打包得差不多了, 早上有空閒到書店喝咖啡看看書.

發現: <The Travel Book> 2005年9月由Lonely Planet 出版 / 一本$30.  介紹( 按自母順序 )世界各國”概要”, 佐以精彩的照片

這時候就要看看他們怎麼寫台灣囉….了不起, 這大概是我看過最貼近台灣事實的 “概要” (只寫概述卻能抓到”精髓” 真是不容易; 不過也難免會有偏見, 稍後會談)

每個國家都分成下列幾個小單元: 簡介(不到200字) / Best Time to Visit / Essential Experiences / Getting Under the Skin / In a word / Trademarks / Surprises

 咱們看看關於台灣的內容:

簡介中的結論是: Taiwan is a computer-generated Chinese water color.

Read(必讀) / <Harmony Conflict> by Richard Hartzell 說這本是”西方人” 讚不絕口的了解台灣之經典 著作.

Eat (必食) / anything you can find on the mainland, as well as Taiwan’s own Fujian-Taiwanese  cuisine. The adventurous must try “Stinky Tofu (臭豆腐是也)” : ubiquitous in  Taiwanese food stalls.

Drink (必飲) / the national brew. Taiwan Beer  (讚啦….)

In a word (必定要會的一個字) / Wei (喂?) (used when answering your phone) [不覺得這個介紹有夠酷嗎??在台灣必學的一個字是’喂’]

Trademarks / Sabre-rattling with PRC; English teaching (台灣的英語教育還真是世界知名啊);  Chiang Kai-shek; “made in”

最無敵的台灣介紹在這裡:

Surprises / If you want to understand Taipei, just cross the street.

The little green men on the ‘walk’ lights don’t just flash; they’re animated, ambling  amiable as displays above them count down the seconds until the light changes back to red. As you cross, the street alongside you turns into a river of trucks, buses, and  cars, and motor scooters too numerous to count. In those last crucial seconds, the  little green man goes into double-time. That’s Taipei in a nutshell. 

 (之前就聽說台灣的 紅綠燈當中的小綠人紅遍全世界, 還被別國抄襲使用哩, 這段介紹是最佳證明)

 那他們怎麼寫美國呢??

Watch (必看)/  Francis Coppola’s The Godfather trilogy(教父系列電影)

                         Sam Mende’s American Beauty (美國心玫瑰情)

Eat (必食) / Steak and Potatoes (果然是沒有飲食文化的國家) / Pizza: deep dish or thin crust (Pizza 又不是美國人發明的) / T-bones or rib eyes

Trademarks / Burgers; Sneaker and jeans; yuppies in SUVs; cowboy in pickups; loud people (這點我舉雙手雙腳贊成, 美國人真的很吵….在公共場合講話最大聲的不是台灣人,是 美  國  人….我親身痛苦經歷過 N 百遍); gun lovers; dangerous cities.

Surprises / New Yorkers love to help strangers; in American football, you’re supposed to use your hands.

 偏見之例一

伊拉克 IRAQ

Trademarks / One of the world’s most high-profile troubled spots; oil interests; arid desert; dust storms;  long-suffering people. [你們美國人自己說, 這當中有幾項美國也血染其中?? ]

這是個有趣的早晨; 我看我就利用”暑期輔導”的空檔將這本書看完吧….