Episodes
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Hi everyone, welcome to a new episode of News Bites!I'm Kelly Kimura…And I'm Nancy Sun.Coming up next in today's news:Taiwan's J&G Fried Chicken is opening their first shop in the US, and the floating door frame from the movie "Titanic" sells for over $700,000 US dollars.And in today's Tasty Tidbit…you can't get too much sugar from fruit!Stay tuned for more on those stories!___________________________________________________________繼光香香雞美國第一家分店開幕Taiwan's J&G Fried Chicken Will Open Its 1st shop in the USWhere do you go when you crave (渴望) fried chicken?Do you go to KFC, McDonalds or maybe somewhere local?When it comes to fried chicken, other than the traditional popcorn chicken (鹹酥雞), many choose American fast-food franchises (快餐連鎖店).These fast-food restaurants are famous around the world.Currently, there are over 400 McDonalds and 180 KFCs in Taiwan.But did you know that some Taiwanese restaurants are also popular overseas?One of them is J&G Fried Chicken.It has only 70 branches (分店) in Taiwan.However, the company has 430 shops in countries such as Canada, Malaysia, and the Philippines.The restaurant has chosen Southern California for its first branch in the US.It will work with 85°C Bakery Caf? (85度C), another Taiwanese restaurant, to open three branches in the US this year.The company wants to have 150 stores in the US, and 1,000 around the world in 10 years.The CEO of J&G Fried Chicken says the company wants to combine Taiwanese snacks and American dining culture.Therefore, in addition to its usual menu (菜單), the restaurant will also serve fried chicken sandwiches.J&G is not the only successful Taiwanese restaurant abroad.The famous xiaolongbao restaurant Din Tai Feng has around 175 restaurants around the world.Other restaurants, like Bafang Dumpling and MWD (麥味登) are also doing well overseas.And of course, we mustn't forget the famous drink that everyone loves, bubble tea.Famous Taiwanese bubble tea shops are also popping up around the world.Taiwan is a country famous for its variety of food.Now more and more people can enjoy Taiwanese food wherever they live!經由飲食推廣台灣文化是最簡單，也最直接的方式___________________________________________________________"鐵達尼號"女主角救命門框高價拍賣Floating Door Frame from Movie 'Titanic' Sells for Over $700,000 US DollarsIf you have seen the movie "Titanic," you've seen the door frame that saved Rose.When the ship sank into the icy water, Rose climbed onto the wooden door frame.Jack clung (抓緊) onto the edge, his body mostly in the ice-cold water.The door frame is one of the most iconic (具代表性) Hollywood (好萊塢) movie props (道具) in cinema history.People debated (辯論) whether Jack and Rose could have sat on the door frame together while they waited for help.Titanic's movie director even did an experiment on this.The result was not clear, but that's not what we're here to talk about today.A while ago, there was an auction (拍賣會) of 1,600 Hollywood movie props.The famous door frame was among the movie props that people paid high prices for.The bidding (出價) started at $60,000 US dollars and went up quickly to $700,000 US dollars in just a few minutes.The final price was over $700,000 US dollars, but the auction company did not say who the buyer was.According to the movie director, the design (圖案) of the door frame was based on(根據) a piece of debris (碎片) from the original Titanic.The debris was part of a door frame from the entrance to the first-class lounge (休息室) on the ship.There were also other famous movie props sold at the auction.Indy's whip (皮鞭) from "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" sold for over half a million US dollars.Princess Leia's blaster (雷射槍) from "Return of the Jedi" sold for $150,000.There are people who are really interested in movie props!The most expensive movie prop ever sold is 007's car from the 1964 James Bond movie, "Goldfinger."The Aston Martin DB5 sold for over $6 million US dollars. Wow!或許擁有電影裡的道具能夠滿足人們的幻想。Wouldn't it be cool to drive around in Batman's Batmobile?___________________________________________________________So in today's News Bites:Taiwan's J&G Fried Chicken will open its first shop in the US.J&G's American menu will also have fried chicken sandwiches.Taiwan is famous for its food.Now more people can enjoy Taiwanese food wherever they live!___________________________________________________________And…The floating door frame from the movie "Titanic" sold for over $700,000 US dollars.The iconic movie prop and other famous movie props were sold at an auction.People are really interested in movie props!___________________________________________________________趣味小點Tasty TidbitAnd in today's Tasty Tidbit…Some parents worry about their kids eating too much sugar.Sugar?Yes, candy and sweet drinks usually have lots of sugar.Oh! Sugar! I love sugar!Well, maybe it's better to eat fresh fruit then.We can't get too much sugar from fresh fruit.Really?Uh-huh. Fresh fruit has sugar, but it also has lots of fiber (纖維) and water.Fiber and water make the fruit move more slowly in your body.They make you feel full for a longer time.Cool! So let's go and enjoy all the delicious fresh fruit that Taiwan has! Yum!___________________________________________________________And that's it for today's episode of News Bites!If you have a fun fact, a joke, or interesting news you'd like to share with us, record your message and send your Tasty Tidbit to us at [email protected] might hear it at the end of an episode!We'll see you next time for an exciting new episode of News Bites!
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Hey there! You're listening to an all-new episode of News Bites.
I'm Paz Bueno.
And I'm Nancy Sun.
Today's stories…
Taiwan's place in a global air pollution report, a dolphin fossil in Peru, and who holds the record for the longest time to complete a marathon?
Let's check it out.
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台灣空氣品質在全球排名第45
Taiwan's Air is 45th Most Polluted in the World
Taiwan's air is cleaner than some places but could still get better.
That's according to a big study on air around the world.
The 2023 World Air Quality Report looked at tiny particles in the air (空氣中的微小粒子) that are too small to see but can make us sick.
These particles are called PM2.5, and they come from cars, factories, and other places.
In 2023, Taiwan ranked 45th in air pollution comparing it with 134 other places.
台灣去年在134個地區中，空氣汙染排名第45。
It had less air pollution (空氣汙染) than countries like China and Mongolia…
…but was a bit more polluted than South Korea, Hong Kong, and Japan.
The cleanest countries included places like Australia, New Zealand, and Iceland.
And the most polluted countries were Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India.
In Taiwan, the air is different depending on where you look.
Some areas have more pollution.
The government is working hard to make the air cleaner, especially in central and southern Taiwan.
They're asking power plants and factories to pollute less.
政府要求發電廠和工廠減少汙染。
But, figuring out air quality isn't simple.
It changes with the weather and where you are.
空氣品質會隨著天氣和地點變化。
For example, dust from a river can affect the air in one place, while in another part, the type of wind can change what kind of air pollution there is.
例如，河流的塵土可以影響某地的空氣，而在另一個地方，風的類型可以改變空氣汙染的情況。
The government also mentioned that the study might not have all the right numbers.
They have their own measurements (測量數據) and say the air is getting a bit cleaner than the study suggests.
So, Taiwan is trying to make the air cleaner for everyone.
It's important because clean air means healthier people.
And even though we're doing okay, there's still work to be done to make our air even better.
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秘魯發現1600萬年前的河豚化石
16-Million-Year-Old River Dolphin Fossil Found in Peru
Let's travel back in time, way, way back to when the Earth looked very different.
Imagine a time with huge animals and very big dolphins (河豚) in the rivers!
We can learn about this old world through fossils (化石).
Fossils are like clues from a long time ago, left by animals that aren't here anymore.
They help us understand what the world used to be like.
A long time ago, a big dolphin swam in rivers that are now part of the Amazon rainforest.
This dolphin was bigger than any dolphin we see today in South America.
很久以前，一隻比南美洲今天見到的任何河豚都要大的河豚，在亞馬遜雨林的河流裡游泳。
Scientists found its fossilized skull (化石頭骨) in Peru and learned it was about as long as a small car!
They estimate the fossil is around 16 million years old.
他們估計這個化石大約有1600萬年歷史。
This ancient dolphin was called Pebanista yacuruna.
It's named after a mythological creature (神話裡的動物) from stories in Peru, the Yacuruna, known for living in deep waters.
The dolphin from Peru is like a distant cousin (遠親) of the river dolphins found in India today.
Both types of dolphins used to live in the sea a very, very long time ago before they moved to rivers.
This discovery in Peru was made by scientists with the help of the National Geographic Society.
They found the dolphin's skull near the Napo River.
Even though the giant dolphins from the past are gone, the Amazon River is still home to a unique type of dolphin.
即使過去的巨大河豚已經消失，亞馬遜河仍然是一種獨特的河豚的家。
It's known as the Amazon river dolphin or the pink river dolphin.
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So, in today's News Bites…
The 2023 World Air Quality Report says Taiwan ranked 45th in air pollution comparing it with 134 other places.
They studied particles in each country's air called PM2.5.
The countries with the cleanest air included places like Australia, New Zealand, and Iceland.
And the most polluted countries were Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India.
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And,
Scientists found the fossilized skull of a big dolphin in Peru that's around 16 million years old.
This ancient dolphin was called Pebanista yacuruna, after a mythological creature from stories in Peru, the Yacuruna, known for living in deep waters.
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趣味小點
Tasty Tidbit
The record for the longest time to complete a marathon is 54 years, 8 months, 6 days, 5 hours, 32 minutes, and 20.3 seconds.
It's held by runner Shizo Kanakuri from Japan.
He went to Sweden in 1912 to run a long race in the Olympics…but got very tired and stopped to rest.
He never finished the race and went back to Japan quietly.
50 years later, Sweden offered Mr. Kanakuri a chance to finish the race, and he agreed!
He says, "It was a long trip. Along the way, [he] got married, had six children and 10 grandchildren."
If you have a fun fact, a joke, or interesting news you'd like to share with us, record your message and send us your Tasty Tidbit to [email protected], and you might hear it at the end of an episode!
We'll see you next time for an exciting new episode of News Bites! -
Missing episodes?
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Hi there. Welcome to an all-new episode of News Bites.
I'm Nancy Sun.
And I'm Hope Ngo.
In today's news,
Facing an earthquake, waiting in Paris, and the fluffy stuff.
Stay tuned for those stories, coming up next.
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台灣努力從重大地震中恢復
Taiwan Working to Recover from Major Earthquake
What were you doing on April 3rd, at 7:58am?
Were you on your way to school?
Or were you still in bed?
Whatever you were doing, wherever you were, it's now one of those moments that we will remember for a long time.
That day, at that moment, a major earthquake struck.
The magnitude 7.2 earthquake shook the ground for some time.
The Central Weather Administration (中央氣象署) says the center of the quake was in Hualien County.
So that's where the shaking probably felt the strongest.
Two buildings in Hualien were very badly damaged (受損).
And the rest of the island felt a lot of strong shaking too.
Many people were on their way to work or school.
Trains and cars stopped.
Everyone tried to hold on and stay safe.
It was the biggest earthquake in Taiwan since 1999.
There were people hurt or killed, and many were missing.
Hundreds of people also needed to be rescued.
And through all that, the island continued to shake with aftershocks (餘震).
The CWA has recorded hundreds of aftershocks since the first magnitude 7.2 earthquake hit last week.
The CWA says the number of daily aftershocks is going down.
氣象署說目前還是有餘震，不過頻率會慢慢減少，但無法預測什麼時候會完全停止。
And Taiwan is now working hard to recover (復原).
After the quake, people started trying to help.
The government opened an account for donations (捐款).
The account has over $300 million NT (3億) in donated funds.
A rescue team from Turkey (土耳其) is in Taiwan to help look for missing people.
There are still many challenges up ahead.
But everyone is working together and trying to help.
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巴黎舉辦服務生賽跑
Get Ready, Get Set, Wait! Paris Holds Race for Waiters
Most of the time, a race is all about being fast.
But to win this race…
You need to wait!
Paris recently held a very special race.
It's the "Course des Cafes", or the Paris Waiters Race.
It's a race for Paris' waiters (服務生)!
More than 200 waiters took part in the race through the center of the French city.
These servers wore their uniforms, with white shirts, and black pants.
They also wore aprons (圍裙), and some wore bow ties.
They all carried a tray with a croissant, a full glass of water, and an empty coffee cup.
The race is almost 2 kilometers long.
It starts and ends at Paris City Hall.
