Uzbekistan is one of the most historically relevant countries in central Asia. The Silk Road passed through its deserts and cities. It has relics dating back to The Stone Age and a number of religious sites of significance. It is also reputed to be the the land where The 1001 Nights took place.
烏茲別克是中亞最具歷史意義的國家之一。絲路穿越境內的沙漠與城市。烏茲別克擁有石器時代的歷史遺跡,也有許多重要的宗教聖地。這個國家也以一千零一夜故事的所在地聞名。
A closer look 說古論今
Uzbekistan is a curious blend of the ancient and the relatively recent. A former part of the Soviet Union on the one hand, its capital city Tashkent boasts Soviet-style modern architecture and lavish subway stations, some even adorned with chandeliers. On the other hand the Old Town is a charming tangle of narrow winding streets lined with low level mudbrick houses and interspersed with mosques and meddresses. Russian is still widely used alongside the national language, Uzbek.
One of the most amazing things about the country is the sheer variety that it has to offer -- from adventure tours to religious pilgrimages, Uzbekistan seems to have it all. There are sites of religious significance for followers of Buddism, Christianity, Islam, Judaism and Zoroastrian (Parsi) existing side by side. You may go skiing in the Tien-Shan Mountains, or trekking across the mountains and valleys of the Hindu Kush. You can ride camels in the desert along the old Silk Road and sleep over in Yurts. You can gaze up at the Milky Way from the middle of the desert or visit the ruins of the ancient Ulug Beg observatory in Samarkand .
The Uzbecs are known for their hospitality and curiousity. Much time is spent socializing in teahouses, called chaikhana, where locals sip tea and set the world right. Trips to the busy bazaars afford a look at the still thriving traditions of haggling and Uzbek cusine.
烏茲別克巧妙地融合古老與現代。首都塔什干是前蘇聯的一部分,驕傲展現了蘇維埃風格的現代建築以及華麗的地下鐵車站,有些甚至還裝飾著水晶吊燈。此外,舊城迷人的風貌遍布狹窄蜿蜒的街道,排列著地勢低矮的泥磚屋,並有清真寺與美麗的學院建築點綴其間。俄語仍然廣泛地與官方語言烏茲別克語並用。
烏茲別克最讓人嘆為觀止的,就是它不得不展現的純粹多元——從探險旅程到宗教朝聖之旅似乎都一應俱全。境內散落著重要的宗教聖地,佛教、基督教、伊斯蘭教、猶太教與瑣羅亞斯德教的信徒相容共存。你可以在天山山脈滑雪,或翻山越領穿越興都庫什河谷。你也可以在沙漠中沿著古老絲路騎駱駝,在草原包內沉睡,從沙漠中遙望銀河,或參觀位於撒馬爾罕的古老兀魯伯格天文台遺跡。烏茲別克人一向以好客殷勤與好奇心聞名,把時間大多花在當地人稱為「chaikhana」的茶館社交,在此品茗並談論事情。到繁忙的市集參觀時,值得看看普遍的討價還價傳統與烏茲別克的飲食。
(翻譯:賴美君)
A: The newest twist in “Friends” star Matthew Perry’s sudden death is shocking. B: Didn’t he die from a ketamine overdose last year? A: But the police say his death could be a conspiracy. B: Wow, what happened? A: Five suspects have been charged for intentionally supplying him with large amounts of ketamine for personal gain. A: 《六人行》男星馬修派瑞之死大逆轉真令人震驚! B: 他去年不是因吸毒過量致死嗎? A: 但警方說他的死可能是個陰謀。 B: 發生了什麼事? A: 警方已起訴5名嫌犯,他們故意提供大量「K他命」給他,以謀取暴利。 (By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/台北時報張聖恩)
A: What’s even more horrible is that the five suspects who purposely supplied ketamine to actor Matthew Perry were all his “friends.” B: Who exactly are the five suspects? A: They include Matthew’s two doctors, a broker, a drug dealer, and even his live-in assistant. B: Those scumbags should go to jail. A: Yeah, one of the doctors may be sentenced to up to 120 years in prison. A: 更可怕的是,提供男星馬修派瑞「K他命」的5人全是他的「朋友」。 B: 嫌犯是誰啊? A: 其中包括他的2位醫生、1位仲介、1位毒販、甚至他的同居助理! B: 那些人渣真該去坐牢。 A: 對啊,其中1位醫生可能面臨120年徒刑。 (By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/台北時報張聖恩)
It’s widely recognized that there are far more right-handed people than left-handed people in the world. Being right-handed simply means preferring to use one’s right hand for tasks that involve only one hand, such as writing and eating. But have you ever wondered about the possible reasons behind the global dominance of the right hand over the left? As with many complex biological questions, multiple factors appear to be at play. First, one reason seems to be genetics. __1__ Therefore, the global dominance of right-handedness is something that has been passed down through many generations of humans. Next,
South Korea’s famous kimchi is falling victim to climate change, with scientists, farmers and manufacturers saying the quality and quantity of the napa cabbage that is pickled to make the ubiquitous dish is suffering due to rising temperatures. Napa cabbage thrives in cooler climates, and is usually planted in mountainous regions where temperatures during the key growing summer season once rarely rose above 25 degrees Celsius. Studies show that warmer weather brought about by climate change is now threatening these crops, so much so that South Korea might not be able to grow napa cabbage one day due to the intensifying heat. “We