La strada / 天生我材必有用

前兩週去參加台大植物標本館的麵包果節，現場請了好幾位老教授來開場，其中一位教授可能是因為能重回講台的緣故，說著說著就把其他教授的時間用完，主持人忙著進入下一段節目，但李學勇教授激昂的言詞讓他贏得一分鐘的發表，老先生中氣以不足，卻用無比的笑容和力氣說到一件讓我耳朵豎起來的事，他說是他發現桃花心木的花其實是假兩性花，因為他一直強調，於是我回到家趕緊搜尋桃花心木。

   I participated in the bread-fruit tree festival held by TAI Herbarium of NTU two weeks ago. Some retired professors were invited to give introductory talks. One of them was probably so thrilled to be back in the limelight that he rambled on. His speech was so long that the host had no choice but to skip the last professor's talk. However, Dr. Li Xueyong didn't want to let go of the precious chance. Despite his hoarse voice, he mustered all his strength, speaking with so much energy and passion. He kept mentioning his discovery about the flowers of the mahogany tree, which aroused my curiosity. People used to believe that the flowers are bisexual, but according to Dr. Li's discovery, it's one of two flowers that "pretends" to be the female. (About this part of the explanation, I am still doing research about it, so  please bear with my really poor translation.) 

        某天穿過台大回家時，遇見了路邊的大葉桃花心木，又上網讀了和它相關的資訊，它的種子散播媒介是風，從種子爆開到遠行的過程都很有趣，所以我的學習明信片做了好幾天桃花心木花和種子的特輯。

   One day when I was walking through the campus of NTU, I came across the big-leaf mahogany trees, and it prompted me to look for more information online. The seeds are spread by means of the wind dispersal. How the seeds come out of the fruit and how they travel far to start their new lives intrigue me, so these topics become the theme of my learning postcards for days. 

        我最喜歡的部份是：樹媽媽為了讓孩子能成長，不會因為掉落在媽媽的樹冠下得不到陽光而死亡或被吃掉，種子有螺旋槳的構造，等到葉子都掉光，風一吹，孩子會被送到遠方開始自己的新生命。

   My favorite part is about how the mother tree, in order to make the seeds grow into well-developed plants, send them on flights with the help of the wind because if they fall under the canopy of their mother, the seeds will die because of lack of sunlight or they'll be eaten by other creatures. The seeds are structured like helicopter rotors, which makes them spin and fly in the wind. 

        作者在這段介紹中用一段很動人的話語結尾，光看大葉桃花心木的構造，可以發現每個設計都是有目的的。觀察植物再再讓我學到，宇宙有它運行的方式，而每個人都有自己的路，有時候我懂這句話，卻不能真正了然於心，可是大自然不斷地提醒我這個道理，我不需要緊張也不用擔心，我常常以為找不到的答案就在宇宙中。

   The writer of the webpage ends the introduction with really wise words: By studying the structure of the big-leaf mahogany tree, we can learn that every part of the plant serves a specific kind of function. Likewise, there's a purpose behind every design of the world, and I recall the life lesson I have learned again and again: Everyone has his or her life journey. I don't have to worry or play God, and often the answers I can't find are in the universe. 

        開學了，我要修正上學年的態度，我的小種子有一天會離開我，我不需過度保護，相反地，我應該要順著它的翅膀，讓他們飛到自己想去的地方。

   The new semester has started. I have revised my teaching concepts and methods. I know one day my small seeds will leave me. I shouldn't overprotect them. On the contrary, I should focus on how to make them fly better so that they'll go somewhere they dream of in the future.

Boundless / 沒有界線

初認識台灣萍蓬草沒多久，在某次搭高鐵的旅程中發現，它曾經快要瀕臨絕種，當下突然覺得，這世界有太多我沒有注意到的生命，以它的節奏和週期誕生死亡，可是如果我只要有一次機會認識它，之後我如果再和它相遇，就不會錯過，以前以為這叫做巧合，現在我則認為，，世界上的每樣人事物都有如此緊密的連結。

Soon after I met the yellow waterlily, I came across an article about it in the High Speed Rail magazine on one trip. It was not until then that I learned the flower was once on the verge of extinction. It dawned on me that there are so many forms of life on earth, but I have no idea of their existence. They rise and fall at their own paces, having nothing to do with my life at all. However, if I am given just one chance to know it, I am sure I won't miss it when seeing it afterwards. I used to believe that is called coincidence; yet now I think it's because everything, every being and every story in this world is inter-connected.

