The Chinese text below was taken from "Taiwanese Holiday Stories" 台灣節日故事, published by Windmill Press 風車圖書出版有限公司 in 2012. The Chinese text was written by 張青史, and the English text was written by me. 下面的中文文章是出自台灣節日故事這本書. 這本書是風車圖書出版有限公司2012的作品. 中文的部分是張青史寫的. 英文的部分是我從中文翻譯的.
行憲紀念日 Constitution Day
(國歷十二月二十五日)
(National Calendar, December 25)**
(National Calendar, December 25)**
12月25日, 是我國的行憲紀念日. 實施憲政是一個國家的大事, 所以紀念行憲具有非常特別的意義. December 25 is our country's Constitution Memorial Holiday. The implementation of a constitution is important for any country, so it is especially important to commemorate this event.
國父孫中山先生率領革命志是推翻滿清, 建立中華民國以後, 實施民主憲政一直是全國引頸盼望的目標. 然而, 建國之初, 國家的政局一直動盪不安, 先有遠世凱竊位稱帝, 後有軍閥擁兵割據, 接著是北伐, 對日抗戰和國共內戰, 使得憲政的推行歷經許多波折, 遲遲無法實現. Dr. Sun Yat-sen, the Father of our Country, led the rebellion to overthrow the Ching Dynasty. After he established the Republic of China, the implementation of a constitutional democracy was viewed as our national goal. However, after its foundation the country was thrown into political turmoil, firstly by Yuan Shi-kai's attempt to crown himself emperor, and then by the division of the country between warlords and the northern expedition to restore order. Lastly there was the war of resistance against Japan, all of which amounted to a number of difficulties which made implementation of a constitution impossible.
憲法制定過程也是一波三折, 先有民國元年的 "臨時政府組織大綱", "臨時約法". 到民國20年, 國民政府頒布 "順政時期約法", 並從民國21年底開始研擬憲法草安; 民國25年通過並公布 "五五憲草". 後來卻因為全面對日抗戰, 遲遲無法召開會議, 制定憲法. The making of the constitution faced many obstacles. In its first year the new Republic issued a "Provisional Government Memorandum," and a "Provisional Constitution." In 1931 the Republic hosted a "Political Assembly," and from 1932 the Republic began drafting the Constitution. In 1936 the Republic announced the passage of the "55 Draft Constitution," though after this point the country faced the war against Japan, and there was no way to hold meetings that would formalize the Constitution.
抗戰勝利後, 政府終於在民國35年召開制憲國民大會. 同年12月25日通過 "中華民國憲法", 並於民國36年12月25日開始施行. After victory over Japan was achieved, in 1946 the government finally convened a meeting to formalize the Constitution. During the same year, on December 25, the Constitution of the Republic of China was formalized, though it wasn't implemented until December 25 of the following year.
後來發生國共內戰, 國民黨政府退守台灣. 有感於實施憲政的重要意義, 所以民國52年, 行政院正式決定以每年的12月25日為行憲紀念日. Civil war occurred after this point, and the Kuomintang government retreated to Taiwan. As a means of signifying the importance of the Constitution's implementation, in 1963 the Executive Yuan formally decided that December 25 of every year would be Constitution Day.
憲法是一個國家的根本大法, "中華民國憲法" 的制定與施行歷經許多波折, 所以我們更應該好好珍惜. The fundamental laws of every country come from its Constitution. The "Republic of China's Constitution" has been formalized and implemented despite many obstacles, and we should treasure it for this reason.
Notes::
*I want to translate 行憲紀念日 as "Constitutional Memorial Holiday," but in English this sounds vague. To be sure, translating 紀念日 as "memorial holiday" is more correct, but in English putting "constitution" before "memorial holiday" seems ungrammatical, and putting "constitutional" before "memorial holiday" seems ambiguous.
**The national calendar follows the solar calendar, but year one is 1911, when the Republic of China was founded in Canton Province, Mainland China. Years have been adjusted accordingly.
憲法制定過程也是一波三折, 先有民國元年的 "臨時政府組織大綱", "臨時約法". 到民國20年, 國民政府頒布 "順政時期約法", 並從民國21年底開始研擬憲法草安; 民國25年通過並公布 "五五憲草". 後來卻因為全面對日抗戰, 遲遲無法召開會議, 制定憲法. The making of the constitution faced many obstacles. In its first year the new Republic issued a "Provisional Government Memorandum," and a "Provisional Constitution." In 1931 the Republic hosted a "Political Assembly," and from 1932 the Republic began drafting the Constitution. In 1936 the Republic announced the passage of the "55 Draft Constitution," though after this point the country faced the war against Japan, and there was no way to hold meetings that would formalize the Constitution.
抗戰勝利後, 政府終於在民國35年召開制憲國民大會. 同年12月25日通過 "中華民國憲法", 並於民國36年12月25日開始施行. After victory over Japan was achieved, in 1946 the government finally convened a meeting to formalize the Constitution. During the same year, on December 25, the Constitution of the Republic of China was formalized, though it wasn't implemented until December 25 of the following year.
後來發生國共內戰, 國民黨政府退守台灣. 有感於實施憲政的重要意義, 所以民國52年, 行政院正式決定以每年的12月25日為行憲紀念日. Civil war occurred after this point, and the Kuomintang government retreated to Taiwan. As a means of signifying the importance of the Constitution's implementation, in 1963 the Executive Yuan formally decided that December 25 of every year would be Constitution Day.
憲法是一個國家的根本大法, "中華民國憲法" 的制定與施行歷經許多波折, 所以我們更應該好好珍惜. The fundamental laws of every country come from its Constitution. The "Republic of China's Constitution" has been formalized and implemented despite many obstacles, and we should treasure it for this reason.
Notes::
*I want to translate 行憲紀念日 as "Constitutional Memorial Holiday," but in English this sounds vague. To be sure, translating 紀念日 as "memorial holiday" is more correct, but in English putting "constitution" before "memorial holiday" seems ungrammatical, and putting "constitutional" before "memorial holiday" seems ambiguous.
**The national calendar follows the solar calendar, but year one is 1911, when the Republic of China was founded in Canton Province, Mainland China. Years have been adjusted accordingly.
No comments:
Post a Comment