And all these expert waiters had to get to the finish line as quickly as possible.
But they couldn't run, couldn't spill any water, and they couldn't use two hands to carry their tray!
法國巴黎舉辦「咖啡廳賽跑」，服務生端著放有水、咖啡杯和可頌的托盤在市中心競走2公里。
Judges stood at the finish line.
They checked each server's tray.
And the servers lost points for water outside the glass, and for broken dishes.
So how fast can these waiters go?
The men's winner finished the race in 13 minutes and 30 seconds.
The women's winner finished in 14 minutes and 12 seconds.
They each got a medal, and got to stay one night in a luxurious hotel (豪華的飯店).
They also got two tickets to the opening ceremony for the Paris Olympics this summer.
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So in today's News Bites,
On April 3rd, at 7:58am, a magnitude 7.2 earthquake shook Taiwan.
It was the biggest earthquake in Taiwan since 1999.
There were people hurt or killed, and many were missing.
There are still many challenges up ahead.
But everyone is working together and trying to help.
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And,
Paris recently held the Paris Waiters Race.
More than 200 waiters raced through the center of the French city, wearing uniforms and balancing trays.
The winners each got a medal and a one-night stay at a luxurious hotel.
They also got two tickets to the opening ceremony for the Paris Olympics this summer.
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趣味小點
Tasty Tidbit
And in today's Tasty Tidbit,
Have you ever looked up at a fluffy white cloud and imagined bouncing on it?
Well, clouds are actually made up of tiny drops of water or ice crystals, floating high up in the sky.
They bump together and stick, making those big puffy shapes we see.
But don't really try to jump on one, this fluffy stuff won't hold your weight!
And that's it for today's episode of News Bites!
If you have a fun fact or joke you'd like to share with us, record your message and send us your Tasty Tidbit to [email protected], and you might hear it at the end of an episode.
We'll see you next time for an exciting new episode of News Bites! -
Hey you guys.
It’s time for another episode of News Bites.
I’m Jacob Ingram.
And I’m Nancy Sun
In today's news: A Formosan black bear is euthanized after a trap injury, and recycling cannot keep pace with e-waste increase.
And in today’s Tasty Tidbit: Rust!
Stay tuned for more on those stories, coming up next.
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受困的台灣黑熊，搶救四天不治
Formosan black bear euthanized after trap injury
The mountain forests of Taiwan are home to many wonderful creatures.
Among them are the Formosan clouded leopard (雲豹) which is believed to be extinct, the pangolin (穿山甲) and of course, the well-known Formosan black bear.
The Formosan black bear has an area of V-shaped white fur on its chest.
This makes it very distinctive from its other black bear cousins in Asia.
Recently, one of these bears had to be euthanized (安樂死) after it was rescued from a trap (陷阱).
Euthanize means to put an “animal to sleep”, which means to kill it in a humane way.
The bear was caught in a hunting trap meant for other animals.
An indigenous (原住民) Bunun (布農族) patrol in Taitung discovered the injured bear.
The patrol is part of a project on wildlife conservation.
The team was changing the batteries of infrared (紅外線) cameras in black bear habitual grounds when they heard a groaning sound.
They followed the sound and discovered a bear caught in a trap.
30 people were then mobilized to help carry the 93 kg male bear out of the forest.
It was sent to a veterinary hospital (獸醫診所) where it was treated for 4 days.
Unfortunately, the injuries were too severe, leading to sepsis (敗血症) and organ failure (器官衰竭).
The vet had no choice but to euthanize the bear.
This is not the first incident of a bear being caught in a trap.
There are also incidents of the same bear getting trapped twice and more.
The indigenous people of Taiwan are legally allowed to hunt a limited amount every year.
They usually hunt deer and goats, but not bears.
However, due to the size of traditional traps, bears are often caught in them.
In recent years, the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency has produced a new trap.
林業保育署設立的陷阱比較小，而且有感應器
This can prevent (避免) bears and baby animals from triggering (觸發) the trap.
The agency is currently encouraging indigenous hunters (原住民獵人) to use the new trap.
They hope this method can reduce the number of animals being caught accidentally.
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聯合國報告指出，電器回收趕不上廢棄物的產量
Recycling cannot keep pace with e-waste increase
Electronics are considered daily necessities (必需品) nowadays.
This includes phones, tables, laptops, screens, microwave ovens, and a lot more.
Millions of electronic products are produced every day.
And of course, millions of broken electronics are thrown away each day.
Discarded (被丟棄的) devices with a plug or battery are all defined as e-waste (電器垃圾).
According to a report released by the United Nations, 62 million tonnes (公噸) of e-waste was generated in 2022.
That is enough to fill trailers (聯結車) to line up around the globe.
The report also mentioned that only 22% of the 62 million tonnes was properly recycled (回收再利用).
The efficiency (效率) of recycling e-waste is really low.
Metals, including copper (銅), gold and iron, make up half of the 62 million tonnes.
If properly recycled, these metals are worth about 91 billion US dollars.
There is also a huge amount of plastic and glass in the waste.
Where does all the unrecycled waste go?
They end up in dumpsites (垃圾場) in countries that have few laws on e-waste or recycling targets (目標).
This causes huge damage to the environment.
There are hazardous materials like mercury (水銀) in the waste.
You remember what mercury is, right?
Mercury is a shiny, silver metal which is a liquid at room temperature (室溫).
Mercury produces a toxic vapor (會釋放有毒氣體).
It can damage the brain, kidneys and nervous system (神經系統).
So when it rains and rainwater runs through e-waste, it carries harmful materials like mercury into the soil.
When the soil is contaminated (污染), it also pollutes the water supply.
Experts say the e-waste problem is only going to grow.
This is due to many reasons like higher consumption (消耗) of electronics, limited repair options and shorter product life.
Also, less than half of the world is implementing (實施) and enforcing approaches to manage the problem.
With these numbers, e-waste is expected to reach 82 million tonnes by 2030.
The recycling rate is expected to fall to 20%.
科技讓我們的生活更便利，但也對環境造成傷害。
Next time you want to trade your old phone for a newer model, maybe hold on to it just a little longer.
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So, in today's News Bites:
A Formosan black bear was found caught in a trap by an indigenous group in Taitung.
The bear was rescued and treated it for 4 days.
Unfortunately, its injuries were too severe, so it had to be euthanized.
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And,
Recycling cannot keep pace with e-waste increase.
The amount of e-waste produced in 2022 is 62 million tonnes.
Only 22% is properly recycled.
The rest ends up in dumpsites, and causes harm to the environment.
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趣味小點
Tasty Tidbit
And now for today's Tasty Tidbit…
Did you know the only metal that rusts is iron (鐵)?
Rust is a word we use to talk about iron and its mixtures, or alloys rather, like steel, when it gets damaged by oxygen and water.
But there are other metals that can also get damaged like this, although they might not make the same reddish-brown bits we usually see with rust.
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And that's today's episode of News Bites!
If you have a fun fact or a joke you’d like to share with us, record your message and send us your Tasty Tidbit to [email protected], and you might hear it at the end of an episode!
We’ll see you next time for an exciting new episode of News Bites! -
Hi there.
It's time for an all-new episode of News Bites.
I'm Jacob Ingram.
And I'm Paz Bueno.
In today's news: A publishing house in Taiwan crowdfunds a Chinese translation, and a man unearths the UK's largest golden nugget.
And in today's Tasty Tidbit: Yellow metal.
Stay tuned for those stories, coming up next.
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「魔戒」新譯本集資逾500萬 翻譯版本引討論
New Translations for Lord of the Rings
Fly, you fools!
It's time to talk about "Lord of the Rings" again.
You remember what that is, right?
It's the classic novel by British author J.R.R. Tolkien.
Tolkien has been called the "father" of modern fantasy (現代奇幻小說).
"Lord of the Rings" is considered his "magnum opus (代表作)".
That's a fancy word meaning "great work" or "masterpiece".
It can be used to describe an artist or author's greatest work.
The book was first translated into Chinese in 1978.
The translation took several years to complete.
Since then, it's been updated and revised to accommodate different dialects and readerships.
The most familiar and circulated version in Taiwan was the translation by Zhu Xue-heng (朱學恆).
It's over 20 years old.
Now it seems another Chinese version of the novel is on the way!
Recently, a Taiwanese publishing house (出版社) launched a crowdfunding campaign (群眾集資) for a new Chinese translation not only of Lord of the Rings, but also "the Hobbit" too, which is the prequel to Lord of the Rings.
最近台灣一家出版社發起群眾集資，想要重新翻譯著名的小說魔戒和它的前傳哈比人歷險記。
The publishing house raised over 5 million NT!
But why do we need a new translation?
Well, an experienced translator said languages don't stay the same forever.
They change over time.
Take English for example.
The English spoken 100 years ago isn't the same as the English we speak today.
一百年前的英文跟現代英文有點不同。
For example, words like "internet," "smartphone," or "selfie" didn't exist a hundred years ago because those things weren't around yet.
Another example is the word "awful".
It used to mean "filled with awe".
「Awful」這個詞兒原本的意思是「充滿敬畏」。
Oh, I get it!
"Awe" and "full".
Full of awe!
Yeah, but now "awful" means "terrible" or "horrible".
So if you say "I feel awful", that's not good.
The Chinese language is also changing.
To demonstrate this, all you have to do is read an old book, like "the Travels of Lao Can" (老殘遊記).
In fact, let's read a passage from that book right now.
我們來看看老殘遊記是怎麼寫的吧。
看此風景，今兒日出是看不著的了。天風海水，能移我情，即使看不著日出，此行亦不為辜負。
No one talks like that anymore, right?
In any case, the Chinese used in the Lord of the Rings translations is considered a little bit out of date.
So who will be doing the translating?
Someone called Li Han (李函).
He has a master's degree from the University of Glasgow.
The publishing house expects the translation to launch next March!
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故障的金屬探測器找到 英格蘭最大金塊
The UK's Biggest Golden Nugget Found with Faulty Detector
Now, it's time to travel to England for this next story.
A guy called Richard Brock went on a treasure hunt, and quite literally "struck gold"!
Oh really?
What happened?
Richard is a hobbyist treasure hunter.
He goes from place to place with his metal detector.
For 35 years, he has been looking for treasure.
So how do treasure hunters look for treasure?
They use metal detectors.
These devices can find metallic objects hidden underground or underwater (地下或是水裡).
Users sweep them over the ground or along surfaces.
It emits a beeping noise (會發出嗶嗶叫的聲音) when it detects metal, like this…
Recently, Richard Brock went to Shropshire.
Shropshire is located in the West Midlands of England, near the border with Wales.
There he joined up with other treasure hunters.
Things weren't looking so good for Richard at the start.
Not only did he arrive late, his metal detector was faulty (故障的).
To make matters worse, everyone else had up-to-date equipment.
Sounds like he was all set for a bad day, right?
But soon after he started his search, guess what he found?
A golden nugget!
But this was not just any golden nugget!
It was large, weighing 64.8 grams (公克)!
In fact, it was the largest golden nugget ever found in the UK on record!
It's been named "Hiro's Nugget", but there doesn't seem to be any information on why it's called that?
In any case, the golden nugget has been valued at over 30,000 pounds.
That's over 1.2 million NT!
A golden nugget is basically a chunk of gold.
They're usually very small, and look like golden stones.
No one knows how "Hiro's Nugget" ended up in Shropshire.
Some speculate (猜測) the site where it was found used to have a railway going through it.
Maybe the nugget fell off an old mine cart while in transit (運輸過程中)?
There has to be lots of treasure out there, waiting to be discovered.
Remember to keep an eye out and who knows, you might just find a shiny piece of treasure on your next adventure!
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So in today's News Bites,
A publishing house in Taiwan launched a crowdfunding campaign for a new Chinese translation of "Lord of the Rings".
It raised over 5 million NT!
"Lord of the Rings" is one of the most popular fantasy stories of all time.
The current translations are considered outdated, prompting the need for a fresh rendition.
Translator Li Han will handle the new translation, which is expected to launch next March.
And,
Richard Brock, a hobbyist treasure hunter, found the largest golden nugget ever discovered in the UK.
