THE FRIST PHOTO: Indonesian dancers prepare backstage before a ceremony to mark the 72nd Independence Day at the presidential Merdeka Palace in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Thursday. After almost 350 years of Dutch rule, the Indonesian nationalist forces unilaterally declared Indonesian independence on Aug. 17, 1945. It wasn’t until Nov. 2, 1949, however, following a period of Dutch occupation and military hostilities, that an agreement was finally achieved by the Dutch and the Indonesians, and the Republic of the United States of Indonesia, on Dec. 27, 1949, was granted complete and unconditional sovereignty. That date was officially regarded as Indonesia’s independence day by the UN, but the Netherlands announced in 2005 its official acceptance of Aug. 17, 1945 as Indonesia’s independence date.
圖一: 舞者週四在後台為印尼獨立七十二週年慶祝儀式作準備。此儀式在雅加達總統府自由宮舉行。在荷蘭統治印尼近三百五十年後，爭取印尼獨立的反抗部隊於一九四五年八月十七日片面宣布印尼獨立，隨後歷經一段荷蘭占領及雙方軍事對峙時期，雙方才於一九四九年十一月二日達成協議，而印度尼西亞共和國於一九四九年十二月二十七日無條件獲得完整主權，這也是聯合國所正式承認的印尼獨立日。但荷蘭在二○○五年宣布，荷蘭正式承認印尼獨立的日期為一九四五年八月十七日。
Photo: EPA
照片：歐新社
THE SECOND PHOTO: People climb greased poles during the “Panjat Pinang” competition for the celebration of Independence Day in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Thursday. Panjat Pinang is one of the traditional ways to celebrate Indonesian independence day. It involves erecting a palm tree trunk and smothering it in grease to make it slippery and difficult to climb. At the top of the trunks are hung various prizes, including bicycles. If you make it to the top, you can claim the prize. Other traditions include eating Indonesian crackers called “krupuk” and holding cooking competitions.
圖二: 週四於印尼雅加達一場為慶祝印尼獨立紀念日所舉行的爬檳榔樹比賽中，參賽者們攀爬塗抹油脂的樹幹。爬檳榔樹比賽是印尼獨立紀念日的一種傳統慶祝方式。這是將棕櫚樹幹豎立起來，並裹上一層油脂，使其滑溜難以攀爬。在樹幹頂端掛有各式獎品，其中包括自行車。若爬到頂端便可拿獎。其他慶祝印尼獨立的傳統包括吃炸蝦餅，以及舉辦烹飪比賽。
Photo: EPA
照片：歐新社
THE THIRD PHOTO: Indonesian dancers perform during a ceremony to mark Indonesian Independence Day at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Thursday. During the colonial era, when it was known as the Gambir Palace, the building was a residence for the governor-general of the Dutch East Indies. It was here that the Indonesian declaration of independence was announced in 1949. People watching as the Indonesian flag replaced the Dutch flag cried out “Merdeka,” meaning “Freedom.” As of that time, the palace came to be known as the Merdeka Palace. It is now the official residence of the President of the Republic of Indonesia.
圖三: 印尼舞者週四在印尼雅加達自由宮舉行的印尼獨立紀念儀式中表演。自由宮在殖民時期被稱為甘比爾宮，是荷蘭東印度總督的居所。一九四九年印尼宣布獨立的地點便是在此；當時印尼民眾目睹印尼國旗取代荷蘭國旗在此處升起，大喊「Merdeka」，意為「自由」。從那時起，該處便被稱為「自由宮」。自由宮現為印尼總統官邸。
Photo: Reuters
照片：路透社
(Rewritten by Paul Cooper, Taipei Times)
(台北時報編譯林俐凱譯)
A: Guess what’s included in Google Taiwan’s 2024 most searched words. B: Let me guess: Taiwan’s victory in the WBSC Premier 12 championship must be on the list. A: Wow, good guess. “Premier 12” is at No. 10. B: What are the other most popular searches? A: No. 9 to 6 are: Ticketing platform “Tixcraft,” Taiwanese film “The Pig, The Snake and The Pigeon,” Olympic gold boxer “Lin Yu-ting,” and the “Yuanta ETF coded 00940.” A: 猜猜看，Google 2024台灣搜尋排行榜，有哪些關鍵詞？ B: 我猜「棒球12強賽」一定超熱門吧。 A: 你好強，12強真的排在第10名！ B: 其他熱門搜尋有哪些？！ A: 第9至6名是︰「拓元」售票、電影「周處除三害」、奧運拳擊金牌「林郁婷」、元大ETF「00940」。 （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張聖恩）
A: Which words ranked highest for Google Taiwan’s most searched words of 2024? B: No. 5 to 1 are: “US presidential election,” “Olympics,” “Ko Wen-je,” “typhoon” and “earthquake.” A: I heard that Google also released a list of most searched word meanings. B: Yeah, the most popular searches included “M3,” “APT” and “release without bail.” A: Let me google their meanings now. A: Google 2024 台灣搜尋排行榜，前幾名是什麼？ B: 第5至1名是︰「美國總統大選」、「奧運」、「柯文哲」、「颱風」、「地震」！ A: 我聽說Google還有一個搜尋字義的排行榜。 B: 對啊前幾名是︰「M3」、「APT」、「無保請回」。 A: 讓我搜尋一下他們是什麼意思。 （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張聖恩）
Stonefish may not be the most impressive-looking animal in the sea. In fact, this fish is so skilled at camouflage that most people wouldn’t notice it if they swam past it. Despite their unremarkable appearance, stonefish are the most venomous fish in the ocean. Stonefish come in various shades of brown, red, yellow, and orange. Their rough skin texture and blotchy color pattern give them a remarkable resemblance to stones, which is where their name comes from. This feature helps them blend in with their surroundings exceptionally well. Stonefish are notable for their 13 highly venomous spines which protrude
「雙手合十／合掌禮」(namaste) or 「碰肘／擊肘」 (elbow bump): 新冠肺炎流行逐漸改變現代社會的某些社交禮儀，歐美許多名人政要開始以「雙手合十／合掌禮」(namaste) 或「碰肘／擊肘」(elbow bump) 替代握手。 《今日商業》報導英國王儲查爾斯以「雙手合十」代替握手。 Coronavirus update: Prince Charles spotted greeting people with namaste (Business Today , March 12, 2020) 另外，《商業內幕》報導：疫情期間美國總統川普在白宮舉行新冠肺炎記者會，想和居家照護公司LHC集團執行副總葛林斯坦 (Bruce Greenstein) 握手，葛林斯坦婉拒，示意改用擊肘。 President Donald Trump attempted to shake hands with a home health care company executive . . . but the man turned the president down and offered him an elbow bump instead. (Eliza Relman, Business Insider , March 14, 2020) 「雙手合十／合掌禮」源自印度，也流行於泰、緬等國家。「碰肘／擊肘」則是 2006 禽流感、2009 豬流感後逐漸流行。疫情逐漸改變我們的生活方式，包括打招呼等社交禮儀，也出現了微妙的變化。 「拱手禮」(fist-and-palm salute) 至於華人社會傳統上也有雙手互握合於胸前「拱手禮」(fist-and-palm salute)。公益網站 Just Quarantine 提到： Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen demonstrating social distancing through use of a traditional Chinese greeting (fist & palm) instead of shaking hands in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. 因應新冠肺炎疫情，2020 當年總統蔡英文與來訪賓客保持安全距離，拱手 (fist &
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