Also See: Continued from yesterday
Yuansiao was a wonderful influence upon the spoiled daughter of the Emperor. But that first New Year away from her parents was especially difficult for her. She saw families being together, walking around on the streets, going shopping and eating happily together. Although she was treated well and had all the material things a gal could possibly ask for, she longed for the simple farm house and the warmth of being with her parents. Thus, on New Year's Day, she told the Emperor that she had had a dream. In her dream, the Fire God appeared and threatened to burn down the city unless the Emperor was able to appease his anger. What must be done was that firecrackers were to be set off on the 15th day of the month and lanterns, big and small, were to be made. These lanterns were to be bright and elaborately decorated and must be hung throughout the streets of the city. As the Emperor got busy, setting people to work making lanterns and firecrackers, Yuansiao took the opportunity to go home unnoticed.
ILLUSTRATIONS: COURTESY OF EXPLORER PUBLICATIONS
How surprised her parents were to have her home as they too missed her tremendously. She stayed home until the 15th day of the Lunar New Year and arrived back at the palace just in time to see the city alive with excitement and celebration as people set off firecrackers and carried bright, beautiful and decorated lanterns.
You might be quite puzzled reading this story. Did I make it up? Well, sort of. There are several stories attached to the celebration of Lantern Festival and I decided to embellish one that might be quite unknown to most of you.
(To be continued tomorrow...)
ILLUSTRATIONS: COURTESY OF EXPLORER PUBLICATIONS
Also See: 接續昨日
ILLUSTRATIONS: COURTESY OF EXPLORER PUBLICATIONS
元宵對被寵壞的公主產生極好的影響，但離開父母的第一個新年特別難熬，她看到家家戶戶團圓，一起快樂地逛街、購物和用餐，雖然她備受善待並擁有一個女孩所能要求的一切物質生活，但她仍渴望回到純樸的農家享受和父母同在的溫暖。所以，在新年那天，她告訴皇帝她做了個夢，在她的夢裡，火神出現並威脅燒掉這座城市，除非皇帝能平息祂的怒氣。他們必須在這個月的第十五天施放鞭炮，並製作大小不同的燈籠，這些燈籠要明亮且精心裝飾，並掛在城裡各大街小巷。由於皇帝忙著下令人們製造燈籠和煙火，元宵趁沒人注意時回家。
當她回家時，十分想念她的父母非常驚訝。而她一直在家待到農曆新年的第十五天才及時趕回皇宮，看到人們施放煙火和提著明亮、漂亮的燈籠，全城因為籠罩在興奮和慶祝的氣氛中而生氣蓬勃。
讀這個故事時你可能很困惑，它是虛構的嗎？嗯，有那麼點兒。好些故事都和元宵節的慶祝有關，所以我決定美化一個多數人都比較不熟悉的故事。
ILLUSTRATIONS: COURTESY OF EXPLORER PUBLICATIONS
(明日待續...)
A: Apart from the musical Sunset Boulevard, Japanese pop diva Ayumi Hamasaki is also touring Taiwan after a 17-year wait. She’s holding two concerts starting tonight. B: Ayu has the most No. 1 hits of any Japanese solo artist, with 33 total. A: “Time” magazine even crowned her as “The Empress of Pop.” B: She staged shows in Taipei back in 2007 and 2008, causing an “Ayu fever” across Taiwan. A: Unfortunately, the singer has been deaf in her left ear since 2008, and is gradually losing hearing in her right ear. I’m so excited to see her singing in Taipei again. A: 除了音樂劇《日落大道》，日本歌后濱崎步睽違17年，今晚起在台北熱唱兩場。
Thailand and Cambodia are engaged in their worst fighting in over a decade, exchanging heavy artillery fire across their disputed border, with at least 30 people killed and tens of thousands displaced. Tensions began rising between the Southeast Asian neighbors in May, following the killing of a Cambodian soldier during a brief exchange of gunfire, and have steadily escalated since, triggering diplomatic spats and now, armed clashes. WHERE DOES THE DISPUTE ORIGINATE? Thailand and Cambodia have for more than a century contested sovereignty at various undemarcated points along their 817km land border, which was first mapped by France in 1907 when Cambodia was
Alan Turing, celebrated as the “father of computer science,” was a brilliant mathematician and scientist. Born in London in 1912, Turing showed exceptional talent in mathematics and science from a young age. At 16, he understood Albert Einstein’s work without difficulty. This intelligence carried him through studies at Cambridge University and later at Princeton University in the US, where he further explored complex mathematical theories. In 1936, Turing introduced the concept of the Turing machine, a theoretical device for solving mathematical problems. He described it as having an infinite tape on which symbols could be read, interpreted, and modified. With simple
A: After touring Taipei, the play Life of Pi is now heading to Taichung. You wanna go? B: Did you forget? We’re going to Taipei this weekend to see the musical Sunset Boulevard and go to Japanese pop diva Ayumi Hamasaki’s concert. A: Oh yeah, that’s right. The classic composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber is touring Taiwan for the first time. B: I heard that it’s adapted from a 1950 film with the same title. A: And the show will feature legendary soprano Sarah Brightman, who is finally returning to the musical stage after 30 years. We can’t miss it. A: 在台北巡演後，戲劇《少年Pi的奇幻漂流》本週起將移師台中。要去嗎？
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