對話 Dialogue
清清：唉，夏天到了，冷氣開個不停，電費也就跟著漲了。
Qīngqing: Āi, xiàtiān dàole, lěngqì kāi ge bù tíng, diànfèi yě jiù gēnzhe zhǎng le.
PHOTO: Unsplash / 照片：Unsplash 提供
華華：因為夏天是用電高峰啊。不開冷氣睡不著，但是一直開冷氣，真的很傷荷包！
Huáhua: Yīnwèi xiàtiān shì yòngdiàn gāofēng a. Bù kāi lěngqì shuì bù zháo, dànshì yìzhí kāi lěngqì, zhēn de hěn shāng hébāo ye!
清清：我白天在家盡量都開窗、開電扇，不開冷氣。不但省電，對環境也好。真的太熱就去游泳或者吃冰淇淋消消暑。
Qīngqing: Wǒ báitiān zài jiā dōu jìnliàng kāichuāng, kāi diànshàn, bù kāi lěngqì. Búdàn shěngdiàn, duì huánjìng yě hǎo. Zhēn de tài rè jiù qù yóuyǒng huòzhě chī bīngqílín xiāoxiāoshǔ.
華華：這主意不錯耶！可是再熱下去，恐怕冰淇淋還沒買到，人就快融化了。
Huáhua: Zhè zhǔyì búcuò ye! Kěshì zài rè xiàqù, kǒngpà bīngqílín hái méi mǎidào, rén jiù kuài rónghuà le.
清清：要是真的太熱了，我就穿上涼感衣去百貨公司逛街或者去圖書館看書吹冷氣。另外，為了避免中暑，我最近還買了水冷扇，聽說比較省電。
Qīngqing: Yàoshì zhēn de tài rè le, wǒ jiù chuān shàng liánggǎn yī qù bǎihuò gōngsī guàngjiē huòzhě qù túshūguǎn kànshū chuī lěngqì. Lìngwài, wèile bìmiǎn zhòngshǔ, wǒ zuìjìn hái mǎi le shuǐlěngshàn, tīngshuō bǐjiào shěngdiàn.
華華：是不是也可以在風扇上加上一點冰塊？感覺會比較涼。
Huáhua: Shì bú shì yě kěyǐ zài fēngshàn shàng jiā shàng yìdiǎn bīngkuài? Gǎnjué huì bǐjiào liáng.
清清：真聰明！這樣一來，既省電又環保。我回家也來試試看好了！
Qīngqing: Zhēn cōngmíng! Zhèyàng yìlái, jì shěngdiàn yòu huánbǎo. Wǒ huíjiā yě lái shìshì kàn hǎole!
華華：不過，我覺得夏天多聽冷笑話，也是ㄧ個不錯的方法，聽完包你「心靜自然涼！」連冷氣都不用開了。
Huáhua: Búguò, wǒ juéde xiàtiān duō tīng lěng xiàohuà, yě shì yí ge búcuò de fāngfǎ, tīng wán bāo nǐ ‘Xīn jìng zìrán liáng!’ , lián lěngqì dōu búyòng kāi le.
翻譯 Translation
Qingqing: Summer is here. The air conditioner is running nonstop, and the electricity bill is rising along with it.
Huahua: Because summer is peak electricity usage time. I can’t sleep without the AC, but running it all the time really hurts my wallet.
Qingqing: At home during the day, I try to open the windows and use a fan instead of turning on the air conditioner. Not only does it save electricity, it’s also good for the environment. If it gets too hot, I go swimming or eat ice cream to cool off.
Huahua: That’s a good idea. But if it gets any hotter, I’m afraid I’ll melt before I even get my ice cream.
Qingqing: If it gets really hot, I put on a cooling shirt and go shopping at the department store or read in the library with air conditioning. Also, to avoid heatstroke, I recently bought a water-cooled fan. I heard it uses less electricity.Huahua: Can we also add some ice to the fan? It might feel cooler that way.
Qingqing: Smart. That way, we can save electricity and be eco-friendly. I’ll try it when I get home.
Huahua: But I think listening to more corny jokes in summer is also a good method. Hearing some jokes might be calming and keep you cool. You won’t even need the air conditioner. Haha.
生詞 Vocabulary
1. 電費 (diànfèi) electricity bill
2. 用電高峰 (yòngdiàn gāofēng) peak electricity usage period
3. 傷荷包 (shāng hébāo) hurt the wallet, expensive
4. 消暑 (xiāoshǔ) to cool off, beat the heat
5. 涼感衣 (liánggǎn yī) cooling clothing
6. 中暑 (zhòngshǔ) heatstroke
7. 冷笑話 (lěng xiàohuà) corny joke, cheesy joke
8. 心靜自然涼 (Xīnjìng zìrán liáng) a calm mind keeps you cool
教材音檔 Audio Files
國立清華大學華語中心提供
By National Tsing Hua University Chinese Language Center:
What comes to mind when you think of a “mermaid”? For some, it may simply be a mythical creature, but being a professional mermaid is a real and fascinating career. This unique job not only involves creativity but also demands dedication and skill. Professional mermaids amaze audiences with breathtaking underwater performances. Whether they are gracefully swimming alongside marine creatures or educating spectators about manatee ecology, their movements evoke a sense of magic and wonder. But their work doesn’t stop there. Many mermaids engage directly with visitors, taking memorable photos or guiding them through unique experiences, such as “mermaid for
A: A mint Labubu doll was sold for a record 1.08 million Chinese yuan — or about US$150,300 — at an auction. B: That much for a doll? That’s insane. A: The character of toy company Pop Mart has sparked a global frenzy thanks to celebrity endorsements, like pop diva Rihanna and Blackpink member Lisa. B: Where can we admire all the Pop Mart dolls? A: The world’s third Pop Mart flagship store is located in Taipei’s Ximending area. Let’s go together. A: 一個薄荷色的「拉布布」玩偶在拍賣會上，拍出108萬人民幣天價、高達15萬美元！ B: 一個玩偶？這也太瘋狂啦。 A: 這個泡泡瑪特玩具公司旗下的角色正在全球掀起狂熱，而這都要感謝天后蕾哈娜、Blackpink的Lisa等名人的加持。 B: 哪裡可以看到泡泡瑪特推出的公仔啊？ A: 全球第三家泡泡瑪特旗艦店就在台北西門町，我們去逛逛吧。 （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張迪）
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The traditional five-day workweek was introduced around a century ago and has since become the standard, along with punching in at 9am and leaving at 5pm. Recently, however, challenges to this formula have been increasing, particularly among young people. In the UK, 200 British companies have changed gears and decided to adopt a permanent four-day workweek for their employees. The new schedule will not cause any loss in pay, which is expected to result in greater employee satisfaction. Among those leading the charge for the new model are charities, marketing firms, and technology companies. Advocates of the policy say
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