Wednesday, 13 March 2013

爲什麼不跟大家說

這八成會是最近記者群丟出來的無聊問題之一。政論節目裡面罵翻天的項目之一。

這篇很久不見的部落文會是我漫天開罵東南西北大混雜的不之所云。

很久以前開始就覺得台灣媒體很多人都白目到一個有點神經病,應該要掛急診看醫生然後送龍發堂的地步。

很久以前,新聞我就開始只看BBC, CNN。

台灣的新聞根本就是娛樂八卦板。偶爾有重大一點的消息反正英文廣播節目的整點新聞總會聽到。這跟崇洋媚外沒有關係。這是因為對台灣新聞圈的炒作手法痛心。對政府感到失望。對民眾要求感到無奈。今天報紙頭條全部都是馬小姐老公是模特兒。這樣,你們就滿足了?

24小時輪迴播的新聞台有20的小時不停在播駙馬爺駙馬爺,台灣民眾竟然也甘之如飴。

我想要出國工作。我想要在國外生活。但我不認為那是唯一的出路。

為如果台灣人可以更尊重專業、如果政府跟企業能夠更重視勞工的價值、如果我們的頭條真正去關心一下這塊芝麻大地方以外的事情、如果台灣人可以更尊重自己...我覺得台灣是很棒的地方。全世界沒有第二個。

台灣人很善良,很古椎,很憨厚。

所以天天給媒體耍的團團轉。給想盡辦法佔人民便宜的政府耍的團團轉。給想盡辦法佔台灣政府便宜的外國政府耍的團團轉。給想盡辦法佔自己同胞便宜的小心眼耍的團團轉。

台灣人很崇美。多嚴重?嚴重到看到白人老外第一個反應就是他一定英文很好;管他是不是法國來的。嚴重到台灣女生在夜店裡面(我真的不開這種玩笑)不穿胸罩一件小可愛到處拿胸部往白人老外身上撞當作「借過 」在用。

嚴重到有一陣子補習班裡面教英文的人有可能是仲介從貧民窟找來,在美國混不下去的人。

嚴重到台灣很多ABC一天到晚扯著嗓子在街頭喊英文,然後旁邊的學生竟然還默默一臉羨目的行注目禮。然後仔細一聽那談話內容都無聊的在扯你是不是處男、我是不是處女、待會要去哪裡吃漢堡。

講難聽點,今天在美國混的下去,他幹麻回台灣教英文?他幹嘛在台灣這個嫌那個嫌?

這就是不尊重自己。

我本業做翻譯的。在台灣,很多人以為「我會講英文我就可以做翻譯」了。

所以翻譯公司案件很多都壓到不可思議的0.3台幣一個字。0.5台幣的案件很多翻譯就覺得賺到了。0.8或者1塊錢的翻譯案件根本可遇不可求;碰到了應該是上輩子修到的福分。

這就是不尊重專業。

英文翻中文大家都可以,可是你翻的順不順?翻的通不通?翻的人家看不看的懂?更不要說翻的美不美。

台灣很多莫名出版社的翻譯小說打開來,那個中文簡直狗屁不通。大的出版社比較不會,可是我也看過翻的莫名其妙的例子。

公司有老外來上課,隨便就丟一個會講英文的去做口譯。就算找了口譯旁邊也有一堆英文稍微溜一點的一直插嘴。

這就是不尊重專業。

我想出國,是因為在國外只要他們本國母語不是中文,我一張A4翻譯稿(看清楚,算張的,不算字的),可以開價90英鎊、100歐元;就算我今天客氣一點開價一半,那也至少是兩千塊錢台幣。我想出國,是因為只要我在作口譯,就不會有旁邊會講生活口語中文的甲乙丙丁在旁邊插嘴自以為什麼都聽懂了。

我想出國,是因為在那裡你每個星期乖乖上滿35或40小時的班, 老闆會趕你去休假。加班一定有加班費。一年至少20天年假、5天有薪病假。


講的更實在一點。我前兩天才在跟澳洲朋友講,我想出國,not because I worship them, but because they fucking worship ME!

