Also See: Continued from yesterday
Yuansiao was a wonderful influence upon the spoiled daughter of the Emperor. But that first New Year away from her parents was especially difficult for her. She saw families being together, walking around on the streets, going shopping and eating happily together. Although she was treated well and had all the material things a gal could possibly ask for, she longed for the simple farm house and the warmth of being with her parents. Thus, on New Year's Day, she told the Emperor that she had had a dream. In her dream, the Fire God appeared and threatened to burn down the city unless the Emperor was able to appease his anger. What must be done was that firecrackers were to be set off on the 15th day of the month and lanterns, big and small, were to be made. These lanterns were to be bright and elaborately decorated and must be hung throughout the streets of the city. As the Emperor got busy, setting people to work making lanterns and firecrackers, Yuansiao took the opportunity to go home unnoticed.
ILLUSTRATIONS: COURTESY OF EXPLORER PUBLICATIONS
How surprised her parents were to have her home as they too missed her tremendously. She stayed home until the 15th day of the Lunar New Year and arrived back at the palace just in time to see the city alive with excitement and celebration as people set off firecrackers and carried bright, beautiful and decorated lanterns.
You might be quite puzzled reading this story. Did I make it up? Well, sort of. There are several stories attached to the celebration of Lantern Festival and I decided to embellish one that might be quite unknown to most of you.
(To be continued tomorrow...)
ILLUSTRATIONS: COURTESY OF EXPLORER PUBLICATIONS
Also See: 接續昨日
ILLUSTRATIONS: COURTESY OF EXPLORER PUBLICATIONS
元宵對被寵壞的公主產生極好的影響，但離開父母的第一個新年特別難熬，她看到家家戶戶團圓，一起快樂地逛街、購物和用餐，雖然她備受善待並擁有一個女孩所能要求的一切物質生活，但她仍渴望回到純樸的農家享受和父母同在的溫暖。所以，在新年那天，她告訴皇帝她做了個夢，在她的夢裡，火神出現並威脅燒掉這座城市，除非皇帝能平息祂的怒氣。他們必須在這個月的第十五天施放鞭炮，並製作大小不同的燈籠，這些燈籠要明亮且精心裝飾，並掛在城裡各大街小巷。由於皇帝忙著下令人們製造燈籠和煙火，元宵趁沒人注意時回家。
當她回家時，十分想念她的父母非常驚訝。而她一直在家待到農曆新年的第十五天才及時趕回皇宮，看到人們施放煙火和提著明亮、漂亮的燈籠，全城因為籠罩在興奮和慶祝的氣氛中而生氣蓬勃。
讀這個故事時你可能很困惑，它是虛構的嗎？嗯，有那麼點兒。好些故事都和元宵節的慶祝有關，所以我決定美化一個多數人都比較不熟悉的故事。
ILLUSTRATIONS: COURTESY OF EXPLORER PUBLICATIONS
(明日待續...)
In the digital age, where communication revolves around text messages, “telephone phobia” (also known as “telephobia”) has become increasingly common, especially among young adults. Despite the ubiquity of smartphones, a significant number of individuals experience anxiety when __1__ making or receiving a phone call. Telephobia, in essence, is a fear or reluctance related to speaking on the phone. __2__ other communication methods, phone conversations require spontaneous responses and lack visual feedback such as body language and facial expressions. In such a real-time situation, telephobia sufferers are concerned about their inability to respond or express themselves appropriately, which can lead
A: Apart from singer Daniel Kang, more South Korean stars are coming to Taiwan in March. B: Really? Like who? A: Taeyeon of Girls’ Generation will hold a concert at the Taipei Dome on March 16. B: So she’ll set a milestone by becoming the first K-pop artist to stage a show at the venue. A: Singer Lee Mu-jin, boy group NCT 127 and girl group GFRIEND are also visiting Taiwan. I can’t wait. A: 除了姜丹尼爾，3月有不少韓星訪台。 B: 真的嗎？有誰啊？ A: 像是少女時代的太妍，3月16日即將唱進大巨蛋。 B: 成為首位破蛋的韓流歌手，這可真是一項里程碑！ A: 歌手李茂珍、男團NCT 127、女團GFRIEND 3月也要來，真是令人期待。 （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張迪）
A: My favorite K-pop superstar, Daniel Kang, will hold a concert at the Taipei Music Center. B: Wow, I’ve also been a fan since he debuted in 2017 as the “center” of the two-year limited boy group Wanna One. A: Since Daniel went solo in 2019, he has continued to shine internationally. B: When is his show taking place? A: It’s scheduled for March 1, which is my birthday. It’s the best birthday gift ever. A: 我最愛的韓星姜丹尼爾要在台北流行音樂中心開唱啦。 B: 哇，自他在2017年以2 年限定男團Wanna One「C位」出道時，我就 一直是他的粉絲。 A: 而他在2019 年單飛後，還是持續在國際上發光發熱。 B: 演唱會是哪天？ A: 日期訂在3月1日，也是我的生日。這真是最好的生日禮物！ （By Eddy Chang,
本文由生成式 AI 協作，本刊編輯編修 Striking a balance between taste and health can be difficult, especially for those who appreciate Asian food. Many Asian dishes are high in sodium, which can be harmful to health, including increasing the risk of hypertension and stroke. In Japan, this problem is especially severe, with the average adult __1__ about 10 grams of salt per day, double the amount recommended by the World Health Organization. While many people seek healthier choices, __2__ salt can often leave food tasting bland, which makes low-sodium diets difficult to maintain. A Japanese compa ny has developed a __3__ utensil that makes
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