父亲的眼泪是我人生的救赎

父亲寡言，但很严肃，他的想法和做法和别人不一样：喜欢人前打骂、教导儿子;相信棒头出孝子，因为爷爷当年也就是这样待他。

Dad is a reserved man of few words but is always grave and strict. Whats more, he is quite different from others in ideas and practices: recklessly cursing and beating or bringing to account his son in the presence of neighbors as he strongly believes in such a principle: a dutiful son is the product of the rod, which is deeply ingrained in his mind from his own father.

七八岁开始，我每天都挨打。父亲白天工作很忙，晚上吃完饭下了桌，就开始问我今天做错什么事。妈妈告状、姐姐告状，他就用皮带抽我，手臂上一条一条的淤血痕。所以小时候，我一直喜欢穿长袖。

At about 8 or 9 years old, I got my lump or a dressing down with each passing day. Dad busied himself outside in the day time but began to take me to task for whatever I did wrong at table after the supper. Mom and my elder sister took turns at telling on me for having made trouble here and there, so he would strap me like anything, leaving my arms a lot of bruises, so for this very reason I had to wear long-sleeve jacket in my childhood.

这造成我10岁开始就不平衡，你打我，我就去打别人。那时候住在眷区附近，跟里面的孩子去附近打闹，父亲就越打越重。

So I was emotionally upset and disturbed in spite of just a 10-year-old kid, who thought, I was indiscriminately beaten, so I would vent my spleen on other smaller kids. At that time, we lived in a neighborhood of the military residential quarters, so I used to brawl with other kids in the neighborhood and Dad would deal me a heavier blow the next time.

结果就是，我根本没办法念书，一天到晚打架闹事，初三连英文字母都写不全，数学也不会!于是念到感化院去了，一共待了两年半。

It turned out that I completely lost control of this thong and found it impossible for me to concentrate on my lessons as I came to blows with other kids all day long. Everything went from bad to worse for me so much so that I couldnt write out the English alphabet, nor could I do arithmetic. To make matters worse, I was sent into a reformatory school where I stayed remorsefully for two and a half years.

这次父亲流着忏悔的眼泪对我说：我不是不爱你，我一定要你的未来好。

This time Dad shed bitter tears, simultaneously repentant of all he did me, saying ruthful, Son, it is not that I dont love you but that I should not have been so exasperated at your failure to live up to my expectations!

当兵回来后，他给我1万美元，叫我去环游世界。

Retiring from the army, he gave me 10,000 US dollars for a trip around the world.

回来以后，他就说，读万卷书不如行万里路，现在你游历了世界，从今天开始劳动。

Upon getting back from this trip, he said to me, Book knowledge is undoubtedly valuable but he who travels far and wide should know better at the time of your life. I guess you are now fully prepared to get started for work.

26岁时，我创了润华机械厂，这个厂倒闭了;后来又开个染料工厂，这个工厂爆炸了。我父亲只说了一句话：衍梁啊!恭喜你得到可贵的失败经验，你以后比别人更不会犯错了。

At 26, I started up Runhua Machinery Co., Ltd., which was later poorly performed and went bankrupt; it was not long before I started to engage in a dyestuff plant which happened to be blown up. At all these, my father only gave me such words, Samuel Yin, I will congratulate you on your being fortunately showered with the god-given setbacks and failures, which should be chalked up to your life experience so that you will make fewer mistakes in life.

政大企研所博士毕业典礼那天，我父母来参加。父亲不赞美我，就是自己在那边哭。我也是百感交集，红着眼眶站在台上想：当时你对我哭，是因为我是不良少年;现在你对我哭，是因为我是博士。

The Ph.D. graduation ceremony was grandly commenced at National Chengchi University (NCCU) and my parents were honorably invited to show up. Dad didnt say a single word in praise of me but cried bitterly again this time, and at this very moment, my mind was a turmoil of mixed emotions and I stood on the stage with warm tears welled up in my eyes: the first time you cried bitterly for my being a young hooligan, but this time you cried bitterly for my being a Ph.D.

我没有打过我的孩子，因为我是被打坏的。我常会跟孩子说：你做得很正确、很棒，爸爸鼓励你。

Never have put my children right by resorting to force as I am sober-minded that I was beaten into behaving indecently. I often say to my children, Well done! A perfect job youve done. Now Daddy will give you thumbs up or pat you on the back!