台大生命科學院的動物博物館在春天和秋天都會舉辦假日兒童博物館，在生命科學院的一樓中庭有學生準備的攤位，帶領小朋友做有趣的學習，這個月植物標本館也加入兒童博物館的活動，星期六下午我和館方的工作人員及志工會帶小朋友畫圖及認識戶外庭園。其實這對我來說是意外的驚喜，前三週意外地被告知去帶小朋友導覽，我覺得自己可以做得更好，於是我們從上週開始便正式加入了假日兒童博物館。
Every spring and fall, there are mobile weekend children museums prepared by the animal museum in front of College of Life Science in NTU on Saturday afternoons from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Students and staff come up with various activities for children. This fall, the herbarium decided to join hands with the animal museum. For the six weeks, the staff and volunteers will give children and adults a tour of the outdoor gardens. Meanwhile, I will host doodling workshops in the herbarium. In fact, on the first Saturday, we only meant to draw some visitors to the herbarium, but I found the experience rather pleasant and inspiring. Thus, starting from the second Saturday, we officially became part of the weekend children museums.
儘管我做了準備，剛開始還是有些緊張，原來安靜的週六下午現在因為小朋友熱鬧了起來。這是我第一次想要主打的植物─烏來鳳尾蕨。
Though I made some preparation, I couldn't help feeling a little bit nervous in the beginning. The quiet herbarium was going to liven up because of children. I focus on some star specimens to be the teaching materials.
這是有些小朋友一眼就會注意到的疣柄魔芋。標本們應該也很興奮，一下子有這麼多孩子來盯著他們畫圖，要是我都會臉紅啊！
This is the eye-catching Elephant Yam. I bet the specimens are excited about the children's coming. I mean, I would blush with so many eyes staring at me!
雖然有很多工作人員幫忙，這週末連大女孩們都來助陣，我一個下午要講六次同樣的話，開始之前自己會覺得很難想像，可是我比上班說話的時候還自在，再加上看到這樣的畫面，說完一場就有精力接下一場，博物館不就是要這樣被欣賞的嗎？
I appreciate the enthusiastic help of the staff and even my ex-students. However, every weekend before the workshops, I can hardly believe that I have to say the same thing for six times. Yet, I feel more at ease than at work. Upon seeing this, I do feel that I can go on and on. Shouldn't a museum look like this on the inside?
每一梯次的小朋友特質都不一樣，昨天有幾個孩子這麼自在地或坐或站，我覺得這是很感人的畫面。而要結束前的一群孩子，不知為何，每個人手中拿著畫筆卻都無法下手，我一直在敲邊鼓：今天是星期六，不要想太多，畫什麼都好。最後一戶人家的大中小男孩不好意思地拿作品給我看，好迂迴的孩子，但是好可愛啊！
Every group of children is different. Yesterday, some kids felt so at home. I found the image to be very moving. When it came to the last group of kids yesterday, each of them held a colored pencil in their hand, unable to draw anything. I kept saying, "It's Saturday. Don't think too much. Just draw whatever you want to." In the end, three boys of different sizes from the same family came forth and showed me their drawings shyly. How thoughtful and indirect, yet how lovely!
我也說不上來為什麼每週六活動結束時都有滿滿的幸福感，都是些小片刻，卻又如此令人難忘，例如說聽到孩子說台東蘇鐵的雄蕊是黑香腸、或把植物標本館說成生命科學館等等，雖然這些答案很好笑，可是他們可是很真心地在回答；或者看到他們在十分鐘裡很投入地畫一張圖，即使最後的成品是一張抽象畫，也還是很感人；有些孩子不想畫，苦惱地問我：可以不要畫嗎？那樣的表情也很動人；還有兩歲的孩子緩慢地卻堅持地刷幾條線；背著英式書包的男孩、大家一古腦往門口衝找植物標本卻衝到門外去，一臉茫然的樣子；看起來像小博士的男孩有自信地說：我喜歡植物，真的很迷人；愛耍嘴皮的小男孩因為我說要好好畫才有小獎品，卯起來把筆都塗鈍了；對了，還有小男生很誠懇問我教材是誰畫的，我很得意地回答：我啊，好看吧！他一定也覺得我是奇怪的阿姨；大家都離開了，卻還待在小房間裡的幾個孩子繼續畫，讓人很難打斷他們；或者是突然發現看到幾張超可愛的作品，我的眼睛就會亮了起來。
I can't explain why every weekend my heart is filled with joy. These are just some tiny moments, but they are unforgettable. For example, I can't help bursting into laughter when the kids try so hard to answer my questions only to bring forth really really hilarious answers. They are so involved in the drawing activity even only for ten minutes. Maybe what I see at last is an abstract drawing, but I don't mind. Some kids don't feel like drawing, but they will ask me with worries, "Can I not draw?" Even that is appealing to me. Or it might be a two-year-old who doesn't know how to hold a pencil. Still, she insists on drawing short lines at a slow pace. A little boy carries a super beautiful English book bag on his back; a group of kids who rushes outside look confused when I ask them to go to the exhibits near the entrance; a big boy says with confidence, "I like plants." A talkative boy finally stops talking and draws hard when I announce he won't get a gift if he does not put his mind to it. One really young boy asks me who drew the teaching materials. I answered like a kid too, "Me. Lovely right?" Last but not least, there are always some works that make my day.
爸爸媽媽的姿態也很好玩，有一些累得呼呼大睡，有一些毫無止盡滑手機，有一些很認真地跟著互動，每當這個時候我總是很高興我是那個暫時幫他們托嬰的人。大家紛紛問我為什麼會說小朋友的語言，有些還很驚奇我沒有孩子，就是因為沒有才有時間練習如何和小孩說話。
It's fun to observe the parents too. Some are so tired that they fall asleep right away upon sitting down on our magic long bench. Others participate in the workshops and interact with me. Somehow I am always glad to be where I am. It's wonderful to be a temporary babysitter. I am constantly asked if I have children because I speak their language. I guess it's because I don't that I have time to learn their language.
短短的半小時過去後，孩子們和我揮手再見，這也是令我很快樂的時刻，為了讓他們前進，我會說：戶外庭園更好玩！或者和他們說下一個博物館更有趣。感覺我在這世上又多認識了一些孩子。傍晚若是在台大附近遇見了，他們還會和我熱情地打招呼，也許明後天就忘了，這樣短暫的緣份也很美好。
After half an hour, the kids wave me goodbye, which is a beautiful moment for me too. To make them leave, I will remind them, "The outdoor gardens are fantastic!""The next museum is even better!" I feel I have known some more children in this world. If we happen to run into each other in the evening around NTU, they will greet me with passion. Maybe we will forget each other, but the short encounter is just great.
話雖如此，我知道自己同時也留在一些孩子的相機裡了。
Still, I know I have stayed in some people's memory cards.
台大生科院的假日兒童博物館還有三週，每週六下午一點到四點在台大生科院前面，會有專人帶領你到有些隱密但無限美麗的植物標本館喔！
The weekend children's museums will last for another three weeks. You will find us from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. every Saturday afternoon in front of the building of College of Life Science!
