繼今年四月新加坡舉辦「士林夜市」活動，台北寧夏夜市也將於2020年1月16日至2月9日正式進軍新加坡。

Following the opening of a pop-up Shilin-inspired night market in April, Ningxia Night Market is set to follow suit in Singapore with an installation between Jan. 16 and Feb. 9.

根據新加坡美食旅遊網站「Ladyironchef」報導，新加坡亞洲夜市預計會有超過30個來自台灣寧夏夜市的小吃攤位。

The Asian Night Market will feature more than 30 food stalls inspired by Taipei’s Ningxia Night Market, according to Ladyironchef, a Singapore-based travel and food website.

寧夏夜市相較其他台灣知名夜市規模小，但擁有多樣化美食小吃，包括地瓜球、蚵仔煎和滷肉飯。

Although Ningxia Night Market is smaller in size than other well-known markets in Taiwan, it offers a large variety of street food, such as fried yam balls, oyster omelet, and braised pork rice.

文章內也提到，寧夏夜市相較其他觀光夜市遊客較少，因此小吃平均價格也比較便宜，至於其他相關夜市資訊會再陸續公佈。

Ningxia Night Market is also less known than other larger night markets in Taiwan, meaning that food is usually cheaper. Further details on the opening of the night market will follow soon.

Ladyironchef臉書PO文引起新加坡網友熱烈討論，目前累積超過1400次分享，100多則留言。

The Facebook post about the open of the pop-up Ningxia Night Market by Ladyironchef has already attracted a lot of attention, more than 1400 shares, 400 likes and 100 comments.

星巴克花蓮和平門市 透明屋脊式設計全面採光 成IG打卡夯點｜Starbucks Heping becomes Instagram sensation

繼2018年亞洲首間貨櫃屋星巴克洄瀾門市，花蓮年初再添一間特色星巴克！蘇花改年初甫開通，沿著蘇花改南下，一出谷風隧道，就能抵達位於花蓮、宜蘭交界處的星巴克「花蓮和平門市」。往返蘇花的旅客開車開累了，不妨到此休憩一下，拍照打卡，來杯咖啡再繼續上路。

Following the opening of the first Starbucks container store in 2018, a newly designed Starbucks store opened earlier this year in a tourist spot in Heping, Xiulin Township, Hualien County. Located at the boundary between Hualien and Yilan, the Starbucks Heping store sits on one of the resting areas of the newly ungraded Suhua Highway which was opened to the public on Jan. 6. There is, therefore, little wonder that the new store has already become an Instagram sensation in Eastern Taiwan.

進駐花蓮縣秀林鄉「台泥開放生態循環工廠–台泥DAKA」的和平門市外觀採用冷色系水泥質感牆面，以及屋脊式柵欄挑高設計，融入整體園區。和平門市以東部翠綠山巒作為背景，加上外觀落地採光玻璃，東部暖陽灑進門市，讓每個駐足旅客都能感受到東部自然風光。

The exterior design features grey cement and high roof ridges, blending well with the colors of the “DAKA,” the newly-opened Taiwan Cement Factory Tourism Destination. With the mountains in the background, the Heping store boasts large french windows that bring natural sunlight into the store.

一踏進門市，內部裝潢帶給旅客像是「回家」的感覺。中間的中島吧台，以呼應建物外觀的屋脊式格柵修飾挑高空間，除呼應花蓮在地的山岸風景，屋頂也代表著家的意象，寓意對過往旅客的溫暖歡迎。

The interior design makes you feel at home too, thanks to its “indoor rooftop.” The aforesaid rooftop stands above the coffee barista table at the center of the store, not only reflecting the images of nature in Hualien but also creating a homelike atmosphere.

坐在店內品咖啡之時，一抬頭就能看到透明採光屋頂，在花蓮藍天白雲的大好風情襯托下，更顯明媚。門市內牆面上掛著手繪山與海意象壁畫，呼應和平門市背山面海的獨特風景。

In addition, the interior design features a glass roof so that you can enjoy coffee and bath in the sunlight. It’s worth noticing that the painting hung on the wall displays the unique location of the Heping store, which faces the sea with the landscape of mountains.

Source article: https://chinapost.nownews.com/20191226-919093; https://chinapost.nownews.com/20200120-934370

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國際航空專業評鑑網站 AirlineRatings 近日公布 2020 年全球最安全航空公司名單，再度由澳洲航空奪冠、紐西蘭航空排名第二，長榮航空獲得第三名好成績。

EVA Air ranks third, right behind Qantas and Air New Zealand, in the list of the top 20 safest airlines for 2020, according to Airline Ratings, a Website that reviews airline safety and products.

