Taiwan took 74 medals, including 11 gold, 23 silver and 40 bronze, at the Concours Lepine International that closed on May 6 in Paris. The Concours Lepine International Paris, which has been held since 1901, is one of the world’s most prestigious invention fairs.
Among the country’s medalists were two who were participating for the first time and who also received special mentions from the French organizers. They were Chang Chun-hsiang and Kuo Yu-hsin, both 14-year-old students from Kuai Ji Junior High School in Taoyuan, and were awarded medals for their devices.
Chang’s gold winning device, the “anti-doze alarm detector,” is worn around the user’s neck and makes a warning signal or vibration to keep students or drivers alert when it senses a downward tilt in head movement. According to Chang, the idea was conceived after seeing so many traffic-related accidents in the news due to drunk driving or drivers dozing off behind the wheel.
Photo courtesy of Kuai Ji Junior High School
照片：會稽國中提供
Kuo’s device of an anti-flood alarm detector, for which he won a bronze medal, can be placed anywhere indoors where flooding could potentially take place, and will emit an alarm when the water gets to a certain level. Kuo said his family’s washing machine is on the top floor, and he came up with the idea when the pipe split, causing the apartment to flood.
(CNA, translated by Lin Lee-kai)
台灣發明家今年組團參加巴黎雷平發明展。雷平發明展五月六日舉行頒獎典禮，台灣一共獲得七十四面獎牌，其中包括十一面金牌、二十三面銀牌、四十面銅牌。雷平發明展自一九○一年開始舉辦，是世界上最具聲望的發明展之一。
此外，發明展特別表揚這次參展團內的兩名十四歲國中二年級學生發明人，分別是郭宇新和張鈞翔，他們都來自桃園市會稽國中，都是首次參賽，且發明的裝置都獲獎。
張鈞翔的「打瞌睡警示器」獲得金牌。在脖子上戴上這個裝置，當頭向下傾斜到一定程度，就會發出信號或震動警示。他說，這項發明的靈感來源是因為常常在電視上看到酒駕或打瞌睡造成車禍。
郭宇新的「防洪警鈴」獲得銅牌，是一種居家型警示器，可裝在室內任何可能淹水的地方，當水面到達一定高度，就會發出警訊。郭宇新說，他家的洗衣機放在頂樓，有次水管破裂，造成住家淹水，讓他想出了這個發明。
（中央社）
★ Bilingual Story is a fictionalized account. 雙語故事部分內容純屬虛構。 “Get in. It’s pouring.” She slid into the back seat, drenched and silent. “Tissues?” the driver asked. “No, thank you,” she said. Water beaded off her hair, ran from her coat, and made a small lake on the vinyl. She kept her head down, long black strands clinging to her face. “Where to?” She gave an address. “Funeral?” he asked as they slipped into the Xinhai Tunnel, rain fading to a hollow drum. She glanced up, puzzled. “No. Why?” “Crematorium’s about the only thing here.” He caught her eyes in the mirror.
Have you ever dreamed of hiking Taiwan’s majestic Mt. Jade or visiting Peru’s breathtaking Machu Picchu? These adventures sound amazing, but there’s something you should know about first: “altitude sickness.” This condition strikes when you climb to a higher elevation too quickly. The higher you go, the thinner the air becomes, making it harder for your body to absorb oxygen. The symptoms usually begin within hours of reaching high altitudes — about 2,500 meters or higher. You might experience headaches, dizziness, nausea, shortness of breath, or extreme fatigue. These symptoms can last for several days. The severity of altitude sickness varies
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