Birds may have really small brains, but that doesn't mean they are stupid. For example, pigeons are much smarter birds than you might think.
There are some pigeons that know how to find their home from hundreds of kilometers away without getting lost. Because of this special ability, people used to use pigeons to carry messages over long distances. They would write a message on a piece of paper and tie it to their pigeon's leg, then let it go. In fact, there were some armies that used pigeons to deliver messages during wars as late as the 1950s. Now that everybody has a telephone, people don't need pigeons to deliver messages. Instead, they use them for fun. All over the world, there are pigeon races to see whose pigeon can fly home the fastest.
(Marc Langer, staff writer)
PHOTO : AP
鳥的腦袋也許很小,但不表示牠們笨,例如鴿子就比你想像的聰明多了。
有些鴿子知道如何在百里外找到回家的路而不會迷失方向,人類利用鴿子這項能力傳遞長途訊息,他們將訊息寫在一張紙上,把紙綁在鴿子腳上後放行。事實上,一直到ㄧ九五○年代都還有軍隊在戰時以飛鴿通訊。
如今人人有電話,不再需要飛鴿傳書,於是改而用鴿子來娛樂。全世界都有賽鴿活動,比賽誰的鴿子最快回到家。 (翻譯:鄭湘儀)
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