration. Teachers receive training and work overtime throughout their careers. Hence, most of the teachers I met there were not only intelligent but also hard-working.

Finally, I’d like to discuss Japanese teachers’ sense of responsibility to their students. If a student is injured or arrested, the doctor or policeman will call his homeroom teacher, and the teacher will drop everything and visit the student no matter what. At the beginning of the school year, teachers visit students’ homes to understand their families’ circumstances. Students also write diaries for their teachers, who after reading them give their students guidance. I’m not saying American teachers should become the most important people in their students’ lives, as Japanese teachers are – for one, there is a vast cultural differences between the two countries – but after teaching in Japan, I felt regret about the distance between me and my elementary and junior high school teachers.

Because of time constraints, I can only discuss these three phenomena, but because I’m very interested in this topic, I invite my teachers and classmates to discuss Japanese education with me any time.

ICLP電子報第47期：何寶彰教授演講側記 ~ Notes from Professor He Bao-zhang’s Lecture (featured in 47th ICLP Bulletin)

電子報第47期：何寶彰教授演講側記

Notes from Professor He Bao-zhang’s Lecture
English Translation of an Article by James Smyth

On the afternoon of April 20th, just before our spring vacation, Professor He Bao-zhang, who researches Chinese language education, came to ICLP and gave a lively introduction of his most recent work on grammar instruction. Dr. He taught at Ohio State, Harvard, and Holy Cross Universities in the United States for many years. In his experience, if a professor learns his students’ mother language, he can more easily grasp the difficulties the students will have with Chinese grammar and help them. Because students use syntax from their native languages and other foreign languages they’ve studied, they think they’re speaking very clearly, so they need definitive explanations of the differences between other languages and Mandarin. Grammar books should be bilingual, otherwise the explanations will be harder for students to understand than the examples.

One wedge between Western languages and Chinese is articles. In English, all common nouns are preceded by either “the” or “a.” Roughly speaking, the definite article “the” signifies “that particular thing” while the indefinite article “a” means “an unspecified one of those things.” Chinese doesn’t have articles, but it does put particular emphasis on the construction of a sentence; for example, “How does he sing?” and “How is his singing?” emphasize difference things, and teachers should stress that so that their students can speak more natural Chinese. When introducing grammar, however, a teacher shouldn’t get too caught up in detailing exceptions to rules, otherwise his students could forget the original purpose of the lesson or become frustrated and think Chinese is too difficult.

In the last part of the lecture, Dr. He and ICLP teachers had a spirited discussion of the evolution of conversational Chinese in Taiwan, especially the obvious influence of English: for example, teachers often overhear pidgin like “O bu OK?” (is it OK?) or “under bu understand?” (do you understand?) This exchange reminded me of my classmate Lance Davis’s report at the end of last term; obviously the subject is also of great interest to language instructors. Along these lines, Dr. He encouraged exchange students to make lots of Taiwanese friends, but he said if these friends challenge students with arguments like “I can understand you; you can understand me, so why are you still paying so much money to go to class?” they should calmly remind themselves why they’re studying: formal environments demand much greater proficiency than conversations among friends do.

Dr. He has a warm personality and deep experience, and his research is very meaningful, so the audience all went home happy.

ICLP電子報第47期:北港媽祖廟會 ~ Beigang Mazu Festival (Featured in 47th ICLP Bulletin)

ICLP 電子報: 北港媽祖廟會 (Original Article Which Includes Photos)

Beigang Matsu Festival
By James Smyth

On Thursday, April 21, a group from ICLP went to Beigang for the most important field trip of the school year. This year, over 30 students and teachers left together from Taipei; other students fit the trip into their own travel plans and met us there. Some students said this was their first time to leave Taipei and come to “the real Taiwan,” so it was a precious opportunity for them.

