Mysterious and terrifying, North Korea is the most isolated country on earth. Kim Jong Il, known as the Dear Leader, rules as a god-king. He controls the world’s fourth largest army and plutonium for nuclear weapons. As we penetrate North Korea with a doctor on a mission to make the blind see, we’ll find a world of absolute conformity full of government minders and unimaginable horrors that people risk their lives to escape.
神祕、駭人的北韓是全球最孤立的國家。「親愛的領袖」金正日，統治風格猶如君權神授，他控制全球第四大軍隊，擁有製造核武的鈽。我們這次跟著身負讓盲人重見天日任務的醫師滲透北韓，將看到完全服從的世界，到處都是政府督察，人們甘冒生命危險逃離無可想像的恐怖。
It’s 1.45am at the 38th parallel along the border of North and South Korea. The 238km-long border is the most heavily militarized in the world. This joint South Korean-American platoon is on constant alert for infiltrators from the North. Behind these fences, North Korea has a million-man army and now nuclear weapons which they could use or possibly give away to terrorists. The soldiers can monitor every sound and movement close to the border. But what makes this place so dangerous is the uncertainty of what lies on the other side of the divide.
凌晨一點四十五分，這裡是南、北韓交界的北緯三十八度線。兩百三十八公里長的邊界是全球最多重軍駐守之處，美韓軍隊隨時注意是否有北韓人滲透。北韓在圍牆後部署了一百萬軍力，現在還有核武可供自用或交給恐怖分子。士兵可監控邊界附近所有動靜，然而這裡之所以危險，是因為邊界另一邊對這裡一無所知。
North Korea is one of the most secretive countries on earth and is regarded as an intelligence black hole. But we know some basic facts: North Korea is roughly the size of Greece. It has 23 million people, a showcase capital, Pyongyang, and is completely controlled by Kim Jong Il. The Dear Leader is an absolute dictator, worshipped in a personality cult perhaps more extreme than any other in history. Kim Jong Il is the son of God in North Korea. Kim Jong Il is the state. The notion of questioning his ability to rule or what he does doesn’t enter into things. Everyone is trained from birth to love the Dear Leader, and no outside sources of information are allowed. Newspapers and television are controlled by the state. There’s no Internet, cell phones have been banned and many don’t even know a man has walked on the moon.
北韓是世上最神祕的國家之一，人稱「情報黑洞」，但我們知道某些基本事實：北韓面積大約相當於希臘，人口兩千三百萬人，首都平壤如同展示櫥窗，全國都由金正日掌控。親愛的領袖是絕對的獨裁者，可能是有史以來最受崇拜的政治人物。他在北韓如同天神之子，他就是政府，沒有人會質疑他的領導能力或作為。所有人出生後就被教育要敬愛這位「親愛的領袖」，人民不得接觸外界資訊，報紙與電視都由政府控制。北韓沒有網際網路，也禁止使用行動電話，許多人甚至不知道人類已經上了月球。
North Korea is known as the hermit kingdom because of its extreme isolation from the rest of the world. But on the other side of Asia, one man is literally planning to bring light to the darkness of North Korea. Nepalese eye surgeon Dr Sanduk Ruit travels the world setting up eye clinics in developing countries. Dubbed a miracle doctor by the media, Ruit trains local doctors in inexpensive and effective treatments for cataracts. North Korea may be his biggest challenge yet. Thousands of people go blind due to a lack of even the most basic medical facilities. The annual number of surgeries performed is tiny and the blindness magnitude is one of the highest in the world.
北韓是所謂的「隱士王國」，完全孤立於全世界之外。但在亞洲的另一端，有名男子計畫要名副其實地將光明帶進黑暗的北韓。尼泊爾眼科醫生桑都•魯特周遊列國，在開發中國家設立眼科診所，媒體稱他為「奇蹟醫生」。魯特訓練當地醫生以便宜又有效的方法治療白內障。北韓可能是他至今的最大挑戰。因為缺乏最基本的醫療設備，成千上萬人因此失明。每年接受手術的人數少之又少，因此北韓的失明人數是全球最多的國家之一。
A: Hard rock band Guns N’ Roses is touring Taiwan tomorrow. What about pop diva Lady Gaga? B: Unfortunately, Singapore has once again exclusively secured Gaga’s concerts in Asia, just like Taylor Swift’s exclusive Asian shows last year. A: The Singaporean government reportedly paid up to US$2.2 million to secure Swift’s shows. B: And the shows did boost its economy and tourism. A: But I’m angry about this approach, so I’m not going to Gaga’s shows this time. A: 硬式搖滾天團槍與玫瑰明天即將來台，流行天后女神卡卡呢？ B: 真可惜，新加坡再度取得卡卡亞洲巡演的獨家主辦權，就像去年泰勒絲的亞洲獨家演出一樣。 A: 據報導新加坡政府付出高達220萬美元，取得泰勒絲的亞洲獨家主辦權。 B: 而她的秀也的確提振了該國的經濟和旅遊業。 A: 但我對此還是很不爽，所以不去新加坡看卡卡了！ （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張迪）
A: Hard rock band Guns N’ Roses and pop diva Lady Gaga are finally touring Asia again. B: Are they also coming to Taiwan? A: The band will stage a show at the Taoyuan Sunlight Arena on Saturday. B: Wow, so this will be the band’s third visit. I really love its 1992 power ballad “November Rain.” The nine-minute hit was the Billboard chart’s longest song at one point. A: Let’s go celebrate the 40th anniversary of its release. A: 硬式搖滾天團槍與玫瑰、女神卡卡終於再度展開亞洲巡演了。 B: 他們也會來台巡演嗎？ A: 槍與玫瑰本週六即將在桃園陽光劇場開唱唷。 B: 哇這將是該團第三次來台演出，我超愛他們1992年強力情歌《November Rain》，全長近9分鐘還曾是告示牌排行榜最長神曲。 A: 那我們一起去慶祝該團出道40週年吧！ （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張迪）
Every May 1, Hawaii comes alive with Lei Day, a festival celebrating the rich culture and spirit of the islands. Initiated in 1927 by the poet Don Blanding, Lei Day began as a tribute to the Hawaiian custom of making and wearing leis. The idea was quickly adopted and officially recognized as a holiday in 1929, and leis have since become a symbol of local pride and cultural preservation. In Hawaiian culture, leis are more than decorative garlands made from flowers, shells or feathers. For Hawaiians, giving a lei is as natural as saying “aloha.” It shows love and
If you could nominate any toys for the Toy Hall of Fame, what would they be? Iconic playthings like yo-yos, toy cars, or video games seem like obvious __1__. Classic toys such as jacks, playing cards, and board games like Chess, Monopoly, and Uno have brought endless joy to generations. Overall, there are countless toys that __2__ in the Toy Hall of Fame. The National Toy Hall of Fame was __3__ in 1998 at The Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York. The Toy Hall of Fame aims to __4__ items that have been cherished for generations, and several
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