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English to Mandarin Chinese: Eric Liddell: Gold Medal Missionary General field: Art/Literary
Source text - English Eric Liddell: Gold Medal Missionary
Ellen Caughey
FOURTEEN
Weihsien, 1943-1944
The characters on the sign could be translated “The Courtyard of the Happy Way,” but no internee arriving at the end of March would have described the camp in such glowing terms. Even in the dusk of early evening, the gray-brick, institutional-looking buildings surrounded by a forbidding barbed wire fence, which Eric and his group first spied from a distance, hardly seemed cheerful. But the worst was yet to come.
Located two miles from the city of Weihsien, the camp was housed in the former quarters of an American Presbyterian mission station, a station that had served a purpose similar to the compound at Siaochang. As in Siaochang, the Japanese had seized control of the station shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor, evicting all the missionaries.
But because this was an American mission, the soldiers’ reaction upon entering had been far from orderly. The acclaimed victory at Pearl Harbor had incited the soldiers to a moblike mentality, and they acted on their feelings by trashing the inside of the mission. Not a dish was left intact; not a piece of furniture was still functional. There were no cooking utensils to be found, except a few mangled once scattered in the debris.
The entire compound measured 150 by 200 yards, which would prove extremely tight quarters for the eighteen hundred internees, more than half of whom were children. (Six months later, some 250 more retired missionaries, staff, and children of missionaries from the Chefoo school, which Jenny Liddell had attended, would add to the camp’s population.) As at Siaochang, there was a hospital, school, chapel, and living facilities, as well as a large meeting hall and kitchen with three ovens. Married couples with children would find themselves in rooms measuring no more than thirteen by nine feet, and unmarried males and females were grouped according to gender in similarly confined areas. The first night, as Eric helped his group find their rooms, the wails of young children rang out from all directions. For the first months, he would share a room with two missionary pastors.
Because the war had severely crippled Japan’s military reserves, the internees were given few rules, littler supervision, and minimal rations. The camp commander was a civil servant who supervised a staff of former policemen, not military officers. Clearly, the Japanese were not worried that a group made up primarily of missionaries would mount a daring escape. Still, there were terrifying reminders of the formidable enemy that was Japan: Electric fences surrounded the camp, and powerful searchlights circled the area continually through the night. Mandatory roll call was held twice every day.
All prisoners were assigned jobs, and by the time Eric arrived, the system was already in place. Because his group had been the last to arrive, the internees from Peking and Tsingtao were already working, with most of them helping in the kitchen. Some ladled out the portions, while others washed the dirty dishes. Many were professionals – bankers, importers, and professors – who had never done such tasks, at least not in recent memory.
After his first full day, Eric felt numbed by the mealtime routine. All internees would stand in a line, bowl and spoon in hand, to receive a thin broth and bread. Surveying the line, Eric exclaimed to Howard Smith, “Why, the line’s got to be at least seventy yards long! Somehow we will have to make this camp a better place.”
Howard knew only too well that Eric meant what he said. “But it will be hard to bring about change when all you’re thinking about is how hungry you are!”
Within weeks, the camp would become a remarkably civilized community, due to the efforts of many internees. Committees were formed to supervise discipline, education, finance, quarters and accommodations, supplies, and athletics. An employment committee mad sure that all able-bodied internees worked three hours every day, while an engineering and repairs committee organized a campaign to rebuild the damaged interiors. Entertainment programs were scheduled by the internees themselves, with performances of Handel’s Messiah and George Bernard Shar’s Androcles and the Lion receiving rave reviews.
For his part, Eric took on more responsibilities than anyone could reasonably handle. Unlike the Chinese, who had no idea he was an Olympic champion, most Westerners had recognized him upon his arrival at the camp. At first, he was the camp’s foremost celebrity, the one greeted by sidelong looks and whispers. But very soon, he was a friend to all. Known as “Uncle Eric,” he became the children’s math and science teacher, coach and teacher of all sports, minister of chapel services, warden of two dormitories, and translator for the Japanese.
