你的「停車場」（ていしゃば）毋是我的「停車場」（thîng-tshia-tiûnn）

翻譯學有一个詞叫做「假朋友」（false friend），意思是講兩个無仝語言的詞看起來sio-siâng，其實意思差足濟。

譬如講，袂曉日語的台語人看著「金玉」（きんたま），可能會想著「黃金佮玉石一類的金銀財寶」。

毋過，日本人看著這个漢字詞，會想著「𡳞脬」（lān-pha）抑是「𡳞核」（lān-hu̍t）哩。

按呢逐家就知影，為啥物日本人來台灣看著「金玉堂」會驚一趒。

最近咧翻『人間失格』，翻著一句：「自分は東北の田舎に生れましたので、汽車をはじめて見たのは、よほど大きくなってからでした。自分は停車場のブリッジを、上って、降りて…」。

檢查家己的翻譯的時，我想講這个停車場的「ブリッジ」到底是啥物橋；幾若十冬前日本的停車場，應該佮這馬無仝hōng？

查落去，發現不得了，日語的「停車場」是唸做「ていしゃば」，而且根本毋是停汽車的所在，是火車啊啊啊啊啊。

我才想著，現代日語的停車場是「駐車場」（ちゅうしゃじょう），而且「汽車」（きしゃ）是「火車」（hué-tshia）的意思。明明（N冬前）有學過，竟然袂記矣。

交朋友，愛注意啊！

叫你莫講台語的台語人

昨昏去一間台灣料理，我佇櫃台用台語點菜。

我知影賣台灣料理的人無一定講台語。若是用台語點菜，我一定那講那比（菜單），一項一項講。等店員一項記起來（筆抑是手停落來），我才閣講後一項。若是店員真正毋知影按怎服務，我就會放棄，但是大部份攏無問題。

顧櫃台的是一个少年家，聽伊講話，可能是台灣人頭家的後生，無就是請來的台灣人（嘛有可能請來的中國人店員，但是聽腔口無成）。

我點一項，少年家就用華語閣講一遍我點的菜名。「排骨飯」、「豆花」，溝通無問題，嘛無拖著伊的時間。

唯一出現的問題，是我咧點的時陣，後壁徛一位看起來敢若是頭家的台灣人，用台語對我講：「你愛對伊講國語，台語伊聽無啦！」

攏已經點完欲付錢矣，彼个台灣頭家閣喝一遍：「你愛對伊講國語，台語伊聽無啦！」

我笑面笑面對頭家講：「伊聽有啦，我按呢比，伊聽有。」繼續用台語付錢，少年家嘛照常應對，並無因為聽著台語就毋知愛按怎服務。

出外討趁，無法度轉去，想欲講幾句仔台語，定定拄著這種聽著就緊出來叫你莫講台語的台語人。哎！

Taiwan's Bilingual Policy is Doomed to Fail (2)

Indeed, language can be used to very effectively compete, defeat, and convince.

But do we need to encourage such uses?

(Of course, I believe most people would say no. But I think this is what the bilingual policy will ultimately do.)

Do we really need it when we see most English schools recruit students by saying, "Don't let native English-speakers laugh at your Chinglish" instead of saying, "Learn how to communicate effectively even with a limited English vocabulary"?

Do we really need it when we see in elementary schools' writing lessons the feedback we give focuses on how the article is WORDED instead of what ideas are being SHARED and how the logic behind them ANALYZED?

Even in conference interpreting classrooms, where "being the story-teller on behalf of the speaker" (i.e. COMMUNICATION) is, I believe, far more important than "sounding like a native English-speaker," it is not uncommon to see students spend more time neutralizing their Taiwanese accent and learning colloquial English expressions. And NO, in most cases it's not because they really mispronounce or misuse words so much the audience can't understand them.

It's this obsession with "beautiful language"--first it was "good Chinese" and then now it's "good English"--which obviously is a very powerful tool to compete, defeat, and convince, that has led to our failure in language education.

We might never be able to rid ourselves of biases towards different languages and their varieties, but we surely don't need a policy based on them.

Let go of this obsession with "good English." Replace it with "effective communication in languages (not just English!)." If you don't know what I mean, the 07:00-09:00 section of this Ted Talk provides a two-minute explanation with an excellent real-life example.