國際航空專業評鑑網站 AirlineRatings 每年都會遴選出全球最安全航空公司，評選標準包括安全創新、營運績效、政府審查、航空公司死亡事故紀錄、航空公司營運史、失事紀錄等標準，評選全球 405 家航空公司。

The website selects the world’s safest airlines out of 405 airlines each year, based on their safety innovation, operational excellence, government review, fatal accident records and their operating history.

其他入選航空包括：阿提哈德航空、卡達航空、新加坡航空、阿聯酋航空、阿拉斯加航空、國泰航空、維珍澳洲航空、夏威夷航空、維珍航空、葡萄牙航空、北歐航空、皇家約旦航空、瑞士航空、芬蘭航空、漢莎航空、愛爾蘭航空、荷蘭皇家航空。

The other airlines among the aforesaid list include Etihad, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Emirates, Alaska Airlines, Cathay Pacific Airways, Virgin Australia, Hawaiian Airlines, Virgin Atlantic Airlines, TAP Portugal, SAS, Royal Jordanian, Swiss, Finnair, Lufthansa, Aer Lingus, and KLM.

根據網站公布結果， 2020 年全球最安全航空公司，長榮航空獲得第三名好成績，這也是繼去年 11 月獲得「 2020 全球最佳航空」第 8 名後，再度獲得國際肯定。

At the end of last year, Eva Air secured the eighth spot in the list of the world’s best airlines for 2020, according to the Airline Ratings website.

新住民因大學法修正條文 可享有同外籍生申學辦法｜Taiwan new immigrants to benefit from University Act revision

立法院會於11月27日三讀通過《大學法第25條條文修正案》，將新住民列入特殊身份學生，可以不再因歸化而被視為國內一般生，讓有意願在台攻讀大學的新住民能使用母校國高中的學歷與休業成績。

The Legislative Yuan Committee adopted a bill regarding the revision of article 25 of the University Act on Nov. 27, subsequently including Taiwan’s new immigrant spouses as students with “special status.” The bill states that they will no longer be subjected to the same educational regulations as students born and raised in Taiwan after naturalization. This would enable them to attend local universities based on their high school diplomas and other certificates.

根據修正前的大學法第25條規定，僅有重大災害地區學生、政府駐外工作人員子女、參加國際性學科或術科競賽成績優良學生、運動成績優良學生、退伍軍人、蒙藏學生、僑生及大陸地區學生、外國學生等被列為特種學生，可免依國內一般生升學規定。

According to the previous version of article 25 of the University Act, when one wishes to enter into a university to study for a degree/degrees, students, who are from significantly affected disaster areas, are children of government officials assigned overseas, have received excellent grades in international fields or writing contests, have been awarded excellent sports achievements, are a veteran, are from Mongolia/Tibet, are overseas compatriots, are from mainland China, or are foreign students, shall not be subject to the published recruitment quota or means of the corresponding law.

條文修正後將提供新住民更有效的入學管道。教育部也指出，歸化過程通常都需要四至八年的時間，在此期間，未歸化的新住民能享有與外籍生相同的管道，使用母校國高中的學歷在台讀大學，然而歸化後，此條例卻不適用，因新住民將變成國內一般生，須依照相關升學規定，而使其影響升學進程。

The article’s revisions provide Taiwan new immigrants with more effective ways to apply for schools. The Ministry of Education also points out that the naturalization process usually takes up between 4 and 8 years. During this time, new immigrants share the same benefits as foreign students and are able to use their junior high or high school diplomas to pursue a college-level education. However, after naturalization, they are no longer subject to this article; thus, they will be held to the same standards as local students, resulting in their previous diplomas being inapplicable which could create difficulties for them.

立法院為解決此問題，進行修法，將經歸化後的新住民亦列入特種學生身份，讓有意繼續攻讀大學的人不再受限。

To solve this problem, the Legislative Yuan revised the article and lifted the restrictions on Taiwan’s new immigrants who have undergone naturalization, enabling them to further their education without limits.

Source article: https://chinapost.nownews.com/20200108-924363; https://chinapost.nownews.com/20191206-887777

台灣燈會將於 2 月 8 日至 23 日在台中登場，交通部觀光局今（ 13 ）日公布小提燈造型，以農曆生肖鼠為題，採用家喻戶曉的老鼠娶親故事為發想，並命名為吉利鼠與美力鼠，提燈擺動時會彎腰鞠躬，相互拜年。

Taiwan Lantern Festival will run from Feb. 8 to 23 in Taichung, central Taiwan. For the occasion, the Tourism Bureau recently unveiled giveaway handheld lanterns for the young and the young at heart, featuring a rats couple inspired by the well-known Chinese story “A Rat Story.”

