How does J.K. Rowling feel now that she has finished the seventh and final Harry Potter book? The author herself confided last Tuesday on her Web site that Charles Dickens put it better than she could: "It would concern the reader little, perhaps, to know how sorrowfully the pen is laid down at the close of a two-years' imaginative task; or how an Author feels as if he were dismissing some portion of himself into the shadowy world ..." reads the passage from Dickens' preface to David Copperfield.
Rowling announced Feb. 1 that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows would come out July 21, bringing to an end one of the great phenomena of literary history. More than 325 million copies of the first six books have sold.
"I always knew that Harry's story would end with the seventh book, but saying goodbye has been just as hard as I always knew it would be," Rowling writes.
PHOTO: AP
"Even while I'm mourning, though, I feel an incredible sense of achievement .... I've never felt such a mixture of extreme emotions in my life, never dreamed I could feel simultaneously heartbroken and euphoric." She continues.
"If it comes as any consolation, I think that there will be plenty to continue arguing and speculating about, even after Deathly Hallows comes out," she writes.
"I'm almost scared to admit this, but one thing has stopped me collapsing in a puddle of misery on the floor. While each of the previous Potter books has strong claims on my affections, Deathly Hallows is my favorite, and that is the most wonderful way to finish the series." (AP)
J.K.羅琳女士已完成《哈利波特》第七集完結篇，不知她此刻心情如何？她上週二在個人網站上透露她讀到狄更斯《大衛．考伯菲》序言的一段文詞，意有所感地說，查理斯．狄更斯比她表達得更透徹深入︰「也許，這與讀者較無關，理解兩年的想像任務結束了，筆擱下有多感傷；或者，作者宛似把一部分的自己拋向陰暗世界，感受如何呢？」
羅琳女士二月一日宣布，《哈利波特7︰哈利波特與致命聖靈》（暫譯）預計於七月二十一日發行，文學史上最大的盛潮之一即將畫下句點。前六集共賣出了三億兩千五百多萬本。
羅琳女士說︰「我一直心裡有數，哈利波特的故事將於第七集告終，但就是如我想的一樣難以道別。」
她繼續表示︰「即使我感到哀痛，我還是擁有了不起的成就感‥‥我一生從未感到情緒如此複雜洶湧，從未想到自己會同時感到黯然憔悴又心滿意足。」
她說︰「假如有任何慰藉，我想就是即便是在第七集出版後，還有後續要討論、思索。」
「我幾乎害怕坦承這一點，但有一件事阻止我墜入哀傷的泥沼。雖然前幾集的哈利波特每一本都強烈地得到我的鍾愛，但《哈利波特7︰哈利波特與致命聖靈》卻是我的最愛。這是為這系列小說畫下句點的最美好方式。」 （美聯社/翻譯：賴美君）
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
★ 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.
A: In addition to boyband Energy’s concerts, Taiwan’s first major male dance revue has attracted attention. B: Several South Korean male dance revues and Australia’s Thunder from Down Under often tour Taiwan. Now Taiwan’s first all-male revue has finally appeared. A: According to the Liberty Times, Muscle High: A Male Dance Revue from Taiwan, featuring 13 hunks, opened last month and will run until Sept. 14. B: The rise of “hunk fever” in recent years has even caused a trend of working out in Asia. A: Let’s go to the Taipei Music Center’s Sub Livehouse for the show. A:
A: Any fun events happening this weekend? B: Boyband Energy’s concerts and Taiwan’s first major male dance revue have both sparked anticipation recently. A: Energy staged a comeback last year — 15 years after they disbanded — and they’re now more popular than ever. B: Their megahit “Friday Night” even won Song of the Year at the Golden Melody Awards. A: To pay tribute to the Queen of Pop Madonna, they added her choreography of 16 continuous jump squats to their music video, prompting a “16-squat challenge” that went viral across Taiwan. Do you wanna try it out? A:
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