Greek police have detained six migrants over a fire that razed the Moria refugee camp to the ground, the government has said, as thousands of displaced people refused to move to a new facility and demanded to leave Lesbos island. More than 12,000 people, mostly refugees from Afghanistan, Africa and Syria, were left without shelter, proper sanitation or access to food and water after a fire tore through the overcrowded Moria migrant camp on Wednesday last week. Greek authorities believe the fire was deliberately lit by camp occupants after quarantine measures were imposed following the discovery of COVID-19 cases on the site, but the incident has put the migrant issue firmly back on the European agenda. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis repeated a call for more help from the EU, which has struggled to find a unified approach to the migrant crisis at its borders, saying it was time for “tangible solidarity” from Europe. European Council President Charles Michel was due to visit Lesbos on Tuesday and government officials in Berlin said Germany could take in up to 1,500 people stranded by the fire, in addition to the 100 to 150 Berlin has already agreed to take in. But a wider solution has remained elusive. Mitsotakis said a permanent new reception facility would be built on Lesbos with EU support and that the notoriously overcrowded and squalid Moria camp “belongs to the past.” On the ground in Lesbos, however, thousands, including children, were still sleeping rough a week after the blaze. (Reuters) 希臘政府表示，日前一場大火將摩利亞難民營夷為平地，警方已拘留六名和這起事件有關的移民。這段時期，數千名流離失所的民眾拒絕搬入新的收容設施，更要求離開列士波斯島。 上週三，一場大火摧毀了人滿為患的摩利亞難民營，造成超過一萬兩千人──絕大多數為來自阿富汗、非洲以及敘利亞的難民──失去住所，缺乏良好的衛生條件，也無法取得食物和水。 希臘當局認為，難民營居民因不滿政府在當地驗出武漢肺炎（新冠病毒，COVID-19）病例後實施隔離措施，進而蓄意縱火。然而，這起事件強硬地把移民議題放回檯面上，迫使歐盟將其納入議程。 希臘總理基里亞科斯‧米佐塔基斯再度呼籲歐盟提供更多援助，並表示現在是歐洲「實質團結」的時刻。歐盟近年費盡心思，希望找出處理邊境移民危機的統一方式。 歐洲理事會主席查爾斯‧米歇爾預計於週二稍晚拜訪列士波斯島；另外，柏林的政府官員表示，除了柏林先前同意接納的一百到一百五十人之外，德國最多可以再接納一千五百名因這次大火失去依靠的移民。只是，更廣泛的解決方法仍然遙遙無期。 米佐塔基斯表示，新的永久性收容設施將會獲得歐盟援助，興建於列士波斯島上，惡名昭彰、擁擠不堪又骯髒的摩利亞難民營「將成為過去式。」 儘管如此，在大火肆虐的一週後，數千名難民，其中包括孩童，仍在列士波斯島上持續餐風露宿。 （台北時報章厚明編譯）
Let’s go for a spin in my new set of wheels (5/5)
坐我的新車去兜風吧（五）
A: Can you hear a strange noise? B: Now you mention it, I can hear a faint whirring sound. Also, there’s a slight whiff of burnt rubber. A: Uh-oh! I’d better pull over and take a look... OK, sit tight. I’ll pop the hood and take a look at the engine. B: What’s the prognosis? A: I think the fan belt has worn out and caused the engine to overheat. I’d better call a mechanic... A: 你有聽到一種奇怪的噪音嗎？ B: 既然你說了，我確實有聽到微弱的低沉呼呼聲。另外，我還聞到一點點燒焦的橡膠味。 A: 哦哦！我最好停車檢查一下……。好，你坐穩，我要把引擎蓋打開，看看引擎有沒有問題。 B: 你推斷的病情是什麼？ A: 我想應該是風扇的皮帶破損了，導致引擎過熱。我最好打個電話給維修人員……。 （Edward Jones, Taipei Times／台北時報章厚明譯） English 英文: Chinese 中文:
A: So what do you think of my Mini? B: Well. . . apart from the fact it’s absolutely boiling inside without any air conditioning — and the wind noise is quite loud compared to a modern car — it’s actually pretty cool! It feels a bit like I’m in a go-kart. A: That’s because of the Mini’s ultra-wide wheelbase, which means it handles corners really well. Modified Mini Coopers won the Monte Carlo Rally in 1964, 1965 and 1967. B: Wow! It feels like we’re driving in a piece of automobile history. A: 那麼，你覺得我的迷你車怎麼樣？ B: 嗯……除了車內沒有空調，感覺快被煮熟以外──而且風切聲跟現代汽車比起來有夠大聲──其實真的很酷！有一點感覺像是在卡丁車裡面。 A: 那是因為迷你車的車輪軸距超寬，這代表它應付轉角非常順暢。改裝過的迷你庫柏車曾經在一九六四、一九六五和一九六七年贏得蒙地卡羅拉力賽哦。 B: 哇！感覺像是我們正在駕駛汽車歷史的一部分呢！ （Edward Jones, Taipei Times／台北時報章厚明譯） English 英文: Chinese 中文:
Veteran singer Tarcy Su staged a show at the Taipei Music Center on Saturday last week, becoming the first to hold a large solo concert at the venue since it opened in Taipei’s Nangang District on Aug. 27. After releasing her first album for 13 years in March, Su finally held the first paid concert in her music career spanning three decades since 1990. To celebrate the grand opening of the new multipurpose center, singer-songwriter Kay Huang, the center’s chairwoman, also launched an inaugural concert featuring various artists on Sept. 5. The lineup included Golden Melody Award-winning singer LaLa Hsu, singer Waa Wei and band Sodagreen, which performed under a temporary stage name “Oaeen” due to a contract dispute with its former label. The Taipei Music Center, which cost NT$6 billion (about US$204.8 million) to build, is divided into three parts: the 6,000-capacity Performance Hall, the Pop Music Culture Hall and the Industrial Hall. It is part of the government’s efforts to boost Taiwan’s status as a hub in the Mando-pop world. (Eddy Chang, Taipei Times) 資深歌手蘇慧倫於上周六，在位於南港區的台北流行音樂中心(北流)開唱，成為該中心自八月二十七日開幕以來，首位舉辦大型個人演唱會的藝人。她在睽違十三年後於三月推出新專輯，一九九○年出道至今三十年，這次終於首度舉辦售票演唱會。 為慶祝這座全新的多功能中心盛大開幕，身兼北流董事長的創作歌手黃韻玲稍早在九月五日，亦邀請多位藝人參與開幕演唱會。演出陣容包括金曲歌后徐佳瑩、歌手魏如萱，以及和前東家鬧出合約糾紛，而暫時化名為「魚丁糸」演出的天團蘇打綠。 北流中心造價高達六十億台幣(約兩億多美元)，分為三大場館︰包括可容納約六千人的表演廳、一座流行音樂文化館和產業區。政府希望透過該中心，能提升台灣在華語流行音樂世界的中心地位。 (台北時報張聖恩)
A: Whoa, we’re only staying for three nights. What are you doing bringing all that luggage? B: Well, I wasn’t sure what the weather would be like, so I packed for all eventualities. I can put one bag in the trunk and the other on the back seat. A: No can do: the trunk in a Mini is minuscule. The toolkit and the spare tire take up most of the space. You’ll just have to sling one bag on the back seat and keep the other between your feet in the front. B: OK, no problem. A: 哇哦，我們只要過三個晚上，你打包那麼多行李做什麼啦？ B: 哦，我不太確定天氣會變得怎麼樣，所以為各種狀況做了準備。我可以把一包行李放在後車廂，另一包放在後座。 A: 不行，迷你車的後車廂超迷你，工具箱和備胎佔了絕大部分空間，你只能把一包行李丟到後座，另一個放在你前座腳中間。 B: 好哦，沒問題。 （Edward Jones, Taipei Times／台北時報章厚明譯） English 英文: Chinese 中文:
A: How about we organize a road trip to test out my new set of wheels? B: Alright. Any thoughts on where to go? A: I’m thinking of driving along the east coast and staying in Taitung for a long weekend. What do you think? B: That’s a great idea — but does your vintage car have air conditioning? A: I’m afraid not, but at least the weather is starting to cool down now. How about this Saturday? B: Sure. Let’s do it! A: 我們來規劃一趟公路旅行，試試我的新車，你覺得如何？ B: 好啊。你有想到去哪裡嗎？ A: 我打算沿著東海岸開，然後週末連假待在台東。你覺得呢？ B: 那真是太棒了──不過，你的經典車有空調嗎？ A: 恐怕沒有哦，反正天氣開始變涼了。星期六出發怎麼樣？ B: 當然。就這麼做吧！ （Edward Jones, Taipei Times／台北時報章厚明譯） English 英文: Chinese 中文:
