A: You see that blue leather jacket over there? I’ve tried it on already, and it fits snugly. Even the arms are the right length. There’s no way I could justify the expense, though.
B: Why not? If you like it, if it suits you, you should buy it. At least ask what kind of discount they’re offering.
A: You can tell by the quality that it’s going to cost an arm and a leg. But it’s not the price. All of my leather jackets go moldy in this city.
Photo: Paul Cooper, Taipei Times 照片：台北時報古德謙
B: Ah, it’ll be OK. Taipei is really humid, but just keep the apartment air conditioned or keep the jacket in a dry cabinet. And make sure you wipe off any excess moisture before you put it away.
A: I’ve tried all of those. Still, I find owning a leather jacket is like fighting a losing battle against mold.
A: 你看到那邊那件藍色皮夾克沒？我已經試穿過了，真的好合身，就連袖子的長度也剛剛好。可是我沒辦法說服自己付這麼高的價錢。
B: 為什麼？如果你喜歡，如果它很適合你，你就應該要買。起碼問一下有什麼折扣。
A: 你看這品質，就會知道它貴得要命。不過這不是因為價格，而是因為在這個城市，我所有的皮夾克都發霉了。
B: 啊，沒關係的啦！台北是很潮濕，可是只要公寓有空調，或是把夾克放在防潮箱就可以啦。還有，記得先把水氣擦乾再收起來。
A: 這些方法我都試過了。可是我還是覺得要擁有一件皮夾克就好像是在跟黴菌抗戰，而且註定會戰敗。
（Paul Cooper, Taipei Times／台北時報林俐凱譯）
English 英文:
Chinese 中文:
Every few years, the World Baseball Classic (WBC) offers sports fans a real World Series. At its finest, as in the shocking upset on Tuesday last week of the US team by Italy, the games generate the kind of electricity fans feel at the FIFA World Cup. That’s exactly how Major League Baseball (MLB), which owns the WBC, wants it. The tournament, first played in 2006, was designed to boost the league’s profile beyond North America and help it become a global game. In most respects, it’s done better than expected. Yet as the WBC grows, the structure, timing and staging of
對話 Dialogue 清清：華華，別忘了這禮拜五晚上，老闆請喝春酒喔！ Qīngqing: Huáhua, bié wàngle zhè lǐbàiwǔ wǎnshàng, lǎobǎn qǐng hē chūnjiǔ o! 華華：啊！我差點忘了，謝謝提醒。 Huáhua: À! Wǒ chàdiǎn wàngle, xièxie tíxǐng. 清清：老闆人真好，過年前請我們吃尾牙，過完年又請吃春酒。 Qīngqing: Lǎobǎn rén zhēn hǎo, guònián qián qǐng wǒmen chī Wěiyá, guòwán nián yòu qǐng chī chūnjiǔ. 華華：尾牙是感謝我們過去一年的辛勞，春酒是希望我們今年繼續努力啊！ Huáhua: Wěiyá shì gǎnxiè wǒmen guòqù yì nián de xīnláo, chūnjiǔ shì xīwàng wǒmen jīnnián jìxù nǔlì a! 清清：給我加薪，我就努力。 Qīngqing: Gěi wǒ jiāxīn, wǒ jiù nǔlì. 華華：還真是「有錢能使鬼推磨」。 Huáhua: Hái zhēn shì “Yǒu qián néng shǐ guǐ tuī mò.” 清清：那還用說。對了！別只顧著吃，頭牙快到了，農曆二月二是土地公生日，記得跟我去拜拜。 Qīngqing: Nà hái yòng shuō. Duìle! Bié zhǐ gùzhe chī, Tóuyá kuài dàole, nónglì èr yuè èr shì Tǔdìgōng shēngrì, jìdé gēn wǒ qù bàibai. 華華：沒問題，東西我來準備，放心吧！一起發大財！ Huáhua: Méi wèntí, dōngxi wǒ lái zhǔnbèi, fàngxīn ba!
When people think of Spain, they often picture bullfights and flamenco—but there’s another celebration you shouldn’t miss. Every March, Valencia comes alive with “Las Fallas.” Its origins go back centuries to when carpenters burned wooden scraps they no longer needed to welcome spring as winter ended. Over time, the custom evolved from bonfires to giant street sculptures called fallas. This tradition has since developed into a UNESCO-recognized event that attracts millions of visitors. This festival centers on the ritual burning of falla monuments. Each monument is made up of several ninots: giant puppets that are crafted all year by local artists.
A: South Korean supergroup BTS is finally staging a comeback tomorrow, releasing their new album in nearly four years: “Arirang.” B: And to promote their new album, BTS will hold a comeback concert at the Gwanghwamun Plaza in downtown Seoul this weekend. According to police estimates, the show could attract a crowd of at least 260,000 fans. A: What about their new world tour? When will it start? B: The upcoming world tour will kick off from Gaoyang on April 9, and Kaohsiung will be included this time. A: Really? Hurry up and tell me the dates of the Kaohsiung shows. Maybe we
RSS