Lantern Festival celebrations light up Taiwan 全台多個縣市 歡慶元宵佳節

TODAY’S WORDS
今日單字

1. lantern n.花燈 

2. animal sign phr. 生肖動物

3. Disneyland n. 迪士尼樂園

4. parade n. 遊行 (

5. sky lantern phr. 天燈 

The 2019 Taiwan Lantern Festival will kick off on Tuesday in Pingtung County. Although the festival celebrates the Year of the Pig, it will feature a giant tuna-themed main lantern, Pingtung being known for its tuna. The event marks its 30th anniversary this year, this being the first year the main lantern is not based on an animal sign of the Chinese zodiac. 二○一九年台灣燈會下週二將在屏東縣登場，雖然燈會是為了慶祝「豬年」舉辦，巨型主燈卻是以屏東名產鮪魚為主題。在燈會今年邁入三十週年之際，這也是主燈首次未配合黃道十二宮的生肖動物而設計。

The 2019 Taipei Lantern Festival begins tomorrow in Taipei’s Ximending area. Visitors will have a chance to meet with Mickey Mouse and other characters from Tokyo Disneyland, who will do surprise performances beside the Mickey Mouse-themed lantern and join the parade scheduled for Sunday next week on the closing day.二○一九年台北燈節明日亦將在台北市的西門町登場，遊客將有機會和來自東京迪士尼樂園的米奇與其它角色見面。他們將會在米奇主題花燈附近進行驚喜表演，並預計加入下週日閉幕當天的大遊行。

Meanwhile, the 2019 Pingsi Sky Lantern Festival will take place tomorrow and on Tuesday in New Taipei City’s Pingsi District. Participants from home and abroad are set to release thousands of sky lanterns from Pingsi Junior High School and Shihfen Sky Lantern Plaza to pray for good luck. 同時，二○一九年新北市平溪天燈節將在明日與下週二，在新北市平溪區舉行。來自國內外的參加者，將分別在平溪國中、十分廣場施放數千盞天燈，藉以祈求好運。

(Eddy Chang, Taipei Times)（台北時報張聖恩〉

Happy Lunar New Year! 新年快樂!

Day 1

A: I forgot: we’re not supposed to cook on New Year’s Day. A: 啊，可是我忘記我們家大年初一不開火了。

B: That just means you can’t make new dishes. Eating leftovers from New Year’s Eve means food was plentiful last year, and will continue to be this year. B: 那是指不煮新的菜餚，吃除夕剩下的菜餚，象徵去年的東西吃不完，今年還有剩。

A: So, heating something up or cooking it in different ways doesn’t count. A: 哦，那重新烹煮應該就不在此限了吧。

B: That’s right. So let’s cook the fish head casserole. B: 沒錯，我們來煮砂鍋魚頭吧。

Day 2

A: It’s the second day of the new year. I will visit my grandparents. You coming? A: 今天初二，我要去拜訪外公外婆，你要一起來嗎？

B: Sure. Where are your grandparents from, originally? B: 好哇，你外公外婆是哪裡人呀？

A: My grandfather is from Shandong, my grandmother from Jiangsu. They met and got married in Taiwan. This year is their 60th anniversary. I’m giving them more than usual in their red envelope this year. A: 外公是山東人、外婆是江蘇人，他們在台灣認識結婚的，今年是他們結婚六十週年，我準備了一個大紅包。

B: You’re a good grandson to them. B: 你真的是孝順的外孫耶。

Day 3

A: It’s noon. When are you going to get out of bed? A: 現在是中午了耶，你到底要不要起床？

B: It’s the third day of the new year. According to tradition, I have to sleep until I wake naturally. If you force me out of bed on this day, I will be rushed to do things for the rest of the year. B: 今天是初三，根據習俗我要睡到自然醒。如果你今天催我起床，我一整年都會被催促哦。

A: Fine, you sleep then. If you can’t sleep tonight, that’s your problem. A: 好哦，那你就睡吧，晚上睡不著自己想辦法。

B: Whatever. I’m gearing up for playing video games through the night. B: 那有什麼關係，我已經準備好要打一整個晚上的電動了。

Day 4

A: It’s the fourth day. We’re going to pray to the God of Wealth. Coming? A: 今天是大年初四，我們家要去拜財神，你要不要一起來？

B: Sure. I can catch up on sleep in the car. Where’s the God of Wealth temple? B: 好啊，我可以在車上補眠，哪裡有財神廟呀？

