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.
Photo: Hua Meng-ching, Liberty Times 照片：自由時報記者花孟璟
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:
As the priest Antonius Hambroek stood in the dim chamber of Fort Zeelandia, his eldest daughter clung to him, her voice trembling. “Father, don’t go. They’ll kill you, and what will become of Mother and my sisters?” Outside, the sounds of Koxinga’s relentless canon siege boomed through the fortress. The defenders were on the brink of collapse. Starvation gnawed at their resolve, and the air carried the acrid stench of spent gunpowder and rotting flesh. Dutch reinforcements from Batavia had failed to arrive, leaving the garrison isolated and hopeless. Hambroek’s face was calm, though sorrow weighed heavily on his
As we bundle up in thick coats to stay warm during the winter, there is a population that has already adapted to extremely low temperatures. These people live in the remote city of Yakutsk, the coldest city on Earth. Yakutsk is situated in the heart of Siberia, which is the capital of the Sakha Republic in Russia. This historic mining city began to flourish in the 19th century following the discovery of gold deposits. Given its construction on permafrost, the average temperature in the city remains below 0°C for over half the year, with winter temperatures dropping to an astonishing -50°C.
A: Apart from 2NE1, Rain and Maroon 5, Japanese band Yoasobi is set to hold two shows in Taipei this weekend. B: Yoasobi? A: Yoasobi is a J-pop duo formed by Ayase and Ikura in 2019, and it’s loved by young people. Haven’t you heard? B: Oops, I’m feeling a little old. A: It sings the theme songs of “Oshi No Ko” (“My Idol’s Children”) and other TV series, leading it to gain popularity among young people. A: 除了2NE1、Rain、魔力紅，日本熱門樂團Yoasobi本週末也將連唱兩場。 B: Yoasobi樂團？ A: 這是由Ayase、Ikura在2019年組成的雙人團體，近年來大受年輕人歡迎！你沒聽過嗎？ B: 天啊我覺得自己老了。 A: 他們唱了《我推的孩子》等人氣影視作品主題曲，所以大受年輕人喜愛。 （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張聖恩）
A: Happy Year of the Snake! Did you do anything special during the Lunar New Year holiday? B: I went to K-pop girl group Apink’s concert. How about you? A: I just stayed at home. But I’m going to girl group 2NE1’s show on Saturday. B: Wow, I really love their megahit “I Am the Best,” better known by its Korean title “Naega jeil jal naga.” A: I’m so glad that 2NE1 reunited last year, eight years after they disbanded in 2016. A: 蛇年快樂！你春節有做什麼特別活動嗎？ B: 我去了南韓女團Apink的演唱會，你呢？ A: 我都宅在家裡，不過這週六要去韓流天團2NE1的演唱會。 B: 我愛該團神曲《我最紅》，韓文歌名《Naega jeil jal naga》超洗腦。 A: 她們2016年解散8年後，去年終於合體真令人開心。 （By Eddy Chang, Taipei
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