滴水之恩，湧泉以報 (Chop Suey)

Some Japanese people are raising money 募款(mu4 kuan3) for putting an ad on Taiwan’s media to express their gratitude for our donation in the wake of the March 11 earthquake, which amounts to more than NT 4 billion dollars (U.S. $ 137.9 million dollars approximately) and ranks the top among the donating nations. Ninety percent of the money comes from private donors. For a nation of a 23- million population, you have to say that Taiwanese are really generous. 慷慨(kang kai3)

However, when putting a thank-you note 感謝函(gan3 xie4 han2)on the media worldwide, Japan’s government has missed Taiwan. Such an unusual act was questioned and slammed by their own media, accusing their government of yielding to the pressure from Beijing. That’s why some Japanese decided to raise money on their own to run an ad on Taiwan’s media to express their gratitude.

To be honest, though knowing very well Taiwanese’ readiness to help others, I’m still surprised to learn that we have given away so much money and so much relief goods. As residents of an unstable land with the vagaries of natural disasters such as earthquakes and typhoons, we know what it is like after a nature’s temper tantrum.

Another important reason for the generosity of Taiwanese, I think, is to return the favor the Japanese people gave us when the 921 Quake hit Taiwan in 1999. I read from the paper that Japanese relief team was the first to arrive in Taiwan to help.

That leads to my title today滴水之恩(di shui3 zhi en)，湧泉以報(yong3 chuan2 yi3 bao4), which can also be extended to受滴水之恩(shou4)，必湧泉以報(bi4). 受means to receive. 滴水is a drop of water.之, of; 恩, favor. The former part of the saying means “When I receive a favor of a drop of water.” 必means will; 湧泉, gush a spring; 以, to; 報, return. So the whole saying means “When I receive a favor of a drop of water, I will pour a spring in return.”

Some three decades ago a Taiwanese novelist wrote a novel, where she displayed lots of Taiwan’s traditional customs and the notions behind them. One custom she mentioned about was when new parents distributed 油飯(you2 fan4), the glutinous oil rice, to mark the celebration for their newborn to reach its first month, the neighbors who got the rice would give a cup of rice on a plate in return.

Such a spirit is also manifested in the current customs. For example, in a wedding or a funeral, people will send a red envelop紅包(hong2 bao), or a white envelop, 白包(bai2 bao) to show their congratulations or condolences. The receivers of the money will keep a record of each giver’s amount as a basis, so that next time when same thing happens to any of the givers, they know how much to give. We will give the same amount or very often, add a little to it as a return.

The notion behind the custom is that it takes some money to have a wedding or a funeral. The guests give money as a help for the family to get it done. The couple can return the favor to the respective guests later little by little. Such a give-and-take in courtesy is called 禮尚往來(li3 shang4 wang3 lai2). The extra return shows the spirit of湧泉以報

For an ungrateful person who even bites the hand that feeds him, we’ll call him 忘恩負義(wang4 en fu4 yi4). I think for those Japanese who’re raising money to put the ad, they just don’t want to be labeled as one. As one of the donors, I don’t think it would make much difference whether the government of Japan had or had not run an ad to thank us. I guess most of the Taiwanese donors would think likewise. It’s just too complicated when it comes to politics. Who knows, and who cares what’s on those politicians’ mind?

感謝函=感谢函

湧泉以報=涌泉以报

油飯=油饭

紅包=红包

禮尚往來=礼尚往来

忘恩負義=忘恩负义

p.s. Three days after I posted the article, I read on the United Daily that according to Kissaka, the Japanese girl who initiated the fund-raising on Twitter, she has got about 6.8 million Yuan, or NT $ 2.39 million in less than a week. And Taiwan has donated more than NT five billion to Japan.

I've been extrememly busy these days. Hope I can make time to start my next writing soon.