The Western Section of the Taipei Metro’s Circular Line (the Yellow Line) in New Taipei City has been in operation since Jan. 31. On Sept. 6, someone riding in a Metro train car saw the quite moving scene of an elderly workman sitting on a paint pail that he had with him because he was afraid of dirtying the seats. Some netizens were moved to tears by the story. The person posted a photo on the “Baofei Commune” Facebook group. He said that when he was on the Circular Line in New Taipei City, he had come across an elderly workman going home from his job. When someone offered to give up their seat for him, the workman unexpectedly said: “I am dirty and I don’t want to make the seat dirty, too.” He then turned around and put a clean paint pail that he was carrying down on the floor like a chair, sat down on it and started swiping his cellphone as he rested. The person who posted the article said: “No profession is more precious than another. Everyone (well, not everyone) earns their money by the sweat of their brow. Every bit of thoughtfulness makes society that much warmer.” Netizens were quite moved by what the workman did. In the comments section, they said things like: “What a great guy – You have a pure and godly heart.” Someone else said: “Without laborers there would be no houses to live in. These laborers really deserve respect. Although they may not be able to afford to buy a house, they are still worthy of respect.” Another person even said: “I am crying.” (Translated by Julian Clegg, Taipei Times) 新北市捷運環狀線（黃線）西環段今年一月三十一日通車。九月六日有民眾在捷運車廂內看到相當令人感動的畫面，一名老工人深怕自己會弄髒座位，坐在自備的油漆桶上，令網友熱淚盈眶。 民眾將照片上傳至臉書社團「爆廢公社」，他表示，在新北捷運環狀線遇到了一名做工的老年工人，民眾對此要讓座給他，不料工人竟表示：「我身上髒，不要髒了座位。」接著轉身將自己攜帶的乾淨油漆桶放在地上，充當椅子坐著並開始滑手機、休息。 發布文章的民眾對此指出，「職業不分貴賤，人人（非全部）都是用汗水換新台幣，多點關愛社會多溫暖」；網友們也對於工人的舉動相當感動，在貼文留言區提到「好偉大的人。你有顆很聖潔的心」。還有人說「沒有工人沒有房子住，這些工人真的值得尊敬，雖然也可能買不起房，但還是值得尊敬」。甚至有人說「我哭了」。 (自由時報)
VieShow Cinemas’ Taipei Sun, a digital IMAX movie theater located in Taipei’s Ximending area, closed its doors on Sept. 8 in preparation for the building to be torn down for an urban renewal project. The fate of the mosaic mural The Rising Sun, which is 18.5 meters long and 3 meters high and is located on the second floor, has since become a focus of controversy. The mosaic mural was created by Yen Shui-long (1903-1997), an important figure in Taiwanese art, whose work ranged from painting, crafts and pottery to advertising design, and who was a pioneer in Taiwan’s arts and crafts. Yen was a cofounder of the Tai-Yang Art Society in 1934, along with Chen Cheng-po, Yang San-lang, Liao Chi-chun and other founding figures of modern Taiwanese art. Yen’s oil paintings cost millions of New Taiwan dollars and his mosaics are estimated to have a market value of tens of millions. The Rising Sun is one of 16 mosaic murals created by Yen during his lifetime. It was specially crafted for the opening of the theater (then named Sunrise Theater) in 1966 and became the theater’s greatest treasure. The theater and the mosaic are intertwined with the youthful memories of several generations. The magnificent mural is composed of abstract color blocks, yet with the details showing subtle changes in color. Taipei City Government therefore intervened to facilitate negotiations, and the builder, Songyang Investment Co, Ltd, which is also the owner of VieShow Cinemas’ Taipei Sun, agreed to preserve the mosaic mural properly and look for a suitable place for display. For now, the mural will be dismantled into parts and transported to the builder’s Nangang warehouse for storage. (Lin Lee-kai, Taipei Times) 台北西門町的日新威秀影城九月八日熄燈，將都更改建為綜合商業大樓。