A: I’m getting bored of eating instant noodles. B: Me too. Let’s order a food delivery to ring the changes. I could murder a steak and fries with bearnaise sauce. A: I was just dreaming about a big bowl of braised pork belly rice with a stewed egg and pickles. B: Wait a minute, isn’t there a danger that we could infect the delivery person? A: 我開始厭倦吃泡麵了。 B: 我也是。我們來點外送，換換花樣吧。我現在可以嗑掉一整塊淋上伯那西醬的牛排跟薯條。 A: 我剛剛才在幻想面前有一大碗滷肉飯，配滷蛋跟醃醬菜。 B: 等一下，我們會不會有感染送貨員的危險啊？ English 英文: Chinese 中文:
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts recently announced that it has canceled Crystal Boys, a classic gay-themed stage play by Creative Society. The two shows were originally rescheduled from March 21 and 22 to April 25 and 26, but in the end anticipation turned to disappointment. The stage play is an adaptation of writer Kenneth Pai’s famous novel Crystal Boys. The story about Taipei’s gay community was serialized in the late 1970s and published in the early 1980s. The book is one of the earliest literary works dealing with LGBT issues in Taiwan, and it was adapted into a movie, a TV drama and, in 2014, a stage play. The remake of the stage play was to celebrate the novel’s 40th anniversary. Pai, a 2003 winner of the National Award for Arts, said during an interview in February that bringing the story back to the stage would hold an even greater significance after Taiwan finally legalized same-sex marriage last year. (Eddy Chang, Taipei Times) 受武漢肺炎疫情影響，高雄市的衛武營國家藝術文化中心近日宣布，取消「創作社」劇團推出的經典同志舞台劇《孽子》。兩場表演原本自三月二十一、二十二日，改期到四月二十五、二十六日，但最終期待仍化為失望。 該舞台劇改編自作家白先勇的知名小說《孽子》，是關於在台北市同志圈的故事，於一九七○年代末期連載發表，隨後並於一九八○年代初期集結成冊。它是台灣最先討論同志議題的文學作品之一，曾改編成電影、電視劇，二○一四年首次改編成舞台劇。 原本這次推出舞台劇，正好慶祝該小說出版四十週年。白先勇是二○○三年國家文藝獎得主，在二月的一場訪問中，他說在台灣去年通過同婚合法化之後，再度把小說搬上舞台更有意義。 （台北時報張聖恩〉
A: It’s only day three of the quarantine, but I’m already getting cabin fever. Do you think it would be OK to take a bit of exercise in the park? B: No way! If we go outside, we’ll be putting others at risk. A: Even if we keep our distance? B: I just think we shouldn’t take the risk. We have to stay inside to protect the elderly and vulnerable people. A: 今天才是隔離的第三天，我已經感覺有幽閉恐懼症了。你覺得去外面公園運動一下可以嗎？ B: 不行！如果我們出門，就會陷其他人於感染的風險中。 A: 就算我們保持距離也不行嗎？ B: 我只是覺得我們不應該冒這個險。我們必須留在家裡，才能保護老年人和身體虛弱的人。 English 英文: Chinese 中文:
The Tokyo Olympics will be postponed to next year, and here are some major challenges to the postponement, according to AFP. First, competition scheduling. Moving the Olympics into next year’s busy sporting calendar will be a logistical nightmare, as it may clash with the World Aquatics Championships and other big events. Next, venue problems. Among the total of 43 sites, some are temporary while others are repurposed or purpose-built for the Games. All will face various difficulties in the event of a delay. The International Olympic Committee also warns: “A number of critical venues needed for the Games could potentially not be available anymore.” Third, the Athletes’ Village. After the Games, the village, featuring 21 towers, will be converted into thousands of luxury condos, which are being sold or put up for rent. The postponement may delay the renovation process and even cause legal disputes. Finally, hotel bookings. Many people could face losing their deposits and need to re-book quickly for the rescheduled dates. (Eddy Chang, Taipei Times) 東京奧運將延期至明年才舉辦，據法新社報導，延期將面臨以下幾項重大挑戰！首先︰賽事排程。把奧運延到運動賽程早已滿檔的明年，將是後勤工作的惡夢，可能和世界游泳錦標賽及其它大型比賽撞期。 再者︰場地使用。在東奧共多達四十三座場館中，有些是暫時的，有些則是重新再利用或是專門建造的，賽事延期所有場館都將遭遇各種難題。連國際奧林匹克委員會（IOC）也警告︰「多處奧運主場館屆時可能無法再使用。」 此外︰選手村的問題。東奧選手村共有二十一棟大樓，在賽後預計轉變成數千戶豪華小公寓，目前開放出售或租用。延期勢必會擔誤公寓翻修進度，甚至會引起法律糾紛。最後︰旅館訂房。許多人有可能損失旅館的訂金，在賽程重排後，還得趕快再重新訂房。 （台北時報張聖恩〉
