關於 struggled to中文 ，我們在網路上蒐集到這些相關的討論、資訊與評價

翻轉視界 18 Changing Perspective

There's not just one road to the destination, but many roads. You just need to take the little step that’s right in front of you, and then the next one, and a few years down the track, they will seem like massive achievements.

通往目的地的路不止一條，有很多路可走。你只需要邁出眼前這一小步，然後再邁出下一步，幾年下來，將會成為巨大成就。

文章來自於New Humans of Australia (有取得授權)

★★★★★★★★★★★★

I didn’t meet my father until I was 6 years old. My parents had a comfortable, middle-class life in Shanghai, or as close as you could get under communism. But they always wanted to live overseas, and just before I was born, my dad came to Sydney to set things up. I don’t know why, but in the end, my mother and I didn’t join him until I was 6.

•a middle-class life 中產階級生活
•set things up 打點一切
•live overseas 往海外生活
•in the end 最後 (表達在經過一段時間或一連串事件之後的結果)

直到六歲前我都未曾見過父親。我的雙親在上海過著舒適的中產階級生活，或著說，在共產階級下所能得到的最接近的生活。他們一直響往海外生活，就在我出生前，我父親來到雪梨打點一切。但不知何故，直到六歲那年我與母親才終於與父親團聚。

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Unfortunately, half a year after we arrived, he left us. That was a huge shock. Our transition had already been quite difficult, as we both didn't speak English. Also, as Shanghai was such a big bustling city, Sydney felt a bit like the countryside, especially on the weekends, as no shops were open back then!

•shock 令人震驚的事件（或經歷）；驚愕，震驚 (come as a great shock 讓人倍感震驚)
•transition 轉變；過渡
•a bustling city 繁華都會

不幸的是，就在我跟母親抵達半年後，父親離開了我們。這是個巨大的打擊，因爲我們不會說英文，在適應過渡期本就已過得相當艱辛。此外，不同於上海的繁華都會，雪梨更像鄉下，尤其在週末，那時連商店都不開門。

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We were very much reliant on my dad, not only financially, but also as a conduit into the wider community. So to have that broken was quite distressing. I remember Mum crying a lot. As we had become socially isolated, we didn’t find out anything about Centrelink, so we survived on her savings for a while, and then got some help from her family back in China.

•be reliant on… 依賴...
•a conduit into 進入...的渠道
•distressing (adj.) 令人苦惱的,令人擔憂的
•become socially isolated 變得孤立於社會
•survive on her savings 僅靠的她積蓄過日子

我們相當依賴我父親，不僅是經濟，他也是我們進入更廣泛社區的渠道。因此，當局面被打破時令人相當痛苦，我還記得母親時常哭泣。由於我們孤立於社會，所以我們並不知道澳洲社會福利聯絡中心 （Centrelink）的任何資訊，僅靠母親的積蓄支撐了一段時間，然後從母親在中國的娘家得到一些幫助。

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Eventually, Mum moved us down to Melbourne, where we were able to make some new networks and family friendships. But I was bullied a bit at school about things like my food and clothing! Whenever someone bullied me, I would defend myself, but because I didn’t have the language skills to explain to the teacher why, I got in trouble quite a bit. I ended up having to move school 3 times before I came to Balwyn Primary School, which was relatively multicultural.

•be able to 能夠
•make new networks 建立新的人脈，關係網
•be bullied 被霸凌
•language skills 語言能力
•get in trouble 惹上麻煩
•end up 最後處於；最後成爲；以…告終
•relatively 相對地
•multicultural 多元文化的

最後，母親帶著我搬遷到墨爾本，在那我們能夠建立起新的網絡與家庭情誼。然而。我在學校飽受霸凌，例如我的食物及衣物。每當有人霸凌我，我會自我防衛，但我的語言技巧不足以向老師解釋事發原因，因此常常陷入麻煩。後來我不得不再三轉學，直到就讀相對多元文化的博文小學（Balwyn Primary School）。

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After that, I did alright. Music featured very prominently in my life. I had started learning the violin from the age of 2.5 years old and even with all the troubles that were going on in my life, had somehow still kept up with it. As a result, I got a music scholarship to Trinity Grammar School. But even there I used to get into quite a lot of mischief, and would often skip school to go to the movies.

