About Death 關於死亡

The studies of Public Administration, Management, Political and some of the other disciplines may guide us to advoid large lose by telling us to do the evaluations and identifications on the crisis events that may occur or are occurring. However, what disciplines can we study for deal with the inevitable problem of our death? Death is often considered a taboo subject in many cultures or societies for a variety of main reasons:

公共行政、管理學、政治學等一些學科的研究可以指導我們對可能發生或正在發生的危機事件進行評估和識別，避免造成重大損失。 然而，我們可以學習哪些學科來解決我們不可避免的死亡問題呢？ 在許多文化或社會中，死亡通常被視為禁忌話題，主要原因如下：

Fear of the unknown: Death represents the ultimate unknown, because no one can say for sure what will happen after death. This uncertainty can create fear and discomfort, causing people to avoid discussing the topic openly.

對未知的恐懼：死亡代表著終極的未知，因為沒有人能確切地說出死後會發生什麼事。這種不確定性會造成恐懼和不適，導致人們避免公開討論這個話題。

Cultural and religious beliefs: Different cultures and religions have different beliefs and practices about death. In some traditions, death is viewed as a transition to another realm, while in others death is viewed as the final outcome. These different perspectives can make discussing death a sensitive and potentially divisive topic.

文化和宗教信仰：不同的文化和宗教對死亡有不同的信念和做法。在某些傳統中，死亡被視為到另一個境界的過渡，而在另一些傳統中，死亡被視為最終結果。這些不同的觀點可能使討論死亡成為一個敏感且可能引起分歧的話題。

Uneasiness about death: These topics may reminder of one’s own mortality, which can be disturbing and difficult to face. This existential awareness may lead people to shy away from conversations about death.

對死亡的不安：這些話題可能會讓人想起自己的死亡，這可能令人不安且難以面對。 這種存在意識可能會導致人們迴避有關死亡的對話。

Historical Background: Throughout history, death has often been shrouded in mystery and superstition. This historical baggage may contribute to the ongoing taboo around discussion of death in contemporary society.

歷史背景：縱觀歷史，死亡常被籠罩在神秘和迷信之中。這種歷史包袱可能會導致當代社會對死亡討論的持續禁忌。

Personal experience: People may have had negative or traumatic experiences related to death, such as the loss of a loved one. These personal experiences can make the subject of death particularly sensitive and difficult to broach.

個人經驗：人們可能有過與死亡相關的負面或創傷經歷，例如失去親人。 這些個人經驗會讓死亡這個話題變得特別敏感且難以觸及。

Teachings about death and life after death can be found in some of the religions. These teachings, in my mind, potentially help break the taboo surrounding discussions of death. By incorporating beliefs and perspectives on what happens after death, individuals may feel more comfortable exploring the topic of death and the meaning of life in a broader context. These teachings with some aspects that can help break the taboo on death:

在某些宗教中可以找到有關死亡和死後生命的教義。我認為，這些教義可能有助於打破討論死亡的禁忌。透過結合對死後發生的事情的信念和觀點，個人可以更自在地在更廣泛的背景下探索死亡的話題及生命的意義。這些教義在一些層面上可以幫助打破死亡禁忌：

Offering Hope and Comfort: Beliefs in an afterlife or reincarnation can provide individuals with a sense of hope and comfort, easing fears surrounding death. By discussing these concepts openly, people may find solace in the idea that there is more beyond this life.

提供希望和安慰：對來世或轉世的信仰可以為個人提供希望和安慰感，減輕對死亡的恐懼。 透過公開討論這些概念，人們可能會在生命之外還有更多的想法中找到安慰。

Encouraging Reflection and Meaning-Making: These teachings can prompt individuals to reflect on their own beliefs, values, and purpose. This reflection can lead to meaningful conversations about death and the potential for a continued existence beyond the physical realm.

鼓勵反思和創造意義：這些教義可以促使個人反思自己的信念、價值和目的。 這種反思可以引發關於死亡和超越物質領域繼續存在的潛力的有意義的對話。

Cultural and Religious Perspectives: Some cultures and religions have rich traditions and teachings about life after death. By sharing and discussing these perspectives, individuals can gain a deeper understanding of diverse beliefs and practices surrounding death, fostering greater acceptance and openness.

文化和宗教觀點：一些文化和宗教有豐富的關於死後生命的傳統和教義。 透過分享和討論這些觀點，個人可以更深入地了解圍繞死亡的不同信仰和實踐，從而促進更大的接受度和開放性。

Promoting Emotional Well-Being: Exploring beliefs about life after death can also support emotional well-being by offering avenues for processing grief and loss. Understanding and accepting differing views on what comes after death can promote empathy and compassion in dealing with the end of life.