B: I think we should keep a daily record of our body temperature, so that we can track our health status. A: Good idea, we might need to provide the information to the authorities. B: I just thought of something: The thermometer is broken. A: My sister has a spare one. I can ask her to bring it over and she can leave it outside the door. B: 我想我們要每天記錄體溫，這樣才可以追蹤自己的健康狀態。 A: 好主意：我們也許會需要把這些資訊提供給疫調單位。 B: 我剛剛想到一件事情：我們的體溫計壞了。 A: 我姐姐另外還有一支，可以請她幫我們帶來，放在我們家門外。 English 英文: Chinese 中文:
Three adopted Japanese shibas — eight-year-old male Hero, three-year-old female Wish and the latest addition to the family in 2017, a male named Tiger — are the main protagonists of a Facebook page created by their owner, called Hero&Wish, which has over 5,000 followers. Tiger was originally a stray, although it is unclear what caused him to be homeless. Fortunately, he tramped onto a school campus in southern Taiwan. While classes were underway, the forlorn sound of feeble footsteps reverberated in the corridor outside. A teacher went out to investigate and discovered Tiger, with an astonishing trail of bloody paw prints in his wake. The teacher hurriedly brought Tiger inside the classroom and after deliberating about what to do, found some tins of cat food to feed the starving dog. Tiger didn’t much mind what was put in front of him and wolfed down the cat food, thankful for a square meal at last. Meanwhile, the teacher enlisted the help of the school nurse to check on Tiger’s wound. They discovered a wound on Tiger’s front right paw so deep that you could see right through to the bone. He was taken to a vet for professional medical treatment and after a thorough examination, the vet determined that Tiger’s wounded leg would need to be amputated. Following an operation to remove the leg, Tiger went to live at the school. Teachers and students looked after him, including cleaning and changing the dressings on the amputated stump. It was a huge undertaking. Teachers also raised funds for his long-term medical care to ensure his health would always be provided for. Originally, the school intended for Tiger to become the school dog. However, having been a stray for so long, Tiger found it difficult to trust humans and would often become aggressive as a way to
A: It’s difficult to know what we will need for a two-week quarantine. So far I’ve ordered bread, vegetables, meat — and a large box of Korean-style spicy instant noodles. B: Um, if we have a fever, we will want to eat plain food, like rice porridge or chicken soup. A: That’s true. I’ll add a bag of rice to the order and we can make some chicken soup, divide it into individual portions and freeze it. A: 很難想得到我們隔離兩個星期會需要些什麼。到目前為止，我訂了麵包、蔬菜、肉類──還有一大盒韓式辣泡麵。 B: 呃，如果我們發燒的話，應該會想吃清淡的食物吧，像是稀飯或是雞湯。 A: 這倒是真的。我再加一袋米到訂單裡面好了，然後我們可以做一些雞湯，把它分裝以後拿去冷凍。 English 英文: Chinese 中文:
With billions of people around the world suddenly adjusting to social distancing measures as part of the battle to slow the spread of COVID-19, some professionals who are used to confinement have some tips. From astronauts to submariners, here are some practical ways to boost your well-being and stave off cabin fever during those weeks stuck at home. ‘Have a schedule’ Scott Kelly, a retired NASA astronaut, spent nearly a year aboard the International Space Station. He told AFP that mindset was crucial. “People need to have the right expectation, we don’t know when this is gonna be over,” he said. “We could be in this for the long