        要轉三十七歲的前夕，我決定不要再錯過路邊的、眼前的生命，於是十天前開始，我信手寫了一張明信片給薛吉，說每天我都要畫一張當天遇見的植物，三百六十五天後，我們會把明信片放在行動的行李箱裡，寄給想要觀看小展覽的人。

   Before turning 37, I decide that I don't want to miss any life right next to me or in front of me. Therefore, about ten days ago, on a postcard sent to Shaggy, I came up with an idea: I am going to draw a plant/an animal on a daily postcard. In one year, we'll put 365 postcards in a small suitcase, sending it to anyone who's interested in the private exhibition.

        正在上文化課的小吉給了我如此的回應，這也會是旅行的展覽一部分。

   Shaggy, who's taking courses on Taiwanese culture, responds to me as shown above. Her mail will be part of our traveling exhibition too. 

        我們都是念舊、極需安全感的處女座，但沒有人規定我們要那樣過活，從現在開始我們的人生沒有界線。

   As Virgos, we are both attached to the old people and in desperate need of a sense of security, but we are learning to live otherwise. From now on, our life is going to be boundless....

we're all in the dance 2 / 圈圈相連 2

昨天去上天文星盤課，美欽問我過去這一年在做什麼，我說：很多事啊！我把做過的新嘗試都列出來，長期的短期的都算進去。

Yesterday I went to a workshop on astrology. Meichien asked me what I have been up to in the past year. I then listed all of my new experiences, both long-term and short-term ones.

        今天去上了植物標本製作課。

   Today I attended a workshop on making herbarium specimen.

        雖然不難，但大家還是手忙腳亂的。

   Though it wasn't hard, most of us still couldn't get it right.

        資深的專家做起來多麼美麗啊！巧的是一早去上課時發現八月初在青年公園遇到的生態老師，也在同一間教室裡。

   As the senior volunteer demonstrated for us, I couldn't help exclaiming that this is a form of art too. And it was a lovely coincidence that the ecology teacher I had met in the Youth Park earlier in August was in the same classroom as me. 

        接著上裱褙課，走進來的美少男老師林仁信是去年年底參加台北文化之旅的講者。

   Next it was another workshop on framing posters. The lecturer, Mr. Lin Ren-hsin, happened to be the tour guide for our cultural tour at the end of last year. 

        邊看老師重新裱圖時，旁邊的阿姨說：看老師刷灰塵的樣子，就知道可以嫁給這種人。想不到阿姨的想法比我還要少女。

   When seeing Mr. Lin at work, the senior lady next to me made the remark: By looking at how the teacher brushes off the dust, I can tell he's a good husband candidate. Wow, I didn't know that the lady is even more romantic than me....

        最棒的是林老師附贈一堂版畫課介紹，看到浮世繪的製作過程，我的心簡直就要飛起來了。下課跑去和老師相認，老師居然還記得我。只能說這世界真是圈圈相連，看來我過去一年的確是做了不少事喔！

   Best of all, Mr. Lin gave a short free lecture on printmaking at the end of the workshop. Watching the video of how ukiyo-e is produced, my heart literally leaped. And it turned out that Mr. Lin still remembers me. All I can say is, we are all in the dance. I wasn't exaggerating when I said I had done MUCH during the past year!  

Miss Sun Rides the Subway / 太陽小姐搭地鐵

我的故事「太陽小姐搭地鐵」過了遠傳電子繪本的初選，請到這裡幫我投票吧，謝謝你！

My story Miss Sun Rides the Subway was on the list of chosen works for the picture book contest held by FETnet. Please vote for me here. Thank you so much! 

Encountering my self / 遇見自己

穿越過好幾個城市去薛吉家玩，我很努力指認牆上的明信片，花了好一會才找出我的手繪作，因為我總是改變太快，所以過去的我對現在的我來說有些陌生。

I traveled across several cities to visit Shaggy. Standing in front of the wall of her room, I made an effort to recognize my hand-drawn postcards. However, I've always changed at such a fast pace that it took me some time to find my past self. 

        看到這張明信片楞了很久，雖然覺得很熟悉，卻因為上頭的字強烈地認為不是我寄的信，薛吉說：是你寄的啊！這麼說來就是郵差幫我加工，但因此讓一年多之後的我感到驚喜，在中台灣還可以回想北愛爾蘭巨人海岸的風光。

   Upon seeing this postcard, I was overwhelmed with a sense of familiarity, but the words told me that it didn't have anything to do with me. Then Shaggy uttered: It IS your postcard. I got it. The postman added the final touch and thus prepared a huge surprise for me more than one year after the mail was sent. It was amazing to be reminded of Giant's Causeway while I was physically so far away from it. 