A: We’re going to the Martial God of Wealth temple. There are literary and a military gods. The martial ones have a black face and beard, with a silver whip in one hand and a gold ingot in the other. A: 我們要去武財神廟，財神也有分文武哦。武財神像多是黑面濃鬚，一手執銀鞭，一手持元寶。

B: Sounds interesting. Let me make a cup of coffee first. B: 聽起來好有趣哦，等我煮一杯咖啡喝完就出門。

Day 5

A: The fourth and fifth days are about welcoming the God of Wealth. Many stores open today.A: 初四初五都是迎財神，很多店家今天都開門了。

B: We prayed to him yesterday, today we should clean the house and throw out the garbage. B: 既然我們昨天已經去拜過財神，今天就來打掃家裡跟倒垃圾吧。

A: After I’ve cleaned the house, I can shower. Traditionally, washing is a no-no during the break. A: 好啊，打掃完以後我正好可以去洗澡，習俗說過年期間不要洗澡。

B: Couldn’t you bend the traditions? Not showering for five days is a bit much. B: 你可不可以折衷一點。五天沒洗澡也太可怕了吧。

Moonlight influences opening and closing of oysters’ shells 月光光心慌慌？研究顯示月光影響牡蠣殼開闔

TODAY’S WORDS
今日單字

1. mollusc n. 軟體動物 

2. lunar cycle phr.月週期 

3. circadian clock phr. 日變時鐘 

4. be attuned to phr. 調適於

5. wax v. 月圓；盈 

6. wane v.月虧；衰退 

The gentle glow of moonlight on water has moved musicians, poets and painters — and, it turns out, molluscs. Researchers have discovered the opening and shutting of oysters’ shells appears to be tied to the lunar cycle.

Biological clocks have intrigued scientists for centuries, and researchers in the field won the 2017 Nobel prize for studies into the 24-hour body clock. However, organisms do not necessarily have biological processes linked only to the rhythm of day and night, the circadian clock. Other patterns that include links to the tides have been found for species including the horseshoe crab, and to the phases of the moon for creatures including the bristle worm. Some have suggested the latter may also affect humans.

Now experts say they have found evidence that oysters not only have a circadian clock and a tidal clock, but are also attuned to lunar rhythms. “It was a surprise to see that there is such an effect of the moonlight,” said Laura Payton, co-author of the research from the University of Oldenburg. Writing in the Biology Letters journal, Payton and her colleague Damien Tran from the University of Bordeaux describe how they tracked the behavior of 12 Pacific oysters submerged off the French coast over three-and-a-half lunar cycles from the end of 2014.

The team used electrodes to track the molluscs’ degree of opening every 1.6 seconds and looked at astronomical data to assess how much of the moon was illuminated. The results reveal the oysters were most open in the buildup to — and presence of — a new moon, and less open as the moon entered first quarter and full phases. The team says that suggests oysters can sense moonlight — even though it is far less intense than the sun’s rays.

The team suggests the increased opening of the oysters when moonlight levels are lower might be linked to the possibility that more food is available at low light levels: previous studies have suggested the movement of plankton also appears to be influenced by light. “We know that oysters open their valves when there is food,” Payton said.However, Payton said the situation was complex, noting the creatures appeared to be able to tell if the moon was waxing or waning: the oysters were generally more open during the third quarter than the first quarter. Payton said one possibility was that the benthic bivalves may have evolved an internal lunar clock, rather than passively relying on direct cues. In that case, she added, the moonlight sensed by the oyster would help keep this clock in sync with the environment rather than directly triggering the opening and shutting of the shell — similar to how humans use daylight to keep their internal 24-hour clock on track.

However, the study did not look at the impact of the moon on oysters’ behavior in all seasons, or take into account cloud cover — and hence the actual level of moonlight the molluscs experienced. David Wilcockson, a senior lecturer in aquatic biology at Aberystwyth University, said there were still many mysteries in the field. “We know that, for example, tidal, lunar and circadian clocks appear to have separate mechanisms, but they are to some extent linked — and we don’t know quite how and to what level,” he said.

Wilcockson said human activity could cause unexpected problems in marine environments — an issue research like the latest study could help examine. “If you have coastal lighting, for example, or lighting on marine structures, then of course we don’t really know what the impacts of those might be,” he said. 

