Throughout its history, Luxembourg has been known as a thriving state in a position of great importance for its European neighbors. One of the smallest countries in Europe, today it is the world’s only Grand Duchy. Find out more about this tiny trilingual country, and how it came to be an independent state surrounded by much bigger, more powerful countries.
溯其歷史，盧森堡對其歐洲鄰國一直是地位重要的昌盛之國。她是歐洲幾個蕞薾小國之一，如今是世界上唯一的公國。深入了解這個三語小國，以及她如何在超強大國環伺的情況之下成為獨立國家。
A closer look 說古論今
Although it is independent today, Luxembourg has been at the center of European history for centuries. It’s history goes as far back as the Roman Empire, when the Romans built two roads that intersected there. Hundreds of years later, a man built a small castle on that spot, and a town grew up around it. The castle was built at the top of a steep cliff, and rivers ran through the surrounding areas. This made it very difficult to attack Luxembourg. Today, Luxembourg’s position gives the capital city, Luxembourg City, lots of beautiful views, pretty bridges and lovely scenery. Long ago, this meant that all the European powers wanted to hold Luxembourg, and from the 15th century on, many of them did. Luxembourg is ruled by a Duke or Duchess, and has been independent since 1839, although at that time Luxembourg lost a lot of land to Belgium.
Until 1890, the Duke of Luxembourg and the King of the Netherlands were the same person. In 1890, the King of the Netherlands (who was also the Duke of Luxembourg) died, and he left no male heir. Since it was legal for a woman to be queen in the Netherlands, the King’s daughter became the next Queen of the Netherlands. However, Luxembourg’s laws at the time stated that only a man could rule, so another relative was chosen to become the Duke of Luxembourg, and the two countries have had separate rulers ever since. The people of Luxembourg enjoy a relatively tranquil and comfortable life. The country is economically very comfortable, and the citizens of Luxembourg live well and peacefully.
盧森堡今日雖為獨立國家，幾百年來卻一直是歐洲歷史的中心。她的歷史最遠可回溯至羅馬帝國，當時羅馬修築的兩條道路交會於此，數百年後一名男子在此地蓋了一座小城堡，周圍發展為城鎮。這座城堡蓋在陡峭的懸崖上，有河流流經周圍地區，使盧森堡成為難以攻陷的據點。今日盧森堡的地理位置讓其首府盧森堡市擁有綺麗的視野、美麗的橋樑和宜人的景緻，但很久以前，這意味著所有歐洲強權都覬覦盧森堡，而十五世紀後盧森堡也確實被許多歐洲國家掌控。盧森堡為公爵或公爵夫人統治，一八三九年後成為獨立國家，不過當時比利時取走盧森堡許多領土。
一八九○年以前，盧森堡公爵及荷蘭國王為同一人。一八九○年，荷蘭國王駕崩（同時也是盧森堡公爵），膝下無子，因法律准許女人登基為后，國王的女兒便繼任為荷蘭皇后，不過當時盧森堡法律明定統治者只能為男性，國王的另一位親戚便被選為盧森堡公爵，從此這兩個國家有各自的統治者。盧森堡的人民享受較寧靜舒適的生活，經濟富裕，生活優逸安和。
（翻譯︰鄭湘儀）
If you think you’re cool and know all the latest trends, then here’s a question for you: What does the word “brat” mean? If you said something like, “a child who behaves badly or is annoying or rude,” you might not be as hip as you think. This four-letter word now has a new definition that has become quite popular. Its popularity caught the eye of Collins Dictionary, which crowned it as “Word of the Year 2024.” According to this new meaning of brat, it is used as an adjective to describe someone who has a confident, independent, and hedonistic
A: Seeing as the 2025 Michelin Guide extended to New Taipei City and Hsinchu City and County, it’s hard to believe that none of the restaurants won a Michelin star. B: Some fine establishments — like Hsinchu’s A Cut steakhouse — surely deserve the honor. A: Michelin-starred restaurants have good quality food, but some of them are so pricey. B: I once had barbeque pork at a starred restaurant that set me back NT$4,800. That’s even higher than my weekly food budget. A: No wonder several of them have closed down recently, as high prices and the tariff war are scaring off
A: The Michelin Guide Taiwan announced the 2025 Bib Gourmand eateries and starred restaurants last week. B: What were the highlights this year? A: In addition to Taipei, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung, New Taipei City and Hsinchu City and County were included for the first time. B: As a New Taipei resident, I can’t wait to try all the awarded local delicacies. Should we start from the more affordable Bib Gourmand selection? A: Sure, New Taipei and Hsinchu each boast 15 Bib Gourmand eateries now, including some famous establishments such as San Tung restaurant. A: 2025《米其林指南》近日公布「必比登推介」和星級餐廳。 B: 今年的名單有哪些亮點？ A: 除了台北、台中、台南、高雄，今年加入新北、新竹縣市！ B: 身為新北人，我真想吃遍當地的美食，我們要不要從平價的必比登先開始？ A: 好啊新北、新竹各有15家入選必比登，像山東小館等知名餐廳都有上榜唷。 （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張迪）
Continued from yesterday（延續自昨日） https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang Interestingly, one of the words Collins Dictionary discarded was selected by Oxford University Press (OUP) for its own Word of the Year. On its Web site, the publishing house of the University of Oxford stated it had conducted a public poll in which over 37,000 people participated. The voters, along with OUP’s language experts, settled on the term “brain rot.” One main reason for the decision was the vast amount of interest in the noun during 2023 and 2024, with its usage increasing by 230 percent. In fact, brain rot is not a new term by any
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