He found it in Shropshire, England, using a faulty metal detector.
The nugget is named "Hiro's Nugget," and it's worth over 1.2 million NT!
It is speculated to have been lost from a railway that used to pass through the area.
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趣味小點
Tasty Tidbit
And in today's Tasty Tidbit,
Did you know that gold is the only yellow metal?
But gold is not just special because of its color.
It is also very valuable and has been important for a long time.
Gold doesn't get rusty or dirty.
That's why people use gold to make jewelry.
They can make very pretty things with it that will last a long time!
________________________________
And that's it for today's episode of News Bites!
If you have a fun fact, a joke or interesting news story you'd like to share with us, record your message and send us your Tasty tidbit to [email protected], and you might hear it at the end of an episode.
We'll see you next time for an exciting new episode of News Bites! -
B*News Bites 文字檔(國中)
________________________________
Hi there.
It's time for an all-new episode of News Bites.
I'm Jacob Ingram.
And I'm Paz Bueno.
In today's news: A publishing house in Taiwan crowdfunds a Chinese translation, and a man unearths the UK's largest golden nugget.
And in today's Tasty Tidbit: Yellow metal.
Stay tuned for those stories, coming up next.
________________________________
「魔戒」新譯本集資逾500萬 翻譯版本引討論
New Translations for Lord of the Rings
Fly, you fools!
It's time to talk about "Lord of the Rings" again.
You remember what that is, right?
It's the classic novel by British author J.R.R. Tolkien.
Tolkien has been called the "father" of modern fantasy (現代奇幻小說).
"Lord of the Rings" is considered his "magnum opus (代表作)".
That's a fancy word meaning "great work" or "masterpiece".
It can be used to describe an artist or author's greatest work.
The book was first translated into Chinese in 1978.
The translation took several years to complete.
Since then, it's been updated and revised to accommodate different dialects and readerships.
The most familiar and circulated version in Taiwan was the translation by Zhu Xue-heng (朱學恆).
It's over 20 years old.
Now it seems another Chinese version of the novel is on the way!
Recently, a Taiwanese publishing house (出版社) launched a crowdfunding campaign (群眾集資) for a new Chinese translation not only of Lord of the Rings, but also "the Hobbit" too, which is the prequel to Lord of the Rings.
最近台灣一家出版社發起群眾集資，想要重新翻譯著名的小說魔戒和它的前傳哈比人歷險記。
The publishing house raised over 5 million NT!
But why do we need a new translation?
Well, an experienced translator said languages don't stay the same forever.
They change over time.
Take English for example.
The English spoken 100 years ago isn't the same as the English we speak today.
一百年前的英文跟現代英文有點不同。
For example, words like "internet," "smartphone," or "selfie" didn't exist a hundred years ago because those things weren't around yet.
Another example is the word "awful".
It used to mean "filled with awe".
「Awful」這個詞兒原本的意思是「充滿敬畏」。
Oh, I get it!
"Awe" and "full".
Full of awe!
Yeah, but now "awful" means "terrible" or "horrible".
So if you say "I feel awful", that's not good.
The Chinese language is also changing.
To demonstrate this, all you have to do is read an old book, like "the Travels of Lao Can" (老殘遊記).
In fact, let's read a passage from that book right now.
我們來看看老殘遊記是怎麼寫的吧。
看此風景，今兒日出是看不著的了。天風海水，能移我情，即使看不著日出，此行亦不為辜負。
No one talks like that anymore, right?
In any case, the Chinese used in the Lord of the Rings translations is considered a little bit out of date.
So who will be doing the translating?
Someone called Li Han (李函).
He has a master's degree from the University of Glasgow.
The publishing house expects the translation to launch next March!
________________________________
故障的金屬探測器找到 英格蘭最大金塊
The UK's Biggest Golden Nugget Found with Faulty Detector
Now, it's time to travel to England for this next story.
A guy called Richard Brock went on a treasure hunt, and quite literally "struck gold"!
Oh really?
What happened?
Richard is a hobbyist treasure hunter.
He goes from place to place with his metal detector.
For 35 years, he has been looking for treasure.
So how do treasure hunters look for treasure?
They use metal detectors.
These devices can find metallic objects hidden underground or underwater (地下或是水裡).
Users sweep them over the ground or along surfaces.
It emits a beeping noise (會發出嗶嗶叫的聲音) when it detects metal, like this…
Recently, Richard Brock went to Shropshire.
Shropshire is located in the West Midlands of England, near the border with Wales.
There he joined up with other treasure hunters.
Things weren't looking so good for Richard at the start.
Not only did he arrive late, his metal detector was faulty (故障的).
To make matters worse, everyone else had up-to-date equipment.
Sounds like he was all set for a bad day, right?
But soon after he started his search, guess what he found?
A golden nugget!
But this was not just any golden nugget!
It was large, weighing 64.8 grams (公克)!
In fact, it was the largest golden nugget ever found in the UK on record!
It's been named "Hiro's Nugget", but there doesn't seem to be any information on why it's called that?
In any case, the golden nugget has been valued at over 30,000 pounds.
That's over 1.2 million NT!
A golden nugget is basically a chunk of gold.
They're usually very small, and look like golden stones.
No one knows how "Hiro's Nugget" ended up in Shropshire.
Some speculate (猜測) the site where it was found used to have a railway going through it.
Maybe the nugget fell off an old mine cart while in transit (運輸過程中)?
There has to be lots of treasure out there, waiting to be discovered.
Remember to keep an eye out and who knows, you might just find a shiny piece of treasure on your next adventure!
________________________________
So in today's News Bites,
A publishing house in Taiwan launched a crowdfunding campaign for a new Chinese translation of "Lord of the Rings".
It raised over 5 million NT!
"Lord of the Rings" is one of the most popular fantasy stories of all time.
The current translations are considered outdated, prompting the need for a fresh rendition.
Translator Li Han will handle the new translation, which is expected to launch next March.
And,
Richard Brock, a hobbyist treasure hunter, found the largest golden nugget ever discovered in the UK.
He found it in Shropshire, England, using a faulty metal detector.
The nugget is named "Hiro's Nugget," and it's worth over 1.2 million NT!
It is speculated to have been lost from a railway that used to pass through the area.
________________________________
趣味小點
Tasty Tidbit
And in today's Tasty Tidbit,
Did you know that gold is the only yellow metal?
But gold is not just special because of its color.
It is also very valuable and has been important for a long time.
Gold doesn't get rusty or dirty.
That's why people use gold to make jewelry.
They can make very pretty things with it that will last a long time!
________________________________
And that's it for today's episode of News Bites!
If you have a fun fact, a joke or interesting news story you'd like to share with us, record your message and send us your Tasty tidbit to [email protected], and you might hear it at the end of an episode.
We'll see you next time for an exciting new episode of News Bites! -
Hi there.
You're listening to an all-new episode of News Bites.
I'm Nancy Sun.
And I'm Brody Halverson.
In today's stories…
How a laser could fight cancer, how our food affects the planet, and how a "bee's-eye-view" helps find the sweet spot.
Stay tuned for those stories, coming up next.
________________________________
偵測癌細胞的雷射系統
A Laser that Finds Cancer Cells Fast
Taiwan's Ministry of Health and Welfare (衛生福利部) says cancer has been the leading cause of death in Taiwan for 41 consecutive (連續) years.
But now there may be a new way to fight cancer.
It's a breakthrough (突破) in medical technology.
A team at National Taiwan University of Science and Technology has developed new technology.
It is a laser that can detect cancer cells in an hour.
When cancer happens in a human body, a tumor (腫瘤) grows in the affected part.
The tumor then releases circulating tumor cells (CTCs 循環腫瘤細胞) that spreads the cancer throughout the body.
That's how cancer spreads to other parts of the body.
One way to fight cancer is to find it early.
And to find it, doctors follow CTCs.
Usually, doctors take a little bit of the patient's blood.
They send the blood to a lab to get tested.
Experts do the testing and look at the results.
It usually takes at least two weeks to get the test results.
All this takes a lot of time, work, and money.
CTC tests are not covered by National Health Insurance.
The tests cost around $15,000 to 20,000 NT.
This may be a lot of money for some people.
But NTUST's new laser can quickly scan (掃描) for CTCs.
The team says this uses less materials and costs less money.
The old way of testing also kills the CTCs.
But the new laser allows the CTCs to stay alive.
This way, the live CTCs can be cultured (培養) for cancer drug testing, speeding up early treatment.
這項科技目前正在申請醫療儀器認證中，預計3年後能量產。
The team hopes this technology would make a change in cancer treatments.
________________________________
科學家提議蟒蛇肉為食物來源
Could Python Meat Change the Way We Eat?
The effects of global climate change have been threatening (威脅) our food sources.
Traditional farming takes up a lot of resources.
You need land, food, water, and more.
The carbon footprint (碳足跡) that traditional farming produces is also shocking.
Researchers are trying to find a more sustainable (永續) meat source that is eco-friendly.
And they might have just found the answer…
Snake meat.
Not just any snake, but the long and enormous python (蟒蛇).
Snake meat is considered a delicacy (佳餚) in many countries.
To meet this demand, commercial snake farming has been popping up (出現) in recent years.
Snake meat is healthy in some ways.
It is high in protein and low in saturated fats (飽和脂肪).
Some say it tastes like chicken.
Some researchers think python farming has a low impact on the environment.
They believe snakes do not need to be fed often.
They say the snakes can even go months without eating.
On top of that, pythons can be fed waste meat, such as rats or dead animals.
They also don't need much water.
Sometimes they can drink the dew (露水) that forms on their scales (鱗片) every morning.
Pythons don't need a lot of space.
They seem to be able to tolerate (忍受) small confined (狹窄) spaces.
Compared to other animals, pythons are relatively easy to farm.
But some feel that treating animals this way is wrong.
There are still many questions that need to be answered.
And more research needs to be done.
Many also wonder if people would be willing to eat snake meat.
縱使養殖蟒蛇作為食物有一些好處，那也要人們願意接受才行。
________________________________
So in today's News Bites,
A team at National Taiwan University of Science and Technology has developed a laser that can detect cancer cells in an hour.
The new laser uses less materials and costs less money.
The team hopes this technology would make a change in cancer treatments.
________________________________
And,
Researchers are trying to find a more sustainable meat source that is eco-friendly, and they're thinking about python meat.
Some researchers think python farming has a low impact on the environment.
But some feel that treating animals this way is wrong.
There are still many questions that need to be answered.
________________________________
趣味小點
Tasty Tidbit
And in today's Tasty Tidbit,
Many people like looking at beautiful flowers.
But did you know that these flowers have "secret signs" for bees?
Bees see the world differently. They can see ultraviolet light. And under this light, many flowers have patterns and colors that humans can't normally see.
These patterns and colors help bees find pollen (花粉).
So next time you see a bee buzzing around a flower, remember, they're not just smelling the roses, they're seeing the secret signs!
And that's it for today's episode of News Bites!
If you have a fun fact, a joke or interesting news story you'd like to share with us, record your message and send us your Tasty tidbit to [email protected], and you might hear it at the end of an episode.
We'll see you next time for an exciting new episode of News Bites! -
Hi everyone, get ready for a new episode of News Bites…
I'm Brody Halverson.
And I'm Paz Bueno.
Today's stories…
A Taiwanese Youtuber hits ten million subscribers, and a Japanese mayor makes a town more baby-friendly.
And in today's Tasty Tidbit…what animal is mostly water?
Let's check it out.
________________________________
玩武術特技的YouTuber獲得千萬訂閱者
Tricking YouTuber Gets 10 Million Subscribers
Hey Brody, can you do a flip?
Sure, no problem. Just watch me.
Ouch! Okay, it's not easy to do a flip.
That's right. If you want to learn, you need a good teacher.
Fortunately, you can see how to do it on YouTube.
Some YouTubers teach their viewers how to do flips, kicks, and twists.
It's called "tricking", and it's super popular.
武術特技又叫做"tricking"，它包括了跳躍和空中翻滾，非常流行。
In fact, one tricker on YouTube recently reached ten million subscribers (訂閱者).
And he's from Taiwan!
That means he's the first Taiwanese YouTuber to reach ten million subscribers.
