關於 keep on going never give up中文 ，我們在網路上蒐集到這些相關的討論、資訊與評價

【國立臺灣大學109學年度畢業典禮 致詞代表 資訊工程學系韓哈斯】
Student Address, National Taiwan University Commencement 2021
International student Seth Austin Harding from Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering

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校長、教授、以及在螢幕前的各位同學，大家好。非常感謝臺大給我這個機會。我是韓哈斯，來自美國華盛頓特區。我會以自身的真實經驗出發，來跟大家分享臺大帶給我的收穫。

我當初為什麼選擇來台灣求學呢？我小時候非常喜歡看武打片，然後我十歲的時候去看了一部電影叫做「功夫熊貓」。這部電影成為了我最喜歡的電影，主角「阿波」的故事跟我的故事很像。我看完了之後就決定要開始學功夫，所以去了「美國武術學院」。那個時候我每天都聽旁邊的人講中文，到了高中我就決定開始學中文。當時我遇到了一位貴人，她是從台北到美國來教書的中文老師，她教的課是我當時最喜歡的課，我每天去她的教室跟好朋友練習。到了高中畢業時，我是全高中中文最好的非母語人士。同時，我第二喜歡的課程是電腦科學，那時候我是程式能力數一數二的學生。後來在成功錄取夢寐以求的學校：臺灣大學之後，我感到雀躍不已，因為我既可以繼續學習中文，也可以持續在世界頂尖的學府中，往電腦科學的方向精進自我。

不過老實說，當我回顧大一的時期，我也曾迷失自我。雖然我修了很多很多的中文課，但是我那時只聽得懂大概一半的課程內容。跟大家對美國人的印象不同，我其實很害羞，也很害怕舉手提問，我甚至不太敢參與社交，所以當時朋友也很少。我開始想家，也變得有一點憂鬱。那時籃球是我唯一的紓壓方式。

但更不幸的是，我在打籃球時弄傷了我的前十字韌帶，做了兩次手術，需要一年半才能恢復。許多的負面情緒壓得我喘不過氣。我被困在人生的低谷，不知如何是好。我覺得我的中文不夠好，我也被診斷出失眠跟ADHD，另外，美國高中的數學太簡單了，來這邊不夠用。種種壓力讓我足不出戶，找不到自己的人生方向。後來，我向臺大心輔中心以及我的心理醫師尋求協助，然後我也開始跟系上有更多互動。有一位教授叫徐宏民跟我說，"Never give up"，雖然那時候我覺得這句話太過於簡化了我的問題，不過，在我仔細思考了一個禮拜之後，我下定決心，發誓不讓自己被這些事擊敗。我決定要克盡全力，認真做好每件事。這是我人生的轉捩點，我開始變得異常自律。當時廖世偉教授和洪士灝系主任帶我進入它們的研究室鑽研學術。這重燃了我對資訊工程的熱忱，提醒了我當初會愛上這個領域的原因。我開始研究人工智慧以及區塊鏈，也開始跟其他系上同學交朋友，一起成立臺大人工智慧應用社NTUAI。NTUAI現在是校內頗具規模的技術研究社團，致力於推廣人工智慧給任何對該領域有熱忱的學生。歡迎加入NTUAI，可以掃描我們的QR CODE。

最近，由於疫情的緣故，我已經一年半沒回美國了。但是沒關係，因為我已經找到了我第二個家。我很愛臺大，以及台灣的人事物。雖然我經歷了人生的低潮，但這裡的一切總是給我滿滿的祝福與協助。最後，我想送給大家「功夫熊貓」裡的一句台詞： "You just need to believe"。只要用樂觀的態度去面對困難，就有能力改變自己，甚至改變身旁所愛的人。就像阿波的父親說的，"心誠則靈，只要你相信，點石就能成金。根本沒有什麼秘笈。只有你。"謝謝大家。

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President, professors, and classmates, I'm very honored to be here. Thank you to NTU for giving me this opportunity. My name's Seth Austin Harding, and I'm from the D.C. metropolitan area. I'm going to tell a real story that's personal but that's relatable and what I see as the real me.

What motivated and guided me to take my undergraduate studies in Taiwan? When I was very young, I really loved watching kung fu movies, and when I was 10 years old, I went to the theater to watch "Kung Fu Panda". This became my favorite movie as I felt like the story of the main character Po was one to which I could very much relate. After watching this movie, I decided that I wanted to start learning kung fu, so I went to the United States Wushu Academy. At the time, I began hearing Mandarin on a daily basis, so when I was in high school, I decided to begin formally studying Chinese. It ended up being my Chinese teacher from Taipei who was my favorite teacher who taught my favorite class, so I decided I'd hang out in the Chinese classroom every day and practice lots. By the time graduation came around, I had attained the highest proficiency in Chinese among any non-native speaker in my school. My second favorite class was computer science, and I ended up attaining among the best coding skills in my school. After getting accepted to the school of my dreams -- National Taiwan University -- I felt honored, humbled, and excited; I could now spend time at among the world's finest universities studying Chinese and at the same time advancing my knowledge of computer science.

