這一集，Miss Y 跟大家聊最近台灣社群與媒體都在討論的《臺灣漫遊錄》以及它獲得國際布克獎的消息。我們會一起認識 International Booker Prize 是什麼、為什麼「翻譯」如此重要、這本小說在講什麼，以及作者楊双子與譯者金翎的訪談與得獎感言。這也是一集很適合英文學習者的內容，因為我們會聊到中文與英文思考方式的差異，以及翻譯如何跨越語言與文化。 In this episode, Miss T will talk about Taiwan Travelogue winning the International Booker Prize. We’ll explore what the award means, why translation matters, what the novel is about, and the powerful words from the author and translator. A great episode for English learners interested in language, culture, and Taiwan. Learning English with Miss Y: https://pse.is/94tzzb Leave a comment and share your thoughts: Transcript: Hey guys, I’m your English teacher, Miss Y! Welcome to the podcast made for intermediate English learners who want to listen to English, and learn about different topics in a fun and easy way. A few weeks ago, I was at the airport, waiting for my flight, and I walked into a bookstore. You know, those airport bookstores where people buy magazines, snacks, or something to read on the plane. And then I saw this book. The English title was Taiwan Travelogue. Honestly, at first, I thought it was just a normal travel guide about Taiwan. Maybe something about night markets, famous food, train trips… you know, the usual Taiwan travel stuff. I picked it up for a few seconds, looked at the cover, and then put it back. But recently, suddenly, I started seeing this book everywhere online. People on social media were sharing screenshots of the news. Taiwanese media started talking about it. Bookstores were putting the book in special display areas. Because Taiwan Travelogue just won the International Booker Prize (獎項). And a lot of people in Taiwan felt really proud and excited. Taiwanese book won a big international award (獎項), and also, this is a story from Taiwan reaching readers all around the world. So today, I want to talk about this book, what the International Booker Prize actually is, that the role of translation is, what the story is about, and also the two people behind this success — the author (作者) and the translator (譯者). So first, let’s talk about this award itself. What exactly is the International Booker Prize? You may have heard of the Booker Prize before. It’s one of the most famous literary (文學的) awards in the world. Usually, people connect it with serious novels, famous writers, and books that become internationally respected. But the International Booker Prize is a little different. The keyword here is “international.” This award is for books from around the world that are translated into English. And I think that part is really important. Because most of us only read books in one or maybe two languages. Right? For example, if a book is written in Korean, Japanese, Arabic, Spanish, or Chinese, many English readers cannot read it directly. So without translation, these stories would stay inside one language community. They could never travel very far. And that’s why translation matters so much. Actually, one thing I really like about the International Booker Prize is that the award is shared equally between the writer and the translator. I think that says something very meaningful. Because translation is not just changing words from one language into another language. It’s much more complicated than that. And I think you guys, as language learners, probably understand this very well. Maybe you’ve had this experience, right? Sometimes you know exactly what you want to say in Chinese, but when you try to say it in English, it suddenly feels… different. You know the meaning is there, but the feeling changes a little. Translation works like that too. And that’s why a great translator is almost like a second writer. Another reason this award feels important is because Taiwan is usually discussed internationally for other reasons. Politics. Technology. Semiconductors. But this time, people around the world were talking about a Taiwanese novel. A story. Literature. Culture. And I think that feels very different. It feels softer, more human somehow. So now the question is… What exactly is this book about? Why did it connect with readers around the world? So, what is Taiwan Travelogue (遊記) actually about? At first, it sounds pretty simple. The story takes place in Taiwan during the 1930s, when Taiwan was under Japanese colonial rule (殖民統治). Japan ruled Taiwan from 1895 to 1945, so during that time, Japanese language and culture had a very strong influence here. The novel follows two women. One is a Japanese writer from Japan. The other is a Taiwanese woman who works as an interpreter (翻譯員 通常指口譯員). Together, they travel around Taiwan. They visit different cities, eat local food, stay in hotels, ride trains, and talk about culture, language, and daily life. It almost sounds peaceful and relaxing. Like a slow travel story. And in some ways, it is. Food is a very important part of the novel. Apparently, the book spends a lot of time describing meals, snacks, restaurants, and local Taiwanese dishes. And I think that’s one reason many readers enjoyed it so much. But underneath the travel story, there’s something deeper happening. The book quietly talks about power. Who gets to speak? Whose language is considered “important”? Who gets to tell the story of Taiwan? And I think that’s where the role of the interpreter becomes really interesting. Because the Taiwanese woman is translating language all the time between Japanese and Taiwanese culture. But translation is never completely neutral (中性). Sometimes, the translator has power too. She decides how things are explained. She decides what feelings are carried across. And slowly, the relationship between these two women becomes emotionally complicated. Some people describe the novel as romantic. Others describe it as political (政治的). And actually, maybe it’s both. One of the judges, Natasha Brown, said the novel “pulls off an incredible double feat.” Pull off (成功完成一件困難的事), “double feat” is like two things you’ve finished successfully. In other words, it successfully does two difficult things at the same time. She said it works both as a romance story and also as a sharp post-colonial novel. I really like that description. Because the novel with political topic is not always with boring speeches. It can be in some small moments in our daily lives. Conversations. Food. Travel experiences. And through those small moments, readers slowly begin to feel the bigger historical tension underneath everything. And the judge also called it “a completely, completely delicious love story.” I love that phrase — “completely delicious.” It makes the novel sound emotional and full of sensory (感知的; sense 感官) experience at the same time. And honestly, I think that combination is probably one reason international readers connected with it. Because even though the story is deeply connected to Taiwanese history, the emotions inside it still feel human and universal. People everywhere understand questions about identity, belonging, love, and power. And behind this award are two very important people: the writer who created the story, and the translator who carried that story across languages to the rest of the world. So now, let’s talk about the two people behind this book. The author and the translator. The author of Taiwan Travelogue is Yang Shuang-zi. I will call her “Yang”. And the English translator is Lin King. I will call her “King”. I think one reason this story feels special is because both of them seem deeply thoughtful about Taiwan, history, language, and identity. In interviews, Yang, the writer, talked about why she wanted to write this novel. She said something like by using a modern Taiwanese point of view, she wanted to solve the complex history that Taiwan’s people faced in the past, and to explore what kind of future we should to have” And I think that explains the feeling of the book very well. It’s asking questions like: How should Taiwanese people understand the past? How do history and politics shape identity today? And what kind of future should Taiwan build? I think these are questions many Taiwanese people think about. And then there’s the translator, King. The more interviews I read with her, the more interesting she became to me. Because for her, translation feels emotional and cultural too. In one interview, she was asked: “What made you want to translate this book?” And her answer really stayed in my mind. She said: “Were Taiwan’s peoples oppressed and mistreated under Japanese rule? Yes, but that does not mean their identities and personalities were bulldozed over by their suffering.” And then she continued: “There was still humor, good food, movies, school, petty fights, and romance. To suggest otherwise is to reduce a culture to its trauma.” I think that’s such an important idea. It means, when people talk about history, especially painful history, sometimes they only focus on suffering. But real people still lived full lives. They laughed. They fell in love. They argued with friends. They watched movies. They worried about ordinary things. And I think King is saying something very human here. A culture is not only sad stories. People continue living, even during difficult times. I think this is why Taiwanese are tough but very kind and warm. The book talks about colonialism (殖民主義) and power, yes. But it also talks about life and love. And then, during the award ceremony itself, both Yang and King gave speeches that many people online started sharing afterward.
