親愛的李前總統，您曾經是我在日本唸書時，跟日本的長輩、早稻田大學附近百年的燒烤店老闆、老教授們聊天時的共同話題。每個人對您是不是 “hero” 各有看法、也有自由可以有不同的看法，這已是您最大的貢獻。

你教了我：對的改變一定要堅持，即便過程會很辛苦，但想要改變不只要勇敢，還要有謀略、策略。Thank you, thank you, and thank you. 

1.

democracy 在做「民主制度」時，是抽象語意，是不可數名詞。但當 democracy 在當「民主國家」、「民主政體」時，則是可數名詞喔。以下文字取自於 Financial Times、The New York Times、TIME、Taipei Times。

He was instrumental in the nation’s peaceful transition from the autocratic rule (專制統治) to one of Asia’s most vibrant democracies (活躍的民主政體). Lee also cemented Taiwan’s identity as distinct from China.

【句型 / 搭配】 

  • X is instrumental in sth… X 在某事中扮演重要、協助性的角色
  • cement + identity 強化、鞏固～的身份

2.

Lee Teng-hui is one of the key founders of today’s prosperous and democratic Taiwan (繁榮且民主的台灣), a country that is the marvel of observers throughout Asia and the world (讓亞洲和世界各國感到驚嘆的國家). I salute him for his unparalleled contributions (無比重要的貢獻) to the modern and self-confident Taiwan of today!

【句型 / 搭配】 

  • the key founder of sth… 主要的創建者 
  • marvel (v.) + at sth 對～感到驚嘆
  • marvel (n.) It’s a marvel to me that S+V…
  • unparalleled contributions 無比重要貢獻、無可匹敵的貢獻 >> unrivaled contributions 

3.

President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文): “President Lee’s contribution to Taiwan’s democratic journey was irreplaceable and his death is a great loss for the country.”

【句型 / 搭配】 

  • irreplaceable + contribution 難以取代的貢獻
  • sb’s death is a great loss for sth / sb 

4.

Former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) also offered his condolences to Lee’s family through his office, while affirming Lee’s contributions to Taiwan’s democratization.

【句型 / 搭配】

  • offer condolences 表達哀悼
  • democratization 民主化 >> Democratization is the transition to a more democratic political regime（民主的政治政體）. 

5.

Lee allowed the nation to smoothly evolve from an authoritarian regime (獨裁政體) to a democratic one, and he was able to withdraw from the political scene (退出政壇) at his peak, Ko (柯文哲) wrote, describing Lee as a “hero of the era.”

【句型 / 搭配】 

  • evolve from X to Y 從 X 轉變、演變、進化到 Y
  • withdraw from the political scene 退出政壇
  • at sb’s peak 在某人的高峰（通常是職涯）

6.

Lee served as Taiwan’s president from 1988 to 2000, overseeing its transition from martial law dictatorship (實施戒嚴法的獨裁統治政體) to a full-fledged democracy (成熟的民主政體).

【句型 / 搭配】 

  • a full-fledged democracy 成熟、發展完全的民主政體

原文發表於：Alexander Wang 王梓沅英文・Jul 31