人物專訪
「我可以，因為我有這能力」
∼專訪創意巨人朱學恆

高二1班 郭昱辰 李問
　

十二月五號的這個早上，我們走進活動中心，準備要聽一場關於「創意」的演講，主講人是朱學恆：「魔戒」中譯者/奇幻基地出版社創辦人/「麻省理工學院開放式課程網路志工翻譯計畫」主導人。演講開始了，一位穿著黑色短袖，長髮披肩的男子從旁邊的椅子上站了起來，開始以高亢的聲音進行演說；我們才發現原來朱學恆本人是這麼的高大。
　
這場演講主要在說「創意」，朱學恆提到創意是通往新世紀的道路。演講過程中他都是用電腦來輔助他演說。用電腦或許沒什麼好稀奇的，但他全程居然都能以影片來配合他所要闡釋的主題；例如：「駭客任務」與「火影忍者」合成的動畫、棋靈王、一個小孩上美術課所畫的、不為成人世界所理解的鯨魚圖、Mr. children的一段趣味十足的MV等等。這些都充分地顯示出他對「創意」的認知與了解，也讓這場演講精采無比。結束了這場演講，下午我們和雙語部的Tiffany和 Natalie前往校長室和我們偉大的奇幻文學推廣者朱學恆進行了一場訪談。
　　
問他可不可以叫他小恆，他說都可以，隨便你們。訪談一開始輕鬆的自我介紹，個性隨合的小恆讓我們的訪談很順暢。「……其實不是反傳統，而是我不相信人家說『什麼事情怎麼樣就是怎麼樣』，譬如有人跟你說這不可能、做不到，他做過了但做不到。但即使是他做不到，代表的是他在那個時間點，因為他的能力和際遇，而做不到；不代表我在我的時間點去做那件事情，我也做不到……。 甚至有很多人告訴你不可能時，他根本連做都沒做，那是他『覺得』不可能。」這是我們在問到關於「反傳統與創意」時他的看法。他說到他在大學時代曾經擔任過演辯社的社長還有電機系系學會會長，那幾年中做了很多反傳統的事。例如他們學校的園遊會都是在學長姐的畢業典禮的時候辦，但是在那時候大一、大二、大 三的學生都已經回家了，怎麼可能會有人來玩？所以他們就把園遊會改到晚上來辦，還堵在電影院的門口，讓那些剛出電影院的人，再怎麼樣也會逛一下。而當年類似這樣反傳統的辦活動方式，到了現在竟然變成了傳統。小恆卻不希望再創造出任何傳統。他說：「我希望我創造出來的東西，都是人家可以再挑戰再破壞的。我不是反對傳統，而是有很多傳統，經過仔細思考，其實並沒有存在的必要」。
　 　
反傳統的時候究竟該如何生存？小恆說：「我覺得很重要的第一個就是溝通。你如果不溝通，你會非常為難，因為你的創意出來之後可能身邊的人都會不了解。為什麼呢？因為創意就是跳脫現行的規範，……因為你跳到新的市場，你就是新的霸主，你有先入優勢然後在那邊所有的規則都是你定的。」。他接著又再度強調溝通的重要性說：「所以你在做每一件事的時候，你都一定要去思考『是否這樣做比較好？』。你付出的代價是否值得？如果真的值得的話，你就往前做。但你也必須跟人家解釋你在做什麼，不然你就會受到很大的阻礙。」
　
小恆是台灣推廣奇幻文學的先鋒人物，最早「奇幻文學」這一中文名詞也是他取的。對於要如何推廣，小恆說：「你要能夠了解一件事情：就是如果你不能說服自己，你就不能說服別人。所以你要先讓自己做一個最挑剔的顧客，這樣你才能成為一個好的銷售者或推廣者……所有的技術面都是等而下之的雕蟲小技。關鍵都是在心理，你能不能夠設身處地替你的客戶想。所以我覺得這牽扯到我的人生觀，就是我不做我不喜歡的事情，因為如果我做我自己不喜歡的事情，我的能力就會下降。」他非常強調要作自己喜歡的事。我們提到對於自己會不會想出一本自己的書？小恆說了：「關於這個問題，首先，你必須知道自己的強項，而我的就是推廣和翻譯，所以絕對不會出書。我沒有必要因為我是個優秀的翻譯者就要寫一本自己的書。你得知道，當你明白自己的強項後，並且把它做好，這可能就很可怕了。」

