[時事新聞] 總統國際記者會: BBC記者的提問

關於此議題的專頁公告: http://bit.ly/383sBfd

剛剛在聽總統國際記者會時，對於一位BBC記者的問題感到驚訝:

Thank you very much, and congratulations first, President Tsai, on tonight’s result. A few months ago, you were struggling in the polls. Many people suggest that the turnaround in your fortunes is because of the actions of China. Its threats that you mentioned tonight. Its putting of the aircraft carriers through the Taiwan Strait, the situation in Hong Kong. So my question to you is this: Do you think you have the Chinese president Xi Jinping to thank for this victory.*

非常感謝您，蔡總統，首先祝賀今晚的結果。幾個月前，您在民意調查中苦苦掙扎。許多人認為，您的命運的轉變是由於中國的行動。您今晚提到的威脅—航空母艦開向台灣海峽和香港的局勢。所以我對您的問題是：您認為您應該向中國國家主席習近平為這次勝利表示感謝嗎?*

*您認為您的勝利歸因於中國國家主席習近平嗎？

have sb to thank (for sth)

1. to say that you are grateful to someone who is responsible for something good happening. This expression is sometimes used HUMOROUSLY to mean that you are not grateful for what someone has done.

對（某人）感謝

I have Phil to thank for getting me my first job.

https://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/have-somebody-to-thank-for-doing-something

2. If you have someone to thank for something, that person is responsible or to blame for it.

由（某人）對…負責；應責怪（某人）

You have John to thank for this problem.

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/have-sb-to-thank-for-sth

EDIT: 我個人認為，此一題問似乎高估了中國對蔡總統勝選──臺灣人民以自由意志所選出的總統──的影響。不可否認，中國對臺灣的行動已與日俱增，但問題的設定似乎過分強調中國這一因素，而輕忽了臺灣人民的努力。大約40秒的問句只要加一句 "The people of Taiwan have won a great democratic victory tonight" 我就認為完全妥當。這是我的個人觀點。

★★★★★★★★★★★★

…I am not qualified to answer this question for the President, but I would like to express my opinion.

…我沒有資格代表總統回答這個問題，但我想表達對這個問題的看法。

★★★★★★★★★★★★

The people of Taiwan do not have General Secretary Xi Jinping to "thank" for this democratic victory. They have the sacrifices of thousands of democratic reformers and activists around the world to thank for their right to vote and the right to have their voices heard. It is unfortunate that the threats you mentioned are perceived by some as being responsible for tonight's victory.

臺灣的總統並不需要針對此次的民主選舉「感謝」習總書記。總統和全臺灣的人民需要感謝的是全球成千上萬的為了民主而犧牲的改革者，感謝由於他們奮鬥而獲得的投票權與發表自己意見的權利。不幸的是，一些人似乎認為今晚的勝利應歸功於您所提到的這些威脅。

毫無疑問，有些人並不同意我的回應。但是，若您稍加觀察，便可發現我是圍繞著「have…to thank、 對（某人）感謝」來進行回應，並提出個人觀點。在「thank、感謝」周圍加上引號，唸起來就會有特別的語氣，或許能更加凸顯充分理解幽默的部分。 別人用幽默的語氣問我，並不代表我不能以字面上的意涵去作正式的回應，畢竟這是正式的場合。

在長年旅居美國的生活經驗中，隨處都可聽見以雙關作為諷刺性質的幽默（my sarcasm detector is functional）。事實上，從我的回應也不難看出，我認為不恰當的地方乃在於，提問的內容及其所強調者──中國因素。

★★★★★★★★★★★★

完整影片: https://youtu.be/yKVW475EnA4?t=6421

完整報導: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-51077553

★★★★★★★★★★★★

補充說明 1:

在當場大家都認識這位記者，因為直接稱呼他的名字，總統也對他的評語微笑。但是明顯這種發問的方式造成困擾，不然今天不會那麼多人有共鳴討論此事件。在同時也可以看到旁邊的外媒微笑搖頭，翻譯也高EQ地直接跳過這一句，因此這樣的幽默在這樣正式的場合並不是那麼恰當。

From the video, it's clear that the President and her staff know Mr. Sudworth on a first name basis. The interpreter most likely skipped the question to avoid controversy, and you can see an adjacent reporter shaking his head while smiling. Whether "humor" was appropriate for such a context is for you to decide.