His name is Wu Chi-hsuan (吳奇軒), and his channel is called "Chi Hsuan Tricking".
Watch his videos, and you can learn all sorts of amazing movements.
In one video, he teaches a student how to do a cartwheel (側手翻).
First, he shows her, wheeling onto his hands and back to his feet.
Then, he explains to her the different steps of the motion.
Last, he helps her as she tries the cartwheel herself.
The lesson showed her and all the viewers (觀眾) how to do this awesome stunt.
Why does Chi-hsuan love tricking so much?
He says "It's very liberating because you can create your own movements and style."
He also says "Mastering one move gives a sense of achievement and makes you want to keep pushing yourself."
How did his channel (頻道) get so popular?
He got interested in tricking after it came to Taiwan from the US, more than twenty years ago.
In 2016 Chi-hsuan uploaded his first YouTube video.
奇軒2016年上傳了他的第一個YouTube影片。
At first, he didn't get many subscribers.
That changed in 2022, when he started making shorter videos and they went viral (爆紅).
Last year, his videos got more than 2 billion views and 70 million likes.
Now he has ten million subscribers.
He's got fans all over the world, especially in North America and Southeast Asia.
So what is Chi-hsuan's next move?
He says he wants to take part in action movies.
He wants to use tricking to show the world that Taiwan has lots of action talent.
________________________________
日本市長讓父母的生活更輕鬆
Japanese Mayor Makes Parents' Lives Easier
Why are parents so busy?
They have a lot worry about.
They need to take care of their kids every day, bringing them to daycare (托兒所), to school and everywhere else.
Parents also need to work, to get the money to feed their kids.
No wonder (難怪) people are not having as many children these days.
It's just too difficult.
In many countries, the population is shrinking, because so few kids are born.
許多國家的人口不斷減少，因為新生兒太少了。
That's a big problem.
And in one Japanese city, a mayor is working to solve it.
His name is Yoshiharu Izaki.
He's the mayor of Nagareyama, a city near Tokyo (東京附近的城市).
His city has a special system (特別的制度).
Every morning, parents from the city take the train into Tokyo to work.
And they just leave their kids at the train station (火車站).
Then, a bus brings the children to daycare, so the parents don't have to worry about it.
In the evening, the parents can just pick their kids up at the train station again.
Wow, that's super convenient (超方便)!
It's all part of Mayor Yoshiharu's plan to make parent's lives easier.
What else is his city doing?
It's adding more parks and greenery (綠化面積).
The mayor wants people to think of Nagareyama as "the forest city nearest to Tokyo."
That way, parents don't have to go far to bring their kids to the park.
Is the mayor's plan working?
Yes, it is.
Nagareyama has a birth rate of 1.5.
That means each woman has an average of 1.5 children.
Nagareyama的出生率為1.5，這意味著每個女性平均有1.5個孩子。
It's much higher than the birth rate for the rest of Japan.
But it's still pretty low.
The birth rate needs to be 2.1 or higher for the population to grow (人口成長).
That's why Mayor Yoshiharu wants to improve his plan, and share it with other mayors.
If parents can save time, they might have more kids…
…and spend more time relaxing with their kids.
________________________________
So, in today's News Bites…
A Taiwanese YouTuber has reached 10 million subscribers.
His channel is called "Chi Hsuan Tricking".
He teaches people how to do amazing tricks, like jumps, flips and cartwheels.
________________________________
And,
One city in Japan is making life easier for parents.
Nagareyama lets parents drop off their kids at the train station, on their way to work.
It saves the parents lots of time, and is improving the birth rate.
________________________________
趣味小點
Tasty Tidbit
Humans are made up of 50-75% water.
On average, a human adult body has about 60% water.
But do you know which animal has the highest water content?
It's jellyfish! (水母)
They are made of 95% water!
If you have a fun fact, a joke, or interesting news you'd like to share with us, record your message and send us your Tasty Tidbit to [email protected], and you might hear it at the end of an episode!
We'll see you next time for an exciting new episode of News Bites! -
Hi everyone, welcome to a new episode of News Bites!
I'm Kelly Kimura…
And I'm Nancy Sun.
Coming up next in today's news: Taiwan dishes you've never tried and a 10-year-old girl sees a Japanese wolf on a shelf!
And in today's Tasty Tidbit…comets smell really bad!
Stay tuned for more on those stories!
___________________________________________________________
這些台灣菜來自哪裡？
These Taiwan Dishes Are From Where?
Do you like "Taiwan ramen"?
Taiwan ramen?! I've never heard of it.
What? We're in Taiwan. Let's go and try some.
Okay. Wait… Hey, there's no Taiwan ramen in Taiwan!
Taiwan ramen is a popular dish in Nagoya (名古屋), a city in Japan.
People in Nagoya LOVE Taiwan ramen.
Where's it from? Nagoya!
A Taiwanese chef (廚師) in Nagoya made noodles for his workers' lunch.
He had eaten danzai noodles (擔仔麵) in Taiwan.
In Nagoya, he changed the danzai soup from shrimp (蝦) to chicken.
He put chives (韭菜) and bean sprouts (豆芽) in the soup.
He put lots of garlic (蒜) and chili pepper powder (辣椒粉) in some ground pork (豬絞肉).
Now this spicy ground pork (辣肉燥) is called "Taiwan mince" (肉燥).
A customer (顧客) said the dish looked delicious.
So the chef put Taiwan ramen on the menu!
Now Taiwan ramen is at over two hundred ramen shops in Nagoya.
People who don't like spicy food order "Taiwan ramen American."
People who love it order super spicy "Taiwan ramen Italian."
There are other Taiwan dishes that people in Nagoya love.
There's Taiwan mazesoba. It's Taiwan ramen with no soup.
Chives, Taiwan mince, and a raw egg yolk (生蛋黃) are on top.
Taiwan mazesoba was first made when a chef couldn't make good Taiwan ramen soup.
He was going to throw away the noodles and Taiwan mince.
But a worker asked him to make a dish without soup!
There's Taiwan curry (咖哩). It has lots of spices (香料), onions (洋蔥), and potatoes (馬鈴薯).
It has Taiwan mince and a raw egg on top.
Taiwan curry was first made when a chef put leftover (剩下的) Taiwan mince on curry for his workers.
There are many other Taiwan dishes in Nagoya.
They all have Taiwan mince in them!
Any dish with Taiwan mince in it is delicious to people there.
When a dish goes from one country to another country, it can change A LOT.
And that's great!
Would you like to try a Taiwan dish in Nagoya one day?
___________________________________________________________
十歲女孩發現日本狼標本
10-Year-Old Girl Finds a Japanese Wolf
Hinako, a Japanese girl, loves animals.
She's especially interested in animals that are extinct (滅絕的).
When she was three, she saw a Japanese wolf specimen (標本).
It was at a natural history museum (自然歷史博物館)
From then, she studied the animal.
She looked at pictures of Japanese wolf specimens for hours.
Over one hundred years have passed since someone saw a living one.
When Hinako was 10, she went on a tour (參觀).
It's held just once a year at the large research department (研究部) of the museum.
They hold two million specimens for the museum!
Hinako saw a dog-like (跟狗很像的) specimen on a dark bottom shelf (放在底層的架子上).
Its tail was bushy (濃密的).
Its neck and front legs were short.
It was small, but it wasn't a dog.
She thought it looked like a Japanese wolf!
There were only four specimens in the world.
Was this specimen a Japanese wolf too?
The next day, she sent a message (訊息) to the museum about the specimen.
They answered three months later.
The museum thought it was a mountain dog.
Japanese wolves were sometimes called mountain dogs.
Hinako was excited.
She did a lot of research.
She found a zoo in Tokyo got two Japanese wolves in 1888.
She thought this specimen could be one of them.
She wrote a report (報?).
It won an award (獎項) from the Japanese education ministry (教育部).
Two researchers wanted to do research and write a scientific paper (科學論文)with her.
They found a genetic analysis (基因分析) of the specimen matched (匹配) with the Japanese wolf.
But the specimen's head had differences (差異) from other Japanese wolf specimens.
It turned out that the specimen didn't have a skull (頭骨)!
Maybe the person who made the specimen had never seen a Japanese wolf.
They finished the scientific paper.
Hinako is thirteen years old now.
She's in junior high school.
There's still a lot for her to find out about the Japanese wolf!
___________________________________________________________
So in today's News Bites:
Taiwan dishes are popular in a city in Japan.
All the dishes have a spicy ground pork called Taiwan mince in them.
But none of them are eaten in Taiwan.
When a dish goes from one country to another, it can change a lot!
___________________________________________________________
And…
A young girl saw a specimen.
She thought it looked like an extinct Japanese wolf.
But nobody knew if it was a Japanese wolf.
The girl and two researchers did research and found that it was!
___________________________________________________________
趣味小點
Tasty Tidbit
And in today's Tasty Tidbit…
Have you ever seen a comet (彗星)?
They look like a ball of light with a long tail.
They fly very fast and very high in the sky.
We don't see them often, so they're exciting to watch.
Thirty-eight years ago, more than one million visitors went to Kenting National Park to see Halley's Comet!
It was very cloudy, but they still went!
Only about twenty thousand people saw the comet!
Now scientists say comets smell bad.
They smell like rotten (腐爛的)eggs, pee, and vinegar (醋).Pee-ew!
It's good that they're so far away!
Thirty-eight years from now, Halley's comet comes back.
Will you think of how it smells then?
___________________________________________________________
And that's it for today's episode of News Bites!
If you have a fun fact, a joke, or interesting news you'd like to share with us, record your message and send your Tasty Tidbit to us at [email protected].
You might hear it at the end of an episode!
We'll see you next time for an exciting new episode of News Bites! -
Good afternoon! Welcome to another episode of News Bites.
I'm Paz Bueno.
And I'm Nancy Sun.
In today's stories…
Hsinchu helps stray animals, the world's first Dragon Ball theme park, and the longest poem in the world!
Let's jump right into these stories.
________________________________
新竹市成立動物管制隊
Hsinchu City Establishes Animal Control Team
Stray animals are pets that don't have a home.
They roam (遊蕩) our neighborhoods, parks, and streets, trying to survive.
While some are shy and keep to themselves…
有些動物很害羞，喜歡單獨行動…
…others are friendly and approach people, hoping for a little bit of kindness.
…但也有一些很友善，會接近人類，希望得到一點點關懷。
Taking care of these animals and making sure they're safe and healthy is a big job.
And Hsinchu City is making sure this job gets done!
The city government has created a special team called the Animal Control Team (動物管制隊).
Their job is take care of stray dogs and cats (流浪狗和貓).
They help these animals by sterilizing them (絕育).
And they rescue animals that are in trouble.
They're working all day and night to make sure every animal gets the help it needs.
The people in Hsinchu City are helping out, too!
The city set up a 24-hour emergency animal rescue notification system (24小時動物緊急救援通報機制).
People can use it to report animals that need rescue, which means more animals are getting saved.
That's teamwork at its best!
這就是最棒的團隊合作！
But that's not all.
Hsinchu City is also making sure animals are taken care of from the moment they're born until they're no longer with us.
新竹市也確保動物從出生到離世都受到妥善照顧。
They offer services like free cremation (火化) for stray animals.
And they also make it cheaper for pet owners to have the same service for their pets.
And for a bit of extra fun, Hsinchu is planning more pet parks!
That means more spaces for pets and their owners to play and enjoy the outdoors.
Hsinchu City is becoming a friendlier place for animals, thanks to the Animal Control Team and new pet parks.
It's great to see how much they care for our furry friends!
________________________________
全球首座《七龍珠》主題樂園
World's First "Dragon Ball" Theme Park
"Dragon Ball" is a very popular manga and anime that many people around the world love.
《七龍珠》是一部全世界許多人都喜愛的超人氣漫畫和動畫。
It's about a young boy named Son Goku (孫悟空) who goes on exciting adventures to find seven magical orbs (神奇寶珠) called "Dragon Balls."
These orbs are very powerful because if you collect all seven, a dragon named Shenron (神龍) appears and can make any wish come true.
Since the story started in 1984, "Dragon Ball" has made lots of TV shows, movies, and toys.
