The Chinese text below was taken from "Discover Pingtung: Truly Loving Pingtung" 發現屏東 -- 真愛屏東 , published by 中央研究院民族學研究所圖書館 in 2003. The Chinese text was written by 蘇義峰 and the English was written by me.
I'll be translating parts of six chapters from this book this semester. These chapters will correspond to the six townships in Pingtung I'll be visiting during this time period.
九如鄉
Jiuru Township
平疇沃野 , 蕉香果甜 (1)
A Fertile Land of Bananas and Other Fruits
香蕉研究所 Banana Research Station
"香蕉" 曾經是台灣主要外銷的農產品 , 與鳳梨 , 洋菇 , 蘆筍等是台灣賺取外匯的農作物 . 日後由於洋菇與蘆筍之栽培技術外流 , 導致國外廉價競爭因此失去外銷上之競爭能力 . 鳳梨也因農政單位之大意 , 准許優良品種連果帶尾輸往日本 , 而日人卻以組織培養 , 大量繁殖於沖繩島 , 又逢中南美洲之廉價競爭終於成為夕陽農業 .... Bananas were once Taiwan's main agricultural export alongside pineapples, mushrooms and asparagus. They were a primary source of foreign exchange earnings in the agricultural sector. After that time the asparagus and mushroom industries experienced an outflow of technological resources, and competition from cheaper, foreign producers which led to a decline in Taiwan's role within that market. Oversights in domestic agricultural policy led to the export of superior pineapples and pineapple stalks to Japan, which in turn led to large scale production of pineapples in Okinawa. Facing additional low cost production in Central and South America, Taiwan's pineapple industry declined even further.
...在栽值之黃金時期 , 位於九如鄉玉泉村的台灣香蕉研究所 , 培育優良新品種與健康苗 , 加上栽培管理與病蟲害防治都扮演著舉足輕重的角色 , 實為功不可沒 . [Later on], during the height of banana cultivation, The Taiwan Banana Research Institute, located in Yuquan Village in Jiuru Township, played a pivotal role in the industry. It bred new varieties and healthy seedlings, and it also played an indispensable role in the management of crops and pest control (2)
菸葉試驗所 Tobacco Leaf Laboratory
菸葉為屏北地區的主要特用作物 , 由於九如栽琣菸葉之面積極廣 , 加以香菸製造廠 "菸葉場" 設於屏東市 , 因此菸葉試驗所特別將屏東菸葉改良場設於九如 , 專責菸葉品質改良 . 土壤肥料研究 , 病蟲害防治 , 曾有輝煌優良之成果 , 近年來菸農逐漸遞減 , 改良場已不復往日光景 , 並於民國91年正式停止運作 . Tobacco leaf was once an important crop in north Pingtung. Tobacco was cultivated over a large part of Jiuru, and was sent to the tobacco plant in Pingtung City for processing. This is why the Tobacco Leaf Laboratory was set up in Jiuru, to improve the quality of the tobacco grown there. This facility once achieved breakthroughs in soil fertilization research and pest control, even though the number of tobacco farmers in the area has declined, in recent years. This facility was formally shut down in 2002.
