A: As Taiwan’s TOEIC scores continue to progress, a Chinese learning trend has swept across the world.
B: Data shows that Mandarin, with 1.18 billion speakers, ranks second only after English, which has 1.49 billion speakers.
A: Not long ago, the reality competition “Mandarin Monster” — produced by French YouTuber Ku — also caused a sensation in Taiwan.
Photo: Liberty Times 照片:自由時報
B: The show invited 100 foreigners to compete weekly, and South Korean Sean Shin defeated American Andrew Argue to claim the title of “Mandarin Monster.”
A: The Taipei Times also publishes a Mandarin learning page every Tuesday. Keep reading and maybe you’ll be the next winner.
A: 台灣多益測驗持續進步的同時,全球也掀起一股學中文的風潮。
B: 據統計全球華語使用人口超過11.8億,僅次於英語使用人口14.9億。
A: 最近法國網紅「酷」製作的實境秀《中文怪物:全球中文挑戰賽》就大受歡迎。
B: 該節目邀集在台灣的100位外國人參賽,而韓國的申聖贊最終險勝美國的高安德奪冠,成為最強的「中文怪物」。
A: 《台北時報》每週二就有華語學習單元,你多看看或許也能成為下一屆「中文怪物」!(By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/台北時報張迪)
The US-Israeli war with Iran, which began on Feb. 28, has killed thousands of people, destabilized the Middle East and rocked global energy markets by effectively closing the strait. WHAT IS THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ? Lying between Oman and Iran and linking the Gulf north of it with the Gulf of Oman to the south and the Arabian Sea beyond, the strait is 33km wide at its narrowest point, with a shipping lane just 3km wide in either direction. Perhaps the world’s most important energy shipping channel, the waterway is about 167km long. Following through on an old threat, Tehran effectively closed the strait
A: Which TV drama series have been global hits so far this year? B: The US drama “Stranger Things 5,” South Korean drama “Can This Love Be Translated?” and Chinese megahit “Pursuit of Jade” are all popular lately. A: Isn’t “Pursuit of Jade” the costume idol drama about the romance between a charming marquis and a pig-slaughterer? Actor Zhang Linghe and actress Tian Xiwei are both so attractive. B: Plus, Netflix’s Korean-Japanese gay romance drama “Soul Mate” — starring Korea’s Ok Taec-yeon and Japan’s Hayato Isomura — is set to premiere in May. A: These hit international dramas
Have you ever found yourself desperately feeding coins into a claw machine just because you’ve already spent so much trying to win that stuffed animal? Or maybe you’ve continued watching a boring movie simply because you already paid for the ticket? If so, you’ve experienced the “sunk cost fallacy.” A sunk cost refers to time, money or effort that has already been spent and cannot be recovered. This psychological trap is surprisingly common. You might keep playing a video game you no longer enjoy because you’ve invested countless hours in building your character, or maintain a toxic friendship because you’ve known
對話 Dialogue 清清:這個週末你有空嗎?要不要一起去淨灘? Qīngqīng: Zhège zhōumò nǐ yǒu kòng ma? Yào bú yào yìqǐ qù jìngtān? 華華:淨灘?你為什麼突然想參加這個活動? Huáhua: Jìngtān? Nǐ wèishéme túrán xiǎng cānjiā zhège huódòng? 清清:因為我看到新聞說,海邊的垃圾越來越多,對海洋生物影響很大。 Qīngqīng: Yīnwèi wǒ kàndào xīnwén shuō, hǎibiān de lèsè yuèláiyuè duō, duì hǎiyáng shēngwù yǐngxiǎng hěn dà. 華華:聽起來很有意義,不過會不會很累啊? Huáhua: Tīng qǐlái hěn yǒu yìyì, búguò huì bú huì hěn lèi a? 清清:可能會有一點累,可是如果大家一起做,就不會那麼辛苦。 Qīngqīng: Kěnéng huì yǒu yìdiǎn lèi, kěshì rúguǒ dàjiā yìqǐ zuò, jiù bú huì nàme xīnkǔ. 華華:也是,而且做完應該會很有成就感。 Huáhua: Yě shì, érqiě zuò wán yīnggāi huì hěn yǒu chéngjiù gǎn. 清清:對啊!不但可以運動,還可以保護環境。 Qīngqīng: Duì a! Búdàn kěyǐ yùndòng, hái kěyǐ bǎohù huánjìng. 華華:好,那我跟你一起去!算我一份。 Huáhua: Hǎo, nà wǒ gēn nǐ yìqǐ qù! Suàn wǒ yí fèn. 翻譯 Translation Qingqing: