A: I hope I will have lots of good fortune in the Year of the Tiger.
B: Have you seen the famous astrologer Jesse Tang’s horoscope reading for this year?
A: No, I haven’t. Actually, I don’t really believe in star signs.
Photo: Hu Shuan-hsiang, Liberty Times 照片：自由時報胡舜翔
B: Some people say that astrology is a kind of statistical analysis. So you can just use it as a reference, you don’t need to take it too seriously.
A: 我希望在虎年能好運旺旺來。
B: 你有看「國師」唐綺陽今年的十二星座運勢嗎？
A: 沒有耶，我個人不太相信星座。
B: 有人說占星學也是一種統計學，你就參考一下別太迷信就好啦。
（Translated by Edward Jones, Taipei Times／台北時報張聖恩）
Audio recordings for Speak Up! dialogues will be suspended until further notice due to the pandemic.
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
RSS