Today, most people have at least one couch in their house. They like to sit on their couch and watch TV. But it might surprise you to find out that throughout history, couches have been used for many different purposes.
For example, a long time ago, only rich people had couches. In the Middle East, kings used couches as their thrones. In Italy, people didn't sit in chairs while they ate. Instead, they put couches around their table and ate while lying down. Regular people have been able to afford couches only for a few hundred years.
Today, people like to sit on couches to relax. If someone likes to spend too much time relaxing on the couch and not working, you can call him or her a "couch potato." (Marc Langer, Staff Writer)
PHOTO : AP
今天,多數人家裡至少都有一張沙發。人們喜歡坐在沙發上看電視。不過,了解到歷史上沙發的用途五花八門,可能會讓你大吃一驚。
例如,在很久以前,有錢人才有沙發。中東的國王將沙發做為王位。義大利人吃東西時不坐在椅子上,而是在餐桌四周擺上沙發,躺下來吃東西。一般人買得起沙發,也不過才幾百年的歷史。
今日,人們喜歡坐在沙發上休息。假如某個人喜歡終日窩在沙發上無所事事,你就可以稱那個人為「couch potato」(沙發馬鈴薯)。
(翻譯:賴美君)
A: I want to go to Neihu to see the cherry blossoms. B: Do you want to go by YouBike? A: Well, how much does it cost? B: The Taipei City Government just announced that riders can use the bicycles for free for the first 30 minutes! A: Great! Riding bikes is also more eco-friendly than driving. A: 我想去內湖賞櫻花耶。 B: 那要不要騎YouBike微笑單車去? A: 車費怎麼算? B: 台北市政府最近宣布︰前30分鐘免費! A: 太棒了,而且也比開車更環保。 (By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/台北時報張聖恩)
One of us is a murderer. The terrifying thought fills your head. There’s a corpse in the next room, and one of your fellow diners put it there. As the evening progresses, you learn disturbing secrets about everyone, and you’re forced to confess to a few yourself. You all have motives for the crime, but who committed it? Fortunately, it’s just a game. Murder mystery games are multiplayer role-playing games designed to be played over the course of an evening. The concept likely originated with “wink murder,” an amusing pastime that became popular in the early 1900s. In this game, a “murderer” kills
A: How does Taipei’s YouBike service charge after the free ride for the first 30 minutes? B: It’s NT$10 every 30 minutes within four hours. A: What a bargain. No wonder Taipei is listed by Britain’s “Time Out” magazine as one of the best 50 cities in the world. B: But I spotted a few English mistakes on YouBike’s Web site. A: I guess that aspect of it still has room for improvement. A: 台北市YouBike前30分鐘免費,之後怎麼算? B: 4小時內每30分鐘10元。 A: 真劃算,難怪台北市會入選英國《Time Out》雜誌全球最佳的50座城市。 B: 不過我在YouBike的網站上看到了好幾個英文錯誤。 A: 看來這個部分還有改善的空間。(By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/ 台北時報張聖恩)
Mullet roe is a highly-priced delicacy typically served during special occasions like wedding banquets or Chinese New Year’s dinners, where families come together in celebration. The mullet roe can be prepared in various ways. It is usually pan-fried but can also be roasted or torched. To cook a pan-fried mullet roe, soak it in liquor or wine and peel off its membrane. Then, it is browned over a low fire and turned several times. Finally, the fried mullet roe is cut diagonally and is ready to be served. This dish is usually served with garlic scapes and daikon slices, but