A: I think the air conditioner’s on the blink. It doesn’t turn on when I push the button. What are we going to do?
B: We’ve had this air conditioner for years. Let’s just get a new one. We could buy one with a heater function.
A: Heater? Are you pulling my leg?
Photo: Pan Tzu-chiang, Liberty Times 照片:自由時報記者潘自強
B: A lot of people do the same thing: They buy an air conditioner in the summer when it’s scorching hot, and they forget how cold it gets in winter, much to their regret when it gets cold.
A: That’s right. My brother-in-law is from the US, and he says that Taiwan is colder than any other country, because in the winter the temperature drops to under 10 degrees, but there’s no interior heating.
B: It’s not cold in Taiwan for a long time over the year, but for those few days when we have a cold front, having a heater is worth every cent you spent on it.
A: 怎麼辦,冷氣機好像壞了,按開關都沒反應!
B: 這冷氣機也用了好多年了,乾脆換新的好了。買個有暖氣功能的。
A: 暖氣?你在開玩笑嗎?
B: 大部分的人就是跟你一樣,買冷氣機的時候都在夏天,熱得要命,所以都忘記冬天會有多冷,到時才後悔!
A: 啊對,我姐夫從美國來,說台灣是世界上最冷的國家,因為冬天十度以下,室內卻沒有暖氣。
B: 雖然一年當中台灣冷的時間不長,但是寒流來的那幾天有暖氣可以用,就值回票價了。
(Translated by Paul Cooper, Taipei Times/台北時報林俐凱)
English 英文:
Chinese 中文:
Floods that killed more than 200 people in eastern Spain last week were caused by a storm that dumped a year’s worth of rainfall in less than 24 hours. The tragedy has raised questions about whether earlier warnings could have prevented so many deaths, while the widespread damage shows how many cities are not adapted to withstand rainfall amplified by climate change. An extremely hot Mediterranean and warmer air temperatures exacerbated a type of storm system becoming more common in the Iberian peninsula due to global warming. Experts said that a building boom in the region in recent decades might have put
A: Have you seen the reality TV show “Culinary Class Wars?” B: Sure! It’s a competition between two classes: 20 celebrity chefs dubbed the “white spoons” versus 80 non-celebrity chefs dubbed the “black spoons.” A: The two judges are master chef, Paik Jong-won, and South Korea’s only three-Michelin-star chef, Anh Sung-jae. B: And the grand prize is $300 million Korean won. A: After watching the show, I really wanna have some Korean food. A: 你有看電視實境秀《黑白大廚:料理階級大戰》嗎? B: 當然啦!就是20位「白湯匙」名廚,和80位「黑湯匙」廚師的競賽。 A: 評審則是廚神白種元,及南韓唯一的米其林三星主廚安成宰。 B: 冠軍還可獲得3億韓元獎金呢! A: 看完節目後我現在好想吃韓式料理喔。 (By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/台北時報張聖恩)
A: As reality TV show “Culinary Class Wars” causes a sensation, it may be more difficult to make a reservation at the show’s judge Paik Jong-won’s Taipei restaurant, Bornga Korean BBQ. B: The other judge, Anh Sung-jae, also served as a guest chef at Regent Taipei last June. A: Korean food has become a new trend in Taiwan lately, and restaurants such as Samwon Garden are quite popular. B: But that restaurant is so pricey. A: Then try the more affordable places, like my favorite, OKAY Korean BBQ, or others such as Annyeong Korean BBQ and OvenMaru Chicken. A:
Have you ever encountered abbreviations like “vs.” or “a.m.” and thought about their origins or pronunciation? These terms are leftovers of ancient Latin. For centuries, no one has claimed Latin as their mother tongue, yet many of us unknowingly use this language daily. Let’s explore three common Latin terms used in everything from casual chats to formal documents. Etc. Short for et cetera, etc. translates to “and the remaining things” and is among the most frequently employed Latin abbreviations. It’s a handy way to shorten a long list in writing or speech. Given that cetera conveys the notion of