so a while ago I was on reddit

所以前一陣子我在reddit上

and I saw this news titling

我看到這個新聞標題

in Australia, staying loyal to Taiwan can mean losing a job

在澳大利亞，忠於台灣意味著失去一份工作

and it was about a waitress who actually shares the first name with me

這是關於一個女服務員，實際上和我同一個名字

Ya-Ting

雅婷

she was working at a barbecue restaurant in Sydney when a customer asked her

她正在雪梨一家燒烤餐廳工作，當時有一位顧客問她

are you Chinese? she said no I'm Taiwanese

你是中國人嗎？ 她說不，我是台灣人

and she was never given another shift after that

在此之後她就沒被再安排工作

same thing happened to another waitress who was working at a Chinese restaurant

另一位在中國餐廳工作的女服務員也遇到了同樣的情況

her manager asked her is Taiwan part of China

她的經理問她是台灣是中國的一部分嗎

she said no definitely not

她說絕對不是

a Canadian friend actually saw this news and he asked me

一位加拿大朋友看到了這個消息，他問我

he was so confused

他很困惑

what was the big deal? and honestly I had no idea where to begin to explain

是什麼重大事件需要反應這麼大 說實話，我不知道該從哪裡開始解釋

how complicated the situations are from the very beginning of the history

從歷史的開始就有多複雜的情況

at the same time

與此同時

I felt very happy that these Taiwanese people are standing up for themselves in a foreign country

我很高興這些台灣人在國外站穩腳跟

after reading this book called the Taiwanese Psyche

讀完這本名為“台灣人症頭”的書後

written by a psychologist who has his own clinic in the United States

由有台灣的心理學家寫的 他在美國的自己的診所

I really understood the Taiwanese psyche and it just gave me a sense of realization

我真的了解台灣的心理 這是給了我一種認知

how powerless we Taiwanese feel sometimes

我們台灣人有時感到無力

on the February 28th 1947 which we refer to as 228 in Taiwan

1947年2月28日 我們在台灣說228

the intellectuals and students who were suppressed violently even killed on that day by the KMT Republic of China government

在那一天遭到強暴鎮壓的知識分子和學生甚至被殺害

the idea of participating in any sort of political activities is dangerous really stuck

由國民黨中華民國政府開始

I remember vividly that my mom told me

參與任何形式的政治活動是非常危險的想法 烙印在我們腦海裡

when she was in school the students would be fined if they spoke Taiwanese in school

我清楚地記得我的媽媽告訴我

because the government at the time wanted to press on the education of Chinese language

當她在學校時，如果學生在學校講台語，學生將會被罰款

I think that also stuck to us until the present day because

因為政府在當時間想要推動中國語言教育

a lot of times I get this image that it is embarrassing or even shameful to speak Taiwanese among the younger generations

我認為這也影響我們對台語的想法 直到現在，因為我們

and what the media in Taiwan referring China as mainland China or simply mainland

很多時候我看到這樣的現象，說台語在年輕一代中是令人尷尬甚至不好意思的

how would the people in Taiwan not be affected by these thoughts and perspectives

台灣媒體把中國稱為中國大陸和大陸呢？

this just adds even more to our powerlessness

這些想法和觀點如何影響台灣人民？

as time goes this weakness of attitude will actually become a weakness of character

這只會增加我們的無力感

of course I'm not saying that being Taiwanese

隨著時間的流逝 這種態度上的弱點會變成性格上的弱點

our self-identity is all about politics our self-identity is beyond politics

當然我不是說身為台灣人

we as Taiwanese have our own distinctive culture

我們的自我認同就一定是關於我們的政治 自我認同超越政治

whether it's the aboriginals or the immigrants from Southeast Asia

我們作為台灣人有我們自己的特色文化

we are kind and accepting

無論是原住民還是來自東南亞的移民

we have our own values and that it's something to stand for

我們善良並接受

and you're probably thinking so what are you doing as a Taiwanese living in Canada

我們有我們自己的價值觀 這是代表什麼

what are you doing for Taiwan's independence it's a good argument

你可能在想 你台灣人在加拿大生活能有什麼幫助

but I can also tell you that because we are so mingled with different people from different countries

你為台灣獨立做些什麼？ 這是一個很好的論點

that we are also potential subjects to expressing our political stance

但我也可以告訴你，因為我與來自不同國家的不同人混雜在一起

one time I was in my Chinese friend's car

我們有時也必須表達我們政治立場

I don't know what exactly led us to this subject of Taiwan's independence

有一次我在我的中國朋友的車裡

and I told him I truly believe Taiwan is not part of China

我不知道究竟是什麼導致了我們這個台灣獨立的主題

immediately he got very angry and told me that if I spoke any more of it he would drop me off on the highway

我告訴他我真的相信台灣不是中國的一部分

my reaction was yeah drop me off here drop me off and I will walk home

他立即感到非常生氣，並告訴我，如果我再說一句話，他會把我從高速公路上拋下

please open the door

我的反應是 好啊，請把我從這裡放下來，然後我會走回家

if there's one thing that I learned from all these experiences is that

請開門

if you don't stand for something you will fall for everything

如果我從所有這些經驗中學到了一件事情就是這樣

and I stand for the Taiwanese values

如果你不為自己的觀點站起來 你會輕易的為其他人的觀點倒下

what about you

我代表台灣的價值觀