自古以來，月光倒映在水面的溫潤光澤深深觸動音樂家、詩人和畫家──以及水下的軟體動物。學者日前發現，牡蠣殼的開闔似乎和月週期有關。

好幾世紀以來，生物時鐘強烈吸引著科學家興趣，該領域學者最近才以二十四小時生理時鐘研究獲頒二○一七年的諾貝爾獎。不過，生物體內並非只有跟日夜轉換節奏連動的生物程序，或稱日變時鐘。科學家已發現其他模式存在，例如潮汐和包括鱟等物種的行為相關，或是月相與海中多毛綱目等生物作息有關。有些科學家則認為，月相也會影響人類。

最近更有專家發現，證據顯示牡蠣不只具有日變時鐘和潮汐時鐘，還會調適於月周律動。該研究來自德國奧爾登堡大學，共同作者蘿拉‧培頓表示：「看到月光竟有這樣的效果，實在讓人訝異。」在這篇刊登於《生物學報》期刊的研究中，培頓和波爾多大學的同儕戴米恩‧特蘭，描述他們如何從二○一四年底開始，在三個半的月亮週期間，追蹤十二隻浸在法國近海的太平洋牡蠣行為模式。

該團隊運用電極，每隔一點六秒追蹤這類軟體動物打開殼的角度，並參考天文資料，評估月球被照亮的程度。結果顯示，牡蠣在新月逐漸發生時──以及新月當天──打開的程度最大，而當月球進入上弦月和滿月階段時打開程度較小。團隊表示，這代表牡蠣可以感知月光，就算亮度遠不及太陽光強烈。

不過，培頓也表示實際情況其實更為複雜。她指出，這類生物似乎能夠辨識月球正在轉盈或是漸虧：牡蠣在月虧期普遍比月盈期還要更開一點。培頓認為，可能性之一是這類底棲性雙殼貝也許已經演化出身體內的月相時鐘，而不是被動地倚賴直接光感受。在這種情況下，培頓補充說，牡蠣感知到的月光會幫助體內的月相時鐘和環境同步，而不是直接觸發殼的開闔──就像是人類利用日光，讓體內的二十四小時生理時鐘維持正常運作的方式。

研究團隊認為，牡蠣在月光亮度較低時增加殼打開的角度，或許跟低亮度時食物更多的可能性有關：前行研究曾指出浮游生物的活動似乎也會受光影響。培頓說：「我們知道的是，牡蠣會在有食物的時候把殼打開。」

不過，這份研究並未納入月球在不同季節對牡蠣造成的影響，也未將雲層遮蓋程度──直接影響這類軟體動物實際感受到的月光亮度──納入考量範圍。英國亞伯立斯威大學水族生物學的高級講師大衛‧威考森認為，此領域仍有許多未解之謎。他表示：「舉例來說，我們知道潮汐、月相和日變時鐘似乎是不同的機制，又在某種程度上互相關聯──但我們並不知道它們如何互相牽動，彼此間的關聯程度又為何。」

威考森指出，人類活動可能對海洋環境造成預期外的問題，這是像這份最新研究的學術調查可以協助探討的。威考森說：「舉例而言，如果海岸上有照明設施、或是海中的建築結構有燈光，我們當然就無法確知可能會有什麼影響。」

（台北時報章厚明譯）

New Year's Resolutions新年決心

A: Have you made any New Year’s resolutions this year? 你今年有沒有許下什麼新年願望？

B: I’m going to stop eating cakes for two months; I need to lose weight. And you? 我要戒吃蛋糕兩個月，我需要減重。你呢？

A: My new year resolution is to learn to play the piano. I’ve been meaning to do it for ages, but keep putting it off.我的新年願望是去學彈鋼琴。我想做這件事好久了，但一直在拖延。

B: It will take years of hard work to become really proficient. Good luck. 這要花上好幾年的努力才能彈得很熟練。祝你好運。

2019 Yoga Challenges for the New Year:

30 Day Yoga Journey Dedicate (Adriene Mishler)

14 Day Chakra Yoga Challenge (Brett Larkin)

30 Day Yoga Journey (Om Stars)
Transform Your Life: 30 Day Beginner Challenge (Do Yoga with Me)
Yoga for Strength: 30 Day Challenge (Yoga International's Free Trial)
Previous Year's Yoga Challenges 2018, 2017

New Year's Eve 除夕

A: Have you got any plans for celebrating New Year’s Eve tonight?
A: 你今天晚上有什麼慶祝跨年夜的計畫嗎？

B: No, I’m going to have a quiet night in. I don’t like parties.
B: 沒有耶，我要待在室內過一個安安靜靜的晚上。我不喜歡派對。

A: That’s so boring. Why don’t you celebrate with us? We’re going to watch the fireworks.
A: 那太無聊了吧。為什麼不來跟我們慶祝呢？我們要去看煙火。

