A quiet, peaceful, tranquil scene, composed mainly of gentle blues and serene greens. The greens surround the statue in the background, a Buddha figure in a meditative pose, seated on a platform of bluish rock. The statue’s pose is mirrored by that of the elderly woman in the foreground, seated on a rock island in a patch of green. 這靜謐、祥和、寧靜的景象，主要由柔和的藍色和沉靜的綠色構成。背景中的綠色植物環繞一個打坐的佛像，佛像坐在帶點藍色的平台上。佛像的姿態和前景老婦的身影相呼應，老婦坐在一方綠草中的岩石島上。
The woman is at repose, relaxed and taking time out of her day, resting upon the rock, looking unperturbed, untroubled, composed and undistracted. She steadies herself by leaning against her cane, planted firmly on the green, stable as the rock upon which she sits, just as the youthful trees to either side of the statue are steadied by struts, keeping them firmly in place. She is protected on all sides by the rocks, the cluster on the green patch below and to the side, and above by the Buddha’s platform, forming a protective screen around her. 老婦歇著、放鬆著休息。她坐在石頭上小憩，看來無憂無慮，沉靜而專注。她撐著拐杖穩住身體，拐杖穩穩抵在綠草上，像她坐著的岩石般穩固，如同佛像兩旁的小樹，由支架支撐著，穩固不移。她的四面為石頭所環繞。除了上方的佛像石座，她的身體兩側和腳下的草地上也都有石頭，形成了保護的屏障。
The picture is about tranquility, serenity, calm, quietude, stillness, stability, steadfastness, posture and meditation. 這張圖所呈現的是寧靜、安祥、平靜、寂靜、靜止、安定、堅定、姿態及冥想。
Elephants used their trunks to shower floral-clad Thais with water on Wednesday in a street fight celebrating the kingdom’s traditional new year, a raucous festival known as Songkran that will bring revelers out for a nationwide water battle this week. 週三在慶祝泰王國傳統新年的一場街頭對戰中，大象用牠們的象鼻子把水噴灑在穿著花衣裳的泰國人群身上。喧鬧的泰國傳統新年節慶又稱「宋干節」，本週將會吸引狂歡的人群一起出外參加全國遍地開花的打水仗活動。
The animals, whose wrinkled hides were decorated with paint, splashed and sprayed in the streets of Thailand’s former capital Ayutthaya, a tourist hotspot famed for its ancient temple ruins.滿佈皺紋的象皮被妝點上油彩顏料，大象們在泰國的舊首都──阿瑜陀耶──的街上潑起水來，噴灑著水花。阿瑜陀耶是一個觀光勝地，以眾多古老寺廟的遺跡聞名。
A mix of Thais and foreigners armed with water guns and buckets fired back at the elephants, who were controlled by handlers — known as mahouts — riding on their backs.混合泰國人與外國人的另一組人馬，用水槍和水桶武裝自己，向大象們「開水」射擊。被稱為「象夫」的管象人，則騎在大象的背上，控制這些動物。
“Today our children (elephants) are having fun and the foreigners who come to Ayutthaya are happy to inherit the Thai tradition,” Tawan Sudso, an organizer of the annual event, told AFP.這個年度活動的籌辦人塔彎‧蘇德索告訴法新社：「我們的象孩子們今天玩得很開心，造訪阿瑜陀耶的外國人也很樂於傳承此一泰國傳統。」
The Buddhist new year festival officially starts on April 13 and runs for three days.這個佛教新年節慶於四月十三日正式開始，一連持續三天。
Traditional celebrations include paying respect to elders and sprinkling water over Buddha figures at local temples, a ritual believed to accrue good karma.傳統的慶祝活動包括向年長者致敬，隨後對地方廟宇的佛像潑灑清水，這個儀式咸認為可以增添福報。
But the holiday has also become known as one of the world’s biggest water fights, drawing massive crowds of Thais and tourists to soggy street parties that bring much of the country to a standstill. 這樣的新年假期卻也逐漸成為世界上最大規模的水仗之一，每年吸引大批的泰國人與觀光客人潮參加濕答答的街頭狂歡活動，導致泰國絕大部分地區陷入停擺。
Police expect about 60,000 partiers to cram into just one Bangkok neighborhood for the watery warfare later this week.警方預估，光是鄰近曼谷的單一地區，本週稍晚就會湧入約六萬名的派對人潮，參加濕淋淋的潑水大戰。
Under military rule, Bangkok’s Songkran water fights have become less raucous in recent years with alcohol sales restricted and regular appeals from authorities to avoid provocative dancing.在軍政府統治下，酒精飲料販售受限，當局也經常呼籲大眾避免跳著煽情的舞蹈，因此曼谷的「宋干節」水仗近年來喧鬧程度稍減。
Similar but smaller water festivals are also held in neighboring Buddhist countries like Myanmar and Laos.內容類似但規模較小的潑水慶典也會在包括緬甸、寮國等鄰近佛教國家舉行(AFP)
Saint Patrick’s Day, which falls on March 17 every year, is one of the most important festive days in the Irish tradition, and commemorates the death of Ireland’s patron saint. On this day, Irish people around the world hold a variety of activities celebrating the cultural heritage of the Irish tradition.聖派翠克節是愛爾蘭傳統中最重要的慶祝節日之一，落在每年的三月十七日，以紀念這位愛爾蘭守護聖者的逝世。在這一天，世界各地的愛爾蘭裔都會舉行各式各樣的慶祝活動，以歡慶歷史悠久的愛爾蘭傳統文化。
Today, little is known of the life of Saint Patrick. He is thought to have been born in the Roman Britain of the 5th century AD. At the age of sixteen, Patrick was captured by a group of Irish marauders and taken to Ireland, where he was forced to work as a shepherd. Tending sheep in the valleys and hills, Patrick acquired knowledge of the Celtic language and became familiar with primeval Druidism. One evening, it is said, Patrick was admonished by an angel, who guided him to travel two hundred miles away and find a ship to escape on. 關於聖派翠克的一生，我們今日所知不多。據說，派翠克於西元五世紀出生在羅馬帝國統治下的英格蘭。十六歲時，他被愛爾蘭的海盜擄走，輾轉成為奴隸，被帶到愛爾蘭牧羊。在山谷間和山坡上牧羊的時日裡，他學會當地的塞爾特語，也認識了原始的德魯伊教。某天晚上，聖派翠克獲得天使的警醒，指引他徒步走了兩百英里，最後在海邊找到一艘船，逃離奴隸生活。
