山上的運動會 Games on the Mountain

   

        每年十月，在涼爽的秋季，於某一個週末早晨，在陽明山上的一所公立田園小學，都會上演一年一度的溫馨運動會。學校的操場旁，橫躺著一座外型圓潤的紗帽山，操場各處繽紛的彩帶裝飾，搭配綠樹藍天、秋季暖陽，這個充滿活潑生氣的大操場，即將迎接全校一百多位小朋友的精彩演出，與各式競賽。

        Every October, in the coolness of autumn, on a certain weekend morning, a rural public elementary school in Yamingshan stages the annual Warm Games. Across the school's playground, lies the rounded Shamao Hill, and every corner of the playground is adorned with colorful ribbons that accompany the green trees, blue sky, and autumn's warm sun. This great playground, so full of life and vitality, is about to welcome brilliant performances from the entire school's one hundred plus kids, with all kinds of contests.

        這是我孩子的學校，雖然這不是我第一次來參加這場山上的運動會，但卻是最令我回味的。究竟有什麼不同呢？對我來說，最大的差別在於，往年我大多是在旁邊觀看表演和比賽，忙著幫孩子錄影和拍照，而這次我試著從旁觀者變成參與者，積極參與運動會上的多樣活動，譬如親子趣味競賽、熱情啦啦隊、家長大隊接力等活動，從中也深深感受到，要享受活動的過程，勝過比賽的結果。

        This is my children's school, although it wasn’t my first time to participate in these Games on the mountain, it still is the most memorable for me. Well, what was so different about it? For me, the biggest difference is that in previous years I mostly was on the sidelines, watching the performances and competition, busy helping the kids take video and pictures; but this time I tried to go from a spectator to a participant, actively participating in the diverse activities of the Games, such as parent-child co-op competitions, the enthusiastic cheerleaders, parent relays etc. In the midst of it all, it can be deeply felt, that enjoying the process of the activity, is better than the actual outcome of the contest.

        運動會的高潮，就是最刺激的大隊接力賽。我的孩子很愛跑步，看見他穿上紅色1號背心，他是身負重任的紅隊第一棒！當槍聲響起，他從跑道內圈最後方，一路向前衝刺，我看到那紅色的身影，超越一個又一個對手，我內心吶喊著：「孩子，你好酷！」接著看見他第一個交棒的當下，不知何故竟然「掉棒」，紅色棒子掉在跑道上，第二棒跑者將棒子撿起來向前奔馳時，已被對手超越，我看出孩子臉上露出一絲懊惱，我上前安慰、鼓勵他，並和他一起為同學熱情加油，我彷彿回到學生時代，真的好久沒這麼用力地大聲加油，基本上我有點忘了自己是媽咪，好像變回學生一般，那是一種「返老還童」的感覺吧！

    

        The climax of the games is the most exciting brigade relay race. My child loves to run, seeing him wear the red number one jersey, he is charged with the important task of the red team's first leg! When the gun sounds, he runs from the farthest back of the inner lane, sprinting all the way forward, I see that red figure, pass one opponent after another, and my heart cries out "My child, you're so cool!" Then immediately after I saw him be the first to hand off the baton, somehow unexpectedly the baton fell, the red baton had fallen on the track, when the second leg ran to pick up the baton and sprint forward, he was already overtaken by his opponent, I saw my child's face showing traces of chagrin, I went up to comfort and encourage him, and we both enthusiastically cheered on his classmates. It was just as if I had returned to my school days, it had really been a long time since I cheered so loudly. Basically I kind of forgot that I was a mommy, as if I had become a student again, that really was a kind of rejuvenating feeling!

        運動場上的情景，往往也可以反映在真實的人生。提到「掉棒」，在現實生活中，誰沒有「掉棒」過？似乎成功在望，卻因為一時的閃失、操之過急，或沒有堅持到底，而功虧一簣。但我們必須要有重新拾起棒子的勇氣，與其沉浸在自責懊惱中，不如享受生命的每一個學習過程，就如聖經中使徒保羅的名言：「忘記背後，努力面前的，向著標竿直跑」（腓立比書3:13-14）。

        Sights in the sports arena often also reflect the reality of our lives. Just like dropping the baton in real life: who's never dropped the baton before? It seems like success is within our reach, but because of a momentary slip, too much haste, or a lack of persistence till the end, we fall short of success. But we must have the courage to pick up the baton once more, for rather than be immersed in remorse and self-pity, we should enjoy every one of life's lessons, just like the famous words of the Apostle Paul in the Bible: "Forget what lies behind and strive for what lies ahead, running straight toward the goal" (Phil. 3:13-14).