People love it because of the exciting fights, great friendships, and it teaches us to never give up.
Now, imagine being able to walk into Goku's world!
Saudi Arabia is planning to build the world's first ever "Dragon Ball" theme park.
沙烏地阿拉伯計畫建造全球首座《七龍珠》主題樂園。
There's going to be a huge 70 meter tall dragon right in the middle.
中央將有一座高達70米的巨龍。
…and more than 30 fun rides to explore!
還有超過30座好玩的遊樂設施等你探索。
However, not everyone is happy about this plan.
Some fans are worried because of the country's human rights issues (人權問題).
They're talking about it online, sharing different opinions.
The company making this park is owned by Saudi Arabia's government.
They are working with the Japanese company that owns "Dragon Ball."
This theme park is part of a bigger plan to make Saudi Arabia known for fun and tourism.
It's going to be near the capital, Riyadh.
Sadly, the creator of "Dragon Ball," Akira Toriyama, passed away recently.
Fans all over the world are remembering him and how much they love the adventures of Goku and his friends.
________________________________
So, in today's News Bites…
Hsinchu City is becoming a friendlier place for animals.
The city government has created a special team called the Animal Control Team.
Their job is take care of stray dogs and cats.
The city government also plans to build more pet parks.
________________________________
And,
Saudi Arabia is planning to build the world's first ever "Dragon Ball" theme park.
"Dragon Ball" is a very popular manga and anime that many people around the world love.
However, not everyone is happy about this plan.
Some fans are worried because of the country's human rights issues.
________________________________
趣味小點
Tasty Tidbit
The Mahabharata is the longest poem in the world.
It's a special text that teaches about Hinduism (印度教).
It has 74,000 parts called verses, all adding up to 1.8 million words.
Imagine talking day and night for two weeks - that's how long it would take to say the whole thing without stopping!
If you have a fun fact, a joke, or interesting news you'd like to share with us, record your message and send us your Tasty Tidbit to [email protected], and you might hear it at the end of an episode!
We'll see you next time for an exciting new episode of News Bites! -
Hi everyone, welcome to a new episode of News Bites.
I'm Nancy Sun.
And I'm Brody Halverson.
In today's news:
A black bear makes a comeback, a fuzzy find almost fools scientists, and super sticky stuff.
Stay tuned for more on those stories, coming up next.
________________________________
受傷台灣黑熊回歸森林
A Formosan Black Bear Makes a Big Comeback!
It was another peaceful day out in Taitung County.
The sun was shining, the grass was green, the birds were singing…
And a Formosan black bear was walking near a road when…
Ouch!
The bear got caught in a trap!
It was a rope trap.
The bear was very scared, and climbed up a tree to hide.
幾個月前，台東山區1隻台灣黑熊因前肢誤中套索受傷躲到樹上。
People from an Indigenous village close by found the bear.
And they called forest rangers (護林員) and experts in to help.
Everyone worked together to rescue the bear.
They saw that it was a male bear, about 3 or 4 years old.
They named him "Lanihu".
At first, they saw that the bear's front paw (熊掌) was very badly hurt.
They were worried that they may have to cut it off to save the bear.
But after seven months of nutritious (營養的) food, and medical care, Lanihu got better!
The people helped Lanihu go back into the forest.
And Indigenous villagers asked mountain spirits to help protect Lanihu.
Formosan black bears have a special place in Indigenous culture.
To many tribes, the bears are brave warriors, and leaders in the forest (森林中的王者).
They are also sacred (神聖的), and in some tribes, it is forbidden to kill a Formosan black bear.
Forest officials say they put a tracking device on Lanihu.
This way they know where Lanihu is in the wild.
And this makes it easier to help him if he is in danger.
Officials also thanked Indigenous tribes for their help in saving bears.
And they hope they can keep working with Indigenous communities and people living nearby to help protect Formosan black bears.
________________________________
澳洲發現毛毛的新甲蟲
Beetle Almost Mistaken for Bird Poo
What's fuzzy all-over, and kind of looks like bird poo?
It's a newly-discovered beetle!
A scientist was in a forest in Australia.
As he was walking, something caught his eye (吸引他的目光)…
Something white and a little fuzzy on a leaf…
He thought it was bird poo.
When he looked closer, he realized it was a longhorn beetle.
The beetle was red and black, with long white hairs all over its body.
研究員無意中發現這個長角甲蟲家族的新品種，剛看到還以為是鳥糞。
The scientist went home, and quickly looked through all the books and papers he could find.
He wanted to find out more about this amazing beetle.
But none of the pictures he saw looked anything like his fuzzy beetle.
He asked other experts.
And they were sure that this beetle was a totally new species (物種).
But that wasn't all.
This beetle was in fact, a new genus (屬), that's a new family of species!
They named the beetle "Excastra albopilosa".
That's Latin for "from the camp", and "white and hairy".
But why is this strange-looking beetle so hairy?
Some scientists think the white hairs help protect the beetle.
The hairs make the beetle look like it is covered in fungus (菌).
And this would make it look less tasty (不怎麼好吃) to birds.
The scientists are also amazed that no one has found this beetle before.
They are looking for more, to study the beetle in detail (仔細研究).
They say this also shows that there could be many more species in nature that we haven't found yet.
And many could be in danger of extinction.
In fact, scientists believe there could be 5.5 million insect species in the world.
And they say only 20 percent of these have been found.
________________________________
So, in today's News Bites:
A Formosan black bear got caught in a trap.
People from an Indigenous village close by and forest rangers all worked together to rescue the bear.
They named him Lanihu.
After seven months of nutritious food, and medical care, Lanihu got better!
The people helped Lanihu go back into the forest.
And,
A scientist in Australia found a new species of longhorn beetle.
The beetle was red and black, with long white hairs all over its body.
They named the beetle "Excastra albopilosa".
This beetle was in fact, a new genus, that's a new family of species!
They say this also shows that there could be many more species in nature that we haven't found yet.
________________________________
趣味小點
Tasty Tidbit
And now for today's Tasty Tidbit…
Ever wonder how geckos defy gravity?
They can walk on walls, or even on the ceiling!
It's all because of tiny hairs on their feet.
These hairs are called setae.
These setae have millions of tiny, tiny branches.
And these branches make a force that makes things stick together.
They're like millions of tiny sticky pads.
These hairs are the secret behind the gecko's wall-walking ways!
And that's today's episode of News Bites!
If you have a fun fact, a joke, or interesting news you'd like to share with us, record your message and send us your Tasty Tidbit to [email protected], and you might hear it at the end of an episode!
We'll see you next time for an exciting new episode of News Bites! -
Hey you guys, it's time for another episode of News Bites.
I'm Jacob Ingram.
And I'm Paz Bueno.
In today's news: The government wants ease traffic rules, and some French cheeses are at risk of going extinct.
And in today's Tasty Tidbit: Teeth!
Stay tuned for more on those stories, coming up next.
________________________________
政府提出交通微罪 不開放檢舉
Government to Ease Minor Traffic Violations
Taiwan has been called a "living hell for pedestrians".
有人說「台灣是行人地獄」。
It came from a Facebook page by the same name that went viral.
這個說法來自[行人地獄]臉書專頁，引起廣泛的注意。
The government strove (努力) to change the situation.
It toughened up the traffic rules.
政府於是加強交通違規執法。
Though it might have gone a bit too far.
但是可能做過了頭。
Police received lots of minor traffic violation reports and became overwhelmed.
警方收到太多交通違規檢舉案件，沒有辦法處理。
Minor traffic violations (情節輕微的違規事項) are those that incur a fine of 1,200 NT or less.
Now the government is wanting to ease some of the rules.
Currently there are 59 traffic violations that the public can report to authorities.
The government wants to take 10 of these away, leaving 49 reportable violations.
Some of the cut violations include talking on a handheld phone while driving, smoking cigarettes while driving, and illegal parking.
Authorities hope that reducing the number of reportable traffic violations will ease the burden off the police (減輕警察的負擔).
But it's causing some backlash!
The amendment angered road safety activists (社會運動人士).
One group commented that talking on a handheld phone while driving is "extremely dangerous" and it endangers road safety.
They also say that illegal parking violates the rights of road users and blocks emergency vehicles.
Even scholars (學者) are worried that easing traffic violations would make Taiwan less safe for pedestrians.
________________________________
法國起司可能會失傳
French Cheeses at Risk of Extinction
When something goes extinct it disappears completely.
Animals and plants can go extinct.
But did you know foods can go extinct too?
One reason is because fewer people learning traditional crafts (傳統技藝).
So the techniques are not being passed down (流傳下來).
But for some popular French cheeses on the verge of extinction, there's another reason.
The fungi (菌) used to make these cheeses are going extinct.
Fungi promote fermentation (發酵) and give cheese its aroma (香氣), color and flavor.
Take Camembert cheese for example.
For the French, it's not only a delicious snack, it's also a national pride.
In the past, cheesemakers used several strains (品種) of a fungus for Camembert.
Different strains of fungus result in different aromas, colors and flavors for cheeses.
不同品種的真菌會給乳酪帶來不同的香氣、顏色和風味。
About 100 years ago, cheesemakers started using a specific fungus strain known as Penicillium camemberti, or "P. camemberti" for short.
This strain of fungus became the gold standard for Camembert cheese, and others.
This allowed the aroma, color and flavor of the cheeses to be consistent (一致的).
However, there's a downside.
The fungus is changing genetically.
In other words, mutations (變異) are developing in the fungus' genome (基因組合).
隨著時間的推移，此菌的基因組開始發生變異。
So the original P. camemberti fungus will no longer exist.
This means Camembert cheese as we know it really is on the verge of extinction.
Other cheeses are also facing a similar problem. So French cheese lovers around the world are worried.
What can be done about it?
Well, experts are saying cheesemakers can use other fungi that's closely related to P. camamberti.
While this may save Camembert from extinction, it won't taste or smell quite the same as the original.
只要是消費者願意接受這微小的變化，卡芒貝爾起司就不會消失。
________________________________
So, in today's News Bites:
Taiwan has been called a living hell for pedestrians.
The government toughened up traffic rules, but police became inundated with minor traffic violation reports.
So the government is now easing the rules.
But many are worried this will make Taiwan less safe for pedestrians.
________________________________
And,
Some French cheeses are at risk of extinction.
This is because fungi used to make many cheeses are disappearing.
Experts have suggested cheesemakers can use strains of fungi that are similar to the original.
But this might result in the taste and smell of famous cheeses being slightly different in the future.
________________________________
趣味小點
Tasty Tidbit
And now for today's Tasty Tidbit. Did you know that human teeth are the only part of the body that can't heal themselves?
This is because teeth are not made of live tissue. They are made of enamel, which cannot regenerate in the same way cells can.
So that's why it's important to take care of your teeth! Because if you lose them, there's no getting them back.
And that's today's episode of News Bites!
Thank you for listening to today's News Bites!
If you have a fun fact or a joke you'd like to share with us, record your message and send us your Tasty Tidbit to [email protected], and you might hear it at the end of an episode!
We'll see you next time for an exciting new episode of News Bites! -
Hi there, and welcome to another episode of News Bites.
I'm Nancy Sun.
And I'm Jacob Ingram.
Today's stories…
Making money from convenience, saving newspaper kiosks, and the power of popcorn.
Let's check it out.
________________________________
台灣超商營業額破4千億大關
Taiwan's Convenience Store Craze
Convenience stores are a part of daily life in Taiwan.
We go there to pay bills, buy tickets, pick up packages…
Not to mention the usual necessities (必需品) and 24-hour services.
台灣有很多便利商店門市，民生用品種類多、而且24小時全年無休又服務多元化，讓它成為民眾生活中重要一部分。
The Ministry of Economic Affairs (經濟部) says as of December 2023, there were 13,706 convenience stores in Taiwan.
That's an average of one store for every 1,703 people.
Taiwan’s density (密度) of convenience stores exceeded (超越) Japan in 2016.
That made us the country with the second-highest density of convenience stores in the world.
South Korea is highest on the list, with 57,617 convenience stores.
That’s one store for every 897 people.
We see lots of convenience stores in Taiwan.
Sometimes, you can even see 3 stores on the same intersection (交叉路口).