這是尊重自己。

我覺得我值得。我覺得我當初大學畢業起薪兩萬九,憑什麼我研究所唸完回來公司開價起薪低於三萬五(那個該死的22K我就根本就...順便罵一句:政府不尊重工作人口,企業當然只顧賺自己的)。


所以,回到開頭。爲什麼不跟大家說? 爲什麼結婚大喜不跟大家說?

因為你們一知道,你們就忙著關注駙馬爺是模特兒,而不是關注人家是哈佛畢業生、德意志銀行外派主管。你們就忙著關注他的外表,而不是注意他的能耐跟腦袋。你們就忙著說他沒有當台灣的兵,也不管很多滿街橫行的ABC也都不當台灣的兵。

所以,幹嘛要跟不尊重別人也不尊重自己的大家說?



 Creative Commons Licence
This work by meikoyim is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

Sunday, 5 February 2012

結果

說要寫中文部落格的最後就是什麼都沒寫。

寫寫每天上課碰到的各種學生嗎?想著就發懶。寫對社會政治的感想嗎?那更是叫人提不起勁;何況每次想罵都發噗了事了。

寫電影小說的觀後感嗎?累積了一堆,一想到就愈發沒力。而且最近都看英文書,讀後感都用英文打在英文好讀(其實就是個虛擬的書架,可以記錄讀過的書,想看的書,正在讀的書,給書籍評分,寫下感想,記錄開始跟結束日期,甚至統計一年讀了幾本書),再直接轉到wordpress的英文專用部落格。

於是這個剛剛看完讓我在凌晨五點哭到不能自己的偷書賊英文版的時刻,剛剛貼完英文感想的時候,不知道為什麼,我突然想起這個好久沒碰的地頭。

這個,去年年初,搬來的新家。

好啦,我會記得要回來灌溉的;我想著。於是莫名來這麼一篇不知所以的東西。

過幾天會把一些心得整理成中文吧。

Monday, 21 November 2011

回歸中文

至少,要這樣嘗試。

在wordpress又開了新的部落格,不希望被google制約的太徹底。Wordpress那裡同時開了三個部落格,主要希望可以劃分一些模糊的界線。


Monday, 31 October 2011

Review: The Dark Fields


The Dark Fields
The Dark Fields by Alan Glynn

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



I picked this book up almost immediately after watching the movie adaptation.

That was like, two, maybe even three months ago.

During the process I've picked up (and finished) Patrick Süskind's Perfume and a so-called "teen novel" Thirteen Reasons Why.

And a couple trashy Romances.

And two Agatha Christies.

I didn't fully warm up to the story itself way past halfway point, about 54% in. If you ask me, any book that doesn't attract you within the first third, you should ditch it aside. Life's too short to waste on something you don't enjoy reading.

I stuck through this one for a peculiar reason. I do self-destructive things when I'm down, but not self-harm. I write articles that pick on issues I know most people would have an issue with, I read novels that depress me further.

The book isn't bad, it's just depressing.

Watch the movie, this book should be the absolute last resort.



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Saturday, 22 October 2011

Translator Rant


I just shared an article about obnoxious misconceptions people hold against photographers on G+. http://is.gd/LvTamh

Which got me to rant a bit about misconceptions and/or stereotypes people often play out on translators/interpreters (especially in Taiwan), which is a pain in the... well, it just gets people worked up... at least, it gets me worked up. And someone wanted to hear the full translator version.

I'm not sure I can come up with an itemised list, but I'd be willing to give it a go.

Friday, 21 October 2011

Random rant

So Gaddafi is no more. People in Lybia rejoice.

Although, should we?

Call me a prude if you want. Or you could drop by sarcastically, leaving a comment like "you're one to talk".

Friday, 14 October 2011

Review: Thirteen Reasons Why


Thirteen Reasons Why
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I already said I'm curious about the mind. Whether it's a real mind or a fictional mind doesn't really matter.

Suskind captured me and my attention with Perfume, and now once again I lost myself to another description of the mind.

The mind of a teenage American girl who decided to take her own life.

Thirteen Reasons Why.