Because teachers and students have contributed so many pictures and videos, I think writing too many words to describe the trip would be like drawing legs for a snake (superfluous (unless it’s Trogdor the Burninator)), so instead I’ll just explain what you’re seeing in the images. Mazu (“Mother Ancestor”), also called Shengmu (“Holy Mother”), is a traditional Chinese goddess. She is a patron saint of the people of southeastern China, including the Taiwanese. In 1694 (Year 33 of Qing Emperor Kangxi’s reign), a figure of the goddess was brought from Meizhou, Fujian to Taiwan, and the people of Beigang built a temple to house her. Now more than a million people visit Chaotian Temple every year, and the busiest time of year is her birthday, the recently-passed 19th day of the third month of the Chinese Lunar Calendar.

Obviously, the incense, offerings, paper money, dice, censers, and donations were busy at Chaotian Temple, but the most distinctive part of the festival was the parade of pilgrims circling the temple, led by Mazu’s “advance guard.” They must have been exceptionally brave because all around them, people were setting off fireworks, mascots were dancing, and people and gods were both acting as Mazu’s servants. People carried images of the goddess in carts on their shoulders. Not only the Americans but even many Taiwanese thought it was brutally loud. So many fireworks were set off that when the wind blew or cars drove by, their tattered wrappers took to the air like they were dancing. Judging by this tradition, Mazu and the people have a mutually beneficial relationship: the people defend her from manmade threats, and she defends them from natural ones.

The parade floats (called “artistic pavilions”) were like no other. Small children dressed as Mazu sat atop beautifully decorated vehicles and threw candy to the people. I could tell from the many emotional faces in the crowd that they felt like they were encountering the goddess through the children. The children were extremely well-behaved; though the time they spent in makeup must have been longer than a typical school day, and the floats were blaring all kinds of cheerful music, even arch-American anthems like “Yankee Doodle” and “Jingle Bells,” they kept on serving their elders. The next Monday, to keep the positive cycle going, I threw candy I received to my classmates and teachers at school.

Han Feizi said that when all is peaceful under heaven, the people do not need to ask for help from ghosts or gods, and their faith diminishes. Religious belief is weaker every year in modern Europe; might rapidly developing Taiwan suffer the same phenomenon? I’m not qualified to say, but before we arrived in Beigang, a minor accident destroyed my sense of “invincibility.” I was resless at a rest stop, and I decided to get some exercise, so I took off running. Somehow, I slipped, fell, and slid across the concrete headfirst like a baseball player, cutting open my elbow, knee, and stomach. I must have looked like a small child. I was treated on the bus, at the next destination, and in a Beigang hospital, and I’m already much better, but it made me think that no matter what our circumstances, our lives are fragile: a natural disaster or a manmade one, a disease or an accident could break us down. I personally believe that people cannot outgrow religious faith. Speaking of which, recently sea travelers have decreased dramatically, but more people ride airplanes every year, especially Taiwanese, who often travel abroad, and they need a protector goddess, too. Perhaps Mazu is already on the job!

我狩獵收集者的生活 ~ My Hunter-Gatherer Lifestyle

我狩獵收集者的生活
作者：史杰輝
編輯：周長楨

我最近一次因爲生病的緣故請假是十年前，可是那天我們正在搬家，因此連當時候我都沒辦法休息，只好幫我父母。我怎麽這麽健康呢？當然最重要的原因是我走運，可是我生活習慣跟我健康也有很大的關係。

我爸爸的榜樣對我有很大的影響。我媽媽説我爸爸一直以健康生活爲主，連大學的時候跟他一起吃飯都需要有耐心，因爲他的營養標準特別高。他最喜歡的肉就是魚肉，我們每個聖誕節都送給他一條鮭魚。無論我們在吃什麽，他都要加橄欖油。我每個星期跟他聊天的時候，他就告訴我他新的生活習慣。（去年是舉重，今年是氣功。）其實，因爲一般人不相信他已經五十八嵗，再加上他一點肥胖症也沒有，可見他保持健康的方法很有效率。

