近幾個月，我很榮幸有機會為ICLP的史料整理項目提供協助。在張傳聖老師的教導之下，我翻譯了三篇關於ICLP─過去稱為史丹福中心(IUP)—建立過程的相關報導，以及美國史丹福大學決定在台灣設置這類型學校的目的。我看了這些資料之後，的確對ICLP的起源背景有了更進一步的了解。開始跟傳聖老師合作之初，我對於如何翻譯報紙還不太熟悉，但是他很有耐心地為我解說一些報紙上的專門說法。張老師的教導特別有助於我的翻譯能力，我可以先跟老師討論文章大概的意思，然後自己進行比較詳細地翻譯。在這個過程中，除了增加我的經驗以外，也讓我了解在電腦上有哪些好用的翻譯工具；更有意義的是，我參考了這些文章以後所得到的知識。
我所做的翻譯文章，都是關於史丹福大學當局與跟台灣教育部的合作事宜，以及雙方在此期間所做的談判。談判的內容包括台灣政府安排如何吸引史丹福大學中文部的所長與董事在台灣設校，台灣政府運用的手段包括經濟刺激方面，譬如說像進口特權以及關稅豁免等等。台灣政府之所以提供刺激的原因，在於當時的談判存在一種競爭性，由於史丹福大學也考慮在香港成立中心，因此競爭的激烈程度可想而知！最後由台灣成功證明了自己的優勢，脫穎而出。根據我所參考的報紙文章，史丹福大學於1961 年決定在台灣設立語言中心，而且那個時間點也是美國與台灣加強關係的時期，因此史丹福大學與台灣的教育當局的合作，正是跟台灣政府與美國政府的合作同時並進的。況且，按照史丹福大學決定在台灣建設語言中心的舉措，可以看出當時台灣和美國這兩個民主國家的聯合策略。不過那個時期之後，美國與台灣的關係經歷不少變遷。雖然有人認為，在外交上，台灣與美國目前的關係已沒有像以前具有那麼大的影響力，但是不容否認的是，ICLP跟以前一樣，直到現在依然被美國一流大學以及各國政府公認為學習中文的最佳選擇。這個現象足以顯示：ICLP的確還是在國際交流上佔著很重要的地位，也足以展現台灣對學習中文的外國人有著毫無疑問的影響力。
The Origins of ICLP (The Stanford Center)
Translator: Austin Price（歐思庭）
Over the past months, I’ve been honored to assist in ICLP’s effort to catalogue its historical archives. Under the direction of Instructor Zhang Chuan-Sheng I’ve translated three contemporary news articles detailing the process of ICLP’s (formerly known as IUP) establishment, as well as Stanford University’s motivations for establishing such a center in Taipei. Working with this material greatly also enhanced my knowledge of ICLP’s historical background.
When I began working with Zhang Chuan-Sheng, I was still largely unfamiliar with the process of translation. Instructor Zhang’s willingness to patiently explain the unique terms and sentence structures found in newspaper was a great aid in developing my translation abilities. The ability to discuss the larger meaning of the pieces with Instructor Zhang, also allowed me to conduct more precise translations afterwards on my own. Furthermore, the translation process not only provided me with further experience in Chinese to English translation, but also lead me to discover more effective translation software for future use, while also providing a chance to gain historical insights into the origins of ICLP.
The material that I translated was centered on the early negotiations which occurred between Stanford University and the Taiwanese Ministry of Education. The content of negotiations included the specific measures the ROC Government used to convince Stanford’s Chinese Department to establish their language center in Taipei, as opposed to Hong Kong. These measures included financial incentives, with the government providing special exemptions from tax and import duties to the Stanford Center. Ultimately Taiwan’s lobbying efforts proved successful.
In 1961, against a backdrop of rapidly strengthening US-ROC relations, Stanford University formally announced it’s decision to establish its new language center in Taiwan. Stanford University’s cooperation with the Taiwanese Ministry of Education belied an overall improvement in bilateral relations during the period, and provides a concrete example of the close cooperation enjoyed between the United States and Taiwan during the years following the Center’s establishment.
Since that time US-Taiwanese relations have experienced a number of changes. While many people believe that US-Taiwanese relations are of increasingly diminished importance, ICLP continues to be recognized as a premier institute for Mandarin language instruction by an array of governments from across the globe, as well as a wide variety of top tier American Universities. This reality demonstrates not only ICLP’s crucial role in facilitating cross-cultural communication, but also Taiwan’s continued attractiveness to foreign students seeking to improve their Chinese language ability.