Street Corner Scenes

#2025-1107

《 街角所見》

Scenes from Street Corners

Well, as you can see, “街角所見” can be a nice Chinese title for this collection of photos, which I took about a week ago when I was walking home with food and drinks from PX Mart (大全聯, Dàquánlián), the one nearest to my dwelling place in Hualien City.

Yes, these photos represent what I have captured on street corners since Jean and I came here for a long stay.

Every time we (or I alone) go shopping on Zhongshan Road (中山路), these things or scenes are among the unique sights that attract my eyes; and if I spend a few moments thinking and pondering on them, they arouse even more of my interest, activating my imagination. Look — can you find in the photos the remains of a prison that has turned into the so-called “Liberty Square”? Do you notice the nude female sculpture sitting on a rusted metal bench? What else do you see in the pictures I share below?

What, then, would you imagine if you saw these scenes on your own — and, all in all, what would you say about these street-corner scenes?

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相關文章 (See also)：

1)  Markets and Daily Bread     (2025)

2)  十月初：October Again!     (2025)

3)  Lanterns and Ripples     (2025)

Four Memorable Songs

#2025-1106

Instead of singing with my voice, I have recently been practicing some memorable songs on my viola. Here are four of them—melodies that feel especially familiar and pleasing to me:

1. 老黑爵

2. 搖籃曲

3. 露莎蘭

4. 秋柳

Below is what I have learned about these short yet beautiful pieces of music.

《老黑爵》 (Old Black Joe), composed by Stephen Foster in 1860, is an American folk song filled with gentle nostalgia. Its smooth, lyrical melody and simple harmonies make it easy to sing, which is why it became popular in school songbooks. The song evokes quiet reflection on old friends and the passage of time, allowing singers to convey warmth and sentiment through subtle expressiveness.

《搖籃曲》 (Lullaby), composed by Franz Schubert (1797–1828, D.498), is a soothing song meant to comfort and calm. In my school songbook, the melody is written in 4/4, which simplifies the beat for easy singing while preserving the gentle, rocking character of the lullaby. Its stepwise melodic movement, soft rises and falls, and delicate accompaniment convey tenderness and security. Chinese lyrics in school editions maintain this warmth, allowing young singers to experience the comforting mood of a classic Western art song.

《露莎蘭》, attributed to Chen Shilian (陳式琏) around 1941—though some sources give the name Chen Shida (陳式達)—is said to be based on a Scottish folk-style melody. The song portrays a young man’s longing for a maiden named Lùshālán, expressed through tender and poetic imagery: “I wander by the sea and over the hills…” Although often labeled a Scottish folk song, its exact original tune remains uncertain. The Chinese lyrics and 4/4 arrangement give it a smooth, lyrical flow, making it both expressive and easy to sing in groups.

《秋柳》, composed by 劉雪庵 (Liu Xue’an, 1905–1985), is a modern Chinese art song that blends Western harmony with Chinese poetic imagery. Its arching melodic lines, soft repetitions, and restrained ornamentation evoke willows swaying in the autumn breeze. The song’s reflective, slightly wistful mood captures the beauty and transience of nature, exemplifying early 20th-century Chinese art-song style while encouraging singers to convey subtle emotion.

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相關文章 (See also)：

1)  From "北国の春" to "榕樹下"     (2025)

2)  兩首老歌 -- Old Taiwanese Songs     (2025)

3)  "菩提樹" ~ A Beautiful Mistranslation     (2025)

《菩提樹》：一場美麗的誤譯

#2025-1105

※本文為 "菩提樹" ~ A Beautiful Mistranslation 的中文翻譯，以利中文讀者參閱。

《菩提樹》：一場美麗的誤譯

引言

在世界眾多膾炙人口的歌曲中，很少有像舒伯特的〈菩提樹〉（Der Lindenbaum）那樣，能跨越語言與文化的邊界，並在轉化之中依然保持優雅的魅力。當這首溫柔的旋律從德語傳入日語，再到中文時，它帶來的不僅是音符與歌詞，更帶來了一場「美麗的誤譯」——讓一棵平凡的村樹化為神聖的菩提樹。

一、德語原境

在法蘭茲・舒伯特的歌曲〈菩提樹〉中，「Lindenbaum」指的是歐洲的椴樹（Tilia）。在德國的村莊裡，椴樹常立於水井旁或廣場中央，象徵和平、庇蔭與家的溫情。它並無宗教意涵，而是人情與鄉愁的象徵。

二、日語的翻譯

當舒伯特的《冬之旅》（Winterreise）於明治時期傳入日本時，譯者將〈Der Lindenbaum〉譯為〈菩提樹〉（Bodaiju, 菩提樹）。然而，在日語中，「菩提樹」並非指印度佛教中的聖樹（Ficus religiosa），而是指日本本土的一種椴樹（Tilia miqueliana），常栽於佛寺之中。這個名稱取自佛教詞彙，但在植物學上仍然只是「椴樹」。

三、中譯名的由來

後來，西方藝術歌曲透過日本的音樂教育體系傳入中國，日文標題〈菩提樹〉便被原封不動地沿用。當時的中國讀者並不了解日語中這個詞的雙重含義，於是自然地將它與佛陀在其下悟道的「菩提樹」聯想在一起。就這樣，一場靜悄悄的象徵錯位悄然誕生。

四、恰到好處的文化錯位

從科學角度而言，這樣的翻譯確實並不正確——椴樹與菩提樹屬於完全不同的植物。然而，中文「菩提樹」所蘊含的「覺悟之樹」之意，卻意外地為歌曲增添了和平與思慕的深層意境。這場偶然的誤會，使西方的鄉村意象融入東方的靜謐與心靈的安寧。

