動與靜、靜與動 Motion and Calm

       

       
(本文刊載於基督教論壇報 2016年3月5日)

      話語是帶著影響力的，也許就在輕鬆的言談之間……猶記得幾年前的一個秋季，大兒子唸國小附設幼兒園時，我參加了學校家長會舉辦的單車半日遊，在這趟愉快的淡水河單車之旅，我聽見家長們彼此輕鬆的交談，還記得有一位國小家長問到：「你們會願意帶孩子請假出去玩或旅行嗎？」 

      Words are influential, even in casual conversation.
      I still remember fall a few years ago, when my eldest son was enrolled in the school's attached Kindergarten, I participated in the PTA's afternoon bike ride. During this happy bike trip on DanShui River, I heard parents casually chatting with each other, and I still remember an elementary school parent ask, "Would any of you be willing to take leave and bring your child out to play or travel?"

      我還記得當時有兩位國小高年級的家長異口同聲地說：「當然願意！」我當下覺得有點兒吃驚，心想：「請假出去玩？這有點兒不妥吧！」但其實這問題沒有標準答案，關鍵在於你如何看待「學習」這件事。這段家長之間的談話內容，也潛移默化地帶給我新的啟發，人的想法是會改變的，幾年後當我的大兒子讀小六，小兒子讀小三時，我決定在學期中，避開寒暑假和假日人潮，帶孩子們出國來趟四天三夜香港自由行！
  
       I remember at that time there were two parents of 5th graders who unanimously said, "of course we would!". I immediately felt a little surprised, thinking "Taking leave to go play? That just seems a bit wrong!" Actually, there's no right answer to this question, the key is in how you approach "Learning". The contents of this conversation among parents had also unknowingly given me new inspiration. People's ideas do change. A few years later, when my eldest was in 6th grade, and my youngest was in third grade, I decided that, during the school year, to avoid the summer, winter break, and weekend crowds, I would bring my kids abroad on an independent trip for four days and three nights in Hong Kong!

       旅行是生活的一部份，在陌生的土地上探索，有驚喜、有冒險，有開心也有不開心的事。尤其是和孩子們一起自助旅行，一個媽咪帶著兩個活潑好動、又是很有自己的主見而非所謂「聽話型」的小男生出國旅行，實在不是一件輕鬆簡單的事，旅途充滿挑戰，但卻是很值得回味的親子旅程。記得當我們三人走在香港地鐵狹長的人行通道時，牆壁上寫著大大的一行字，吸引了我們的目光：「這世界根本就是一本書，如果你不走出去，就只讀了一頁！」好喜歡這句話，旅行就是在閱讀世界這本書，旅行本身就是一種很棒的學習過程，一切都是值得的！

       Travel is a part of life. In exploring new lands there are surprises, adventures, and happy and unhappy things. Especially traveling with the kids by myself, a mommy bringing abroad two lively little boys who are also of their own minds and not what you would call the obedient type, wasn't exactly a relaxing or simple affair. The journey was full of challenges, but it was a worthwhile and memorable journey with a mother and her sons. I remember when the three of us walked in the long narrow passages of the Hong Kong subway, something written on the wall in a line of big letters caught our attention: "Essentially, the world is just a book, and if you don't explore it, then you've only read one page!" I really like this sentence, traveling is like reading the book of the world, travel is a great process for learning in and of itself, all of it is valuable!

       台灣是一個四面環海、高山林立的美麗島嶼，身為台灣人，「看山看海」是一種熟悉的感覺。然而，在中西融合、多元文化、貿易發達的香港，最令我難以忘懷的竟是「香港的海」。同樣是大海，台灣的海波浪滔滔，沙灘綿延，聽聽海浪的聲音，「動中帶靜」；香港的海寧靜平穩，眾多小島與船隻點綴在海面上，小島的純淨，各式大小船隻來來往往，「靜中帶動」。

       Taiwan is a beautiful island, surrounded by ocean, inlaid with tall mountains. As a Taiwanese person, 'see the mountain, see the ocean' is a kind of familiar feeling. However, in the culturally diverse, and sophisticated free-trading of Hong Kong where east meets west, the most unforgettable sight to me was Hong Kong's ocean. They are both open ocean. Taiwan's ocean waves are choppy, with long stretches of shore; listening to their sounds, there is calm amidst motion. Hong Kong's ocean is tranquil and steady. Numerous small islands and boats dot the coast, the islands pure, boats of various shapes and sizes coming and going, there is motion amidst calm.

       在旅途的行進中，別只顧著趕行程，必須花時間停下腳步，靜心閱讀週遭的世界，用心捕捉觸動人心的感動，這正是一種「動中帶靜」的體驗與學習。我們都需要在安靜中沉澱，在沉澱中帶出動力。我想到聖經中的一句話：「你們要安靜 (要休息)，要知道我是神」（詩篇46:10）。每當安靜地讀聖經，聆聽神的聲音時，這看似靜態的讀經時光，卻是充滿生命動力與喜悅的時刻，「靜中帶動」。

        On the road of each journey, we shouldn't merely rush through; we must spend time to stop our pace and calmly read the world around us with the intention of capturing heartwarming emotions, which is precisely a kind of 'calm amidst motion ' experience and learning. We all need to settle in peace, settling will give rise to power. I thought of a quote from the Bible: "Be still (rest), and know that I am God" (Psalms 46:10). Whenever peacefully reading the Bible, listening to the voice of God, these seemingly static times while reading, are actually moments filled with life's power and joy: motion amidst calm.

       此刻的我，正在寫作。寫作的過程看似安靜又孤獨，實則活潑與自由，彷彿在進行一場心靈的旅遊和探險之旅。隨著鍵盤的敲打聲，生命在「動與靜」、「靜與動」之間流動，來回穿梭著……

       In this moment, I am writing. The writing process appears quiet and lonely, but it is in fact lively and free, as if my spirit is on a journey of travel and adventure. Life's 'motion vs. calm' and 'calm vs. motion' flows back and forth with the tapping of keystrokes...

作者:譚亞菁 Feb.20, 2016

Translated by Parker Gadbois