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