2020，很漂亮的數字。一對20s-俐落而工整。 但這是陷入全球流行病和政治動蕩紛擾噩夢的一年。 我們很幸運地生活在台灣，感覺就像是籠罩在暴風雨大海中最後一個安全的島嶼。 我們在English Sandwich開設的是一個兼具娛樂性質的英語教育部落格，不過今年，我們的發文已經被發生在英、美兩國的事件所劫持操控。如果你喜歡英語，那麼你應當很忽略英語的兩個最大發源地遭逢如此重大苦難。特別是在美國，民主遭受了自1930年希特勒和德國以來前所未有的打擊。
2020. The number is beautiful. It looks neat and tidy - a pair of 20s. But it is a year that has been a nightmare mess of pandemic and political upheaval across the world. We are blessed to live in Taiwan, which feels like the last safe island in a sea of storms. We here on English Sandwich are an English Education blog with an entertainment spin - but this year our posts have been rather hijacked by what has been happening in America and the UK. If you care about the English language, it's been pretty hard to ignore when the two biggest cradles of the English language suffer so badly. In America particularly, democracy itself has been under attack in a way we have not seen since Hitler and Germany in the 1930s.
剛在美國發生的事，對國會大廈的襲擊，可預期大概是終結川普總統任期的唯一方式。'insurrection 暴動/叛亂/造反/作亂'，一個有強而有力的詞彙，此時在美國被提及，意為反權威的暴動，它來自拉丁語 'insugere' 一字，意指叛變、起義。這在美國是非法的，可能會招致罰款、甚至長達10年的牢獄之災。然而，這個暴動並非在一夕之間發生。川普長期以來一直在打擊美國政府的權威，他試圖推翻自己輸掉的這場選舉，已遭到美國60多個法院駁回。然而他根本無法接受這場選舉的失敗是公平的。他會輸的唯一原因是被對手所詐，不是嗎？ 川普拒絕接受查無任何佐證支持他主張的合法程序，他決意反抗法治和民主。
What has just happened in America, the attack on the Capitol building, is arguably the only way the Trump presidency could have ended. The word 'insurrection' is now being used in America - and it is a powerful word, meaning an uprising against authority, from the latin 'insugere' meaning to rise up. It is illegal in the USA and can result in a fine or even prison for up to 10 years. But this insurrection did not just happen in one day. Trump has been attacking the authority of the US government for a long time. His attempt to overthrow an election he lost has been rejected by over 60 courts in the US. Yet he simply would not accept that the election was lost fairly. The only way he could lose, was if the other side cheated, right? By refusing to accept the legal process that found no evidence to support his claims, Trump was engaged in an insurrection against the Rule of Law and Democracy itself.
然後呢？另一個今日美國人侃侃而談的一個字: incite 煽動/唆使 ( 拉丁語-意指 in 朝向 + citare 覺醒/奮起)。川普是否煽動這些暴徒襲擊國會大廈？這個問題將是川普未來兩週在政治上生存的關鍵，也關係到他隨後是否將因此事入獄，因為煽動民眾推翻政府也是一項罪行。川普於當局正在統計票數、正式認證拜登當選總統的同一天，在華府召開集會 (稱之為 'March for Trump 挺川普遊行')。他在白宮前喊話 ( 正在計票的國會大廈距白宮僅2英里步行距離)。在暴動發生之前，我的確觀看了川普對民眾的現場喊話。川普說要向國會大廈前進，為選民打氣，在他的辯稱中，的確曾表示將和平進行。川普宣稱會和民眾一起遊行 (實際上並沒有，川普返回了白宮)。不過，川普的律師 Rudy Guliani 也向民眾發言，提及了 'trial by combat 衝突審判'。川普兒子說，他們正 'coming for you 為你而來' 。而一位國會議員 Brooks 則談到了 'kicking ass 給點顏色瞧瞧'。川普和他的團隊真的希望這情況發生嗎 ? 不！我不這麼認為。川普似乎確實是在呼籲和平抗議，不過，他是在玩火。你邀請數萬名最狂熱、極端的支持者在你試圖推翻選舉結果的關鍵時刻來到首都；隨後激怒他們，告訴他們朝國會大廈前進。整件事擦槍走火的機率非常高。而警方毫無準備。川普自稱是法治總統、他的支持者聲稱愛戴警察，他們不曾想過會發生這樣的情況 (不像’Black Lives Matter 黑人性命攸關’抗議事件，警察已作足充分準備)。遊行中多數的民眾是白人而非黑人，這些似乎讓警方鬆懈了警戒，一名警察甚至跟抗議者自拍合影。
So what next? Well, another key word is hot on American tongues today: incite (latin in- meaning towards + citare meaning rouse). Did Trump incite these rioters to attack the Capitol? This question will be key to Trump's political survival the next two weeks, and whether he goes to jail later for what just happened, for inciting people to overthrow the government is also a crime. Trump called a rally (called 'March for Trump') in Washington on the same day the Government was counting the votes and would officially recognise Biden as President-elect. He spoke in front of the White House (the Capitol building where the vote count was happening is 2 miles away - walking distance). I actually watched Trump's speech to the crowd live before the riot happened.