•do alight 過得不錯，做的不錯
•feature (v.) 以…為特色；給…以顯著的地位
•prominently 重要地；著名地；突出地，顯眼地

之後，我便過得不錯。音樂在我生活中佔有重要的一席之地，我從兩歲半開始學習小提琴，儘管生活中事事不如意，我依然堅持不輟。因此，我獲得三一文法學校（ Trinity Grammar School）的音樂獎學金。但即使在那，我也常惡作劇、逃學看電影。

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By the end of year 11, I was told I would have to either repeat the year, or consider going to another school, which was quite humiliating for my mum. I decided to move school and surprisingly, I ended up doing quite well in year 12! As a result, I ended up getting into a double degree in Law and Music at Monash.

•repeat the year 留級 ; 重唸一年
•humiliating 令人感到恥辱的，丟臉的

11年級結束時，我被告知要麽被留級，要麼考慮轉學，這對我母親來說相當丟人。我決定轉學，而令人驚訝的是，我在12年級的時候表現優異，最後錄取蒙納士大學法律與音樂雙學位。

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When I started, my first thought was that I didn’t belong because I had done so badly in school up to year 11 and everyone else seemed so smart. But I put my head down, got through it, and ended up getting a job in the legal department of a major manufacturing company, which was a different approach to what most law students do.

•do not belong 不屬於這
•put my head down 埋頭苦幹
•the legal department of ...的法律部門
•a different approach 不同途徑
•approach （思考問題的）方式，方法，態度

當我開始進入大學，最初的想法是我不屬於這，因為我在11年級前都表現不佳，而這裡的人似乎都聰明絕頂。但我埋頭苦幹，咬牙撐過，最後在一家大型製造公司的法律部門找到工作，這與多數法律系學生的途徑不同。

★★★★★★★★★★★★

I really enjoyed it. It was hard work, but I learned a lot of foundational business, legal and corporate communication skills. After that I worked in corporate governance in RMIT, then started to moonlight as a lecturer in the Law Faculty. Eventually, they asked me if I wanted to do a PhD and I blindly said yes! I next worked at Swinburne University, and then was head-hunted to lead the corporate legal team at the Commercial Passenger Vehicles Commission.

•foundational 基礎的
•communication skills 溝通技巧
•corporate governance
•moonlight (v.) （尤指瞞著僱主）從事第二職業，兼職
•headhunt (v.) 物色（人才）； 挖角
•legal team 法律團隊

我非常喜歡這份工作，這是份辛苦的工作，但我學習了很多基礎商業、法律以及公司溝通技巧。之後我在皇家墨爾本理工大學（ RMIT）從事公司治理工作，並開始兼職擔任法律系講師。後來他們問我是否想要讀博士，我便盲目地答應了。接下來，我在斯威本大學（Swinburne University）工作，再被挖角到商用小客車委員會領導法律團隊。

★★★★★★★★★★★★

I had a good life, but after a while, I realised I wanted a different kind of job. I could see my seniors were making a lot of money but that their family life was not that good. And looking at my own upbringing, I wanted to be the kind of father who could be present in my own kids’ lives. So I decided on dentistry. It would not only allow me to use the hand skills that I had developed from playing the violin, but also the analytical and reasoning skills that I'd developed in law. Plus it would be flexible, and offer me a stable income and the chance to meet different people every day!