haul so your mindset needs to be: I’m living a similar thing to living in space for a year, I need to have a schedule, I need to get up at a regular time, to go to sleep at a regular time.” He also said exercise was key for both physical and mental well-being while confined. “You need to schedule time for exercise. If you cannot get out if you don’t have a garden, raise the window shade, open the window and stick your head outside, make that part of daily routine.” Find your mission For Vincent Larnaudie-Eiffel, a former commander of a nuclear submarine, working well in confinement means finding and investing in your own personal “mission.” Just like on board the sub, “stuck in our apartments, we all share a mission and that is to protect others, medical workers, and successfully navigate this ordeal.” He said it was important to establish a daily routine and stick to it. “You can’t give in... you need to do something with this suspended time.” For Larnaudie-Eiffel and his crewmates, this involved building models or growing plants under artificial light during their
A : I just got off the phone to my boss. She asked me to self-quarantine for 14 days. Well, I guess we’ll be holed up in this apartment for the next two weeks. B : First things first. We had better go to the supermarket and stock up on food. A : But we can’t go outside. B : I know a supermarket that provides home delivery on orders over NT$2,000. Problem solved! A : 我剛剛跟老闆通過電話。她要我居家隔離十四天。唉，我想我們接下來的兩個星期都要躲在這個公寓裡面了。 B : 事情有輕重緩急，我們最好先去超市囤積食物。 A : 但是我們不能出門耶。 B : 我知道一間超市會提供送貨到家的服務，只要購物超過新台幣兩千元以上就行。問題解決了！ English 英文: Chinese 中文:
In order to tackle the worsening COVID-19 crisis, it is important to wash your hands carefully and wear a mask. It is also important to improve your physical immunity and resistance. According to Tsai Chien-tsung, the head of the rehabilitation department at the Miaoli Municipal Da Chien General Hospital, the main ways to increase one’s immunity are having sufficient sleep, a balanced diet and the proper amount of exercise and relaxation. You can try some medium-level exercises to improve your immunity and resistance, together with some gentle abdominal breathing exercises and post-workout stretching exercises to alleviate stress and improve your sleep. Tsai has shared with us five exercises you can do at home to help fend off the virus, covering the four main aspects of relieving pressure on the backbone, muscle stretches, cardiopulmonary strengthening and helping you keep calm. The first exercise is pulling back your chin: sit up straight and breathe out while lightly pressing on your chin with your index finger, look straight ahead and do not look down or up. When you can feel some strain on the back of your neck, gradually return to the original position. Repeating this movement between 15 and 20 times can help your head find its optimal position, and relieves stress on the neck vertebrae. The second exercise is shoulder rotations. Sit up straight and place both hands lightly on the same shoulder, with the elbows facing forward. Next, gently describe a circle, starting from the shoulder, first forward and then back, in such a way as you do not feel discomfort, gradually increasing the size of the circles. Repeat this exercise 20 to 30 times. This exercise can prevent muscle strain in the neck and upper shoulder and release stress around the shoulder blade and the joints of the thoracic vertebrae. Third are some