九塊厝三山國王廟 Jiukuaitsuo's "Lords of the Three Mountains" Temple
屏東九如鄉 "九塊厝三山國王廟" 是全省最早興建之三山國王廟 , 由目前廟中所存之四塊碑文是最早好之見證 . The Jiukuaitso Lords of the Three Mountains Temple in Pingtung County, Jiuru Township is the oldest such temple in the area. (3)
玉泉村 Yuchuan Village
玉泉村的湧泉就是在地形上所謂的 "扇前湧泉" . 湧泉區位於九如鄉玉泉村中庄 , 溪底兩聚落的北方 , 以龍泉橋為中心點 . 全長約為1000公尺 , 寬約為500公尺 , 湧泉形成水流 , 沿著東西方向流著 , 水質清澈 , 堤供當地居民灌溉之用 ; 溪中可見水生植物繁殖 , 伴著泉水而生的植物岸邊 , 溪底 , 水面 , 處處可見 , 尤其在水邊的野薑花朵 , 放白色的花朵更清淨的令人感覺怡然自得 . In geographic terms the spring in Yuchuan Village is the "spring in front of the fan." The spring in Yuchuan Village is in Jiuru Towship, in a place called Jungzhuang. It's to the north, near a place where one stream branches off from another, with Longchuan Bridge as a center point. It's a kilometer long and 500 meters wide. It looks like a flowing stream and flows from east to west. The water of the spring is very clear, and the embankments are used for irrigation by local people. You can see aquatic plants in the water, on the water and along the riverbanks. The most interesting thing about this spring is the wild ginger flowers that grow there. These pure white flowers make people feel happy and contented. (4)
耆老村 Qilao Village
耆老村位於九如鄉之北端與里港比鄰 , 彙整村民的共識將社區老人活動中心旁的排水溝渠美化為觀賞魚池 , 因此凝聚全村重視環保的成果 , 若以耆老村作為典範 , 實至名歸 . Qilao Village is located at the north end of Jiuru near Ligang. All of the villagers there joined together to beautify a drainage ditch next to their Community Elderly Activity Center, transforming this ditch into an ornamental fish pond. For this reason Qilao Village can be viewed as a model of sustainability, and its reputation as such is well deserved. (5)
龔家古厝 The Old Gong Family Residence
龔家古厝 , 是一座近百年的傳統閩式建築 , 三進二落雕樑畫棟 , 展現了傳統建築工藝之美 . 龔家於日據時代以製糖起家 , 為了這座宅第龔家從福建運來高級正福杉 , 並自設窯廠自行燒製建屋所需的磚瓦. 龔家古厝的壁厚均為1 , 2呎 , 冬暖夏涼 ; 正廳樑棟牆柱上裝飾有描金彩繪的各式吉祥圖案 , 而前庭到後聽天井的地磚至今仍保留原始面貌 ; 門窗上則有祈福字句與卷軸書冊的圖案 , 祈望子弟書香傳家的用心不言可喻 . 古厝外的空地上還保留過去的舊式壓糖機與製糖器具 . 龔家子孫還有許多人居住在古厝四周 , 是一座保存的相當好的古宅 . The Old Gong Family Residence is a traditional Fujian style building that's nearly 100 years old. Through its three-sided courtyard and carved beams one can see the beauty of traditional architecture and craftsmanship.
The Gong Family opened a sugar refinery during the Japanese occupation, and for their home they imported high quality fir wood from Fujian. They also set up their own kiln to bake the bricks needed for constructing their house. The walls of the house are all 1 to 2 feet thick, which makes the house warm in winter and cool in the summer. The beams and pillars of the main hall are painted with auspicious patters in gold, and everything from the front courtyard to the back patio retains the original tiles. There are auspicious words and scrolls on the doors and windows, placed there in affirmation of the family's scholarly aspirations. An old sugar press and other equipment for refining sugar are preserved outside the residence, and the descendants of the Gong family still live around the house.
The Old Gong Family Residence is a very well preserved example of this type of house.
發現屏東 -- 農特產 Discover Pingtung: Agricultural Goods
九如鄉農業耕作總面積為2.657公頃 , 其中水田1.089公頃 , 旱田1.568公頃 . 2.657 hectares of land are farmed in Jiuru. Of this land 1.089 hectares are rice paddies and 1.568 are devoted to other types of agriculture.
農作物以果樹為主 , 其農作物如果菜類的苦瓜 , 茄子 , 絲瓜 , 菜豆 , 現今則以檸檬 , 香蕉 , 椰子 , 檳榔為較廣泛的農作果樹及蔬菜供應量大 . 近年來 , 蓮霧種植面積倍增 , 逐漸成為九如鄉的主要農產品 . The main crop [in this area] consists of fruit trees. Other produce includes bitter melon, eggplant, Vietnamese luffa and kidney beans. Newer crops are lemon, banana, coconut and betel nut. These crops account for a much larger proportion of the area's agricultural output. In recent years the wax apple crop has grown exponentially, and it has become one of Jiuru's main agricultural products.