促進情緒健康：探索關於死後生命的信念也可以透過提供處理悲傷和失落的途徑來支持情緒健康。 理解和接受對死後發生的事情的不同看法可以促進在處理生命終點時的同理心和同情心。

The teachings from a certain religions may not completely eliminate the taboo surrounding discussions of death, but they can certainly contribute to a more open and accepting dialogue on the topic. By encouraging thoughtful reflection, offering comfort, and fostering understanding of diverse beliefs, they can play a valuable role in breaking down barriers and promoting healthier attitudes towards mortality. These teachings also have a certain significance in Social Work, Public Administration, Management, Political and other related fields for helping reduce the occurrence of tragedies in society. To promote discussions about death, we need to create a safe, inclusive, open, mutual-respect and supportive discussion environment, in which everyone can discuss these sensitive topics with empathy and understanding.

宗教教義可能無法完全消除對死亡討論的禁忌，但肯定有助於就該主題進行更加開放和易於接受的對話。透過鼓勵深思熟慮的反思、提供安慰和促進對不同信念的理解，它們可以在打破障礙和促進對死亡的更健康態
度方面發揮重要作用。這些教義在社會工作、公共行政、管理、政治等相關領域也有一定的意義，有助於減少社會悲劇的發生。為了促進有關死亡的討論，我們需要創造一個安全、包容、開放、相互尊重和支持的討論環境，讓每個人都能以同理心和理解的方式討論這些敏感話題。

「緣」這個中文字 The Chinese word "緣"

The Chinese word "緣" can not be easily translated as "fate" or "destiny" in English. When these two English words generally refer to the background and development of events that are determined by supernatural force only, the Chinese word "緣", roughly to say, refers to: (1) a chance to meet someone or something unexpected, e.g. "Unexpected that I have a chance to become a student in this collage without an ideal grade on the enroll exam."; (2) the linking of relationships and conditions that bring people together, e.g. "They have a deep bond between father and son.", "It was his gambling addiction that ruined their relationship, otherwise they would have gotten married long ago." 

中文的「緣」一詞在英文中不能簡單地翻譯為「fate」或「destiny」。 當這兩個英文詞一般指僅由超自然力量決定的事件的背景和發展時，中文的「緣」，粗略地說，指的是：（1）有機會遇到意想不到的人或事，例如： 「沒想到，我在入學考試成績不理想的情況下，也有緣成為這所學院的學生。」； (2) 將人們聚集在一起的關係和條件的聯繫，例如 「他們父子緣深厚」，「是他的賭癮毀了他們的緣，不然他們早就結婚了。」

Similar to the concept of "cause and effect" and "karma", "緣" represents everything in life, including the odd chance we meet, interconnecting between our intention and the supernatural force. It means we should pay our appreciation to the significance of every connection we make, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant. It teaches us that our every interaction with others or even with nature, including dealing with pleasant or unpleasant incidents, is a potential opportunity for growth, learning, or even transformation. 

與「因果」和「業力」的概念類似，「緣」代表生命中的一切，包括我們偶然的相遇，都是我們的意圖和超自然力量之間的相互聯繫。這意味著我們應該感謝我們建立的每一個聯繫的重要性，無論多麼小或看似微不足道。它告訴我們，我們與他人甚至與大自然的每一次互動，包括處理愉快或不愉快的事件，都是成長、學習甚至蛻變的潛在機會。

From a long history, we can trace back to many people who created glorious moments. They were able to discover the "緣" (opportunities) that triggered great events, and they were able to take advantage of various established "緣" (interpersonal relationships - “人緣”, and various conditions individually and socially) to promote the occurrence of the event.

從歷史的長河中，我們可以追溯到許多創造輝煌時刻的人。 他們有力力發現引發大事件的「緣」（機會／機緣），並且能夠利用各種已建立的的「緣」（人際關係，即「人緣」以及個人和社會的各種條件）來推動事件的發生。

However, most people (including me) do not have broad enough wisdom to understand "緣" , and some may even mistakenly believe that it is a bad omen and avoid it, and thus they have missed many opportunities for being successful. 

然而，大多數人（包括我在內）並沒有足夠博大的智慧去理解「緣」，有的人甚至誤認為這是不祥之兆而迴避它，從而錯過了很多成功的機會。

Indeed, it is very difficult to translate the meaning of "緣", or even to master it to achieve success, because various interactions are involved in it. When "fate" happens to us, we should try our best to recognize it, cherish it, make good use of it, and promote it to a win-win or multi-win path. We must try our best to do this, in order to make our life more worthwhile.