•upbringing 教養
•decide on sth 決定某事或東西
•analytical and reasoning skills 分析和推理能力
•offer a stable income 提供穩定收入

我的生活很不錯，但一段時間後，我意識到自己想要一份不同的工作。我知道前輩們賺了很多錢，但他們的家庭生活並不美滿。看著自己的成長經歷，我想要成為可以在孩子生活中出席的父親，所以我決定改行當牙醫。這項職業能讓我使用從拉小提琴中發展出的手部技巧，也能運用我在法律中發展出的分析與推理技能。此外，這個職業相當靈活，能為我提供穩定收入，並有機會每天與不同的人見面。

★★★★★★★★★★★★

My now fiancée, who was my girlfriend at the time, was also applying for further study, and coincidentally we both got into university in South Australia, so we moved to Adelaide together a few years ago.

•fiancée 未婚妻
•at the time 當時
•apply for 申請
•further study 繼續教育，進修；進一步研究；深造
•coincidentally 碰巧地；巧合地

我的未婚妻，當時的女友，也申請繼續深造，巧的是我們都考上南澳大學（University of South Australia)，所以幾年前一起搬到阿得雷德（ Adelaide）。

★★★★★★★★★★★★

I was lucky to get a university job at Flinders University. Initially, I started out as a casual lecturer in the law school, but I’ve since transitioned into teaching health law and research, and I’m currently writing a few books on the intersection between law and medicine. And also, obviously, trying to finish my dentistry degree!

•start out as… 起初擔任...
•transition into… 轉變到...

我很幸運的在福林德斯大學（Flinders University）找到工作，起初我在法學院擔任臨時講師，但我後來轉換到醫事法教學及研究。目前我正撰寫幾本關於法律與醫學相接的書籍，並努力完成我的牙醫學位。

★★★★★★★★★★★★

Mum eventually retrained as a Chinese high school teacher, and she’s still teaching to this day. Like most first generation migrants, she struggled quite a lot, and invested heavily in my success. After we’re married, my fiancée and I are planning to have children, and I’m sure they will have it much easier than I did.

•retrain 重新培養；再培訓；再訓練
•to this day 至今
•first generation migrants 第一代移民
•struggle a lot 掙扎奮鬥許久
•have it much easier 過的比較輕鬆

我的母親最終重新接受培訓，成為一名中文高中老師並執教至今。如同大多數第一代移民，她掙扎奮鬥許久，並為我的成功投資甚多。我與未婚妻打算婚後生孩子，我確信孩子會過的比我輕鬆得多。

★★★★★★★★★★★★

Still, a lot of the failures that I’ve had in my life have really informed a lot of my successes. Looking back, I wouldn't really want to change that to have a smoother life.

•inform [正式] 影響某人的態度或意見
https://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/inform

•have a smoother life 有一個更順遂的人生

我的生活中的種種失敗確實為我的成功提供借鑑。回首過去，我不會想要改變那些坎坷經歷去擁有一個更順遂的人生。

★★★★★★★★★★★★

Over the years, I've learned that perseverance is very important. I hope that through telling my story, I can be an example to others who might be in a similar position as I was: to show that there's not just one road to the destination, but many roads. You just need to take the little step that’s right in front of you, and then the next one, and a few years down the track, they will seem like massive achievements.

•over the years 多年來
•perseverance 不屈不撓，堅持不懈
•be an example 成為榜樣
•be in a similar position 處於相似的處境
•down the road/line/track 將來(的路)

多年來，我學到堅持不懈是至關重要的。我希望透過講述自己的故事，能成為其他可能與我有相似處境的人的榜樣：向他們展示通往目的地的路不止一條，有很多路可走。你只需要邁出眼前這一小步，然後再邁出下一步，幾年下來，將會成為巨大成就。

有興趣的同學可以支持New Humans of Australia

www.patreon.com/newhumansofaustralia

Photographer: Paul Heinrich instagram.com/paulfheinrich

文章與圖片出處: https://bit.ly/2XJsciq

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翻轉視界: http://bit.ly/3fPvKUs

批判性思考問題大全: http://bit.ly/34rdtJ7

最近，我在「TIME時代」雜志的專欄文章裡，向全球的讀者介紹了大陸「世界工廠」的+AI自動化升級。隨著勞動力成本的上漲，工業自動化、智慧化勢必是大陸製造業的一劑特效藥。自動化能讓運營成本下降，但仍能讓中國大陸保持生產品質、流程、供應鏈維度的優勢。AI賦能產業升級的願景或許還需多年才能實現，但當下的大陸已經讓未來可期。