B: Bad news: One of my co-workers is suspected of having contracted the coronavirus. I’ve been told by my company to self-isolate for 14 days. A: Oh, no! That might be why you have a cough and a high temperature. Should I call my company and tell them? B: I think you should. If I have caught the virus, then you probably have it too. Better safe than sorry. B: 壞消息：我有一位同事被懷疑可能感染新冠病毒。我被公司告知要自主隔離十四天。 A: 哦不！難怪你開始有咳嗽症狀跟體溫升高。我該打電話跟我的公司說嗎？ B: 我覺得要哦。如果我被病毒感染，你大概也會中鏢。小心駛得萬年船。 English 英文: Chinese 中文:
In the 17th century, residents in the remote English village of Eyam quarantined themselves to prevent the spread of bubonic plague. Many paid with their lives. Now their descendants and locals are outraged that a steady stream of visitors has ignored government warnings to stay at home to tackle the coronavirus outbreak. Last weekend, walkers were out in force in the spring sunshine in the Peak District National Park, and traipsed through the village, which is home to about 1,000 people. Local councilor Claire Raw said residents, a significant proportion of them elderly, were angry and urged people to leave. “We need to protect our residential areas that do have higher-than-average proportions of older people,” she told AFP. “We all need to behave responsibly.” Because of the pandemic, which has so far claimed 465 lives across Britain, the museum that tells the story of the “plague village” has decided not to re-open after the winter break. Normally, it receives about 30,000 visitors each year. But more than half of its volunteers are aged over 70 — one of the most at-risk groups for the virus. In 1665, the bubonic plague arrived in the Derbyshire village of Eyam from London, nearly 250km further south, carried by fleas in fabrics ordered by a tailor. As dozens died, the rector of Eyam church, William Mompesson, with the help of his predecessor Thomas Stanley, convinced parishioners the only way to fight it was to shut off the village completely. Neighboring communities helped out, leaving food on the edge of the village. Vinegar — the only known disinfectant at the time — was used to keep germs at bay. The current vicar of St Lawrence’s church, Reverend Mike Gilbert, is currently in self-isolation because his wife has shown symptoms of COVID-19. During the plague, worshippers gathered outside to pray, keeping
A: I’m going to take your temperature to see if you have a fever. B: I think the thermometer is in the bathroom cupboard. A: Hmm, your temperature does seem a little bit high. I think we should call the 1922 helpline for advice. It seems like you have at least one of the symptoms of coronavirus. B: Oh, no... A: 我要來量你的體溫，看看你有沒有發燒。 B: 我想溫度計放在浴室的櫥櫃裡。 A: 嗯，你的體溫確實看起來有一點高。我覺得我們應該要打1922熱線尋求建議，看起來你起碼有一項新冠病毒的症狀了。 B: 哦不‧‧‧。 English 英文: Chinese 中文:
A: Finally, I managed to get my flight ticket to be refunded. B: That’s [cough] excellent [cough] news [cough]. A: Are you alright? B: Um, I’m not sure. I’ve got a really dry throat and I can’t stop coughing. A: 終於，我成功獲得機票的退款了。 B: 那是 [咳嗽] 很棒 [咳嗽] 的消息 [咳嗽]。 A: 你還好嗎？ B: 嗯，我不太確定。喉嚨感覺很乾，而且還一直咳嗽。 English 英文: Chinese 中文:
Britain’s Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, recently joined Queen Elizabeth II for a Commonwealth Day ceremony — their final public event before bowing out as senior royals on March 31. The couple stunned the monarchy with their announcement in January that they will quit as working members of the royal family, hoping to seek a financially independent life in Canada. According to AFP, the couple complained about their struggles with media intrusion, an issue for Harry who witnessed how paparazzi pursued his mother Diana until her death in