The Islamic New Year marks the beginning of a new Islamic calendar year, the day the year count is incremented. This year it was celebrated on Sept. 21 for most Islamic countries. Last year it started on Oct. 3, while in 2008 it was as late as Dec. 29. The reason for the discrepancy is that it is based upon the Islamic, Muslim or Hijri calendar, a lunar calendar with 12 months of 354 or 355 days, compared to the 365 days (366 in leap years) of the Gregorian calendar followed elsewhere. The Islamic calendar year, then, is shorter than the Gregorian calendar by 11 to 12 days.
The Islamic calendar is retrospectively dated back to the Islamic New Year of 622AD, the year of the Hijrah, when the Prophet Mohammed and his followers traveled from Mecca to Medina and established the first Muslim community. The Gregorian calendar is divided into the era before Jesus Christ was supposed to have been born, designated as BC (before Christ) and AD (Anno Domini, which is Medieval Latin for “in the year of the lord”). In English, the Islamic calendar is similarly designated, using the Hijrah as a reference. Thus, years are marked as BH (before the Hijrah) and AH (Anno Hegirae, Latin for “in the year of the Hijrah”). This new Islamic year is therefore written as 1439AH.
(Paul Cooper, Taipei Times)
Photo: AFP
照片:法新社
伊斯蘭新年是伊斯蘭曆的一年之始,在這天,計年數字又添一年。今年大多數伊斯蘭教國家在九月二十一日過新年。去年的新年是在十月三日,在二○○八年還遲至十二月二十九日。之所以有這樣的差異是因為伊斯蘭日期的計算是基於伊斯蘭曆法—這是一種陰曆,一年有十二個月,共三五四或三五五天。這跟其他地方所採用的,一年有三六五天(閏年則有三六六天)的現行公曆有所不同。因此伊斯蘭曆的一年比公曆的一年少了十一至十二天。
伊斯蘭曆可追溯到在西元六二二年稱為「希吉拉」的事件—先知穆罕默德及其追隨者從麥加遷往麥地那,並建立第一個穆斯林社群,該年於是被定為伊斯蘭元年。現行公曆按照據信為耶穌基督的出生年,劃分為西元前(BC,before Christ,在耶穌出生前)、西元後(AD,為中世紀拉丁文Anno Domini,意為「主的年」)兩種紀元。在英語中,伊斯蘭曆也有類似的劃分,是以「希吉拉」做為時間點,因此,伊斯蘭曆的紀年標為BH(希吉拉之前),以及AH(拉丁文Anno Hegirae,意為希吉拉之年)。因此,伊斯蘭曆這新的一年寫為一四三九AH。
(台北時報編譯林俐凱譯)
Photo: AFP
照片:法新社
Photo: AFP
照片:法新社
Earthquakes are among the most terrifying natural disasters, generating massive tremors and destructive forces as Earth’s crust shudders. These tremors not only lead to the collapse of buildings but can also trigger secondary disasters, such as tsunamis and fires. However, we can mitigate the impact on lives and property by mastering earthquake response techniques. The DCH three-step strategy, recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is crucial during an earthquake. “D” stands for “drop.” You should immediately drop to the ground, using your hands and knees to support yourself. This position prevents you from falling and
A: The newest twist in “Friends” star Matthew Perry’s sudden death is shocking. B: Didn’t he die from a ketamine overdose last year? A: But the police say his death could be a conspiracy. B: Wow, what happened? A: Five suspects have been charged for intentionally supplying him with large amounts of ketamine for personal gain. A: 《六人行》男星馬修派瑞之死大逆轉真令人震驚! B: 他去年不是因吸毒過量致死嗎? A: 但警方說他的死可能是個陰謀。 B: 發生了什麼事? A: 警方已起訴5名嫌犯,他們故意提供大量「K他命」給他,以謀取暴利。 (By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/台北時報張聖恩)
A: What’s even more horrible is that the five suspects who purposely supplied ketamine to actor Matthew Perry were all his “friends.” B: Who exactly are the five suspects? A: They include Matthew’s two doctors, a broker, a drug dealer, and even his live-in assistant. B: Those scumbags should go to jail. A: Yeah, one of the doctors may be sentenced to up to 120 years in prison. A: 更可怕的是,提供男星馬修派瑞「K他命」的5人全是他的「朋友」。 B: 嫌犯是誰啊? A: 其中包括他的2位醫生、1位仲介、1位毒販、甚至他的同居助理! B: 那些人渣真該去坐牢。 A: 對啊,其中1位醫生可能面臨120年徒刑。 (By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/台北時報張聖恩)
It’s widely recognized that there are far more right-handed people than left-handed people in the world. Being right-handed simply means preferring to use one’s right hand for tasks that involve only one hand, such as writing and eating. But have you ever wondered about the possible reasons behind the global dominance of the right hand over the left? As with many complex biological questions, multiple factors appear to be at play. First, one reason seems to be genetics. __1__ Therefore, the global dominance of right-handedness is something that has been passed down through many generations of humans. Next,