Several British nationals who had received Taiwan government scholarships to study or conduct research in Taiwan were invited to a recent gathering of alumni and freshmen staying in Taiwan organized by Taipei Representative Office in the U.K. in London. They were invited to share their experiences of living in Taiwan and offer advice to future students who will be attending Taiwanese universities.
The Taipei Representative Office in the U.K. in London recently held a gathering of alumni and freshmen in Taiwan in London.Photo provided by Taipei Representative Office in the U.K. in London
A PhD student from Scotland who is specializing in translation studies, Eilidh Johnstone (江愛麗), is working on a brief project at the Taipei National University of the Arts. Materials and exhibits from museums are translated as part of the research to examine cross-cultural and cross-context communication. She used the Yingge Ceramics Museum as a case study for her thesis. The ceramics museum, according to Johnstone, was chosen as a research case because ceramics are found in many different civilizations throughout the globe, yet they are displayed and used in various ways depending on the location. As a result, one aspect of translating that has to be understood is how to convey the narrative of the "people" behind ceramics.
The Taipei Representative Office in the U.K. in London recently held a gathering of alumni and freshmen in Taiwan in London.Photo provided by Tourism Bureau, MOTC
Eilidh Johnstone discovered when translating the "Taiwan Bowl & Dish Museum" collection description that one can only fully comprehend the original text by knowing Taiwanese or by comprehending the background of the region, and she also believes that Taiwanese is a language that should be learned. Particularly intriguing is the concept of "expression of emotion".
Although she believes learning Taiwanese to be rather challenging, she nevertheless aspires to become fluent in the language.