2001年小恆因為翻譯「魔戒三部曲」而一舉成名，但事實上他早在學生時代就在推廣奇幻文學。在翻譯「魔戒」之前，小恆早已翻譯了二十多本的奇幻小說，也在1995年架設了台灣第一個奇幻專題網站─「路西法地獄」。當問到他為什麼那麼喜歡奇幻文學的時候，他便說：「奇幻單純是想像力，是世界上少數沒有語言和文化隔閡的一種文學類別。」他表示，就是因為奇幻文學單純靠想像，因此更能跨越國界而使人願意接受。「魔戒這麼風行，不會有人說，『我不瞭解英國的神話所以我不能讀這個東西』」。當然，既然是喜歡的東西，小恆就不 遺餘力著手推廣。「我喜歡奇幻，我希望更多人能接觸到，瞭解奇幻這個東西。」他說，多年前他寫的網路奇幻專欄每次都被網友票選為「最想關掉的專欄」。事隔多年，奇幻文學不但受大家接受，朱學恆還用翻譯魔戒的錢創辦「奇幻基地」出版社，讓台灣的讀者們得以接觸到更多的奇幻作品，也出版科幻、恐怖小說，並舉辦奇幻文藝比賽。推廣的成果令小恆十分滿意。

當提到翻譯「魔戒」的過程時，我們見識到了所謂高度（甚至可以說是恐怖）的自制管理能力。小恆在演講後頭提問時便曾提到， 他2001年三月開始翻譯魔戒，而由於要趕在十二月「魔戒」電影上映時讓書跟著一起上市，他一個月翻譯十二萬個字（相當於一本普通的書的份量），持續做了九個月。小恆用「軍事化」來形容他那段時間的作息。他每天早上六點起床，先運動兩個小時，到了十點鐘準時坐下來翻譯，晚上十點準時停工。「人是個習慣的動物……沒有別人管的時候，你自己就變得很重要。你將來如果要面對同樣的問題，考試的話，你應該要自己管理自己；不會有人陪你永遠走到最後……你自己如果管不好自己的話，那就會有很大的問題。」這九個月的努力，讓小恆瘦了二十公斤，但也賺進從沒想過會有的三千萬台幣。

我們問小恆對於翻譯的看法。他說，一般看來翻譯的薪水屬於計件式，沒有退休金，社會地位也沒有特別高。但小恆要我們從從另一個角度看，說翻譯其實是「改變一個文明的力量」。他舉唐三藏取經的例子，指出三藏最大的成就並不是在於取經，而是在於翻譯經文；要不是三藏把天竺文的佛經翻成中文，中國文化就少了佛教這個重要的元素。小恆又提到清末民初的知識份子「如果沒有那些翻譯書籍的話，誰革命啊？你以為坐在那裡就可以想到各種各樣的東西？……[翻譯家]引進知識，就可以改變一個社會環境。」最重要的是，可以有更多人認識他所喜歡的東西（「還會有笨蛋付我錢」）。

2004年，小恆斷然捨下在奇幻基地的工作，投身到另一項比「魔戒」還要龐大的翻譯計畫中：「麻省理工學院開放式課程中譯計劃」（Opensource Opencourseware Prototype System，縮寫為OOPS）。這個計畫將MIT網路上的開放式課程從英文翻成中文，而且完全靠網路義工的力量（和小恆每年投入的數百萬元）來支持。他所做的，正是在「引進知識」。小恆話鋒一轉，開始沈重地表示說，「這個社會本來就是不公平的。你會看到很多人一出生的機會比別人少……我們身邊有太多的人他上不起高中大學只是因為他付不起這個錢……如果你家裡每天早上要你採收樹上的果實或養雞，你哪有那個時間和金錢學外語？」他說道，當今科技那麼發達，只要有心的人，應該都能透過網路學習知識才對。然而語言隔閡卻終將是高科技無法滅除的障礙。小恆說，許多人因為沒有錢受教育/學英文而無法接觸到想要獲取的知識。「大陸上[中國]最近常在說，『知識決定命運』……但現在的狀況變成很多人買不起知識……變成說很多人純粹運氣不好 [意指出生背景]，就學不到外國語。但運氣不好不代表你活該倒楣，不可以學這些東西。」

所以小恆都鼓勵他旗下的翻譯志工們說，我們都是「超級英雄（Superheroes）」。他很喜歡蜘蛛人裡面的一句話：「With great power, comes great responsibility[能力越強，責任越大]」。小恆說這就要看每個人如何看待自己的能力，而他認為可以用自己寶貴的能力：翻譯與推廣，提供免費的知識來幫助其他需要的人。「翻譯開放式課程其中一個很重要的原因是因為『我可以』。我有這個能力，所以我應該做一些事情。那既然我應該要做一些事情，有沒有可能我用我最擅長的事情來想辦法把知識分享出去？」

