Tuesday, June 30, 2020

A third message to the fellow classmates


A third message to the fellow classmates of Waiwenxi, Taita 1963
(三致外文系同學們)

Recently I posted my opinion twice on the Alumni Association of our department in our Blogger. Based on statistics, I found more than half of our alumni have read these two postings, though I have no idea about what they are thinking of my opinions. I am pretty sure that most of the classmates are concerned about the events happened, happening and or to happen. This is an encouraging and significant phenomenon, though most of the classmates are getting older (ranging from 78 to 84). To the best of my knowledge, there are as many as 20-35% of the classmates on daily basis who are reading my postings on the Blogger.

In view of the above facts, I hereby strongly suggest that the system of president election be abolished. Because the same group of the classmates are being elected president repeatedly.  The president has no perceivable, helpful and constructive initiatives or plans for all of the Association. In fact, she does not even care about the number of classmates in contact decreasing. The president should know better than to limit her contact to a limited number of classmates, forgetting about the majority of others. Therefore, I don’t think that we need a president at all. Remember, it is evident that we might be losing our dear classmates some day or other due to seniority or poor health. Therefore, mutual concern and exchange of greetings is increasingly important and necessary. If we’d like, we might contact with each other personally or individually either via email or cell phones.

It has been my commitment that I will keep posting on our Blogger – ntu1963.blogspot.com all important news or events regarding our classmates, of course as long as I am alive.

Lastly, all feedbacks are most welcome

Kind regards

Justin Lai

06/30.2020








Monday, June 29, 2020

(哲理-99)【治亂、貴賤】
「夫治亂運也、窮達命也、貴賤時也」。
一個人或國家的盛世太平,或衰落暴亂,看其運氣;貧窮或發達,看其先天之命,而富貴與貧賤端賴所遭遇的時機。

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〈英譯〉:
Whether a nation’s political state is in chaos or peaceful depends on its
changing fate.
Its poverty or prosperity is determined by destiny.
Its nobility or shabbiness lies in its own fate timing.

〈日譯〉:
国の政治状態が混乱しているのか平和的であるかは、
運命を変える。
その貧困や繁栄は運命によって決定されます。
その貴族やみすぼらしいことは、それ自身の運命のタイミングにあります。
Justin Lai
06/27/2020

Tuesday, June 23, 2020

再致外文系同學們-2 (06/2020)


再致外文系同學們-2 (06/2020)

From: Justin Lai(賴正雄)
To: 陳芳婉、焦宝進等
Date: 06/23/2020
主旨:問候與關心

說明:
感謝艻婉同學轉知:張振芳同學(Helen Lau) 已康復出院。我們恭喜她大難倖存,必有後福,並遙祝她「吃百弎」(嵩壽達120)

另外與此事毫無關連,預訂06/24/20召開的所謂Zoom meeting, 竟突然通告取消?why? 有關此會議,容本人再度聲明如下:
1)     此會議若純屬少數個人,就不必會知同學會。既非閨蜜間之私會,理應知會全体同学。每位同學的参予資格乃自然取得,也是不可剝奪的權利(not to be stripped off). 存心排擠某特定同學,實屬不當。
2)     此次會議的召集人是何人? 與同學會主席何干?會議主題又是如何?
3)     突然取消之理由安在? 似此,私相受授之會議之目的又何在?

另外本系同學會中潛在問題不少,尤其成員複雜,溝通與認知恐難一致。而本系中血统純正,經正式大學聯考考入的台灣本地生,已被擠壓成少數。()發言既不受尊重,参與權也受剝奪,尤其少數專橫的『主席』愈當愈有趣,實令人不解。

() :例如數年前本系本地生-賴國雄、許文正之仙逝,及賴政孝在美國意外受重傷,所有消息雖經本人披露,但同學會關心冷漠。與張振艻家庭變故之相對態度,有天壤之別。試問:你們這些同學會女主席在幹啥? 外文系男生的性命不值錢? (Don’t male alumni’s lives matter?)






Sunday, June 21, 2020

敬致1963年台大外文系畢業同學


To the Class of Taita Waiwenxi, 1963
       敬致1963年台大外文系畢業同學

To: Ariel Young (葉芳)

Attn: Margaret Wang (郭静姝) ,Theresa Chang(郭芳婉) & others

From: Justin C. Lai (賴正雄)

Re: Zoom-meeting to be held on 06/24/2020

Date: 06/21/2020

Comment:
To begin with, let me extend my appreciation to you for innovating an idea of 
a Zoom meeting to have classmates brought together to discuss matters ‘yet to be known to most of other classmates’, assumably. I was notified of the message by Theresa Chang and then by Margaret Wang. I had expected to be able to attend this virtual meeting in which I hope to have a chance to talk to some other alumni. However, on 06/20/2020, I was shocked to learn that I was denied admittance to join the meeting through a fwd. msg from Margaret as follows:

Dear Margaret:
【抱歉,因为好幾位同学对Justin 有意見,所以我不能邀請他来參加聚会。对不起】!