But when I look back at my freshman year, to be honest with you, I didn't know what I was doing. Despite having taken very many Chinese classes, when I went to the NTU lectures, I understood only about half of what the teachers were saying. Contrary to most people's impressions of an American, I was actually too shy to raise my hand, to ask questions, or to even meet with teachers after class, so I had very few friends at the time. I started to become homesick and depressed. At that time, I found that basketball was the only way I knew of relieving my stress. However, while playing basketball, I had torn my ACL and it would take two surgeries and a year and a half in time to fully recover. At this point, I felt caught between a rock and a hard place. In fact, this was the lowest point of my life, and I didn't know what to do. I felt like my Chinese wasn't good enough, I had been diagnosed with insomnia and ADHD, and I felt like the math taught in America was too simple to allow for me to keep up with my classmates. I was under immense pressure, and at this time, I lost any sense of purpose or direction. Later on, I went to seek help from NTU counseling, from my psychiatrist, and from my department. I reached out to Professor Winston Hsu from CSIE, and he told me this: "Never give up"; it was such an oversimplified way to approach such a complex series of problems, I had thought. However, I pondered these words intensely for one week, and by the end of that week, I had made a firm decision. This would NOT be another example of me giving up. I decided to go all out, to work diligently and passionately on all tasks at hand. This was the turning point of my life; I started to discipline myself to a very high degree. At this time, I met my then-to-become advisors Professor Shih-Wei Liao and Professor Shih-Hao Hung and entered their labs to begin research. Finally, the passion that I had for computer science that I had previously held in high school was kindled again, and I was finally reminded why I loved this field. I began my research life in blockchain and AI, and at the time I entered the lab, I also began creating NTUAI. NTUAI is now a large and highly successful NTU club that is dedicated to the research and public understanding of AI. Welcome one and all to join us; please scan our QR code here.

For a year and a half I haven't returned to America because of covid. But not to worry; I have found my second home, away from home. I love it here in NTU and I cherish all of the things I've had the privilege to experience in Taiwan. I've gone through the most difficult of struggles in my life here, but I've also had the most fortunate and blessed of experiences. To conclude, I'd like to quote a line from "Kung Fu Panda": "You just need to believe". As long as you are willing to adopt an optimistic attitude in facing challenges and hardships, you may become a positive force in changing the lives of those around you as well as your own life. It all depends on how you view it; just like what Po's father says, "there is no secret ingredient. It's just you." Thank you, everyone.

詳見：
https://www.facebook.com/NTUCommencement/posts/2718185771805180

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#臺灣大學 #畢業典禮 #NTUCommencement2021 #學生致詞代表 #臺大資訊工程學系 #韓哈斯 #SethAustinHarding

英文字幕：YouTubeLearn
中文字幕：張皓雲
校稿 ：YouTubeLearn
「約翰走路：走遍世界的男人」

You’ve probably seen one of these, a LEGO brick, but have you ever wondered how would it all started, and why is it called LEGO? Actually, the name is much older than this plastic brick. Are you curious? Let me tell you how it all began.
你可能看過這其中之一，一塊樂高積木，但你有沒有想過這一切是如何開始的，以及它為什麼叫樂高嘛？事實上，這名字比這塊塑膠積木老得多了。好奇嗎？讓我告訴你這一切如何開始的。

Many years ago, there was a skilled and hardworking carpenter named, Ole Kirk Christiansen. Ole was a respected carpenter with his own company. But times were hard, so he didn’t have much money and had to dismiss his last worker.
許多年以前，有位技術高超、工作勤奮的木匠，他的名字是Ole Kirk Christiansen。Ole是名受人尊敬的木匠，並擁有自己的公司。但日子很困苦，所以他沒有太多錢，還必須解雇最後一名員工。

“Come on in.”
“ I’ve closed down the workshop and packed my thing.”
“Heh, thank you!”
“I suppose I’d better write you a paycheck.”
“Take care!”
「進來吧。」
「我已經關了木作工坊，也打包了我的東西。」
「啊，謝謝你！」
「我想我最好寫張薪水支票給你。」
「保重！」

“Well, that was the last one. I just didn’t imagine that it would come to this.”
“I know. It’s hard to understand, but at least now it can’t get much worse.”
「嗯，這是最後一名員工。只是我沒有想像會演變成這樣。」
「我知道。很難預料到，但至少不會再更糟了。」