位於影城二樓，長約十八點五公尺、高三公尺的馬賽克鑲嵌壁畫《旭日東昇》，其去留成為關注焦點。 《旭日東昇》為著名台灣前輩藝術家顏水龍（一九○三～一九九七）之作品。顏水龍是台灣工藝美術先驅，其創作橫跨繪畫、工藝、陶藝、廣告設計，並在一九三四年與陳澄波、楊三郎、廖繼春等前輩藝術家共同創立臺陽美術協會，為台灣美術的重要人物。顏水龍的油畫動輒數百萬元，其馬賽克鑲嵌畫據估計也有上千萬的市價。 顏水龍生前創作了十六件馬賽克鑲嵌壁畫，《旭日東昇》為其中之一，是一九六六年應邀為戲院（當時名為「日新大戲院」）開幕而特別製作，成為鎮院之寶，連同戲院承載了許多人的青春回憶。壁畫壯觀宏偉，以抽象色塊構圖，細部卻又表現出細膩的色彩變化。 經台北市政府協調相關單位，日新戲院業主、建商松陽投資事業股份有限公司表示，會妥善保存原作，另覓合適地點規劃重現；目前將對壁畫進行切割，運送至松陽在南港的倉庫保存。 （台北時報林俐凱）
A: What do you think of my latest purchase? B: Wow, you finally pulled the trigger on a car. A: That’s right! It cost me an arm and a leg, but I’m now the proud owner of a vintage Mini. B: It’s so cool and really retro. I love the Union Jack design on the roof. How much did it set you back? A: That’s classified information, but I can tell you this much: I’ll be eating like a pauper every meal for the next year-and-a-half to pay off the bank loan. A: 你覺得我的新車怎麼樣？ B: 哇，你終於下定決心買車了。 A: 沒錯！它花了我不少錢，但是我現在成為了驕傲的經典款迷你車車主。 B: 這台車看起來超酷，而且很復古。我很愛車頂上的英國國旗設計。買下它花了你多少錢？ A: 這是機密哦，不過我可以告訴你：我接下來一年半每一餐都要吃得像貧民一樣省，才能付清銀行貸款。 （Edward Jones, Taipei Times／台北時報章厚明譯） English 英文: Chinese 中文:
Hundreds of fans attended a special kind of musical happening on Sept. 5 at a church in Germany: a chord change in an organ piece that is supposed to last for an entirety of 639 years. The performance of the ORGAN2/ASLSP, or As Slow As Possible, composition began in September 2001 at the St. Burchardi Church in the eastern town of Halberstadt and is supposed to end in 2640 if all goes well. The music piece by the American composer John Cage is played on a special organ inside the medieval church. The last sound has been the same one for the last six years and 11 months, and therefore the chord change on Saturday last week was a big event among fans of the John Cage Organ Project. A chord change means that the sound of the organ pipes changes either because new sounds are added or existing sounds end. On Sept. 5, two new organ pipes were added. Organizers say the performance is “one of the slowest realizations of an organ musical piece.” A compressor in the basement creates energy to blow air into the organ to create a continuous sound. When a chord change happens, it’s done manually. On Sept. 5, soprano singer Johanna Vargas and organist Julian Lembke changed the chord. The new sound reminded some listeners of the metallic buzz inside a big ship’s engine room. The next chord change is planned for Feb. 5, 2022, the German news agency DPA reported. When the piece officially started on Sept. 5, 2001, it began without any sound. It was only on Feb. 5, 2003, the day of the first chord change, that the first organ pipe chords could actually be heard inside the church. Cage was born in Los Angeles in 1912 and died in New York in 1992.