作者主張運動和勞動，跟我的觀念是一致的。我個人認爲現代久坐的生活不適合我們人類的本性。從小我父母就鼓勵我天天運動，我從三嵗起開始游泳，參加球隊。高中的時候，我參加了賽跑隊。跑了九年的步以後我膝蓋常常疼痛，所以我把游泳當作了主要的運動。在ICLP開學之後我一直擔心時間，所以還沒有找到游泳的機會，可是每天起床以後都伸展、舉重一下，每兩天都會藉著騎宿舍的健身車、空的人行道、樓梯來訓練。

你們都還記得小時候學過的「食物錐」吧？我從接受那個知識來每天都要吃豐富多彩的食物。「今日臺灣」說蘭嶼島的雅美族人世代依賴捕魚、種芋維持生活。我很想試吃這個飲食。因爲人類的祖先每天都要狩獵或是收集食物，他們的食量少可是營養很豐富。我們之所以以大米和小麥爲主食不是因爲他們有最足夠的營養，而是因爲最適合大量種。我最喜歡的外國菜不是它們的美食，而是他們最健康的食物，譬如說西班牙的橄欖、日本的味噌湯跟苦瓜跟灣的地瓜、芝麻、水果等等。

我最近也發現我們所吃的份量也很重要。我這五年來變瘦了十三公斤左右，也更有精神了，原因在於我越來越「聼身體的話」。所謂「聼身體的話」的意思是我覺得肚子不餓了就不再吃。何以見得這有道理呢？我在日本爬屋久島跟富士山的時候發現吃太多讓爬山更難。因爲當時我正在運動，我明白我做功課的時候應該吃更少。我也發現每三個小時吃一點比每天都吃三大餐有效率。我們應該爲了做更多活動吃東西或是爲了吃更多東西做活動呢？我不是禁止大家吃炒的食物，然而我覺得我們應該注意卡路里攝取。擧一個例子來説，我覺得可口可樂適合當做飯後甜點,我不能接受美國人以這種軟性飲料來代替水的習慣。

我連覺得不舒服的時候也不吃葯。我聽説細菌可能適應我們的葯物，所以我不想給細菌機會變得更強，也不想讓我身體太依靠葯，免得上癮。我也絕不抽煙，不常喝酒，那不等於我有健康的生活，可是對我一定有幫助。

我跟爸爸有相同的健康觀點，可是也有他的缺點，就是睡眠不夠。古代，天黑了以後溫度也下降了，人民沒有力氣繼續活動，只好睡覺。現代的社會不一樣了，可以24小時繼續工作或是玩。我也是不願意停下活動而就寢。可是我也習慣提早起床，連假日也六點鐘自然地醒來。老師跟同學們常常說我看起來很累，可見我要調整生活，早一點做功課，早一點休息。

總而言之，雖然我們不必像祖先忍受物資不夠的狀況，可是我們還是應該繼續他們的好習慣。

My Hunter-Gatherer Lifestyle
Author: James Smyth
Editor: Zhou Chang-zhen

The last time I took a sick day was ten years ago, but my family was moving to another home that day, so instead of resting I helped my parents. Why am I so healthy? The most important reason is good fortune, obviously, but my lifestyle also plays an important role.

My father’s example has made a big impression on me. My mother says that healthy living has always been important to him, and even as a college student it took some patience to dine with him because his nutritional standards were so high. His favorite kind of meat is fish; every Christmas, we give him a salmon. He adds olive oil to whatever we’re eating. When I talk to him each week, he tells me about his new lifestyle habit. (Last year, it was weightlifting, and this year, it’s breathing exercises.) But seriously, no one believes he’s already 58 years old, and he isn’t a pound overweight, so it’s easy to see his techniques are effective.

The author of Thought and Society advocates exercise and physical labor, and I’m in agreement with him. I believe that our present-day sedentary lifestyles don’t suit human nature. My parents have always encouraged me to exercise daily: I’ve swum and played on sports teams since I was three. In high school, I ran long distance. After running for nine years, my knees started to ache, so I made swimming my primary sport. I’ve been worried about time ever since I started studying at ICLP, so I haven’t made room for swimming, but I stretch and lift weights every day after I wake up, and every other day I ride the dormitory’s exercise bike, run on a free sidewalk, and climb stairwells.