觀光局表示，今年小提燈利用雙面印刷方式，呈現鼠新郎「吉利鼠」與鼠新娘「美力鼠」兩個不同造型，在拿到小提燈後，可以自行選擇組裝成新郎或是新娘，並將頸部和腰部設計成可轉動的關節，提燈時上、下拉動時，會彎腰鞠躬，相互拜年，小朋友也可將手伸入小提燈內，當作手偶來玩。

Two types of lanterns are available, a rat bridegroom and a rat bride. The lanterns feature movable joints so that the paper-made cartoon characters can bow as if they were giving New Year’s greetings. More importantly, the lanterns can be used as hand puppets by children.

觀光局指出，台灣燈會將於 2 月 8 日元宵節當日晚間 7 時正式開燈，之後每小時整點展演 1 場主燈秀，小提燈也會在燈區免費發放給民眾。為響應環保節能，建議遊客儘量利用公共運輸，輕鬆賞燈，免卻塞車之苦。

The 2020 Taiwan Lantern Festival in Taichung will kick off at 7 p.m. on Feb. 8, with the main lantern light show scheduled every hour. The rats-themed lanterns will be available free of charge at the three exhibition areas during the festival. You should take public transportation to avoid traffic, the Tourism Bureau said.

觀光局表示，今年預計將發放9.5萬盞小提燈給一般民眾，在2月8日到23日每天下午3點分別在主展區（馬場園區、森林園區）、副展區（文心森林園區）共3個點發送。

Organizers have prepared 95,000 handheld lanterns, distributed by Feb. 8 to Feb. 23 at 3 p.m. at the Houli Horse Ranch, Forest Park Area and Wen-Xin Forest Park, according to the Tourism Bureau.

台灣之光！SparkCatch夜光棒球 經日本網紅介紹大熱門｜Taiwan ‘Spark Catch’ lights up night

新發明！由台灣業者所開發的「夜光棒球」（Spark Catch）日前被日本著名YouTuber TokusanTV介紹，並且短時間就衝破10萬以上點閱率，獲得日本觀眾歡迎。

An ingenious baseball invention, “Spark Catch,” has been thrust into the spotlight thanks to a Japanese YouTuber, TokusanTV. In no time, the video was streamed more than 100,000 times, gaining the favors of many Japanese viewers.

「夜光棒球」（Spark Catch）是由發明人Link 和 Tim，身為廣大賣肝工作的上班族群之一，四年多前因為「真的好想在晚上下班後catch ball啊！」的念頭，就這麼熱血地決定著手研發顛覆市場的全新產品「Spark Catch夜光棒球」。

“Spark Catch” was invented by Link and Tim — two busy office employees. Their invention stemmed from a genuine desire: play catch ball after work at night. With this observation in mind, the “Spark Catch” — a sparkling baseball — was born.

今年夜光棒球也跟Lamigo桃猿隊合作推出限量版，並且造成搶購風潮，而最近他們也把版圖推向美國、日本等市場，希望讓更多人知道這項全新的產品。

A limited-edition of the “Spark Catch” was released this year in collaboration with a local baseball team, Lamigo. The ball was sold out within minutes. With this great start, the creators plan to release their product to the U.S. and Japan in hopes that it would reach a wider audience.

Source article: https://chinapost.nownews.com/20200108-924419; https://chinapost.nownews.com/20200115-932625

交通部觀光局週二推出影片「台灣症流行篇」，描述日本新聞報導日本人普遍感染「台灣症」，包括珍珠狂熱、隨時坐在地上看書、出現許多奇怪手勢等等。創意影片一出，網友大讚：「觀光局影片太幽默了！」

A Japanese broadcaster recently reported on the three “symptoms” Japanese travelers could catch during their travel in Taiwan based on a video, titled “Taiwan obsessed symptoms” produced by the Tourism Bureau. The aforesaid symptoms include the tapioca craze, reading while sitting on the floor and doing “weird” gestures.

影片提到，由於2019年日人來台人數突破200萬，台日交流頻繁，因此提醒民眾去台灣遊玩務必小心染上「台灣症」。影片最後出現贊助商「Taiwan (台灣), The heart of Asia（亞洲之心）」，網友才恍然大悟這是廣告。

The entertaining video, which also highlights that the number of Japanese travelers to Taiwan reached 2 million in 2019, further recommends being cautious of the alleged “Taiwan disease” during your local travel. It ends with the official logo “Taiwan, The Heart of Asia,” further suggesting that it is an advertisement.