確實，「緣」的含義很難翻譯，甚至很難掌握它以取得成功，因為它涉及很多相互作用。當「緣」發生在我們身上時，我們應該盡力去認識它、珍惜它、利用它，推動它走向雙贏或多贏的道路。我們必須盡力做到這一點，才能讓我們的生活更有價值。

The traditional customs for the Lantern Festival 元宵節傳統習俗

Traditionally, the 15th day of lunar new year is the Lantern Festival, which marks the end of the Chinese New Year celebrations. On this day, Cantonese people will do the following activities:
依照傳統，農曆正月十五是元宵節，這標誌著農曆新年慶祝活動的結束。這一天，廣東人會做以下活動：

Light lanterns of various shapes and colors, and hang them outside their houses or carry them around the streets. Some lanterns have riddles written on them, and people can guess the answers for fun or prizes.
點燃各種形狀和顏色的燈籠，把它們掛在房子外面或攜帶在街上。有些燈籠上寫有謎語，人們可以猜謎語以獲得樂趣或獲得獎品。

Eat "tongyuan", which are little glutinous rice balls with sweet or savory fillings, as these little balls symbolize family reunion and harmony.
吃“湯丸”，這是一種裡面有甜味或鹹味餡料的糯米小丸子，這些小湯圓象徵著家庭團圓和睦。

Watch lion dances, dragon dances, and fireworks, which are performed to bring good luck and ward off evil spirits.
觀賞舞獅、舞龍和煙火表演，這些表演可以帶來好運和辟邪。

Pray for blessings and fortune at temples or ancestral halls, and make offerings of incense, candles, fruits, and flowers. To show the new year's trends to those who pray for fortune, some of the temples will provide divination or fortune-telling services .
到寺廟、祠堂祈福求福，供香、供燭、供果、供花。為了向祈福的人們展示新年的流行趨勢，一些寺廟會提供占卜或算命服務。

These are some of the traditional customs that Cantonese people follow on the 15th day of lunar new year. I hope you enjoyed learning about them. 
這些是廣東人在農曆正月十五所遵循的一些傳統習俗。希望您喜歡了解它們。

The translation theory by Peter Newmark * Peter Newmark 的翻譯理論

Peter Newmark, one of the influential scholars who studied translation theory, is introduced in the book Translation Studies - Theories and Applications which was mentioned in my previous article. He was born in 1916 in Brno, which was then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and later he became a British citizen. He taught translation at the University of Surrey and wrote several books and articles on translation, such as Approaches to Translation and A Textbook on Translation.

Peter Newmark 是研究翻譯理論的有影響力的學者之一，在我上一篇文章提到的《翻譯研究—理論與應用》一書中有介紹他。他於 1916 年出生於布爾諾，當時布爾諾是奧匈帝國的一部分，後來他成為英國公民。他在薩里大學教授翻譯，並撰寫了多本有關翻譯的書籍和文章，例如《Approaches to Translation》和《A Textbook on Translation.》。

Different from Venuti, Newmark consider translation as the process of transferring the meaning of a text from one language to another. It is a complex and creative activity that involves understanding the context, culture, and purpose of the original text and producing a text that is equivalent in effect and quality in the target language.

與 Venuti 不同，Newmark 認為翻譯是把文本的意義從一種語言轉移到另一種語言的過程。這是一項複雜且富有創造性的活動，涉及理解原文的背景、文化和目的，並產生與目標語言具有同等效果和品質的文本。

Newmark noticed that translation can be done for different purposes, such as communication, education, entertainment, or research, and proposed two main methods of translation: semantic translation and communicative translation. Semantic translation focuses on the meaning and form of the source text and tries to preserve the author’s intention and style. It is suitable for expressive, informative, and technical texts that require accuracy and fidelity. Communicative translation focuses on the effect and function of the target text and tries to produce a text that is natural and clear for the target readers. It is suitable for vocative, persuasive, and operative texts that require adaptation and cultural transfer.

Newmark 注意到翻譯可以用於不同的目的，例如交流、教育、娛樂或研究，並提出了兩種主要的翻譯方法：語意翻譯和交際翻譯。語意翻譯著重於原文的意義和形式，並盡力保留作者的意圖和風格。它適用於需要準確性和保真度的表達性、資訊性和技術文本。溝通翻譯著重於目標文本的效果和功能，力求提供目標讀者自然、清晰的文本。 它適用於需要改編和文化遷移的呼喚性、說服性和操作性文本。

He developed a text typology based on the language function and the text category by dividing texts into five types: expressive, informative, vocative, operative, and phatic. Each type of text has a different degree of emphasis on the content, the form, and the effect. Newmark suggested that different types of texts require different translation methods and strategies.