Yes, this will most likely remain as just my wishful thinking. But I believe that we should recognize that language, if it has any purpose at all, should be used to understand each other and embrace our differences in society.

Only then can we begin our very first step to make this island country of amazing diversity a place friendly to not only English but also its many native languages that are already dying.

多語台灣、英語友善！

我若是知名作家（Guá Nā-sī Ti-miâ Tsok-ka）

台文翻譯（台語發音）：

我若是知名作家，我就出一本有十種尾局的冊，攏提去付印，數量無仝。但是，我袂共遮的死忠讀者講。按呢，我就會當看in佇遐青疑（tshenn-gî），爭論故事到底是按怎煞尾的。等代誌煏空（piak-khang），我就出來「自首」，佮in講我其實有出十一个版本，看in閣一遍頭殼𢯾（mooh）咧燒，想欲揣出上尾一種結局（kiat-kio̍k）。

英文原文（連結）：

If I was a famous author I would publish a book with 10 different endings which all went to print with varying degrees of rarity, but not tell the fans about it so that I could watch their confusion as they disagreed over how the story ended. Then when they figured it out I will ‘come clean’ telling them that I had released eleven alternate endings and watch them panic again as they all try to find the last ending.

Taiwan's Bilingual Policy is Doomed to Fail

The Taiwanese government's effort to make the island a bilingual (i.e. English and Mandarin Chinese) nation by 2030 is doomed to fail.

And it won't be because we don't have enough resources such as English teachers or we are learning English the wrong way like not listening to more English--these are valid and important issues indeed, but they can be solved with relative ease. 

Not enough teachers? Pay more and hire better ones. 

Not enough language input? Make it compulsory that school kids listen to English for 30 minutes every day.

The real reason why our language education has failed (and will continue to beyond 2030) is that we have got so used to using language to gain power, to judge, and to earn a competitive edge that we have forgotten about the sole purpose of language.

That is why in Taiwan a fluent American accent impresses people more than an inspiring idea put in simple English does.

That is why in Taiwan speaking Chinese earns more respect than speaking Taiwanese does.

That is why in Taiwan Hakka-speakers, despite taking pride in their own cultural heritage, choose to educate their kids in Chinese.

That is why when an Amis, or anyone who belongs to any of Taiwan's indigenous groups--which traditionally doesn't use Chinese characters or even speak Chinese--register their real names in romanization, they get frowned upon.

Language is for communication. We all know it. We just don't do it. Saying it is like saying, "Be kind to people and they will be kind to you."

Language should--if it has any purpose at all--help us understand each other's thoughts and needs and feelings. And then we can use these shared understandings of differences to create a society that embraces more diversity and possibilities, which ultimately lead to more innovations, opportunities, and hopefully a better world. 

The bilingual policy, which literally aims to enhance Taiwan's competitiveness, will fail because the government will spend the tax-payers' money to encourage the younger generation to learn a foreign language to COMPETE, not to COMMUNICATE.

To defeat, not to cooperate.

To speak, not to listen.

To convince, not to understand.

台語文的規範（Tâi-gí-bûn ê Kui-huān）

我感覺這馬的台語文運動猶閣停佇「將台語當做外語來學」的階段，足濟人想欲像學國中英語仝款，揣出「標準文法」。但是實際生活中的語言佮課本教的無可能仝款。

教科書寫的規範性文法（prescriptive grammar）會當幫助咱維持語言的共通性，才袂一百个人講一百種話。有一定程度的規範，對語言的保存佮流通來講當然重要。

但是用描述性文法（descriptive grammar）去記錄語言實際上的用法佮變化，嘛仝款重要。包括英語、日語在內，足濟語言每十冬字典就會增加袂少新詞，甚至共已經啥咧用的詞刣掉。（若無，紙本的字典根本頁數無夠印！）

了解咱祖先的台語氣口，是復興台語足重要的一步。但是若是想欲予台語活轉來，變成生活中的自然語言，就愛接受語言的多樣性佮自然變化。

別个族群爭取權利（Pa̍t-ê Tso̍k-kûn Tsing-tshú Khuân-lī）

台文翻譯（台語發音）：

別个族群爭取著你一直享有的權利，你並無受著啥物壓迫（ap-pik）。

英文原文（連結）：

You're not being “oppressed” when another group gains rights that you've always had.