a car crash. Harry, the second son of Prince Charles, will remain a prince and is still sixth in line to the throne. The couple will no longer use the “Royal Highness” titles and public funds, except for security. Meanwhile, the royal family is suffering a bigger crisis recently, as Prince Charles has tested positive for the coronavirus. Charles, first in line to the throne, is currently self-isolating in Scotland, his office said on Wednesday. (Eddy Chang, Taipei Times) 英國哈利王子、妻子梅根，和女王伊麗莎白二世，近日一起出席「大英國協日」的慶祝活動——這是兩人三月三十一日退出王室高階成員行列前最後一場公開活動。他們一月宣布，將卸下其王室活動成員之身份，希望能在加拿大追求經濟獨立的生活，讓英國這個君主國家大感訝異。 據法新社報導，哈利夫婦曾抱怨他們受到媒體的騷擾，這個問題對哈利來說尤其嚴重，因為他當年目睹了狗仔對母親戴安娜的糾纏，直到她在一場車禍中喪生為止。哈利是查爾斯王子第二個兒子，他仍保留王子的身份，也還是王位的第六順位繼承人。不過這對夫妻無法再享有「殿下」的頭銜，除了維安以外不能再花費公款。 在此同時，王室近日遭遇了更大的危機︰查爾斯王子感染了新冠病毒！他是王位的第一順位繼承人，據他的辦公室於本週三指出，他目前正在蘇格蘭自我隔離。 （台北時報張聖恩〉
A: Excuse me, I think there may be some confusion. The government has advised against all non-essential travel to France, so I should not take the flight. C: Yes, I understand that, sir. A: Surely then, you are obliged to refund my flight ticket? C: Please hold again while I talk to my supervisor. A: 不好意思，我覺得可能有些事情搞錯了。政府已經建議國人非必要應避免前往法國旅遊，所以我不應該登機。 C: 是的，先生，這我了解。 A: 那麼當然，你們有義務要退還我的機票錢吧？ C : 請再稍等一下，我去跟主管談。 English 英文: Chinese 中文:
Wednesday is April 1, when people in many countries worldwide celebrate the custom of “April Fool’s Day.” On this day, they play pranks on each other, the pranksters gleefully calling those hapless enough to fall for the joke an “April Fool.” Nobody really knows for certain when, where or why the custom started. We have more certainty over the origins of the word “fool” itself, although some details remain unclear. The word, which refers to a silly, stupid, or ignorant person, is thought to originate in the early 13th century, deriving from Old French fol, meaning a madman or insane person. The French word, in turn, comes from the Latin follis, meaning a leather bag or a bellows and, by extension later on, an empty-headed person. Fool also referred to a rogue or a sinful, wicked or lecherous person — around 1300, a “fool woman” meant a prostitute, for example — and also a court jester, a person whose purpose was to entertain the king and court, whether because they were pretending to be buffoonish or whether they actually were like that. One theory is that the idea of the court jester “fool” derives from folles — the plural form of follis (bellows) — referring to the puffed cheeks of a buffoon. It is unclear which sense came first, that of the idiot or the jester. (Paul Cooper, Taipei Times) 下週三是四月一日，許多國家的人在這天都有過「愚人節」的慣例，互相捉弄，惡作劇的人樂不可支地把那些不幸被騙倒的人稱作「April Fool」（四月的愚人）。 沒有人能確知愚人節這習俗到底是在何時、何地或為何開始的，但我們對「fool」（傻瓜）一字的由來比較能夠掌握多，儘管有些細節仍不甚明瞭。 「fool」這個字，現今指的是傻氣、愚笨或無知的人，通常被認為是源自十三世紀初期的古法語字「fol」，意指瘋子或精神失常的人。而這個字又是源於拉丁文「follis」，意為皮製的袋子或風箱，後來引伸為腦袋空空的人。 「fool」亦指惡棍或有罪、惡毒或淫蕩的人──例如在西元一三○○年左右，「fool woman」指的是妓女，亦指弄臣，也就是在宮廷中負責娛樂國王和朝臣的人，無論這些弄臣是故意裝瘋賣傻，還是本來就如小丑般滑稽。 有一說則是認為，「fool」字的「弄臣」之意，是源於「folles」──即「follis」（風箱的拉丁文複數形）──指的是小丑鼓脹的臉頰。 「fool」一字是先有「傻子」之意，還是先有「弄臣」之意，我們並不清楚。 （台北時報林俐凱譯）
A : Reservation number QS46926Z and the name is Randy McDonald. C : Please hold the line... Thank you for holding. I’ve just talked to my supervisor and I’m afraid we won’t be able to process your refund at this time. A : Why on earth not? C : I’m sorry, sir, until the flight is canceled we cannot provide a refund. A : 訂位代碼是QS46926Z，乘客姓名是藍迪‧麥當勞。 C : 請稍候…謝謝您的等待。我剛才已經跟主管談過，恐怕我們沒有辦法現在處理您的退款。 A : 究竟為什麼呢？ C : 先生，我很抱歉，直到航班取消之前，我們沒有辦法退款。 English 英文: Chinese 中文:
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