http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/0daedf38-16af-11e2-b1df-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2No4bHC9g
October 25, 2012 10:22 am
By Tim Smedley
As business becomes increasingly global, many argue it is important for job candidates to learn a second or third language; others disagree, asking why native English speakers should bother to learn other tongues when English is the dominant global language of business.
Andy Dallas, a director at Robert Half Financial Services, is more inclined to agree with the latter view: “Globally, financial services continues to be an English-dominated industry, with many of the international financial centres of Asia and Europe adapting their practices to work in English.
“In the UK, there isn’t great demand for foreign language skills, which are often seen as an asset rather than a requirement for potential hires.”
Many in financial recruitment concur. Jane Kirk, a partner at Armstrong Craven, the executive search firm, says she has not seen any increased demand for language skills because “English remains the main business language in the global market”.
Backing her up is a British Chambers of Commerce survey of more than 8,000 businesses that found in the first quarter of this year that 96 per cent had no foreign language ability for the markets they served.
However, some believe the UK’s mono-lingual tendencies are a concern, both for the competitiveness of British business and for career prospects within multinational organisations.
Adam Marshall, director of policy at the BCC, is one of them: “I think one of the lessons we’ve learned from the history of international trade is that complacency breeds decline. If you have a business community that is so assured of its inalienable right to trade into a certain market, you can rest assured that a competitor will come along, whether from their own country or another, and try and steal that market away from them with a better-tailored product.
“Language learning is of huge importance to future prospects, particularly in those markets where English is less spoken and less used in the regulatory and governmental environment.”
Recruiting candidates with language skills, might also help to avoid some of the costly and well-known translation errors, such as Chevrolet launching its Nova car in South America despite “No va” meaning “Doesn’t go” in Spanish.
“Such mistakes can be simple and banal, or cause serious cross-cultural offence,” argues Mr Marshall. “So it is incredibly important for senior executives to be culturally sensitive and where possible to have some sort of language knowledge, which goes for various levels throughout a business.”
If a company deals with a key non-English speaking market, then hiring employees with knowledge of that language is useful and helps with understanding the needs of that market. “With language learning comes cultural understanding,” argues Mr Marshall, “and cultural understanding can lead to business deals.”
Ms Kirk agrees that language can demonstrate a good understanding of business culture, which can be vital when recruiting for certain positions.
Brazil is a good example of a current growth market where language skills are valued. “Language barriers have presented issues for many exporters to Brazil,” says Mr Marshall. “What many people tell us is that it’s not a problem speaking to the businesses they deal with, but it is a problem when dealing with the state agencies.”
Ms Kirk also finds that in Brazil “there is a deep preference to do business with a Brazilian, so non-nationals should speak Portuguese”.
But even in well established markets, such as Japan and China, English speakers are not as common as some might assume. Tony Vardy, managing director of Korn/Ferry Whitehead Mann, the executive search and leadership consultancy, identifies foreign language skills as being more advantageous in parts of the world where English tends not to be the second language of choice. A Brazilian businessman, surrounded by Spanish-speaking countries, is more likely to learn Spanish than English.
“As emerging markets have developed much more quickly than most of Europe and the US in recent years,” says Mr Vardy, “companies and senior executives increasingly have a broader international outlook and languages not widely spoken in the west are therefore becoming more important.
“The ability to speak languages such as Mandarin Chinese, Arabic, Russian and Portuguese has increased in value and will continue to do so.”
Even if a role does not require any language proficiency, employers often view knowledge of foreign languages as evidence of a wider willingness to learn and adapt, says Mr Vardy: “This is often as valuable to employers as fluency in a specific language.
“While not always requested in the position specification or candidate profile, senior hiring executives look favourably upon foreign language skills, and we expect their importance to increase as time goes on.”
Mr Dallas says roles in finance that rate language skills highly when recruiting can include front office and trader roles. He says: “These may find additional benefit, especially if they work for a foreign institution.
“There have been a few cases of foreign companies moving their headquarters to London, and this has also prompted the need for individuals with foreign language skills for these companies specifically.”
Mr Vardy highlights demand for executives with “a hands-on role managing employees, or selling products and services to consumers, who speak a different language”.
The expatriate placement is the most obvious area where language skills are beneficial. Mr Dallas believes those looking into international opportunities “should look to enhance their foreign language skills, particularly Arabic and Asian languages where much of the growth lies.
“Not only will it give you a competitive advantage during the selection process, it will allow you to adjust more quickly both to your professional and personal environments. For senior managers, it also demonstrates to future employees that you are invested in the organisation and business community.”
The conventional wisdom remains, however, that simply speaking English is enough, for now. It is becoming more commonly spoken in all business markets, and is unlikely to be toppled as the international language of business for the foreseeable future.