五、「美麗錯誤」的詩意

直到今天，中文世界仍以〈菩提樹〉稱呼這首歌，鮮少有人追問這個譯名的由來。這個溫柔的錯誤，誕生於語言的交會之處，正展現了文化轉化的奇妙之美。它提醒我們，在藝術與翻譯之中，即使是一個錯誤，也能開出意義的花朵。

結語

〈菩提樹〉的旅程——從德國村莊的椴樹，到日本寺院的靜樹，再到中國心中的菩提——講述的不僅是一首歌曲的歷史，更是一段關於意義如何轉移、語言如何重塑美感、以及音樂如何連結遙遠心靈的故事。

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相關文章 (See also)：

1)  兩首老歌 -- Old Taiwanese Songs     (2025)

2)  "菩提樹" ~ A Beautiful Mistranslation     (2025)

"菩提樹" ~ A Beautiful Mistranslation

#2025-1104

The Beautiful Mistranslation of Der Lindenbaum

— How a German Linden Became a Bodhi Tree in Chinese

🌵美麗的誤譯~~從德國椴樹到中文菩提樹🍃

Introduction

Among the world’s beloved songs, few have traveled as far and transformed as gracefully as Franz Schubert’s Der Lindenbaum. When this tender melody crossed linguistic borders—from German to Japanese to Chinese—it carried more than notes and words. It carried a “beautiful mistranslation,” turning a simple village linden into a sacred Bodhi tree.

1. The Original German Context

In Franz Schubert’s song Der Lindenbaum (“The Linden Tree”), the word Lindenbaum refers to the European linden tree (Tilia). In German villages, a linden often stood by the well or at the center of the square, symbolizing peace, shelter, and home. It had no religious meaning but represented human warmth and nostalgic affection.

2. The Japanese Translation

When Schubert’s Winterreise was introduced to Japan during the Meiji Era, translators rendered Der Lindenbaum as “Bodaiju” (菩提樹). In Japanese, however, bodai-ju refers not to the sacred fig of India but to the Japanese linden (Tilia miqueliana), often planted in Buddhist temples. The name was borrowed from Buddhist vocabulary, though botanically it means “linden.”

3. How the Chinese Title Emerged

When Western art songs later entered China through Japan’s music education system, the Japanese title 〈菩提樹〉 was adopted unchanged. Chinese readers, unaware of the Japanese dual meaning, naturally associated it with the Bodhi tree (Ficus religiosa)—the tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment. Thus, a quiet symbolic misplacement was born.

4. A Cultural Misplacement That Fits Perfectly

Scientifically, the translation is incorrect—Linden and Bodhi are two entirely different species. Yet the Chinese term “菩提樹,” meaning “the tree of enlightenment,” adds unexpected depth to the song’s message of peace and longing. Through coincidence, a Western folk image acquired an Eastern sense of spiritual tranquility.

5. The Beauty of a “Happy Mistake”

Today, Chinese audiences still know the song as 〈菩提樹〉, rarely questioning the translation’s origin. This gentle mistake, born of linguistic crossing, reveals the beauty of cultural transformation. It reminds us that in art and translation, even an error can bloom into meaning.

Conclusion

The journey of Der Lindenbaum—from a German village linden to Japan’s temple tree and finally to China’s Bodhi tree—tells more than the history of a song. It tells the story of how meanings shift, how languages reshape beauty, and how music connects distant hearts.

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相關文章 (See also)：

1)  《菩提樹》：一場美麗的誤譯     (2025)

2)  托塞利《小夜曲》聆聽札記     (2025)

3)  兩首老歌 -- Old Taiwanese Songs     (2025)

歡迎來訪～感謝分享

#2025-1102

We had special visitors at our church, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, this morning — Rev. Kang-Seok Lee (李康碩牧師), his wife, and seven students from Yushan Theological College and Seminary (玉山神學院) in Shoufeng, Hualien County.

By the way, the seminary’s campus is quite close to Liyu Lake (鯉魚潭 or Carp Lake), one of Hualien’s most popular scenic spots.

Right after Communion, six of the visiting students sang a beautiful hymn in the Atayal language (泰雅族語), while the seventh played the piano. The hymn followed their tribal traditional melody. I was deeply moved and asked if I could see the printed music. To my surprise, the song sheets contained only the lyrics — no melody notation at all. The students explained that the melody lived vividly in their hearts and minds, so they didn’t need any written notes.

Before our lunch at St. Luke’s, I had a brief but pleasant conversation with Rev. Lee and his wife. I was surprised to learn that both of them, originally from Korea, have been serving in Taiwan for six years. Before that, they worked in mainland China for eleven years — no wonder their Mandarin is so fluent!

Rev. Lee recalled that they had visited St. Luke’s two years ago. “At that time,” he said, “it was Rev. Liang — or was it? — who served as the vicar here.” I nodded and told him that Rev. Liang had moved to Kaohsiung about three months ago. Hearing this, Rev. Minglong Wu mentioned that I am Rev. Liang’s father. Rev. Lee’s eyes widened in surprise. Smiling, he said, “Oh yes, he looks so much like you!” Indeed, the old saying proved true: Like father, like son.

This morning, I recorded a short video clip of their choir performance. You can listen to the Atayal hymn sung by our special young visitors by clicking the video below. Why not take a moment to enjoy it?

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相關文章 (See also)：

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