But it did get worse. Shortly after, Ole lost his wife. But Ole was a special person. He wasn’t the type that gave up. And with the responsibility of his four sons, he had to think of something. Ole had gotten an idea. And for him, it never took long to put an idea into action. Ole’s little invention made his boys so happy that he thought maybe he should start making toys. Ole decided to give it a try. Luckily, he had saved up a lot of wood from the carpentry production. He can now use it to make toys.
但事情確實更糟了。不久後，Ole失去了他的妻子。但Ole是個特別的人。他不是那種會放棄的人。為了要對四個兒子負起責任，他必須要想些辦法。Ole想到了個點子。而且對他來說，要將點子付諸行動從來不需花太多時間。Ole的小發明讓他的兒子們非常開心，所以他想也許他應該開始做玩具。Ole決定要試一試。幸運的是，他曾儲存了許多製作木器用的木料。他現在可以用這些來做玩具。

Time passed by, and even though Ole was a skilled carpenter and had a good eye for quality and detail, sales were very slow. Luckily, one of his sons, Godtfrey, started helping out his dad after school. Together, they just barely managed to keep up the production. Eventually, word began to spread that wooden toys of the finest quality were being made in a little workshop in Billund.
時光流逝，而且即使Ole是名技術高超的木匠，並對品質及細節有好眼光，銷售還是非常緩慢。幸運地，他其中一個兒子Godtfrey開始在放學之後幫助他的父親。他倆一起還是只能勉強維持產量。最後，開始口耳相傳在Billund有間小木作工坊生產品質最好的木製玩具。

One day, a man drove into town — a man who would change Ole’s future. He was a wholesaler from Frederitia.
有一天，一名男子開車到城裡來–一個將會改變Ole未來的男人。他是從Frederitia來的批發商。

“I’ve heard that you’re making some very nice wooden toys.”
「我聽說你生產非常精美的木製玩具。」

“Well, one does his best.”
「這個嘛，竭盡我所能囉。」

The wholesaler was very impressed with all the wooden toys and placed a big order before he left.
這批發商對所有木製玩具印象非常深刻，並在離開前開出一筆大訂單。

“Now there’s finally someone who can see the opportunities and what we are doing.”
“Look at this. The wholesaler wants to put a lot of our toys into his store for the holidays.”
“It’s going to be a good Christmas this year, but we’ll be busy.”
「現在終於有個人看到這些機會、看到我們在做的事。」
「看這個。那個批發商想在假期期間在他的店裡放上很多我們的玩具。」
「今年的聖誕節會很好過，但我們會很忙。」

Now, there was a lot to do in the little workshop. And Ole could rehire his former workers. Ole only used the highest quality wood, which was hand-picked and very carefully prepared. They worked day and night to get the order finished, so the wholesaler could get the toys out in stores before Christmas.
現在這間小木作工坊有許多事要忙。而且Ole可以重新聘僱他以前的員工。Ole只用最高品質的木頭，這些木頭都是親手挑選的，並經過非常細心的準備。他們日以繼夜地工作以完成訂單，以能讓那位批發商能在聖誕節以前將這些玩具放到店裡。

“Is there something wrong, Dad?”
“I’m afraid that we’re… in big trouble.”
「發生什麼事了嗎？爸爸？」
「恐怕我們…有大麻煩了」

In the middle of their work, Ole received a letter saying that the wholesaler had filed for bankruptcy, and couldn’t buy the toys that he had ordered.
在他們工作進行到一半時，Ole收到一封信，上面寫著那名批發商已申請破產，不能買下他之前訂的玩具。

“But what are you gonna do? What about Christmas? Now we can’t even afford food?”
“I’ll do it.”
“What are you gonna do, Dad?”
“I’ll do it myself. I’ll drive around selling the toys.”
「但你要怎麼做？聖誕節怎麼辦？現在我們甚至買不起食物？」
「我會做。」
「你要怎麼做？爸爸？」
「我自己做。我會開車兜售這些玩具。」

There was no time to lose. Ole packed the car with all the toys and drove off. Ole was a very good toy-maker but was not a very good salesman. He didn’t like praising himself or talking about how carefully the toys have been made, but he had to keep trying if he is going to sell anything.
沒有時間浪費了。Ole將所有玩具裝進車裡，並開車離開。Ole是名很優秀的玩具製造者，但卻不是位優秀的銷售員。他不喜歡吹捧自己，或說這些玩具是如何細心地製作出來的，但如果想賣出任何東西，他就必須要繼續嘗試。