It's classified as a fiction for young adults. But I think, aside from the YA stuff going on, it's pretty fit for me. It tells her tale from the point of view of someone that has wronged her somehow, so you get to peek into two minds at once. The sensitive, fragile girl as she's slowly, in a way, bullied to her end, and the person that constantly finds shocks and heartbreaks as she slowly reveals it all, through cassette tapes.

Gosh this probably wouldn't work any more now. Who in the world still uses cassette tapes... more importantly, who in the world still has equipment to play them?

She recorded 7 tapes, 13 tales. Each targeting a person that has pushed her a little further, and each telling a story along that line of losing hope.

And she sent them all, to the first person out of those 13, for them to be passed on by the people on that list, each to the next, so they'd know exactly what they did, and how it was perceived.

It's not deep... but like I said so many times... I'm quite soppy. And I can almost hear her in those tapes. I can almost hear her anger, her frustration, her hurt, her disappointment.

I think the author did a pretty good job describing a teenage girl/ young woman, her anger and hurt, as well as the young man listening to it all. It is probably more suitable for young adults if you consider what kids that age go through...bullying, peer pressure, stuff like that. But it is no less real for me because I've been through that... So it's cool that a grown man can capture stuff like that, that impacts people so deep.



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Review: Perfume: The Story of a Murderer


Perfume: The Story of a Murderer
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Picked up Patrick Süskind's Perfume, because recommended to me by a friend, I liked the movie a lot, the first time I believed wholeheartedly that images can transcend odours.

I believe I have the paperback in the UK, for now I'm stuck with a badly formatted digital version.

But gosh the scents that are described seem to attack my brain directly. I believe I'd be stuck with it for a while still... very strange..., can't seem to put it down, but I worry about my mentality when I try to understand Grenouille's mentality... and I cannot help it, the books seems to draw readers into it...

The words seem to shower me with their description of mentality and scent... making me feel lost and confused but enthralled all at once. I have to constantly stop because I get drawn in too easily... it's a masterpiece indeed.

I get to peek into the mind of a socio-path... or is that the mind of a psychopath? I think it is both, but more inclined to the latter. And I can almost see the reasoning, I can almost understand, and comprehend what is going through the head of Grenouille, how his mind is set.

Babies are born with a pure and simple mind. It's been a debate going on for thousands of years: were they born evil, or were they born good? Süskind seems to believe in the former, since Grenouille was born with a defect in character, as in he saw the world as he saw it, without love and without hope. But would he have changed if he had someone to love him? Would it have been different were someone able to offer him warmth?

I think I'd be stuck with finding out the answer. I wonder what I'd do if I was facing a person with no personal, human scent. I wonder what I'd do if I was such a person.



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Thursday, 1 September 2011

Movie #chickflick (maybe)

So, today I saw this wonderful feel good movie called *One Day*, staring Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess. And it's kept my mood up all day.

It's an adaptation based on the novel of the same name, by David Nicholls.

I read the novel in June, I think I'm going to call it one of my top 5 for the year 2011.

Monday, 29 August 2011

Review: And Then There Were None

And Then There Were None
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I know this story inside out for some reason. I don't believe I've read it before, but to be honest I cannot be quite so sure.

And I don't think I've seen any adaptation of this either.

Either way, I picked this up last night and finished it in just under 4 hours.

I think Agatha Christie is not great for writing detective or mystery novels. She's great for capturing the human mindset.

This novel is a perfect demonstration of such ability.

The way each guests thinks, doubts, suspects and is tortured with their own thoughts and fears. The fantastical description of how the dark side of human minds are at work. The endless questioning and cunning of each individual.

They are all so lively. Reading this book was like watching a play, a movie.

Knowing whodunit from the start did not spoil the story for me. It may have, in fact, enhanced it. To see that particular character at work, to comprehend the actions, and the derailed mind.

I shall refrain from picking up another until I finish Alan Glynn's Limitless. But oh the temptation!



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Sunday, 28 August 2011

Review: Murder on the Orient Express

Murder on the Orient Express
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I finished this one two days ago, was just lazy to type it out.

Another reason was I wasn't not sure what I could add to the Agatha Christie glory already out there. I always liked mystery and detective novels, most of the ones I've read however, prior to the 3 years spent in the UK, were in Chinese.

