天使在人間 Angels On The Planet Earth
This work is around 3900 words. It's not yet edited. The English and Mandarin Chinese are generally equivalent.
本作品總計大約三千九百字，尚未編輯，中英語大略呈現相同意義。
許多人、事、物都是我們身邊的天使，如果我們細細觀察。
Many people, incidences and objects around
us are angels, especially when we are willing to observe people and things
clearly.
這篇文章從與外籍友人面對面談話完成後的震撼感，在上一週到這一週，陸陸續續在各種各樣的溝通及了解過程中完成，其中還包括了過去的單位希望再與我合作，或者為了國際服務事項而與眾人們跨幾個不同的洲而聯絡，但覺每一關、每一檻，為的都是下一刻的更加啟笛人心，所以平和，所以自在，所以喜悅。
This work is something I again cherish quite a lot. It is an extention of the surprise of a chat between a foreign friend of mine, development of my life in which I am asked to work at previous localities, and due to my serive-oriented life, my discussions with people across the continents for details. I can strongly sense that for every crossroad, detail, or hard work, there lies the next moment of inspirations, which is why I am in such peacefully merry status where I wish many happy moments take place in every individul's life.
打招呼
Greetings
最近我才突然驚覺自己已經不是一個身為先進地區的「文明人」了，這是由於我發現根據別人的觀察，我和那些我長久以來服務的落後地區國度的人們一樣，過度友善、過度客氣……
Lately something reminded me of the fact
that I may not be that civilized when it comes to the fact I am originally from
somewhere more developed, compared with many places which are not that
developed. The reminder arrived when I discovered that, like many in those
under developed regions, I am too friendly and too polite according some people
observing me.
但這個我無意之間才發現的事情，其實被他人掛在嘴邊。
「妳為什麼那麼客氣呢?」
They often remark, “Why are you so polite?”
「不需要那麼謙虛有禮好嗎!」
Or they’d express, “Can you not be that
humble or well-mannered?”
這些話語我聽過非常多次，在不同的地點，在工作、在服務之時。不過我無意中真的了然此事，其實是因為我開始像那些我在落後地帶所遇到的第一群服務對象一般，常常習慣性的詢問：
「一切都還好嗎?」
All these comments have taken place
countless times in my career path, whether I was doing things voluntarily or
for real jobs. It is just that to have the realization of the fact I truly may
be too polite came when I often would ask the others nowadays,
“Is everything OK?”
有點像是更多的關懷在其中，所以詢問「妳/你還好嗎?」
It is not as simple as “How are you.”
這樣的話語當中，蘊含著許多真理。
Inside such wording, there are just so many
truths and realities waiting for my discoveries…
內化的過程之廣，無可言喻；我也許過去是某樣的人，今日卻是某樣的人，或者全然不同而又有所學習的契機……In the internal world of mine, transformations have taken place,
replacing the older me with the newer one; during such processes, all new
learning experiences always occur to bring me up to a higher, better level.
身邊的天使
Angels Around Hope
Hope是我的英語名字，不過那也意指為「希望」。Hope is my English name. It also means aspirations.
天使，感覺就是充滿希望的人、物。
Angels are what brings us hope, I believe.
一天中的第一次天使出現
Angels Appearing The First Time
In A Day
一天開始之後，我所遇到的第一位天使在早晨我身為一位交通導護的時間點。
In the morning I met my first angel. When I
stood as a “traffic reminder” near the school I currently work, one truck
driver, with his middle-sized truck, would like to enter the place where a sign
blocking ahead.
當我站在目前服務的校園旁路口時，一位貨車司機開著他的中型大小貨車，想進入那一條我所站崗、但前方有路障車子無法通行的巷道中。
“Is it allowed to pass through?” The truck
driver stopped to ask me. 「可以開過去嗎?」司機停下車來詢問我。
“Where would you like to go?” 我詢問他想去哪裡。
With much seriousness in his tone, the
truck driver made his voice louder, “I need to carry some goods just right
there!”
他的音調稍微提高，有些嚴肅地說「我要載的貨就在那裡!」
“Please,” I said. 「請往前開吧!」我這樣回應道。
正當他要前進時，他說「妳是老師嗎?」When he was about to drive ahead, he inquired “Are you a teacher?”
我回應道：「是呀!」 “Yes,” I replied.
司機誠懇地與我這位素昧平生的人說：「長得蠻好看的」之後，車子開走了，留下我站在原處，仍然揮動著我的黃色交通旗桿，並且感恩他的日行一善。
The truck driver commented “You are quite
good looking.” Then, he drove away, leaving me there still holding my yellow
traffic flag while appreciating his “daily benevolent behavior,” according to
the Chinese saying.