“This is going to be a blast. Is there anything you are interested in?”
“It looks exciting, but I don’t have a lot of money right now. Maybe we could trade in and call it even.”
“Well, I would prefer money, but…”
「這會造成轟動的。有任何你感興趣的東西嗎？」
「這看起來很振奮人心，但我現在沒有很多錢。也許我們能以物易物然後扯平。」
「這個嘛，我比較想收錢，但…」

In the end, he succeeded in selling all the toys. He didn’t receive as much money as he had hoped. But the family managed, and they had plenty of food for Christmas. Time passed by, but the toys didn’t sell as quickly as they had expected. Ole thought perhaps the company needed a good name.
最後，他成功地賣出所有玩具。他收到的錢並沒有他期望中的多。但家計得以維持，他們也有許多食物過聖誕節。時光流逝，但玩具賣得並不如預期般的快。Ole想，也許公司需要一個好名字。

“What should it be? It has to be a short word. I wanted to convey ‘playing well’.”
「應該叫什麼？它必須要是個簡短的字。我想要傳達『好好地玩』。」

In Danish, “playing well” is called “LEG GODT”.
丹麥文中「好好地玩」叫做「LEG GODT」。

“What should it be? What should it be? Yeah… If only I could get some sort of a sign…”
“LEGO.”
「要叫什麼？要叫什麼呢？對啊…如果我能有個像招牌的東西的話…」
「LEGO（樂高）」

As you can see, Ole himself ended up finding a very suitable name. But what he didn’t know was that in Latin, the word “LEGO” means “I put together”. The name “LEGO” was well received. And the company slowly started to move forward.
你可以看到，Ole最後幫自己找了個非常適合的名字。但他不知道的是，在拉丁文中，「LEGO」這個字的意思是「我組在一起」。「樂高」這個名字的接受度很高。而且公司開始慢慢地向前進。

“We have made 3,000 Krones this year. And we have more orders than usual.”
“Did you say 3,000 Krones? Huh, then you need to see what I’ve been looking at.”
“We have made 3,000 Krones this year. And we have more orders than usual.”
“Did you say 3,000 Krones? Huh, then you need to see what I’ve been looking at.”
「我們今年賺了3,000克朗（丹麥、挪威貨幣單位）。而且我們接到比平常更多的訂單。」
「你是說3,000克朗嗎？哈，那你應該要看看我已經看了好一陣子的東西。」

Even though Godtfred wasn’t comfortable spending money on a milling machine, he could see that it was useful, and that the quality of the toys improved.
即便Godtfred對於花錢買刻磨機感到很不舒服，他還是知道那很有用，而且也改善了玩具的品質。

“Could you finish the last batch and get it ready for shipping?”
“I will.”
“Dad…. dad, I saved a lot of money for the company today.”
“Really!? How?”
“I figured we could save money in the lacquer. Just like only coated the ducks twice instead of three times.”
“You What?”
「你可以完成最後一批並準備好裝運嗎？」
「我會的。」
「爸…爸，我今天為公司省下了很多錢。」
「真的嗎？怎麼做的？」
「我想到我們可以省下亮光漆的錢。像是在鴨子上只塗上兩層，而不是三層。」
「你做了什麼？」

Unfortunately, Godtfred’s idea didn’t go over well with Ole. Ole made Godtfred unpack all the ducks himself, give them the last layer of lacquer and bring them back to the train station. Ole believed in high quality and not cheating his customers. When Godtfred returned, Ole explained that that wasn’t the way to create a good brand. This little lesson opened Godtfred’s eyes to the fact that every detail matters and only the best is good enough.
不幸的是，Godtfred的主意並沒有過Ole那關。Ole要Godtfred自己從箱子取出那些鴨子，塗上最後一層亮光漆，並將它們運回火車站。Ole相信高品質，以及不能欺騙他的顧客們。當Godtfred回去時，Ole解釋那不是個創造好品牌的方式。這小小的一課打開了Godtfred的眼界，讓他知道每個細節都很重要，而且只有做到最好才算夠好。

In the late 1930s, LEGO was making a profit, even when The Second World War broke out. They tried to make the best out of a difficult time. It seemed nothing could go wrong. But a stormy night in 1942 changed their luck.
在1930年代後期，樂高開始賺錢，甚至第二次世界大戰爆發時也有盈利。他們試著充分利用這艱鉅的時期。似乎沒有任何事可以出錯。但1942年一個暴風雨的夜晚改變了他們的命運。