當我們問他他的家人對他的人生態度有什麼影響或鼓勵時，小恆說，最重要的是家人的包容。「我的家人，他們甚至不能理解我在幹什麼。」從2000年他以電機系畢業生的身份到公關公司上班；直到離職翻譯當時沒人聽過的「魔戒」（幸好「不小心賺到錢」）；後來捐五百萬元成立奇幻基金會推廣奇幻文學。辭掉了奇幻基地出版社執行長工作砸錢投入完全沒有收入可言的OOPS，小恆的家人都包容他，放手讓小恆去做。「至少我的家人能夠容忍，而且包容……他們在不理解的狀況下包容我這樣做，我覺得這就是最大的可能性；這是這個這社會給與像我這樣一個怪胎一個最大的機會。你只要能夠容忍，我就能做出各種各樣奇怪的事情。」

而我們知道，對朱學恆來說，還有很多很多怪事在那裡等著他去挖掘和實行。他是在小學因為玩電動想要破關就把英文給學會的奇才；他是高中時期故意綁彩色鞋帶的叛逆者；他是因為不想被禁玩電動，所以拼命把成績搞好的「向上管理」達人；他以身體力行來感動人，同時卻也是溝通者；他是突破傳統的改革者（又樹立起新的傳統）；他是在九個月之內翻完「魔戒」三部曲的魔人；更是砸錢主持開放課程翻譯計畫，充滿正義感以及使命感的超級英雄。「[只要]我很喜歡這個工作，克服問題是必然的」。沒錯，我們相信朱學恆將來還會發揮他的創意與執著，達成更多不可能的任務。

Innovation, Creativity And Dedication
--- The Devil With A Heart
--- Interview with Lucifer Chu
　

by Tiffany Kuo and Natalie Lin, 11B
　

Lucifer Chu, the Mandarin translator of Lord of the Rings and the founder of Opensource Opencourseware Prototype System (OOPS), sat in the principal’s office talking animatedly to Mrs. Jou and Mr. Spock Tsai. A face fit to the name, Lucifer said he had picked his name because he wanted to be different, even if it that meant being called aside and checked thoroughly every time he passed through US immigration customs. The attention-grabbing presentation on Innovation and Creativity he gave previously that day (December 5, 2005) in the Gym left us bubbling with questions about how and why he accomplished what he has done.

Breaking Traditions
Traditional Chinese parents put a lot of emphasis on their children’s education, and want their children to achieve good grades. In the parents’ point of view, studying hard will bring good grades; fooling around will bring bad grades. “Grades” seems to be all that matters. As an elementary student, Lucifer knew his parents’ traditional expectations, but he loved to play computer games, instead of slaving away memorizing facts. Using quick thinking and simple logic, Lucifer negotiated a solution with his parents. If he was able to keep his grades up, his parents couldn’t nag him about playing on the computer. Amazingly, throughout his school years Lucifer acquired many skills through his game-playing that would be useful and serve him for the rest of his life – the ability to understand, write, and speak English.
The middle school Lucifer attended was just like other local middle schools at the time. There were strict dress codes on how uniforms should be worn, on hair length and style, and even on trivial matters, such as socks, shoes, and shoelace colors. Because Lucifer’s school only allowed white shoelaces, he purposely wore colorful shoelaces to show his rebellious personality. He would wait until the daily check-up was over before entering the classroom, caring only about his secret triumph and not his daily tardiness.
Later as he attended the National Central University, Lucifer was the student body president in the Electrical Engineering Department. He hated the fact that activities were held simply because it was the “tradition”. During the term of his presidency, he scrapped out many meaningless traditions and added many new, exciting activities. The one activity he hoped to change was the annual carnival, a tradition for ages. The university required representatives from each department to participate in this event. Previous carnivals had always been very boring, resulting in low attendance rates. Lucifer decided that since the activity was mandatory, he would try to make everybody go voluntarily. With the help of the student body, he came up with a list of changes including the time, the location and the format of the carnival. The activity was usually held during the hot June afternoon of the graduation day when the graduates were anxious to move out, and the undergraduates wearing slippers would avoid walking onto the dance floor. Lucifer and his crew changed the time to the cool summer eve, and moved the location of the carnival to the exit of the school movie theater. That night, as people strolled out after their weekly Friday night movie trip, they found themselves at the carnival and an open dance floor. Through making changes and breaking traditions, Lucifer brought about an immense amount of income from the activity.