在國際場合英文的使用不限制於一個區域的觀眾，並且這個「英式幽默的」問題並非只是一個無傷大雅朋友之間的玩笑，而是在測探回答者的智慧。個人覺得翻譯和總統的回應都非常專業，只是覺得發問者的問題格外犀利但或許這就是他的本意吧。

This discussion here extends beyond just language interpretation/translation and understanding word denotation and connotation. To dismiss criticisms as "not understanding humor" is simply ignoring the social, political, and cultural contexts in which language is used. The question was specifically framed to highlight China's influence and prod President Tsai for more insight. I personally find it to be caustic and not entirely suited for the topic: the democratic victory of the Taiwanese people. I regret not including this and more background information in the original post.

★★★★★★★★★★★★

補充說明2:

英國《BBC》的記者提問蔡英文，拿下歷史最高票「會不會和習近平說聲謝謝」，蔡英文瞬間笑了，但女翻譯愣2秒的反應卻成為焦點。

https://www.setn.com/news.aspx?NewsID=670861

《BBC》記者表示，蔡英文的勝選帶有政治諷刺意味。如果中國共產黨沒有對台灣施壓、對香港危機的態度難以捉摸，台灣候選人的勝利之路可能就不會那麼確定。「結果宣布後，我問蔡英文，她是否有為她的勝利感謝中國國家主席習近平。她笑了。」

https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/breakingnews/3037675

After the result was announced I asked Tsai Ing-wen whether she had the Chinese President Xi Jinping to thank for her victory.

She smiled.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-51077553

英國廣播公司BBC特派記者約翰薩沃斯，在11日的記者會第一個獲得發問機會，特別問到蔡英文會不會感謝習近平，蔡英文沒有正面回答，只以微笑來回應。德國之聲DW台北特派記者江穎怡也報導，「很多台灣人認為（中國鎮壓）香港證明了一國兩制的失敗。」

https://news.pts.org.tw/article/462512

不過，現場卻發生一段小插曲。一直關心中國民主人權問題的BBC記者沙磊（John Sudworth），是記者會上首名提問的記者。他先是恭喜蔡英文當選，之後提到，幾個月前蔡的民調仍然不穩，但中共對台的威脅加上香港反送中運動，是外界認為本次大選獲勝原因，他詢問蔡英文：「你會不會為了這次勝利，向習近平道謝？」

https://hk.news.appledaily.com/china/realtime/article/20200112/60476407

Some claim that the literal translation of 「道謝」by the press was improper. I am not a professional translator by any means, but a literal translation might be provided because it is immensely difficult to get across the full intent of the speaker with a few lines of text. Just the phrase "thank you" could be interpreted in diverse ways in discourse analysis. Interpretation and translation of speech require consideration of stress, body language, and social contexts. If the reporters above provided a connotative translation, the language used would be subjective as it would directly reflect what the translator believes to be the speaker's intentional meaning. Thus, a full video of the press conference was included in nearly every one of the reports to provide readers with additional context. Journalists also have pragmatic concerns (reach, readership), so the language used has to be specific, emphatic, and concise. These reasons might offer some insight on why「道謝」was used instead of a connotative translation.

[時事新聞] 總統國際記者會: BBC記者的提問

關於此議題的專頁公告: http://bit.ly/383sBfd

剛剛在聽總統國際記者會時，對於一位BBC記者的問題感到驚訝:

Thank you very much, and congratulations first, President Tsai, on tonight’s result. A few months ago, you were struggling in the polls. Many people suggest that the turnaround in your fortunes is because of the actions of China. Its threats that you mentioned tonight. Its putting of the aircraft carriers through the Taiwan Strait, the situation in Hong Kong. So my question to you is this: Do you think you have the Chinese president Xi Jinping to thank for this victory.*

非常感謝您，蔡總統，首先祝賀今晚的結果。幾個月前，您在民意調查中苦苦掙扎。許多人認為，您的命運的轉變是由於中國的行動。您今晚提到的威脅—航空母艦開向台灣海峽和香港的局勢。所以我對您的問題是：您認為您應該向中國國家主席習近平為這次勝利表示感謝嗎?*

*您認為您的勝利歸因於中國國家主席習近平嗎？

have sb to thank (for sth)

1. to say that you are grateful to someone who is responsible for something good happening. This expression is sometimes used HUMOROUSLY to mean that you are not grateful for what someone has done.