“There’s a fire. The workshop is on fire.”
「發生火災了。木作工坊起火了。」

But when the firemen arrived, they were unable to save the workshop. It burned to the ground, and all the drawings and models were destroyed. Ole was beginning to lose hope. All that he had worked for was gone, and he almost lost his company. But being responsible for his children and workers inspired him to rebuild LEGO. A new factory was constructed. Soon the production of wooden toy started again. The little company fought its way back into the market. Gradually, the LEGO factory began to run smoothly, and Ole started looking for new challenges.
但當消防隊員抵達時，他們已經無法救回木作工坊了。它被燒毀夷為平地，所有的草圖和模型也都被破壞殆盡。Ole開始失去希望。他所有的心血都沒了，他還差點失去他的公司。但對他的孩子和員工負起責任這件事，鼓勵了他重建樂高。他建了一座新的工廠。很快地再次開始木製玩具的生產。這間小公司奮力找到重回市場的路。漸漸地樂高工廠開始順利地營運，而Ole開始尋找新的挑戰。

One day, he went to Copenhagen to look at a new machine that had just arrived in Denmark. It was a plastic molding machine, and Ole was very excited about it.
有一天，他到哥本哈根去看一台剛送到丹麥的新機器。那是台塑膠成型機，Ole對此感到非常興奮。

“Should we buy it? It sure is a good bargain, and it would give us a lot of opportunities.”
“Well, it does sound interesting, but it is a lot of money.”
“I’ll take that as a ‘yes’.”
「我們應該買嗎？它確實很划算，而且會帶給我們很多機會。」
「這個嘛，聽起來很有趣，但這是很大一筆錢。」
「我就當你答應了。」

When the plastic molding machine finally arrived, Ole started making little plastic Teddy Bears and rattles. But he still had the plastic brick that he had received at the fair. There was something about them that he couldn’t stop thinking about. And even though no one else could see the potential in them, Ole decided to redesign and put them into production. But it was when LEGO first launched the great Ferguson Tractor that the plastic toys became a success. Unfortunately, the sales were dropping during the summer, and the company had too many toys in stock.
當塑膠成型機終於送達時，Ole開始製作小塑膠泰迪熊和波浪鼓。但他仍留著他在商展上拿到的塑膠積木。他就是無法停止思考有關這些塑膠積木的可能性。即使沒有人能在它們之中看到潛力，Ole還是決定要重新設計並生產它們。但直到樂高首次推出大Ferguson拖拉機的時候，塑膠玩具才取得成功。不幸的是，銷售量在夏天時開始下跌，而公司有太多的玩具庫存。

“This can’t be right. Of course, our products can be sold the whole year, not only for Christmas.”
「事情不該是這樣。當然，我們的產品全年都可以銷售，不只有在聖誕節時才能賣。」

Godtfred decided that he would go out and sell the toys himself. Godtfred brought his wife Edith as company and moral support.
Godtfred決定他要自己出去賣這些玩具。Godtfred帶著他的妻子Edith作伴以及精神支持。

“If you can’t get cash then… hmm… We need butter and eggs.”
「如果你不能換到現金那麼…嗯…我們需要奶油和雞蛋。」

Well, it wasn’t that bad. Godtfred was a success in his trip around the country which helped LEGO to get out of its financial crisis. They reached home just in time for Ole’s birthday party. Ole turned 60 and the whole family was gathered to celebrate with him.
這個嘛，事情沒那麼糟。Godtfred環遊全國的兜售行程很成功，這幫助樂高度過財政危機。他們到家時正好趕上Ole的生日派對。Ole 60歲了，全家都聚在一起為他慶祝。

“Well, I guess it was a long trip around the country.”
“Hey, I got an idea. Ugh, listen! Listen! What about a picture with the three generations?”
「嗯，我猜這趟環遊全國的旅程很漫長。」
「嘿，我有個想法。喂，聽好！聽好！拍張三代同堂的照片如何？」

Everyone thought that was a good idea, and we were placed on the sofa with all the presents and flowers around us. On a business trip to England, Godtfred met the head of a big shopping center on his way home. They discussed the toy industry, and the conversation would be very important to the future of LEGO.
每個人都覺得那是個好主意，我們坐在沙發上，四周都是禮物和花。在英國出差的時候，Godtfred在回家路上認識了一個大型購物中心的領導人。他們討論了玩具產業，那段對話對於樂高的未來會是非常重要。

“Damn this industry! I just think that toys are no good nowadays.”
“What do you mean? I think they are working very well.”
“Oh, they work fine, sure! But there’s no system in anything.”
“System?”
“System? Hmm, there isn’t any system…”
“What in the world are you doing, Godtfred?”
“There isn’t any system. The toys need an idea and a system built around it.”
“I wanna put system in the play. Children have only been offered ready-made solutions.”
“They need something different that will strengthen their imagination and creativity.”
“So, you are trying to put LEGO into a system? Interesting.”
「該死的產業！我就是覺得現在的玩具都不好。」
「你是什麼意思？我覺得他們運作得很好呀。」
「喔，他們運作的還可以。當然啦！但沒有任何東西是有系統的。」
「系統？」
「系統？嗯，沒有任何系統…」
「Godtfred，你究竟在做什麼？」
「沒有任何系統。這些玩具需要有一個概念，並要建立一個環繞的系統。」
「我想要在遊戲中放進系統。孩子們一直以來都只接受現成的解決方式。」
「他們需要一些不同的東西來增強他們的想像力及創造力。」
「所以，你要將樂高系統化？這有趣了。」