        從薛吉的書架上拿下青木由香的書，對其中一段話心有戚戚之感：

        我有點後悔學了太多，但高貴的藝術對我來說太困難，現在的我只想做出和自己等身大的作品。小時候不會思考困難的事，只是單純開心地畫畫。我希望作品能讓一般人看，不用管它是不是藝術、美術，就像小時候，看到我畫畫就很開心、一起替我收集紙張的人一樣，如果對方也能感受到一些什麼就好了。

        從沒有什麼創作出什麼，然後能微微牽動人的情感，畫畫如果能做到這樣，就很足夠了吧！

   I thumbed through a book written by the Japanese author Aoki Yuka taken from Shaggy's shelf. A quote really impressed me: 

   I kind of regret learning too much, but high art is too difficult for me. I only feel like making art that can represent me. I didn't have to think about complicated things when I was little. All I did was draw happily. I hope to share my works with people instead of caring if it is defined as art. Just like in my childhood, people were pleased to see me draw and collect my drawings for me. It's enough if my works can touch others. 

   It will be enough to make something out of nothing and then kind of move people. If drawing can do that for me, it is more than enough. 

        而我每次遇見過去的自己，也覺得被微微牽動了。

   Whenever I encounter my past self, I also feel kind of touched....

Museum tour in NTU / 台大博物館群散步之旅

台大有十個博物館，每週三、四、六有定時導覽，今天約了珍妮媽和八個月大的小安安一起去進行知性的散步之旅，邊走著連台大畢業的珍妮也驚嘆原來台大有這麼豐富的資源。

There are ten museums in National Taiwan University, and guided tours are held regularly every Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. Each tour includes a visit to three museums. Today my companions are Jenny and her eight-month-old baby Ian. As we walk along, Jenny, an alumna of NTU, is surprised to learn the rich collections of the university.

        週三的第一個博物館是人類學博物館，學生填升學志願時人類學肯定不是熱門的系，但是這個博物館很精采，有很多台灣十四個原住民部落的收藏。圖中是邵族在日月潭中划的船。

   The first museum on the tour every Wednesday is Museum of Anthropology. The major is never a popular one among incoming students, but the collection is definitely amazing, housing mainly the objects and artifacts from fourteen aboriginal tribes in Taiwan. In the picture is the canoe rowed by the Thao on Sun Moon Lake. 

        邵族很依賴日月潭的魚爲食，所以他們發明捕魚器，魚可以進魚籃但是出不來。

   The Thao depend much on the fish in Sun Moon Lake, so they invented innovative bamboo fish traps. 

        原住民的圖騰可以成為文創產業的靈感。

   The totems of the aboriginal tribes are wonderful inspirations for the cultural creative industries. 

        分佈於中央山脈南端和東海岸的排灣族的藝術表現以木雕爲重點。

   The Paiwan people, who can be found at the southern tip of the Central Range and the eastern coastal mountain areas, are known for their wooden carvings. 

        分佈於蘭嶼的達悟族是台灣原住民族群中唯一不獵人頭的部落，這是他們捕魚用的拼板舟，除了實用性外，也很有藝術性。

   The Tao tribe, living on Lanyu, is the only one without the tradition of headhunting. They rely heavily on the ocean, and their native canoes are not only of practical use but also known for their artistic value. 

        第二個博物館就是我非常有興趣的植物標本館，是個草木扶疏的好地方，戶外有溼地植物園和日本植物庭園，而蕨園在定時導覽時才開放。

   The second museum of the day is TAI Herbarium, which highly interests me. It is a lush piece of land with three outdoor gardens, including the wetland plant garden, the Japanese plant garden and the fern garden, which is open only on guided tours. 

        八月十七日植物標本館舉辦麵包樹節，我上網查了來自非洲的麵包樹，原來後者就是故事小王子中會把整個星球撐裂的樹種。

   There will be a bread-fruit tree festival on August 17 in the herbarium, which is this coming Saturday. 

        之前在青年公園的生態老師說，台大有很多穗花棋盤腳，最近應該都在開花，今天終於看到了，一株植物就像一個人，要追蹤它的成長才能看到所有的相貌。

   Two weeks ago the ecology teacher I met in the Youth Park told us that small-leaved Barringtonia can be found on the campus of NTU. I am very lucky to have seen some in bloom today. It takes much time to observe a flower so that we can see every stage of its growth and death as well. 

        台灣萍蓬草。

   Yellow water lily, native to Taiwan. 