The practice of shenzhu (divine pig) “fattened pig” contests today play only a small role in Taiwan’s folk religion, but they are still held within a minority of temples. On Aug. 27, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Rosalia Wu held a news conference advocating for the shenzhu sacred pigs, objecting to the longstanding allowances given to breeders, and calling for strict enforcement of fines against the practice. Environment & Animal Society of Taiwan (EAST) researcher Tsun Fang-chu said private breeders keep the animals in cages and force-feed them to fatten them up, and over the long term this increase in weight means that the pigs cannot even move unaided, before finally being inhumanely slaughtered. According to Council of Agriculture statistics from last year, there were only seven breeders of divine pigs still operating in Taiwan, with the number of pigs being raised having fallen to just 34. However, research has found that, last year, at the Hsinchu County Yimin Festival alone, 31 divine pigs were entered into the competition, 20 of which weighed in at over 600kg. Also, 35 temples throughout Taiwan held these fattened pig contests, accounting for at least 270 animals. Wu said that worshiping the gods and inhumane treatment of animals are two completely different things, and that there is no good reason for inhumane breeding practices being used in the preparation of animals for divine pig contests. She emphasized that worshipers should have nothing to do with divine pig breeders using illegal animal abuse methods to gain economic benefit. (Translated by Paul Cooper, Taipei Times) 台灣民俗信仰少數有「賽神豬」大賽，目前仍有少數廟宇舉辦。上月二十七日，民進黨立委吳思瑤舉行記者會替神豬請命，抗議多年來包庇少數飼養戶，要求嚴格執法開罰。 台灣動物社會研究會研究員寸舫筑表示，民眾飼養神豬會使用下窟、灌食增肥等手段，由於神豬長期增肥導致行動癱瘓，最後更會面臨非人道屠宰。 農委會去年曾統計，全國飼養神豬戶剩下七戶，飼養頭數降為三十四頭，但研究會調查，光是去年新竹縣義民祭就有三十一頭神豬參賽，有二十頭為六百公斤以上的超重神豬，而全國舉辦賽神豬比賽的廟宇有三十五家， 且至少還有兩百七十多頭神豬。 吳思瑤表示，虔誠祀奉神明與不人道虐待動物完全是兩件事，而賽神豬也不必然必須使用不人道方式飼養，強調信徒與違法虐待方式謀取經濟利益的神豬飼養戶絕對不可相提並論。 （中央社）
A: I think I’ve got the basic calligraphy strokes down pat, but I’m still finding it hard to get the proportions right. My characters all seem kind of wonky and just, well, ugly! I feel like throwing in the towel. B: Don’t stress out about it too much. To create good art, you need to be in a relaxed frame of mind. Just keep practicing and you may find that what you originally thought was a deficiency actually develops into your own unique style. A: Alright, I’ll keep hammering away. B: That’s the spirit! A: 我覺得我對基本書法筆觸已經瞭若指掌了，不過要讓字體比例正確還真不容易。我的字看起來都有點搖搖晃晃，而且有一點，嗯，醜！我想放棄了。 B: 不要給自己太大壓力。要創造出好的藝術作品，你需要處於放鬆的心境。只要持續練習，你也許會發現原本以為的缺點，最後發展成自己獨特的風格。 A: 好吧，我會繼續堅持地練習。 B: 那就對了！ （Edward Jones, Taipei Times／台北時報章厚明譯） English 英文: Chinese 中文:
A: My favorite calligraphy style is probably cursive script: I like its flowing form. Which is your favorite style? B: I like cursive script too. You should check out works by contemporary Chinese calligrapher Ouyang Zhongshi. His cursive script calligraphy is really stunning. A: Thanks for the tip. I followed your advice and purchased a calligraphy brush and a practice cloth yesterday. I’m going to knuckle down for a long practice session this afternoon. B: Good luck! A: 我最喜歡的書法風格大概是「草書」，我喜歡那自由流動的形式。你最喜歡哪一種風格？ B: 我也喜歡「草書」。你應該去看看當代中國書法家歐陽中石的作品，他的草書書法真的很讓人驚艷。 A: 謝謝你的提議。我昨天聽你的建議去買了一支毛筆和水寫練習布。今天下午要用一段長時間來認真練習。 B: 加油！ （Edward Jones, Taipei Times／台北時報章厚明譯） English 英文: Chinese 中文:
South Korean supergroup BTS made history again last week when its first all-English song “Dynamite” debuted at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100 chart. BTS is the first Korean act to achieve this, smashing the record set by Psy, whose hit “Gangnam Style” reached No. 2 in 2012. The group also boasts a total of four No. 1 albums on Billboard. Asked if BTS felt like they have begun to earn more respect from the US, the group’s leader RM told AP: “We definitely feel that!” The group just won the Best Pop, Best K-pop, Best Group and Best Choreography awards at this year’s MTV Video Music Awards. Bit Hit Entertainment, its management agency, also announced two BTS concerts in Seoul next month. Meanwhile, the company has been granted preliminary approval for an “initial public offering” (IPO). Once going public, its market value will surge to 4.6 trillion Korean won (about US$3.9 billion), higher than the total value of Korea’s three biggest agencies: JYP, SM and YG. (Eddy Chang, Taipei Times) 南韓天團防彈少年團（BTS）於上週再度創下歷史，首支全英語新單曲《Dynamite》空降告示牌百大熱門單曲榜冠軍，打破韓國歌手Psy在二○一二年，以神曲《江南Style》創下的亞軍紀錄。該團還曾四度榮獲告示牌專輯榜冠軍。 當被問及他們是否覺得開始在美國得到更多的尊重時，隊長RM向美聯社表示：「我們的確是這麼認為！」該團剛在今年的MTV音樂錄影帶大獎上，勇奪最佳流行獎、最佳韓流獎、最佳團體獎和最佳編舞獎。BTS的經紀公司Big Hit娛樂則宣布，該團下個月將在首爾舉行兩場演唱會。 同時該公司所提交的「首次公開募股」（IPO）計畫已通過初審，一旦成功上市，Big Hit市值將達到四‧六兆韓元（三十九億美元），比南韓三大娛樂公司JYP、SM、YG的總市值還要高。 (台北時報張聖恩)
A: Do you know much about the different calligraphy styles? B: I just know the bare minimum: seal script is the really old one that we still use to engrave name chops. Then there is clerical script, which has wide, fat characters. A: I’m more familiar with semi-cursive script, the one that looks like flowing water, and cursive script, which is the very abstract one, like messy handwriting. B: Don’t forget standard script, which is probably the best place to start for a beginner. A: 你很了解不同的書法字體風格嗎？ B: 我只知道最粗淺的知識︰「篆書」是很古老的字體，我們現在仍然會用在姓名印章上。然後也有「隸書」，字體看起來較寬、較胖。 A: 我比較熟悉「行書」，就是看起來像流動的水那種風格，還有「草書」，很抽象的那種，就像亂七八糟的手寫。 B: 別忘了「楷書」，這也許是最適合新手開始的起點。 （Edward Jones, Taipei Times／台北時報章厚明譯） English 英文: Chinese 中文:
A: Do you think I need to take classes from a calligraphy master if I want to improve my calligraphy? B: You could, but if you want to save money, there are plenty of books available. You could find a style of calligraphy that you like, and then practice copying it at home. A: How about materials? Should I splash out on a top-notch brush and some good quality paper? B: If I were you, I would buy one of those magic calligraphy cloths that you use with water. They also have grids on them to help you structure the characters properly. A: That’s a great idea! A: 如果我想把書法寫好，你覺得我需要找一位書法大師上課嗎？ B: 可以啊，但是如果你想省錢，也有很多書可以參考。你可以找一種喜歡的書法風格，然後在家練習臨摹。 A: 那材料呢？我是不是應該不計血本買一枝高級毛筆跟品質好的紙？ B: 如果我是你，我會去買一塊那種書法水寫布，可以用水重複書寫。上面還有印格子，能幫助你正確建構字體。 A: 真是個好方法！ （Edward Jones, Taipei Times／台北時報章厚明譯） English 英文: Chinese 中文:
Local guide Yang Wei-jen was very upset when he discovered that someone had maliciously scratched a century-old Buddhist statue on the Jhueilu Old Road trail in Taroko National Park. In a post on his Facebook timeline, Yang said that when he was guiding a group of hikers along the trail on Aug. 24, he noticed numerous conspicuous scratches on the face of the Guanyin bodhisattva statue and took photos on the spot to record the damage. Yang said that he did not understand why anyone would damage a holy statue that has been protecting Taiwan for more than a century. Were they not afraid of suffering bad karma? Yang urged the public to take proper care of historic artifacts. Interviewed by reporters the next day, Yang said that the damaged Guanyin bodhisattva is in an out-of-the-way location with no surveillance cameras along the way, so it would be hard to catch the culprit. He suggested that the park headquarters install a protective acrylic screen, or else move the century-old Buddhist statue to the