I really want to take that class! (5/5) 我好想要加選喔！（五）
A: Come on, get a move on. The class selection period is almost up. Open the Web page and get ready. B: Don’t rush me! The more you rush me, the more my hands shake. A: Look, the number of people signed up for the classes keeps jumping up, you have to choose them now. Here! Here! B: Not that one! You almost made me click on the wrong one. A: Sorry. The class you want is too popular. I’m more nervous than you are. B: Ha! Success. I never expected selecting classes would be more gripping than buying limited edition products online. A: 快點快點，加退選開放時間快到了，你先把網頁打開準備好。 B: 你不要一直催，你越催我手就抖得越厲害。 A: 你看，選課人數一直往上跳，你快按。這邊，這邊！ B: 不是這堂課啦！你害我差點按錯。 A: 歹勢。你要修的那堂課太搶手了，我比你還緊張。 B: 耶！成功了。沒想到選課比上網搶購限量商品還刺激。 （Translated by Paul Cooper, Taipei Times／台北時報林俐凱） English 英文: Chinese 中文:
A: Yesterday my roommate took me to sit in on one of the general education classes he’d selected, and good god! The teacher was great, I really want to take that class! B: Because the teacher was hot? A: Ha, there was that, but the main reason was the teacher’s ability to explain complex concepts in a very simple way, such that even a dunce like me understood! I was really impressed by her. B: It was the complete opposite for me. I took an inter-departmental elective class today, and discovered my ex was there. I was knocked for six. I’ve decided I’m not going to take that class. A: Seriously, you’re going to drop the class for that reason? Grow up! Learn to let go. A: 我昨天被室友拉去旁聽他選修的通識課，哇塞！老師好讚，我好想要加選喔！ B: 因為老師很美嗎？ A: 哈哈也算是啦。不過主要是因為老師可以把很複雜的概念用很簡單的方式解釋得好清楚，就連我這麼遲鈍的人都聽得懂欸！我真的很佩服她。 B: 我跟你相反，我今天上一堂跨系的選修課，竟然發現我前任也在班上！嚇死我了！我決定要退選這門課。 A: 拜託，因為這種原因退選，你真的很不成熟欸！你們難道不能好聚好散嗎？ （Translated by Paul Cooper, Taipei Times／台北時報林俐凱） English 英文: Chinese 中文:
A: I flunked the Freshman English class last semester. Does that mean that I can’t continue with the class next semester? B: Let’s have a look. Hmm, this class goes for the whole academic year, so you can still take the class next semester, but you will need to retake the one you failed last semester. A: Do you mean that in the sophomore year I will have to take the first year English class together with freshman students? I don’t like the sound of that: how embarrassing! B: Oh, it’s not that bad! You might even meet someone. This is how my senior classmate met his girlfriend. A: 我上學期大一英文被當了，所以是不是沒辦法繼續修下學期的課？ B: 我查一下，嗯，這是全學年的課，所以你還是可以繼續修下學期的課，不過你以後還是要補修上學期沒過的課。 A: 你是說我大二還要跟新生一起修大一英文嗎？才不要咧，那好丟臉！ B: 哎呀沒關係啦！搞不好你會有豔遇！我學長就是因為這樣才認識他女朋友的！ （Translated by Paul Cooper, Taipei Times／台北時報林俐凱） English 英文: Chinese 中文:
Taiwanese singer Ed Wang first put his name on the music map with his outstanding performances on the singing competition TV series “Sing! China” in 2017, and his stirring vocals were greatly praised by pop diva Na Ying and other judges in the music show. After a wait of three years, the singer finally released his first EP last month. Wang’s new EP encompasses different genres ranging from rock to R&B, jazz, Latin and rap. Growing up in a music-loving family — his father loves Chinese opera and his mother is a fan of Western music — Wang says that his music style is a mixture of East and West. Inspired by his idol David Tao, Wang’s use of melisma has become a characteristic feature in his songs. Wang has also released a photo book, titled “Wedding Night,” in which he shows of his physique. The 26-year-old singer hopes to, through the best-selling book, record his youth and share it with his fans. (Eddy Chang, Taipei Times) 台灣歌手王振諾於二○一七年，首次在歌壇嶄露頭角，參加熱門歌唱比賽節目《中國新歌聲》表現出色，深情嗓音贏得歌后那英和其他導師高度讚賞。在三年多的等待之後，他終於在上個月推出了首張迷你專輯！ 這張迷你專輯融合了不同曲風，包括搖滾、節奏藍調、爵士、拉丁、甚至饒舌。他透露，由於爸爸喜愛聽京劇，媽媽喜愛聽西洋歌曲，從小在熱愛音樂的家庭裡長大，造就了他中西合璧的音樂風格。而受到偶像陶喆啟發，王振諾歌曲中的「轉音」亦成為迷人的個人特色。 他同時還推出《洞房花燭夜：王振諾寫真》，大秀性感身材。這位二十六歲歌手說，希望透過這本暢銷書，自己能為青春做個紀錄並和粉絲分享。 (台北時報張聖恩)