一天中的第二次天使出現
Angels Appearing The Second Time
In A Day
其實，第二位天使是一大群學生，也許在校外遇見，也許在校內上課中看到，或者是他們主動從樓上跑到樓下與我相談甚歡一番。
The truth is the second “group” of students
would be a bunch of them. Perhaps I would meet them outside the school, or they
actively run upstairs and downstairs to find and greet me. Another possibility
would be that they are learning with me inside the classroom.
Sometimes I would be in awe that countless
students would say HELLO or welcome me when I am simply walking inside or
outside our campus. This would almost always help me to readjust my
perspectives towards the meaning of education. 這些學生們往往讓我感到極度受歡迎似的，從這種角度，我會思考著自己望向所有與教育相關的事宜的角度和視野，是否值得調整、學習等等。
一天中的第三次天使出現
Angels Appearing The Third Time
In A Day
The third angle is also a group of people
who stimulate my doors opened for new horizons. One of the best examples would
be my dialogue with a foreign friend working here in Taiwan and I last week.
Our conversation covered the meaning of education, his Mandarin Chinese
learning curve, his foreign language acquisition beginning from inspirations obtained
while learning Spanish since his Spanish teacher triggered his motivation to
discover more in foreign languages. Then, we moved on to talk about what roles
motivation plays in our respective lives, how it helps us to open or closes doors,
and his transition from a high salary to teaching.
第三種天使進入我的生命的原因，是讓我生成全新的視野和觀看事物的視角的。其中一個最佳範例，便是近日我與一位在台的外籍工作者的對話，在這樣的談話過程中，我們提及了教育的意義、這位外籍人士學習華語/中文的歷程，以及他自修習西班牙文的過程中，受到授課教師的影響而願意發掘更多外語—其中包括華語。緊接著，我們議論著動機在我們每個人的生命中所扮演的角色，其開啟的視野和門窗，以及此位外籍人士從高薪工作「轉場」至教育界的心路歷程。
This particular foreign friend who changed
his profession described his sense of loss while making lesser amount of money.
“It is the poison of cultures teaching us to keep chasing materialism. Feeling
confused, I called my Mom who expressed ‘Silly baby, own just enough will be
sufficient!’” This value system, for a culture stressing the significance of superiority
in social position, enjoyment, and lifestyle, is rather unheard and unbelievable.
Naturally, he shared with me stories of his Mom.
他特別談及轉換生涯跑道使他的焦慮感持續加重，由於接收到的訊息是「人們應該持續追名逐利」，所以，當因轉換跑道導致薪水減少後，原本他在前一份工作的焦慮，又莫名上身。致電返家的他從母親口中聽到的是：
「我的傻兒子呀! 賺錢只求溫飽就可以，賺那麼多做什麼呢?」
這樣和普世背道而馳的價值觀，使我好奇其母的背景。
“Growing up, we were not materially rich. My
Mom went through a lot and is quite inspirational. That is why she would say
something like that.”
這位外籍友人說到：「我的成長過程中，沒有所謂良好的物質環境或者條件，但我母親在經歷過許多高低起伏後，反而極為激勵人心，這可能是她之所以擁有這樣的價值觀的主因。」
Another foreign friend’s words rings perhaps
quite true in this case, “You have proved, time and again, that you are able to
communicate with many people!” In fact, in the conversation with this foreign
friend currently in Taiwan, my homeland, I have found many ideas resting
peacefully in his mind came forward. Frankly, what I did not expect was how philosophical
our dialogue went, for there was this moment that my friend mentioned about all
the profound issues in our lives while permitting me to see his very relaxed
side, like playing GO or video games.
在這樣的情況之下，另一位國際友人的話語突然湧上心頭：
「在各種各樣的情況下，妳都能使人卸下心防，與妳議事，而使許多人願意與妳溝通。」實際上，在這場與目前在台的外籍人士的談話過程中，我們走入了相當具有質感的交流，也在這樣的過程裡面，這位外籍人士提及從高薪工作離開後的焦慮感，對比到後來談及的像是下圍棋或西洋棋，以及玩電動玩具的休閒生活。
As usual, he talked about certain things
related to the ghost stories, which I pretended to listen carefully. “Do you
believe in ghosts?” he asked.
一如往常地，這位外籍朋友一定要談談和鬼魂有關的議題，而我也假裝耐心聆聽。
他問我說：「妳相信鬼嗎?」
“Of course.” I said. 我則回答：「當然囉!」
When we had to bid each other farewell, he
requested a hug whereas I was making sure I was hugging him instead of anything
unusual.
當我們要互道珍重時，他說他希望和我互相擁抱一下，我當然答應了，只不過在擁抱的同時，我設法及意圖確定，我究竟是和他擁抱，還是那些肉眼看不到的「東西」過來擁抱了我!!!
Back to the smooth communications, friends or
peers like these may be referred to, according to some scientists, soul mates trading
values not really spoken to the others about. Instead of soul mater though, I would
rather believe I have encountered angels. Another example would be a former
supervisor of mine complimenting me as a piece of artwork, with my creative
works so artistic that she is looking forward to my exhibitions.
不過，再回到這種溫暖而又沉著、舒緩的談話的當下，也許正如西方科學界所言，每個人都有能夠了解我們內心深處靈魂的人，這些人不見得一定是在愛情的狀況下產生。
而我覺得我不大需要這麼複雜的界定，我只是單純感到天使與我在生命中相遇了，一如這樣的一個附圖所傳遞的，是一位過去的長官對我的稱許，而將我描述成是藝術品雖然不是第一次，然而，每次聽見都仍然感到某種神奇的力量，在體內漸漸生成……
I being to recall previously, I asked this
foreign friend of mine who would like to help out for those service work of
mine for his reasons. His answer was short. “I have had enough to live. I feel I
can offer the time.”
我想到一件事情……我曾詢問過這名外籍友人：
「為何你也會想做這些助人之事呢?」
他的回應很簡短：
「我有足夠的錢可以生活，所以我感到可以貢獻出我的時間。」
Different timing for us to present our
ideas to each other, identical ideology of his flowing in front of my ideology—and
his Mom’s words seep through, affecting his behavioral patterns across the
oceans. Isn’t it amazing?
我們在不同的時間點談論著不同的事情，可是，這些邏輯的呈現，和他母親的言語滲入他的思想脈絡中，有極大的關係，因為是種如出一轍的哲理。
這不令人感到驚奇嗎? 他的母親在千山萬水之外……
在各種場合出現的天使
Angels Appearing Everywhere
I cannot help but to remember that once,
while riding a bike in the metropolitan area, a man warned me to be careful of
the sudden change of road pattern less than five second bike ride away. I heeded
his words and avoided my falling down over there.
某次，在市區騎U BIKE，突然之間一位男士警告著我：
「前面路面有高低差!」
這樣的話語發生的時間點，離我會從高低差摔落，不到五秒鐘。
因為這樣的警告，我逃過一劫。
Another time I was also riding a bike one
the street near where I currently work, I was guided by a male teenager who asked
me to ride through but expressed SORRY to a car which could have bumped me—this
pedestrian stopped that vehicle from hitting me.
另一次我也在台北市區騎著U BIKE，一位貌似青少年狀的男性，竟然幫我指揮交通，要我先行，並且自己以肉身幫我擋住了一台名貴跑車。
在我眼中，這些都是充滿著藝術感及人文關懷的行為模式，它們提供了我見識到人性本善的精華與巧妙。這就有點雷同於在某個裝置藝術家的講堂之中，一位裝置藝術家的藝術品，由他自己如實般地娓娓道來哪一件作品，以何種樣貌，在世上的何處展出。
In my eyes, these are artistically caring
behavioral patterns offering me glimpses of the purity of humanity. In a
lecture, the lecturer invited by the department of mine showed us his artworks of
installation exhibited both in Taiwan and overseas. I was more and more curious
about his works, his philosophy of making each word and each sentence slowly,
and the cultivation of his artistic nature. Currently working overseas, this
artist mentioned that it is impossible for a person to be creative all the
time. Equally, it is impossible for an artist like himself who has showcased
many of his works both here in Taiwan and overseas to make a living by being an
artist only. When it comes to striking conversations with the artworks created
by the artists themselves, this artist mentioned it is to be observant to the details
of such artworks to form better creative models. Then, when asked which kinds
of artwork this artist believes to be better or the best, his reply was simple,
我愈是聆聽這位藝術家的緩慢「聲音表情」，愈是好奇他背後所歷經的學成歷程。這位目前人在海外的藝術家說到，每個人的創作力都有停滯的時刻。他也說到一個像他這樣的藝術家，無法以藝術品維生，他必須有其他的收入來源。
收入，所以是如此重要的一件事，東西方人士，一樣重視。
而談及必須和作品對話時，他說自己必須清楚自己的作品有著怎樣的質地，可以如何被繼續創作或者修正。
當被問到「哪種藝術作品才能被視為是精品之作」時，他的回答也相當簡潔：
「以我自己來說，我看到的藝術品，我覺得耐看的、順眼的，就是好的作品。」
“As long as the works appeal to me, as long
as I like them, I feel they are great artworks.”
Again, this means that in this life, when
we feel it is a life worth living, when we make the best and most out of this
life, flowers and fruits grow splendidly due to that beautiful we silently
craft inside our heart.
那麼，這不就意昧著在這個
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