There's a whole, wide world out there! All around the world, people just like you are living interesting lives in places you have never heard of. Take a minute to get to know Kyrgyzstan, and find out what makes the Kyrgyz people tick.
世界之大，無奇不有！同為地球村民，有些人住在你從未聽過的地方過著有趣的生活。花一點時間來了解吉爾吉斯這個國家，看看激發吉爾吉斯人的動力究竟為何。
A closer look 說古論今
PHOTO: AFP
The people who live in Kyrgyzstan today have a diverse and complicated history. They are from many different places and ethnic backgrounds. The largest group, the Kyrgyz, have a history that goes back to 201BC. As a group, they moved around the area for hundreds of years, and then finally settled in modern Kyrgyzstan sometime in the 15th century.
Traditionally, the Kyrgyz are nomads, taking their sheep and other animals into the high mountain areas where there is good grass during the warmer summer months, and then coming back down again when the weather turns cold. As nomads, their traditional house, called a yurt, is a large, round, tent-like structure that can be packed up and moved from place to place easily.
A yurt has a large hole at the top where smoke can go out and sunlight can come in. Most of Kyrgyzstan is covered in mountains. In the winter, there can be a lot of snow that makes roads icy, dangerous and sometimes impassable. For this reason, it can be very hard to travel around. Horses and other animals are still used to travel in many places in Kyrgyzstan because they are cheaper and more convenient than cars.
現今的吉爾吉斯人有段多元且複雜的歷史，他們分別來自許多不同的地方，擁有迥異的民族背景。吉爾吉斯人是當中最大的一支，其歷史可回溯至西元前二０一年。幾百年來，他們集體四處遷徙，直到西元第十五世紀才在現今的吉爾吉斯定居。
傳統上，吉爾吉斯人是逐水草而居的游牧民族，他們會趁著天候較暖的夏季，把羊群及其他動物趕到綠草青青的高山地區，然後等天氣轉冷時再回到山下。身為游牧民族的他們，傳統住屋稱為蒙古包，這種有如帳篷的圓形大建築，十分便於打包及搬移。
蒙古包的頂端有個大洞，除了可以排出火煙，還能引進陽光。吉爾吉斯境內多屬山區。冬季時，大雪常造成路面濕滑、險象環生，有時甚至無法通行，讓四處環遊難上加難。吉爾吉斯許多地方的旅遊活動仍利用花費較低廉且便利性也比汽車高的馬兒和其他動物做為工具。
A Cameroon-flagged cargo vessel “Shunxin-39” was believed to have caused damage to an undersea cable of Taiwan telecoms operator Chunghwa Telecom on the morning of Jan. 3. It was suspected that the Chinese merchant ship, which was registered with the nationality of another country, deliberately cut off the cable by dragging the anchor over it. While the incident is still under investigation, China has a long history of using maritime tactics to sabotage Taiwan’s infrastructure. In February last year, two cables linking Taiwan to its outlying Matsu Islands were damaged within days of each other by a Chinese fishing
Have you ever dreamed of using an entire city as your training ground, effortlessly moving across walls, buildings, stairs, and obstacles? This is not just a fantasy from the movies. In cities around the world, a group of enthusiasts practice this seemingly impossible sport — “parkour.” The origins of parkour can be traced back to 20th-century France. A military officer named Georges-Hebert witnessed the incredible physical abilities of local residents in Africa, which inspired him to create the Methode Naturelle, or natural method. This training method cleverly combined climbing, running, and swimming with artificial barriers to mimic nature. Later, David Belle
A: Who else is on Billboard’s list: “The 25 greatest pop stars of the 21st Century?” B: No. 15 to 6 are: Miley Cyrus, Justin Timberlake, Nicki Minaj, Eminem, Usher, Adele, Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, Kanye West and Britney Spears. A: I can’t believe that Adele’s only at No. 10. B: No. 5 to 1 are: Lady Gaga, Drake, Rihanna, Taylor Swift and Beyonce. A: Well, they surely deserve the honor. A: 《告示牌》雜誌的「21世紀最偉大的25位流行歌手」，還有誰上榜啊？ B: 第15至6名是：麥莉希拉、大賈斯汀、妮姬米娜、阿姆、亞瑟小子、愛黛兒、亞莉安娜、小賈斯汀、肯伊威斯特、小甜甜布蘭妮。 A: 真不敢相信愛黛兒只排第10名。 B: 第5至1名是：女神卡卡、德瑞克、蕾哈娜、泰勒絲、碧昂絲。 A: 這幾位真是實至名歸！ （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張聖恩）
A: The 21st Century is now entering its 25th year. B: So Billboard has released a list: “The 25 greatest pop stars of the 21st Century.” A: Who are the greatest pop singers? B: No. 25 to 16 are: Katy Perry, Ed Sheeran, Bad Bunny, One Direction, Lil Wayne, Bruno Mars, BTS, The Weeknd, Shakira and Jay-Z. A: Wow, my favorite K-pop supergroup BTS has made it to the list. A: 21世紀正在邁入第25個年頭了。 B: 《告示牌》雜誌特別公布：「21世紀最偉大的25位流行歌手」。 A: 最偉大的歌手有哪些？ B: 第25至16名是：凱蒂佩芮、紅髮艾德、壞痞兔、1世代、小韋恩、火星人布魯諾、防彈少年團（BTS）、威肯、夏奇拉、Jay-Z。 A: 哇，我最愛的韓流天團BTS也上榜了！ （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張聖恩）
RSS