「台灣症流行篇」影片提供日文、中文字幕版，還有分成30秒、60秒版本，創意影片不到兩天就吸引超過8萬人次觀看。

The YouTube video, which features both Chinese and Japanese subtitles, has drawn more than 80,000 views within two days.

網友紛紛在影片下留言：「這太幽默」、「我真的以為是日本新聞片段」、「希望創意廣告能持續下去」。

In response to the video, some netizens said “this is hilarious,” while others said, “I thought it was a clip of the Japanese news broadcast.” Some also said, “I hope that there will be more creative advertisements like this.”

學生行銷台灣超有創意！「人情味」真的可以聞？ | Do you know Taiwan has the friendliest people in the world?

如果只能用一個詞形容台灣人你會想到什麼呢？許多人可能會說台灣人很友善、親切、好客。然而，在中文裡有一個字涵蓋所有意思，那就是「人情味」。

How would you describe Taiwan people in one word? You could probably say that local people are friendly, kind and hospitable. Yet, there is a Chinese saying that can sum up all these three meanings: “rén qíng wèi” (人情味).

那沒有來過台灣的外國人如何親身了解台灣人情味呢？

But, how would you describe local people to those who have never been here?

為了讓更多外國朋友認識台灣，輔大廣告系學生將人情味調配成可以聞到的味道，示範如何將台灣人情味推廣出去，讓世界看見台灣是一個和平且包容的友善社會。

A video made by a group of students from Fu Jen University showed you how they collect the smell of “rén qíng wèi” and shared its “actual” scent with the people around the world in hopes of letting the world see how Taiwan is promoting a peaceful and embracing society.

此外，影片中也訪問在台外國人是否覺得台灣人很有「人情味」。

In the video, the students had interviews with some foreigners who live in Taiwan and asked them what do they think of local people.

讓我們來看看台灣「人情味」如何變成一種可傳遞的味道呢？

Do you want to see how the students have described Taiwan “rén qíng wèi” into a fragrance?

Source article: https://chinapost.nownews.com/20191223-889815; https://chinapost.nownews.com/20191219-911482

身為台灣人一定會吃的經典小吃臭豆腐，竟然也能搬上國際舞臺，與西方美食披薩結合，迸出全新火花。繼六月必勝客推出榴蓮披薩，創下單日每十秒賣出一個披薩的紀錄，這次推出為限量「臭豆腐」披薩，鋪上滿滿的臭豆腐和台式泡菜，搭配濃郁的莫札瑞拉起司，絕對適合愛嘗鮮的你來挑戰。

Do you like Taiwan’s stinky tofu? Pizza Hut recently added the traditional dish on their pizza. Following the launch of a special menu –– durian pizza in June which set a record of one durian pizza sold every ten seconds — the pizza chain store decided to challenge pizza lover’s tolerance by launching the stinky tofu pizza. Stinky tofu and Taiwan version of kimchi top the pizza with mozzarella cheese, this western-Taiwan fusion dish is for those who love to challenge new food experience.

然而，這已經不是第一次台灣推出搞怪披薩口味，過去還有連鎖瓦薩美式餐廳將草莓大福包進墨西哥辣醬口味披薩，周圍還有草莓切片點綴，鹹甜滋味衝擊大家的味蕾。

Yet, Pizza Hut is not alone in creating unique pizzas. Chain restaurant VASA Pizzeria features Japanese strawberry mochi in its Mexican tabasco-flavored pizza. The savory yet sweet taste challenges epicure’s taste buds.

除此之外，台灣經典怪披薩絕對不能忽略嘉義大老闆手作披薩推出的「珍珠奶茶」口味披薩，上面鋪滿大量珍珠，奇特搭配讓人不禁好奇這樣真的好吃嗎？還有另一項鎮店之寶是「糯米腸」披薩，煎得香脆的糯米腸融入披薩，口味新奇，與起司搭配完全無違和感。

Moreover, a Chiayi restaurant, Boss Pizza, has unveiled the boba milk tea pizza featuring a great deal of tapioca balls on top. The restaurant has another signature menu –– sticky rice sausage pizza.

如果以上都不夠怪，那麼這個結合薑絲與西式薄片餅皮的披薩你絕對沒有想過。位於台北So Free柴燒窯烤披薩店推出這款「薑絲超人」披薩，嗆辣的薑絲搭配鹹蛋、玉米，簡直是中西文化在舌尖引爆。綜合以上各種「怪」出新滋味的披薩，準備好帶著你的外國朋友去嘗試台灣人無極限創意披薩嗎。

If any of the above dishes sound weird to you, the ginger superman pizza from Taipei’s So Free Pizza is worth a try. The spicy ginger, along with salted dug egg and corn together enrich your taste buds. Are you ready to take your international friends to try these “odd” yet creative fusion pizza?