Do you remember the food pyramid? Ever since learning about it, I’ve tried to eat various kinds of food every day. Taiwan Today says the Yamei tribe on Lanyu Island have lived on fish and sweet potatoes for generations. I’d like to try their diet. Because our ancestors had to hunt or gather their food, their diet was small in quantity but abundant in nutrition. We’ve made rich and wheat our staple foods because they’re the easiest to mass-produce, not because they’re the most nutritious. My favorite foods from foreign countries are their healthiest dishes, not their most famous ones, for example Spanish olives, Japanese miso soup and bitter melon, Taiwanese sweet potatoes, sesame, and fruit, and so forth.

Lately I’ve realized that the amount one eats is important, as well. Over the last five years, I’ve lost about 13 kg (29 lb), but I have more energy than before. That’s because I’m listening to my body more. “Listening to my body” means that when I don’t feel hungry anymore, I stop eating. How did I realize this made sense? When I was hiking on Yakushima and Mount Fuji in Japan, eating too much made it harder for me to climb. Because I was exercising at that very moment, I realized that when I was doing homework or the like, I should eat even less. I also realized that eating a little every three hours is more efficient than having three big meals. Should we eat to live or live to eat? I’m not one to restrict fried food, but I do think we should count calories. For example, I think Coca-Cola is a good dessert, but I can’t abide by its status as a substitute for water in America.

Even when I don’t feel well, I don’t take medicine. I heard that viruses can adapt to our drugs, so I don’t want to give them a chance to get stronger; nor do I want to become dependent. I also rarely drink and never smoke; that in itself doesn’t mean I have a healthy lifestyle, but it definitely helps.

My father and I have the same perspective on health, but we also have the same weakness: we don’t sleep enough. In the old days, when it got dark, the temperature dropped, and people didn’t have the energy to do anything else, so they simply went to bed. Today’s society is different; you can work or play 24 hours a day. I don’t like to stop working and go to sleep, myself. But I’m also an early riser; I naturally get up early even on holidays. My teachers and classmates often say I look tired, a clear sign I need to adjust my lifestyle and do my homework a little faster so I can go to bed earlier.

In conclusion, though we don’t need to live in poverty like our ancestors, we should still continue their good habits.

是否移民 ~ Whether To Emigrate

是否移民
作者: 史杰輝
編輯: 沈若榆

美國以自己為移民組成的國家，反過來說，只有少數美國人移居外國。連有護照的美國人佔不到百分之四十。絕大多數國民認爲因爲美國是最自由、平等跟富裕的國家之一，所以各個民族都希望移民到這裏來。不過這幾年來由於美國的經濟不景氣，而且許多國家的經濟持續高度發展中，這會影響到大家對美國的觀念，甚至於引起我國民眾逐年移居外國的現象嗎？

一個臺灣朋友告訴我十年前，他家移民到美國，可是他不願意去，他認爲臺灣比較適合他的條件，他就一個人留在臺灣繼續念高中。沒有什麼遺憾，今年他妹妹大學將畢業，畢業之後打算回臺灣來找工作。

我問了在美國出生的華人朋友他要不要定居在臺灣。他說一定可以，他不但喜歡臺灣的環境，而且連他哥哥今年秋天都要來這裡工作，不過我朋友也認為要是他父母還在美國，回到其母國來有一點奇怪。我告訴他應該不會。他父母之所以移民就是因爲當時美國比臺灣有機會，如果現在的情形是相反的，也算跟著父母的腳步。

其實，雖然我自己本來打算學好中文以後回國，可是這個星期才意識到去年搬到臺灣之後一直過得非常舒服，而且這裡的工作機會跟生活費用可能比美國的條件好得多。這樣的情形不是每天都找得到的呢。有人捨不得離開家人跟朋友，不過我覺得網路緩和這個問題，再加上我的美國朋友都已經住在不同的城市，因此可以說在這個世界上沒有我一定要回去的地方。定居在這兒的話，最讓我孤獨的事情大概就只是沒辦法參加我所有朋友的婚禮而已，可是我的人生應該以那些事件爲主嗎？我認爲只有天主給我預備的路才通往我命運，而這條路無論通往哪裏我都要走。