And all those stores together means a lot of money.
The government says convenience stores in Taiwan made a total of $ 412.6 billion NT last year.
The stores have two peak sale periods.
The first one is in January, which is considered hot pot season.
Some people skip the supermarket, and buy their ingredients at convenience stores.
They think convenience stores are closer and open 24/7.
The second peak season is from July to August, during summer.
During the hot weather, drinks and ice-cream sales go through the roof (飆升).
And many convenience store chains promote membership.
When members buy something, they can accumulate (累積) points.
They can exchange these points for things at the store.
The stores will also roll out limited co-branded (聯名) products from time to time.
That includes famous cartoon characters, bags or even model cars.
All these promotions help increase sales.
Another source of revenue is from selling coffee.
Many adults like to get a cup of coffee before school or work.
Major convenience store chains sell a lot of coffee
In fact, if you stack up all the coffee sold by three major convenience store chains in 2020…
They would be higher than 100,000 Taipei 101s!
That's a lot of coffee! No wonder, it’s called black gold.
________________________________
義大利標誌性報亭沒落
Italy’s Disappearing Newspaper Kiosks
Have you ever seen a news kiosk?
It’s a stall that sells newspapers, books and magazines.
30 years ago, they could be seen all over Italy.
No street or plaza (廣場) was complete without a news kiosk.
For many locals, it was a place to socialize (社交、互動).
When you picked up a newspaper, you could also chat with neighbors, or talk about politics, soccer and the weather.
But over the years, newspaper sales have been going down.
And that meant the number of kiosks went down too.
In 2004, kiosks sold about 9.5 million newspapers every day.
But by January this year, kiosks only sold around 950,000 every day.
So over the past 20 years, two thirds of Italy's kiosks have closed down.
Italy's government wants to keep kiosks around.
It is offering incentives (獎勵) up to $2,000 euros for kiosks to stay open.
But kiosk owners say that money can't solve problems in the long term.
One owner says "Everything is online, no one reads papers and magazines anymore.”
Some owners say the only way to keep kiosks open is to diversify (多樣化).
And that is exactly what many are doing right now.
為了生存，許多報攤開始販賣紀念品給遊客。
Many kiosks now sell fridge magnets, baseball caps, T-shirts, football cards and more.
The future of newspaper kiosks is uncertain.
But there are still people out there working to protect their culture.
________________________________
So, in today's News Bites…
The government says convenience stores in Taiwan made a total of $ 412.6 billion NT last year.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs says as of December 2023, there were 13,706 convenience stores in Taiwan.
In fact, Taiwan is the country with the second-highest density of convenience stores in the world.
________________________________
And,
The number of newspaper kiosks in Italy is going down.
Italy's government wants to keep kiosks around, and it is offering incentives up to $2,000 euros for kiosks to stay open.
But kiosk owners say that money can't solve problems in the long term.
________________________________
趣味小點
Tasty Tidbit
Today's Tasty Tidbit is all about the power of popcorn.
Have you ever wondered how popcorn pops? It all has to do with water and heat!
Inside a kernel of popcorn, there's a tiny bit of water. When things get hot, the water turns to steam and quickly expands. This creates more and more pressure inside the kernel until…
POP!
The kernel explodes, turning into fluffy popcorn!
If you have a fun fact, a joke, or interesting news you'd like to share with us, record your message and send us your Tasty Tidbit to [email protected], and you might hear it at the end of an episode!
We'll see you next time for an exciting new episode of News Bites! -
Hello and welcome to today's episode of News Bites!
I'm Paz Bueno.
And I'm Nancy Sun.
In today's stories…
Kaohsiung offers sunny savings, a man gets hundreds of vaccines, and an adorable arctic selfie!
Let's get started!
________________________________
高雄推動太陽能補助計畫
Kaohsiung Promotes Solar Subsidy Program
Imagine living in a world where the air is cleaner, the Earth is greener, and our energy comes from the endless power of nature.
This isn't just a dream; it's becoming a reality!
We now have renewable energy sources (再生能源) like the sun, wind, and water.
Unlike the energy we get from coal or oil, renewable energy never runs out.
從煤炭或石油獲得的能源總會用完，再生能源卻取之不盡，用之不竭。
Using renewable energy helps us cut down on (減少) harmful gases that are bad for our health and the environment.
Plus, it helps us save money and creates jobs for people who install and maintain these green energy systems.
此外，它還幫我們省錢，並且創造工作機會，因為需要人力安裝和維護再生能源系統。
In Kaohsiung City, there's exciting news for people who care about the Earth and saving money!
The city government is offering a subsidy (補助) for residents who want to put solar panels (太陽能板) on their roofs.
Since March 20th, people can apply for the subsidy program.
They can get up to 200,000 NT (可以獲得最高20萬台幣) to help pay for these solar panels.
This year, Kaohsiung has set aside 10 million NT, just for this (留了1000萬台幣的預算)!
Last year, thanks to this help, many solar panels were installed.
These panels can power (供電) thousands of houses for a long time.
Plus, people who have solar panels can even make money by selling the extra electricity back to the city (可以將多餘的電力賣回給市政府來賺錢)!
These panels also help to keep houses cooler (保持房屋涼爽) when the weather is hot.
So, if you live in Kaohsiung and are interested in the idea of a cooler home, saving money, and helping the planet…
Now is the time to think about solar panels!
________________________________
德國男子 接種217劑疫苗
German Man Gets 217 Vaccine Shots
From 2020 to 2022, the world faced a big challenge.
COVID-19 spread all over the planet, changing how we live in big ways.
COVID-19在全球蔓延，大大改變了我們的生活方式。
We all started wearing masks (口罩) to keep safe.
And getting vaccinated (接種疫苗) became very important.
Vaccines (疫苗) help us not get sick from the virus.
To be fully-vaccinated against COVID-19, health organizations said people needed to get two vaccine doses, and a booster shot.
要對抗COVID-19，衛生組織表示人們需要接種兩劑疫苗和一劑加強針。
It's also recommended (建議) that people get more than one booster shot (不止一劑的加強針) to protect them from the virus.
So maybe you know someone who got 3, 4, or even 5 vaccine shots…
But what happens if you get more than that?
A 62-year old man from Germany got more doses of COVID-19 vaccines than recommended.
He got 217--that's right--217 vaccine shots in 29 months!
他在29個月內接種了217劑疫苗！
Why did he do it?
He says he was curious (好奇) about what would happen if a person got vaccinated against COVID-19, many, many times.
At one point, he was getting shots almost every day.
And people started to wonder what he was doing.
Researchers (研究人員) recently studied him and found something interesting.
They found that getting so many shots didn't change his health much (他的健康狀況沒怎麼改變).
He didn't get sick with COVID-19, but it's not clear why.
Doctors and scientists are very interested in what happens to him.
But they remind us this is just one person's unusual story.
這只是一個人的不尋常的故事。
This story is fascinating, but we should always follow professional health advice (專業的健康建議).
________________________________
So, in today's News Bites…
Kaohsiung City is offering a subsidy for people who want to put solar panels on their roofs.
Since March 20th, people can apply for the subsidy program.
They can get up to 200,000 NT to help pay for these solar panels.
________________________________
And,
A 62-year old man from Germany got 217 COVID-19 vaccine doses.
He says he was curious about what would happen if a person got vaccinated against COVID-19, many, many times.
Researchers found that getting so many shots didn't change his health much.
He didn't get sick with COVID-19, but it's not clear why.
________________________________
趣味小點
Tasty Tidbit
The word "selfie" means taking a photo of yourself.
This fun word became really popular and was even added to the English dictionary in 2013.
Today we've got a special report about a unique selfie, coming from 10-year old Vincent, who studies at He-Mu Elementary School in Chiayi County!
--
Penguin selfies? I have to go take a look!
If you have a fun fact, a joke, or interesting news you'd like to share with us, record your message and send us your Tasty Tidbit to [email protected], and you might hear it at the end of an episode!
We'll see you next time for an exciting new episode of News Bites! -
Hi there.
You’re listening to an all-new episode of News Bites.
I’m Jacob Ingram.
And I’m Nancy Sun.
In today's news: An Invoice Lottery winner disqualified, and a set of dentures auctioned for big bucks.
And in today’s Tasty Tidbit: Rainbows on Venus.
Stay tuned for those stories, coming up next.
________________________________
統一發票兌獎 中獎者被取消資格
Uniform Invoice Lottery Winner Disqualified
Have you ever bought something in Taiwan?
Many places give you a receipt (發票) after you buy something.
These receipts are special in Taiwan.
Because if you hold onto them, you might have a chance at winning money!
This is called the Uniform Invoice Lottery (統一發票).
Receipts, or invoices, have eight-digit numbers on them.
發票上有八位數字的號碼。
Every two months the government announces a list of winning numbers.
If the number on your receipt matches a winning number or parts of it, you can win money.
The more receipts you have, the higher your chances of winning.
That’s certainly what one trickster (耍花招者) thought.
A guy bought lots and lots of cheap items from online stores.
He collected lots of receipts, i.e. uniform invoices.
In fact, he collected more than 10 thousand invoices from last May to this February.
從去年五月到今年二月他蒐集了一萬多張發票！
That’s a heck of a lot of receipts!
He ended up winning 30,000 NT from these receipts.
But authorities found out what he was up to.
They said over 90 percent of his purchases were small and irregular.
他們說他超過九成的購買是小額且不規律的。
In other words, it did not fit regular consumption patterns.
換句話來說，它不符合常規消費模式。
This breached the rules of the Invoice lottery.
違反了統一發票中獎的規矩。
So what happened next?
Officials wrote the person a letter, informing him that he broke the rules.
The man then voluntarily returned the winnings.
So if you want to win in the Uniform Invoice Lottery, you have to play fair.
________________________________
邱吉爾的假牙 拍賣價格上萬美元
Churchill's Teeth Sell for Thousands at Auction
This next story is about teeth.
But not just any ol’ teeth.
It’s about Winston Churchill’s teeth.
是關於【溫斯頓．邱吉爾】的牙齒。
Now, you might have heard of him.
Winston Churchill was Britain’s Prime Minister (英國首相) during the Second World War (第二次世界大戰).
He led his country with courage and determination.
He inspired people with his powerful speeches and never gave up, even in the toughest times.
But did you know Churchill had a secret?
He wore false teeth, which are also called “dentures” (假牙).
Dentures were so important to him that he always carried two sets with him.
假牙對他來說如此重要，他總是隨身帶著兩副。
And recently a set of his dentures sold at an auction for a whopping 18,000 Pounds.
That’s about the same as 23,000 US dollars, or 732,000 NT.
這副假牙賣了兩萬三千美金，或是七十三萬兩千台幣。
It’s believed up to four sets of dentures were made for him, one of which was buried with him.
一般相信他總共訂做了四副假牙，其中一副跟著他入土為安。
The set sold at the auction was mounted on gold, and were designed by his dentist.
Gold dentures? Wow!
It was made for him when he was 65 years old.
Another item sold at the auction was the microphone reputedly used by Churchill to announce the end of World War Two.
It sold for 11,500 Pounds, which is over 400,000 NT!
________________________________
So in today’s News Bites,
A man bought lots of cheap things to get receipts for the Uniform Invoice Lottery.
He won 30,000 NT, but officials found most of his purchases weren't normal.
They told him he broke the rules.
So he gave the money back.
Top of Form
And,
A set of dentures belonging to Winston Churchill sold at an auction for 18 thousand Pounds.
The set sold was mounted on gold.
It was made for him by his dentist when he was 65 years old, at the start of World War Two.
It is believed Churchill owned four sets of dentures, and always carried two with him at all times.
________________________________
趣味小點
Tasty Tidbit
And in today's Tasty Tidbit,
Did you know that a rainbow on Venus is called a glory?
Now, Venus is a hellish place, with surface temperatures as hot as a wood-fired pizza oven.
I won’t ever be cooking my pizzas on Venus. That’s for sure!
Even though Venus has a very different atmosphere than Earth, it still has some similar things happening in its sky.
A glory happens when sunlight hits tiny drops of acid in Venus' air.
These drops scatter light, making a circular rainbow-like shape.