Trump said they were going to March towards the Capitol building to cheer on the electors but, in his defense, he did say they were going to go peacefully. He also said he would march with them (he did not - he returned to the White House). However, Rudy Guliani, Trump's lawyer, also spoke to the crowd and talked about a 'trial by combat'. Trump's son said they are 'coming for you.' And a congressman Brooks spoke of 'kicking ass.' So did Trump and his team want this to happen? No, I don't think they did. Trump did seem to be calling for peaceful protest. But what he did do was play with fire. You invite tens of thousands of your most ardent and extreme supporters to the capital at a pivotal moment in your attempt to overthrow the election. You then rile them up and tell them to head for the Capitol building. The chances were pretty high something would go wrong. The police were unprepared. Trump claims to be the Law and Order president. His fans claim to love the police. They didn't think this would happen (unlike the Black Lives Matter protests where the police were fully prepared). Most of the crowd was white, not black. All of this seems to have made the police let their guard down. One policeman even took a selfie with a protestor.
川普一直都在作亂，他煽動民眾相信此次選舉結果舞弊。然而他是否直接煽動對國會大廈的襲擊 ? 這點尚待商榷，他是否會被免職、或最終將鋃鐺入獄，時間自有解答。但他現在已經承認敗選，且(終於)開始提及和平及權力移交。他說自己不會是下一任總統。他終於放棄了，現正為生死存亡而戰，一切都結束了。我們剛剛經歷了史上重要的一刻，美國的民主得以倖存。只要你留意，未來將會有許多與此相關的書籍和電影。
Trump has been engaged in an insurrection, and he has incited his people to believe that the election was stolen from them. But did he incite the attacks on the Capitol directly? This is debatable and time will tell if he is removed from power now, or finally goes to prison. But he has now conceded the election - and is now talking (finally) of peace and a transfer of power. He has said he will not be president next term. He is giving up, and is now fighting for survival. It's over. We just lived through a pivotal moment in history. American democracy survived. There will be many books written and movies made about this in the years to come, just you watch.
對於仍然相信川普在某種程度上對台灣有所助益的台灣人：試問，若美國民主垮台，台灣的民主能維持多久？中國正在嘲笑美國，並以此例做為民主不可行的事證。他們將闖入國會的暴徒和香港的抗議者相提並論 (只不過，香港的抗議者是為了民主而戰，和國會大廈的暴徒不同)。中國趁亂坐大，川普並不會襄助台灣。好消息是，拜登和民主黨，其實是關切像台灣這樣的民主國家和人權的，拜登曾直呼習近平為 'thug 惡棍/流氓' ，他們會協助台灣。且讓我們耐心以待。
To Taiwanese who still believe Trump is somehow a help to Taiwan: we say this. How long would Taiwanese democracy last, if American democracy falls? China is laughing at the US and using this as evidence of why democracy doesn't work. They are comparing the rioters in the Capitol to the protestors in Hong Kong (except, of course, the protestors in Hong Kong are fighting FOR democracy, unlike the rioters in the Capitol). China has taken advantage of the chaos to become stronger. Trump has not helped Taiwan. The good news is that Biden and the Democrats, who actually care about democracies like Taiwan, and human rights, Biden who once called Xi Jinping a 'thug' - they will help Taiwan. Wait and see.
Insurrection 暴亂、Incite 煽動。如何記住這兩個重要的字呢? Incite 聽起來像 'in sight 看得見', 所以我們可以利用這點。暴亂Insurrection 聽來像 'sure 確信' + 'election 選舉'，這點也可善用。記住這句話："Trump incited the crowd in sight of the Capitol Building because he was sure they were stealing the election 川普煽動在國會大廈中看見的民眾，因為他確信他們偷走大選"。in + sight = incite 煽動, in + sure + election = insurrection 暴動/叛亂/造反/作亂。
Insurrection. Incite. How to remember these two important words? Incite sounds like 'in sight', so we can use that. Insurrection sounds like sure + 'election' so we can use that too. Remember this topical sentence! "Trump incited the crowd in sight of the Capitol Building because he was sure they were stealing the election." in + sight = incite, in + sure + election = insurrection.
川普的故事完結了，然而疫情更加肆虐。2021年的開端並不順利，但相信很快就會好轉! 期待大家的2021年遠比2020年更加美好!
The story of Trump is over, but the pandemic is raging harder than ever. 2021 has not had the best of starts, but it will get better soon! We wish you a far better 2021 than 2020!