This, however, is a double-edged sword: as more markets become fluent in English, the more competition native English-speakers will face. On top of that, the multinational understanding of these changing markets will help them access other markets that might remain closed to mono-lingual British businesses.
“We are lucky, we do have a natural advantage in the English language which is the world’s commercial language,” says Mr Marshall. “But simply having the world’s commercial language does not mean we have a lock on the business.
“I think executives in business in the UK are very complacent about this issue. Those that are more forward looking will be taking steps to ensure they have the talent required on their staff. When winning business abroad on the strength of a product, in a highly competitive environment, small things can make the difference.”
Being multilingual will always be an advantage, says Mr Dallas.
And while Mr Vardy concedes that most native English-speaking executives have so far managed to get by successfully without foreign language skills, he adds that “as businesses increasingly operate in a more sophisticated global marketplace, single-language leaders may become an endangered species”.
2012年11月11日 星期日
2012年11月10日 星期六
英國人需要學外語嗎？
http://big5.ftchinese.com/story/001047299
2012年11月06日 07:34 AM
自由撰稿人 蒂姆·斯梅德利 為英國《金融時報》撰稿
Robert Half Financial Services董事安迪•達拉斯(Andy Dallas)更贊同後一種觀點：“全球來看，金融服務業的用語仍以英語為主，亞洲和歐洲的很多國際金融中心都在做出改變，在工作中採用英語。
“在英國企業對外語技能的需求不高。求職者的外語技能往往被當作一種優點，而不是一項要求。”很多從事金融業招聘的人士對表示贊同。高管獵頭公司Armstrong Craven合夥人簡•科克(Jane Kirk)認為，對語言技能的需求並未增加，因為“英語仍是全球市場的主要商務語言”。
英國商會(British Chambers of Commerce)今年第一季度對8000多家企業進行的調查印證了科克的說法。該調查發現，96%的被調查者並未掌握適用於所服務市場的外語技能。
然而，有人擔心英國的單語傾向會影響英國企業的競爭力和國民在跨國企業中的職業前景。
英國商會政策主管亞當•馬紹爾(Adam Marshall)便持此觀點：“我認為我們從國際貿易史中學到的一條教訓是，自滿使人落後。如果一個商業團體確信自己對於在某個特定市場開展業務擁有不可剝奪的權利，那麽毫無疑問將有本國或別國的競爭對手加入進來，努力通過更有針對性的產品奪走它們的市場。”
“學習語言對未來的商業前景具有重要意義，日常對話中及監管、政府環境中較少使用英語的市場尤其如此。”
聘用具備語言技能的求職者也有助於避免某些代價高昂而廣為人知的翻譯錯誤，比如雪佛蘭(Chevrolet)在南美洲推出了Nova汽車，而“No va”在西班牙語里的意思是“不走”。
“這些錯誤可能很簡單、很平常，也可能在其他文化中造成嚴重的冒犯，”馬紹爾說，“因此非常重要的一點是，高管應具有文化敏感性，可能的話要掌握一些語言知識，這對於企業的各級別員工都是適用的。”
如果公司在一個重要的非英語市場做生意，那麽雇傭懂得當地語言的雇員是有用的，並且有助於理解該市場的需求。“在學習語言過程中可以瞭解當地的文化，”馬紹爾認為，“而對文化的瞭解可以促成商業交易。”
科克也認為，語言能力能夠展示出對商業文化的良好理解，這一點在某些職位的招聘中可能是至關重要的。
巴西便是一個語言技能受到重視的增長型市場。“語言障礙給很多向巴西出口產品的公司帶來問題，”馬紹爾說，“很多人告訴我們，語言問題並非存在於與企業的交流中，而是存在於與政府機構的交流中。”
科克還發現，巴西人“嚴重傾向於與巴西人做生意，因此非巴西人應當跟巴西人說葡萄牙語”。
不過即使在日本和中國等英語已經具有重要地位的市場，英語仍不像一些人想象的那樣普及。獵頭和領導力咨詢公司Korn/Ferry Whitehead Mann董事總經理托尼•瓦爾迪(Tony Vardy)認為，在英語不是首選第二語言的地區，擁有外語技能更能體現出優勢。巴西周邊是西班牙語國家，所以巴西商界人士更有可能學習西班牙語，而不是英語。
瓦爾迪說，即便一個職位對語言能力沒有要求，通常雇主也會認為，會外語表明一個人願意學習新知識和適應新環境：“對員工而言，這往往與精通某一門語言同等重要。”
“盡管在職位說明和求職者資質中並不總是會提出相關要求，但高級招聘人士的確青睞外語技能，我們預計外語技能的重要性將與日俱增。”
達拉斯說，在金融行業，招聘中高度重視語言技能的可能包括一線崗位和交易員職位。他說：“尤其是當一個人在外國機構工作時，語言技能可能擁有額外的優勢。”
“一些外國公司將總部搬到了倫敦，它們對擁有外語技能的人才產生了特殊需求。”
瓦爾迪著重講到了對“直接管理員工或向消費者銷售產品服務、會說不同語言”的高管的需求。
外派工作是語言技能最能發揮用處的一個領域。達拉斯認為，那些尋找跨國工作機會的人“應當著意提高外語技能，尤其是阿拉伯語和亞洲語言，因為增長集中在這些地區。
“這不僅讓你在遴選過程中擁有競爭優勢，還能讓你更快地適應職業和人際環境。對高管來說，這還能向未來員工證明你在這家企業和商界付出了努力。”
但就目前來說，傳統的認識仍然是：會說英語就夠了。所有商業市場對英語的使用愈發頻繁，英語作為國際商務語言的地位在可以預見的將來也很難被撼動。
不過，這種情況是一把雙刃劍：隨著更多的市場英語水平提高，英語母語者也將面臨更激烈的競爭。此外，瞭解多國情況、洞悉這些變化中的市場，將幫助他們進入那些排斥只會英語的企業的其他市場。
“我們很幸運，英語是全球商務語言給我們帶來了天生的優勢，”馬紹爾說，“但僅僅掌握這門全球商務語言並不意味著我們就一定能獲得業務。”
“在我看來，英國企業高管在這個問題上顯得十分自滿。比較有遠見的人會採取行動，確保員工隊伍中擁有需要的人才。如果要在競爭激烈的環境中憑借產品的實力贏得國外業務，小事情也能成就大不同。”
達拉斯說，掌握多門語言始終是一項優勢。
瓦爾迪承認，大部分以英語為母語的高管沒有吃過不會外語的虧，但“隨著企業運營的全球市場環境越來越復雜，只會一門語言的企業領導可能將成為瀕危物種”。
譯者/徐天辰
2012年11月06日 07:34 AM
自由撰稿人 蒂姆·斯梅德利 為英國《金融時報》撰稿
隨著企業國際化程度日益增強，許多人認為求職者學習第二或第三門語言具有重要的意義；還有些人則認為，既然英語是全球主要的商務語言，英語母語者又何必花費精力學習其他語言？
“在英國企業對外語技能的需求不高。求職者的外語技能往往被當作一種優點，而不是一項要求。”很多從事金融業招聘的人士對表示贊同。高管獵頭公司Armstrong Craven合夥人簡•科克(Jane Kirk)認為，對語言技能的需求並未增加，因為“英語仍是全球市場的主要商務語言”。
英國商會(British Chambers of Commerce)今年第一季度對8000多家企業進行的調查印證了科克的說法。該調查發現，96%的被調查者並未掌握適用於所服務市場的外語技能。
然而，有人擔心英國的單語傾向會影響英國企業的競爭力和國民在跨國企業中的職業前景。
英國商會政策主管亞當•馬紹爾(Adam Marshall)便持此觀點：“我認為我們從國際貿易史中學到的一條教訓是，自滿使人落後。如果一個商業團體確信自己對於在某個特定市場開展業務擁有不可剝奪的權利，那麽毫無疑問將有本國或別國的競爭對手加入進來，努力通過更有針對性的產品奪走它們的市場。”
“學習語言對未來的商業前景具有重要意義，日常對話中及監管、政府環境中較少使用英語的市場尤其如此。”
聘用具備語言技能的求職者也有助於避免某些代價高昂而廣為人知的翻譯錯誤，比如雪佛蘭(Chevrolet)在南美洲推出了Nova汽車，而“No va”在西班牙語里的意思是“不走”。
“這些錯誤可能很簡單、很平常，也可能在其他文化中造成嚴重的冒犯，”馬紹爾說，“因此非常重要的一點是，高管應具有文化敏感性，可能的話要掌握一些語言知識，這對於企業的各級別員工都是適用的。”
如果公司在一個重要的非英語市場做生意，那麽雇傭懂得當地語言的雇員是有用的，並且有助於理解該市場的需求。“在學習語言過程中可以瞭解當地的文化，”馬紹爾認為，“而對文化的瞭解可以促成商業交易。”
科克也認為，語言能力能夠展示出對商業文化的良好理解，這一點在某些職位的招聘中可能是至關重要的。
巴西便是一個語言技能受到重視的增長型市場。“語言障礙給很多向巴西出口產品的公司帶來問題，”馬紹爾說，“很多人告訴我們，語言問題並非存在於與企業的交流中，而是存在於與政府機構的交流中。”
科克還發現，巴西人“嚴重傾向於與巴西人做生意，因此非巴西人應當跟巴西人說葡萄牙語”。
不過即使在日本和中國等英語已經具有重要地位的市場，英語仍不像一些人想象的那樣普及。獵頭和領導力咨詢公司Korn/Ferry Whitehead Mann董事總經理托尼•瓦爾迪(Tony Vardy)認為，在英語不是首選第二語言的地區，擁有外語技能更能體現出優勢。巴西周邊是西班牙語國家，所以巴西商界人士更有可能學習西班牙語，而不是英語。
瓦爾迪說：“由於近年來新興市場的發展速度明顯快於歐洲大部分國家和美國，公司和高管逐漸具備更廣闊的國際視野，因此在西方沒有得到普遍使用的語言如今變得更加重要。”
“會說漢語普通話、阿拉伯語、俄語和葡萄牙語的能力越發得到重視，這一趨勢還將繼續下去。”瓦爾迪說，即便一個職位對語言能力沒有要求，通常雇主也會認為，會外語表明一個人願意學習新知識和適應新環境：“對員工而言，這往往與精通某一門語言同等重要。”
“盡管在職位說明和求職者資質中並不總是會提出相關要求，但高級招聘人士的確青睞外語技能，我們預計外語技能的重要性將與日俱增。”
達拉斯說，在金融行業，招聘中高度重視語言技能的可能包括一線崗位和交易員職位。他說：“尤其是當一個人在外國機構工作時，語言技能可能擁有額外的優勢。”
“一些外國公司將總部搬到了倫敦，它們對擁有外語技能的人才產生了特殊需求。”
瓦爾迪著重講到了對“直接管理員工或向消費者銷售產品服務、會說不同語言”的高管的需求。
外派工作是語言技能最能發揮用處的一個領域。達拉斯認為，那些尋找跨國工作機會的人“應當著意提高外語技能，尤其是阿拉伯語和亞洲語言，因為增長集中在這些地區。
“這不僅讓你在遴選過程中擁有競爭優勢，還能讓你更快地適應職業和人際環境。對高管來說，這還能向未來員工證明你在這家企業和商界付出了努力。”
但就目前來說，傳統的認識仍然是：會說英語就夠了。所有商業市場對英語的使用愈發頻繁，英語作為國際商務語言的地位在可以預見的將來也很難被撼動。
不過，這種情況是一把雙刃劍：隨著更多的市場英語水平提高，英語母語者也將面臨更激烈的競爭。此外，瞭解多國情況、洞悉這些變化中的市場，將幫助他們進入那些排斥只會英語的企業的其他市場。
“我們很幸運，英語是全球商務語言給我們帶來了天生的優勢，”馬紹爾說，“但僅僅掌握這門全球商務語言並不意味著我們就一定能獲得業務。”
“在我看來，英國企業高管在這個問題上顯得十分自滿。比較有遠見的人會採取行動，確保員工隊伍中擁有需要的人才。如果要在競爭激烈的環境中憑借產品的實力贏得國外業務，小事情也能成就大不同。”
達拉斯說，掌握多門語言始終是一項優勢。
瓦爾迪承認，大部分以英語為母語的高管沒有吃過不會外語的虧，但“隨著企業運營的全球市場環境越來越復雜，只會一門語言的企業領導可能將成為瀕危物種”。
譯者/徐天辰
2012年10月4日 星期四
[My Students] Alexandra Hartline's Comment
Peter was my teacher for two years, and I
was very satisfied with the level of instruction and preparation. He
personalized his lessons to my needs and gave me homework every week to help me
improve my Chinese. At the end of my studies with Peter, I passed the Test of
Chinese as a Foreign Language (TOCFL) Level 2 Reading and Writing with little
difficulty. Even after I finished studying Chinese, I continued to recommend
Peter to friends and acquaintances who were looking for a Chinese language
teacher.
2012年9月22日 星期六
Executives speak a language of their own
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/634db9a6-57eb-11e1-ae89-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2NoAt8OtQ
February 29, 2012 7:39 pm
By Michael Skapinker
The secret to aiming higher than Globish
A French diplomat recently shrugged at news that Tunisians were rejecting his language and enrolling in English classes. “You can’t be in this globalised world without being able to speak English,” he said.
How will these eager new English speakers fare? If you believe Jean-Paul Nerrière, they will learn enough to communicate with Peruvians and Indonesians but not enough to talk to Britons, Americans or Australians.
As a long-time IBM executive, Mr Nerrière, a Frenchman, spent years observing English conversations. When a Japanese employee met a Belgian, a Chilean and an Italian, they managed. None spoke English brilliantly but each knew the others were making mistakes too. When an American or British manager walked in, everything changed. The native speakers talked too fast and used mysterious expressions, such as “from the horse’s mouth” (which horse?). The others clammed up.
Mr Nerrière saw no need for this sense of inferiority. His own English may, to a native-speaker, have sounded heavily accented. But he noticed that international clients understood him better than they did his Texan boss. This led him to develop Globish, a language of 1,500 English words that he judged perfectly sufficient for international business. Globish speakers avoid all figurative language and never tell jokes.
Globish, as presented by Mr Nerrière in his language courses and books, is more than a lingua franca. It is a liberation movement, freeing its speakers from any need to engage with Anglophone literature, culture or humour.
Mr Nerrière’s thesis has merit. Globish is spoken wherever prices are negotiated and deals signed.
But there is another group of non-native English speakers. Their vocabulary is bigger than 1,500 words. They engage with native English speakers with confidence. And they are taking over the world.
I have had two opportunities to observe them recently. Last year, I moderated a discussion of heads of European telecommunications groups, including César Alierta of Spain’s Telefónica, Franco Bernabè of Telecom Italia and Ben Verwaayen, the Dutch head of Alcatel-Lucent of France. And last week I chaired a discussion of shipping leaders from, among other places, Greece, Italy, South Korea, Finland and the Netherlands.
The discussions were fast, free-flowing – and entirely in English. There were frequent questions from the audience.
Speaking at a conference is hard enough in your own language. There is the nervousness of being on stage, the discomfort of the clipped-on microphone and, above all, the lights – sweaty-hot and so bright you can barely make out your script.
But this is the extraordinary feature of this international under-the-lights brigade. They can manage without scripts. When the subject changes, they improvise. You can appreciate how impressive this is only if you have attempted to master a foreign language yourself. These elite performers actually do better than many native English speakers. Multinational audiences find it easier to understand them because, in accordance with Mr Nerrière’s strictures, they avoid figurative language.
How do they manage to raise their English to this level? Do you need to start young? Intuitively you would think so, but Lessons from Good Language Learners, a 2008 collection of research studies, finds that, while early starters do have the edge, the advantage is not universal or overwhelming. There are people who sit in school language classes for years and can barely order a beer.
Joan Rubin, a pioneering researcher, argued that effective language learners are prepared to guess – from context and from verbal and non-verbal clues. They are good at talking their way round a problem if they don’t have the exact words. They can live with uncertainty; good language learners don’t mind making mistakes.
It is, of course, far easier to learn English if you live, study or work in an English-speaking country. Having to pay bills, listen to lectures and tell colleagues how you like your coffee are fast ways to fluency.
Above all, language learning requires motivation. And as it is no longer possible to get to the top of most international organisations without a thorough command of English, that should be motivation for many. Globish is all very well; the best of those new English learners should be aiming higher.
February 29, 2012 7:39 pm
By Michael Skapinker
The secret to aiming higher than Globish
A French diplomat recently shrugged at news that Tunisians were rejecting his language and enrolling in English classes. “You can’t be in this globalised world without being able to speak English,” he said.
How will these eager new English speakers fare? If you believe Jean-Paul Nerrière, they will learn enough to communicate with Peruvians and Indonesians but not enough to talk to Britons, Americans or Australians.
As a long-time IBM executive, Mr Nerrière, a Frenchman, spent years observing English conversations. When a Japanese employee met a Belgian, a Chilean and an Italian, they managed. None spoke English brilliantly but each knew the others were making mistakes too. When an American or British manager walked in, everything changed. The native speakers talked too fast and used mysterious expressions, such as “from the horse’s mouth” (which horse?). The others clammed up.
Mr Nerrière saw no need for this sense of inferiority. His own English may, to a native-speaker, have sounded heavily accented. But he noticed that international clients understood him better than they did his Texan boss. This led him to develop Globish, a language of 1,500 English words that he judged perfectly sufficient for international business. Globish speakers avoid all figurative language and never tell jokes.
Globish, as presented by Mr Nerrière in his language courses and books, is more than a lingua franca. It is a liberation movement, freeing its speakers from any need to engage with Anglophone literature, culture or humour.
Mr Nerrière’s thesis has merit. Globish is spoken wherever prices are negotiated and deals signed.
But there is another group of non-native English speakers. Their vocabulary is bigger than 1,500 words. They engage with native English speakers with confidence. And they are taking over the world.
I have had two opportunities to observe them recently. Last year, I moderated a discussion of heads of European telecommunications groups, including César Alierta of Spain’s Telefónica, Franco Bernabè of Telecom Italia and Ben Verwaayen, the Dutch head of Alcatel-Lucent of France. And last week I chaired a discussion of shipping leaders from, among other places, Greece, Italy, South Korea, Finland and the Netherlands.
The discussions were fast, free-flowing – and entirely in English. There were frequent questions from the audience.
Speaking at a conference is hard enough in your own language. There is the nervousness of being on stage, the discomfort of the clipped-on microphone and, above all, the lights – sweaty-hot and so bright you can barely make out your script.
But this is the extraordinary feature of this international under-the-lights brigade. They can manage without scripts. When the subject changes, they improvise. You can appreciate how impressive this is only if you have attempted to master a foreign language yourself. These elite performers actually do better than many native English speakers. Multinational audiences find it easier to understand them because, in accordance with Mr Nerrière’s strictures, they avoid figurative language.
How do they manage to raise their English to this level? Do you need to start young? Intuitively you would think so, but Lessons from Good Language Learners, a 2008 collection of research studies, finds that, while early starters do have the edge, the advantage is not universal or overwhelming. There are people who sit in school language classes for years and can barely order a beer.
Joan Rubin, a pioneering researcher, argued that effective language learners are prepared to guess – from context and from verbal and non-verbal clues. They are good at talking their way round a problem if they don’t have the exact words. They can live with uncertainty; good language learners don’t mind making mistakes.
It is, of course, far easier to learn English if you live, study or work in an English-speaking country. Having to pay bills, listen to lectures and tell colleagues how you like your coffee are fast ways to fluency.
Above all, language learning requires motivation. And as it is no longer possible to get to the top of most international organisations without a thorough command of English, that should be motivation for many. Globish is all very well; the best of those new English learners should be aiming higher.
2012年9月20日 星期四
你講環球語嗎？
http://big5.ftchinese.com/story/001043487
2012年03月06日 07:26 AM
你講環球語嗎？
內里埃是法國人，多年來一直擔任IBM的管理人員。他用了數年時間觀察英語會話。當日本籍員工遇到比利時人、智利人和意大利人時，他們總能設法相互交流。誰的英語都說得不太流暢，大家也都知道別人講的英語有錯誤。但是，一旦有美國籍或者英國籍的經理加入進來，氛圍立刻轉變了。這些以英語為母語的人士，語速飛快，用著令人費解的表達，如“可靠消息”（from the horse's mouth），你心裡不由地嘀咕，什麽“馬”？於是其他人立刻三緘其口。
內里埃認為，大可不必自卑。他自己講的英語在英語國家人士聽來，也帶著濃重的口音。但是，內里埃發現，他的話比他德州老闆的話更容易讓國際客戶聽懂。於是內里埃發展了一套由1500個英語單詞構成的“環球語”(Globish)，他認為這些單詞用來應對國際商業交流綽綽有餘。講“環球語”的人避免使用一切比喻，更不講笑話。
內里埃在其語言課程和圖書中指出，“環球語”不僅僅是一門通用語言，還是一項解放運動，把講話者從必須學習英語國家文學、文化或者幽默的壓力下解放出來。
內里埃的觀點很有價值。舉凡價格談判、協議簽署之際，均可使用“環球語”。
不過，除此以外，還有一類講英語的非英語國家人士。他們的詞匯量超過了1500個單詞，和來自英語國家的人交流起來信心十足。這些人正成為世界的領導者。
最近，我有兩次機會觀察上述人士。去年，我主持了一場歐洲電信企業首腦之間的討論會，與會者包括西班牙電信(Telefónica)的塞薩爾•阿列達(César Aliert)、意大利電信(Telecom Italia)的佛朗哥•貝爾納貝(Franco Bernabè)和法國阿爾卡特-朗訊(Alcatel-Lucent)的荷蘭籍首席執行官韋華恩(Ben Verwaayen)。而兩周前，我還主持了一場希臘、意大利、韓國、芬蘭和荷蘭等地船運業領袖之間的討論會。
這兩場討論均全程英語交流，節奏很快，暢所欲言。觀眾不斷提出各種問題。
即便用母語在大會上發言，也是一場艱巨的挑戰。站在臺上，心情難免緊張；夾上麥克風，也不舒服；最要命的是燈光——炙熱晃眼，熱得讓人汗流浹背，亮得讓人看不清稿子上的字。
不過，此時才能體現出這些站在聚光燈下的國際精英的超凡之處。即使沒有稿子，他們也能侃侃而談。一旦主題有變，他們也能臨場發揮。只有當你親自嘗試掌握一門外語時，才能認識到這一能力的可貴。這些站在舞臺上的精英其實比很多以英語為母語的人都表現得更加優秀。來自世界各地的觀眾發現，這些精英的話更容易理解。按照內里埃的標準來看，其原因在於他們避開了修飾性的語言。
這些人的英語是怎麽達到這麽高水平的？想要達到這種水平，是不是必須從小學起？你可能直覺認為確實需要自幼學起，但是2008年出版的研究論文集《優秀語言學習者的經驗》(Lessons from Good Language Learners)指出，雖然起步早確實有其優勢，但是並不具有普遍性或者壓倒性的說服力。有人在學校學了數年外語，依然沒法張口用外語點上一杯啤酒。
研究先驅瓊•魯賓(Joan Rubin)指出，效率高的語言學習者願意進行猜測——聯繫上下文、從語言和非語言線索中尋找頭緒。如果找不到恰當的詞匯描述某個問題，他們擅長採用迂迴的辦法表達清楚問題。他們能夠適應不確定性。優秀的語言學習者不害怕犯錯誤。
當然了，如果你在英語國家生活、學習或者工作，學起來就事半功倍了。在這樣的環境中，不管是付賬單、聽講座還是告訴同事你喜歡喝什麽口味的咖啡，都得用英語，如此一來，你的英語很快就可以運用自如。
最重要的是，學習語言需要動力。當今社會，如果不能熟練掌握英語，在多數國際組織里都很難躋身高層，這讓許多人都有動力去學習英語。“環球語”雖然綽綽有餘，但是，初學英語的優秀人士應該設定更高的目標。
譯者/倪衛國
2012年03月06日 07:26 AM
你講環球語嗎？
最近，一位法國外交官對於一則突尼斯人放棄法語改學英語的新聞表示出了不屑而無奈。“活在全球化時代，就不能不說英語，”他說道。
這些開始熱切學習英語的人士將達到什麽水平？按照讓-保羅•內里埃(Jean-Paul Nerrière)的觀點，他們的水平將足以和秘魯人或印尼人交流，但是還不夠應付英國人、美國人或者澳大利亞人。內里埃是法國人，多年來一直擔任IBM的管理人員。他用了數年時間觀察英語會話。當日本籍員工遇到比利時人、智利人和意大利人時，他們總能設法相互交流。誰的英語都說得不太流暢，大家也都知道別人講的英語有錯誤。但是，一旦有美國籍或者英國籍的經理加入進來，氛圍立刻轉變了。這些以英語為母語的人士，語速飛快，用著令人費解的表達，如“可靠消息”（from the horse's mouth），你心裡不由地嘀咕，什麽“馬”？於是其他人立刻三緘其口。
內里埃認為，大可不必自卑。他自己講的英語在英語國家人士聽來，也帶著濃重的口音。但是，內里埃發現，他的話比他德州老闆的話更容易讓國際客戶聽懂。於是內里埃發展了一套由1500個英語單詞構成的“環球語”(Globish)，他認為這些單詞用來應對國際商業交流綽綽有餘。講“環球語”的人避免使用一切比喻，更不講笑話。
內里埃在其語言課程和圖書中指出，“環球語”不僅僅是一門通用語言，還是一項解放運動，把講話者從必須學習英語國家文學、文化或者幽默的壓力下解放出來。
內里埃的觀點很有價值。舉凡價格談判、協議簽署之際，均可使用“環球語”。
不過，除此以外，還有一類講英語的非英語國家人士。他們的詞匯量超過了1500個單詞，和來自英語國家的人交流起來信心十足。這些人正成為世界的領導者。
最近，我有兩次機會觀察上述人士。去年，我主持了一場歐洲電信企業首腦之間的討論會，與會者包括西班牙電信(Telefónica)的塞薩爾•阿列達(César Aliert)、意大利電信(Telecom Italia)的佛朗哥•貝爾納貝(Franco Bernabè)和法國阿爾卡特-朗訊(Alcatel-Lucent)的荷蘭籍首席執行官韋華恩(Ben Verwaayen)。而兩周前，我還主持了一場希臘、意大利、韓國、芬蘭和荷蘭等地船運業領袖之間的討論會。
這兩場討論均全程英語交流，節奏很快，暢所欲言。觀眾不斷提出各種問題。
即便用母語在大會上發言，也是一場艱巨的挑戰。站在臺上，心情難免緊張；夾上麥克風，也不舒服；最要命的是燈光——炙熱晃眼，熱得讓人汗流浹背，亮得讓人看不清稿子上的字。
不過，此時才能體現出這些站在聚光燈下的國際精英的超凡之處。即使沒有稿子，他們也能侃侃而談。一旦主題有變，他們也能臨場發揮。只有當你親自嘗試掌握一門外語時，才能認識到這一能力的可貴。這些站在舞臺上的精英其實比很多以英語為母語的人都表現得更加優秀。來自世界各地的觀眾發現，這些精英的話更容易理解。按照內里埃的標準來看，其原因在於他們避開了修飾性的語言。
這些人的英語是怎麽達到這麽高水平的？想要達到這種水平，是不是必須從小學起？你可能直覺認為確實需要自幼學起，但是2008年出版的研究論文集《優秀語言學習者的經驗》(Lessons from Good Language Learners)指出，雖然起步早確實有其優勢，但是並不具有普遍性或者壓倒性的說服力。有人在學校學了數年外語，依然沒法張口用外語點上一杯啤酒。
研究先驅瓊•魯賓(Joan Rubin)指出，效率高的語言學習者願意進行猜測——聯繫上下文、從語言和非語言線索中尋找頭緒。如果找不到恰當的詞匯描述某個問題，他們擅長採用迂迴的辦法表達清楚問題。他們能夠適應不確定性。優秀的語言學習者不害怕犯錯誤。
當然了，如果你在英語國家生活、學習或者工作，學起來就事半功倍了。在這樣的環境中，不管是付賬單、聽講座還是告訴同事你喜歡喝什麽口味的咖啡，都得用英語，如此一來，你的英語很快就可以運用自如。
最重要的是，學習語言需要動力。當今社會，如果不能熟練掌握英語，在多數國際組織里都很難躋身高層，這讓許多人都有動力去學習英語。“環球語”雖然綽綽有餘，但是，初學英語的優秀人士應該設定更高的目標。
譯者/倪衛國
2012年8月17日 星期五
Ghost Month and Ghost Festival
http://mandarin.about.com/od/festivals/a/ghost_month.htm
Mandarin Vocabulary for Ghost Month
| English | Pinyin | Traditional Characters | Simplified Characters |
| altar | shén tán | 神壇 | 神坛 |
| ghost | guǐ | 鬼 | 鬼 |
| vampire | jiāng shī | 殭屍 | 僵尸 |
| ghost money | zhǐ qián | 紙錢 | 纸钱 |
| incense | xiāng | 香 | 香 |
| ghost month | guǐ yuè | 鬼月 | 鬼月 |
| feast | gōng pǐn | 供品 | 供品 |
| offerings | jì bài | 祭拜 | 祭拜 |
2012年8月16日 星期四
Prismatic Extravaganza at the 2012 Dadaocheng Fireworks Festival
This year's Dadaocheng Fireworks Festival will be taking place between 6:30
PM and 9:30 PM on Saturday, August 18. The 20-minute-long fireworks show will
run between 8:30 PM and 8:50 PM. Starting 4:30 PM, there will be a fair at the
area outside floodgate 3, offering visitors a variety of snacks, goods, and
entertainment. The pre-fireworks concert will kick-off at 6:30 PM, featuring
performance by community groups as well as singers such as Huang Wen-hsing,
Jiang Ming-juan, and Huang-fei.
Safety Advisory
In light of possible debris from fireworks, the organizers have sealed off parts of the riverside territories.
Visitors should not cross the safety lines near the bank of the river between floodgates 3 and 5. Photographers taking pictures should not set up their tripods in areas marked as off-limits.
Traffic Control
Traffic control for the vicinity will be implemented starting 6:30 PM on August 18. The territory includes the areas south of Lianzhou Street, west of Yanping N. Road, east of Huanhe N. Road, and north of Kaifeng Street. The north side of Zhongxiao Bridge is the stage of the fireworks. To ensure safety, this side of the bridge will be closed to pedestrians between midnight on August 17 and 3 AM on August 19. The entire bridge will be off-limits to both pedestrians and vehicles between 8 PM and 9 PM on August 18. Vehicles will not be allowed entry to the riverside area via floodgates 3 through 5 starting 6 AM on August 18. The floodgates will be closed to traffic between 6:30 PM and 11 PM on the same day. Drivers should also be aware that a number of roadside parking spaces near the venue of the fireworks show will be suspended on the day of the event.
Transportation
Taipei City Government will arrange transit buses to the venue. A one-zone fare is charged for passengers taking the bus. The buses will run between 5 PM and 11 PM, with roughly a service every 4 to 6 minutes. The three routes include: Route 1: MRT Shuanglian Station – Dadaocheng Wharf (near Gate 5) Route 2: Taipei Main Station (East 3 Exit) – Zhongxing Hospital (near Gate 3) In addition, those traveling to MRT Daqiaotou Station (Exit 2) can also take the following buses: 2, 9, 223, 302, 208, and 208 limited to the event venue.
2012 Dadaocheng Fireworks FestivalDate: Saturday, August 18
Time: 6:30PM – 9:30PM (Fireworks – 8:30~8:50PM)
Venue: Dadaocheng Wharf
Released by Taipei City Government
Safety Advisory
In light of possible debris from fireworks, the organizers have sealed off parts of the riverside territories.
Visitors should not cross the safety lines near the bank of the river between floodgates 3 and 5. Photographers taking pictures should not set up their tripods in areas marked as off-limits.
Traffic Control
Traffic control for the vicinity will be implemented starting 6:30 PM on August 18. The territory includes the areas south of Lianzhou Street, west of Yanping N. Road, east of Huanhe N. Road, and north of Kaifeng Street. The north side of Zhongxiao Bridge is the stage of the fireworks. To ensure safety, this side of the bridge will be closed to pedestrians between midnight on August 17 and 3 AM on August 19. The entire bridge will be off-limits to both pedestrians and vehicles between 8 PM and 9 PM on August 18. Vehicles will not be allowed entry to the riverside area via floodgates 3 through 5 starting 6 AM on August 18. The floodgates will be closed to traffic between 6:30 PM and 11 PM on the same day. Drivers should also be aware that a number of roadside parking spaces near the venue of the fireworks show will be suspended on the day of the event.
Transportation
Taipei City Government will arrange transit buses to the venue. A one-zone fare is charged for passengers taking the bus. The buses will run between 5 PM and 11 PM, with roughly a service every 4 to 6 minutes. The three routes include: Route 1: MRT Shuanglian Station – Dadaocheng Wharf (near Gate 5) Route 2: Taipei Main Station (East 3 Exit) – Zhongxing Hospital (near Gate 3) In addition, those traveling to MRT Daqiaotou Station (Exit 2) can also take the following buses: 2, 9, 223, 302, 208, and 208 limited to the event venue.
2012 Dadaocheng Fireworks FestivalDate: Saturday, August 18
Time: 6:30PM – 9:30PM (Fireworks – 8:30~8:50PM)
Venue: Dadaocheng Wharf
Released by Taipei City Government
2012年8月14日 星期二
Din Tao: Leader of the Parade
Din Tao Leader of the Parade New York Asian Film Festival 2012
http://www.subwaycinema.com/nyaff12/films/din-tao-leader-of-the-parade/
http://www.subwaycinema.com/nyaff12/films/din-tao-leader-of-the-parade/
Taiwan, 2012
North American Premiere
124 minutes, in Mandarin with English subtitles
Directed by: Fung Kai
Starring: Allen Ko, Chen Po-cheng, Liao Chun, Alien Huang
Part of Warriors and Romantics: the New Cinema From Taiwan
Film Society of Lincoln Center
Thursday, July 5 @ 4pm (buy tickets)
Tuesday, July 10 @ 9pm (buy tickets)
DIN TAO’s box office story is as miraculous as the story it tells onscreen about two feuding leaders of rival Din Tao groups. First off: Din Tao is a traditional Taiwanese drumming performance in which the players dress like gods and take on their divine aspects in wild, orgiastic onslaughts of percussion, dancing oversized puppets, and mask work. When the film opened, some shows only sold ONE ticket. But director Fung Kai relentlessly promotes his debut film, and slowly word-of-mouth built, and by the time Chinese New Year arrived, it annihilated all seven of the other major releases, from Hollywood blockbusters, to posh star vehicles. Right now, DIN TAO is the number one hit of the year in Taiwan, racking up over NT$300 million at the box office.
Based on the true story of the Chio-Tian Folk Drums & Arts Troupe, DIN TAO begins in failure. A-Tai has gone to Taipei to become a rocker, but he’s a born quitter, and returns home, blustering that he’s going to America to become a rock star Any Day Now. His disciplinarian daddy runs a crummy, second-rate Din Tao troupe, and he and A-Tai’s relationship is all loveless, raging arguments. But after getting in a brawl with a rival Din Tao troupe (run by his dad’s nemesis) A-Tai’s pride is at stake and he vows to go toe-to-toe with Wu Cheng’s troupe and beat their butts.
Din Tao is not some quaint folk art – most troupes are made up of homeless kids and gang members who need quick cash. But the Chio-Tian Folk Drums & Arts Troupe embraced the idea that the moment they put on their divine make-up they were, for all intents and purposes, transformed into gods. To push themselves spiritually they strapped their enormous drums to their backs and ran around Taiwan, visiting temples along the way. The unexpected success of this film has led to a Din Tao revival, and performances are suddenly springing up everywhere, regular citizens are doing their own temple walks around the island, and kids who were formerly considered the lowest of the low are earning respect. And they should. Because sometimes that loser with dyed hair and tattoos playing the drums isn’t a hooligan. Sometimes, as DIN TAO proves, they’re also a god.
North American Premiere
124 minutes, in Mandarin with English subtitles
Directed by: Fung Kai
Starring: Allen Ko, Chen Po-cheng, Liao Chun, Alien Huang
Part of Warriors and Romantics: the New Cinema From Taiwan
Film Society of Lincoln Center
Thursday, July 5 @ 4pm (buy tickets)
Tuesday, July 10 @ 9pm (buy tickets)
DIN TAO’s box office story is as miraculous as the story it tells onscreen about two feuding leaders of rival Din Tao groups. First off: Din Tao is a traditional Taiwanese drumming performance in which the players dress like gods and take on their divine aspects in wild, orgiastic onslaughts of percussion, dancing oversized puppets, and mask work. When the film opened, some shows only sold ONE ticket. But director Fung Kai relentlessly promotes his debut film, and slowly word-of-mouth built, and by the time Chinese New Year arrived, it annihilated all seven of the other major releases, from Hollywood blockbusters, to posh star vehicles. Right now, DIN TAO is the number one hit of the year in Taiwan, racking up over NT$300 million at the box office.
Based on the true story of the Chio-Tian Folk Drums & Arts Troupe, DIN TAO begins in failure. A-Tai has gone to Taipei to become a rocker, but he’s a born quitter, and returns home, blustering that he’s going to America to become a rock star Any Day Now. His disciplinarian daddy runs a crummy, second-rate Din Tao troupe, and he and A-Tai’s relationship is all loveless, raging arguments. But after getting in a brawl with a rival Din Tao troupe (run by his dad’s nemesis) A-Tai’s pride is at stake and he vows to go toe-to-toe with Wu Cheng’s troupe and beat their butts.
Din Tao is not some quaint folk art – most troupes are made up of homeless kids and gang members who need quick cash. But the Chio-Tian Folk Drums & Arts Troupe embraced the idea that the moment they put on their divine make-up they were, for all intents and purposes, transformed into gods. To push themselves spiritually they strapped their enormous drums to their backs and ran around Taiwan, visiting temples along the way. The unexpected success of this film has led to a Din Tao revival, and performances are suddenly springing up everywhere, regular citizens are doing their own temple walks around the island, and kids who were formerly considered the lowest of the low are earning respect. And they should. Because sometimes that loser with dyed hair and tattoos playing the drums isn’t a hooligan. Sometimes, as DIN TAO proves, they’re also a god.
2012年8月10日 星期五
2012年7月30日 星期一
2012年7月26日 星期四
2012年7月22日 星期日
2012年7月10日 星期二
2012年6月24日 星期日
2012年6月22日 星期五
2012年 端午節 龍舟賽 / 2012 Taipei Dragon Boat Festival
Dates: 2012.6.23 & 6.24
Places:
1. Taipei City: Please take shuttle bus at ZhongXiaoFuXing MRT station to Dajia riverside park.
http://english.taipei.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem=22675963&ctNode=8557&mp=100002
http://2012dragonboat.tpec.edu.tw/files/11-1000-90-1.php
2. New Taipei City: Please take MRT to XinDian MRT sation and ask people how to get Bitan, around 5 mins walking distance.
http://www.319papago.idv.tw/holiday/DBF/DBF18.html
Places:
1. Taipei City: Please take shuttle bus at ZhongXiaoFuXing MRT station to Dajia riverside park.
http://english.taipei.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem=22675963&ctNode=8557&mp=100002
http://2012dragonboat.tpec.edu.tw/files/11-1000-90-1.php
2. New Taipei City: Please take MRT to XinDian MRT sation and ask people how to get Bitan, around 5 mins walking distance.
http://www.319papago.idv.tw/holiday/DBF/DBF18.html
2012年6月10日 星期日
2012年6月8日 星期五
2012年4月22日 星期日
2012年4月20日 星期五
2012年4月12日 星期四
2012年4月8日 星期日
2012年4月6日 星期五
2012年4月2日 星期一
2012年3月22日 星期四
2012年3月21日 星期三
2012年3月20日 星期二
2012年3月18日 星期日
2012年3月11日 星期日
2012年3月6日 星期二
2012年3月3日 星期六
2012年2月27日 星期一
2012年2月25日 星期六
2012年2月20日 星期一
2012年2月6日 星期一
2012年2月2日 星期四
2012年1月27日 星期五
[My Students] 史安莉's Comment
I got to know Peter through our lessons, as
has been my personal tutor for nearly six months. During this time, I believe I
got to know his teaching system as well as personality quite well. He is a very
bright and hard-working person whose excellent command of English and of course
Chinese makes every lesson a pleasure.
Peter is a good teacher with a clear
accent who makes his students work hard, carefully corrects mistakes,
introduces grammar in a clear way and knows how to expand students' vocabulary.
He is well-aware of suitable textbooks and study materials to fit the needs and
wishes of all his students. He is himself a highly intelligent person driven by
motivation and diligence and thanks to his personal qualities provides great
insight not only to the Chinese language, but also to Taiwanese and Chinese
history, identity and culture.
2012年1月24日 星期二
中國時報 - 老外抽籤詩 英法德西語攏ㄟ通
2012-01-22 中國時報 張立勳／高雄報導
農曆過年外國朋友瘋台灣！體驗求籤卻看攏嘸，高雄第一科技大學應用英語系教授史宗玲出版《台灣籤詩嘛ㄟ通》工具書，將關聖帝君一百首籤詩緣由及專有名詞翻成英、法、德、西班牙語，方便外國人求籤後對照，輕鬆了解中華文化。
史宗玲曾陪澳洲學者到佛光山參訪，入境隨俗抽籤詩，但全是文言文撰寫，含有大量俗語、成語及典故，大多數台灣人都不太懂，更何況還要翻譯成其他國語言。
長期鑽研機器翻譯研究的史宗玲，兩年前興起將籤詩轉譯多國語言概念，外國遊客抽籤詩，當下就能對照工具書，不再看不懂，更可感受華語創作的豐富生命力。
為翻譯百首籤詩，史宗玲先把文言文籤詩翻成白話文，將古典詞彙改成一般用語，在子句間加入連接詞，以平述句代替倒裝句，符合電腦邏輯的語言條件，線上翻譯系統才能正確判讀，翻成多國語言。
史宗玲以「石崇被難」籤詩第一句「田園價貫好商量」舉例，「當田地及莊園被賣，你們應該平和地商量價格」翻譯成英文「When fields and estates were sold, you should calmly discuss the price.」
史宗玲未在書中告訴外國朋友抽到的籤是凶還是吉，只讓外國遊客了解籤詩故事，再與心中祈求呼應聯想。
史宗玲把書送給高雄各大廟宇結緣，造福國內外朋友；未來想針對陣頭、求神問卜等台灣民俗文化出版工具書，讓外國人對華人文化有更深層的了解。
農曆過年外國朋友瘋台灣！體驗求籤卻看攏嘸，高雄第一科技大學應用英語系教授史宗玲出版《台灣籤詩嘛ㄟ通》工具書，將關聖帝君一百首籤詩緣由及專有名詞翻成英、法、德、西班牙語，方便外國人求籤後對照，輕鬆了解中華文化。
史宗玲曾陪澳洲學者到佛光山參訪，入境隨俗抽籤詩，但全是文言文撰寫，含有大量俗語、成語及典故，大多數台灣人都不太懂，更何況還要翻譯成其他國語言。
長期鑽研機器翻譯研究的史宗玲，兩年前興起將籤詩轉譯多國語言概念，外國遊客抽籤詩，當下就能對照工具書，不再看不懂，更可感受華語創作的豐富生命力。
為翻譯百首籤詩，史宗玲先把文言文籤詩翻成白話文，將古典詞彙改成一般用語，在子句間加入連接詞，以平述句代替倒裝句，符合電腦邏輯的語言條件，線上翻譯系統才能正確判讀，翻成多國語言。
史宗玲以「石崇被難」籤詩第一句「田園價貫好商量」舉例，「當田地及莊園被賣，你們應該平和地商量價格」翻譯成英文「When fields and estates were sold, you should calmly discuss the price.」
史宗玲未在書中告訴外國朋友抽到的籤是凶還是吉，只讓外國遊客了解籤詩故事，再與心中祈求呼應聯想。
史宗玲把書送給高雄各大廟宇結緣，造福國內外朋友；未來想針對陣頭、求神問卜等台灣民俗文化出版工具書，讓外國人對華人文化有更深層的了解。
2012年1月22日 星期日
4 things Hong Kong can learn from Taipei
By Elmer W. Cagape Jan 11, 2012 10:25AM UTC
Every time I visit a city, I happen to find a distinction between it and Hong Kong. So when me and my wife paid a visit to Taipei recently, I made a personal vow to follow what I did with my observations in Seoul and Tokyo.
Recycling practice
Pretty much like Japan and Korea, Taipei’s culture of recycling is impressive. While I lament the pile of umbrella wrappers often found at rubbish bins during rainy days, Taipei Metro sets aside a place where these items can be reused. Locals make sure to separate ice cubes from soda cups before disposing them at designated spots at fastfood outlets. For a place that doesn’t have as much space for landfills as Taiwan, Hong Kong is supposed to be undertaking such efforst. Unfortunately, authorities and locals here don’t see this as a high priority issue as evidenced by lack of effort to implement recycling on a wider scale.
Subway etiquette
Taipei Metro stations are manned by security guards instead of the yellow shirt guides found on MTR platforms armed with “STOP” signs. Although they are outnumbered by the Hong Kong guides, these guards effectively manage crowd control. I also noticed people didn’t need to be reminded of subway etiquette. They form a straight line before boarding the train and do not chew bubble gum or try to run towards carriages as doors close. I observed that seats reserved for elderly and pregnant are occupied by the intended people and are otherwise skipped by other commuters. If Hong Kong people can practice queuing at bus stops and cashiers and observe simple rules outside subways, I see no reason why this type of attitude cannot be applied on the MTR.
Table manners
I observed that fastfood shops and restaurants in Taipei don’t have that many staff as I thought they should. Maybe that’s because with extra help from customers who fix their tables after they eat, there is less that attendants need to worry about. In Hong Kong, I try to spread this good deed by doing the same. So far it wasn’t effective in prompting others to follow; customers leave their mess on the table while busy cleaners try to tend to them as quickly as possible. I wonder what their tables at home look like after they eat. Ahh, that’s the job of the helpers, they might say.
Random acts of kindness
I’ve been told that people living in large cities are less caring than those in provinces. And maybe Taipei is not an exception. But so far, even though we roamed through Taipei main streets most of the time, people we meet were kind to us, despite the language barrier. Armed with a map and looking clueless in finding a landmark near the Snake Alley night market, an elderly man approached and gestured to help us. The only problem is that we didn’t have a common language to communicate. When Chinese language sign posts failed to guide us, two young women went out of their way to lead us to an English-speaking information counter.
While I see helpful Hong Kong people guiding tourists all the time, there’s a prevailing attitude I notice that indicates not everyone is doing the same. Even our sales people are cited for their unfriendly attitude.
It’s about time we try to adopt some of Taipei’s nice attributes and learn from our neighbors.
http://asiancorrespondent.com/73475/4-things-hong-kong-can-learn-from-taipei/
Every time I visit a city, I happen to find a distinction between it and Hong Kong. So when me and my wife paid a visit to Taipei recently, I made a personal vow to follow what I did with my observations in Seoul and Tokyo.
Recycling practice
Pretty much like Japan and Korea, Taipei’s culture of recycling is impressive. While I lament the pile of umbrella wrappers often found at rubbish bins during rainy days, Taipei Metro sets aside a place where these items can be reused. Locals make sure to separate ice cubes from soda cups before disposing them at designated spots at fastfood outlets. For a place that doesn’t have as much space for landfills as Taiwan, Hong Kong is supposed to be undertaking such efforst. Unfortunately, authorities and locals here don’t see this as a high priority issue as evidenced by lack of effort to implement recycling on a wider scale.
Subway etiquette
Taipei Metro stations are manned by security guards instead of the yellow shirt guides found on MTR platforms armed with “STOP” signs. Although they are outnumbered by the Hong Kong guides, these guards effectively manage crowd control. I also noticed people didn’t need to be reminded of subway etiquette. They form a straight line before boarding the train and do not chew bubble gum or try to run towards carriages as doors close. I observed that seats reserved for elderly and pregnant are occupied by the intended people and are otherwise skipped by other commuters. If Hong Kong people can practice queuing at bus stops and cashiers and observe simple rules outside subways, I see no reason why this type of attitude cannot be applied on the MTR.
Table manners
I observed that fastfood shops and restaurants in Taipei don’t have that many staff as I thought they should. Maybe that’s because with extra help from customers who fix their tables after they eat, there is less that attendants need to worry about. In Hong Kong, I try to spread this good deed by doing the same. So far it wasn’t effective in prompting others to follow; customers leave their mess on the table while busy cleaners try to tend to them as quickly as possible. I wonder what their tables at home look like after they eat. Ahh, that’s the job of the helpers, they might say.
Random acts of kindness
I’ve been told that people living in large cities are less caring than those in provinces. And maybe Taipei is not an exception. But so far, even though we roamed through Taipei main streets most of the time, people we meet were kind to us, despite the language barrier. Armed with a map and looking clueless in finding a landmark near the Snake Alley night market, an elderly man approached and gestured to help us. The only problem is that we didn’t have a common language to communicate. When Chinese language sign posts failed to guide us, two young women went out of their way to lead us to an English-speaking information counter.
While I see helpful Hong Kong people guiding tourists all the time, there’s a prevailing attitude I notice that indicates not everyone is doing the same. Even our sales people are cited for their unfriendly attitude.
It’s about time we try to adopt some of Taipei’s nice attributes and learn from our neighbors.
http://asiancorrespondent.com/73475/4-things-hong-kong-can-learn-from-taipei/
2012年1月20日 星期五
2012年1月17日 星期二
Taiwan Election Stirs Hopes Among Chinese for Democracy
By ANDREW JACOBS Published: January 16, 2012
BEIJING — There was another winner in the election this weekend that handed President Ma Ying-jeou of Taiwan a second term in office — the faint but unmistakable clamor for democracy in China.
As the election played out on Saturday, a palpable giddiness spread through the Twitter-like microblog services that have as many as 250 million members. They marveled at how smoothly the voting went, how graciously the loser, Tsai Ing-wen, conceded and how Mr. Ma gave his victory speech in the rain without the benefit of an underling’s umbrella — in contrast with the pampering that Chinese officials often receive.
“It’s all anyone on Weibo was talking about this weekend,” said Zhang Ming, a political science professor at Renmin University in Beijing, referring to Sina Weibo, China’s most popular microblog service.
Users expressed barbed humor about their own unelected leaders — and envy over Taiwan’s prodigious liberties — but also deeply felt pride that their putative compatriots pulled off a seamless election free of the violence that marred previous campaigns in Taiwan, including a 2004 assassination attempt against the president at the time, Chen Shui-bian.
“On the other side of the sea, Taiwan erected a mirror. And on this side of the sea, we saw ourselves in the future,” read one well-forwarded comment by Xu Wei, a wine expert.
The election, Taiwan’s fifth since it traded authoritarian rule for democracy in 1996, presented Chinese leaders with something of a challenge. While the governing Communist Party has long sought to portray democracy as unsuitable for the Chinese nation, it also considers Taiwan a part of China — despite a six-decade schism during which the island of 23 million has developed strongly held ideas about free speech and self-determination.
To allow unfettered news media coverage of the race was out of the question, but to strangle the news online of a major international story might have provoked an uncomfortable backlash from China’s increasingly savvy Internet users. The result was schizophrenic: in contrast to the relatively freewheeling commentary found on microblogs and Internet portals, the official press provided spare and neutered coverage of the balloting.
In its few dispatches on the race, the state’s Xinhua news agency avoided the words “democracy” and “president,” and it cast the contest as a local election, in keeping with Beijing’s stance that Taiwan is a breakaway province.
Over all, Xinhua’s reports have presented Mr. Ma’s win as a validation of Beijing’s newfound cross-strait détente, which has led to reduced tensions between the two governments while enriching Taiwan’s economy with increased trade and tourism. “The people of Taiwan have used their votes to express their desire for peace of mind, stability and development,” Xinhua wrote.
As is typical for politically sensitive news events, Chinese newspapers were instructed to run only Xinhua’s account of the election, but many editors appeared to make up for such constraints by running banner headlines, splashy graphics and large photographs of a triumphant, rain-soaked president. “No one told us we couldn’t put the election on our front page, so that’s what we did,” one editor of a large daily newspaper said subversively.
David Bandurski, a researcher at Hong Kong University’s China Media Project, said the disparity in coverage between the state media and privately owned Internet portals suggested that officials were still unsure how to grapple with a rapidly evolving medium. “The control regime, if you call it that, is still trying to catch up,” he said. “If their approach is too stringent, they risk a blowback.”
For those who hanker for political reform, the momentary stasis was welcome. An early opening arrived last month, when Chinese discovered they were able to watch the presidential debate online. Just as impressive for many were the campaign photographs that showed the candidates glad-handing in public. One image that inspired a welter of favorable reaction was an encounter between Mr. Ma and a peevish pork vendor who turned away in disgust. “At a time like this, one can really see who is the servant and who is the master, and experience what a balanced system is,” wrote the Chinese blogger Han Zhiguo.
Interest in the race snowballed in recent weeks and a number of high-profile mainland businessmen decided to travel to Taiwan to see the contest up close. Among them was Wang Shi, one of China’s biggest real estate tycoons, who sent out regular microblog dispatches from political rallies. “Everything went orderly and there were no surprises,” he wrote over the weekend to his four million followers. “The political environment has really matured.”
Another mainland businessman who spent several days in Taiwan said the election had a profound impact on his understanding of politics. Seated on a plane bound for Beijing on Sunday night, he described how he had been led to believe that Taiwan’s democracy was chaotic and shallow, its elections prone to violence. Not anymore, he said.
“This is an amazing idea, to be able to choose the people who represent you,” said the man, who asked to remain nameless so he could speak without restraint. “I think democracy will come to China. It’s only a matter of time.”
But it seems the most telling commentary on the election was a joke that had been forwarded thousands of times in recent days. A Taiwanese man brags to his Chinese friend that he will go to the polls in the morning and know the results that evening. “You guys are too backward,” the Chinese friend responds. “If we had to vote tomorrow morning, we would already know who is elected by tonight.”
BEIJING — There was another winner in the election this weekend that handed President Ma Ying-jeou of Taiwan a second term in office — the faint but unmistakable clamor for democracy in China.
President Ma Ying-jeou's election victory speech, given in the rain without the benefit of an underling's umbrella, was a hot topic for mainland Chinese.
Lam Yik Fei for The New York Times
Supporters of Mr. Ma gathered in front of the party's campaign headquarters in Taipei on Saturday.
Thanks in large part to an uncharacteristically hands-off approach by Chinese Internet censors, the campaign between Mr. Ma and his main challenger was avidly followed by millions of mainland Chinese, who consumed online tidbits of election news and biting commentary that they then spit out far and wide through social media outlets.
As the election played out on Saturday, a palpable giddiness spread through the Twitter-like microblog services that have as many as 250 million members. They marveled at how smoothly the voting went, how graciously the loser, Tsai Ing-wen, conceded and how Mr. Ma gave his victory speech in the rain without the benefit of an underling’s umbrella — in contrast with the pampering that Chinese officials often receive.
“It’s all anyone on Weibo was talking about this weekend,” said Zhang Ming, a political science professor at Renmin University in Beijing, referring to Sina Weibo, China’s most popular microblog service.
Users expressed barbed humor about their own unelected leaders — and envy over Taiwan’s prodigious liberties — but also deeply felt pride that their putative compatriots pulled off a seamless election free of the violence that marred previous campaigns in Taiwan, including a 2004 assassination attempt against the president at the time, Chen Shui-bian.
“On the other side of the sea, Taiwan erected a mirror. And on this side of the sea, we saw ourselves in the future,” read one well-forwarded comment by Xu Wei, a wine expert.
The election, Taiwan’s fifth since it traded authoritarian rule for democracy in 1996, presented Chinese leaders with something of a challenge. While the governing Communist Party has long sought to portray democracy as unsuitable for the Chinese nation, it also considers Taiwan a part of China — despite a six-decade schism during which the island of 23 million has developed strongly held ideas about free speech and self-determination.
To allow unfettered news media coverage of the race was out of the question, but to strangle the news online of a major international story might have provoked an uncomfortable backlash from China’s increasingly savvy Internet users. The result was schizophrenic: in contrast to the relatively freewheeling commentary found on microblogs and Internet portals, the official press provided spare and neutered coverage of the balloting.
In its few dispatches on the race, the state’s Xinhua news agency avoided the words “democracy” and “president,” and it cast the contest as a local election, in keeping with Beijing’s stance that Taiwan is a breakaway province.
Over all, Xinhua’s reports have presented Mr. Ma’s win as a validation of Beijing’s newfound cross-strait détente, which has led to reduced tensions between the two governments while enriching Taiwan’s economy with increased trade and tourism. “The people of Taiwan have used their votes to express their desire for peace of mind, stability and development,” Xinhua wrote.
As is typical for politically sensitive news events, Chinese newspapers were instructed to run only Xinhua’s account of the election, but many editors appeared to make up for such constraints by running banner headlines, splashy graphics and large photographs of a triumphant, rain-soaked president. “No one told us we couldn’t put the election on our front page, so that’s what we did,” one editor of a large daily newspaper said subversively.
David Bandurski, a researcher at Hong Kong University’s China Media Project, said the disparity in coverage between the state media and privately owned Internet portals suggested that officials were still unsure how to grapple with a rapidly evolving medium. “The control regime, if you call it that, is still trying to catch up,” he said. “If their approach is too stringent, they risk a blowback.”
For those who hanker for political reform, the momentary stasis was welcome. An early opening arrived last month, when Chinese discovered they were able to watch the presidential debate online. Just as impressive for many were the campaign photographs that showed the candidates glad-handing in public. One image that inspired a welter of favorable reaction was an encounter between Mr. Ma and a peevish pork vendor who turned away in disgust. “At a time like this, one can really see who is the servant and who is the master, and experience what a balanced system is,” wrote the Chinese blogger Han Zhiguo.
Interest in the race snowballed in recent weeks and a number of high-profile mainland businessmen decided to travel to Taiwan to see the contest up close. Among them was Wang Shi, one of China’s biggest real estate tycoons, who sent out regular microblog dispatches from political rallies. “Everything went orderly and there were no surprises,” he wrote over the weekend to his four million followers. “The political environment has really matured.”
Another mainland businessman who spent several days in Taiwan said the election had a profound impact on his understanding of politics. Seated on a plane bound for Beijing on Sunday night, he described how he had been led to believe that Taiwan’s democracy was chaotic and shallow, its elections prone to violence. Not anymore, he said.
“This is an amazing idea, to be able to choose the people who represent you,” said the man, who asked to remain nameless so he could speak without restraint. “I think democracy will come to China. It’s only a matter of time.”
But it seems the most telling commentary on the election was a joke that had been forwarded thousands of times in recent days. A Taiwanese man brags to his Chinese friend that he will go to the polls in the morning and know the results that evening. “You guys are too backward,” the Chinese friend responds. “If we had to vote tomorrow morning, we would already know who is elected by tonight.”
A version of this article appeared in print on January 17, 2012, on page A4 of the New York edition with the headline: Taiwan Election Stirs Hopes Among Chinese for Democracy.
2012年1月15日 星期日
2012年1月7日 星期六
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![[My Students] 019. Kristen Howe](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6fl7mv-KgX09CgfhyphenhyphenDCChFC0uckRJn8fqOzofP6uwnGFk77mRhuIVb3IkAFigHM0EJHs1mVVvtfV8GQO6IKaJl2Kblnefg3iOMGJq2XHMBzwyLXaj1fxkqs7wpiyqIs8VvizfneZUwviv/s300/19.Kristen.jpg)
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![[My Students] 010. Ian Beattie](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqjAK-yoXqDRiBmPCwooP3re4L12-I-66UJOLarr9KMXh9PTxwqerDOiiNaaj6bei7mSNXYDH14Nz4wbdO2nsufJVQbjjrFXENSBxYGjb1uPjbQfbdwGFwU9Uockzad6g5qCmm992rUTd/s300/10.Ian.jpg)
![[My Students] 002. Jan Picha](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kzkdtuhJeq4/S_IgQ4AeqZI/AAAAAAAAAhA/_-tRCWLysyE/S300/%5BMy+Students%5D+002.+Jan+Picha)