冬季進補吃比薩？超狂麻油赤肉口味限時登場 | Sesame oil-flavored pizza to challenge your taste buds

還記得今年連鎖披薩店推出的臭豆腐、珍奶比薩嗎？連鎖比薩業者昨（17）日推出麻油赤肉口味比薩，再掀話題。

Do you remember the stinky tofu and boba milk tea pizzas launched earlier this year? To celebrate the New Year, local pizza chain store Pizza Hut launched a new sesame oil with pork chops pizza on Tuesday, causing another online stir.

麻油赤肉口味比薩淋上香氣濃郁的胡麻油，遵循古法煸香杏鮑菇、爆量赤肉，與香濃莫札瑞拉起司相互交融。新口味大比薩每個定價359元，即日起14天限時快閃開賣、限量售完為止。

The sesame oil-flavored pizza, which also features king oyster mushrooms, pork chops and mozzarella, will tickle your taste buds. The pizza is priced at NT$359 (US$11.9) and it will only be available until Dec. 31.

這已經不是第一次台灣推出創新比薩口味。必勝客今年六月曾推出榴槤披薩，創下單日每十秒賣出一個披薩的紀錄。

This is not the first time the pizza chain store has launched odd pizza flavors though. Pizza Hut unveiled durian pizzas in June, breaking the record for the fastest-selling pizza in Taiwan — one sold every ten seconds.

Source article: https://chinapost.nownews.com/20191218-909801 ; https://chinapost.nownews.com/20190916-747523

Every year, in the two-week run up to the Lunar New Year break, businesses along Taipei’s Dihua Street hold a special Lunar New Year specialties market.

每年春節假期前兩週左右，台北迪化街的商家都會辦理年貨市集。

The store-lined roads, with outside stalls laden with New Year dried fruits, candies, spiced drinks and meat jerkies, are packed with people anxious to stock up for the holiday.

商店林立的年貨大街擠滿趕辦年貨的人，店鋪前擺出的攤子滿是蜜餞、糖果、薑茶和肉乾等年貨。

The weather was cold on Wednesday, but mercifully sunny to take the bite from the cold, and the air was full of anticipation and festive spirit.

週三天氣很冷，但幸好出了太陽，驅走了一些寒意，空氣中充滿著年節的味道與對過年的期盼。

The sellers themselves, wearing matching Lunar New Year jackets and tops in each individual stall, were all in a jovial mood, smiling and joking with the customers as they handed out free samples and took their money.

每攤的售貨員都穿著自家店統一的春節外套及上衣，喜氣洋洋，發試吃品和收錢的時候，都跟顧客有說有笑。

The shoppers were dressed up warm, some in casual clothes, some in their best suits for the occasion; there were monks and foreigners and photographers and mothers bringing their children, as well as pet owners, carrying their dogs on their shoulders or pushing them along in pet pushchairs. There was one guy walking his pet pig — he’d had it for five months, he said — which had its snout pressed to the ground, hoovering the tarmac for fallen sweets, treats or dried meats.

採買的顧客穿著保暖的衣服，有些只是居家服，也有人穿得很慎重。人群中有僧侶、外國人、攝影師、帶著孩子的母親，以及把狗扛在肩上或用寵物推車推著的飼主。還有一個人牽著寵物豬──他說他已經養了五個月──那隻豬把鼻子貼在地上，把掉在路面上的糖果、零食或肉乾吸起來吃。

Source article: http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2020/01/18/2003729416

A British company, StandardToilet, has developed a toilet that discourages long bathroom breaks. The company has filed a patent for a fixture designed to increase employee productivity by making it uncomfortable for anyone to dwell on the toilet seat.

一家英國公司「StandardToilet」開發出一款不讓人在廁所休息太久的馬桶。這家公司已經為這項發明註冊專利，它透過讓任何人都無法舒服地坐在馬桶上的設計，提升員工生產力。

According to StandardToilet, employees are spending an average of 10 minutes a day on the toilet. They estimate that their product will lead to a 25% reduction in time spent on the toilet, so employees can spend those extra two and a half minutes doing something way more productive. Like going to get coffee.

StandardToilet指出，員工每天平均耗費10分鐘在馬桶上。他們估計，他們的產品可以讓員工花在廁所的時間減少25％，讓員工們可以將騰出來的2分30秒時間，拿去做更有成效的事。例如喝杯咖啡。

Sloping forward at an angle of 13 degrees, StandardToilet’s product is designed to make it uncomfortable to spend longer than about five minutes on it without experiencing leg strain, Mahabir Gill, founder of StandardToilet said.