九如鄉的魚牧養殖有豬 , 牛 , 羊 , 牛蛙 , 鱉 , 泰國蝦 , 等成為鄉民主要的經濟來源 . Jiuru's fish farming and livestock operations include pigs, cows, sheep, bullfrogs, softshell turtles and "Thailand shrimp." These are all valued sources of income for residents. (6)
香蕉 Bananas
民國五0年代 , 南部地區開始大量種香蕉 , 外銷日本 , 當時曾為台灣帶來大筆的外匯 , 贏得 "香蕉王國" 的美稱 . 九如鄉香蕉研究所更不斷地栽培優秀品質的新香蕉 . In the 1950s people in southern Taiwan began planting a lot of bananas for export to Japan. This industry accounted for a sizeable proportion of Taiwan's foreign trade, and earned Taiwan the title "Banana Kingdom." Jiuru Township's Banana Research Institute continues to cultivate new types of high quality bananas.
檸檬 Lemons
檸檬之生育習性與其他柑橘類相近 , 但發育較旺盛 , 對部分病害之抵抗性亦強 , 檸檬因具有豐富的營養成分及食療功效 , 而逐漸為國人所喜愛 , 尤其是用檸檬汁可增加免疫力 , 預防SRAS病毒入侵 , 而受消費者的歡迎 . The fruit-growing characteristics of the lemon tree are similar to other fruit trees in the citrus family, but they grow more vigorously and are more resistant to disease. Lemons are gradually becoming more popular among Taiwanese people due to their nutritional and therapeutic value. Lemon juice in particular can improve one's immune system and prevent SARS infections. It's very popular with consumers. (7)
檸檬屬柑橘類中的一種 , 全世界的檸檬約有二十餘個栽培品種 . 台灣目前的栽培品種絕大部分為尤利加 (Eureka) 本品種有周年結果的習性 , 樹形也較開張 . Lemon is a type of citrus fruit, and there are about 20 varieties cultivated worldwide. The most commonly cultivated variety in Taiwan is the "Eureka" variety, which fruits annually and has more widely spaced branches.
檸檬喜好稱高氣溫 , 台灣南部甚適合 , 園地以排水良好之砂質壤土或壤土為佳 . 土壤酸鹼度以ph5.5至ph6.5理想 . Lemons thrive in high temperature environments, so south Taiwan is a good place for them. Orchards should be situated on sandy loam with good drainage, with soil ph values between 5.5 and 6.5.
Related Entries 相關的文章:
1. I skipped the introduction. It discussed the history of the area. This history, featuring waves of aboriginal, Hakka and Minnanese-speaking peoples, is shared with many other townships in Pingtung.
2. I skipped a sentence related to a trade dispute between Taiwan and Japan involving pineapples. That incident needed further explanation that wasn't provided in the book. There's also a small section after this comparing modern names of administrative districts to their counterparts during the Qing (Ching) Dynasty.
3. I skipped a section discussing an inscription on a stone tablet within the temple. I've been to this temple, and it is in my opinion the most interesting thing in Jiuru. It's very, very old, and some of its architectural features are somewhat unusual.
4. I believe that by "spring in front of the fan" the author is referring to the shape of the land between two rivers/streams in the area. From the northern end of the township they spread apart to the south, making a fan-like shape.
5. Uh...no. Turning a drainage ditch into an ornamental fish pond does NOT make you a model of sustainability.
6. These aren't really shrimp from Thailand, but rather a type of freshwater prawn raised in the area. Everyone I know calls them "Thailand shrimp," so that seemed the best label.
7. It's got to be SARS, not SRAS. And no, I know of no research to support this claim.
