Long, long ago (as all fairy tales and legends start), there was a group of people who lived in what was known as the Middle Kingdom. Unlike those who lived around them, these people followed the lunar calendar while other people followed the solar calendar. Thus, the date in which they celebrated New Year would often change from year to year.
One special thing about this group of people was their special love for celebrations. There were special foods cooked for each special holiday.
There were special dances for each holiday. They found many different ways to express the joy of being alive. Yes, indeed, they were a happy people.
ILLUSTRATIONS: COURTESY OF EXPLORER PUBLICATIONS
Unfortunately, there was only one holiday that would ruin their joy. For at the beginning of each New Year, a horrible monster came out of hiding. If this monster only scared people, that would be one thing. But this monster had such a terrible habit. Since it was in hibernation throughout the year, it needed to eat just once a year. The only thing that this monster ever wanted to eat was CHILDREN!
(To be continued tomorrow...)
很久很久以前（所有的童話和傳說都是這樣開始的），有一群生活在中原地區的人，他們不像周遭民族一樣奉行陽曆，而是遵守農曆，因此他們歡慶新年的時間通常年年不同。
這個中原民族與眾不同之處，在於他們超愛慶祝活動。每一個特殊的節日都有特別的食物。
每一個節日也有特殊的舞蹈來慶祝；他們以各種方式表達對生命的熱愛；沒錯！他們是一群快樂的人。
不幸的是，只有一個節日會破壞他們的興致；每年一開始時，一個可怕的怪獸會從躲藏的地方跑出來。如果牠只是出來嚇嚇人也就罷了，可是牠有個恐怖的習慣：因為牠一整年都在冬眠，所以一年只須進食一次，而牠最想吃的就是小孩！(明日待續...)
Global coffee prices have soared to their highest in nearly 50 years due to poor weather in Brazil and Vietnam, forcing roasters such as Nestle to raise prices and consumers to hunt for cheaper brews amid the cost of living crisis. Spiking prices will benefit farmers with the crop this year, but challenge traders who face crippling hedging costs on exchanges and a scramble to receive the beans they pre-bought. WHAT DRIVES PRICES? Production problems linked to bad weather in Brazil and Vietnam have seen global supplies lagging demand for three years. That has left stocks depleted and driven benchmark ICE exchange prices
A: I love December. There are always so many concerts to attend at the end of the year. B: I just went to Bigbang member Tae-yang’s Taipei concert last weekend, and it was awesome. A: And I went to the weekend concerts at Christmasland in New Taipei City, featuring Tae-yang’s wife Hyo-lyn and various artists. B: Taiwanese superstars A-mei, Mayday, and Hong Kong superstar Aaron Kwok will also stage shows starting this week. A: It’s so hard to decide. Which one do you want to go to? A: 我好喜歡12月，因為每到年底總有許多演唱會！ B: 我上週才剛去過BigBang太陽的台北演唱會，超精彩。 A: 我也剛去過新北歡樂耶誕城的演唱會，太陽的老婆孝琳還有來表演唷。 B: 台灣天后阿妹、天團五月天、香港天王郭富城等巨星的演唱會從本週起也將陸續開唱。 A: 真難決定，你想去哪一場？ （By Eddy Chang,
The vast ocean stages countless miracles of life, but none are quite as awe-inspiring as the phenomenon of a “whale fall.” When a giant whale reaches the end of its life, its immense body gently descends and eventually lands in the inky abyss. This moment, which might seem like the end, ignites a burst of new life on the ocean floor. Deep beneath the ocean’s surface, where sunlight is unable to venture and nutrients are scarce, a whale fall is like an oasis in a barren landscape. Over decades, even centuries, the remains of a single whale can sustain thousands of
A: Among all the concerts, I’m in highest anticipation of A-mei’s. B: Me too, as she will become the first female singer to hold concerts at the venue. A: And she will stage five shows total, on Dec. 21, 22, 28 and 29, as well as the 31st, New Year’s Eve. B: We were so lucky to get the tickets for her New Year’s Eve show. A: Yeah! It’ll be super exciting to count down to the New Year with A-mei. A: 在這麼多演唱會中，我最期待阿妹的大巨蛋首唱。 B: 我也是，她可是首位在大巨蛋舉辦演唱會的女歌手呢。 A: 而且她將會嗨唱5場︰12月21、22、28、29日，跨年夜31日。 B: 幸好我們有搶到跨年夜的門票。 A: 對啊，能和阿妹一起倒數太興奮啦！ （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張聖恩）
RSS