Palestinians relished a rare moment of pride and national unity after a 23-year-old wedding singer from a refugee camp in the Gaza Strip won “Arab Idol,” a regional TV singing contest watched by millions of people.
With the announcement of Mohammed Assaf’s victory, fireworks lit up the sky over the West Bank and Gaza. Thousands who had watched the final show on outdoor screens in the two territories broke into cheers and chants of “Palestine, Palestine.”
As Assaf advanced in the competition, excitement and national pride kept building in the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem, the territories where the Palestinians one day hope to establish a state. Rooting for the talented performer has allowed Palestinians to feel as one people, forgetting at least briefly their political and geographic split. Gaza is cut off from the West Bank and east Jerusalem, which lie on the other side of Israel.
Photo: AFP
照片:法新社
Politicians have tried to latch on to Assaf’s popularity. The Western-backed Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas called Assaf in May to congratulate him on his strong showing and later, in a statement, urged people across the region to vote for the singer.
(AP)
在一名來自加薩走廊難民營的二十三歲婚禮歌手贏得有數百萬觀眾收看的中東歌唱比賽節目「阿拉伯偶像」冠軍後,巴勒斯坦人終於可以享受難得一見的驕傲與全國團結時刻。
在節目宣布穆汗默德‧阿薩夫獲勝後,約旦河西岸與加薩走廊的天際被各色煙火照亮。在這兩地觀看戶外決賽轉播的數千名觀眾高興地大聲歡呼,並高喊「巴勒斯坦,巴勒斯坦」的口號。
隨著阿薩夫在比賽中節節晉級,西岸、加薩與東耶路撒冷等巴勒斯坦人希望有一天能在此建國的地區,群眾的激動情緒與民族驕傲也跟著不斷上升。替這位極具天分的歌手加油讓巴勒斯坦人感覺到他們屬於同一個民族,暫時忘卻了他們在政治與地理上的分裂。位於以色列另一邊的加薩走廊被分隔在約旦河西岸和東耶路撒冷之外。
政治人物則試圖把握機會藉阿薩夫的人氣沾光。獲西方國家支持的巴勒斯坦自治政府主席阿巴斯五月就曾致電給阿薩夫,向他在節目中的優異表現道賀,後來又發表聲明呼籲巴境所有民眾都應投票支持阿薩夫。
(美聯社/翻譯:俞智敏)
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