Long, long ago, a bright and energetic girl was born to a farmer and his wife. This couple loved each other very much. So, when they were blessed with a baby girl, they rejoiced greatly at such a blessing.
Unfortunately, the year before the birth of their baby, their crop was ruined by heavy rain that came at the wrong time of planting and harvesting. Thus, they were struggling to survive. Yet, the baby brought such joy to the couple. She laughed often and her smile seemed to ease the difficulties faced by the couple. They named her Yuansiao. She grew to be a beautiful lady.
One day, the Emperor passed through their village and saw this fair and happy maiden. As the Emperor had a daughter who was prone to tantrum fits, he decided to ask the couple to give their daughter to be a friend to his daughter, hoping that Yuansiao could have a positive influence upon his daughter. The couple could not refuse the Emperor, although they were heartbroken to say goodbye to their beloved daughter.
ILLUSTRATIONS: COURTESY OF EXPLORER PUBLICATIONS
(To be continued tomorrow...)
很久很久以前,有位農夫和老婆生了一個聰明又活潑的女孩,這對夫妻十分相愛,所以當他們喜獲明珠時,欣喜若狂。不幸的是,女孩出生前一年,他們的農作物被不該在耕種和收穫期降下的大雨給打壞了,所以生活很困苦。不過女孩帶給他們歡樂,她常笑,而她的微笑似乎減輕了他們的困境,他們將她取名為元宵。而她長大後成為一位美麗的女子。
有一天,皇帝經過他們村子時看見這位美麗開朗的少女,因為皇帝有一位易怒的公主,便決定要求他們將女兒送給公主做朋友,希望元宵能對公主有些正面的影響。這對夫妻沒辦法拒絕皇帝,只好心碎地向摯愛的女兒道別。
ILLUSTRATIONS: COURTESY OF EXPLORER PUBLICATIONS
(明日待續...)
8. tantrum n. — a bad temper, a behavior often characterized by yelling, screaming and kicking 發怒 (fa1 nu4) 例: Do not pay attention to that child when he has a tantrum. (那個小孩發脾氣時別太去管他。) 9. fit n. — a sudden expression of anger, usually over a situation that one is not pleased about 發作 (fa1 zuo4) 例: She had a fit when her wedding dress didn’t arrive on time. (新娘禮服未準時送達讓她大發雷霆。) 10. heartbroken adj. — having intense feelings of sorrow and sadness 心碎的 (xin1 sui4 de5) 例: After saying goodbye to her boyfriend at the airport, my heartbroken sister went shopping to help herself feel better. (我那心碎的姊妹在機場和男友道別後,便上街血拼讓自己覺得好過些。)
At an unusual event, a group of people gather and sit together without interacting or checking their phones. Instead, they concentrate on nothing at all and empty their minds for the Space-Out Competition. Originally proposed by South Korean artist Woopsyang in 2014, this event is a form of performance art. It challenges the social expectation to remain constantly busy in this fast-paced world, offering competitors a pause from their routines. For 90 minutes, players are scored on how well they “space out” based on artistic and technical aspects, with their heart rates monitored every 15 minutes. Then, the audience votes for
Jiang Yiwu paced the small room and wondered how the leader of the Literary Society had got here. He could hear the Russian and Manchu police outside. They were looking for him. The Russians controlled the railways now, cutting through China, taking land and resources. The people were angry, and so was he. The revolution was almost ready. But things went wrong. Sun Wu, a key leader, lay in the hospital with critical wounds. The explosives were meant for the revolution but detonated by accident. Sun and the revolutionary plans were discovered by the police. Jiang grimaced at the
A: Taiwanese-language pop singer Jody Chiang is finally staging a comeback after having “turned off the microphone” for nine years. B: Yeah, she’s set to perform for the National Day celebration at the Taipei Dome this Saturday. A: As the best Taiwanese-language singer, it would be a big loss if she continued her hiatus. B: Recently, Chiang revealed that she quit singing in 2015 due to cancer. A: That’s shocking. But it’s great to see her healthy and able to turn the mic back on again. A: 台語歌后江蕙「封麥」9年後,終於即將復開唱了。 B: 對啊她本週六將參加國慶晚會,在大巨蛋開唱。 A: 江蕙可是最棒的台語歌手,如果不唱歌太可惜了。 B: 她最近才透露,其實2015年是因為罹癌才會「封麥」。 A: 真是令人震驚!能再看到她健康地「開麥」太好啦。 (By Eddy Chang,
A: Apart from Taiwanese-language pop diva Jody Chiang’s comeback, South Korean girl group (G)I-dle is also performing in Taiwan this weekend. B: I know. They have concerts at the Taipei Arena on Saturday and Sunday. A: Actually, to meet their fans’ high demand, they’ve added one more show on Friday. B: They’re even adding a show? That shows how popular they are. A: My favorite group member is Taiwan’s Susan Yeh, known by her stage name “Shuhua.” Let’s go cheer her on. A: 本週末除了江蕙復出,南韓熱門女團(G)I-dle也將開唱唷。 B: 我知道,他們本週六、日將在小巨蛋開唱。 A: 應粉絲的要求,他們本週五還會加場。 B: 還加場?不愧是韓流人氣女團。 A: 我最喜歡台灣團員葉舒華!我們快去幫她加油吧。 (By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/台北時報張聖恩)