To Emigrate
Author: James Smyth
Editor: Shen Ruo-yu

On the one hand, the United States considers itself a nation of immigrants; on the other hand, few Americans emigrate. Less than 40% of Americans even have passports. The vast majority of U.S. citizens believe that their country is one of the freest, fairest, and most prosperous in the world, and that people from all over the world want to move there. But in recent years, America has suffered a recession while several other national economies have taken off. Could this influence Americans’ self-image and even inspire more of them to move abroad?

One Taiwanese friend told me that ten years ago, his family moved to the United States, but he thought Taiwan was more convenient for him, so he stayed behind and continued studying in his Taiwanese high school. He doesn’t regret his decision, and this year his younger sister, who has just graduated from an American university, plans to return to Taiwan herself to seek employment.

I asked a Taiwanese-American student whether he would like to stay here in Taiwan. He said he definitely could, not only because he loves this environment but also because his brother is coming here this year to work, but he said it would be strange if his parents emigrated to America and stayed there while he and his brother came back to Taiwan. I told him it wasn’t odd at all: his parents moved to America for a better life, by moving for the same reason, he would be following in their footsteps, just going in the opposite direction.

To be honest, although I originally planned to return home after completing my Chinese studies here, this week I’ve realized that ever since I moved to Taiwan I’ve felt extremely comfortable, and besides that my work opportunities and cost of living here may well be much better here than in the States. That isn’t the kind of situation you happen upon every day. Some people can’t stand to leave their friends and family, but I think the Internet has helped to mitigate this issue, and in addition my American friends and family all live in different cities, so there isn’t a place on earth to which I absolutely must return. If I settle down here, the thing would make me most lonely is missing friends’ weddings, but is that something to plan my life around? Ultimately, only God can decide my future, and I should follow the road he sets out for me, no matter where it leads.

將來某一天臺灣應該加入中國大陸嗎？ ~ Should Taiwan Some Day Join Mainland China?

將來某一天臺灣應該加入中國大陸嗎？
作者：史杰輝
編輯：沈若榆

臺灣應該不應該在將來某一天加入中國大陸當然是個很複雜的問題，連臺灣人的意見也差得很遠，不過我希望這篇短文章能夠對這個議題加以分析。

我們先要問，任何一個政府什麽時候應該自願地把主權讓給別的政府？三個主要的原因是爲了改善國防、秩序以及貿易。在有足夠條件的情況下，雖然地方政府放棄一些法律上的自由，可是人民事實上會得到的機會更多，威脅也更少。在這樣的情形下，美國最初的十三州合併起來了，就變成了美利堅合眾國。按照這個條件，加入大陸對臺灣會有好處嗎？

第一，國防：雖然臺灣的國防並不是完全獨立自主的，而是從國際條約來的，可是現在這是很普遍，擧幾個例子來説，歐洲跟亞洲的民主國家差不多都得依靠美國的軍事協助。其實，除了北韓以外，臺灣最大的國際威脅就是大陸。大陸的模式，簡單地說，是「因爲我們能夠威脅你，可見你需要我們的保護」。這顯然代表大陸不尊重臺灣的權利，以它們統一之後政治的形態來説壞預兆。（可是我也要說統一的好處之一，就是統一之後臺灣終於可以放棄它的徵兵制了。）

第二，秩序：陳港生說過「中國人還是需要被管的」，比方説香港與臺灣是「就是太自由，很混亂」。好像他的標準很高；但我自己認為臺灣是最安全的國家之一。可以說臺灣國内情勢比大陸的溫和得多。臺灣不是未開發國家，然而已經形成足夠穩定的社會，不需採用大陸的法律與秩序。