Lord of the Rings
Lucifer translated Lord of the Rings by J.R.R Tolkien simply for the reason that he wanted to share the series with more people. Publishing companies didn’t support the translation project with a lot of money because this book had already been translated before. Lucifer signed the contract, not expecting to earn a single penny.
Because the Lord of the Rings movie was to come out nine months after Lucifer signed his contract, he had no choice but to finish translating the whole book series within that period of time. Nine months may seem to be a long time, but in comparison, the Japanese translator of Lord of the Rings took ten years to complete his job. Lucifer kept himself on a tight military schedule during those nine months in order to keep himself on track, losing twenty kg’s in the process.
Lucifer thought the joy of sharing his favorite genre of books, fantasy literature, was worth all the hard work and his painstaking efforts. He believes that fantasy literature brings down cultural barriers. For example, in different cultures, words are pronounced differently. To Americans, the “right” way of pronouncing “vase” is different from Britain’s “right” way of pronouncing the same word. However, there is no such thing as a “wrong” imagination. Regardless of culture, imagination is something everybody has. Fantasy literature is another new world in itself. As long as the reader can understand the literature, he or she can enter the world of fantasy. Lucifer saw Lord of the Rings as a book that would popularize fantasy literature, a book whose genre he felt could integrate cultural differences. Eight hundred thousand volumes of Lucifer’s translated version of Lord of the Rings were sold; and fantasy literature was thereby introduced into many more people’s lives.

Fantasy Foundation
Lucifer unintentionally earned 27 million NT dollars from his hard work in translating Lord of the Rings. “With great power comes great responsibility,” Lucifer quoted from Spiderman. He decided to use the money he earned to further publicize fantasy literature. Lucifer donated five million NT dollars to the founding of the Fantasy Foundation. The foundation holds fantasy art, writing, and props and costume building contests annually for people all over Taiwan, in effort to increases people’s interest in fantasy literature

Opensource Opencourseware Prototype System, OOPS
In February 2004, Lucifer used a large sum of his income to start a project for the translation of MIT’s online courses. Because the organization is non-profit, most of the course material translation is done by volunteer workers. Some of these volunteers are college undergraduates, but most are professors or people with PhD and Master’s degrees. So far, 1800 volunteered and 340 courses have been partially translated, 65 were completely finished. Lucifer strongly encourages NEHS students and teachers to fully utilize their bilingual talent to help transcribe the videoed lectures and speeches.
Lucifer believes that knowledge should be acquired by all people regardless of a family’s financial background. He challenges, for example, the commonly accepted fact that patients with money are offered the best medical help, whereas those who cannot pay are not offered the same privilege. In the same sense, he challenges the fact that some less fortunate people who could not afford to learn a foreign language, and thus the financial and language barriers obstruct their passion for learning. “Some people who cannot afford education want to learn, but nobody is giving them a chance,” Lucifer says. By translating the MIT online courses into Chinese through the OOPS project, Lucifer wants to tear down the language barrier for the financially less fortunate Chinese-speaking people , and provide knowledge to them so they can compete equally with the rest of the world.

Conclusion
When asked for one word that could aptly describe him, Lucifer replied without hesitation, “Rebellious.” In a sense, he is rebellious. He loves, publicizes and promotes fantasy literature because it doesn’t confine a person’s thoughts, such an intention goes against the traditional social expectations of the Chinese culture. He translates the English MIT courses into Chinese because he believes all people should have an equal chance to compete for a job. When asked why he has done so many things for the society, Lucifer answered with a simple, “Because I can.” Lucifer has strong opinions and wills. He claims that volunteer workers are the most efficient and fun people to work with because they are the most passionate about their jobs.
In his speech, Lucifer presented the audience with a short commercial. A teacher asked a class of students to draw their favorite animals. One child started scribbling away furiously with a black crayon and spent day after day coloring a huge stack of papers black. The child continued coloring even after he was sent to an insane asylum. One day, a nurse realized what the child was doing and informed people around him. They pieced all the black pieces of paper together and saw that the child had been drawing a life-sized whale. From this, we learned that a person’s will is the strongest pushing force of all. Just like the child in the commercial and the volunteer workers working on the OOPS project, Lucifer Chu has a strong will which compels him to rebel throughout his youth, and in the end such unique personality creates results that in turn improves our society and benefits many.
　

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