Ep. M: Māzǔ 媽祖
(想聽2021年6月18日的廣播節目可以點開上面音符圖案的檔案 If you'd like to listen to the original 6/18/2021 radio episode, please click on the above music note to play the file)
Sometimes when I'm talking with Taiwanese people born and raised in Taiwan, they're surprised by the Taiwanese things that I, as an immigrant to Taiwan, love and am interested in here. I've said before that I think natives of a country often take for granted the things that make their culture or their country special. Taiwan's connection to the Pacific Ocean is one example. I was really surprised when I first came to Taiwan and noticed that many people living away from the coast don't have a regular connection to the ocean and the water. At that time, I was shocked to realize that most people I met here couldn't even swim! They live on an island! In the OCEAN! Typhoons come every year, and there's often FLOODING! How could they not want to learn to swim? Maybe one reason why people avoided water was because the ocean can be a scary place, especially for people traveling the water to move or to survive. And of course, people living through Taiwan's dramatic history during the 20th century might have had different priorities than learning to swim. All that said, since the time I first arrived, swimming has become much more common, and trips to the ocean and to rivers are more popular too. There's an ever-growing appreciation for the Pacific Ocean and its relationship to Taiwan's amazing natural beauty.
But no matter if it's the past or the present, Mazu has always played an important part of Taiwan's culture. She's important in parts of mainland China too, but considering how most of Taiwan's Han Chinese ancestors traveled to come to Taiwan, it's not surprising that she holds a special place among most Taiwanese hearts. She's a little like Santa Claus in Taiwan, because no matter what religion you are, you know who she is and why she's important (but she doesn't bring gifts to your house!). I personally like Mazu because when I'm around her and the people who worship her, I get a feeling that none of us are different from each other. Some may have black hair or brown hair, some may be tall or short, it doesn't matter. The ocean connects us, it brought us all here, and it affects our lives every day with food, weather, and enjoyment. Mazu represents all of that. She tries to keep us safe from the dangers of the ocean, so we can enjoy its wonders and beauty. Thanks Mazu! (Remember to look at the bottom of the post for the song chords!)
有時候當我跟土生土長的台灣人聊天時，他們會驚訝那些我這個台灣移民者所熱愛和感興趣的台灣事物．我之前說過，我認為一個國家的本地人常常會忽略那些使他們的文化或國家與眾不同的事情．台灣與太平洋的關係就是一個例子．當我第一次來到台灣時，我真的很驚訝，因為注意到很多不住在海岸線的台灣人跟海洋或水並沒有甚麼聯繫．當時的我震驚地發現我在這裡遇到的大多數人甚至不會游泳！他們住在一個島上！在海洋中！颱風每年都來，常常會遇到淹水！他們怎麼可能不想學游泳啊？或許他們會想避開水的其中一個原因 ，是因為海洋也是一個可怕的地方，尤其是對那些必須得在水上移動或生存的人來說．而當然，經歷了20世紀台灣豐富歷史的人也很有可能有與學習游泳不同的優先事項．儘管如此，自從我剛來到現在，游泳變得越來越普遍了，去海洋和河流旅行也更受歡迎了．大家對太平洋及其與台灣令人驚嘆的大自然美景的關係更是增長許多．
但無論是過去還是現在，媽祖一直是台灣文化的重要組成部分．祂在中國大陸的部分地區也很重要，但考慮到大多數台灣的漢族祖先是如何來到台灣後，祂在大多數台灣人的心中占有特殊的位置也就不足為奇了．祂有點像台灣的聖誕老公公，因為無論你是甚麼宗教信仰，你都知道他是誰，也知道他為甚麼那麼重要（只不過祂不會帶禮物到你家就是了！）．我個人喜歡媽祖的原因是因為靠近祂和靠近祂的信徒時，我感覺我們彼此間都沒有甚麼不同．有的人可能有黑髮或棕髮，有的可能長高或矮，都無所謂．海洋將我們聯繫在一起，將我們所有人帶到這裡，它以食物、天氣和享受影響著我們每天的生活．媽祖代表了這一切．祂試圖讓我們遠離海洋的危險，讓我們可以享受海洋的奇觀和美麗．謝謝媽祖！（記得看網頁最下面的地方就可以找到歌曲的和絃囉！）
Mazu Song Lyrics歌詞
Taiwan's an island in the ocean 台灣是座海上的島嶼
With typhoons and small storms too 有颱風還有小風暴
We need someone here to protect us 在這裡我們需要人保護我們
That someone is the goddess Mazu 那個人就是媽祖神
Mazu, Mazu 媽祖，媽祖
The goddess of the sea 海洋之神
Mazu, Mazu 媽祖，媽祖
She takes care of you and me 你我祂都保護
Mazu was born one thousand years ago 媽祖一千年出生
On the east coast of China, in Fujian 在中國的東岸，在福建
Legend says she was quiet and magical 傳說祂安靜而神奇
She could fly the ocean saving women and men 能飛越海洋拯救女生和男生
And through the years as people sailed to Taiwan 多年來，當人航行到台灣時
They asked for her help to make them safe 他們尋求她的幫助確保他們的安全
Now we have temples and pilgrimages 而現在我們有寺廟和繞境
To give her our prayers and say thanks 為了向祂禱告還有表示我們的感謝
Mazu, Mazu 媽祖，媽祖
The goddess of the sea 海洋之神
Mazu, Mazu 媽祖，媽祖
She takes care of you and me 你我祂都保護
Thanks Mazu!! 謝謝媽祖