Despite the ever-present hunger, Eric managed to generate enthusiasm for all kinds of sports, and he delighted in rounding up teams for various competitions. He would often be seen using Florence’s old curtains and tablecloths, not to mention dresses and shirts, to mend hockey sticks and old baseballs just to the games could go on.
He also supervised two large buildings which housed more than two hundred single men and women. Every morning and evening, he had to make sure that all were present for the camp’s roll calls; every day, he was involved in the more mundane tasks of fetching water and coal, emptying garbage, and cleaning various rooms. In the evening, he spent time tutoring those who needed extra help with their studies, especially in science and math.
As the leader of what was dubbed the Weishien Christian Fellowship, Eric conducted Bible studies and served as a Christian counselor as well. With his permanent smile and easygoing manner, he was seen as the person to turn to, as one internee would say, “When personal relationships got just too impossible… he had a gentle, humorous way of soothing ruffled tempers and bringing to one’s mind some bygone happiness or the prospect of some future interest round the corner ‘when we got out.’”
His newly discovered talent for counseling would become invaluable in the months to come as he became more involved with the large population of young men and women. Teenagers at the camp, who felt confined and restless, were drawn to Eric because of his active nature and love of sports. But very soon, they presented a daunting challenge to him, one he never dreamed he would face. They wanted to hold hockey games on Sundays.
“You know I can’t go along with that,” Eric said when they first asked. “I have never gone against that principle, and I won’t stat now.”
A group of them had gathered around him, and their groans and protests filled his ears. “You don’t have to be there, Uncle Eric,” one boy said. “We’ll hold it ourselves, boys against girls. It’ll be great!”
Eric could not stop them from going ahead with their plan, but he didn’t have to tell them that he wouldn’t be there to referee. And what he expected to happen did: The hockey game turned into a free-for-all, with tempers flaring and accusations flying. The next Sunday, when the teenagers decided to try again, they couldn’t believe their eyes. Walking across the crude playing field to meet them was Eric.
“This Sunday, we’ll play by the rules, for a change,” he said rather sternly, and then, like the sun appearing from behind dark clouds, his usual big smile transformed his features. He had broken his rule for the greater good of the needs of his young friends.
Eric became a favorite speaker at the camp’s church services, conducted without constraint from the Japanese captors. There was no need for Sunday tea parties at Weihsien and no limit on how many could attend the variety of services. Music was an integral part of the day, with a Salvation Army band playing hymns in an open square in the morning and a hymn sing taking place on Sunday evenings.
Eric’s two favorite sermon topics were Paul’s “love letter” to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 13) and Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). When asked why he went back to these passages time and again, Eric said, “These words are the cornerstone of my faith…this is the way love can be translated into living.”
Years earlier, before he had left for Siaochang, Eric had written a little booklet called The Sermon on the Mount: For Sunday School Teachers. Writing about meekness and weakness, he stated the following:
What is the difference? Both may be kind and
Gentle. Is the difference the element of fear?
Meek – kind and gentle and fearless.
Weak – kind and gentle and led by fear.
Meek – is love in the presence of wrong.
Every morning this meek man still crawled out of bed at six and sat at his small table, his Bible and notebook open. Sometimes one of his roommates would join him, intrigued by this man who was so many things to so many people. After reading and praying, Eric would write in his notebook what needed to be done that day. In whatever circumstances he found himself, he knew first and foremost that his life was grounded in God, and that he would find the strength to show love in the presence of his enemies – and in the presence of his friends.
Translation - Mandarin Chinese 李爱锐 — 世界冠军宣教士
爱伦·考伊
第14章
English to Mandarin Chinese: 2017 Starlight Ridge Shiraz General field: Marketing Detailed field: Advertising / Public Relations
Source text - English 2017 Starlight Ridge Shiraz
Our Starlight Ridge Shiraz comes from Australia’s famed Barossa Valley winemaking region, and it shines a lovely purple in the glass. True to the fruit-forward styles of Australian Shiraz, this wine offers rich aromas of plum, vanilla, and white pepper. On the palate, it delivers a silky essence of blackberry and plum, with subtle hints of chocolate and spice and a long, succulent finish. This quintessential Australian Shiraz begins with delicious grapes from the Barossa Valley, a region near Adelaide that became one of the country’s first well-known wine regions, with its specialty being the Shiraz grape. The grapes faithfully reflect Australia’s fruity terroir from the outset, and the wine is given an aging period to develop the tannins and body that is characteristic of Shiraz. Starlight Ridge Shiraz pairs best with red meats such as beef, lamb, and even venison. Its best flavors emerge when decanted for around 30 minutes.