對（某人）感謝

I have Phil to thank for getting me my first job.

https://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/have-somebody-to-thank-for-doing-something

2. If you have someone to thank for something, that person is responsible or to blame for it.

由（某人）對…負責；應責怪（某人）

You have John to thank for this problem.

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/have-sb-to-thank-for-sth

EDIT: 我個人認為，此一題問似乎高估了中國對蔡總統勝選──臺灣人民以自由意志所選出的總統──的影響。不可否認，中國對臺灣的行動已與日俱增，但問題的設定似乎過分強調中國這一因素，而輕忽了臺灣人民的努力。大約40秒的問句只要加一句 "The people of Taiwan have won a great democratic victory tonight" 我就認為完全妥當。這是我的個人觀點。

★★★★★★★★★★★★

…I am not qualified to answer this question for the President, but I would like to express my opinion.

…我沒有資格代表總統回答這個問題，但我想表達對這個問題的看法。

★★★★★★★★★★★★

The people of Taiwan do not have General Secretary Xi Jinping to "thank" for this democratic victory. They have the sacrifices of thousands of democratic reformers and activists around the world to thank for their right to vote and the right to have their voices heard. It is unfortunate that the threats you mentioned are perceived by some as being responsible for tonight's victory.

臺灣的總統並不需要針對此次的民主選舉「感謝」習總書記。總統和全臺灣的人民需要感謝的是全球成千上萬的為了民主而犧牲的改革者，感謝由於他們奮鬥而獲得的投票權與發表自己意見的權利。不幸的是，一些人似乎認為今晚的勝利應歸功於您所提到的這些威脅。

毫無疑問，有些人並不同意我的回應。但是，若您稍加觀察，便可發現我是圍繞著「have…to thank、 對（某人）感謝」來進行回應，並提出個人觀點。在「thank、感謝」周圍加上引號，唸起來就會有特別的語氣，或許能更加凸顯充分理解幽默的部分。 別人用幽默的語氣問我，並不代表我不能以字面上的意涵去作正式的回應，畢竟這是正式的場合。

在長年旅居美國的生活經驗中，隨處都可聽見以雙關作為諷刺性質的幽默（my sarcasm detector is functional）。事實上，從我的回應也不難看出，我認為不恰當的地方乃在於，提問的內容及其所強調者──中國因素。

★★★★★★★★★★★★

完整影片: https://youtu.be/yKVW475EnA4?t=6421

完整報導: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-51077553

★★★★★★★★★★★★

補充說明 1:

在當場大家都認識這位記者，因為直接稱呼他的名字，總統也對他的評語微笑。但是明顯這種發問的方式造成困擾，不然今天不會那麼多人有共鳴討論此事件。在同時也可以看到旁邊的外媒微笑搖頭，翻譯也高EQ地直接跳過這一句，因此這樣的幽默在這樣正式的場合並不是那麼恰當。

From the video, it's clear that the President and her staff know Mr. Sudworth on a first name basis. The interpreter most likely skipped the question to avoid controversy, and you can see an adjacent reporter shaking his head while smiling. Whether "humor" was appropriate for such a context is for you to decide.

在國際場合英文的使用不限制於一個區域的觀眾，並且這個「英式幽默的」問題並非只是一個無傷大雅朋友之間的玩笑，而是在測探回答者的智慧。個人覺得翻譯和總統的回應都非常專業，只是覺得發問者的問題格外犀利但或許這就是他的本意吧。

This discussion here extends beyond just language interpretation/translation and understanding word denotation and connotation. To dismiss criticisms as "not understanding humor" is simply ignoring the social, political, and cultural contexts in which language is used. The question was specifically framed to highlight China's influence and prod President Tsai for more insight. I personally find it to be caustic and not entirely suited for the topic: the democratic victory of the Taiwanese people. I regret not including this and more background information in the original post.