透過將文本分為五種類型：表達型、資訊型、號召型、操作型和修辭型，建立了基於語言功能和文本類別的文本類型學。每種類型的文字在內容、形式和效果上都有不同的重點。Newmark 認為不同類型的文本需要不同的翻譯方法和策略。

Newmark’s translation theory and text typology have been widely applied and discussed in the translation field, and have been the basic skill that translators must achieve. His work has contributed to the development of translation as a discipline and a profession. He died in 2011 at the age of 95.

Newmark 的翻譯理論和文本類型學在翻譯領域中得到了廣泛的應用和討論。 他的工作為翻譯作為一門學科和一項職業的發展做出了貢獻。他於 2011 年去世，享年 95 歲。

Translation strategies by Lawrence * Lawrence Venuti 的翻譯策略

When I was still studying for my bachelor's degree in Chinese-English translation after my office work, all our class was always requested to read the book Introduction to Translation Studies - Theory and Application (Second Edition). What impressed me deeply about this book was the theory of domestication and foreignization proposed by American translation theorist Lawrence Venuti.

當我還在工餘為中英翻譯學士學位拼命時，我們班總是被要求閱讀《Introduction to Translation Studies - Theory and Application》（第二版）這本書。該書讓我印象深刻的是美國翻譯理論家 Lawrence Venuti 提出的歸化與異化理論。

Domestication refers to producing a fluent and transparent translation that makes it easy and familiar for the target language readers. It often involves deleting or replacing culturally specific markers from the source text, and adding explanations or allusions to the target culture, and adapting the style and tone from the original into the target conventions. Foreignization, on the other hand, seeks to preserve the foreignness of the original text and make it visible and noticeable for the target readers. It often involves retaining or highlighting culturally specific markers, leaving gaps or ambiguities for the readers to fill in, and breaking the target conventions by using unusual or exotic words and structures.

歸化是指產生流暢、透明的翻譯，讓目標語言的讀者易於理解和熟悉。它通常涉及從源文本中刪除或替換文化特定的標記，添加對目標文化的解釋或典故，以及將原文的風格和語氣調整為目標語的約定俗成。另一方面，異化力求保留原文的異國情調，使其對目標讀者可見、引人注目。它通常涉及保留或突出文化的特定標記，留下空白或歧義供讀者填補，以及透過使用不尋常或帶有異國情調的單字和結構來打破目標的約定俗成。

Both theories of translation (translation strategies) have been debated for a long time in the realm of translation on the degree to which translators make a text conform to the target culture or retain the foreignness of the source culture. Both strategies are not only a linguistic choice, but also cultural and political. Depending on the purpose, context, and audience of the translation, both strategies have their advantages and disadvantages. Domestication can make the translation more accessible and acceptable for the target readers, but it may erase the cultural differences and diversity of the original text and impose the target values and norms on it. Foreignization can make the translation more faithful and respectful to the original text and its culture, but it can also create difficulties and alienation for the target readers and marginalize the translation in the target market. Therefore, translators need to balance the two strategies and consider the ethical and practical implications of their choices.

這兩種翻譯理論（翻譯策略）在翻譯領域長期以來一直是爭論的焦點，即譯者在多大程度上使譯文符合目標文化或保留源語文化的異國情調。這兩種策略不僅是語言上的選擇，也是文化和政治選擇。根據翻譯的目的、上下文和受眾，這兩種策略都有其優點和缺點。歸化可以使譯文更容易為目標讀者所接受和接受，但它可能會消除原文的文化差異和多樣性，並將目標語的價值和規範強加給原文。異化可以使譯文更加忠實和尊重原文及其文化，但也會為目標讀者帶來困難和疏遠，使譯文在目標市場中被邊緣化。因此，譯者需要平衡這兩種策略，並考慮其選擇的倫理和實際影響。

Venuti considered that, especially when translati
ng into the languages of powerful countries, Domestication is an act of fawning or cultural bullying as it erases the cultural differences and diversity of the original text. From his viewpoint, the ethical choice for a translator should be Foreignization, as the translation process is mediated by the diverse cultural values that circulate in the target language and refracts the source language cultural norms.

Venuti 認為，尤其是在翻譯成強國語言時，歸
是一種奉承或文化霸凌行為，因為它抹去了原文的文化差異和多樣性。在他看來，譯者的道德選擇應該是異化，因為翻譯過程是由目標語言中傳播的多元文化價值所介導的，並折射了源語言的文化規範。

However, I have promoted in my graduation project that Domestication could be one of the translation strategies friendly to the target language readers. In the communication environment today that emphasizes globalization and high efficiency, Domestication is better than Foreignization for reducing incomprehensible translations caused by cultural differences.

然而，我在我的畢業專題中提出，歸化可以成為對目標語言讀者友好的翻譯策略之一。在當今強調全球化和高效率的溝通環境下，歸化比異化更能減少因文化差異而導致的難以理解的翻譯。