English to Mandarin Chinese: You Know You Trashed a Conversation When . . . General field: Social Sciences Detailed field: Religion
Source text - English You Know You Trashed a Conversation When . . .
November 11, 2020
Written By: Ed Welch
Topics: COMMUNICATION, HUMILITY, RELATIONSHIPS
We should keep a list of how our words have damaged relationships and undermined sensitive conversations. Our growth in wisdom depends on remembering and changing our foolish habits.
For example, one of my foolish habits during disagreements with my wife has been to prioritize my own sense of being rejected. When I perceive rejection from her, it seems to reach into my soul and rob me of spiritual power. Suddenly, I can’t hear and can’t love, and it is all her fault. A truly foolish, deadly practice. I am gradually prioritizing my relationship and my calling to love over my sense of rejection, but the pace seems glacial.
What is on your list? Listen especially for words spoken calmly. These are easy to miss.
You know you trashed a conversation when you . . .
Say “never” or “always.” We know this and still do it.
Say something like “Look who’s talking. That’s exactly what you do.” Does anyone not do this? It has everything to do with being right-er and nothing to do with love, but it still evades detection.
Say nothing and walk away. Some couples agree to do this—a cooling-off period—and it is better than violence, but too many people never return for a follow-up conversation.
Confess your sins but don’t invite more discussion about what happened. Confession turns the trashed conversation in the right direction; it is not necessarily the final word. Let the other person say what is on his or her heart.
And here is one more. You know you have trashed a conversation when you invoke witnesses who are not in the room, but who allegedly agree with you.
“Your mother says the same thing about you.”
“I was talking with _____ and he/she said _________ (“you can be very difficult;” “I am a saint;” “you are crazy, out of control . . .,” “most people would never be able to live with you”).
You have just dragged the conversation into a courtroom. There, you don’t listen, love is not even a relevant category, and you march out witnesses to support you in the accusation of your adversary. Like most other diabolical strategies, it is cruel and divisive. Yet, you feel righteous in it all and are blind to the consequences on the other person. You think, perhaps, you are helping people see themselves more clearly. To make matters even worse, you have just trashed, or at least complicated, your adversary’s relationships with all the alleged witnesses. You might not be lying about what other people have said, but your witnesses would probably say that you certainly misrepresented them and they resent being used that way.
What keeps us from seeing this? Perhaps it’s because our self-assessment is limited to, “Did I speak the “truth”? If yes, we think we have done well. And, with this example of court witnesses, we are certain we are right because we know other people agree with us. Case closed.
But the apostle Paul would ask, “Did you speak in love, ‘with all humility’?” (Eph 4:2). Here, it gets tricky. “Well . . . I spoke what is true” (1 Cor 13:6). But the New Testament’s use of truth is more often the truth about Jesus. That is the non-negotiable truth. Our claims to accurate judgments [i.e., “truth”] about another person, especially when we have a vested interest in those judgments, are not always reliable and are best approached with a bit less confidence in ourselves. At about this point, we remember that we would be clueless apart from the Spirit himself, who opens our eyes to see the selfish motives of our hearts.
The Spirit has, indeed, come to us, so we don’t shy away from these careful searches. Given how our confidence in our right-ness can blind us, we also ask others to help us see clearly. The Spirit graciously reveals sin and takes us immediately to Jesus, our High Priest, who is full of mercy, so our true confidence is that we can draw near to him, receive power to stand against these tendencies of our hearts, and be peacemakers in God’s kingdom.
Translation - Mandarin Chinese 哪些方式会使谈话不欢而散
2020年11月11日
作者：艾德·韦尔奇
主题：沟通，谦卑，人际关系
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