“Time Still Turns the Pages”: Hearing the Unspoken Voices
- Bruno Huang 黃鼎翰 / 老黑
- 6月5日
- 讀畢需時 5 分鐘
已更新：6月9日
《年少日記》 從沉默中聽見孩子的聲音 An anonymous suicide note opens the film Time Still Turns the Pages, becoming not only the start of a cinematic journey but also a mirror reflecting the silence and neglect of youth mental health in today’s society. Directed by Hong Kong filmmaker Norris Wong, the film intricately portrays the emotional connection between a teacher and his students, while peeling back the layers of repression that characterize much of Asian education and family culture.
一封匿名的遺書成為電影 《年少日記》 的開端，也成為現實社會的一面鏡子。這部由香港導演卓亦謙執導的作品，不僅描繪一位老師與學生之間的情感連結，更層層揭露了亞洲社會中對青少年心理健康的忽視與壓抑。
The story begins when a teacher accidentally discovers a disturbing letter written by one of his students. This triggers his search to identify the student and offer help. As the plot unfolds, the audience is drawn deeper into Cheng’s own childhood memories—marked by domestic violence, mental illness, and emotional suppression. With each scene, the film dismantles the illusion of “normalcy” in dysfunctional families and rigid educational systems, challenging viewers to rethink what true care and empathy mean.
無意間發現學生寫下的遺書，進而展開一場尋找「那個孩子」的旅程。隨著劇情推進，觀眾也一併被拉進鄭老師自身童年經歷的家庭暴力、精神疾病和情緒壓抑。電影一層一層撕開那些看似正常卻早已破裂的家庭與教育制度的假象，讓我們重新思考什麼是「真正的關懷」。
In Taiwan, adolescent mental health issues have seen a sharp increase in recent years. According to a 2023 report by the Child Welfare League Foundation, 17.3% of junior and senior high school students exhibited severe levels of depression, and nearly 20% admitted that they wouldn’t talk to anyone when facing distress. Yet when tragic events occur, public response often defaults to criticism—blaming these young individuals for being “too weak” or “unable to cope.” Rarely do we reflect on how these pressures are rooted in our deeply ingrained educational and family systems.
台灣青少年心理健康問題近年急遽上升。根據兒福聯盟2023年的調查，17.3%的國高中生憂鬱程度達到「嚴重以上」，且有將近兩成的孩子表示「遇到困難時不會與任何人談論」。然而，事情發生的當下，大部分的人都只是用負面的方式批判他們「抗壓性太差」，卻很少去深究這些壓力，其實來自於我們的教育文化與家庭關係。
Many parents impose their own dreams and expectations on their children, claiming “it’s for your own good,” without ever pausing to ask: “What do you truly want?” Children are told to get high scores, attend prestigious schools, and land stable jobs—as if this were the only acceptable version of success. But what if they were meant to be a brilliant illustrator, a dancer, a social worker, or a baker? When we only see grades and rankings, we overlook their souls.
Even if these children grow up to meet societal definitions of success, they may still carry a profound sense of emptiness. Because it wasn’t a life they chose for themselves—it was a life lived to meet someone else’s expectations.
許多家長將自己的夢想與期望加在孩子身上，口中說著「我這是為你好」，卻未曾停下來問過一句：「你真正想要什麼？」孩子被要求考高分、念好學校、進好公司，彷彿這才是「正常成功的路」。但他們可能本來注定是一位偉大的漫畫家、舞蹈家，或者是社工、麵包師傅。我們卻只看分數，不看靈魂。
即便這些孩子在成長後取得成就，內心可能仍背負著沉重的不快樂。因為那不是他們為自己活出的生命，而是為了迎合一個「期望模板」的人生。
The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 3 emphasizes “ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages,” with mental health as a central pillar. Time Still Turns the Pages vividly reflects this goal, highlighting the emotional isolation, academic anxiety, and familial pressure many young people face. Teenagers are not mere extensions of their parents—they are individuals with their own voices, feelings, and dreams.
In response to the growing mental health crisis, Taiwan’s Ministry of Education introduced a “mental wellness leave” policy in 2024, allowing high school students to take up to three days off each semester for emotional recovery. While innovative, the policy has met resistance from some schools and parents, revealing a broader societal need to deepen our understanding of mental health.
聯合國SDG第3項強調「確保健康的生活方式，促進各年齡層的福祉」，其中「心理健康」是核心之一。《年少日記》所呈現的家庭壓力、學業焦慮與情緒孤島，正與此目標緊密相連。青少年不是我們的延伸產物，而是獨立、有選擇、有感受的生命個體。
為了應對學生心理健康危機，教育部於2024年試辦「心理假」制度，允許高中生每學期請三天假以調整情緒與壓力。然而，這項政策也引發爭議，部分家長與學校仍抱持懷疑態度，顯示整體社會對心理健康的認知仍待深化。
At the same time, more teachers are undergoing emotional literacy training, and counseling resources in schools are gradually increasing. These are commendable steps—but real change requires a deeper cultural shift, starting with the attitudes of parents and the broader community.
Time Still Turns the Pages is more than a film—it’s a heartfelt reminder to the adult world. Listening isn’t about waiting for children to fall silent; it’s about setting aside our frameworks and truly stepping into their emotional world.
與此同時，越來越多教師開始接受情緒教育訓練、校園也逐漸增設輔導資源，這些都是值得肯定的努力。但更重要的，是家長與社會態度的根本轉變。
《年少日記》是一封給成人世界的提醒信。提醒我們，傾聽不是等待孩子閉嘴，而是放下自己的框架，真正走進他們的內心世界。
If we truly aspire to build a society grounded in empathy, inclusiveness, and respect, then we must start by genuinely listening to our youth. Only then can we realize the vision of a healthy society as defined by the UN SDGs—not merely one free of physical illness, but one where the soul, too, is illuminated. 如果我們想要一個更具同理、包容與尊重的社會，就從今天起，開始「好好聽孩子說話」。唯有這樣，才能實踐聯合國永續發展目標中所強調的健康社會。不只是身體無病，而是心靈有光。
原文（英文）：Bruno Huang
翻譯（中文）：Bruno Huang
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