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。)
Floods that killed more than 200 people in eastern Spain last week were caused by a storm that dumped a year’s worth of rainfall in less than 24 hours. The tragedy has raised questions about whether earlier warnings could have prevented so many deaths, while the widespread damage shows how many cities are not adapted to withstand rainfall amplified by climate change. An extremely hot Mediterranean and warmer air temperatures exacerbated a type of storm system becoming more common in the Iberian peninsula due to global warming. Experts said that a building boom in the region in recent decades might have put
For people with hearing loss, clear communication can seem like a distant dream. However, advancements in technology are __1__ this barrier. TranscribeGlass, a wearable device, can translate spoken words into text displayed on a transparent screen directly in the user’s field of vision. This innovation enables people with hearing disabilities to fully engage in conversations. Assistive technology like captioning is an important means of communication for people with hearing loss. Captioning software on cellphones can be a helpful option, but it has limitations. Many users often find themselves __2__ to constantly glance down at the phone screen, which disrupts eye contact
Have you ever encountered abbreviations like “vs.” or “a.m.” and thought about their origins or pronunciation? These terms are leftovers of ancient Latin. For centuries, no one has claimed Latin as their mother tongue, yet many of us unknowingly use this language daily. Let’s explore three common Latin terms used in everything from casual chats to formal documents. Etc. Short for et cetera, etc. translates to “and the remaining things” and is among the most frequently employed Latin abbreviations. It’s a handy way to shorten a long list in writing or speech. Given that cetera conveys the notion of
Continued from yesterday（延續自昨日） https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang __4__ several devices offer real-time captions for the hearing impaired, TranscribeGlass distinguishes itself with its advanced functionality and user-friendliness. Traditional real-time captioning solutions can restrict both users and speakers by requiring speakers to stay close to a microphone. TranscribeGlass, on the other hand, can ensure clear communication even in challenging acoustic settings because it can __5__ audio from a distance, even from across a lecture hall. With TranscribeGlass, clear and effortless communication is finally within reach. 雖然有多款設備為聽障人士提供即時字幕，但TranscribeGlass以其先進的功能和好用性脫穎而出。傳統的即時字幕解決方案會需要說話者靠近麥克風，限制了使用者和說話者。相比之下，即使在具有挑戰性的聲音環境中，TranscribeGlass也可以確保清晰的溝通，因為其可接收到遠處的音訊，甚至可以從演講廳的另一邊接收到音訊。有了TranscribeGlass，清晰且輕鬆的溝通終於觸手可及。 What Did You Learn? 1. (A) invading (B) sustaining (C) eliminating (D) triggering 2. (A)
RSS