» Continued from yesterday / 接續昨日
t he successful animals gathered on the bank and watched as the rest of the contestants swam across. Before long, the horse came into view. The horse was swimming furiously and was just about to make land when a snake slithered out from under his hooves. The horse was so surprised that he reared up in shock, allowing the snake to slither across the line for sixth place. The horse got seventh, and was happy enough with that.
成�?F終點的動物們聚在岸邊，等著其他參賽動物游泳渡河。沒多久，牠們就看見馬的身影。馬奮力划水，就在要上岸時，一條蛇從馬蹄下竄出。牠大吃一驚高舉前蹄，讓蛇逮到機會滑過終點成為第六名。得到第七名的馬對自己拿到這個名次感到很滿意。
Then came the most amazing sight of an amazing day — a rooster, a monkey and a goat traveling together on a raft. The rooster had found the raft and the other two had helped to navigate and clear away reeds. When they finally touched down on the bank, the emperor was delighted. “I have never seen such a remarkable display of teamwork!” and with that he granted the goat the eighth year, the monkey the ninth and the rooster the tenth.
接下來是這了不起的一天最令人嘆為觀止的一幕──一隻公雞、一隻猴子和一頭山羊一起划著一艘木筏前來。公雞發現了這艘木筏，另外兩隻動物則幫忙划船和清開水面的蘆葦。等木筏終於靠岸時，玉帝非常高興，祂說：「我從未見過這麼合作無間的團隊！」隨後祂宣佈第八年為羊年，第九年為猴年，第十年為雞年。
There was long gap until the next animal arrived. The emperor was beginning to wonder if any other animals would make it across and if he had made his challenge too difficult. But he needn’t have worried because just then the dog appeared, nearing the shore. The dog explained that the water had been so clean that he couldn’t resist bathing in it. The emperor laughed and duly awarded him the eleventh year.
接下來很久很久都不見下一個動物出現。玉帝開始納悶是否還有動物能成�?e？祂的挑戰是否太過嚴苛？但祂無須操心，因為此時離岸不遠處出現了狗的身影。狗解釋說，因為河水實在太乾淨了，所以牠忍不住洗了個澡。玉帝大笑並名正言順宣佈第十一年為狗年。
So it just remained to be seen which animal would get the final place. The animals were discussing the subject when the pig appeared on the bank, earning him the twelfth year. The emperor’s trumpet players issued a fanfare and the emperor began to speak. “Congratulations to all the animals that made it across the river today. Your names will be remembered forever because of your amazing efforts today,” he said.
現在大家就等著看哪個動物會贏得最後一名。就在動物們議論紛紛時，豬上岸了，贏得第十二名。玉帝的傳令手吹鳴喇叭後，玉帝開始說話，祂說：「恭喜今天所有成�?e的動物們。你們今天令人驚嘆的表現，將讓你們名垂千古。」
But whatever happened to the cat who had sat on the ox’s head? The rat pushed him back into the river and he was swept back to the other bank, and since that day rats and cats have been enemies.(John Phillips, staff writer)
但原本坐在牛頭上的貓到哪兒去了呢？原來老鼠把牠推下河後，牠就被河水沖回對岸；自那天起，老鼠和貓便一直水火不容。（翻譯：袁星塵）
In 2024, the number of pet cats in Taiwan surpassed 1.31 million, a 50 percent jump from 2022. This sharp rise shows a growing interest in cat ownership. But with more cats comes a type of household waste many people overlook: used cat litter. Unlike food scraps or packaging, it’s harder to manage and often ends up in landfills. While many cat owners choose traditional mineral-based litter for its affordability, this popular option comes with hidden environmental costs. Most mineral litter is made from non-renewable resources and involves environmentally destructive mining processes. Plus, because it can’t be incinerated or easily broken
A: Popular humorous Japanese manga series “Chibi Maruko-chan” and “Crayon Shin-chan” will collaborate for their respective 40th and 35th anniversaries, publishing three crossover stories in April. B: Both were made into TV animation series, becoming huge hits in Asia. What are the crossover stories about? A: The first story features Shin-chan and his family visiting Maruko-chan’s hometown, Shizuoka City, where they run into each other. B: Wow, that sounds interesting. And then? A: The follow-ups feature Maruko-chan and her family visiting Shin-chan’s hometown, Kasukabe City. I bet the interactions between the two families will be funny. A: 熱門日本漫畫《櫻桃小丸子》、《蠟筆小新》4月將合作，為紀念小丸子40週年與小新35週年，推出三篇跨界聯動漫畫！ B:
Travel fever is back, and it’s contagious. After years of being kept home during the COVID-19 pandemic, people are once again eager to explore the world. Rather than just book any trip, travelers are getting smarter about how they scratch that travel itch. Microcation Defined as four days or fewer and over 160km away from home, the microcation perfectly matches the post-pandemic mindset. After long periods of remaining indoors, people are making up for lost time by taking short, frequent getaways throughout the year. These brief trips avoid the work-life imbalance that comes with long absences. With only a few days away, one’s
A: Apart from collaborating on crossover comics, “Chibi Maruko-chan” and “Crayon Shin-chan” will launch co-branded merchandise and pop-up stores this time. B: Actually, you don’t need to fly to Japan. Taipei’s Huashan 1914 Creative Park is hosting multiple anime-themed pop-up stores — including one for Shin-chan. A: Really? What other pop-up shops are there? B: They include stores themed around “Dragon Ball,” “Snoopy,” “Rilakkuma,” “One Piece,” “Jujutsu Kaisen,” “Frieren” and “Chiikawa X Sanrio.” A: Wow, I was just watching the second season of the live-action “One Piece.” We can visit the park during the Tomb-sweeping Day long weekend
RSS