助人為樂的阿公店
The Helpful Agongdian
清朝將台灣納入反圖初期 , 並沒有用心經營 , 加上派來台灣的官員 , 幾年後就會調回大陸 , 因此許多官員都過著紙醉金迷的奢華生活 , 無心推動政務 , 抱著大撈一筆就可以回鄉享福的心態 , 到處搜刮民脂民膏 , 使得民不聊生 , 怨聲載道 . During the early period of Ching administration of Taiwan, the government didn't do a very good job of governing. The officials sent here only lasted a few years before they transferred back to the Mainland, and they lived a very profligate lifestyle without any concern for improving local government. They maintained the attitude that with a stroke of a pen they could return home and live luxurious lives, and that it was best to extort whatever they could out of local people while they were here. This naturally made local people's lives very difficult and caused them to complain.
百姓認無可忍 , 只好組成起義軍 , 反抗清朝的統治 . 然而 , 反抗軍大都是貧窮的農民 , 不僅缺乏糧食 , 又沒有受過軍事訓練 , 使用的也只有鋤頭 , 鐵鍬 , 木棍之類的簡易武器 . 所以 , 與滿清的正規軍一接觸就潰不成軍 , 起義活動往往以 "悲慘下場" 結束 , 令人扼腕 . The people could not bear this state of affairs, and so they formed a rebel army to resist the Ching government. Most of these rebels, however, were just poor famers without enough food to eat or any military training. They used hoes, shovels and wooden sticks as weapons. As soon as they came up against the Ching army they were easily defeated and their uprising was stomped out. The end of their revolutions were both tragic and embarrassing.
不過 , 只要滿清官員腐敗無能 , 橫徵暴斂的情形沒有改善 , 加上打著 "反清復明" 旗幟的天地會在暗中推波助瀾 , 反抗事件就層出不窮 , 不會停止 . 因此 , 許多這次參加反抗活動但僥倖沒有遇害的義士 , 往往會繼續參加下一次的起義活動 , 成為長期抗清的職業義士 . But as long as the Manchu officials remained corrupt and incompetent, and as long as their extortionate behavior persisted, people rallied beneath the "Overthrow the Ching and Restore the Ming" banner. Their rebellion would never end. For this reason many righteous people lucky enough to survive a disastrous battle continued to engage in resistance activities, and grew steadily more organized in their approach to revolution. They became longtime adversaries of the imperial government. (1)
這則 "阿公店故事" 的主人翁 , 就是一個從小到老一直參與反抗活動的人 . The main character in this "Story of Agongdian" is a person involved in resistance activities from his childhood to late in his life.
吳清標從小練就一身好武藝 , 刀劍棍棒樣樣精通 . 他為人富正義感 , 又具有俠義精神 , 常替窮人和弱小者打抱不平 , 因此在地方上頗有名氣 . Wu Qing-biao excelled at martial arts from a young age, and he was proficient with both the sword and the staff. He cared a lot about justice and was very chivalrous. He often stood up for the poor and disadvantaged, and for this reason he was locally famous.
有一年 , 發生乾旱 , 農作物收成不好 , 農民不要說過好日子 , 連三餐的溫飽都成問題 . 可是 , 那些整天飲酒作樂的官員哪管這麼多 , 還是叫軍士到民間搜刮財物 , 使得百姓不得不將賴以為生的米糧偷偷藏起來 . 軍士們擔心回去沒有辦法交差 , 嚴刑拷打 , 逼問糧食藏在哪裡 . During one year there was a drought and the harvest was small. The farmers grew tight-lipped, and getting enough food for three meals became a problem. Even so, the Ching officials, accustomed as they were to a lavish lifestyle, still sent the soldiers among the people who were then secretly hoarding food, demanding tribute. The soldiers, fearful of returning empty handed, began torturing people to find out where they had secreted their crops.
有些百姓受不了痛苦 , 只好把有限的米糧交出來 . 軍士們覺得這個方法成效不錯 , 就變本加厲的逼迫老百姓 . 但是許多窮人實在交不出米糧 , 因此被打得遍體鱗傷 , 甚至一命嗚呼 . Some people couldn't bear torture so they were forced to hand over their limited supply of food. The soldiers found their coercive methods very effective, and so they tortured people even harder. But some poor people had no food to hand over, and for this reason they were beaten severely, sometimes until they died.