Hoo-thé-luh的大面巾（Hoo-thé-luh ê Tuā-bīn-kin）

台文翻譯（台語發音）：
我足討厭hoo-thé-luh的大面巾。

遮爾厚，遮爾膨，我的行李箱攏合袂起來矣！

英文原文：

I hate hotel bath towels.
So thick and fluffy I can't even close my suitcase!

譯注：嚴格來講，「bath towel」應該是「浴巾」（i̍k-kin）。但是阮兜共囥佇浴間仔用來拭面、拭手、拭身軀的巾仔攏叫做「面巾」，嘛無咧講毛巾（môo-kin）。我想想咧，雄雄聽著「i̍k-kin」的台語人可能毋知是啥，笑袂出來，就翻做應該較聽有的「大面巾」（tuā-bīn-kin）。

犯錯在所難免（Huān-tshò Tsāi-sóo-lân-bián）

台文翻譯（台語發音）：

犯錯在所難免（tsāi-sóo-lân-bián）。
若是犯錯牽拖別人，代表可能有才調做主管。

英文原文：

To err is human.

To blame it on someone else shows management potential.

你若死（Lí Nā Sī）

台文翻譯（台語發音）：

你若死，你毋知影你家己已經死矣，艱苦（kan-khóo）是別人咧艱苦。

你若戇，嘛是仝款。

英文原文：
When you're dead, you don't know you’re dead. The pain is felt by others. The same thing happens when you're stupid.

浪鳥集（Stray Birds）001

台文翻譯（台語發音）：

夏天的浪鳥（lōng-niáu）飛來阮的窗，唱歌，又閣飛去。

秋天的黃葉，無歌，翩翩落下，留落來一聲嘆。

英語原詩：
Stray birds of summer come to my window to sing and fly away.

And yellow leaves of autumn, which have no songs, flutter and fall there with a sigh.

（作者：Rabindranath Tagore）

我發現華語版一般翻做先發出嘆息的聲，才閣落下。

例：「只一聲嘆息，便飄落而下」（譯者：卓加真）

但是英語原文（flutter and fall there with a sigh）並沒遐爾清楚。

我認為，這聲嘆息（a sigh）有可能是葉仔離枝的聲、落下時的聲，嘛有可能是落佇塗跤的聲。嘛有可能是將頭到尾的聲攏當做一聲。

我後來想想咧，作者原詩用「sigh」做尾，可能想欲創作「聲過猶原在耳」的效果，毋管這聲嘆是咧講佗一聲，攏會使聲過猶原在耳，

浪鳥集（Stray Birds）002

台文翻譯（台語發音）：

這群小小世間浪者啊，留恁的跤跡佇我的文字。

英語原詩：
O TROUPE of little vagrants of the world, leave your footprints in my words.
（作者：Rabindranath Tagore）

這首詩的「vagrant」佇華語定定翻做「流浪者」、「 漂泊者」。其實「vagrant」無一定是咧講人，離開家己族群的動物，嘛會使講是「vagrant」。

而且「vagrant」頭前用「little」， 若是咧講人，「little vagrant」聽起來親像親像是「流浪在外的囡仔人」。後遍閣接一个「of the world」，敢講這是咧形容講有一陣囡仔人流浪全世界？

而且「vagrant」用「troupe」做單位。「troupe」一般是用來形容一陣四界走傱，唱歌跳舞的表演者。用來形容無厝通轉的流浪囝，我個人感覺無合理。

若是將「vagrant」解說做「離開族群的鳥仔」，是毋是較有道理？

將第二首詩的「vagrants」解說做第一首詩的「stray birds」，就會當前後呼應。「little」是形容鳥仔細隻，「of the world」是因為「鳥仔佇世界足濟所在飛來飛去」，「troupe」是形容「鳥仔做一群來，佇窗仔門邊叫來叫去、跳來跳去，袂輸是一團來表演的」。

當然啦，到底「vagrant」是咧講人抑是鳥，我嘛無把握。作者已經做仙啊，欲問嘛問無。既然第一首詩的「stray birds」我創作新詞翻做「浪鳥」，這首詩的「vagrants」翻做「浪者」敢若嘛會使。「者」會當是講人，嘛會當是咧 講鳥仔。 