These circular rainbows are called “glories”.
Unlike Earth's rainbows, which come from water droplets, Venus' glories come from acid droplets.
Ouch!
________________________________
And that's it for today's episode of News Bites!
If you have a fun fact, a joke or interesting news story you'd like to share with us, record your message and send us your Tasty tidbit to [email protected], and you might hear it at the end of an episode.
We'll see you next time for an exciting new episode of News Bites! -
Hi everyone, welcome to a new episode of News Bites.
I'm Nancy Sun.
And I'm Jacob Ingram.
In today's news:
Biker pups, behemoth blueberries, and blink and you'll miss it.
Stay tuned for more on those stories, coming up next.
________________________________
新北市待養毛孩學當機車族
Shelter Pups Train to be Scooter Buddies
Have you ever dreamt of cruising down the road with your furry best friend, the wind blowing through your hair, and fur?
Well, buckle up because the New Taipei Animal Protection Office has a barking good idea!
Many people ride scooters (機車) in Taiwan.
Scooters are cheaper than cars.
And they are useful for short distances (短距離) and busy roads.
So the office wants to help animals get used to scooters.
This may help them get adopted.
And the animals can fit into their new owner's daily life more easily.
The office says workers at its animal shelter in Bali District are working with dogs there.
They are helping the dogs get comfortable around scooters.
They help the dogs get used to the sounds of the scooter engine.
This is so the dogs don't get scared when it goes "VROOM"!
And the workers help the dogs learn how to sit safely on a motorcycle.
They also use special equipment so the dogs can be comfy and protected.
新北市動保處教狗狗當機車族，訓練在適當防護下坐機車，熟悉搭車感覺。
They say some doggos are natural biker pups.
But some dogs get a little scared.
Just like learning tricks, some dogs get it faster than others.
But the most important thing is that they all get a chance to find a loving forever home.
And the Animal Protection Office is reminding everyone that safety comes first!
If you're taking your furry friend on a scooter ride…
Make sure they have a leash or harness to keep them secure.
動保處也請民眾載毛寶貝出門前一定要做好相關安全措施。
A happy and safe animal is the best riding buddy!
________________________________
澳洲農場種出巨無霸藍莓
Supersized Superfood: Australian Farmers Grow Giant Blueberry
Hey there fruit fans.
Buckle up for a berry good story!
Blueberries are a small round fruit.
They are dark purple or blue, with a light sweet taste.
Usually, blueberries are about the size of a marble (彈珠).
But some farmers in Australia have grown a giant blueberry that would crush them all!
This giant blueberry is bigger than a ping-pong ball (乒乓球).
It weighs 20.4 grams, which is about 10 times heavier than a regular blueberry.
This colossal blueberry didn't just magically happen.
The group of farmers have been working on this for a long time.
Blueberries are known to be good for you, full of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants (抗氧化劑).
In fact, they are often called a "superfood".
And the farmers say more people are now eating blueberries as snacks.
But they say people want bigger berries.
So they developed a special kind of blueberry, called the Eterna.
They say Eterna blueberries are usually bigger than regular blueberries.
And they say Eternas are still full of blueberry flavor (味道).
The farmers thought their giant blueberry might be the biggest in the world.
They told the Guinness World Records about it.
And the Guinness World Records confirmed that it was now officially the heaviest blueberry ever recorded.
這顆藍莓獲得金氏世界紀錄認證，成為世界最大藍莓的新紀錄保持者。
For now, the farmers are keeping the giant blueberry in the freezer (冷凍庫).
And they say they are still trying to decide what to do with it.
But so far, they say they don't plan on eating this giant berry.
農場團隊說，他們都捨不得吃掉這顆藍莓，還在思考要怎麼處理它。
________________________________
So, in today's News Bites:
The New Taipei Animal Protection Office is helping the dogs learn how to sit safely on a motorcycle.
This may help them get adopted and fit into their new owner's daily life more easily.
They say some doggos are natural biker pups.
But some dogs get a little scared.
Just like learning tricks, some dogs get it faster than others.
But the most important thing is that they all get a chance to find a loving forever home.
And,
Farmers in Australia have grown a giant blueberry that's bigger than a ping-pong ball.
It weighs 20.4 grams, which is about 10 times heavier than a regular blueberry.
The Guinness World Records confirmed that it was now officially the heaviest blueberry ever recorded.
For now, the farmers are keeping the giant blueberry in the freezer.
And they say they are still trying to decide what to do with it.
But so far, they say they don't plan on eating this giant berry.
________________________________
趣味小點
Tasty Tidbit
And now for today's Tasty Tidbit…
Why do we say something is "as fast as lightning"?
Well, that's because lightning is really, really fast!
A bolt of lightning can travel at an incredible speed of about 430,000 kilometers per hour!
Just how fast is that?
It would take lightning less than one second to get from Taipei to Kaohsiung.
We wouldn't even have time to finish a blink before it's done.
And that's today's episode of News Bites!
If you have a fun fact, a joke, or interesting news you'd like to share with us, record your message and send us your Tasty Tidbit to [email protected], and you might hear it at the end of an episode!
We'll see you next time for an exciting new episode of News Bites! -
Hi there. Welcome to an all-new episode of News Bites.
I'm Nancy Sun.
And I'm Kelly Kimura.
In today's news,
The future of laser technology, and a tasty way to save ancient history.
And in today's Tasty Tidbit…
A tiny bug that packs a big punch!
Stay tuned for those stories, coming up next.
________________________________
台灣研發雷射防空系統
Laser Systems to Protect Taiwan
Laser technology has changed a lot.
We use lasers in many places that we don't even think about…
From the QR-code scanner at the convenience store near your home, to equipment for surgery (手術).
This technology can be used in so many ways.
Lasers are also used in military technology.
Now, we're not talking about laser guns and light sabers, at least, not yet.
We're still a long way from that.
Laser weapons are also known as directed-energy (指定向能量) weapons.
They are electromagnetic (電磁) systems.
They take chemical or electrical energy and turn it into focused energy.
This energy can hit something far away.
Scientists believe this can help protect people from dangers in the sky.
Many countries are working on this type of technology.
Traditional weapons and defense systems are very expensive.
And they also cost a lot of money to maintain (維修).
Laser technology may be cheaper.
The National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology has been working on this technology.
Last year, the institute made a low-powered prototype (原型).
Now, they've made a 50 kilowatt laser system on a vehicle.
The institute says the laser system can neutralize (消除) dangers in the sky.
It can target drones, missiles or rockets.
And it can use a quiet electronic attack to stop them.
這個雷射系統可以破壞無人機、慢速機、和其他的空中武器。
Scientists still have to do more tests on the laser system.
But they hope the system can be used to protect Taiwan in the future.
________________________________
山葵能幫助保存古莎草紙
A Spicy New Way to Save Ancient Papyrus
It's green…
It's mushy…
And whew!
It really makes your nose burn and your eyes water!
Do you like wasabi?
It often looks like a light green paste (漿糊).
And many people eat it with sushi.
But be careful!
If you have too much in one bite, it can be quite spicy!
And it can also clear up your stuffy nose.
Now, scientists have found a whole new way to use wasabi!
No, not for food.
They use it to preserve (保存) papyrus rolls!
Papyrus is a type of material (材料) used long ago.
It's made from the stem of a water plant.
Thousands of years ago, it was used to make sails (船帆), rope, baskets and many other items.
Ancient Egyptians also used it as paper, for writing and painting.
It was used throughout the ancient Mediterranean (地中海) world.
This means many ancient texts found by archaeologists are written on papyrus.
The papyrus tells us a lot of about ancient history and culture.
But since papyrus is made from a plant, it's fragile (脆弱).
Papyrus is often damaged by fungal infections (黴菌感染).
When fungus grow on papyrus, the papyrus cracks and the paint disappears.
In fact, scientists say the bio-deterioration (生物腐蝕) of papyrus is a worldwide problem.
Museums all over the world were looking for a way to keep papyrus safe.
And that way may be wasabi!
Scientists mixed water and wasabi powder.
Then they put the wasabi on aluminum foil (鋁箔) and left some near papyrus infected with fungus.
Wasabi vapors (氣體) got onto the papyrus.
After three days, the scientists found that the fungus on the papyrus was gone!
And, the papyrus was stronger by 26 percent.
They were amazed!
And compared with other disinfectants (消毒劑), wasabi is safer and greener for the environment.
Scientists are now trying to find out if wasabi can be used on other materials.
誰能想到山葵除了美味，竟然能保存古文物。
________________________________
So in today's News Bites,
The National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology has made a special laser system.
The institute says the system can neutralize dangers in the sky.
They hope the system can be used to protect Taiwan in the future.
________________________________
And,
Scientists are preserving papyrus rolls with wasabi.
They mix water and wasabi powder, then leave that close to papyrus infected with fungus.
The wasabi helps kill the fungus and makes the papyrus stronger.
________________________________
趣味小點
Tasty Tidbit
And in today's Tasty Tidbit,
Fire-breathing dragons only live in stories. But how about a tiny real-life bug that shoots super-hot stuff out its backend?
The bombardier beetle has two chemicals in its body. When it is in danger, it mixes the chemicals to make a really hot spray, and shoots out the chemicals. That explosive spray can get up to almost 100 degrees Celsius!
Anything that tries to eat this beetle will probably regret it!
And that's it for today's episode of News Bites!
If you have a fun fact or joke you'd like to share with us, record your message and send us your Tasty Tidbit to [email protected], and you might hear it at the end of an episode.
We'll see you next time for an exciting new episode of News Bites! -
Hi everyone, welcome to a new episode of News Bites!
I'm Kelly Kimura…
And I'm Nancy Sun.
Coming up next in today's news: Two Taiwanese grandmas are movie stars and scientists go deep in the ocean to find new kinds of life!
And in today's Tasty Tidbit…don't eat fried toothpicks!
Stay tuned for more on those stories!
___________________________________________________________
台灣奶奶和外婆成為電影明星
Two Taiwanese Grandmas Become Movie Stars
During the pandemic (疫情), a movie director (電影導演)stayed at his parents' house in California.
He couldn't make any movies.
So he made videos of his grandmas.
This was nothing new.
He's been making videos of them since he was a kid.
His paternal grandma (奶奶)is 97 years old.
She says she feels like she's 100 years old.
His maternal grandma (外婆)is 86 years old.
She says she feels like she's 20 years old!
They're from Taiwan.
Now they live with their children in California.
They're like sisters (像姐妹一樣).
They sleep in one bed.
They take care of each other (互相照顧).
They cook, sing, dance, and read the newspaper together.
They do morning exercises (晨練), work in the garden (做園藝), and arm-wrestle (扳手腕) with each other.
They laugh a lot!
They even joke (開玩笑) about… uh, can we say this here? Farts! (放屁)
They have happy and sad times together.
In the end, their grandson made a short movie about them.
It's called Nai Nai and Wai Po, and yes, that's "Grandma and Grandma" in English.
Why did he make the movie?
Well, because of the pandemic, some people didn't like Asian people (亞洲人).
Some older Asian people were attacked (被攻擊).
He wanted everyone to see older Asian people as real humans, not stereotypes (刻板印象).
Then the movie was nominated (被提名) for the most famous award for movies in the United States (美國最有名的電影獎).
The grandmas were movie stars (電影明星)!
The grandmas dressed in beautiful red clothes.
They walked on a red carpet (紅地毯)when their movie opened!
They were in a famous fashion magazine (著名時尚雜誌) !
They wore custom-made designer clothes (設計師服裝) to the awards ceremony (頒獎典禮)!
The movie didn't win the award, but it changed the grandmas.
Thinking of her movie director grandson, Nai Nai wants parents to support their kids' interests and let them follow their own paths (奶奶希望父母支持孩子的興趣，讓他們走自己的路).
The movie made Wai Po realize she still has value in society.
這部電影讓外婆覺得，她在社會上仍然有價值。
She hopes kids will become closer to their grandmas and grandpas when they see the movie.
___________________________________________________________
紐西蘭水域 科學家發現百種新海洋物種
Scientists Find 100 New Marine Species in New Zealand Waters
Did you know the ocean covers 71% of the Earth?