That same year, LEGO started producing the first LEGO system of play. Children could now build houses from the LEGO bricks. The Town Plan gave play a realistic town setting, and with this, children learned about traffic safety. My sisters and I could play with the new LEGO system for hours. Some people said we were the luckiest children in the world, because we grew up in a toy factory. It was a huge breakthrough, and Godtfred decided to try selling it outside of Denmark. The system of play was so popular that they managed to sell it to many countries.
同一年，樂高開始生產第一個樂高系統遊戲。孩子們現在可以用樂高積木蓋房子。「城鎮計畫」讓遊戲有真實的城鎮背景設定，孩子可以從中學到有關交通安全的事。我和姊妹們可以玩新的樂高系統玩好幾個小時。有些人說我們是世界上最幸運的孩子，因為我們在一個玩具工廠裡長大。那是個很大的突破，而Godtfred決定要試著在丹麥以外的地方銷售。這種系統遊戲非常受歡迎，使得他們能在許多國家販售。

“Look what I just built!”
“That is really nice, Cal.”
「看我剛剛蓋了什麼！」
「這真的很棒，Cal。」

Even though LEGO was meant for only building houses, there was still a lot of opportunity. There was just one problem.
雖然樂高只供蓋房子用，仍然有許多可能性。只有一個問題。

“Hmm, I can’t lift it up. It keeps falling apart.”
「噢，我不能把它拿起來。它一直垮掉。」

That made Godtfred wonder. He wanted to find a way to make the LEGO bricks stick together, but that was easier said than done. Godtfred noticed that the LEGO bricks got a better clutch powers with tubes inside. Now, it was no longer just bricks but a whole construction system with endless possibilities. This was groundbreaking for the LEGO product. With a child’s imagination, LEGO could be anything in the world over and over again. The imagination is the limit.
這讓Godtfred感到好奇。他想找出方法讓樂高積木能卡在一起，但說的比做的容易。Godtfred注意到樂高積木在內裡有管狀結構時能有更強的抓力。現在，這不只是積木而已，更是一個有無限可能性的整個建築系統。這為樂高產品的新紀元奠基。有了孩子的想像力，樂高可以一次又一次地做出世界上任何東西。想像力就是極限。

“Look, Dad! Now, I can build everything.”
「看，爸！現在，我可以蓋出所有東西。」

Unfortunately, Ole never got to see how successful the little brick actually became. Godtfred was left on his own, and he had to go through another fire at LEGO that destroyed most of the wood production. Just like his father, Godtfred knew that he had to try to get the best out of any situation and never give up. Godtfred took the hard times with his head held high. As sales grew, the company also got bigger. He had to think ahead, and he decided not to resume the production of wooden toys and to only focus on the LEGO system. It turned out to be a great decision. Many new models were built, and LEGO got stronger in the toy industry.
不幸的是，Ole再也看不到這些小積木竟然變得多麼的成功。Godtfred只剩自己了，而且他必須要走過另外一場燒毀樂高大部分木製產品的大火。但就像他的父親，Godtfred知道他必須要嘗試充分利用任何情況，並永不放棄。Godtfred抬頭挺胸的度過這困難的日子。隨著銷售成長，公司也日益壯大。他必須要預作打算，而他決定不再製造木製玩具，只專注在樂高系統。結果這是個重要的決定。許多新的模型被建造出來，樂高在玩具產業越加壯大。

“Sir, which one of these do you think is the best?”
“Hmm… Errr… that one!”
「先生，你認為哪一個最好？」
「嗯…嗯…那個！」

Even though it got busier at LEGO, Godtfred still had bigger plans. Now, he wanted to build an airport. So, it would be easier to sell his toys to the whole world. Like father, like son. It didn’t take long to put his idea into action. Only three years later, Billund airport was opened. The many guests and business connections who visited the company always wanted to see the modeling department. Gradually, it got so crowded that it was hard for the employees to keep up their work.
即使樂高變得更忙了，Godtfred仍有更偉大的計畫。現在，他想要建一座機場。這樣就能更容易向全世界銷售他的玩具。有其父必有其子。要將他的想法付諸行動並不用花太長時間。短短三年後，Billund機場開張了。許多曾到訪公司的賓客及商務往來的客戶總是想要看模型樣品部門。漸漸地，公司變得太擁擠，使得員工很難繼續他們的工作。