        那天，「家長大隊接力」是這場山上的運動會的壓軸賽，我平日喜愛走路，卻沒有跑步的習慣，我實在猶豫要不要參加，擔心自己會不會跑太慢，會不會跌倒受傷，會不會…… 然而，看一看操場綠意盎然的草皮跑道，以及圓潤可愛的紗帽山橫躺在一旁，我心想：無論如何，在山中奔跑，會是多麼棒的體驗啊！我穿起了藍色4號背心，決定去參賽！的確，在山中盡力奔跑的感覺，真過癮！在跑步的過程中，我感覺後方似乎有一陣風追上來，我被超越了！然而，我很訝異自己雖然被超越還是這麼開心，還是這麼享受跑步的過程，在順利交棒給下一位跑者時，我鬆了一口氣，臉上洋溢著無比燦爛的笑容！那一刻我彷彿是一位勝利者，因為對我而言，我達到自己的目標：勇敢參賽、享受過程、安全歸來！

        That day, the Parent's Relay was the finale for the Games on the Mountain, I love to walk in general, but I don't really have a habit of jogging. I actually hesitated about participating, worrying to myself, what if I run too slow, what if I fall prey to injury, what if....but, I had a look at the playground's lush turf track, as well as the lovely rounded Shamao hill lying across the way, and I thought to myself, no matter what, a run in the mountains will be such a great experience! I put on the blue number four jersey, and decided to compete! Indeed, the feeling of running hard through the mountains, is beyond amazing! While running, I felt as though my back had a gust of wind chasing it…I was overtaken! However, I am surprised that although I was passed up, I was still so happy, and I still enjoyed the running that much. When I smoothly passed the baton to the next person running, I breathed a sigh of relief, and an extremely brilliant smile shown on my face! In that moment, I felt like I was a winner, because for me, I had reached my personal goal: compete with courage, enjoy the process, and safely return!

        俗話說：「人比人，氣死人」，何苦去和他人做無謂的比較呢？做一個和自己賽跑的人吧！箴言說：「沒有異象，民就放肆」（箴言29:18），提醒我們朝著真正的目標與夢想前進，是多麼重要！人生各階段都有其特定的目標和獨特的風景，其過程好比登山，在到達目的地之前，別忘了欣賞沿途的風景，每一段路的景緻都值得你細細品味。人生的過程也好比春夏秋冬，每個季節都有其獨特的美麗和迷人之處，等著你細心發掘。

        As the saying goes "If you compare your lot to others, you will only torture yourself", why bother to make a meaningless comparison to other people? Become a person that races yourself! In Proverbs it says, "Where there is no vision, the people perish" (Proverbs 29:18), this reminds us to strive toward real goals and dreams, it's so important! Each stage of life has it's own specific goal and unique landscape, its process is like climbing a mountain, before reaching the destination, don't forget to enjoy the scenery along the way; the view from every step of the way is worth savoring. The process of life is also like spring, summer, autumn, and winter, each season has it's own unique beauty and charms, waiting for you to carefully discover them.

作者:譚亞菁 Nov.22, 2012

Translated by Parker Gadbois

與山有約 A Meeting With a Mountain

    

        從小生長在這座多山的美麗島嶼「台灣」，自然就有一股對「山」的眷戀之情。我喜愛那一片青翠的山，一層層的山巒有著各種不同色調的綠。山上有時陽光普照，有時雲霧繚繞，時而像一座高大的綠色城堡，時而像一幅飄逸的水墨畫作。在山上你可以放膽地大口呼吸，吸進充滿芬多精的清新空氣。你可以在物種繁多、生氣盎然的山林間，像進行一場尋寳遊戲一般，去尋覓那些美得令你驚艷的花草，或是可愛動物的蹤跡。你甚至可以對著山谷吶喊，靜靜聆聽來自山谷間的迴響……提到「山」的美麗以及對「山」的情感，那真是說也說不完！

        Since I was little I've grown up on this mountainous, beautiful island, Taiwan. Naturally, I have a nostalgic affinity for mountains. I love the verdant mountains, the layers upon layers of peaks with all different hues of green. Sometimes sunlight completely illuminates the mountain tops, sometimes mists wind among them, sometimes it's like a towering green castle, and sometimes it's like a flowing ink painting. At the peak, you can boldly take a deep breath, inhaling fresh air full of Phytoncid. You can go into a vibrant and diverse forest, as if on a treasure hunt, and look for those beautiful stunning flowers, or the traces of cute animals. You can even call out into the valleys, quietly listening for their echo.... Mention the mountain's beauty as well as our feelings toward it, and you really could talk endlessly about it!