I have the full Arsen Lupin collection, as well as the Sherlock Holmes collection, in Chinese, sitting next to me right this very minute. In Taiwan and Japan, Arsen Lupin is a lot bigger a deal than Sherlock Holmes. At least such was the case of my generation.

I suspect the reason being French are inherently more romantic, and thus their stories presents themselves more romantic as well; while the English are...well, not dull, but oh-so-formal, and stiff. Sherlock can never be the ladies man, the moment he starts speaking that mysterious air of his vaporises, turning stern.

Anyway, Agatha Christie is English, and so...not very romantic. Poirot is set to be Belgian, but still more English than believable.

But I picked this out of my ebooks one night after watching the ITV movie adaptation. So it lives up to the task. She's truly remarkable in story telling, the dear Agatha. The story flows, the characters are, so lively (even though just a touch more stiff than in real life, but consider the time...I can live with that). And my favourite character of them all must be M. Bouc. He's more alive than anyone in the story. But that's just me.

I always dreaded picking up Agatha Christie, for there are so many. I was given a Poirot collection couple Christmases back, by my not-so-much-better-but-one-can't-complain other half, who saw me wasting time on a pc game demo based on her work. I don't think I really read it, I just picked it up to make him feel like he didn't waste the money.

Also I had it in my head that her work would be difficult to read. I am more into modern mysteries and detective novels, like the Jeffrey Deaver type.

But this was surprisingly fluent, for a person that's native tongue isn't English. I've been working on finishing the novel Limitless (or The Dark Fields), which the movie is based upon, but it's narrative left me with a headache so I stop constantly. With Murder on the Orient Express my only stops were when I was attending my Grandmother's funeral, and when I fell asleep while reading.

By the way I tend to read just before bed time, so falling asleep while reading (especially after spending the entire day working on translation or surfing the web), is a common thing. So the above statement was meant to be complimentary.

I think I'll pick another Agatha Christie book, for my next read.



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Saturday, 27 August 2011

"What is your name?"

Seems like an innocent enough question, doesn't it?

I needn't think much about it, not prior to the last two months.

Tuesday, 23 August 2011

This is a rant, ignore.

I hate grammar. And I suck at it.

If you read any of my writing you'd realise I tend to rant on and on and on, without stopping, using way too many commas, and end up having an overly long sentence, like this one. It just formed a paragraph! = =

Thursday, 18 August 2011

Ranting on

I went to bed at 7am. Fiddled around with my phone... and of course we know where that leads...by the time I closed my eyes and went into lala-land, it was noon.

Monday, 25 July 2011

Review: The Redbreast

The Redbreast
The Redbreast by Jo Nesbø

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



This is the third book of the Harry Hole series, yet the first one available in English. I wonder whether it's different for the Chinese versions, but have yet to check out the local bookstore. (Just checked and the Chinese translations start from book 3 as well.)

Yet, maybe I'm stereotyping, but Nordic novels, always seem so cold. They shape the landscape into a field plagued with different shades of grey. They are heavy, even when the subject seems relatively light.

Which doesn't mean they are not enjoyable. Even though I entered a series in the third installment, after its principle characters have been well established and thus very difficult for a new reader to follow, I was drawn to the story nonetheless. The time jump method did pose some problem for my comprehension, however, especially once I got used to the pace the author stopped and stayed in the present.

The culprit wasn't difficult to deduce, not really. Which is a downside. Typically when reading mysteries of thrillers I tend to not try and figure out who-done-it, since most of the time I'd be wrong anyway. This time not only wasn't I wrong, I'd bet most of the readers'd be spot on; which is not a pleasant surprise.

I just can't wrap my head around translating a series from book 3 onwards and ignoring the ones that actually set the tone for the characters still. But maybe that's just me.



