【6句英文，一起緬懷李前總統對台灣民主發展的貢獻】
親愛的李前總統，您曾經是我在日本唸書時，在跟日本的長輩、早稻田大學附近百年的燒鳥店老闆、老教授們聊天時的共同話題。每個人對您是不是 "hero" 各有看法、也有自由可以有不同的看法，這已是您最大的貢獻。
你教了我：對的改變一定要堅持，即便過程會很辛苦。但想要改變要不只要勇敢、還要有謀略、策略。Thank you, thank you, thank you.
【文法小教室】
democracy 在做「民主制度」時，是抽象語意，是不可數名詞。但當 democracy 在當「民主國家」、「民主政體」時，則是可數名詞喔。
❶ He was instrumental in the nation’s peaceful transition from the autocratic rule (專制統治) to one of Asia’s most vibrant democracies (活躍的民主政體). Lee also cemented Taiwan’s identity as distinct from China.
【句型 / 搭配】
✔︎ X is instrumental in sth... X 在 sth 中扮演重要、協助性的角色
✔︎ cement + identity 強化、鞏固～的身份
❷ Lee Teng-hui is one of the key founders of today’s prosperous and democratic Taiwan (繁榮且民主的台灣), a country that is the marvel of observers throughout Asia and the world (讓亞洲和世界各國感到驚嘆的國家). I salute him for his unparalleled contributions (無比重要的貢獻) to the modern and self-confident Taiwan of today!
【句型 / 搭配】
✔︎ the key founder of sth... 主要的創建者
✔︎ marvel (v.) + at sth 對～感到驚嘆
marvel (n.) It's a marvel to me that S+V...
✔︎ unparalleled contributions 無比重要貢獻、無可匹敵的
貢獻 => unrivaled contributions
❸ President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文): “President Lee’s contribution to Taiwan’s democratic journey was irreplaceable and his death is a great loss for the country."
【句型 / 搭配】
✔︎ irreplaceable + contribution 難以取代的貢獻
✔︎ sb's death is a great loss for sth / sb
❹ Former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) also offered his condolences to Lee’s family through his office, while affirming Lee’s contributions to Taiwan’s democratization.
【句型 / 搭配】
✔︎ offer condolences 表達哀悼
✔︎ democratization 民主化
➠ Democratization is the transition to a more democratic political regime (民主的政治政體).
❺ Lee allowed the nation to smoothly evolve from an authoritarian regime (獨裁政體) to a democratic one, and he was able to withdraw from the political scene (退出政壇) at his peak, Ko (柯文哲) wrote, describing Lee as a “hero of the era.”
【句型 / 搭配】
✔︎ evolve from X to Y 從 X 轉變、演變、進化到 Y
✔︎ withdraw from the political scene 退出政壇
✔︎ at sb's peak 在某人的高峰 (通常是職涯)
❻ Lee served as Taiwan's president from 1988 to 2000, overseeing its transition from martial law dictatorship (實施戒嚴法的獨裁統治政體) to a full-fledged democracy (成熟的民主政體)
✔︎ a full-fledged democracy 成熟、發展完全的民主政體
• 以下文字取自於 Financial Times、The New York Times、TIME、Taipei Times