以下是專欄文章全文，經TIME授權翻譯轉載：

「中國世界工廠 + AI 的未來」

多年來，中國大陸一直被喻為「世界工廠」，即便在全球其他經濟體紛紛遭遇新冠疫情重擊的2020年，大陸製造產業仍然維持穩健的增長范式，全年產值高達3.854萬億美元，占到全球市場近三分之一。

但如果你腦中的大陸工廠是傳統的「血汗工廠」，是時候修正你的刻板印象了。大陸經濟已經迅速地從疫情衝擊下復蘇，疫情同時催化了各種各樣人工智慧（AI）的應用場景加速實現。自2014年以來，中國大陸的AI專利申請量已經超越美國，至今維持全球領先。在學術領域，中國大陸的AI研究論文發表數量、AI期刊的引用量，也雙雙在近年超過了美國。在產業方面，AI應用在大陸的落地速度超越世界其他國家和地區，具有商業價值的AI應用如今開始百花齊放，整合了軟體、硬體和機器人技術的新一代自動化揭開序曲，AI賦能傳統行業的能量，正在蓄勢待發地重塑各行各業。

人類社會至今經歷了三次不同的工業革命：蒸汽革命、電力革命和資訊革命。我相信，AI將會是推動全球第四次工業革命的核心引擎，在世界各地點燃數位化和自動化的變革，而這波前所未有的硬科技浪潮，將由中國來引領實踐。

由於勞動人口減少和新增人口放緩，中國大陸的傳統產業正面臨著勞動力成本上升的巨大壓力，AI正是解決這個難題的技術解答。人工智慧不僅能夠降低運營成本，提高生產效率，擴大整體產能，還有望能帶來收入的增長。

例如，創新工場投資的廣州極飛科技是一家致力於未來農業的AI科技公司，極飛將無人機、機器人和感測器部署在稻田、麥田和棉花田裡，用技術賦能農業中的播種、農藥噴灑、栽種管理、甚至天氣監測環節。用於作物噴灑的極飛科技R150農業無人車已經被推廣到了英國，應用在蘋果、草莓、黑莓等多種經濟作物的種植流程中。

一些大陸的創新公司正積極把機器人拓展到意想不到的場景。總部位於北京的鎂伽是創新工場投資的生命科學智慧自動化公司，他們和實驗室、製藥公司、高校合作，憑藉AI+機器人技術的積累，用自動化解決方案執行實驗室中勞動密集、重複性高、但需要高度精確的任務和流程，同時機器人作業也將盡最大可能保護實驗室人員降低實驗過程中的感染風險。

除了創業公司，我們看到幾家成熟的龍頭企業也開始積極擁抱AI。創新工場參與了有28年歷史的中力電動叉車，這家頭部的鋰電叉車製造商已經推出了能夠在工廠、倉庫自主運行的無人叉車，並且無需對運行環境進行改造，能快速實現從手動到電動到自動駕駛的搬運賦能創新。此外，擁有50多年歷史的領先客車製造商-宇通集團，與自動駕駛獨角獸企業-文遠知行戰略合作，已在大陸三個城市的馬路上運行全無人駕駛小巴。

接著會發生什麼？我大膽預見，在更長遠的未來，機器人和AI將接管大多數產品的製造、設計、交付甚至營銷——很可能將生產成本降低到和原物料成本相差無幾。未來的機器人有能力自我複製和自我修復，甚至做到部分自我反覆運算設計。房屋和公寓將交由AI主導設計，使用預製建築模塊，交由機器人像搭積木似地築樓蓋房。無人公交、無人摩托等隨傳隨到的自動化未來交通系統，能將我們安全無虞地送達想去的地方。

這些願景成為現實或許還需要多年，但此時的大陸正在積極鋪墊引領新一代自動化革命的基石。可期的是，中國工廠的實力將不僅僅體現在產能上，而將逐步彰顯在智慧上。

本文經「TIME時代」授權進行中文編譯，原文如下：

China Is Still the World's Factory — And It's Designing the Future With AI

BY KAI-FU LEE

For many years now, China has been the world’s factory. Even in 2020, as other economies struggled with the effects of the pandemic, China’s manufacturing output was $3.854 trillion, up from the previous year, accounting for nearly a third of the global market.