★★★★★★★★★★★★

補充說明2:

英國《BBC》的記者提問蔡英文，拿下歷史最高票「會不會和習近平說聲謝謝」，蔡英文瞬間笑了，但女翻譯愣2秒的反應卻成為焦點。

https://www.setn.com/news.aspx?NewsID=670861

《BBC》記者表示，蔡英文的勝選帶有政治諷刺意味。如果中國共產黨沒有對台灣施壓、對香港危機的態度難以捉摸，台灣候選人的勝利之路可能就不會那麼確定。「結果宣布後，我問蔡英文，她是否有為她的勝利感謝中國國家主席習近平。她笑了。」

https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/breakingnews/3037675

After the result was announced I asked Tsai Ing-wen whether she had the Chinese President Xi Jinping to thank for her victory.

She smiled.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-51077553

英國廣播公司BBC特派記者約翰薩沃斯，在11日的記者會第一個獲得發問機會，特別問到蔡英文會不會感謝習近平，蔡英文沒有正面回答，只以微笑來回應。德國之聲DW台北特派記者江穎怡也報導，「很多台灣人認為（中國鎮壓）香港證明了一國兩制的失敗。」

https://news.pts.org.tw/article/462512

不過，現場卻發生一段小插曲。一直關心中國民主人權問題的BBC記者沙磊（John Sudworth），是記者會上首名提問的記者。他先是恭喜蔡英文當選，之後提到，幾個月前蔡的民調仍然不穩，但中共對台的威脅加上香港反送中運動，是外界認為本次大選獲勝原因，他詢問蔡英文：「你會不會為了這次勝利，向習近平道謝？」

https://hk.news.appledaily.com/china/realtime/article/20200112/60476407

Some claim that the literal translation of 「道謝」by the press was improper. I am not a professional translator by any means, but a literal translation might be provided because it is immensely difficult to get across the full intent of the speaker with a few lines of text. Just the phrase "thank you" could be interpreted in diverse ways in discourse analysis. Interpretation and translation of speech require consideration of stress, body language, and social contexts. If the reporters above provided a connotative translation, the language used would be subjective as it would directly reflect what the translator believes to be the speaker's intentional meaning. Thus, a full video of the press conference was included in nearly every one of the reports to provide readers with additional context. Journalists also have pragmatic concerns (reach, readership), so the language used has to be specific, emphatic, and concise. These reasons might offer some insight on why「道謝」was used instead of a connotative translation.

小編快報
《柏林脈動》（The Berlin Pulse) 今天出刊了。這是德國一年一度的外交及國際關係專刊。作者群包括學者、智庫專家、政府官員。

這一期談歐洲問題的作者有波蘭外長、Moldova 總理、德國國防部長等等等。

今年《脈動》特別做了中國專題，作者有五位，分別是：
中國的全國人大外事委員會副主任委員傅瑩、日本眾議會議員Minora Kiuchi、巴黎的中國問題專家Francois Godement、曾任澳洲駐華大使，現任外交及貿易秘書長的Frances Adamson，以及台灣的龍應台。

德國編輯在文末放了一個德國的民意調查圖表，提問是：「面對中國，你認為德國應該更強力保護自己的政治利益，即使犧牲經濟利益？」
答案：贊成 76%
反對 19%

小編把龍應台文章翻譯成中文，跟讀者分享。英文原文附在後面。如果嫌我翻譯得不好，那那那，那表示你英文很好，你就看英文吧......
——————————————————————
兩千三百萬人在獨木舟上
——為什麼歐洲應該關切台灣的未來

反對黨公布2020總統候選人名單的那一天，我在台北和知識圈的朋友們午餐。那悲觀的，用問句來表達自己的悲觀，譬如，「你覺得台灣還有多少年?」那樂觀的，用黑色幽默來表達樂觀，譬如，「感謝老天。香港讓他們太忙了，沒時間管台灣。」

