Norway’s T & T

The first T is talent, yes!

He is such a rybak!  Don’t stop here, read on to see what I mean.

A late but very sincere congratulations to Norway, a country that is not a member of the EU (so you know a bit of the geopolitics), who is also this year’s undisputable winner of the Eurovision.  Everybody likes the Fairytale (listen to the winning performance), and this young fellow, Alexander Rybak (see his brief biography) has got talent!

The lyrics of the winning song:

Years ago when I was younger
I kinda’ liked a girl I knew.
She was mine, and we were sweethearts,
That was then, but then it’s true

I’m in love with a fairytale
Even though it hurts.
‘Cause I don’t care if I lose my mind;
I’m already cursed

Every day we started fighting,
Every night we fell in love.
No one else could make me sadder,
But no one else could lift me high above

I don’t know what I was doing
But suddenly we fell apart.
Nowadays I cannot find her.
But when I do we’ll get a brand new start

I’m in love with a fairytale
Even though it hurts.
Cause I don’t care if I lose my mind;
I’m already cursed

She’s a fairytale
Yeah
Even though it hurts.
Cause I don’t care if I lose my mind;
I’m already cursed

The second T is traitor, oh no!

Born 99 years earlier than Rybak is a Norwegian called Quisling, and he is a traitor whose name became a word in the dictionary equivalent to a traitor.  You can enter yourself the word “quisling” on the Cambridge dictionary and the Urban dictionary to see the definitions.

A word Norwegians are not very proud of having given to the world: it derives from Vidkun Quisling (1887-1945), a Norwegian politician who collaborated with the Nazis during World War II. He established his name as a synonym for "traitor", someone who collaborates with the invaders of his country, especially by serving in a puppet government.   It is, arguably, the worst and most grave insult a Norwegian can throw at another.  That guy, he is such a quisling! 

So, maybe soon, “he is such a rybak!” will mean “he is such a guy with music talent!” 

And maybe soon too, “Ma-yon-gi-ou (馬傭求) will be the synonym for “Taiwanese traitor” or “Chinese kiss ass” in the dictionary.

By the way, you must know Taiwanese pronunciation of the Chinese phrases “附傭” and “懇求” to understand the joke above.  It's a joke, but it's a SERIOUS warning!

Related reading in Chinese: 

台灣好多奎斯林 

◎ 李濠仲 

一九四○年四月十五日，英國泰晤士報以「到處都是奎斯林」（Quislings everywhere）作社論標題。日後字典對Quisling的解釋是「如傀儡一般，協助敵人占領自己國家的叛徒」，簡稱賣國賊。 

二戰期間，德國納粹在挪威扶植傀儡政府，奎斯林正是主動臣服其下的挪威政客，他的名字Quisling因此成為英文裡「賣國賊」的通稱，不僅自己遺臭萬年，也成為挪威人心中的痛。

continue to read the entire article in Chinese on the Libertytimes.