StandardToilet的馬桶產品向前傾斜13度，被設計成讓人無法舒服地、腿部不痠痛地坐在上面超過5分鐘，StandardToilet創辦人瑪哈比爾．吉爾說。

A plumber fixed the boiler of a 91-year-old terminally ill woman. He billed her $0水電工修好91歲罹患絕症老婦的鍋爐，收費0元

"It’s totally free of charge." These are words you wouldn’t normally associate with a broken boiler.

「完全免費」這幾個字，通常不會跟一個壞掉的鍋爐扯上關係。

That was until a plumber in the British town of Burnley, gained internet stardom after a receipt from one of his jobs went viral.

直到英國班來鎮的一名水電工因為工作收據被瘋傳而成為網紅。

James Anderson, originally from Liverpool, is being lauded for his bill of £0 sent to a 91-year-old woman with leukaemia.

出生於利物浦的詹姆斯．安德森因為對一名91歲又罹患白血病的婦人開出一張0元英鎊的帳單而備受讚譽。

The bill, initially shared on Facebook by the woman’s daughter, Christine Rowlands, was accompanied by the message：’No charge for this lady under any circumstances. We will be available 24 hours to help her and keep her as comfortable as possible.’

這張最初是由婦人的女兒克麗絲汀．羅蘭茲分享於臉書的帳單，還附上這樣一段話：「在任何情況下都不跟這位女士收費。我們24小時待命，以便協助與讓她儘可能過得舒適。」

Anderson insists that she will have "free plumbing for life."

安德森堅持，老婦享有「終身免費的水電服務」。

But this isn’t a first act of kindness for Anderson. Since turning his plumbing business into a community project for vulnerable people, he says he’s helped and assisted thousands of people.

這並非安德森的首次善舉。自從他把他的水電事業轉為服務弱勢者的社區計畫，他說，他已幫忙與協助數千人。

That’s 2,389 people since March 2017 to be precise, he told CNN.

他告訴美國有線電視新聞網，確切來說，自2017年3月起的人數是2389人。

Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1341908; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1344091

At last count, there were 34 major construction projects in Hollywood, which Los Angeles officials are determined to turn into a high-density area.

根據最新近的統計，好萊塢計有34個大型建案，洛杉磯市政官員決心把好萊塢變成一個建築物密集的地區。

But one new building stands out amid the glut, and not just because of its name — the Epic — or the company that will soon occupy all of its 13 floors: Netflix.

在這新建築物供過於求之際，有一棟新的大樓卻顯得與眾不同，不只是因為它名叫Epic，或是Netflix很快就會使用它全部13個樓層。

The just-completed Epic is the first office tower in LA to embed solar energy-generating panels (“building integrated photovoltaics”) into its facade, according to Hudson Pacific, which owns the property. Put simply, the structure will use its walls to capture and convert sunlight into electricity.

擁有該大樓的哈德遜太平洋公司指出，剛竣工的Epic是洛杉磯第一座將太陽能發電面板（建築整合太陽能）嵌入建築立面的辦公大樓。簡而言之，這棟建物將利用它的牆壁來捕捉陽光，並轉化為電能。

“Vertical panels are extremely uncommon and part of the reason is just physics — they’re less efficient than if you have them on the roof,” said Bernadette Del Chiaro, executive director of the California Solar and Storage Association, a trade group.

“So I’m not sure how much energy they will generate. But it’s still interesting.”

同業組織加州太陽能與儲存協會執行董事伯納戴特．德爾基亞洛說：「垂直面板非常罕見，部分原因直接關乎物理原理，它們的效率不如裝在屋頂。因此，我不確定它們會產生多少電能，但這仍是件很有趣的事。」

Del Chiaro described Los Angeles as “almost a clean-energy desert,” saying, “it’s the place with the most amount of energy need and the most sun and the least amount of this type of experimentation.”

德爾基亞洛形容洛杉磯「幾乎是個乾淨能源的荒漠」，表示「這裡是個能源需求最大、陽光最多，這一類實驗卻最少的地方」。

The 310 panels, manufactured by Walters & Wolf and installed on the building’s east and west sides (the two with the greatest exposure), will supply 1.5% of the power that Netflix needs, according to Natalie Teear, Hudson Pacific’s vice president for sustainability and social impact.

哈德遜太平洋公司主管永續性及社會影響業務的副總裁娜塔莉．提爾指出，由Walters & Wolf製造、安裝在大樓東面和西面（陽光照射最多的兩邊）的310片面板，將供應Netflix所需電力的1.5%。

“It’s just a cool example of what’s possible,” Teear said.

提爾說：「這恰恰是個展示可能性的很酷的例子。」

Chris Barton, Hudson Pacific’s executive vice president for development and capital investments, declined to say how much the solar panels added to the cost of construction.