「words」 一般華語翻做「文字」。我本來感覺講「文字」是用寫的，但是「words」無一定是寫的文，嘛有可能是講的話。本來想欲翻做「話」猶是「話語」。但是想想咧，鳥仔踏過的跤印，是毋是看起來足相象形文字？作者將這當做伊作詩的靈感，翻做「文字」，彼个意象嘛是誠合，我就決定學前人的步，翻做「文字」。

後半句的「leave your footprints in my words」，我本來想欲翻做「將恁的跤跡留佇我的文字內底」。

但是我感覺唸起來就是無夠媠氣。當然啦，嘛是有人的感覺講原詩本來就足淺白，無成傳統的英文歌詩，有押韻，句讀媠。

我想想咧，台語本來就有「留我佇遮」的句型，這个「留……佇……」的句型，拄仔好會當對應著英文原詩的「leave...in...」，所以就決定翻做「留恁的跤跡佇我的文字」。

華語有法度翻的外語詞，台語哪有可能無法度處理？

台語發音

用翻譯來幫助一个語言吸收新的概念，這對華語來講是誠正常的代誌，但是台語敢若毋是按呢。

大部份台語母語的人根本無咧講台語，但是講著外來的名詞欲按怎翻做台語，就全意見。

有意見提出來講當然是好，但是一个詞毋管翻了偌好，無人講就會死。先開喙，才有通講！

顛倒講來，華語烏白翻的詞一大堆，但是因為誠濟人講，就一直保存落來。

問題毋是干焦按呢爾爾。就算是推捒講台語的台語文人士，嘛是對台語無信心，認為無法度用台語來解說新的概念。逐遍拄著新詞，就一堆人堅持「用原文」。到底咱是咧推捒講台語抑是講外語？

無就是講：「這阮（無讀過冊）會曉講台語的阿媽聽無！」。敢講你會因為恁兜講華語的人聽無「演算法」這个詞，就堅持華語拄著這个詞，一定愛講「algorithm」，無就規氣莫講？

華語有法度翻的外語詞，台語哪有可能無法度處理？

最近看電腦（Tsuè-kīn Khuànn Tiān-náu）

台語發音

最近看電腦感覺足食力，螢幕看無五分鐘，目睭就痠。 

恁爸今年十八，無可能是老花。想著頂遍健康檢查，講我兩邊的視力有差，愛注意。 

我隨去配目鏡。店員姑情我講，定定繩（tsîn）電腦、掰（pué）手機仔，愛買藍光鏡片。我幼齒的好騙，當然嘛予伊當做盼仔，乖乖仔付錢。普通的鏡片毋免等，藍光的鏡片愛等一禮拜。 

新目鏡猶未攢好，嘛是愛上班用電腦，實在是目睭痠甲受不了，走去看眼科。

醫生講，我是用眼過度，目睭的筋肉傷緊張，無法度好好仔調節欲看的距離。 結果，愛點一個月的目睭藥仔，等目睭周圍的筋肉恢復正常，度數才會準。這馬配目鏡，度數傷重矣。後來提著新目鏡，掛咧果然頭會疼！ 

這个故事教咱一个道理：目睭無爽快，先去看眼科。（加・講・的）

東京落雪矣（Tang-kiann Lo̍h-seh--ah）

台語發音

東京落雪（lo̍h-seh）啊。

細漢看「東京愛情故事」，想講東京逐冬攏會落大雪，其實無一定。

東京誠闊，東京都差不多有八个臺北市遐爾大。仝款是蹛東京，你遐落雪，我遮無一定有落。

有當時仔，嘛有可能落無幾工，雪猶未積起來就溶去，無的確（bô-tik-khak）你猶未看著雪，冬天就過。

東京若是落雪，定定會影響著電車的時間。若是透早落，上班時間逐家攏掙佇月台等車，無法度振動。

It began to snow in Tokyo.

Since I saw Tokyo Love Story as a child, I had always thought it snowed heavily in Tokyo every winter. But that’s not true.

Tokyo Metropolis is quite big, approximately eight times the area of Taipei City. Just because it snows in this part doesn’t mean it does in the rest of this megacity.

Sometimes the snow goes on for only a few days and melts aways before it ever piles up. Perhaps before you notice any snow, the winter is over.

Snow in Tokyo almost always affects its train schedules. If it snows in the morning, during rush hour you might see crowds of people stuck on platforms waiting for their trains, sometimes unable to move an inch.