As a fellow classmate of Waiwenxi, 1963, I think I am entitled to learn of the reasons why I was not allowed to join the meeting and what is the so-called negative opinions of other classmates against me. (有意見):

1)     I think each classmate has a right to speak his/her own mind. Different opinion expressed or to be expressed is just permissible and typical of democracy!  Is it your intention to prohibit people with different opinion from being present at the meeting? Or do you intend to fawn upon those ex-presidents or those deliberately opposing to my presence?

2)     What kind of adverse impact there would be on the meeting should my attendance be permitted? Thus, you are prompted to decline to invite me. May I ask by whom you were granted such an authority ?

3)     Is it something to do with a sex discrimination against the minority of the classmates, i.e.the male classmates? (Unfortunately, I am one of them).

4)     Or is it something to do with provincial feud of the mainland Chinese against a native Taiwanese classmate/or alumnus? (藉省籍情結排斥台湾人)

Ever since I had been able to contact with most of the Waiwenxi alumni, I have never cheated or taken advantage of others. Instead, I treat others kindly, sending greetings to classmates occasionally, and I have even sent pieces of my calligraphy work once in a while to some classmates as generous gifts. In 2014 I even founded a Blog for classmates, which serves as a bridge of communication between/among our us. That is ntu1963.blogspot.com. Up to now, there are as many as 90,000 times of visit to the blog. Of course, the number of the visits is not very great but it is acceptably and welcomingly popular. I firmly believe that its function surpasses that of the existing 同學會。

Sometimes I might think otherwise about the managing ways or systems of Waiwenxi Alumni Association(外文系同學會). It seems to me that some people are manipulating and monopolizing the 同學會。Someone seems to take to the position of the presidency, sticking to it without any intention to step down! Please bear this in mind, in our department, we have nearly 150 graduates in 1963. (the number is ridiculously unprecedented in history) The term of each presidency is 2 years allowed.  Should a president be produced under fair and rotation systems, each one stands only an absurd chance of being elected president in every 300 years!! However, I think in less than two decades, most of us should be in heaven. I really have no idea why some people should be so selfish and domineering!  In addition, most of the male alumni in class have been noticeably discriminated or prejudiced. The fair sex constitutes most of the alumni, dominating the Alumni Association, and therefore, they take it for granted that they decide on everything.

Dear Ariel, although we have not ever studied in the same classroom before, nor did we know each other, we did have a chance of having lunch together once in 2014-15, with Benjamin Yang (楊道宗) present, too. I am wondering if I made such a poor impression on you during the first time we saw each other that you should have been trying to bear grudge against me.
Part of the reasons why I am sending this letter to you and other friends of Waiwenxi, 1963. is to let our friends realize that it is not fair and appropriate to treat a fellow senior citizen like me (*all of us are turning 80 or over 80) in this way! Of course, should you think otherwise, your timely response to the above is most welcome.

Again, please bear in mind that unlike some more fortunate friends, I was admitted to Taita Waiwenxi through a very competitive Joint College Entrance Examination in 1959. With formal Registration Number- 481227, I spent four years consecutively on campus. Please kindly be aware that this privilege and right of a Waiwenxi graduate in 1963 to attend any meeting or gathering to be held in any form or anywhere regarding its public affairs should not and cannot be deprived by anyone whoever should be presiding over the meeting!

P.S. this letter is to be made public and posted in our Blog, @ntu1963.blogspot.com

Very sincerely,









Saturday, June 20, 2020

(古詩詞-96) 【棗樹與槐樹】

(古詩詞-96) 棗樹與槐樹
老棗靠道倒
矮槐捱階栽

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枣树种植发生虫害,对于产量、品质危害极大,枣树常见虫害防治

  蝴蝶槐是被人撸了叶子的槐树?
這是一首對聯。上聯老的「棗樹」靠著路旁倒;下聯「矮槐樹」抵捱台階而栽植。上聯老棗樹對下聯矮槐樹,上聯「靠」對下聯的「捱」,捱,挺也。上聯另一動詞「倒」,傾倒也。與下聯的「栽」相對。即老棗樹倒下,而矮槐樹被種下。又上聯的五個字,全用雙母音ao下聯的五個字,全用雙母音ai. 階」此處應讀為kai. 本作者不詳,依個人淺見,上聯意味:老成已凋謝;下聯則表示年青一輩尚未成長,語含人才出現斷層,有「青黃不接」及「老少继承乏力」之感嘆但下聯作者用「矮」槐,而非「幼」槐,則其原義就不是指老少的承接了。

英譯
Old date trees are declining and falling on the roadside.
Short pagoda trees have difficulty growing against the roadsteps.
〈日
古いナツメヤシが衰退し、道端に落ちています。
短いソフォラ・ジャポニカは、道のりに対して成長するのが困難です。
Justin Lai