克里斯．巴頓是哈德遜太平洋公司主管開發與資本投資的執行副總裁，他拒絕透露太陽能板會使建築成本增加多少。

“There’s a premium to pay for them, certainly,” he said. “But we want to do what we can to establish a market for this technology.”

他說：「當然，要為它付額外的費用，但我們希望盡自己所能為這項技術建立起市場。」

Netflix had no comment. A Hudson Pacific spokeswoman said the streaming giant would move into the building in the coming months.

Netflix未就此事發表評論。哈德遜太平洋一位女發言人表示，這家串流媒體巨擘將在未來幾個月內搬進這棟大樓。

The Epic has other unusual features — colossal outdoor work spaces with trees, fire pits and sofas, for instance — but Netflix’s primary Hollywood headquarters will remain across the street in a building (also owned by Hudson Pacific) that is known for its eye-popping lobby.

Epic還有些與眾不同的其他特點，例如有樹木、火坑跟沙發的巨大戶外工作空間，但Netflix在好萊塢的主要總部，仍會在對街一棟以大廳令人瞠目結舌著稱的大樓（亦由哈德遜太平洋公司擁有）之內。

Source article: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/348832/web/#2L-16233285L

A cousin of the starfish that resides in the coral reefs of the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico lacks eyes, but can still see, according to scientists who studied this creature that expands the boundaries of the sense of sight in the animal kingdom.

有一種海星的近親棲息在加勒比海和墨西哥灣的珊瑚礁中。研究這種生物的科學家指出，它們沒有眼睛，卻仍然可以看得到東西，拓展動物界中視覺的界限。

Researchers said on Jan. 2 that the red brittle star, called Ophiocoma wendtii, is only the second creature known to be able to see without having eyes — known as extraocular vision — joining a single species of sea urchin.

研究人員於一月二日表示，該物種俗稱紅色陽燧足（或稱蛇尾類），學名為Ophiocoma wendtii，是目前所知第二種可以不用眼睛看東西──此能力稱為「眼外視力」──的生物。第一種被發現具有眼外視力的生物是一種海膽類。

It possesses this exotic capability thanks to light-sensing cells, called photoreceptors, covering its body and pigment cells, called chromatophores, that move during the day to facilitate the animal’s dramatic color change from a deep reddish-brown in daytime to a stripy beige at nighttime.

紅色陽燧足擁有這種奇特的能力，可歸功於覆蓋身體表面、稱為「光受器」的感光細胞，以及稱作「色素體」的色素細胞。色素細胞在一天當中移動，促使動物發生戲劇性的身體顏色改變，從白天的深紅褐色轉變成夜間的條紋淺褐色。

Brittle stars, with five radiating arms extending from a central disk, are related to starfish (also called sea stars), sea cucumbers, sea urchins and others in a group of marine invertebrates called echinoderms. They have a nervous system but no brain.

陽燧足從中央盤伸出五隻呈輻射狀向外發散的腕足，它們和海星、海參、海膽等動物具有親緣關係，屬於稱作「棘皮動物」的海洋無脊椎動物族群。這些動物具有神經系統，但是沒有大腦。

The red brittle star — up to about 35cm from arm tip to arm tip — lives in bright and complex habitats, with high predation threats from reef fish. It stays hidden during daytime — making the ability to spot a safe place to hide critical — and comes out at night to feed on detritus.

紅色陽燧足最大可長到約三十五公分（從一隻腕足尖端量到另一隻腕足尖端），生活在明亮而環境複雜的棲息地，身處珊瑚礁魚類的高度掠食威脅下。它在白天保持隱匿──也因此使得找到安全地點躲藏的能力非常重要──晚上才會出來，以海洋中的碎屑為食。

Its photoreceptors are surrounded during daytime by chromatophores that narrow the field of the light being detected, making each photoreceptor like the pixel of a computer image that, when combined with other pixels, makes a whole image. The visual system does not work at night, when the chromatophores contract.

紅色陽燧足的光受器在白天被色素體包圍，使得探測到的光範圍縮小。這時，光受器就像是一個電腦圖檔的像素，與其他像素結合時，就會生成一個完整的圖像。色素體到了晚上會收縮，所以視覺系統晚間不會運作。

“If our conclusions about the chromatophores are correct, this is a beautiful example of innovation in evolution,” said Lauren Sumner-Rooney, a research fellow at Oxford University Museum of Natural History who led the study published in the journal Current Biology.