After arriving on the English shore, Patrick walked, barefoot, for another 28 days in the wilderness. Enduring hunger and defending the attacks of wild animals, Patrick finally reached home, and decided to study Christianity. Years of diligent study later, Patrick was accepted into the priesthood, and determined to devote himself to missionary work, setting out for Ireland, the land in which he had been held captive for six years. 好不容易回到英格蘭上岸後，聖派翠克在荒野中步行整整二十八日，忍耐著飢餓，抵禦野獸的攻擊，最後終於回到了家，致力修習基督教。經過多年不懈的努力，他被賦予司鐸一職，便決心前往當年囚禁他六年之久的蠻荒之地──愛爾蘭，投身於當地的宣教工作。
Familiar with the local language and primal religion, Patrick kept a humble profile. He had walked through the Irish land and baptized people of every social class. His missionary work in Ireland, however, did not always go smoothly. One time, he was attacked by local Irish people, but was saved by his quick thinking. Plucking an ordinary shamrock, he used the triple leaf and single stem of the plant to illustrate the holy trinity of Christianity. It is also said that Saint Patrick performed miracles, banishing evil creatures from the land. Folklore attributes the fact that there are no native species of snake existing in Ireland to Saint Patrick’s activities. 熟稔當地語言與宗教的派翠克，是一位謙遜的傳道者，足跡踏遍愛爾蘭各地，為各種階層的人受洗。然而，他的宣教工作並不總是一帆風順。據說，聖派翠克某次差點遭到當地人的攻擊，便急中生智。從草叢中拔起一株隨處可見的三葉草，用這種植物三個葉片長在同一段莖頂端的現象，向愛爾蘭人證明基督教三位一體的概念。又有傳言，他曾經展現神蹟，把邪惡的生物全數趕進海裡。愛爾蘭當地沒有任何原生蛇類，在民俗傳說中被認為是聖派翠克當年的功勞。
Today, people wear green and put on shamrock ornaments to commemorate Saint Patrick’s missionary efforts and his contribution to Ireland. On this day, bands perform traditional Irish folk songs on the streets or in the bars in Ireland, as well as in Irish communities around the world. 今日，人們會穿上綠色的衣服，佩戴三葉草的裝飾，以紀念聖派翠克的貢獻。在聖派翠克節這天，包括愛爾蘭以及世界各地的愛爾蘭裔社區，都會有樂團在街上或酒館裡演奏，唱著古老的民謠。
Though a country be sundered, hills and rivers endure;
And spring comes green again to trees and grasses
Where petals have been shed like tears
And lonely birds have sung their grief.
...After the war-fires of three months,
One message from home is worth a ton of gold.
...I stroke my white hair. It has grown too thin
To hold the hairpins any more.
It is easier for children to get sick in the spring due to highly unpredictable weather and temperatures as well as children’s lower resistance to infection. Chang Tao-tse, a pediatrician at Miaoli County’s Da Chien General Hospital, says there have been many cases of colds, bronchitis, mycoplasma pneumonia, and croup recently. He reminds parents to pay more attention when a child is not feeling well and to seek immediate medical attention.
Chang says that the common cold is the most frequently seen illness among children in the springtime. Usually a cold passes simply by drinking more water and resting, but if a high fever persists there is the possibility that it will bring about tympanitis or sinusitis. Parents and teachers should teach children to wash their hands often, avoid visiting public places, and wear masks if they do have a cold so that the virus does not continue to spread.
Also common in the spring is bronchitis, the initial symptoms of which resemble the common cold — coughing and a runny nose, but usually the patient recovers in one to two weeks. High fevers and labored breathing occur in serious cases, possibly leading to hypoxia, which requires hospitalization and is a situation that must be taken very seriously.
Chang says that mycoplasma pneumonia is often seen in school-aged children. Its initial symptoms include headaches, fever, sore throat, and lethargy. After two to five days, coughing begins, and sometimes non-respiratory symptoms such as vomiting, abdominal pains, conjunctivitis, and skin rashes also appear.
Croup occurs when a child’s voice suddenly becomes hoarse, with a “barking” cough, stridor, and breathing difficulties, during which time parents usually do not know what to do. Chang says the symptoms of croup usually appear late at night or early in the morning. Breathing warm steam can mitigate the symptoms, but it must not be taken lightly in cases of epilottitis, high fevers, short-temperedness or difficulty swallowing, or if it leads to an acute obstruction of the airways.
Other illnesses that are frequently seen in the spring include chicken pox, enterogastritis, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, and enteroviruses. Some viruses are picked up at school, so teachers must also help in protecting children’s health by letting parents know when a child is not feeling well and arranging for them to see a doctor.