A: How many credits do we need to graduate? B: 128 credits, but this is the minimum. We can also apply for credit overload. A: So that means we have to get 16 credits per semester on average. Most classes will earn two or three credits each, so we will have to take from five to eight classes in the semester. B: Hmm, yes, but I think it’s a good idea to take more classes in the first and second years, so that the third and fourth years are more relaxed. A: That makes sense. That’ll be why my senior schoolmate recommended that I aim for at least 20 credits in the first year, including the compulsory, elective and general education classes. A: 我們的畢業門檻是幾個學分啊？ B: 一百二十八個學分，這是下限，我們可以超修。 A: 那這樣我們平均每個學期要修十六學分，大部分的課是兩學分或三學分，所以大概要修五到八門課才行。 B: 嗯，不過我覺得還是趁大一大二多修一點課，這樣大三和大四會比較輕鬆。 A: 有道理，難怪我學姐建議我大一至少要修二十學分，包括必修、選修和通識課程。 （Translated by Paul Cooper, Taipei Times／台北時報林俐凱） English 英文: Chinese 中文:
Bananas are one of the most commonly seen and eaten fruits. Eating bananas brings many benefits, such as replenishing energy and lowering blood pressure, and can even improve your mood. There is a rumor going around online that you should not eat bananas every day because they are a high-potassium food that can damage your kidneys if you eat too many, but the Health Promotion Administration (HPA) says only people with impaired kidney function have a metabolic deficiency that compels them to avoid eating bananas every day. Bananas are classified as a medium-potassium food, containing about 325 milligrams of potassium per 100 grams of banana flesh, or about 200 to 399 milligrams of potassium per serving (half a large banana or a whole small one). Research shows that bananas can regulate bowel movements, relieve depression, reduce oxidation, lower blood pressure, promote cardiovascular health and prevent stroke, among other things. According to the HPA, for people with normal kidney function, consuming plenty of potassium ions from bananas or other food can regulate blood pressure and indirectly protect the kidneys. Only for people with impaired kidney function — those who have been diagnosed with kidney failure — can it be harmful to their health, as they cannot excrete potassium ions. The best ways to prevent chronic kidney disease are lifestyle improvements, good control of blood pressure, blood sugar and blood fat, lowering urine protein and avoiding drugs that are toxic to the kidneys, as well as early screening and referral to a nephrologist when necessary. As for how to tell whether your kidneys are functioning normally, you can visit a hospital and find a doctor to perform a kidney function test, or else you can take advantage of the free adult health examinations that the HPA offers once every three years for people aged between 40
A: Don’t forget, the class selection period begins tomorrow. B: Wow, thanks for reminding me. I had completely forgotten! A: Are you brain dead after the Lunar New Year? B: You bet. My head is full of nothing but good food and computer games. A: We have a whole week for the class selection, but the popular classes will fill up very quickly, so we should get a shift on. A: 加退選的時間從明天開始喔，不要忘記了！ B: 哇，謝謝你提醒。我都忘得一乾二淨了！ A: 過個年腦袋都空掉了，是吧？ B: 對呀，我現在滿腦子只有美食和電玩。 A: 雖然加退選的時間有一個禮拜，可是熱門的課名額很快就滿了，我們手腳還是要快一點。 （Translated by Paul Cooper, Taipei Times／台北時報林俐凱） English 英文: Chinese 中文:
Facebook Inc has blocked Australian users from sharing and viewing news content on its popular social media platform, escalating a dispute with the government over paying media publishers for content. While Big Tech and media outlets have battled over the right to news content in other jurisdictions, Australia’s looming law represents the most expansive reform and is being closely watched around the world. The so-called Media Bargaining Code has been designed by the government and competition regulator to address a power imbalance between the social media giants and publishers when negotiating payment for news content used on the tech firms’ sites. The proposed legislation has reached a crunch point, with widespread support in parliament, where it is expected to be voted into law within days. In recent years, traditional media companies operating in Australia have suffered huge hits to income streams, due to dwindling subscriptions and advertising. For every A$100 spent on online advertising in Australia, excluding classifieds, nearly one-third goes to Google and Facebook, the competition regulator has said. Facebook said that the law “fundamentally misunderstands” the relationship between itself and publishers and it faced a stark choice of attempting to comply with it or ban news content. It said its platform generates billions of free referrals to Australian publishers worth significant sums to the media companies. Alphabet Inc-owned Google, however, has backed down from a threat to withdraw its main search engine from Australia if the laws go ahead, and has instead struck deals with some of the country’s major commercial publishers. They include a global deal with News Corp for an unnamed sum in one of the most extensive deals of its kind with Big Tech. (Reuters) 備受歡迎的社群媒體臉書，將其澳洲平台上的新聞內容封鎖，不讓澳洲用戶查看及分享新聞內容。政府要求社群平台刊登新聞內容須付費給新聞發行業者，臉書此舉加劇了與政府間之爭端。 科技巨頭和媒體業者已在其他司法管轄區互相爭奪使用新聞內容的權利，但澳洲這項山雨欲來的法律代表著層面最廣的改革，全世界都在密切關注。 澳洲政府及競爭監管機構規畫了所謂的「媒體議價法令」，以解決社群媒體巨頭與新聞發行業者談判時權力不平衡的問題，促使科技公司為其網站所使用之新聞內容付費。該立法提案已到了關鍵時刻，得到國會的廣泛支持，預計將在未來幾天內表決通過成為法律。 近年來，由於訂戶及廣告量的萎縮，澳洲的傳統媒體公司收入大減。競爭監管機構表示，在澳洲，每一百澳幣的網路廣告費中（不包括分類廣告），有近三分之一是落入谷歌及臉書的口袋。 臉書表示，該法律「從根本上誤解了」它與新聞發行業者間之關係，讓臉書面臨困難的選擇——不知該力圖遵循該法律，抑或封鎖新聞內容。臉書表示，其平台為澳洲新聞發行業者免費帶來數十億個推薦連結，這對媒體公司而言是一筆很大的收益。 然而，Alphabet旗下的谷歌已不再威脅說，若該法案通過，便要撤出它在澳洲的主要搜尋引擎，而是與澳洲一些主要商業出版商談好了條件。其中包括與跨國新聞集團News Corp達成的一項全球性的交易，金額不詳，這是此類與科技巨頭所達成規模最大的交易之一。 (台北時報林俐凱編譯)
Armed with buckets and bailers, hoes and sickles, 100 elderly residents of Hsinchu County’s Guansi Township Old Bridge Landscape Volunteer Association set off from Ox Pen Riverside Park to carry out a clean-up operation upstream and downstream of Dongan Old Bridge. The volunteers first set about removing weeds and cleaning up litter, and then began planting trees, flowers and plants. To date, the group has planted more than 3,000 specimens. The volunteers did not put their feet up during the Lunar New Year holiday period and took turns to patrol the area and water and tend to the plants and trees. Their strenuous efforts have breathed new life into the picturesque environs of the famous Dongan Old Bridge and Ox Pen River. The association’s president, Wang Yu-lien, says the association was mainly born out of the enthusiasm of association chief executive Chen Su-hsiang and other local residents. Wang says she simply responded to their appeals and formerly established the association on Jan. 20. Almost all of the association’s volunteers are of the same hue: “gray-haired retirees,” and the number of “younger” over-50-year-olds can be counted on one hand, says Wang, adding that, “Before establishing the association, I had never touched a hoe or a sickle: I was completely clueless about horticulture.” “Everyone clubbed together with the same sense of purpose and community spirit; even though we are using buckets and bailers brought from our homes to do the watering, we feel rich in health and are happy to be helping to make Guansi Township a more beautiful place,” Wang says. (Liberty Times, translated by Edward Jones) 新竹縣關西鎮一百名退休銀髮族合組「關西鎮古橋景觀志工協會」，大家自己帶著水桶、水瓢、鋤頭、鐮刀等工具，自動自發在東安古橋上、下游的牛欄河親水公園，從除雜草、清垃圾開始，再一棵棵種下樹木、花草，迄今超過三千棵！