Stay on this Road - TAIWAN SPIRITS

與一個愛爾蘭客戶的書信往返，給了我一個啟示。
『愛爾蘭能，為何台灣不能？』

愛爾蘭的過去也像台灣一樣，飽受鄰國惡霸般的威脅，
其所遭受到的凌虐，如同台灣的歷史一般慘烈與悲壯...
愛爾蘭追求自由的犧牲奮鬥歷經數百年...
(可參考Mel Gibson自編自導的電影Brave Heart，描寫蘇格蘭自由鬥士William Wallace的故事)是我糊塗搞錯以為是愛爾蘭，感謝網友sena指正。

難道台灣也應該再拼個幾百年？！
今日的台灣人難道守護不了前人拼來的民主自由？！
要白白放棄現在享有的成果，直接向惡鄰繳械投降？！


愛爾蘭的客戶搞不清楚台灣與中國，就一直覺得是要從中國提貨。
We are organizing the freight for this shipment to be collected from China.

他請處理貨運的同事跟合作的貨運公司向中國那端聯絡，要那邊跟我公司聯繫準備出貨事宜。
Can you arrange to make contact with your agent in China to arrange the shipping of this freight back to Ireland?

為避免不必要了麻煩，因為他之前已經搞錯過一次了，我去信告訴他弄錯了，台灣不在中國。
We are in Taiwan, not China. That is big mistake! 為了簡單明瞭，我用詞有點強硬...

對方回信說，他不明白：為什麼ROC不是中國？也許是因為他的地理不太好... 他太客氣了！
My geography of this part of the planet is not so good as you have noted. Maybe you could tell me what R.O.C. stands for in the address? My understanding was that it meant Republic of China? Is this not correct? Please let me know so I can understand and avoid making any big mistake!

我立刻回信給他：
That would be a history class if you try to know about ROC... 想瞭解ROC大概需要一堂歷史課...
China now is PRC, not ROC. 中國現在叫中華人民共和國，而不是中華民國。
ROC came to Taiwan after WWII. 中華民國在二戰後來到台灣。
That is how "one China issue" from... 這是所謂"一個中國"的爭論由來...
We call Taiwan now because ROC is not in the UN, and not accepted as a country to the most of countries in the world... a sad story... 我們現在叫台灣，因為中華民國不是聯合國的一員，也不被世界上多數的國家所承認... 這是個悲傷的故事...
Taiwanese work so hard to stand still in the world. That is why China always say that "Taiwan is a part of China" because most of the people in Taiwan disagree. They try to confuse people in the world. 台灣人必須很努力以立足於這個世界。這也是為什麼中國一直得強調"台灣是中國的一部份"因為大多數的台灣人並不認同這種說法。他們試圖要混淆世人。
Hope you understand now! 希望你現在可以理解了！

他很慎重的回了我一封信，說他已經能夠瞭解，還強調下面的內容是他的個人立場：
I do understand and I will never make this mistake again. Thank you for helping me to be more sensitive.

“My words that follow are written totally on a PERSONAL capacity and in no way express the views of the company that I work for”

In Ireland we have had a history, which is too long to go into here, however enough to say that my forefathers fought and died to uphold freedom. Freedom to think, to life peacefully, to choose, to explore, to express, to share and to grow into a free healthy good living human being without the threat from other people or states. Today the people of Ireland are the beneficiaries of this hard fought freedom. As a nation we know the pain of past oppression and we as a nation do all we can peacefully to help those in need. In all parts of the world, you will find Irish men and women helping others to find their freedom from the pain of oppression. We are all born on one planet and my personal dream is one planet and one flag. For me this would be the “flag of freedom” freedom for everyone and every nation.

I wish you well, and a pleasure to communicate with you. Today, the world can be a better place.

信的內容說：愛爾蘭也有一段歷史，走了一段很長的路才來到今天，足以去說我的祖先們為了追求自由奮鬥犧牲。自由的思想，和平的生活，自由的去選擇、去探索、去表達、去分享，以達到不受外來民族或國家恫嚇的人類基本生存。今天的愛爾蘭人受益於多少奮鬥所換來的自由權利。能夠成為一個國家，我們知道過去壓迫所帶來的痛苦，也願意和平的幫助所需要者。全世界，你能找到愛爾蘭人在幫助人們追求自由、自壓迫中解脫。我們生在同一個星球，而我的夢，就是一個地球一個國度。我希望這是一個自由的國度，每一個人與每個國家都享有自由。

我祝福你，也榮幸與你交換意見。今日的世界能夠更好。


愛爾蘭已經成為一個獨立自主的正常國家，那台灣呢？

台灣人難道不瞭解享有真正自由民主的幸福？
甚至作為一個真正獨立自主國家的國民會有多幸福嗎？

愛爾蘭人懂得珍惜，知道前人的犧牲與奮鬥得來不易！
台灣人珍惜嗎？身為後人，我們真不如愛爾蘭人？
沒有自由的中國哪裡好？
不能自由思考的中國人值得台灣稱頌羨慕？
台灣需要向中國靠攏？
台灣人是不是頭殼壞去了？
全世界都在看！

延伸閱讀：
維基百科-愛爾蘭共和國
為什麼沒有「英國」隊？