But if you are still thinking of China’s factories as sweatshops, it’s probably time to change your perception. The Chinese economic recovery from its short-lived pandemic blip has been boosted by its world-beating adoption of artificial intelligence (AI). After overtaking the U.S. in 2014, China now has a significant lead over the rest of the world in AI patent applications. In academia, China recently surpassed the U.S. in the number of both AI research publications and journal citations. Commercial applications are flourishing: a new wave of automation and AI infusion is crashing across a swath of sectors, combining software, hardware and robotics.

As a society, we have experienced three distinct industrial revolutions: steam power, electricity and information technology. I believe AI is the engine fueling the fourth industrial revolution globally, digitizing and automating everywhere. China is at the forefront in manifesting this unprecedented change.

Chinese traditional industries are confronting rising labor costs thanks to a declining working population and slowing population growth. The answer is AI, which reduces operational costs, enhances efficiency and productivity, and generates revenue growth.

For example, Guangzhou-based agricultural-technology company XAG, a Sinovation Ventures portfolio company, is sending drones, robots and sensors to rice, wheat and cotton fields, automating seeding, pesticide spraying, crop development and weather monitoring. XAG’s R150 autonomous vehicle, which sprays crops, has recently been deployed in the U.K. to be used on apples, strawberries and blackberries.

Some companies are rolling out robots in new and unexpected sectors. MegaRobo, a Beijing-based life-science automation company also backed by Sinovation Ventures, designs AI and robots to safely perform repetitive and precise laboratory work in universities, pharmaceutical companies and more, reducing to zero the infection risk to lab workers.

It’s not just startups; established market leaders are also leaning into AI. EP Equipment, a manufacturer of lithium-powered warehouse forklifts founded in Hangzhou 28 years ago, has with Sinovation Ventures’ backing launched autonomous models that are able to maneuver themselves in factories and on warehouse floors. Additionally Yutong Group, a leading bus manufacturer with over 50 years’ history, already has a driverless Mini Robobus on the streets of three cities in partnership with autonomous vehicle unicorn WeRide.

Where is all this headed? I can foresee a time when robots and AI will take over the manufacturing, design, delivery and even marketing of most goods—potentially reducing costs to a small increment over the cost of materials. Robots will become self-replicating, self-repairing and even partially self-designing. Houses and apartment buildings will be designed by AI and use prefabricated modules that robots put together like toy blocks. And just-in-time autonomous public transportation, from robo-buses to robo-scooters, will take us anywhere we want to go.

It will be years before these visions of the future enter the mainstream. But China is laying the groundwork right now, setting itself up to be a leader not only in how much it manufactures, but also in how intelligently it does it.

Source：https://time.com/6084158/china-ai-factory-future/

雖說您將離開台灣，但台灣永遠不會離開您！祝福酈英傑處長鵬程萬里！
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轉載 @美國在台協會 AIT 貼文