        最令人期待的是蕨園，因為只有在解說員的陪同下我們才能進去，帶領我們的小男生冠甫說他常常只能在鐵門外徘徊。

   The highlight of the day is the fern garden because it is only accessible with the company of a tour guide. Our campus guide, a student of NTU, says he often lingers outside the iron gate, wondering what's inside. 

        解說員告訴我們這個花園很像侏羅紀公園，蕨類的年紀和恐龍一樣老，照片中的蕨類可以把整個人蓋住喔！

   The tour guide compares the garden to the Jurassic Park. It's really amazing to learn that ferns are as old as dinosaurs. The ferns in the photo are tall and thick enough to cover a person! 

        蕨園不大，卻是個極其有趣的空間，接下來我就要在這裡工作，很令人期待。

   The fern garden is not huge at all, but it's so full of life. I am looking forward to working here in the coming months. 

        散步之旅中沿路遇到很多台大的校友和學生，大家完全不吝嗇和彼此交談或互相幫忙，而且都是很聰明的人，發問了諸多令人驚艷的問題，而跟著我的珍妮也看到將來當志工的機會，我在想，這個夏天因為覺得自己生活很狹小，在擴大視野的路途中得到很多意外的收穫，上帝對我真好！

   During the walk, we've run into many graduates and students of NTU. They don't hesitate to talk to us or give us a hand. Besides, being really brilliant, they ask advanced questions on the tour. Jenny also sees the possibility of working as a volunteer in the future. Looking back on this summer break, I came because I felt my life was so narrow. But I've found new possibilities along the way. What a lovely gift from God! 

I am not discouraged. / 我不沮喪。

暑假裡唯一的課程業務就是上重修班，想到要把上學期的內容再重複一次，我想最後記得最熟的總是我，於是我決定來上暑期讀本，是有關安地斯山印地安人的故事，雖然我個人覺得這是一本很好看的書，但我可以預期已經打開這本書的人寥寥可數。

The only classes I am assigned during the summer break are those given to the girls who flunked their English. My head aches when it occurs to me that I have to repeat what I said during the past semester one more time. I figure it will be much more pleasant to read the summer reading novel--Secret of the Andes. Personally I find it an excellent book, but since I know my students well, I can predict that only a handful of kids have started to read it. 

        天真的孩子們以為我會一句一句講解，我是不可能讓大家這麼舒服的，學習語言若沒有對閱讀有點熱情，並且腳踏實地閱讀，就不可能進步。雖然這些同學在英文上是有點問題，但我很樂觀，我把大家分組，一起做閱讀的工作。

   The girls might be too innocent to know that it's not my thing to explain the story sentence by sentence. My belief is that it's impossible to learn a language well without doing any reading. I trust them though they are not good at English. I put them into groups to do the reading together. 

        我的學生或許不是最聰明，不過有被琢磨的潛能，花了幾乎六個小時，每一組都把分配的章節大意寫出來。

   My students might not be the smartest, but they are willing to be trained. Each group comes with their summary of the chapter assigned after six hours of hard work. 

        這個課程中我最期待的部份就是讓女孩們挑喜歡的佳句畫插圖，我把過去幾天的筆記紙搬出來，我說：讓我們用壓克力把這些討厭的英文全部塗掉！有趣的是，雖然脖子扭到很痛，從頭到尾我又叫又跳的，很像托兒所老師，不過下面的學生沒有幼兒的熱情，她們從頭到尾只是安靜地任我擺佈。

   And what I am most looking forward to is the part where the girls have to pick their favorite quotes and illustrate them. I take out the notes they have made over the past few days and yell like a madwoman: Let's erase all the detestable English words with acrylics! In fact, I have had a neck cramp, but I can't help jumping and shouting in excitement. I feel like a kindergarten teacher; the only difference is that my students don't have the passion of children. Throughout the process, they act as if they were my quiet puppets. 

        七月上完幼兒班之後心裡有些難過，為什麼過了十年之後，那些會畫畫的本能全都不見，大家會的就是不斷地滑手機，就是因為這個疑問，讓我想要把畫圖的實驗應用到高中生身上，小說裡的文字敘述的是無限的畫面，而我們每個人都有與生俱來的想像力，應該只是我們把這個能力藏起來罷了。

   After the summer camp for children in July, I have had a hard time trying to figure out something: How come our instincts to draw disappear with time passing? The five-year-olds, who can draw freely and wildly, turn out to be teenagers who are into nothing but staring at their cell phones in ten years. Because of this, I'd like to apply to the same teaching plan to the teenagers. The novel is so full of images. I believe that we all have imagination, and thus we can envision the pictures in our heads.  

