The Slope of Overcoming Difficulty was built in the 1950s, since when it has been an important passage for getting in and out of Tamkang University. Alumni who studied at the school in the 1980s say that in the past many students who commuted to Tamsui by train had to walk along Yingjhuan Road and climb the Slope of Overcoming Difficulty to reach the campus. When standing on the first step and looking up, they could always see a stream of students climbing the slope.
“It was on Sept. 20, 1999, that I climbed the Slope of Overcoming Difficulty on my first day at university. I can recall it vividly because the 921 Earthquake happened the next day,” says alumnus Liao Jen-chieh. Climbing the slope was especially memorable for students who did not ride a scooter or bus to school because it was the quickest shortcut to get to the campus from the bottom of the mountain. Before joining the university, Liao knew nothing about the tradition of climbing the slope. Climbing the slope and chatting with other new students on the first day of school helped students adapt to the new environment.
“Some people walked the walk together and ended up as couples,” says Liao jokingly. In those days there was a girl who accompanied him up and down the slope countless times. Years later, that girl became his wife.
Photo: Li Ya-wen, Taipei Times
照片： 台北時報記者李雅雯攝
What if the Slope of Overcoming Difficulty were closed down? “It would be a pity, because many memories from my student days happened there,” says Liao. Current students would not like the slope to be closed either. “This is the path that I am used to walking to school. If it is closed, I will have to go a longer way around,” one student says.
(Liberty Times, translated by Ethan Zhan)
克難坡建於民國四十年代，是進入淡江校園的必經要道，民國七十年代的校友提及，當年許多坐火車到淡水上課的學生們，都必須走英專路爬上克難坡，從第一級石階往上看，總是看到成群學生。
「我是民國八十八年九月廿日當天入學去爬克難坡，記憶很清楚，因為隔天就是九二一大地震」，校友廖人傑說。沒有機車可騎或不搭公車的學生，對克難坡會特別有印象，因為那是從山下往坡上最快的捷徑。入學前完全不知道有爬克難坡的傳統，開學當天和新同學一邊爬坡一邊聊天，有助於融入新環境。
「有些人走一走就終成眷屬了耶！」廖人傑打趣地說，當年陪著走克難坡上上下下不知多少次的女孩，多年後就成了他的太太。
假設克難坡封起來了呢？「很可惜，因為學生時代的記憶都在那兒」，廖人傑說。現在的在學生也不期待看到封路，「這是我到學校習慣走的路，若是封了，就得繞遠路了」。
〔記者李雅雯／新北報導〕
A: Hard rock band Guns N’ Roses is touring Taiwan tomorrow. What about pop diva Lady Gaga? B: Unfortunately, Singapore has once again exclusively secured Gaga’s concerts in Asia, just like Taylor Swift’s exclusive Asian shows last year. A: The Singaporean government reportedly paid up to US$2.2 million to secure Swift’s shows. B: And the shows did boost its economy and tourism. A: But I’m angry about this approach, so I’m not going to Gaga’s shows this time. A: 硬式搖滾天團槍與玫瑰明天即將來台，流行天后女神卡卡呢？ B: 真可惜，新加坡再度取得卡卡亞洲巡演的獨家主辦權，就像去年泰勒絲的亞洲獨家演出一樣。 A: 據報導新加坡政府付出高達220萬美元，取得泰勒絲的亞洲獨家主辦權。 B: 而她的秀也的確提振了該國的經濟和旅遊業。 A: 但我對此還是很不爽，所以不去新加坡看卡卡了！ （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張迪）
A: Hard rock band Guns N’ Roses and pop diva Lady Gaga are finally touring Asia again. B: Are they also coming to Taiwan? A: The band will stage a show at the Taoyuan Sunlight Arena on Saturday. B: Wow, so this will be the band’s third visit. I really love its 1992 power ballad “November Rain.” The nine-minute hit was the Billboard chart’s longest song at one point. A: Let’s go celebrate the 40th anniversary of its release. A: 硬式搖滾天團槍與玫瑰、女神卡卡終於再度展開亞洲巡演了。 B: 他們也會來台巡演嗎？ A: 槍與玫瑰本週六即將在桃園陽光劇場開唱唷。 B: 哇這將是該團第三次來台演出，我超愛他們1992年強力情歌《November Rain》，全長近9分鐘還曾是告示牌排行榜最長神曲。 A: 那我們一起去慶祝該團出道40週年吧！ （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張迪）
If you could nominate any toys for the Toy Hall of Fame, what would they be? Iconic playthings like yo-yos, toy cars, or video games seem like obvious __1__. Classic toys such as jacks, playing cards, and board games like Chess, Monopoly, and Uno have brought endless joy to generations. Overall, there are countless toys that __2__ in the Toy Hall of Fame. The National Toy Hall of Fame was __3__ in 1998 at The Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York. The Toy Hall of Fame aims to __4__ items that have been cherished for generations, and several
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