見見老鼠凱薩琳和大象馬克。凱薩琳非常勇敢又喜歡冒險，但馬克的個性十分害羞，對許多事情都感到害怕。不過，朋友都喜歡黏在一塊兒，所以凱薩琳走到哪兒，馬克就會跟到哪兒。有時候，他們也會碰上非常棘手的情況...
Mark the brave 勇敢的馬克
Mark and Kathleen were strolling through the town when Kathleen noticed a sign. The local newspaper was running a competition in the local park to find the bravest elephant in the town. The winner would receive unlimited chocolate cake for the rest of their life. “Wow, that looks amazing. Can you imagine anything better than unlimited chocolate cake?” asked Kathleen. “You’re right, but I’m not a brave elephant. I’ll have no chance,” said Mark sadly. “Don’t be silly. It will be easy — last year’s winner just had to ride a horse. The competition has already started. Let’s go!”
When they arrived at the park, the competition was just about to start. The MC picked up the microphone and began talking. “Ladies, gentleman and elephants. In today’s competition, each elephant will have to complete three tasks. The elephant who finishes the most tasks will become the champion!”
For the first task, the elephants had to do a bungee jump from a 200m high bridge. One by one the elephants jumped off the bridge, but when it came to Mark’s turn he just couldn’t do it. For the second task, they had to walk over hot coals. Again, the other elephants did it, but Mark thought it looked too painful. The third task was a parachute jump. Mark sat in the back of the plane, and watched as the elephants jumped out. When it was his turn, he was just too nervous to let go.
When the plane landed, Kathleen came running over to him. “I’m so proud of you! You did your best and that’s the important thing. Who cares about some silly chocolate cake?” Just then, a thief ran onto the stage and grabbed the trophy from the MC. “Somebody stop that thief at once!” yelled the MC… (john phillips, staff writer)
馬克和凱薩琳這天在市區街上閒晃時，凱薩琳看到一個牌子。當地報社在市公園舉辦了一場比賽，要找出全市最勇敢的大象。優勝者將可獲得下半輩子無限量的巧克力蛋糕。凱薩琳問：「哇，看起來真棒。世界上還有什麼比無限供應的巧克力蛋糕更棒的事嗎？」馬克憂傷地說：「妳說得對，但我不是一隻勇敢的大象。我不可能贏的。」「別傻了！比賽輕鬆得很，去年的冠軍只是騎個馬就贏了。比賽已經開始了，我們走！」
當他們抵達公園時，比賽才正要開始。司儀拿起麥克風，開始講話：「各位女士，各位先生，以及各位大象。在今天的比賽中，每位大象都將挑戰三項任務。完成最多任務的大象就是今天的冠軍！」
第一項任務，大象們必須在一座兩百公尺高的橋上高空彈跳。大象一隻接著一隻跳下橋，但輪到馬克時，他無論如何就是不敢跳。第二項任務，他們得走過炙熱的木炭。同樣地，其他大象都完成了，但馬克覺得那看起來太痛苦了。第三項任務是跳傘。馬克坐在機艙後方，看著其他大象跳出機外。當輪到他的時候，他緊張地不敢放手。
飛機降落時，凱薩琳跑向他說：「你真讓我驕傲！你盡了全力，那就是最重要的事了。誰在乎什麼愚蠢的巧克力蛋糕啊？」就在此時，一個小偷跑上台，從司儀手中搶走獎盃。司儀大喊：「馬上抓住那個小偷！」 （翻譯：袁星塵）
Microsoft on Feb. 28 announced it was retiring Skype, the online voice and video call pioneer that the tech titan acquired in 2011. “Starting in May 2025, Skype will no longer be available,” said a post from Skype support on X, directing users to sign into Microsoft’s Teams platform for further use of its services. Skype was founded in 2003 by Scandinavians Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis in Estonia, revolutionizing Internet communication by offering free voice calls between computers and affordable rates for calls to landlines and mobile phones. Over the years, and as Internet speeds improved, Skype evolved to
Donburi, often simply called don, is a beloved Japanese dish that consists of a bowl of steamed rice topped with various other ingredients. The word donburi itself actually means “bowl” in Japanese, but it has come to represent much more than just a vessel. Donburi first emerged during the Edo period (1603–1867) as a quick and convenient meal for busy city dwellers. By the 19th century, donburi had become immensely popular among theater enthusiasts, who often purchased these portable meals to enjoy during long performances. Una-don, a donburi topped with grilled eel, was a particular favorite. Easy-to-carry and satisfying,
A: Australian pop diva Kylie Minogue is set to visit Taiwan for the third time on Saturday. B: I remember that her Taipei concerts in 2008 and 2011 caused a sensation, and I love her megahit “Can’t Get You Out of My Head.” A: This will be her first time performing in the southern city of Kaohsiung. B: Many music critics praise Kylie’s show as “a must-see in your lifetime.” A: Let’s go to Kaohsiung this weekend. A: 澳洲歌后凱莉米諾週六即將三度訪台。 B: 她曾在2008、2011年兩度在台北開唱都造成大轟動，我超愛她的神曲《Can’t Get You Out of My Head》。 A: 這次可是她首度唱進南台灣的高雄呢。 B: 許多樂評家說她的演唱會是「此生必看」！ A: 那我們週末去高雄吧。 （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張迪）
Continued from yesterday（延續自昨日） https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang Results showed that only 32 percent were willing to walk farther for the same candy, but 59 percent chose to do so when promised different candy. Researchers also discovered that students who walked farther reported feeling happier during the wait. __3__ Idleness aversion can be applied in various settings. For example, Uber uses animations and real-time updates to keep customers from being bored while waiting. It can also be used in the design of office buildings to reduce elevator traffic. During busy times, it takes a while to wait for an elevator. __4__ Recognizing the power
RSS