        討論小說期間為了讓同學能夠想像險峻的安地斯山風景，我問二十多個人有否去過太魯閣，居然只有五個人去過，這也許不能全說是爸爸媽媽的問題，我於是說：你快要可以自立了，至少上大學前要去看一下這麼美麗的自然資產！

   While we are discussing the novel, I try to give the girls an image of the Andes by asking if they have been to the Taroko Gorge. Surprisingly, only 5 out of 22 have been there. Well, maybe I can't say the parents have to be all responsible for this, so I give a very sincere piece of advice: You are about to be 18. I think you can go on your own soon, and you shouldn't miss such beautiful natural assets! 

        這是最容易畫的佳句，到了十幾歲大家對於「不會」的東西很沒有安全感。

   This is the easiest quote to illustrate. It interests me that we feel unsafe about what we don't know as we age.

        這本書的主角之一是美洲駝，書中形容牠的叫聲是風和水的音樂，像風撫過水面。

   The llamas play an important role in the book. Llama-humming is described as wind-and-water music, like wind rippling over the water. 

        我的教書生涯要進入第十二年了，感覺卻像才正要開始，外在的環境越來越糟，但是我可以走我自己的路，儘管我的熱誠總是比學生多，但過了這個暑假，我又有了新的展望，我想我一定可以造成一點小小的不同。

   I am about to start my 12th year as a teacher, but in many ways it feels I've just begun. The outer environment is getting less and less ideal, but amidst all the chaos, I think I can always stand my own ground. It was discouraging to think that I always have a bigger dose of enthusiasm than my students, but after this summer, I have gained a new perspective. I so firmly believe that I can make a difference, no matter how small it is. 

New interest / 新興趣

雖然這個夏天最遠只到台灣中部，對於我原來的人生，我得到很多新看法。暑假開始報名了台大植物標本館的志工，很感謝館方什麼都沒問就收了我，雖然我在植物方面的認識幾近於零，但我一旦想要走上某個方向，生活裡便不斷地出現學習的機會。

Many people are surprised that I went only as far as the central Taiwan this summer. I have not traveled far physically, but mentally I have gone further than the previous years. For one thing, I signed up for the volunteer program held by the NTU museums. Though I don't even know the ABC's of plants, I am thankful to the herbarium for giving me a chance. And it strikes me again that as long as I desire to learn something, the whole universe is united to give me a hand. This summer, whatever I do, it is related to natural plants. 

        在武陵旅行時愛上了很優雅的柳杉，最近收到摯友文琪的來信說，我們一起出國，卻從來沒有在國內旅行，有機會帶著孩子在台灣旅行吧！於是我想到我們三個人走在柳杉林樹下的畫面。

   I fell in love with the elegant Japanese cedar when I was traveling in Wuling Farm. Last week I received another letter from my best friend Chi. She wrote that we had been broad, but it was a shame that we had never taken a trip within Taiwan together. We should go somewhere together with her boy.  Upon reading her words, I couldn't help imagining how beautiful it would be for us three to walk under the cool shades of Japanese cedar. 

        我一直很喜歡植物，但是卻記不起來它們的名字，前兩週在青年公園遇到的生態老師居然啟蒙了我，自從聽過她講解後，我會觀察經過的行道樹，很幸運地可以遇到這麼有魔力的人。

   In fact, I'd always had a thing for plants, but the problem was, I couldn't bear their names in mind. Amazingly, the ecology teacher I had met two weeks ago in the Youth Park enlightened me. Now when I pass by trees, I will pause to observe them and try to remember them. I am very lucky to have run into someone so magical as that. 

        我很喜歡榕樹的氣根，無所不去，無所不包。

   I love the aerial roots of banyan trees. They take the world into their embraces. 

        我還有一個更大的收穫：凡人生有任何的問題或苦惱，答案都在大自然裡，我也不一定要遠征戶外，一花一草一樹中都有線索。

   There's something else bigger I think of as the guideline of my life now: The answers to all our problems lie in nature. Better yet, I don't have to go all the way out of town. There are clues in something as small as a flower. 

        現在我不會忘記和朱槿打招呼了。

   Now I won't forget to say hello to hibiscus. 

        某夜我在大安公園裡散步，雖然天很黑，我還是忍不住閱讀每一種樹木的說明牌，其中琴葉榕的名字吸引我的注意力，因為它的葉片很像提琴。那晚因此變得很詩意。

   One night while I was taking a walk in Da-an Park, I was attracted by the beautiful leaf shape of the fiddle-leaf fig. The tree thus becomes very different from the others for me. It also gives a poetic touch to my night....