不用腦工作室

我發現寫部落格文章是一件很需要化繁為簡、卻不容易做到的事情。或許是在教補習班時所產生的習慣：講一個文法要配一個例子，讓學生了解用法，還得附加一個和這個文法相關的趣事，來吸引學生注意。才寫了兩三篇，就發現一開始的標題和關鍵字已經和內文不一樣了。一篇文章來回校閱好幾次，不然就是找相關的資料停寫了好幾個小時。寫一篇文章，又想起一個主題想寫，來來回回搞個兩天只擠出幾篇和英文相關的文章。更別提，這幾篇文章還是從自己在其他部落格寫過的舊文，加加減減冒出來的新文章。化簡為繁的習慣總改不掉，更何況雷神（誤，是探險家）索爾也說：進步是一種人類化簡為繁的能力。

Blogging is hardly a matter of simplification. Yet, a habit to get things complicated has been built since I taught English in "bushiban" a decade ago.  The students needed sentence examples and anecdotes for better concentration while studying. My part-time job as a work-at-home translator at that time also demanded critical reading and thoughts. My bee in the bonnet seems to make blog posting a demanding job for hours, even days, for proofreading. Maybe I am an autodidact (self-directed learner) by trial and error in my study and life. "Progress is man's ability to complicate simplicity," said Thor Heyerdahl, a Norwegian adventurer. 

2016年下半年將自己的房間整理了一次，發現好多以前留存的舊剪報，但完全想不起來這些簡報的重要性在哪，為何收留著。還有許多雜誌，當初為什麼覺得這些事情很重要而留著呢？看著那些堆得比我還高的講義......不知道賣回收能不能買個披薩呢？一片？

Simplicity is always a major issue in my life. What these clippings, magazines and course materials got kept for? And gifts from ex? And from who? Two typewriters? Excuse me? Anyway, nothing gold can stay now. 

不管是寫文章還是整理房間，甚至整理活了這麼多年的我時，梭羅在《湖濱散記》所說的：「簡樸！簡樸！簡樸！」在我腦中嗡嗡地鳴著。這十幾年來活得像梭羅所說的每天吃一餐，菜還不到5道。雖然不是為了像梭羅那樣實驗生活和生命，也不一定做得到，只是在這樣不曉得是自找的還是環境逼迫的情況下，了解了一些梭羅說的事情，政治也好，自然也好，作為人與大自然的關係也好。

Sorting out the room and life reminds me of Thoreau's simplicity and radical views on nature and politics.  More than 150 years ago, Thoreau experienced a life of "loafer" and "idler" and praticed his "Civil Disobedience." And now I think I know too. 

在化繁為簡的生活中，總也滌洗揚淘出一些生命和心靈中的真正信念。

Now I understand / What you tried to say to me / And how you suffered for your sanity / And how you tried to set them free / They would not listen, they did not know how / Perhaps they'll listen now.

〈小常識〉

你知道補習班其實不全都是 cram school 嗎？外國人所說的 cram school 是指升學或是證照考等應試教育的補習班。一般國小學生去上的補習班、安親班，可以翻譯成  after-school center (提供課業輔導等課程 [make-up classes])。補數學或英文可以說 have a math/English class；而連鎖經營、專門教美語的補習班是 language/English school；學才藝的補習「班」就看學什麼才藝，比如：cooking class, piano class, Go (圍棋) class, calligraphy (書法) class；如果啥才藝活動都提供的話，晚上上或是夏季特別開的那可以說是 (after-school/summer) enrichment school。

但因為台灣的補習班通常都又帶小孩又補英數，還順便教書法、鋼琴等才藝，已經成為一種特殊狀況，所以跟外國人說 bushiban (台灣之前所用的通用拼音；或用中國大陸常用的漢語拼音 buxiban) 也是OK的呢！