The editor would like to ask everyone, after reading the original text of the article “Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport Fu” (published below), do you feel that the original author, Teacher Lin Yen-chu, wrote it reasonably well?
Using a more familiar example: a famous teacher who has studied physics and written some general physics textbooks might not necessarily understand a paper written by a Nobel Prize-winning master of high-energy physics.
The editor feels that Chang Ta-chun, as a man of letters (unclear if Mr. Chang Ta-chun would agree?), merely because he was passing through Taoyuan Airport (formerly Chiang Kai-shek International Airport), used his influence to arbitrarily criticize the painstaking work of another writer, which is quite inappropriate.
If Chang Ta-chun truly considers himself a man of letters and possesses the scholarly courage and literary style a writer should have, what he should do is respond with an equivalent literary foundation, rather than being like a critic under a village opera stage who criticizes while watching the play. That kind of thing is for us unlearned people to do.
Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport Fu Author: Lin Yen-chu
The land embraces the beauty of Taoyuan’s mountains and rivers / Situated in Penglai, it commands the gateway to East Asia.
It connects the vast waters of the three thousand worlds / And tethers the strategic hub of the West Pacific.
Smoothly conducting global shipping / Conveniently facilitating international transit / Grand, gargantuan airliners / Frequently soaring, landing, and returning.
In the blue skies, arrivals and departures / Throughout the long day, crowds follow in succession.
Before the window counters, long queues wind slowly / Inspection procedures are meticulous yet simplified / Thorough service is kind, sincere, and humble.
Welcoming distinguished guests from the five continents / To see the prosperity of Taiwan today.
Visiting this treasure island of cultural and natural wonders / Living in peace and harmony with flourishing industries.
Technology and agriculture progress day by day / People are amiable with deep-rooted friendship.
Highways are smooth with flowing traffic / Traveling swift as the wind in a busy rush.
Many departing tourists are elegantly dressed men and women / Families with children and elders are often seen on vacation.
Duty-free shops offer excellent goods at fair prices / Oolong, Baozhong, and Alishan teas fill the air with fragrance.
The mellow and strong Kinmen Kaohsiung liquor / Even the boldest could drink three bowls without faltering.
Clothing is exquisite, elegant, and refined / Famous brands offer luxury for ladies’ cosmetics.
The art galleries cultivate literary grace / Wandering through the arts, following benevolence and chanting poetry.
Sauntering for a day, one can travel tens of thousands of miles / In an instant, soaring high into the vast azure sky.
Bidding farewell to the great metropolises of Europe and America at dawn / Returning safely to the beloved hometown as night falls.
This is the pivot of the nation’s gate / Where one savors the chapters of civilization.