“I think we’d better wait a while.”
「我認為我們最好等一下。」

Godtfred could see that something had to be done. He needed a bigger place to display the LEGO models.
Godtfred發現還有些待辦事項。他需要更大的場地來展示樂高模型。

“Err, I don’t wanna interrupt. So, I’ll just put this package of our new LEGO train, err… on the table.”
“Just put it there. Train?”
「阿，我不是想打斷你。所以，我只要把這盒新的樂高火車放到，啊…桌上？」
「就放在那裡。火車？」

The idea grew quickly from an exhibition room to an amusement park.
這個點子很快地就從一間展覽室發展成一座主題樂園。

“And then, we could have a tower so you could look over the whole park from above — the whole town.”
“It would be a land made out of LEGO — LEGO Land.”
“Well, it looks interesting. But how many visitors are you actually counting on?”
“Well, I guess… uhmmm… two hundred, three hundred thousand?”
“Three hundred thousand?”
「然後，我們可以蓋座塔，這樣你從上面就能俯瞰整座遊樂園–整個城鎮。」
「這會是個用樂高做出的樂土–樂高世界。」
「嗯，這看起來很有趣。但你究竟期望有多少遊客？」
「這個嘛，我猜…嗯…二十，三十萬？」
「三十萬？」

Even though it sounded like a lot, my dad was actually pretty far off the mark. There were six hundred thousand guests the very first year. My family and I were there to greet the guests. We’ve kept up this tradition ever since. Now, you know how it all began. LEGO wouldn’t be what it is today if it hadn’t been for my grandfather’s sense of quality and search for perfection. My father firmly believed in the endless possibilities of the LEGO system. I seek to take the LEGO idea even further. Encouraging children to explore, experience and express their own world — a world without limits. And we are still convinced that only the best is good enough, because children deserve the best.
雖然這聽起來好像很多，我的父親確實離這個目標很遠。在開始的第一年就有六十萬名遊客。我和家人都到場招呼遊客。自此之後我們一直維持這個傳統。現在，你知道這一切是如何開始的。如果沒有我的祖父對品質的意識以及對完美的追求，樂高不會有今天的成就。我父親深深地相信樂高系統中無限的可能性。我尋求更進一步地推動樂高理念。鼓勵孩子探索、體驗及表達他們自己的世界–一個沒有限制的世界。而我們仍然相信只有最好才算夠好，因為孩子們應該得到最好的。

感激Selina Kinyee Chau翻譯我的散文作品，讓香港及台灣以外的朋友都能看得明白，從中文走向英語，是我作品的大突破，感謝妳一字一句的用心翻譯：）

《WhatsApp and its USD0.99》
by Roy Kwong Translated by Selina Kinyee Chau

The WhatsApp software developer has informed its users to the app to be payable, triggering a fight between iPhone users and android users because iPhone users only pay USD0.99 once to enjoy life-long service but android users need to pay the same price every year.

Android users complain, “Why iPhone users only need to pay once but we need to pay every year?” iPhone users retort, “You didn’t say anything when we were being charged at the beginning. And now you are complaining.” So the two parties are stuck at whether the charge is unfair to Android users.

After the Two Ticks and Last seen on (Please refer to the previous article of the same writer), the WhatsApp started a fight again because of this USD0.99 issue. From between lovers to friends, now it has even extended to the whole user group of the two giant software developers. It should be named the Most Evil App of the Century.

The inconsistency of charging is of course WhatsApp’s fault. However, for those who can afford a smart phone that cost thousands dollars will be able to afford USD0.99 which is only the price of a can of coke, won’t they?

Some student users may complain, “I don’t have a credit card, I’m not able to pay at the App Store, WhatsApp are not considerate of us.” It is reasonable for users under 18 to complain if they don’t have a credit card. But if the charge is a disaster of WhatsApp, isn’t it just time for people to show their kindness? Friends who have a credit card can rescue others at this time, “I have a credit card. Let me pay it for you.”

Friends without a credit card will appreciate what you have done for them, although it is WhatsApp’s fault of the forbiddance of sending messages before the expiry date, reactivating the function for your friends by buying them a can of coke is meaningful, isn’t it? The USD0.99 of WhatsApp has created a chance to show your care to your friends, how nice as a social networking app!

Recall those days when we were still texting, it was actually not financial friendly at all. For the sake of keeping in touch with our friends, we were compelled to use the same service provider as theirs even its service was the worst in the world and we had to survived three times every day from losing connection just because to keep the text messages free of charge.

