縣府端節包船 旅台鄉親順利返鄉

金門縣政府端午節返鄉包船「金門快輪」5月28日搭載三百九十二名旅台鄉親返金，在歡度端午佳節後，金門快輪依然載著鄉親於31日回航台中，對於縣府的貼心服務，讓鄉親都感到窩心。
Kinmen County Government chartered(1) the ocean liner(2) "Kinmen Express", on May 28 to bring 329 Kinmenese who reside in Taiwan to Kinmen for the Dragon Boat Festival. After the holiday on May 31st, the boat again took the same folks back to Taichung. Needless to say, every one was deeply touched by the considerate service.

　 今年的端午節，一共有連續四天的假期，縣府交旅局局長林振查表示，縣政府為紓解空中交通壅塞和考量旅台鄉親需求，配合端午節連續假期，特別採取包租「金門快輪」輸運鄉親，提供旅台鄉親返鄉另一管道，從台灣經由海上交通返鄉與家人歡聚、共渡佳節。
Director-general of Kinmen County Transportation and Tourism Bureau Lin Zhengcha said, since the Duanwu Festival happened to be a four-day weekend, the county government specifically chose to charter "Kinmen Express" to ship people back to their hometown. It was also a solution for the holiday busy air traffic as well as an alternative to help Kinmenese living in Taiwan get home to celebrate the traditional occasion with their families.

　 載著返鄉鄉親的端節包船「金門快輪」係在27日晚十時四十分，自台中港開船，經過海上九個多小時的航程，「金門快輪」於28日上午七時五十分抵料羅港，緩緩地駛進港區停泊。李縣長同縣府交旅局局長林振查等人，到料羅港歡迎鄉親返鄉，揮手致意，向大家說「辛苦了」。
The boat left Taichung Harbor at 10:40pm on the 27th and cruised(3) on the ocean for over nine hours. At 7:50am on the 28th, it eased into Liaoluo Harbor and docked. Magistrate Li and Director-General Lin were at the harbor to greet the town folks.

　 縣政府端節包船，主要費用由縣府負擔，單程票價成人為新台幣五百元，學生、老人和身心障礙人士只要三百元，比台金航線機票的二千元左右便宜許多；因此，受到旅台金門鄉親歡迎，四百個船位登記客滿，只有八人缺席。
The county government shouldered(4) most of the cost to charter the boat. One-way ticket for adults was NT$500 and NT$300 for students, senior citizens and handicapped persons. Compared with flying, which costs NT$2,000 per person, the rates were much cheaper. As a consequence, all four hundred seats on the boat were booked and only eight people failed to show up.

　 雖然鋒面過境，台灣海峽風浪達九級，少部分乘客發生暈船，但絕大多數鄉親十分興奮，帶著大包小包的行李返鄉過節。接受訪問的鄉親表示，縣政府端午節包船，對鄉親幫助很大，船費大部份由縣府買單，大家出的錢很少；如果全家一起搭船回到金門的話，那可以省下很多錢，非常的感激在心，也感受到縣府關懷鄉親的溫暖。
Although the boat ride happened to coincide with(5) a frontal(6) passage and the waves reaching level 9 in the Taiwan Strait, besides a few people who got seasick, the great majority of the passengers were excited to be going home by sea. Those who were interviewed expressed their gratitude to the county government for chartering the boat. Since the tickets were so inexpensive. People who made the trip with their entire families were able to save a significant amount of money. Everyone was touched by the thoughtfulness and generosity.

　 桃園縣金門同鄉會理事長楊榮煥也搭端節包船返鄉過節，他說，有三十多年未曾搭過船，這次特別帶著家人搭船，重溫走海路到台灣打拚的往事，很開心，也感受到縣府關懷旅台鄉親的美意。
Chairman of Taoyuan County Kinmen People's Association, Yang Ronghuan, also took the boat to return to his hometown for the holiday. He said it had been over three decades since the last time he had traveled home on a ship. The boat ride with his family particularly reminded him of his trip by sea to Taiwan to pursue a career. He was happy and thanked the county government for their concern about Kinmenese living in Taiwan.

　 另外，有六位來自台灣騎自行車旅遊的愛好者，他們是金門籍鄉親的朋友，並且以前在金門待過。這次聽金門朋友說有端節包船，於是就和金門朋友一起登記買船票搭船來金門，實現舊地重遊的夢想，以及重溫舊夢。他們指出，第一次從海上看料羅灣和金門本島，感覺非常新奇。
Among the passengers there were also six cyclists(7) from Taiwan. They were friends with some Kinmen folks and had spent some time in Kinmen before. When they learned about the Daunwu chartered boat, they booked the seats with their Kinmen friends right away to revisit Kinmen and relive old memories. For them, looking at Liaoluo Bay and the Kinmen Island from the ocean was a novel(8) experience.

　 為了能在今年端午佳節順利返鄉過節，有的鄉親在節前就已經規劃好要搭縣府端節包船返鄉；所以，一般鄉親對於縣府端午節包船載送旅台鄉親返鄉過節政策和照顧鄉親，他們表示：「非常的好！」
To make sure they could spend the holiday at home, some folks had made plans to take the chartered boat much earlier. Most people had the same reaction to the county government's effort. Everyone gave the thumbs-up(9) and said, "Well done!"

「金門快輪」則是在五月卅一日端午連假最後一天下午二時，從料羅港出發，當天晚間十時至十一時抵台中港，並以接駁專車將鄉親送到目的地，趕上連假後第一個上班、上學日。
"Kinmen Express" set out from Liaoluo Harbor at 2:00pm on May 31, the last day of the Duanwu holiday and arrived at Taichung Harbor between 10 and 11pm the same day. Shuttle buses took people to their destinations so that everyone could make it to work or school the next morning.

■1. charter-(vt.)特許設立。
■2. liner-(n)此指定期開航的班輪；而ocean liner指的是航程較長的遠洋客輪。
■3. cruise-(vi.)巡航、航遊。（以最省燃料的方式）航行。
■4. shoulder-(vt.)此處當動詞使用，指肩負起、承擔。
■5. to coincide with-動詞片語，與…一致。
■6. frontal-(n)鋒面；frontal passage為名詞片語，指鋒面過境。
■7 cyclists-(n)腳踏車騎士。
■8. novel-(adj.)指新的，新穎的，新奇的。
■9. thumbs-up-由拇指（thumb）跟up所構成的複合名詞，意指翹起大拇指的動作，即表讚賞地翹起拇指。

資料來源：金門縣政府