📝酈英傑處長給台灣人民的道別信
「隨著我擔任美國在台協會處長的日子即將畫下句點，我也即將離開台灣，我想藉這個機會和大家分享，這一番歷練對我來說的意義是什麼。當我說擔任AIT處長其實是我這輩子的榮幸，也讓我得以實現長期職業生涯中的抱負與理想，這麼說一點也不為過。
我19歲時第一次離開家鄉，就是來台灣。對年輕的我來說，從那時起，台灣就成了交流與理解、探索與冒險的同義詞。台灣不僅有著讓人眼花撩亂的異鄉風情，也代表著意想不到的嶄新機會。我在這裡嘗試新奇的食物，像是水餃和臭豆腐，並且學習如何在擠滿單車和機車的大街小巷穿梭自如。一方面，我努力用我粗淺的中文，讓別人聽懂我說的話；但同時我也發現，無論走到哪裡，迎接我的都是滿滿的親切友善與熱情好客。
因此，在成為美國外交官後，能夠以台灣作為我派駐海外的第一站，真是再適合不過了。畢竟，是台灣首先點燃了我對亞洲、尤其是台灣的畢生興趣，也激發了我對跨文化理解和共享目標——也就是外交工作——的終身熱忱。此後，我也曾派駐其他地點，多數是在大中華區域，但我的台灣經歷與回憶始終常存我心。最終我能以美國駐台最高層級外交官的身分回來這裡，可說是我多年職涯的高峰。顯然，我這一生注定與台灣有著深刻的連結，或者也叫作「緣分」吧，才會讓我一次又一次不斷地回到台灣。
常有人問我，為什麼我這麼喜歡台灣。我總覺得：「答案不是很明顯嗎？」不過如果一定要我從個人與專業的角度，解釋我對台灣的喜愛與敬佩之情，我通常會提到以下幾個領域：
首先，台灣兼具活力與穩定、進步與延承、還有創新與傳統。每次回到這裡，我都對台灣社會在各個方面日新月異的進步感到驚艷不已。台灣的民主更臻成熟，經濟益加蓬勃，環境保護更受關注，藝術文化發展也生生不息。
台灣在許多最先進的科技產業上持續為全球創新樹立標竿，但與此同時，台灣的社會穩定和文化傳承依舊令人欽羨佩服。儘管生活充裕且形象良好，台灣人民卻依然謙虛樸實、平易近人。在台灣，最古老的傳統薪火相傳、歷久彌新。文化和歷史古蹟受到妥善的修復與保護；年輕人也可以學習代代相傳的書法技巧，接著再把作品秀在Instagram上。
再者，對美國來說，台灣正是共享利益與共享價值交集的典範。美台夥伴關係的重點在於確保科技發展能夠嘉惠、而非傷害我們雙方的經濟，科技突破則應被用於鞏固、而不是破壞我們的原則。美台之間自由、多元、平等及透明等共享價值，時時激勵我們努力在世界各地打造民主社會的韌性。而我們也持續尋求新的方式，為解決全球問題做出貢獻，這麼做不僅是因為能夠造福我們自己的人民，也是因為我們相信，身為21世紀敦親睦鄰的好夥伴，就是該這麼做。
最後，每當我想到台灣、以及整體美台關係，我總會想到希望、光明和成長。美台的情誼在過去40年來不斷拓展與茁壯。我相信每任處長都會同意，他們離開台灣時的美台夥伴關係，比起他們剛上任時都更上一層樓。同樣的，當我向AIT告別的那一天，我的心中將充滿肯定與成就感，因為我知道，美台夥伴關係比以往都更加深刻和強健，我也對自己能為美台關係今天亮眼的進展小有貢獻，而深感驕傲。
但是，比起這些事情，我想我更難忘的是台灣在我生命中所留下的深刻印記。我永遠會記得我在台灣度過的第一個聖誕節，還有第一個農曆新年。我永遠會記得台灣朋友的真摯與溫暖、教會同伴堅定的信仰、炎炎夏日來一碗芒果冰的沁涼、資源回收車沿街播放《給愛麗絲》的回音，還有巷弄中撲鼻而來的茉莉花香，這些都會是我畢生珍藏的美好回憶之一。我也會記得好友間的餐聚、充滿歡笑和故事的夜晚、以及一路以來我受到過的無數的善意與關懷。我更會永遠記得，是各位台灣朋友們，你們以各種不同的方式，讓我和我家人的生命更加地豐盛美好。對此，我要衷心地謝謝大家。
雖然我將離開台灣，但台灣不會離開我。」
— 美國在台協會處長 酈英傑
✅信件全文亦可至AIT官網查看：https://bit.ly/2TSkLDF
📝A Farewell Letter from AIT Director W. Brent Christensen
"As my time as AIT Director draws to a close and I prepare to leave Taiwan, I want to take this opportunity to tell you what this experience has meant to me. It is not an exaggeration to say that this has been the honor of my life and the fulfillment of a career-long aspiration.
The first time I left my hometown at age 19, it was to come to Taiwan. From that early age, Taiwan became synonymous for me with the ideas of exchange and understanding, exploration and adventure. Taiwan represented both disorienting foreignness and unexpected opportunity, as I tried new food – like shuijiaos and qiu doufu – and learned to navigate my way through streets crowded with bicycles and scooters. And struggled to make myself understood with my rudimentary Mandarin. But all the while discovering the kindness and generosity that welcomed me wherever I went.
It felt appropriate for me to serve my first tour as a U.S. diplomat in the place that first sparked in me a lifelong interest in Asia – and in Taiwan in particular – and in cross-cultural understanding and shared purpose, or in other words, diplomacy. After that, my career took me to other places, but mostly still in the China region. But the memories of my experiences in Taiwan stayed with me. And finally having the opportunity to serve as the top U.S. diplomat to Taiwan was the culmination of all the years that came before. It is clear that I have a lifelong connection to Taiwan, or “yuanfen,” that has led me to return again and again.