就連春節也每天有人輪流巡守、澆灌照料，使得本已名聞遐邇的東安古橋、牛欄河畔風光，因為他們的熱血和汗水而更加閃耀。 協會理事長王玉蓮說，這個志工團主要是由執行長陳素香等熱心鄉親所發起，她只是響應號召，於今年一月二十日正式成立協會。 她說，這個協會成員清一色都是退休後的銀髮族，只有屈指可數是年過半百的「年輕人」。在加入前，她沒拿過鋤頭、鐮刀，對種樹種花更是一無所知。 大家因為有志一同而聚在一起，即便是替花草樹木澆水，用的都是從自己家帶去的水桶、水瓢，但依舊開心能因此「賺健康」、「賺到更美麗的關西」！ （自由時報記者黃美珠）
A: Oi, could you keep the noise down? I’m trying to finish my homework. B: Wow, you still haven’t finished doing your winter vacation assignment! You still have to hand it in. I finished mine before the Lunar New Year. A: I’m always like this, leaving things until the last minute. Even last year, when we were off until March, I only handed it in right at the end. B: And yet, I notice that you’re always the first to complete binge-watching a season, hehe. A: Oh, come on, they’re hardly the same thing, are they? B: But if you got your homework done first, then you could relax over the rest of the vacation, couldn’t you? A: Yeah, yeah, yeah. I guess you’re right. Now, I don’t suppose you could let me get on with it? A: 噓……你別吵，我還在趕作業。 B: 哇，你寒假作業還沒寫完喔？等下就要交了耶，我過年前就做完了。 A: 沒辦法，我每次都拖到最後一秒。去年寒假放到三月，我也是最後才交。 B: 可是追劇你都是最先看完的，哈哈！ A: 拜託，這怎麼能夠相提並論？ B: 可是如果你先把功課做完，剩下的時間不就可以放心地玩了？ A: 對對對，你說得沒錯，你到底要不要讓我寫啊？ （Translated by Paul Cooper, Taipei Times／台北時報林俐凱） English 英文: Chinese 中文:
A: Ah, it feels like we only broke up for winter vacation yesterday, and soon we’re back to school! B: Yep. I miss the winter vacation last year, when we didn’t have to start school again until March. It was the longest winter vacation we’ve ever had, hehe. A: But if you compare it with the pandemic, we are lucky we can go to school at all. B: You’re right, of course. At the time, in almost all countries around the world the schools were closed, and only online classes were available, if any. A lot of schools are still closed. A: Hmm, Taiwan is one of the few countries in which students can go to school as normal. We should count our blessings. A: 唉，感覺好像才剛開始放寒假，怎麼一下子又開學了？ B: 對呀！好懷念去年的寒假喔！三月才開學，史上最長寒假，哈哈。 A: 不過如果跟疫情比起來，我還是寧願乖乖來上學。 B: 你說得也對，那時候幾乎全世界的學校都停擺了，只能在家用視訊上課，現在很多學校還是處於關閉的狀態。 A: 嗯，台灣是少數例外可以正常上學的國家，我們應該要好好珍惜。 （Translated by Paul Cooper, Taipei Times／台北時報林俐凱） English 英文: Chinese 中文:
A: This Lunar New Year, many restaurants will either be closed or will have limited seating capacity, and will have been booked up early. Where will we go for the New Year’s Eve meal? B: Yeah, nerves are a bit frayed over the pandemic. We should avoid going anywhere that is going to be too packed. Let’s just eat at home. A: That’s easier said than done. What do you want to eat? Who’s going to cook? B: You have no idea how convenient it is to order Lunar New Year meals. If we’re too late to order online, we can buy it in many supermarkets. A: Ah, of course. The “Buddha Jumps Over the Wall” I ate at my cousin’s last year was fantastic. I later found out it came from a packet of frozen food. B: I’ve always wanted to know where that dish got its name from. A: It’s because it has expensive ingredients such as abalone, sea cucumber and scallops, is difficult to prepare and is to die for, so that even vegetarian Buddhist disciples would be tempted to eat it. A: 今年過年好多餐廳不是沒開，就是座位有限，早就被訂滿了！我們年夜飯要去哪裡吃啊？ B: 對呀，最近疫情緊繃，我們還是避免去人多擁擠的地方。年夜飯在家吃好了。 A: 說的簡單，那要吃什麼？誰煮？ B: 你不知道現在訂年菜多方便哪？如果現在上網訂來不及，很多超市都可以買得到。 A: 啊對，我去年在我表哥家吃的「佛跳牆」超讚的，後來才知道原來那是冷凍包煮的。 B: 我一直很想知道為什麼這道菜叫做「佛跳牆」。 A: 就是說它有鮑魚、海參、干貝這些名貴食材，烹調過程講究，味道太棒了，連吃素的佛門弟子都被吸引而來了。 （Translated by Paul Cooper, Taipei Times／台北時報林俐凱） English 英文: Chinese 中文:
When a 59-year-old deaf-mute man surnamed Hsu had an online encounter with a foreigner who claimed to be a diplomat, he nearly ended up as the victim of a fraud syndicate. A police investigation revealed that Hsu had got to know a foreign Internet user calling himself “Alvin,” who said that he was a diplomat from a certain country but was not in a position to reveal his identity because he was on a secret mission abroad. He said he had a parcel that he urgently needed to send back to Taiwan, and he hoped Hsu could take delivery of it. Next, someone claiming to represent a courier company sent Hsu a message saying that he would need to pay tax and customs fees to collect the parcel, and asking Hsu to go to a bank to transfer the money. Without thinking, on Jan. 11 Hsu did as he had been asked by going to Chang Hwa Bank’s Shuangyuan branch in Taipei, where he applied to transfer the sum of NT$30,000. However, the bank staff noticed that something was out of order and reported it to Wanhua Police Precinct’s Yingguang Police Station. Police officers Hsu Li-yuan and Tung Yu-hsuan hurried to the scene, where they determined that Hsu had encountered a fraud syndicate. Using written notes, the police officers told Hsu about some related cases, and only then did he give up the idea of transferring the money. However, the fraud syndicate was not ready to give up, and they used clever talk to persuade Hsu into making another trip to a bank on Jan. 19, this time to the Bank of Taiwan’s Longshan branch, where he applied to make a transfer of NT$84,000. Luckily, the bank staff again noticed that something was amiss and reported it to the police. On receiving the
A: Gongxi facai. So, where’s my red envelope? B: See? I got freshly printed banknotes! Have you got money ready to put in your red envelopes? A: Not yet. I’m still thinking whether I should go home or not. Your kids are very lucky: not only will they get red envelopes, they’ll get new banknotes. B: Hopefully they won’t spend it frivolously, since they are shiny and new. After all, it is their parents’ hard-earned cash! A: When I was little, I didn’t care whether the money was new or not, only how much was there. B: Well, you’ve always been practical. Anyway, if you take your old banknotes to the bank or post office counter to exchange them for new, this year you will have to register and write your name and telephone number. A: They’re worried the virus will be on the notes? I can’t be doing with that, I’ll just go to the ATM at the Taiwan Bank downstairs from my office. They always fill it with new banknotes at the Lunar New Year. A: 恭喜發財，紅包拿來！ B: 你看，我去換了新鈔，你準備好包紅包的錢了嗎？ A: 還沒，我還在考慮要不要回家。你小孩好幸福喔，不但有紅包，而且還是新鈔！ B: 希望這樣他們就會比較捨不得花，畢竟這是爸媽的血汗錢。 A: 我小時候拿紅包才不會去注意是新鈔還是舊鈔咧，數目比較重要。 B: 好啦，你比較實際。反正如果你要拿舊鈔去銀行或郵局櫃檯換新鈔，今年是採用實名制，要填寫姓名和電話。 A: 怕鈔票上有病毒嗎？不用那麼麻煩啦，我們公司樓下有一個台銀的提款機，過年都會放新鈔。 （Translated by Paul Cooper, Taipei Times／台北時報林俐凱） English 英文: Chinese 中文:
To improve pedestrian safety, a set of draft amendments to the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act was passed during a Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) review board meeting on Jan. 28. Pedestrians have absolute right of way when walking on a crosswalk, but accidents still happen from time to time that involve injuries or even deaths caused by vehicles not stopping or giving way to pedestrians. Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Chia-lung said that the MOTC hopes to make traffic more human-oriented, and cars and motorcycles should give way to pedestrians at intersections. It has long been said that vehicles should “politely“ give way to pedestrians, but in fact vehicles should always stop to let pedestrians go first unless there is a “no pedestrians“ sign. Lin asked for the reform to start from the three aspects of “people, vehicles and roads” by enforcing the law that demands yielding to pedestrians at intersections, reviewing road design specifications, and planning to increase penalties, so as to increase drivers’ awareness of the need to give way to pedestrians. Regarding the increase in fines, the amendment refers to the laws of the US, Japan, France and South Korea. Drivers who do not allow pedestrians to pass first will be fined NT$1,200 to NT$6,000, increased from the current NT$1,200 to NT$3,600. Those who cause injury or death will bear both civil and criminal liability as well as facing a fine of NT$7,200 to NT$36,000. Having been passed at the MOTC review board meeting, the draft amendments will now be transferred to the Legislative Yuan for review. (Translated by Lin Lee-kai, Taipei Times) 為強化行人安全，交通部一月二十八日部務會報通過「道路交通管理處罰條例」修正案。 行人走在行人穿越道上擁有絕對通行權，但車輛因未停讓行人導致的傷亡事故仍時有耳聞。交通部長林佳龍表示，交通部希望落實人本交通，所以在路口汽機車應當禮讓行人；過去都是說「禮讓」，但事實上依法規範的話，如果沒有禁止行人標誌，就應該優先停讓。 林佳龍要求從人、車、路三方項著手，推動路口停讓行人大執法、檢討道路設計規範、規劃加重處罰等方式，來提醒車輛要停讓行人。 在提高罰鍰方面，參考美日法韓法規，未停讓行人先行通過者，罰鍰從現行一千兩百元至三千六百元，提高為一千兩百元至六千元；因而致人受傷或死亡者，除民刑事責任外，還可處七千兩百元至三萬六千元。 「道路交通管理處罰條例」修正草案在交通部務會報上通過後，將報行政院續轉立法院審議。 （自由時報記者鄭瑋奇、陳炳宏）
A man surnamed Hou last year accomplished the impressive feat of walking all the way around Taiwan — a distance of 1,300km — in 35 days. However, on reaching home safe and sound, Hou discovered that he had been served a NT$30,000 fine for entering the historic Alangyi Trail within Pingtung County’s Syuhai Guanyin Cape Nature Reserve without a permit. Hou took issue with the fine, which was administered by Pingtung County Government, arguing that the signage in the area was unclear, causing him to accidentally stray onto the off-limits trail. Hou launched an appeal to have the fine withdrawn, but Pingtung District Court ruled against Hou. Hou said he struck out on a clockwise walking tour of Taiwan at the end of February last year. He said that on March 28 he was continuing southward along the established coastal path after leaving Nantian Village in Taitung County’s Daren Township. Hou said the weather was overcast with drizzle and he did not see any signage that prohibited use of the path. He added that there were no gates or other paraphernalia that signified restricted access. Hou said he suddenly encountered someone who identified themselves as working for the nature reserve and asked Hou to show his ID. Hou said he cooperated throughout the process and told the worker he was unaware that he had to apply in advance to enter the nature reserve, but that on returning home he discovered that he had been fined NT$30,000 by Pingtung County Government. Pingtung County Government said that the Syuhai Guanyin Cape was designated as a nature reserve in 2012 and over 45,000 people apply for an entry permit every year; furthermore the media frequently report on the area, making it one of the best-known scenic spots in the country. A spokesperson
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