第三，貿易：臺灣和大陸在經濟上一年比一年依賴彼此。這好像對雙方都有好處，可是臺灣的自由就是個談判的籌碼。如果臺灣變成中國的一部分，需要聽從北京的政策了。

「需要聽從首都的話」就是臺灣如果加入大陸最大的問題。無論大陸是否變成自由的民主主義國家，如果臺灣加入大陸，它的二千三百萬人民還只是中國的１．７％而已。臺灣省跟全國有利害衝突的時候，當然臺灣省無可奈何,只好讓步。

因爲時間有限，我只提到以上的問題，不過以下的問題也需要考慮：（1）臺灣可以維持它所有的自由跟社会保障嗎？（2）國立學校會用哪裡的課本？（3）中國控制西藏的文化；臺灣原住民的文化也會被打壓嗎？（4）如果許多大陸人移民到臺灣，這會癱瘓臺灣的社會網絡嗎？（5）臺灣人納的稅會不會增加？

我個人認爲政治人物利用「民族主義」操縱民衆。共同的主宰不是同胞情的必備條件。比方説，明朝跟清朝爲了證明他們有統治中國的權利就擴大解釋了「中國」的意思。所謂「漢人」之間的差異比德國人和奧地利人的差異更小嗎？連孔子也不稱他自己是中國人，而叫自己魯國人。臺灣人能同時維持中國的文化和自己的政治。它的參考模型不應該是大陸，而應該是新加坡。

Should Taiwan Some Day Join Mainland China?
Author: James Smyth
Editor: Shen Ruo-yu

Whether Taiwan should some day become a part of China is a very complex question, one which the Taiwanese people themselves have big disagreements about, but hopefully this short essay can make some small contribution to analysis of this subject.

First we should ask, why would one government willingly give up authority to another? Three chief reasons are improvement of national defense, social order, and trade. Under the right conditions, although a government gives up its legal freedom, its citizens’ opportunities increase, and their threats decrease. These were the circumstances for the 13 American colonies that joined together to make the United States. Would Taiwan’s entry into China meet these conditions?

1. National Defense – Taiwan cannot completely defend itself, but rather ensures its defense through international alliances, but this is normal: the democracies of Europe and Asia all depend on some extent on the American security umbrella. Besides North Korea, the biggest danger to Taiwan is mainland China itself. China’s argument, simply put, is “because we can hurt you, you need our protection.” This clearly shows China does not respect Taiwan’s rights, it’s a bad omen for what would occur if the two united. (I must mention one good consequence of a united China, though: Taiwan could finally end its mandatory conscription policy.)

2. Social Order – Jackie Chan said “Chinese people need to be controlled.” For example, Hong Kong and Taiwan “are too free and too chaotic.” It seems he has high standards because I consider Taiwan one of the world’s safest countries. One might say Taiwan’s internal situation is much more settled than China’s. Taiwan isn’t a third world country; it’s a peaceful enough society that it doesn’t require the PRC’s law and order.

3. Trade – The Taiwanese and Chinese economies depend on each other more with each passing year. This seems to be good for both sides, but Taiwan’s independence is an important bargaining chip. If Taiwan becomes a part of China, it will have to obey Beijing’s orders.

That duty of obedience to the capital would be Taiwan’s biggest problem if it joined China. Even if the mainland becomes a free democracy, if Taiwan joined the country its 23 million citizens would be only 1.7% of the total population. If Taiwan and the rest of the country had a conflict of interest, Taiwan could do nothing but give in.

Because my time is limited, I can only discuss the above questions, but the ones below also merit reflection: (1) Could Taiwan preserve its freedoms and social security system? (2) Whose textbooks would the public schools use? (3) Mainland China suppresses Tibetan culture; would it do the same to indigenous Taiwanese? (4) Would a vast number of immigrants from the mainland paralyze Taiwan’s social network? (5) Would the Taiwanese have to pay higher taxes?

I personally believe politicians use nationalism to manipulate the people. Having the same master is not a necessary condition for brotherhood. In order to justify their own claims to the throne, the Ming and Qing dynasties expanded the definition of China. Are the differences among the Han people smaller than the differences between Germans and Austrians? Even Confucius did not consider himself a Chinese citizen: rather, he said he called himself a citizen of Lu. Taiwan can preserve both Chinese culture and its own government at the same time. Its model should not be the continent but rather Singapore.