B: That’s very kind, but I suffer from agoraphobia. Large crowds make me uneasy.
B: 感謝你的好意，但我有廣場恐懼症。大量的人潮讓我很不自在。

"Toxic" is Oxford Dictionaries’ word of the year 「有毒的」為牛津字典年度代表字

新聞辭典

• ethos：名詞，風氣、社會思潮。例句：Violence is part of their ethos.（暴力是他們社會風氣的一部分。）
• zero in on：動詞片語，集中火力（注意力）於某事。例句：We must decide on our target market, then zero in on it.（我們必須決定目標市場，然後集中火力。）
• shortlist：動詞，列入入圍（候選或決選）名單。例句：I’ve shortlisted three applicants.（我已將3名申請者列入候選名單。）

Oxford Dictionary has chosen "toxic" as its Word of the Year as the adjective reflects the ethos, mood, or preoccupations in 2018.牛津字典選擇「有毒的」為年度代表字，做為反映2018年社會思潮、情緒或關切議題的形容詞。

There was a 45 percent rise in the number of times "toxic" was searched on the Oxford throughout the year, according to its data. The adjective "toxic" first appeared in English in the mid-seventeenth century. Words like "environment", "relationship" and "culture" were habitually used alongside "toxic".牛津字典數據顯示，今年在該字典搜尋「有毒的」的次數成長45％。形容詞「有毒的」最早出現於17世紀中期的英語中。「環境」、「關係」及「文化」之類的單字，習慣性地與「有毒的」一起使用。

The dictionary said "chemical" and "masculinity" were the two most-used words in conjunction with "toxic". Twitter users were quick to point out that the "Me Too" movement, which zeroed in on sexual harassment and sexual assault, has put the light on "toxic masculinity,"牛津字典表示，「化學」與「男子氣概」是最常與「有毒的」連結使用的兩個單字。「推特」用戶隨即指出，聚焦於性騷擾及性侵害的「Me Too」運動，使得「有毒的男子氣概」一詞成為焦點。

Other shortlisted words included "gaslighting", "incel" and "techlash". In 2017, its Word of the Year was "youthquake," defined as "an important social or political change that is started by young people." 其他進入決選的單字還包括「情感操縱手法」、「非自願處男」及「科技抵制」等。2017年代表字為「青年震盪」，定義為「從年輕人開始的重大社會或政治變遷」。

Michelangelo’s David in danger of collapsing due to ‘weak ankles’ 米開朗基羅的大衛雕像「腳踝不好」有崩塌之虞

TODAY’S WORDS
今日單字

1. in danger of phr. 有…之虞 

例: Are pandas animals in danger of extinction? (貓熊是有絕種之虞的動物嗎？)

2. combine v. 結合 例: Theory should be combined with practice. (理論應該結合實務。)

3. take a toll on idiom 對…造成損失或傷害 

例: Years of exposure to the sun took a toll on the fisherman’s skin. (長年日曬對那名漁夫的皮膚造成傷害。)

4. ankle (n.) 踝關節；踝

I fell over and sprained/twisted my ankle. 我摔倒了，扭傷了腳踝。

Italian researchers are worried that Michelangelo’s statue of David may be in danger of collapsing due to weakened ankles. 義大利研究人員擔心，由於腳踝脆弱，米開朗基羅的大衛雕像可能有崩塌之虞。

Experts have long been concerned that the marble statue, which is roughly 500 years old and has long stood as one of history’s most triumphant achievements in art, may have suffered structural damage, the UK’s Telegraph explains.專家一直很擔心這尊有約五百年歷史被視為史上最成功藝術成就的大理石雕像，可能有結構性損傷，英國《電訊報》如此解說。

How so? Thousands of people visit the statue every day and over the course of hundreds of years, their footsteps combined with the rumble of nearby traffic have apparently taken a toll on the statue, experts from Italy’s National Research Council and Florence University found. 何以如此？義大利「國家研究協會」與佛羅倫斯大學的專家發現，數百年來每天有成千上萬人造訪，這些腳步加上附近交通的擾攘，顯然對雕像造成傷害。

The relatively poor quality of the marble used to sculpt David, the biblical slayer of Goliath and historically righteous king of Israel and Judah, is thought to have played a part in its present troubles. For hundreds of years it was displayed outdoors. 在聖經中殺死巨人哥利亞、在歷史上是以色列與猶大的正義的王的大衛，用來雕刻他的大理石品質較差，據信也在大衛雕像目前遇到的麻煩中扮演一定角色。數百年來，這尊雕像都被放在戶外展示。

(Liberty Times) （自由時報／翻譯：張沛元）