這天 , 豔陽高照 , 軍士們把楊大叔拖出來 , 逼他交出米糧 . 楊大叔是本地最窮的人之一 , 家裡沒有田產 , 又要撫養父母和三個小孩 , 三餐都喝稀粥過活 , 哪有餘糧可以交呢 ? 軍士哪管這麼多 , 一頓棍棒 , 打得楊大叔皮開肉綻 , 痛苦不堪 . One day the sun was shining brightly. A sergeant dragged Uncle Yang from his house and demanded that he hand over his food. Uncle Yang was one of the poorest people in the area, with no crops of his own and both his parents and three children to care for. His family subsisted on rice porridge, how could they have extra food to hand over to the authorities? A sergeant bearing a staff didn't bother much about this problem, and instead beat Uncle Yang within an inch of his life. (2)
吳清標看得怒火中燒 , 縱身搶下領隊軍士手中的棍棒 , 說 : "軍爺 , 請你饒了楊大叔 , 他的生活已經夠清苦了 , 你這樣做 , 不是要逼死他嗎 ?" Wu Qing-biao was furious when he saw this. He jumped out and grabbed the staff from the sergeant's hands, saying: "Sir, please spare Uncle Yang. His life is already hard enough. If you keep on this way you'll kill him!"
領隊軍士平時氣燄何等囂張 , 現在卻被搶走棍棒 , 顏面上掛不住 , 一臉怒氣的說 : "你好大膽 , 竟敢和軍爺作對 ! 既然如此 , 你就幫他交糧 ." The sergeant, normally very arrogant in his bearing, was discomfited to find his staff snatched away. He said angrily: "You've overstepped your bounds, fighting against a military master! As punishment you'll give me the old man's tribute.
吳清標說 : "軍爺 , 你一路走來 , 應該看到田地因乾旱而龜裂 , 農作物都枯死了 . 遇到天災 , 百姓三餐不繼 , 官府應開開糧倉賑濟才對 , 怎麼還來徵糧呢 ?" Wu Qingbiao said: "Military master, as you walked here you probably noticed the fields blasted by drought. The crops have all withered. In times of disaster, when the people don't have enough to eat, the government should open the granaries to provide relief, not come here to levy food."
領隊軍士被說得滿臉通紅 , 啞口無言 , 不禁惱羞成怒 , 厲聲說 : "小子 , 你想找死嗎 ?" The sergeant, red faced and almost speechless, couldn't help but blurt out: "Boy, you're courting death..."
說著 , 拿起另一根棍棒朝吳清標打來 . 吳清標武藝高強 , 哪會懼怕 ? 只見他左挪右閃 , 領隊軍士棒棒都落空 , 根本打不著 . 領隊軍士更生氣了 , 手一招 , 其他的軍士立刻一擁而上 , 將吳清標圍在中央 , 一陣亂打 . As he said so he picked up another staff and tried to hit Wu Qingbiao. But Wu Qingbiao was such an excellent martial artist, what did he have to fear? He dashed left and right, and the sergeant failed to land a single blow. The other soldiers surrounded Wu Qingbiao, striking at him from several directions.
吳清標原本並不想把事情鬧大 , 所以一直閃避 , 採取守勢 . 後來發現軍士們存心置他於死地 , 為了自保 , 只好奪下一位軍士的棍棒展開反擊 . 只見他將棍棒舞得虎虎生風 . 吳清標一輪猛攻 , 無意間 , 棍棒打到一個軍士的額頭 , 那名軍士立刻倒在地上 . 圍觀的人都嚇傻了 , 領隊軍士愣了一下 , 大喊 : "打死人了 , 打死人了 ." Wu Qingbiao didn't want to add exacerbate the matter, so he dodged this way and that, protecting himself carefully. As the battle progressed he realized that the sergeant truly meant to kill him, and in order to save himself he had to launch a fierce counterattack. His staff spun through the air with a practiced skill, and he landed a blow directly on the sergeant's forehead. The sergeant fell to the ground. Those surrounding them were awestruck, and the sergeant disbelievingly shouted: "He's killed me... he's killed me..."
領隊軍士也顧不得倒在地上那個軍士了 , 邊喊邊往官府跑去 . 村民們緊張的說 : "阿標 , 官兵馬上就趕來 , 你快逃吧 ! 等風波平息後再回來 ." The remaining soldiers were unwilling to deal with the situation, and so they reported back to the government. The villagers worriedly told Wu Qingbiao: "A Biao, the soldiers will return soon, you should make your escape! We'll send word when it's safe to come back!"
吳清標見自己失手打死人 , 也亂了方寸 , 聽村民這麼說 , 拔腿就跑 . 他逃到荒郊野外 , 望著茫茫大地 , 不知該往何處去 . 忽然 , 他想起鴨母王朱一貴正在起義反清 , 心想 : "我已經走投無路 , 不如去參加反抗軍 ." Wu Qingbiao looked down at the man he'd just killed with his own hands lying motionless on the ground. Heeding the villagers' warning he then took flight, searching for a secret place in which to hide himself. He then thought of Zhu Yi-gui, who was then leading an insurrection. He decided: "There's really nowhere for me to run to. I might as well join the resistance."
