今天檢查學生的作業時 ( 一篇練習全民英檢中高級測驗的文章 )，我驚訝的發現一個從未見過的奇特單字 : 'firstable'。我的學生用這個字來介紹一個觀點，而我很肯定他是想表達 'first of all 首先'。但真正弔詭的是 google 的拼字檢查並未標示有誤...。

When I came to check my student's homework today (an article practicing for a GEPT higher intermediate exam) I was surprised by a strange word I had never seen before: 'firstable'. He was using it to introduce a point, and I was pretty sure he had meant to say 'first of all'. But the really odd thing was that google's spelling checker had not highlighted it as a mistake... 

呃…我心想：我最好檢查一下.....我來自英國，我聽說過一個傳言，有個名為美國的異土之上，那裡充斥著各式各樣奇特的新英語單字。此外，我為自己具批判性思考的能力而感到自豪，我總會反問自己是否可能出錯。所以…我查了一下.....出乎意料之外，'firstable' 這個字出現在urban字典、維基字典、和其它地方。

它開始的確是個錯誤，可能是有人想介紹一些表列的論述時，一時誤聽、誤寫了 'first of all 首先'， （接下來應該是'secondly 其次'）。但是，基於某種原因，它持續被引用了很長一段時間而保留至今，如今可能會被納入英語。

It had indeed started as a mistake - probably someone mishearing then miswriting when wanting to introduce a list of points (next would be 'secondly'). But, somehow, it has stuck around long enough to survive and possibly now enter the English language.

我自己不會使用 'firstable' 這詞 - 對我來說太怪了。文法上也說不通 ( 因為 '-able' 是形容詞字尾，但 'firstable' 顯然是作為副詞使用)。然而這些都不重要。它可能是單字中被創造出來的科學怪人 - 而這就是語言生存和演化的方式。我何德何能阻擋 ? 它也許不被英語考官所接受，也可能不會出現在試卷上 - 但如果大家都在使用它 - 它就可謂是一個好字。

I won't be using 'firstable' - it is just too odd for me. And it doesn't make sense grammatically (as '-able' is an adjective ending, but 'firstable' is clearly being used as an adverb). But none of that matters. It might be a frankenstein's monster of a word - but that is how language lives and evolves. Who am I to stand in the way? It might not be accepted by English examiners, and it probably won't appear on exam papers - but if people are using it - it is good English.

是這樣的，我是Sushi Express爭鮮壽司的忠實顧客。我愛它、我愛它的食物、看著食物從我眼前傳遞而過讓我垂涎不止、我愛它的服務、我愛它的定價（即使價格並非真的便宜，但比起英國的壽司還是划算得多）。身為忠實鐵粉，本篇文章絕不是針對他們品牌的攻擊。

Ok - so I am a big fan of Sushi Express. I love it. I love the food, the experience of watching the food conveyed past my drooling mouth, I love the service, I love the price (much cheaper than the UK's sushi even if not exactly cheap). So this is no way an attack on their brand, of which I am a big fan.

然而，

However.

最近我有一個不尋常的經歷：差別待遇， 在台灣，在這個我曾造訪過最友善的國家之一，更不用說久居於此了。因而，我有些詫異。

Recently I had an odd experience. Discrimination, in Taiwan, one of the most friendly countries I have ever visited, let alone lived in. I was a little shocked.

且讓我娓娓道來（緣由）。當我獨自坐在餐廳中，店裡已經客滿了，很多陌生人並肩而坐。這是近日發生的事，新冠病毒流行在台灣已被控制得宜，因此顧客之間並沒有任何隔板。一如既往，比起台灣同胞，人們往往習慣坐的離我遠些，這再正常不過，畢竟我是個外國人，對此已經習以為常。

所以，我跟任何人的距離都不是太近，但我突然發現一塊黑色的隔板被放在我的左邊、然後是右邊。這下我從左右邊的人群中被隔離出來。我本來沒有多想...直到我發現自己是唯一被放置隔板的人。這些隔板沒有被放到任何其他顧客身邊，儘管有些人顯然互不相識、而且坐的間距更靠近。

So I wasn't very close to anyone really, but suddenly I realised a black screen had been placed to my left, and then to my right. I was screened off now from those to either side of me. I thought nothing of this... until I realised I was the only one who had received these screens. Screens had not been placed down next to any other customers, despite the fact that some were obviously strangers and sitting closer together than I was.

嗯…現在外面是大熱天。大概是我看起來又熱又多汗？或許因為某種原因我看起來不太舒服？還是另一個客人感到緊張，要求的隔板？但這的確是我在台灣所遇到對外籍人士差別待遇的罕見案例。 我甚至偷偷地拍了幾張照片證明。

Hmmm. Now it was a hot day outside. Maybe I looked hot and sweaty? Maybe I looked less than well for some reason? Maybe another customer had felt nervous and asked for the screens. But it was I think a rare case of discrimination against a foreigner in Taiwan. And I even took a few sly pictures of the room to show it.

但是我並不生氣，你知道原因嗎？目前，這場大流行在台灣已獲得控制。至於英國、美國？就沒那麼幸運了。一個看上去一身汗的外國人可能獲得格外謹慎的預防措施也許就不讓人意外了。他們不知道我長期住在台灣，不知道我今年還未曾離開過台灣，也不知道我到過哪裡。所以我一點都不怪他們-但我是個“和善”的外國人。讓錯誤的人發現到他們受到差別待遇，可能會讓他們很惱火。

But I am not angry, And do you know why? At this moment, the pandemic is well under control in Taiwan. But the UK, or the USA? Not so much. And that's why I am hardly surprised a hot looking foreigner might get extra precautions applied. They don't know I live in Taiwan full time, or that I have not been out of Taiwan at all this year. They don't know where I've been. So I don't blame them at all - but I am a 'nice' foreigner. Get the wrong type of person noticing they are being treated differently, and they might get quite angry.

你怎麼想呢？ 這樣的差別待遇是否情有可原呢？

What do you think? Is this kind of discrimination warranted or not?