What's in it?
Well, we know about 240,000 of the ocean's marine species (海洋物種). Wow!
But there are many that we don't know about.
Scientists think there are over two million marine species!
Some scientists explored (探索) a very deep part near the coast (海岸) of New Zealand.
How deep was it?
Four thousand eight hundred meters!
Is that a lot?
Well, Jade Mountain (玉山), the tallest mountain in Taiwan and East Asia, is almost 4,000 meters tall!
The scientists found almost 1,800 marine animals!
So far, there are 100 new species in this group.
They think they will find more species in this group.
They found many new mollusk (軟體動物) species and three new fish species.
They also found a very small star-shaped marine animal.
It's just one centimeter wide (寬).
Nobody knows what it is.
Maybe it's a coral (珊瑚動物).
Looking for new marine species sounds fun and interesting. But is it important?
Yes, it's very important.
Marine ecosystems (生態系統) have plants, animals, and very, very small living things
called microbes (微生物).
Marine ecosystems help life on Earth.
Their food chains include fish that feed billions of people.
Marine ecosystems take in about a quarter of the carbon dioxide (二氧化碳) made from human activities (人類活動).
The deep ocean has fifty times more (多五十倍) carbon than our atmosphere (大氣層)!
This is one way marine ecosystems regulate the climate (調節氣候).
Scientists are trying to understand more about marine life to help marine animals… and us!
___________________________________________________________
So in today's News Bites:
Two Taiwanese grandmas become movie stars!
One grandma hopes the movie will help kids become closer to their grandmas and grandpas.
___________________________________________________________
And…
Scientists explored a deep part of the ocean near the coast of New Zealand.
Understanding marine life is important because the ocean helps life on Earth.
___________________________________________________________
趣味小點
Tasty Tidbit
And in today's Tasty Tidbit…
Don't eat those toothpicks!
When you eat, does food sometimes get between your teeth?
Maybe you use a toothpick to pick the food out.
In South Korea, some toothpicks are environmentally friendly.
They are made from starch.
Noodles, rice, and bread are some foods that have starch.
Hmmm. Does that mean we can eat the toothpicks too?
Well, no. But someone tried frying them.
Uhhhh…What happened?
The toothpicks looked like crispy rice noodles!
Many people tried frying toothpicks and posted pictures online too.
The South Korean government became worried.
They're telling people not to eat these toothpicks.
They aren't food!
___________________________________________________________
And that's it for today's episode of News Bites!
If you have a fun fact, a joke, or interesting news you'd like to share with us, record your message and send your Tasty Tidbit to us at [email protected].
You might hear it at the end of an episode!
We'll see you next time for an exciting new episode of News Bites! -
Hi everyone, it's time for a new episode of News Bites…
I'm Brody Halverson.
And I'm Paz Bueno.
Today's stories…
Aging farmers turn to robots to take care of Taiwan's farms, and a Russian cosmonaut sets a record for his time in space.
And in today's Tasty Tidbit…a mammal with no stomach.
Let's check it out.
________________________________
無人機取代老農夫
Drones Replace Aging Farmers
Do you know any farmers (農夫)?
Yeah, my grandma and grandpa are farmers.
They live in the countryside (鄉下).
They have been farming all their lives.
What about you?
No…Everybody I know lives in the city.
In fact, not many young people in Taiwan are farmers now.
Most farmers are older people.
According to statistics, the average farmer is 60-some years old.
根據統計，農夫平均年齡在60多歲。
Many of them will retire soon, and there will not be enough young farmers to replace them.
Who will grow the food and run the farms?
There are a few solutions (解決方案).
One idea is to invite people from other countries to work on the farms.
That's already happening.
There are more and more immigrants (移民) working in agriculture.
Another idea is to use drones (無人機).
Those are like robots.
People can control them remotely (可以遙控).
Many of the drones can fly, too.
That means they can move faster than people, and reach many places more easily.
無人機的移動速度比人快，許多地方更容易去。
Recently, the government has been trying a new way to use drones.
They are testing the drones in sugarcane fields (甘蔗田).
It's a lot of work to take care of them.
But so far, the drones have done quite well.
Each drone is even more efficient (更有效率) than a human.
What's the job, exactly?
They need to attach insect larvae (昆蟲幼蟲) to each sugarcane plant.
The larvae will become helpful insects, which will help reduce harmful insects.
A person needs an hour or two to do this for a small field.
But the drone can finish the same field in just 5 to 10 minutes.
It's a promising result (這是很好的結果).
Now, the government is cooperating (合作) with farmers to get more drones into the fields.
There are still lots of jobs for people on farms.
Drones can't do everything.
But they can go a long way in helping a new generation (新一代) grow food in Taiwan.
________________________________
太空人待在太空的時間 創新紀錄
Cosmonaut Sets Record For Time in Space
How much time can a person spend in space (太空)?
Most astronauts (太空人) only spend six months or a year in space.
They can't stay there for too long.
It's not healthy to spend too much time in a place with no gravity (沒有重力的地方).
But some do anyway.
Did you hear about the man who spent two-and-a-half years in space?
He's still there now.
His name is Oleg Kononenko.
He's a cosmonaut, which means an astronaut from Russia (俄羅斯).
Cosmonauts have set a lot of records.
The first man in space was a Russian, Yuri Gagarin.
And so was the first woman, Valentina Tereshkova.
Now, a cosmonaut has set another record.
俄羅斯太空人創造了另一項紀錄。
Oleg Kononenko has broken the record for most time spent in space.
He broke the record back in February, after spending 878 days in space.
How did he stay in space for so long?
Well, it wasn't all in one trip.
Oleg has logged that time during five separate trips to space.
Oleg是五次太空旅行加起來，總共待了那麼久的時間。
By the time his mission (任務) ends in September, he will have logged 1,110 days in space.
Most of that time was on the International Space Station, or ISS (國際太空站).
How does Oleg feel about his time in space?
He says as technology gets more advanced, the job has become more complicated.
他說，科技越進步，太空人的工作就變得越複雜。
He is also a little sad that he didn't spend more time with his children.
But he's proud (自豪) of the work he's done.
Oleg is still doing experiments (實驗) on the ISS.
There he works together with astronauts from America and other countries.
Even though Russia and America have a poor relationship right now (現在美俄關係不好), they can still work together to learn more about space…
…and both can benefit from the long experience (長期經驗) of Oleg Kononenko.
________________________________
So, in today's News Bites…
New drones are being tested on Taiwan's sugarcane farms.
The drones can work much more efficiently than people.
It's good, because many of Taiwan's farmers are getting old, and there are not enough young people replacing them.
________________________________
And,
A cosmonaut has set the world record for total time in space.
Oleg Kononenko has spent more than two and a half years in space over his career.
He's still up there, working on the International Space Station.
________________________________
趣味小點
Tasty Tidbit
Platypuses and echidnas are very special animals because they are the only mammals that don't have a stomach.
When they eat, their food goes directly from their throat to their intestines.
Scientists believe this unique feature evolved a long time ago, around 450 million years!
But, why platypuses and echidnas don't have a stomach is still a mystery.
Isn't that interesting?
If you have a fun fact, a joke, or interesting news you'd like to share with us, record your message and send us your Tasty Tidbit to [email protected], and you might hear it at the end of an episode!
We'll see you next time for an exciting new episode of News Bites! -
Hello there, and welcome to another episode of News Bites.
I'm Paz Bueno.
And I'm Jacob Ingram.
Today's stories…
Officials consider a new holiday, a shark's epic journey, and the origin of blessing people when they sneeze!
Let's check it out.
________________________________
勞動節可能成為國定假日
Labor Day Might Be a National Holiday
Hey Jake, what's your favorite holiday?
It's got to be New Years' Eve.
I love that it's so close to Christmas, so it's like a double holiday!
What about you?
Even though it's not a national holiday here in Taiwan, my favorite holiday is Christmas!
I love putting up a Christmas tree (裝飾聖誕樹), baking cookies, and watching Christmas movies in December!
Holidays are special times when we pause from our daily routines (日常生活) to celebrate, remember, or enjoy time with the people we love.
In Taiwan, we have a set number (固定數量) of holidays each year.
It's usually around 115 to 116 days.
Recently, government officials have been thinking about adding one more holiday to our calendar (日曆).
They're talking about making Labor Day a special day off (假日) for everyone!
Labor Day is observed on May 1st.
勞動節是在五月一日。
Right now, some people don't have to work on this day, but schools and some jobs still do.
This idea sounds great because while some parents are off work, their kids still have to go to school.
It was proposed (提出) by Legislator Lin I-chin (立法委員林宜瑾).
She says Taiwan should give people a day to enjoy with their families.
Premier Chen Jien-ren (行政院長陳建仁) says the government is considering (考慮) making Labor Day a national holiday.
However, they need to figure out (解決) a few things first…
Like how to pay for overtime (加班費怎麼算) for important jobs like police and firefighters.
They are still reviewing (審查) the idea and need to do more checks to see how it would work out.
Once they have all the information they need, they will make a decision and share it with everyone.
So, there's a chance that soon, everyone in Taiwan might get to enjoy Labor Day together!
________________________________
大白鯊吸引科學家的目光
Great White Shark Catches Scientists' Eye
Marine scientists (海洋科學家) are interested in learning about animals that live in the sea.
Using special technology, they can keep track of (追?) sea creatures on their adventures.
For example, sharks (鯊魚)!
Sharks come in all shapes and sizes, and they keep the ocean's ecosystem healthy.
鯊魚有各種形狀和大小，它們維持海洋生態系統的健康。
To learn more about them, scientists use tags that attach to the sharks' fins.
科學家在鯊魚鰭上裝設標籤。
When a shark swims to the surface, the tag sends a signal to satellites in space.
當鯊魚游到水面上，標籤就發送信號給太空中的衛星。
This "ping" (「嗶」) tells scientists where the shark is.
Recently, marine scientists are tracking an interesting female (雌性) great white shark.
They named her LeeBeth, and she is 430 centimeters long, and 1,179 kilograms!
That's the size of a small car!
LeeBeth has been on a long journey in the Gulf of Mexico (墨西哥灣).
Experts have been closely following her travels.
專家一直密切關注她的旅行。
They say her moves are really unexpected (出乎意料).
She was tagged in December last year, near the US state of South Carolina (美國的南卡羅來納州).
Scientists say she's special because she's traveled farther west in the Gulf of Mexico than any great white shark known before.
科學家說，她很特別是因為她在墨西哥灣向西旅行的距離超過了之前任何已知的大白鯊。
LeeBeth is also the champion of "pinging" more than any other shark they've tagged.
LeeBeth也是「嗶」次數最多的鯊魚，超過了他們標記的其他任何鯊魚。
This shark was last spotted near the US states of Texas and Louisiana (靠近美國的德州和路易斯安那州).
That means she's traveled more than 3,200 kilometers.
LeeBeth's adventure is helping scientists learn more about great white sharks in the Gulf of Mexico.
Her journey is a big deal because great whites are rare in this part of the sea.
________________________________
So, in today's News Bites…
Government officials have been thinking about adding one more holiday to our calendar.
They're talking about making Labor Day a special day off for everyone!
They are still reviewing the idea and need to do more checks to see how it would work out.
________________________________
And,
Marine scientists are tracking a great white shark in the Gulf of Mexico.
They say she's special because she's traveled farther west in the Gulf of Mexico than any great white shark known before.
LeeBeth is also the champion of "pinging" more than any other shark they've tagged.
Her journey is a big deal because great whites are rare in this part of the sea.
________________________________
趣味小點
Tasty Tidbit
A long time ago, in the 14th century, people started saying "bless you" when someone sneezed.
*sneeze*
Bless you!
Thank you.
This began because Pope Gregory the VII, wanted people to say it to him.
He believed it would keep him safe from the Black Plague (黑死病).
In Spanish, you can also say "salud", and in German, "gesundheit!"
Both mean 'good health', as a way to wish the sneezer to stay healthy!
If you have a fun fact, a joke, or interesting news you'd like to share with us, record your message and send us your Tasty Tidbit to [email protected], and you might hear it at the end of an episode!
We'll see you next time for an exciting new episode of News Bites! - Show more
