本書廣納考古學、人類學、歷史學等領域的研究成果，引領讀者深入探索偉大的航海民族──南島民族的神秘世界。透過中研院院士李壬癸的精采研究，帶領讀者跨越學術研究的殿堂，了解南島民族為何是世界公認的文化瑰寶，一同神遊台灣南島民族的奇幻旅程。（中文版書介）

Prior to reading this book, I didn't fully grasp the breadth or depth of Li's research. After some cogitation it became clear to me that this was because my previous perception of linguistics was quite narrow. Much like many other sciences, the scope of modern linguistics has expanded outward to become all-embracing. It is now as much philosophic as it is scientific.
－Chang Kwang-chih, international authority on archeology

作者簡介：

李壬癸，夏威夷大學語言學博士，中央研究院院士，美國語言學會榮譽會士，發表數十篇論文，獲得多項重要學術獎項。將台灣南島語言研究推上國際學術界，使台灣成為國際南島語言學研究的重鎮，並繪製出首張「台灣南島民族遷徙圖」。



Paul Jen-kuei Li, (李壬癸, 1936-) a leading specialist on Formosan languages, got his PhD in linguistics at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa and is a research fellow at the Institute of Linguistics, Academia Sinica in Taipei, Taiwan. Li lives in Taipei with his family when he’s not wandering the mountain trails in his life-long bid to preserve as many of the 14 Formosan languages as he can. This is his true contribution. However, as a matter of record we list his other accomplishments below.

Positions Held

Director, Institute of Linguistics (Preparatory Office), Academia Sinica (1997-2000); President, Linguistic Society of Taiwan (1998-2000); Associate Director, Institute of History and Philology, Academia Sinica (1990-1993); Director and professor, Graduate Institute of Linguistics, National Tsing Hua University (1986-1989).

Awards

Academician of the Academia Sinica (2006), Outstanding Achievement Award from Taiwanese-American Foundation (2005), Distinguished Research Honorary Award for Science and Technology from the Executive Yuan (2002), Distinguished Research Award from the National Science Council (1987, 1995, 1998, 2000), Humanities and Social Sciences Academic Award from the Ministry of Education (1998), Significant Contributions to Formosan Language Studies Award from the Ministry of Education (1996).

Authored Publications

Rukai Structure (1973), Rukai Texts (1975), The Formosan Tribes and Languages in I-lan (in Chinese, 1996), Formsoan Languages in Kaohsiung (in Chinese, 1997), The History of Formosan Aborigines: Linguistic (in Chinese, 1999), Pazih Dictionary (co-author with Shigeru TSUCHIDA, 2001), Pazih Texts and Songs (co-author with Shigeru TSUCHIDA, 2002), Selected Papers on Formosan Languages (2004), Kavalan Dictionary (co-author with Shigeru TSUCHIDA, 2006), Studies of Sinkang Manuscripts (2010), Thao Texts and Songs (2011).

Editored Publications

Formosa and Its Inhabitants by Joseph B. Steere (2002), English-Favorlang Vocabulary by Naoyoshi OGAWA (2003), and A Comparative Vocabulary of Formosan Languages and Dialects by Naoyoshi OGAWA (2006).

譯者簡介：

Noah Sauvé has worked as a freelance Chinese-English translator for more than ten years. His recent projects include The Khmer Rouge and Red China – My Untold Story, Taipei Fine Art Museum's 2011 Annual Report, and the fourth issue of Mahota quarterly. He has a very close connection to the culture of Taiwan, where he lived for more than a decade, and due to his degree in History from National Chengchi University, is well-versed in the island's past.