這篇研究刊登於期刊《當代生物學》，主持研究的哈佛大學自然史博物館研究員蘿倫‧桑姆納─魯尼指出：「如果我們對色素體做出的結論是正確的，這就是演化創新的美麗範例。」

Laboratory experiments indicated the brittle stars have rudimentary vision. Placed in a circular arena, they moved toward walls that were white with a black bar, suggestive of a daytime hiding place.

Another scenario showed they were not simply detecting brightness versus darkness. When they were presented with gray walls making it so no part of the arena was lighter or darker overall, they still moved toward the black stripe, which was centered on a white stripe so as to reflect the same amount of light as the gray.

實驗室中的實驗顯示，這類陽燧足擁有基本程度的視力。將它們放在大型的圓形容器中，它們會朝向有黑色塊的白色牆壁處移動，讓人聯想到它們白天隱匿地點的樣貌。另一個實驗情境顯示，陽燧足並非單純察覺明亮對比黑暗的差異。在同樣的圓形空間，改用灰色牆壁，使得整塊活動區域沒有部分地方比較明亮或是比較黑暗的情況下，牆壁上有一塊白色粗條紋，正中間有一道黑色條紋。在黑白兩色反射光線相等的情況下，它們還是會向黑色條紋處移動。

“It’s such an alien concept for us, as very visually driven animals, to conceive of how an animal might see its habitat without eyes, but now we know of two examples,” Sumner-Rooney added.

桑姆納─魯尼補充表示：「對於我們人類，身為一種極度視覺取向的動物，想像其他動物如何不用眼睛觀看它們的棲息地，這是很陌生的概念，不過我們現在已經知道兩種範例了。」

Source article: http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2020/01/12/2003729089

日本設計師Holoko和英國工程師Rob攜手創作出100個代表台灣的文字圖標（Taiwan Icon Font)，提供免費下載，期望透過台味十足的圖標，讓世界知道台灣的魅力，吸引更多人來台觀光旅遊。

Holoko and Rob, a Japanese designer and a British programmer, recently joined hands to design a hundred Taiwan-themed icon fonts in hopes of introducing local tourism attractions and attracting more tourists to Taiwan.

文字圖標是什麼呢？使用者只要打入對應代碼，便能產生小圖示，也可以像文字一樣改變圖示大小、顏色。

But, what’s an icon font? Icon fonts are fonts that contain symbols and glyphs instead of letters and numbers. Internet users can style them with CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) to create original designs in a variety of colors and shapes.

圖標種類分為四大類，分別是觀光景點、產品、交通、其他。除了全台從南到北和離島的觀光景點之外，還有珍珠奶茶、台灣鐵路、YouBike等等代表台灣的事物都變成超可愛迷你圖示。

The aforesaid icon font is organized into four types, including sights, products, traffic and more. In addition to famous Taiwan attractions and offshore islands, various cultural features such as pearl milk tea, Taiwan Railways Administration, and YouBike have been converted into cute mini icons.

Taiwan Icon Font官網寫道，創作者的發想理念緣起於2019年8月陸客來台禁令生效，對台灣觀光業造成衝擊，然而，設計師認為來台灣的不只有中國人，台灣的美足以吸引來自世界各地的人，盼能藉由小圖示宣傳台灣之美。

In 2019, China imposed a travel ban that froze individual tourists’ permits to Taiwan, which caused a significant impact on Taiwan’s tourism. Against this backdrop, Holoko and Rob launched this project with the hopes of bringing more people from around the world to discover the beauty of Taiwan, according to the designers’ official website.

文內自介寫道，「我們支持台灣，因為台灣有好大的吸引力，而且台灣就是我們的好朋友！」熱愛台灣的設計師不僅被台灣景致吸引，對他們來說，台灣更像是好朋友。舉例來說，珍珠奶茶在日本掀起的熱潮、每年增加的旅台日人、台灣2011年傾囊相助日本東北地震賑災，可見台灣與日本友好關係。

In addition, they stressed how “we support Taiwan not only because Taiwan is attractive but also is our friends.” Among other highlights, they remarked that Taiwan-Japan ties have been blooming ties in recent years which can be seen in the pearl milk tea craze in Japan, an increase of Japanese tourists to Taiwan and donations to the Japan earthquake in 2011.

「WE STAND BY TAIWAN」是計畫口號，呼應整體概念。設計師支持台灣自由、尊嚴而開始了這個計畫。目前已經出了第一版，而設計師們也會持續更新改善，讓世界認識台灣。

“We Stand By Taiwan” the slogan of the project, reflects such design concepts. The two foreign creators launched this project with the aim of supporting freedom in Taiwan. So far, the first version has already been released and they will continue to improve their original font to let more people know about Taiwan.

Source article: https://chinapost.nownews.com/20200114-931025