前言
To the Taiwanese Reader
I am the one who gets lost and stops you on the street to ask for directions in broken Chinese. I am the one who teaches your children until 9pm while you are working in the office. I am the one with the big nose, hairy arms, and erratic facial expressions. I am the one sweating profusely on the MRT. I am the one walking down the street with a beer in my hand. I am the one that you asked to pose with all of your friends for a picture, and then thanked profusely. I am the one who got into your taxi, and could not say exactly what I wanted to say in response to your query, “What do you think about Taiwan?” I wrote this book for you, to answer that question more fully.
給台灣讀者：
我是那個迷路時會在街上用破中文向你問路的路人。在你上班時，那個教你的小孩英文到晚上9點的老師。我有個大鼻子、毛手臂、臉部表情誇張的Nick，我連坐在捷運裡都是滿身大汗。我是那個會拿著啤酒在街上走的人。同時，我也是那個可能會被你或你的朋友們要求擺姿勢照相的外國人。當計程車司機詢問我對台灣的看法時，我更是那個詞不達意的外國人。於是，我寫了這本書更完整地來回答這個問題。
Please be aware that I was raised in a country with a culture that is very different from your own. You might disagree with some of the things that I have written, but it is not my intention to criticize you or cause offense. I have done my best to accurately portray Taiwan and be honest in my opinions, but I may have made a few mistakes or unintentional generalizations. I hope that you can understand.
另一方面，我也盼望讀者了解，因為在我生長的西方國家，與這裡的文化大不相同。也許，你並不同意這本書中的某些看法，萬一有任何批評或造成冒犯之處，那並不是我的初衷。 我已盡量以客觀的角度來描繪我眼中的台灣，並且真誠地表達我的想法，或許我還是不小心犯了些小錯誤，惟希望讀者們能夠體諒。
To the Non-Taiwanese Reader
Let this book be a window into another land, and my experiences an example of another way of life, one that is within the grasp of anybody who really wants it. If you have never been to Taiwan, or even to Asia then I hope my writing and photographs will inspire you to consider the possibility more seriously.
給非台灣人的讀者：
對於任何想要嘗試另一種生活方式的人來說，這本書提供了一扇窗，只要你推開它，它就是另一個有趣的世界。倘若你從未到過台灣或亞洲其它地區，那麼，我希望書中的文字與圖片能夠帶著你一起旅行，甚至觸動你開啟一趟親身體驗的台灣之旅。
To other Foreigner Teachers
You will probably understand or agree with much of what I discuss in this book, but you may also disagree with some things too. My observations and opinions are subjective and based primarily on first hand experience. I do not claim to be any sort of expert on the subjects I write about. If you want to point out any flaws, or have any similar stories and experiences you want to share, I would like to hear them, so don’t hesitate to write me via my website.
給外籍教師：
你大概能體會或認同我在書中所提到的許多內容，當然，也可能不認同某些部份。我不敢聲稱自己是這個主題的專家。我對台灣的觀察與想法主要都來自我親身經歷，因此這些看法都很主觀；倘若你有任何的批評指教，或也有類似的體驗與生活故事，也樂意與我分享，請不要猶豫，你可以透過我的個人網站將這些故事寄給我。
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