於是他加入了朱一貴的反抗軍 . 他的武藝高強 , 兩軍隊陣時 , 總是奮不顧身 , 殺敵無數 , 深得朱一貴信任 , 便提拔他擔任隨身侍衛 . 後來 , 朱一貴起義失敗 , 吳清標僥倖逃脫 , 又去參加另一支反抗軍 . After that he joined Zhu Yi-gui's rebel army. He was a skilled martial artist, and when the two forces came together in battle he killed countless enemy combatants. Zhu Yi-gui placed deep trust in him, and made him responsible for many things. Later on Zhu Yi-gui's rebellion was crushed, and after making his escape Wu Qing-biao joined another rebel army.
沙場上的歲月過得特別快 , 轉眼間 , 吳清標已經五十多歲了 , 雖然武藝更加精湛 , 可是體力卻大不如前 , 而且他也看清反抗軍的首領大都只是為了一已之私 , 很少真正為百姓著想 . 因此心灰意冷 , 獨自離開了反抗軍 . The years of battle passed by quickly, and almost before he knew it Wu Qing-biao was over fifty years old. Although his skill as a martial artist had improved his body wasn't as strong as it had once been. He also came to regard his struggles against the Ching government as more of a personal grudge, and he didn't think he'd helped the average person that much. For this reason his enthusiasm for rebellion withered and he left the rebel army.
他來到高雄通往台南府的路旁 , 開了一家小雜貨店 , 專門賣日用品給過往的行人 . 由於南部天氣比較悶熱 , 行人走到這裡都已經汗流浹背 . 吳清標就在店門口擺一桶茶水 , 免費供行人飲用 , 解渴 . 過了不久 , 他覺得往來高雄 , 台南間的旅客 , 常因找不到住宿的地方而露宿野外 , 遭受風吹雨打 , 於是又增建了幾間草屋 , 廉價供旅客住宿 . On the road between Kaohsiung and Tainan he opened a small shop which sold daily necessities to those passing by on foot. The weather in south Taiwan is very hot and humid, and by the time people reached this place they were already very sweaty. Wu Qingbiao placed a container of tea in front of his shop for this reason, so that those passing by could stop there and quench their thirst for free. After a while he realized that between Kaohsiung and Tainan there was nowhere for travelers to pass the night, and that many of them were sleeping outside, where they were at the mercy of the elements. He built a few grass huts nearby for the use of travelers.
受過吳清標恩惠的人都想知道他的姓名 . 但是吳清標曾參加反抗軍 , 許多官兵都知道他的名字 , 為了避免遭到官府騷擾 , 每次有人問起他的姓名 , 他都含糊其辭的說 : "你們知道有我這個人就可以了 , 姓名一點兒也不重要 ." Travelers grateful to Wu Qingbiao all asked his name, but after his years in the resistance the government troops were also searching for him. In order to avoid discovery he always replied, "You know that I'm here, my name is unimportant."
大家沒有辦法 , 只好稱這位樂於助人的吳清標為 "阿公" , 而阿公開的店 , 當然叫作 "阿公店" 了 . 更有意思的是 , 這裡原本沒有地名 , 於是人們就把這裡稱作阿公店 . So the people had no other choice, they could only call the helpful Wu Qingbiao by the title "Grandfather," and of course the shop opened by "Grandfather" came to be called "Grandfather's Shop" ["Agongdian"]. The place where this shop was located had no name in the beginning, so it too came to be called "Agongdian."
民國九年 , 因為附近有一座小崗山 , 所以改名為 "岡山" . 也有人說 , 是因為日治時代 , 有一位派駐此地的日本軍官 , 因為想念家鄉 , 呈請長官把阿公店改名為岡山 . During the ninth year of the Republic of China, due to the presence of a "Little Gangshan ["Little Gang Mountain"] in the vicinity, this area came to be called "Gangshan." It's also said that a Japanese official, missing his hometown [岡山 or Okayama], petitioned to have the name changed to "Gangshan" during the Japanese Colonial Administration.
不過 , 不管地名是如何更改 , 變動的 , 現在老一輩的人仍然習慣把岡山稱作 "阿公店" . Whatever the reason behind changing the name, older people are still accustomed to referring to Gangshan as "Agongdian." (3)
Related Entries 相關的文章:
1. "Overthrow the Ching, Restore the Ming." Many Han Chinese regarded the Manchu Ching (Qing) government as "foreigners" who had no right to rule the Chinese empire. They considered the previous Ming Dynasty, which was overthrown by the Ching, as the legitimate government of China. This idea in part led Koxinga to Taiwan. After expelling the Dutch from Taiwan he planned on using what is now Tainan as a base from which to retake the Mainland from the Ching.
2. The Chinese is something like "beat him until his skin was ripped open." Pretty dark for a kid's story, huh?
3. This is true. My mother-in-law refers to it as Agongdian all the time.
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