酒與宗教 ~ Alcohol and Religion

酒與宗教
史杰輝

諸位老師同學好。今天我要講的題目是「酒與宗教」。我認為「酒與宗教」的關係有兩方面。一個是生活上使用的準則，另外一個是禮儀上所代表的意義。

在許多異教中，酒佔很重要的地位。根據它們的觀點，酒不但能增加性活力、也可以使生活更加快樂，所以當然是天神的禮物。按照挪威異教的傳統，酒是世界之樹的汁。而古代埃及人把歐西里斯，也就是他們最重要的神之一，看成啤酒的發明者。古代希臘人認爲喝醉等於接近酒神，狄俄倪索斯。根據祂弟子的說法，縱酒狂歡之所以對人有好處是因爲酒讓人類返回他們真實的面目。

從另外一個角度來看，因爲喝酒可能讓人在意識不清楚的情形下，做出不應該做的事,所以許多宗教都限制飲酒。譬如說，佛教的第五戒就是「諸佛盡壽不飲酒」。

在猶太經文的故事裡，酒代表樂趣，也是一種神聖的進貢，不過喝醉常常讓人犯罪或是出差錯,因此不宜過量。擧個例子來説，猶太教徒在逾越節第一個晚上的塞德晚餐中，都要喝四杯葡萄酒。所謂逾越節是紀念天主三千多年前把猶太人從埃及奴隸制開釋。這四杯酒代表天主對猶太人開釋令的四句言辭。

十九世紀以來雖然一些少數的基督教派禁止飲酒，不過天主教、正教和基督教的態度本來都跟猶太教的差不了多少。耶穌的第一個神跡就是最好的例子。在祂參加的結婚酒會裡，因為葡萄酒不夠了，所以祂把七桶水變成了葡萄酒。天主教僧侶也以釀造啤酒或是葡萄酒為賺錢過活的方法。

在這些宗教的信仰中，葡萄酒有重要的意義。在福音裏，耶穌説信徒非吃祂的身體、喝祂的血不可，要不然不能得到永生。在所謂的最後的晚餐，祂拿起麵餅跟葡萄酒來，分給門徒說,那就是祂的身體和血，要求他們吃下。祂命令門徒以這個儀式來紀念他，因此天主教、正教跟基督教中都有類似儀式。

總而言之，宗教在一方面為了指引信徒起見必須有一定的道德準則，在另一方面為了傳播思想與信仰也須要一定的儀式。因爲酒無所不在，而且對人們的影響有好有壞，所以世界上的宗教有各式各樣關於酒的準則和習俗。

因為時間有限,我只能簡單地把酒和宗教的關係加以介紹。我希望能夠引起大家對這個話題的興趣，也希望天主會保佑大家的幸福。

Alcohol and Religion
James Smyth

Hello, everyone. Today I’m going to discuss alcohol and religion. I think there are two sides to the relationship between the two. One is religious teachings about the use of alcohol in daily life, and the other is alcohol’s significance in religious ceremonies.

Alcohol has high standing in many pagan religions. They believe that because it increases virility and makes life more enjoyable, it’s clearly a gift from the gods. According to Norse mythology, alcohol is the sap of the World Tree. The ancient Egyptians consider Osiris, one of their most important gods, the inventor of beer. The ancient Greeks teach drunkenness is an encounter with Dionysis, the god of wine. According to the cult of Dionysis, orgies are good for us because they allow us to return to our original nature.

From another perspective, because alcohol can cloud our minds and make it easier to do things we shouldn’t, many religions restrict its consumption. For example, the Fifth Precept of Buddhism is “as the Buddha refrained from alcohol until the end of his life, so I too will refrain from alcohol until the end of my life.”

