European scuba divers swept away in strong currents survived 12 hours in shark-infested waters and then scrambled onto a remote Indonesian island where they faced yet another threat: a Komodo dragon.
The divers — three from Britain and one each from France and Sweden — came face to face with the giant, carnivorous lizard on Rinca island and fought it off by pelting it with rocks and pieces of wood, port official Pariman said.
“Luckily, they were able to chase it away,” said Pariman, who, like many Indonesians, goes by only one name.
PHOTO: AFP
The beasts have sharp teeth and often come out when they smell something new, including humans, whom they’ve been known to kill, Pariman said.
The divers encountered treacherous currents after plunging from their wooden boat off Tatawa island on June 5. They drifted 30km from their dive site before swimming to Rinca, their last chance to avoid being swept into the open ocean.
“We struggled against the current for several hours, but eventually stopped,” 31-year-old Laurent Pinel, of France, said. “We tied ourselves together by our diving vests to preserve energy.”
They ran into the Komodo dragon on June 6. The next day rescuers plying the waters in more than 30 boats spotted them waving frantically on the shore and took them to Flores island for medical treatment.
“We’re safe but absolutely exhausted and dehydrated,” said Charlotte Allin, a 25-year-old British diver.
Komodo dragons, which can grow up to 3m long and weigh as much as 165kg, are only found in the wild on Rinca and Komodo island.
Thousands of tourists visit the area in eastern Indonesia each year to see the lizards in their natural habitat. They are normally shown around the arid and rocky island by guides who carry large, forked sticks to ward off the lizards. (AP)
一群被強勁洋流沖走的歐洲潛水客，在鯊魚出沒的海域漂流了十二小時後，游上了印尼一座孤島。在那裡，他們又遇到另一個威脅：一隻科摩多巨蜥。
港務人員帕里曼表示，這五名潛水客中有三人來自英國，另外兩人分別來自法國與瑞典。他們在林卡島迎面遇上這隻肉食性的大蜥蜴，朝著牠丟擲石塊和木頭後才把牠驅離。
就像許多印尼人一樣，單名的帕里曼說：「幸運的是，他們成功把牠趕跑。」
帕里曼說，這種巨蜥的牙齒很銳利，只要聞到牠曾吃過的新鮮味道，包括人類在內，就會現身。
這群潛水客本月五日在塔塔瓦島海域一下木舟就遇上急流。五人在海上漂流了三十公里後，才游向林卡島，這裡是他們免於漂入汪洋大海的最後機會。
三十一歲的法國潛水客勞倫．品諾說：「我們在洋流中游了幾個小時，最後實在是游不動了； 為了保存體力，我們穿上潛水背心綁在一起。」
他們在六日碰到這隻科摩多巨蜥。隔天，三十多艘搜救船在海上來回搜尋，終於發現了在岸上激動揮手的他們，並將他們帶回佛羅勒斯島就醫。
二十五歲的英國潛水客夏蘿特．愛琳說：「我們很平安，只是整個人感到精疲力竭又出現脫水症狀。」
科摩多巨蜥最大可長到三公尺長、重一百六十五公斤；只有在林卡島和科摩多島上，才能看到牠們的蹤跡。
每年都有數以千計的遊客來到印尼東部的這個區域，為的是要在科摩多巨蜥的自然棲息地一睹牠們的風采。這些遊客通常是在隨身攜帶驅蜥大叉棍的導遊帶領下，參觀這不毛的岩石島。
（美聯社�翻譯：袁星塵）
The phenomenon of being “tea drunk” is a unique experience often associated with this popular beverage, especially when consuming brews that are particularly high-quality or strong. Unlike being drunk on alcohol, the effects of tea drunkenness stem from various compounds found in tea leaves. __1__ These substances can have a synergistic effect on the brain, resulting in a state of euphoria, relaxation, or heightened sensory awareness. __2__ One of the most obvious is the caffeine present in tea. It acts as a stimulant that increases alertness and cognitive function. Unlike coffee, however, tea also contains L-theanine, an amino acid
A: Taiwan has won three golds at the BWF World Tour Finals in the past. B: Cool, who were the gold medalists? A: Badminton queen Tai Tzu-ying won gold in 2020 and 2023, and men’s double, Lee Yang and Wang Chi-lin, won the title in 2020 as well. B: It’s too bad that both Tai and Lee announced their retirement from badminton. A: Hopefully, Wang and his new partner — the 21-year-old, 189cm-tall Chiu Hsiang-chieh — can also perform well in the future. A: 台灣在「BWF年終總決賽」，曾3度奪金耶。 B: 真酷耶，是誰啊？ A: 戴資穎在2020、2023年度的女單，李洋、王齊麟在2020年的男雙都曾奪金！ B: 不過小戴、李洋已宣布，要從羽壇退休。 A: 希望王齊麟和新搭檔—21歲189公分的邱相榤—未來也能打出好成績。 （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張聖恩）
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
Continued from yesterday（延續自昨日） https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang __3__ These generally include a sense of calm, mental clarity and a mild feeling of euphoria. Some people may also experience a light-headedness, giddiness, or a heightened appreciation for the flavors and aromas of the tea they are drinking. __4__ All these are signs that one should reduce their tea intake. It is essential to understand the balance between the beneficial and adverse effects of tea. Becoming tea drunk shows the potency of the natural compounds in tea and their impact on human physiology. Moreover, it highlights the complicated relationship between what we consume and how it
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