Still, the Two Ticks and Last seen on functions have created a lot of problem. But the invention of WhatsApp allows us to send messages for free, save us from paying for every text messages. It deserves to be granted a credit. And the simplified process by just clicking a few buttons to send pictures, videos and audios when we could only do so via email in the past. What’s more, WhatsApp had actually stated in the Terms and Conditions that charge may be applied after the first year.

So there have been so many complaints about WhatsApp being unfairness and has been given the name “a broken app” when it announced to charge? No one ever said something like that before the charging. After the charge applied, negative comments has swept over the Internet. Some suggested to use another communication app, Line, which is free of charge, and WhatsApp has become the public enemy. Despite the inconsistent charge, what’s wrong for WhatsApp to charge for using the app?

Have we become too comfortable enjoying free lunch without notice?

I still remember how hard I tried to save to buy a CD home and listened to it again and again when I was a kid. I had never been tired of it because it wasn’t easy. When there was a movie I liked, I saved hard to go to the cinema for it. If I didn’t have enough money, I bought the VCD when it was released. But VCDs were only available for movies not for TV shows. I had to start sitting in front of the TV before the show I liked started so that I wouldn’t miss any parts. And recorders became my good friend too. I really cherished the only-180-minute memory of every tape.

After I grew up, thanks to the advanced technology becomes able to store everything, the TV, computer, CD player, VCD player, game station and recorders, into ONE smart phone, only without the air conditioner. Want to listen to a song? Go to Youtube; want a movie? PPS, internet TV! A TV show? There are also apps you can watch live TV or play back. Want some games? From Angry Bird to Candy Crush, there are thousands of choices waiting for you.

However, The advance of technology has devalue our attitude towards making efforts. Because everything has become easy to get nowadays.

Have you noticed the songs nowadays are not as good as those in the past? That could be the problem of quality itself but more likely, it is because we have too many options. Now we just need to click a few buttons, thousands of search results will come out and we can listen to them right after. We are spoiled to be greedy unconditionally. We didn’t realize how long we hadn’t paid for a CD until the news of HMV’s bankruptcy spread out.

In the past we had to sit still and paid 100% attention to the movie to enjoy it, now we can just watch it from a few-inch-wide screen on a train. But the price is we keep being interrupted by the surrounding noise and people. When the character is saying something moving, we would just realize we’ve missed the stop and have to rush to get off. It may be free to watch a movie like this but I prefer paying to buy a ticket to go to the cinema.

We don’t need to worry about missing the best part of a TV show because our friends always share them on Facebook. We don’t need to watch every scene but you know what is going on in every story. But why is there still something missing? It turns out that we only keep the concentrated part of everything while the every well panned detail has been wasted. We don’t spend time building a connection with the characters in the story. However, if we don’t even spend time watching the the TV show by ourself, how can we feel the same way as the characters do, like we did in the past?

You don’t feel the pain losing something if you have never made any effort. It is just like we keep those old comics that we spent all our pocket money on even they are old and worn , but we are able to uninstall an app on our phone without a thought. Well, just take a couple seconds to download and we will own it again anytime.

While we are expecting making no effort, we are also destroying creativity. Creators lack of motivation. Creativity is worth nothing nowadays. People will search for replacement when one creativity starts to charge. This is not just about the USD0.99 of WhatsApp, it’s about our value on Give and Take.

Technology has changed our life, but we should never let it change our values.

We avoid Giving. But giving is vital for us to learn to cherish. Sometimes we get back more by giving than not giving, not just about money but also about love. Think about it, if we get what we want easily without paying any effort, comparing with that you devote yourself to a relationship while the other devotes to the relationship as much as you. Then none of you will give up on the relationship easily.

If you think WhatsApp is good, it deserves the USD0.99. Although I am still annoyed by the evil functions such as the Two Ticks and Last Seen on. WeChat is free but you have to pay your liberty of speech for it. One user once tried to send the name of Southern Weekly in Chinese, the system reminded him that “The message has involved sensitive words, please try again after making modification.” What’s wrong with the name of Southern Weekly? The even more ridiculous thing is, while I am writing this article, I get the news that WeChat now has tightened up the regulation that users have to use their real name, phone number when posting on the public forum and are even required to upload the photo of them with their ID card, like you have committed some serious crime.

To avoid paying USD0.99, you need to escape to somewhere that and be monitored. One day if you really encounter some sensitive issue, you will realize not paying actually pays more than paying. I believe most of readers are willing to pay for this USD0.99. We hope WhatsApp will open up more channels for payments.

Don’t let the wheels of Time make us forget the value of giving.


Writer for Yam Taiwan, Roy Kwong
http://goo.gl/aQD8B