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Monday, 11 July 2011

令人心神嚮往的神去村

最近發現原來我換了手機之後找到的,類似好讀的讀書分享網站(但是偏向書籍整理跟心得分享,而不是好讀的電子書下載),支援把讀書心得直接貼到blogger中。

這個網站名字就叫goodreads,硬要翻譯的話,嚴格說來就是好讀。而且支援各種語言的書,真的找不到還可以自己加上去。也支援中日文顯示。不過,畢竟是老美的網站,英文還是主要。

Review: Hitler's Niece: A Novel


Hitler's Niece: A NovelHitler's Niece: A Novel by Ron Hansen

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


At the start of the book, I couldn't quite get into it. Then I found out this is the same author that wrote The assassination if Jesse James by the coward wotshisname, and I thought, shoot, another book I'd probably never finish...(i never did finish that movie, really not my cup of tea...didn't even touch that book).

The writing is fluent, the words he chose to use in German was not. Maybe it's to contribute exotic feelings, but (and I was born in Germany and lived there for 8 years, so technically it's my mother tongue and homeland) c'mon, what was ever exotic about Germany?

I spoke that language daily for the first 8 years of my life yet I found the ones inserted showy, most of them were unnecessary, and it made an already very history text book like novel even harder to swallow.

It does get better, like 30-40% in. I was constantly distracted by other novels and have finished two in the meantime, so was forcing myself to read on. After I broke that 35% barrier it did get a lot easier, maybe because it started focusing on Geli more.

Geli is, and will remain a mystery. Hitler has always been a subject that the Germans and Austrian allike would never try to mention willingly, that bit of history erased from their memory unless you actually go to historical sites. I heard things have changed in recent years, but you could never expect a person to lift his own scabs and reveal his wounds, that's just too cruel. Hitler mentioned by every other country seems to be less of a human being and more of a monster. As in this book.

Half way through reading, I looked up these people online. I found a photo of Geli, the one mentioned in the book. I also found photos of Eva Braun, Hitler's mistress and wife for less than 24 hrs. They seemed strikingly similar.

I'm a soppy person, so I have to admit that towards the end of Geli I shed some tears. Not because she seemed unhappy, that happens way too often. But because she seemed trapped. Whether it was as the book says or trapped by love though, I have no idea.

It's not a bad read, just not as enthralling as I expected the topic to be.



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Saturday, 9 July 2011

Review: Grow Up


Grow UpGrow Up by Ben Brooks

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


His work isn't deep, granted. But the author is 18.



People (readers and critics alike) seem to forget that, they demand Charles Dickens out of him just because he's published. He is a teenager, and although young, his writing is better than a lot of adults ever will be. Give him time.



The book is not sophisticated, it's a very simple story about a teenage boy and drugs and sex and what's going through their head at that age. But I was often pleasantly surprised by choice of wording and sentences, often being at least once every three pages on my kindle.



I once purchased a book on Amazon written by a certain 'Anonymous' who published several of them, and some readers rating it as 'brilliant'. It wasn't, not for me. It was a jumbled up demon-ish, detective mystery fantasy that seemed to be written by a 13 year old while he was high on hard drugs. Forced and illogical. I ended up not finishing it and leaving it on a train.



At least this one is honest, and actually sensible. And I simply couldn't put it down.



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Review: 那啊那啊神去村


那啊那啊神去村那啊那啊神去村 by Shion Miura

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I bought it since late March, shortly after it was published. I have an issue of buying books quicker than I can read them, so there's always a massive pile of 'to read's in some corner. Paperback or digital.



It's a strange little story, it makes me laugh and cry, and often both at once. Most of the time, it makes me smile unstoppably. It is the story of another teenager, also 17. A Japanese boy left the city and started working deep in the woods, as a lumberjack, living with a strange group of people in a faraway village.



I can totally understand why Miyazaki thought of making it into an animation/movie. I can also understand why he chose not to in the end. Even though I do hope he changes his mind again. This story does fit his style of story telling.



This book is strangely enthralling, I picked it up at 3 this morning thinking "I'll go to bed after 20 pages" then it became 40, 60, and eventually a chapter.



And then I didn't put it down till half past 8, when I actually finished the whole book. I have a course to give in one hour, but strangely I don't mind. I feel good. This is one of them books that makes you feel good about life after reading it.



It's not available in English yet, though I hope it will be soon. :)









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Friday, 27 May 2011

About wars

The first time I realised that war is really tearing people apart, that it is really affecting everyone in the world, was no more than a couple of years ago.

I mean I wasn't naive or anything.