06/06/2020

美國生活點滴-35【披沙揀金】

美國生活點滴-35【披沙揀金

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最近有網友提及上列成語,此成語取自生活片段,不是很普遍,但相關事例却不少。它源自唐朝,劉知几在其「史通直書」,首度用了它。其義為撥散沙堆,然後仔細地挑出黃金。
仔細研究,此成語用了兩個動詞,一披一揀,兩個名詞,一沙一金。按「披」字可以解釋為「使…. 散開」,如「披頭散髮」。台語日常生活中有「披衫」的説法,即將濕衣服散開,使其慢慢的曬乾。另臺灣俗語「薄薄仔披」 (spend sparingly),意指把金錢少量、分散地花用,勸人不可大把迅速散盡銀子。
另外「揀」指挑選,現代人喜歡用接近的成語,叫挑選、篩檢、或揀剔。臺灣早期來自大陸移民,亡故後屍體埋在臺灣,因地質潮濕,屍骨易於腐化,故土葬約三五年之後,須另請「揀骨()師父」,將完整的屍骨加以揀取、分類,然後重新裝入磁製的 大甕中,並加一些木炭防止潮濕,以延長屍骨的保存時間。這個動作,臺人叫「揀金」,屍骨叫「黃金」,裝屍骨的磁甕則叫「金斗甕」 當然這些與本文討論的成語無關。只是臺灣人重視祖先遺骸,如同黃金一般珍惜
從唐朝傳下的這個成語,應是比喻,所謂「披沙」可能與淘金有關。因為古人不會把黃金埋在沙堆中,合理推測是,把從金礦中流出的金塊或金沙,在溪水中加以淘洗,淘出黃金來,當然沙石遠多於金屑,故本成語比喻為「從普通雜物中,去找稀有珍貴之物」。(幾乎不可能之意」。英文把這個metaphor (比喻) China Chance (中國機會) 。為什麼因在19世紀美國西部発現金礦後,許多人湧入淘金,一些來自中國廣東人被雇為傭工替白人作雜務工作。白人礦工在上游淘,找到黄金機會比較大,廣東人在下游淘,機會等於零,故China Chance有諷刺意味(sarcastic) 至於另一成語「去蕪存精」,恐怕與本成語不盡相同。
〈英譯〉:
Pick out gold from among sand and pebbles, idly spread.
〈日譯〉:
ぼろぼろに散らばっている砂や小石の中から金を選びます。
Justin Lai 
06/19/2020

Sunday, June 14, 2020

(古詩詞-97) 【論書法】

(古詩詞-97) 論書法
「退筆如山未足珍,讀書萬卷始通神。
     君家自有元和腳,莫厭家雞更問人

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作者蘇軾
蘇軾外甥崇拜其書法,向索求筆跡。於是,蘇軾寫了詩自謙:許多寫壞的毛筆不足珍惜,只有讀書萬卷後,寫出的書法才是學子們應追求的最高境界。
〈全詩大意〉:
首句是說用壞的筆堆積成山,也未必能寫出好東西。(「退」筆,此處非指退還、退步、或撤退之義,而指寫壞的毛筆,有頹廢不能使用之義,是否宋朝「退」與「頽」可以互通,則不得而知) 現代人用語:「堆積如山」,想不到一千多年前已開始使用「如山」的成語。次句則說多讀書才能寫出真正的好作品。「通神」除指書法作品達通天本領,爐火純青之地步,另含領悟詞句之真諦。第三句強調每個人的書法都有自己的個性和風骨。末句則表示不必妄自菲薄,認為自己的東西就一定不好而去盲目地學別人

東坡先生是大學者、大文豪,兼具了不起的書畫家。身為藝術家,他寫出了上列警人詩句,告誡人們,為文事藝,苦練基本功夫,是必要的。但同時切不可忽視「讀書萬卷」字外功對書法學習的「催化」作用。其外功是隱形的,即以潛移默化的方式提高書寫者的學識與審美情趣。字外功還表現在通過對文學、歷史、哲學等方面知識的汲取,可以啟発作者的思維,增加豐富的想像力,提高辨別真、善、美和假、惡、醜的能力。蘇軾謙虚表示: 吾雖不善書,曉書莫如我」。其實善書容易曉書難。彼又常言: 「筆成家,墨成池,不及羲之及獻之; 筆禿千杆,墨磨萬錠,不作張芝作索靖」。但站在另一個角度看,從「曉書、通其意」中我們可以感受到「讀書萬卷」對蘇軾「書學觀」的形成所起的重要作用。

書法是一門技巧性、實踐性很強的漢字書寫藝術,「書為心畫」表明書法藝術是筆墨中見性情的東西。一味地下「呆功夫」而不讀書,則「其品味不雅馴」,即難以在書寫中流露出個人氣質。但片面地誇大讀書的作用,而輕視或無視書法自身極強的技巧性和實踐性,則所謂的書法就會淪為糊塗亂抹。時下從事書法學習者,喜愛一味地臨摹前人書作,不僅忘記發展出自己獨特的風格,也不懂詞句的真義,殊為可惜。
英譯
Do not cherish those piled up, useless and disposable pens. They do not justify that you have mastered calligraphy.
Not until you have done many readings will you achieve the utmost success in calligraphy.
〈日
積み上げた使い捨てのペンを大切にしないでください。彼らはあなたが書道を習得したことを正当化しません。
あなたが多くの読書をするまでは、書道で最大の成功を収めることはできません。

Justin Lai 

06/14/2029