跟德國一樣，台灣對中國大陸和香港的貿易順差，在2018年是831億美元。百分之四十一的對外貿易針對中國，中國大陸市場對台灣的重要不言而喻。然而，隨著近年來台灣海峽兩岸的關係緊張，反對黨(國民黨) 憂慮市場的優勢無法持續，而執政黨(民進黨) 則選擇強化選民對北京的不信任來抵制中國的影響力。執政黨最近提出的國安新法可能將任何被認定為為中國宣傳者入罪。

和歐洲一樣，台灣人對中國的感受也是複雜的。 當中國代表的是活躍的經濟機會時，很多台灣人就容易所謂「親中」，當中國代表的是壓迫和可能的入侵時，很多台灣人就是所謂的「反中」。問題是，中國兩者兼備。後果就是，台灣內部的分歧遠遠超過了僅只是政治和經濟的層面。

如果你知道台灣是如何一路走來的，你會覺得它今天變成一個民主社會真是一個不得了的成就。沒有革命，一黨獨裁四十年的國民黨，不管你說它是自願還是被迫，放下了政權，分享權力。沒有流血，昔日牢裡的政治犯變成今日的立法者和政治領袖。1987年解嚴以後，政權的交替基本上公平而有序地進行了三十年。

台灣安靜地進行了三十年的民主，時間幾乎和它的國際孤立一樣長。美國不承認台灣的國家地位，但是，就如同當年對於德國，美國也扮演了安全守護者的角色。令人不安的是，在美國宣布要把軍售台灣常態化的同時，中國也宣布，它在台灣海峽及其領空，要把軍艦和戰機的演習常態化。

所以台灣民主的威脅其實是雙重的。比較明顯的是中國的威脅，這個威脅，往往超出台灣本身的控制能力。一個不那麼明顯的威脅，卻是內部自製的。台灣的政治人物和政黨熱切拿這個威脅做為政治資本，刺激集體恐懼來強化部落式的愛國主義。這種操作的成功，對台灣的民主制度和機構本身，是個真實的危險。

國際上那些純粹為了攻擊中國而故意把台灣捧在手心讚美的人，其實讓我坐立不安。一代又一代的台灣人為民主付出了代價，很大的代價，而得到今天的成果。這個成果，太珍貴了，不可以變成別人或別國為了自己的利益而拿來玩弄的籌碼或棋子。

德國的歷史是特殊的。德國的人民親身目睹了，如果不戒慎恐懼地去維護，一個開放合理的社會制度是如何容易地瓦解，一夜之間可以被獨裁取代。經歷了二戰，又擺脫了共產黨的歷史爭取到自由，德國可能比很多其他國家更容易理解台灣人的困境和追求。道德勇氣的來源往往是歷史的痛苦。身為歐盟的重要成員，德國有責任為世界的和平做出最大的努力，發揮最大的影響力。

但是，歐洲憑什麼一定要關心台灣呢?

首先，如果沒有台灣模式，全世界大概就都得接受一種說法，就是，儒家文化和民主制度是無法相容的，而所謂「中國模式」就是唯一邏輯、不可避免的現代中國。台灣的存在證明了一件事：未必如此。

第二，台灣本身的努力值得世界的尊敬。沒錯，如果中國是一艘航空母艦，那麼台灣只不過是一葉孤零零的獨木舟。可是在這個獨木舟上有兩千三百萬人正在追求一種有自由、有尊嚴的生活方式。如果台灣是歐盟的一個成員，就人口論，台灣就是二十八個成員國(英國脫歐後二十七國)中第七大國，比波蘭稍小，但比荷蘭和比利時大。以經濟購買力來看，台灣更是名列全球第二十二。所以，歐洲可以想像剝奪波蘭人或者荷蘭人對生活方式和政治體制的選擇權利嗎?

23 Million People on a Canoe
—Why Europe should care about Taiwan’s future

Lung Yingtai

On the day when the opposition party announced its presidential candidate for the 2020 election, I was sitting at a lunch table in Taipei listening to my intellectual friends uttering their concerns about the future of Taiwan. The pessimists phrased their pessimism in the form of questions such as “How many years do you think Taiwan has left?” The optimists expressed their optimism with dark humour, “Thank God they will be too busy with Hong Kong and the US for a while.”