        既然「山」是如此豐富多彩，讓人著迷，當我的孩子到了入學年齡，就去找一座山中的小學就讀吧！在參觀比較了五所學校之後，我們決定就讀位在陽明山國家公園、紗帽山麓上的一所公立田園小學。其實，不少人曾好奇地問我：「為何捨棄住家附近的學校，寧願每天開車上陽明山去上學呢？」 我想主要原因是，我希望孩子能暫時離開都市的水泥叢林，快樂擁抱美麗的大自然，我總覺得「親近自然的孩子不會變壞」，在親近大自然的過程中，能提升孩子對萬物的敏銳觀察力、豐富的好奇心、創造力，以及審美能力。同時，在山上的小學校，一個年級只有一班，這裡是一個山中大家庭，校長認識全校每一位小朋友，每個孩童都能充分得著師長的關愛。

        Since the mountains are rich in color and fascinating, when my children were of age to start school, we looked for a primary school in the mountains for them to attend! After visiting and comparing five schools, we decided that they would study in Yangmingshan National Park, at a rural public primary school atop the Shamao foothills. Actually, many people curiously asked me, "Why give up the neighborhood schools near home in favor of a daily commute to Yangmingshan to go to school?" I think the main reason is I wanted my children to be able to temporarily leave the concrete jungle of the city, and happily embrace the beauty of nature, I've always thought that "children close to nature won't become bad". The process of becoming close to nature can improve a child's keen observation of all things, enriching their curiosity, creativity, and aesthetic abilities. At the same time, for a small school in the mountains, each grade only has one class. Here, it's an extended family in the mountain, where the principal knows each student in the entire school, and each child is able to fully receive the loving care of their teachers.

        孩童的幼小心靈所最需要的，不正是能得著來自父母、師長最真摯的關懷與疼愛嗎？為何許多大人要那麼擔心所謂的競爭力，常認為千萬別讓孩子輸在起跑點上，所以除了學校功課繁重，放學後的補習文化也隨之盛行，他們背著沉重的書包，早出晚歸的日子，日復一日、年復一年，於無形中失去了多少童年的歡笑啊！我真的相信，一個孩子能真正感受到被尊重、被關愛，從小建立起健康的自我形象，並且能天天快樂學習，培養出積極、主動學習的能力，才是他最大的資產，讓他一生受用無窮！

        What do the young minds of children need most? Is it not receiving the most sincere love and care from their parents and teachers? Why are so many adults obsessed with 'competitiveness', always maintaining that you should never let children lose at the starting line, whereby in addition to arduous school work, an after class cram-school culture has emerged en masse, and kids carry heavy book bags, leaving early in the morning, returning late at night, day after day, year after year, while virtually missing out on so much childhood laughter! I truly believe, when a child can really feel respected and cared for, starting young to establish a healthy self-image, and can happily study everyday, cultivating a positive and active ability to learn, this will be his greatest asset, something his life will infinitely benefit from!

        回想起當初來到這所山中的小學，當然，學校的菜園、樹屋、五色鳥、花草果樹、藍染、溫泉池、環保校園等特色，都深深地吸引我們。然而事實上，還有一個最主要的因素，讓我們愛上這裡，那就是在這所學校的操場旁，橫躺著一座紗帽山，整個山的形狀就像日本卡通「龍貓（豆豆龍 Totoro）」 的圓圓肚子一樣，好特別又好可愛，好比豆豆龍就躺在操場旁邊一般，讓我們一來到操場，就立即目不轉睛地看著這座山！這也讓我想起詩篇121篇中的詩句：「我要向山舉目，我的幫助從何而來？我的幫助從造天地的耶何華而來。」我告訴孩子，你在學校難免會遇到一些困難、挫折，雖然媽媽無法隨時在你身邊幫助你，但天父不一樣，祂是你隨時的幫助，你可以抬頭望一望這座山，就知道你的幫助從何而來。

    

        與山有約，是每天幸福的約會！

        Recalling the first time coming to this school in the mountain, of course, the school gardens, tree houses, the colorful birds, the plants and fruit trees, blue clay, the mineral pool, and the environmentally friendly campus are all qualities that deeply attracted us. However, in reality there's still one of the most important factors that made us fall in love with this place, and that is next to the school's playground, lying across Shamao Hill, the entire shape of the mountain looks just like Round Belly from the Japanese anime "Totoro". It's so neat and cute, just as if Totoro was lying beside the playground; it made us immediately stare at the mountain as soon as we reached the playground! This also makes me think of a verse from Psalms 121 "I will lift my eyes up to the mountains, where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth." I told my children, you will inevitably encounter some difficulties and setbacks at school, and although mommy is not able to be by your side at all times to help you, the Father is different. He is always your help; you can look up, gaze at this mountain, and know where your help comes from.

    

        A meeting with a mountain, is a date of daily happiness!

作者:譚亞菁 Nov.13, 2012 

Translated by Parker Gadbois