People often ask me why I have such a fondness for Taiwan. “Isn’t it obvious?!” I always think. But when forced to explain my affection for and professional fascination with Taiwan, I usually come back to a few themes.
First, dynamism and constancy; progress and preservation; innovation and tradition. Every time I return to Taiwan, I am immediately struck by the many ways Taiwan has advanced as a society. Taiwan’s democracy grows more mature, its economy more prosperous, its environment more cared-for, and its arts and culture more vibrant.
Taiwan’s industry continues to set the benchmark for global innovation in some of the most sophisticated technologies, but at the same time, Taiwan society is remarkable for its stability and cultural continuity. Taiwan’s people, despite their relative wealth and stature, continue to be modest and unassuming. Taiwan’s most ancient traditions are alive and well. Cultural and historic sites are restored and preserved. Young people may learn calligraphy techniques handed down for generations, but then share their work on Instagram.
Second, for the United States, Taiwan exemplifies the intersection of shared interests and shared values. Our partnership is about making sure our economies are beneficiaries rather than casualties of technological development and ensuring that technological development advances rather than undermines our principles. Our shared values of freedom, diversity, equality, and transparency inspire our efforts to build the resilience of democracies around the world. And we continue to find new ways to contribute to global problem solving, both because it benefits our own peoples and because we share the belief that this is what it means to be a good neighbor in the 21st century.
Finally, I associate Taiwan – and the broader U.S.-Taiwan relationship – with hope, promise, and growth. This friendship has expanded and flourished over the past 40 years; I believe every person who has done this job walked away knowing they left this partnership better than they found it. I will similarly leave AIT with a sense of accomplishment and success, knowing that the U.S.-Taiwan partnership is deeper and stronger than ever, and feeling immensely proud of my small role in getting us there.
But more than any of these things, I will remember the ways that Taiwan has touched me personally. I will always remember my first Christmas in Taiwan – and my first Chinese New Year. I will remember the warmth of Taiwan friendship, the faith of my fellow church members, the taste of a mango bing on a hot summer day, the echo of “Fur Elise” from the recycling truck, the fragrance of jasmine blossoms in village alleyways – these are just some of the memories I will treasure. I will remember the long dinners with dear friends, full of laughter and stories. And I will remember their many kindnesses. I will remember all the ways big and small that you, the people of Taiwan, touched my life and the lives of my family. And for that, I thank you.
I may be leaving Taiwan, but Taiwan will never leave me. "
-- AIT Director William Brent Christensen
✅Read the letter: https://bit.ly/3hUrsgw