The cottage where Thomas Hardy, one of the great English writers of the 19th century, grew up will be let out to visitors over the winter months so they can experience the lifestyle he grew up in, The Times reported last week.
Guests will have to cook on an ancient stove and do their laundry by hand, though modern health and safety regulations will offer something in the way of creature comforts — candles will be battery-powered, water will come from a tap, and there will be a flushing lavatory and an electric kettle.
The National Trust, to which the cottage was left in 1948, will give points to the guests for how authentically they manage to live there, and each year a prize will be awarded to the most “hardy” tenant.
PHOTO COURTESY OF NTPL/ERIC CRICHTON
“We want to encourage people to live as much like the Hardy family did in the 1840s so they can find out what life was really like,” Helen Mann, who manages the cottage in Dorset, southeast England, was quoted as saying.
“This would create an increased income for the cottage and allow us to offer an innovative and evocative demonstration of Hardy's lifestyle. It will also help conserve the building over the winter months,” she said.
Hardy wrote two books while living in the cottage — Under the Greenwood Tree and Far from the Madding Crowd. He later built and moved to a house in Dorchester, in southeast England. The original cottage was built by Hardy's grandfather in 1800.
While the cottage does not contain any of his personal belongings, about 15,000 people visit it from around the world each year, when it is open from April to October.
Details for Hardy's cottage and other national trust attractions may be found at www.nationaltrust.org.uk.(AFP)
泰晤士報上週報導，英國十九世紀偉大作家湯瑪斯•哈代成長的小屋冬季時將出租給遊客，讓他們體驗一下哈代自小到大的生活方式。
遊客們將必須在舊式爐灶上烹煮食物、用手洗滌衣物，但現代健康安全規範將提供更舒適的生活享受─使用電池的蠟燭、自來水，還有沖水馬桶及電熱水壺。
一九四八年接管這間小屋的國民信託組織將依據遊客在那兒實際生活的狀況給予積分，每年還會頒獎給「最能吃苦耐勞」的房客。
報導中引述在英格蘭東南部多塞特管理這間小屋的海倫?曼恩的話說：「我們要鼓勵民眾儘可能像一八四０年代哈代家族般生活，這樣他們才能真正了解當時生活的狀況。」
她說：「這將為小屋創造更多的營收，也可以提供兼具創新及懷舊的哈代生活方式。有助於這棟建物在冬季的保存。」
哈代在小屋生活期間，完成了《綠樹林下》和《遠離塵囂》兩部作品。之後他在英格蘭東南部的多爾切斯特蓋了一棟房子，並遷居該處。原本的小屋是哈代的祖父於一八００年所搭建。
儘管小屋內沒有任何哈代的個人物品，每年四至十月對外開放期間，仍有來自全球約一萬五千名遊客到此探訪。
欲知哈代小屋及其他國民信託組織景點詳情，請上www.nationaltrust.org.uk查詢。
（法新社／翻譯：林倩如）
A few new policies take effect this month, with the following most likely to affect our daily life. Nationwide ban on disposable plastic cups in beverage shops According to the Ministry of Environment’s “Parties Subject to and Means for Single-use Takeaway Beverage Cups Restrictions” implemented on July 1, 2022, beverage shops are required to offer a NT$5 discount for customers who bring their own cups, and all local governments will be required to devise schedules to phase out single-use beverage cups. With the nationwide ban taking effect from this month, it is expected that the number of disposable plastic cups will be
Earthquakes are among the most terrifying natural disasters, generating massive tremors and destructive forces as Earth’s crust shudders. These tremors not only lead to the collapse of buildings but can also trigger secondary disasters, such as tsunamis and fires. However, we can mitigate the impact on lives and property by mastering earthquake response techniques. The DCH three-step strategy, recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is crucial during an earthquake. “D” stands for “drop.” You should immediately drop to the ground, using your hands and knees to support yourself. This position prevents you from falling and
A: The newest twist in “Friends” star Matthew Perry’s sudden death is shocking. B: Didn’t he die from a ketamine overdose last year? A: But the police say his death could be a conspiracy. B: Wow, what happened? A: Five suspects have been charged for intentionally supplying him with large amounts of ketamine for personal gain. A: 《六人行》男星馬修派瑞之死大逆轉真令人震驚！ B: 他去年不是因吸毒過量致死嗎？ A: 但警方說他的死可能是個陰謀。 B: 發生了什麼事？ A: 警方已起訴5名嫌犯，他們故意提供大量「K他命」給他，以謀取暴利。 （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張聖恩）
「避免新冠病毒傳播」英文該怎麼說？是 to prevent the spread of Novel Coronavirus 還是 to prevent Novel Coronavirus from spreading?「避免○○○傳播」，在台灣，多數人喜歡說 to prevent something from spreading，但英文的習慣則是 to prevent the spread of something。 若用Google搜尋，可得到底下統計： “to prevent novel coronavirus from spreading” About 7 results (Google Feb. 12, 2020) “to prevent the spread of novel coronavirus” About 46,000 results 可見 to prevent the spread of something 才是道地的英文句型。2003至2004 年，禽流感在東亞多國嚴重爆發。此後，為避免禽流感傳播，台北捷運開始在各站入口立了以下標示： 為避免禽流感傳播，禁止鳥禽類動物進入車站。 To prevent bird flu virus from spreading, do not carry poultry and birds into the station. 其實，「避免禽流感傳播」，宜翻譯成 to prevent the spread of avian flu 才符合英文習慣。此外，中文的「鳥」與「禽」是兩種不同的概念，養來吃的鳥類動物叫「禽」，不稱為「鳥」；但英文的poultry 一詞，也屬於 bird 的範疇，並非中文中並列的概念。以下為聯合國糧食與農業組織對poultry 的介紹： Poultry are domesticated avian species that can be raised for eggs, meat and/or feathers. The term “poultry”covers a wide
RSS