Like Germany, Taiwan operates a trade surplus with mainland China and Hong Kong, amounting to $83.1 billion in 2018. With 41% of Taiwan’s exports going to China, Taipei’s economy depends on trade with the mainland. However, given the increasing tension across the Taiwan Strait, the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) in particular has been worrying whether Taiwan will be able to sustain these figures. The ruling Democratic Progressive Party, on the other hand, is capitalizing on voters’ intense distrust of Beijing, stepping up measures to “contain” China’s influence. Taipei recently drafted a national security law that would make it a punishable offense to spread “political propaganda” for China.

As in Europe, Taiwanese feel highly ambivalent about mainland China: When China signifies economic opportunities, most Taiwanese are 23 Million People on a Canoe Why Europe should care about Taiwan’s future “pro-China”; when China represents oppression and potential invasion, most Taiwanese are “anti-China”. The problem is that China resembles both. The result is a deep division among Taiwanese extending far beyond the political and economic spheres.

Given the circumstances under which Taiwan emerged and evolved, its evolution into an authentic democracy represents an extraordinary achievement. It was without a revolution that the KMT, which had ruled Taiwan for more than 40 years, put an end to martial law and, whether convinced or compelled to act, opened the country’s political system to sharing power. Without bloodshed, dissidents who had once sat in jails became legislators and political leaders. Since the lifting of martial law 1987, power has changed hands fairly and orderly, following the results of each election.

Taiwan has been a quiet democracy for more than thirty years, nearly as long as the four decades during which it has been isolated by the international community. The US does not formally recognize Taiwan but, as with Germany, acts as the country’s security guarantor. While Washington has indicated that arms sales to Taiwan will become more of a routine, China has devised a routine of its own by holding long-range combat drills and ordering its fighter jets to cross the maritime line.

However, the threat to Taiwanese democracy is twofold. The obvious one comes from China, and to a large extent lies beyond Taipei’s control. The less obvious threat is home-made, as the looming China threat tempts domestic politicians to mobilize the population’s collective fear to foment a tribal nationalism. Their success would pose a real danger to Taiwan’s democratic institutions.

Those who applaud Taiwanese democracy for the sole purpose of criticizing China make me nervous. Generations of Taiwanese fought and ultimately achieved a democracy – it is simply too precious for other people’s agendas, internal or external.

Germany has a unique history: its people have experienced first-hand how easily democratic institutions may fall apart when not meticulously guarded. Having received democracy as a gift following World War II and struggled to regain their freedom from Communist rule, Germans are in a unique position to understand both the predicament as well as the aspirations of the Taiwanese. Moral courage often comes from past sufferings. As a leading EU member state, Germany has a responsibility to maximize its own efforts as well as to influence others’ efforts for world peace.

But why should the world care about the future of Taiwan? First of all, save the Taiwan model, the world might have to accept the claim that democracy and Confucianism are incompatible, and that a communist China presents the only logical and inevitable path to modernity. Secondly, Taiwan deserves respect on its own merits. True, if China were an aircraft carrier, Taiwan would be a lone canoe. But standing on this canoe are 23 million people aspiring for a life with liberty and dignity. If it were an EU member, Taiwan would be the 7th largest of the Union’s 28 member-states (27 after Brexit), smaller than Poland but larger than the Netherlands or Belgium, with a developed economy ranking 22nd in the world by purchasing power parity. Do we really want to return to a world in which it is imaginable that countries such as Poland or the Netherlands should be deprived of their autonomy to determine their own way of life and political system?

The Berlin Pulse 2019
龍應台專文：https://www.koerber-stiftung.de/fileadmin/user_upload/koerber-stiftung/redaktion/the-berlin-pulse/pdf/2019/3_Koerber_TheBerlinPulse_YingTai.pdf
全本：https://www.koerber-stiftung.de/fileadmin/user_upload/koerber-stiftung/redaktion/the-berlin-pulse/pdf/2019/TheBerlinPulse_2019_FINAL.pdf