In Jewish Scriptures, wine represents joy, and it is also a sacred offering, but drunkenness often leads people into sin or disaster, so drinking should be done in moderation. During the seder on the first night of Passover, all Jews drink four cups of wine. Passover is a memorial of God freeing the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt over 3000 years ago. These four cups represent God’s four expressions of deliverance.

Though some prohibitionist Protestant sects have existed since the 19th century, by and large Christianity’s attitude toward alcohol is the same as Judaism’s. Jesus’s first miracle is the best example: the drinks ran out at a wedding party He attended, so He turned seven barrels of water into wine. Also, many Catholic Trappist monks support themselves by making beer or wine.

Wine has an especially important place in Christian theology. In the Gospel, Jesus says that His followers must eat His flesh and drink His blood to attain eternal life. At the Last Supper, He raised bread and wine up to heaven, distributed it to his disciples, said it was His body and blood, and asked them to consume it. He then ordered them to repeat this ceremony to remember Him, and so Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant services all have similar rites today.

Religions have moral codes in order to guide their members and rites in order to express their beliefs. Because alcohol is omnipresent, and its effects on people are so complex, there are all kinds of moral and customary responses to it in the religious world.

Since my time is limited, that simple introduction to alcohol and religion is all I can give you, but I hope it was enough to spark your interest in the subject. May the Lord bless you and keep you.

尖閣列島衝突 ~ The Senkaku Islands Conflict

尖閣列島衝突
作者：史杰輝
編輯：陳亮妤

關於釣魚台/尖閣列島，日中台各有自己見，不過在原則上，衝突很簡單，也就是說，日本、中國、臺灣都主張擁有釣魚台的主權。中國跟臺灣一致認爲釣魚臺本來在中國範圍之内，不過到1895爲止，似乎沒有人住在那裡或是發展那裡。以1895開始，日本統治那邊，管「釣魚台」叫「尖閣列島」，那就是本來英文名字，「Pinnacle Islands」，的翻譯。第二次世界大戰之後，美國透過和平條約途徑開始統治釣魚台跟沖繩。1971年，美國將兩者都歸給日本管。
我個人認爲中國依邊緣政策處理外交。去年的衝突就是其高姿態的例子之一。它一直擴大行動的範圍，無論發生什麽仍都表示己方合法，別的國家非負起責任，比如説道歉或是賠償不可。日本應該繼續表示絕不將釣魚台歸給臺灣或是中國，以免間接鼓勵它們提出更多要求。似乎在美國放棄尖閣列島以後，中台才發現它的主權是能改變的。如果尖閣列島的爭端變得越演越烈，日本可以提醒中台：依歷史處理領土權跟領海權對它們的立場來說不見得是好事，因為同樣情況下辯論可能升高到新疆或西藏，甚至臺灣是否為大陸領土的強度。

The Senkaku Islands Conflict
Writer: James Smyth
Editor: Chen Liang-yu

Japan, China, and Taiwan have all their own arguments with respect to the Senkaku or Diaoyu Islands, but in principle, the conflict is simple: each side believes it has the right to the territory. China and Taiwan both believe that they were originally part of China, but until 1895, there were practically no people and no development there. Japan took over in 1895, and instead of calling them the Diaoyu [Fishing] Islands, it called them the Senkaku Islands, which is the Japanese translation of the original English name of “Pinnacle Islands.” America gained control of this area in addition to Okinawa after World War II by peace treaty. In 1971, America returned both of those archipelagos to Japan.

I personally believe China is engaging in brinkmanship. Last year’s conflict with Japan is but one example of its posturing. China continuously expands the range of its operations, but no matter what the conflict, it argues its own actions were legal and says that its neighbors must take responsibility for what happened, for example by apologizing or paying damages. Japan should continue to declare it will never turn the islands over to Taiwan or China: that would encourage them to ask for more. It seems like the two only made their claims after they realized the territory was in play; that is, after America gave it to Japan. If the debate over the islands turns ferocious, Japan could argue that using history to resolve land claims is dangerous: by those standards we can even question whether Xinjiang, Tibet, and even Taiwan are Chinese territory or not.