visitor center at the foot of the mountains. He suggested setting up a Hehuan historic mountain trail memorial hall where historically valuable artifacts could all be looked after in one place. The Taroko National Park Headquarters said that park rangers and officers of the Seventh Special Police Corps’ Ninth Division had gone into the mountains to investigate, and that they had confirmed that the stone Buddhist statue in the second tunnel of the Jhueilu Old Road trail did indeed show signs of having been scribbled upon. The park headquarters said that at this stage it would figure out how to repair the statue and reinforce area patrols. The park headquarters said that the carved stone Buddhist statue, which is about 60cm tall, was left where it now stands when the
After two years of refurbishment, the Pingtung County Library reopened its doors on Aug. 28. Surrounded by the greenery in the Millennium Park in Pingtung City, the building has quickly become the city’s latest landmark. According to Pingtung Country Government Cultural Affairs Department, the new library, which positions itself as “our library,” has 700 seats and a collection of 400,000 volumes, increased from the original 150,000 books. The library uses RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology throughout its collection, and introduces Taiwan’s first smart shelf for book returns, in addition to the 24-hour drive-through book return system. Pingtung County Commissioner Pan Men-an says the library will function as Pingtung’s central library and integrate the resources of 33 township libraries and school and community reading groups, working together to help Pingtung residents enhance their appreciation of literature. According to Malone Chang, the architect who designed the new library, unlike with other public libraries, the refurbishment of Pingtung County Library is based on the existing building and did not involve tearing down the original structure. This not only preserves the culture and maintains an emotional bond with the building, but “the renovation enabled us to keep the concrete, which otherwise would take over 100 years to decompose, in place.” Each floor is carefully designed for different ages and ethnic groups, with the fourth floor dedicated to Pingtung’s literature and cultural diversity, displaying the works of local writers and books in Southeast Asian languages. The library has also rearranged the American Shelf originally set up in the Pingtung County Cultural Office Library 5 years ago, displaying books on American society, culture, geography, history and stories provided by the American Institute in Taiwan. The Reading Festival in Pingtung opened on Sept. 4 and runs through Nov. 1, featuring talks by writers and chefs, cultural tours and “locomotive libraries” converted from
A: How’s your calligraphy? B: Not great. After graduating from university I hardly ever write by hand, so both my handwriting and calligraphy is really poor. Why do you ask? A: I went to a calligraphy exhibition yesterday and was deeply inspired by the beauty of the brush strokes. But at school, I never had the slightest interest in it. B: Well, we live in a digital world. Perhaps our minds are unconsciously craving analog stimulation — kind of like how vinyl has made a comeback. A: Hmm... you may be on to something. A: 你的書法寫得如何？ B: 不太好。大學畢業之後，我幾乎就沒有用手寫字了，所以我的手寫和書法都很糟。你怎麼會問這個？ A: 我昨天去看一個書法展，深受那些筆觸的美感啟發。但是在學校的時候，我對書法從不感興趣。 B: 嗯，生活在數位世界中，也許我們的心智無意識地渴求類比的刺激——有點像是黑 膠唱片重出江湖那樣。 A: 嗯……你也許有點道理。 （Edward Jones, Taipei Times／台北時報章厚明譯） English 英文: Chinese 中文:
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