Part 1: How to Talk about Ghost Month and Pudu 第一課：如何談論鬼月與普度

In Taiwan, the seventh lunar month (農曆七月, nónglì qī yuè) is known as Ghost Month (鬼月, guǐyuè). In 2026, it runs from August 13 to September 10.[1] On the first day, the ghost gates open (鬼門開, guǐmén kāi), and wandering spirits (孤魂野鬼, gūhún yěguǐ), politely called the “Good Brothers” (好兄弟, hǎo xiōngdì), are believed to enter the human world (人間, rénjiān). Families, temples, and businesses prepare food offerings (供品, gòngpǐn), incense (香, xiāng), and joss paper (紙錢, zhǐqián) for ancestors (祖先, zǔxiān) and wandering spirits.[2] Older survey data show how widespread these traditions have been: about 72% of Taiwanese took part in the Ghost Festival, while about 66% said they believed that ghosts without anyone to worship them would wander.[3]

在台灣，農曆七月 [seventh lunar month] 被稱為鬼月 [Ghost Month]。2026年的鬼月是從8月13日到9月10日。[1] 農曆七月初一稱為鬼門開 [ghost gates open]，民間相信孤魂野鬼 [wandering spirits] 會來到人間 [human world]，人們通常客氣地稱他們為好兄弟 [“Good Brothers”]。家庭、廟宇和公司行號會準備供品 [food offerings]、香 [incense] 和紙錢 [joss paper]，祭拜 [worship / make offerings to] 祖先 [ancestors] 和好兄弟。[2] 過去的調查也顯示這些習俗相當普遍：約 72% 的台灣人曾參與中元祭典，而約 66% 的人相信，沒有人祭拜的鬼魂 [ghosts / spirits] 會四處遊蕩。[3]

Ghost Month reaches an important point on the fifteenth day, the Zhongyuan Festival (中元節, Zhōngyuán Jié). In 2026, this falls on August 27.[1] One important ritual is Pudu (普度, pǔdù), when people prepare food and other offerings for wandering spirits. Traditionally, different communities could hold Pudu ceremonies on different days throughout the seventh lunar month, rather than only on the fifteenth day.[2] By caring for ancestors and spirits without descendants, people traditionally hope to bring peace and safety (平安, píng’ān) to both the dead and the living (陰陽兩界, yīnyáng liǎngjiè).

鬼月的重要日子是農曆七月十五的中元節 [Zhongyuan Festival]。2026年的中元節是8月27日。[1] 其中一項重要祭祀是普度 [Pudu]，人們會為好兄弟準備豐盛的食物與各類供品。傳統上，不同地區可能會在農曆七月不同的日子舉行普度，而不一定只在七月十五。[2] 透過祭拜祖先以及沒有後代祭拜的孤魂，人們希望為陰陽兩界 [both the dead and the living] 帶來平安 [peace and safety]。

Vocabulary | 單字

1. Ghost Month, 鬼月 (guǐyuè)

2. ghost gates open, 鬼門開 (guǐmén kāi)

3. “Good Brothers” (wandering spirits), 好兄弟 (hǎo xiōngdì)

4. wandering spirits / homeless ghosts, 孤魂野鬼 (gūhún yěguǐ)

5. offerings (food/goods), 供品 (gòngpǐn)

6. incense, 香 (xiāng)

7. joss paper / ghost money, 紙錢 (zhǐqián)

8. ancestor, 祖先 (zǔxiān)

9. Zhongyuan Festival, 中元節 (Zhōngyuán Jié)

10. Pudu (salvation ritual), 普度 (pǔdù)

11. the living and the dead, 陰陽兩界 (yīnyáng liǎngjiè)

12. peace and safety, 平安 (píng’ān)

Useful Expressions | 實用短語

1. The ghost gates open | 鬼門開了 (guǐmén kāi le)

2. Prepare offerings for the Good Brothers | 為好兄弟準備供品 (wèi hǎo xiōngdì zhǔnbèi gòngpǐn)

3. Pay respects to ancestors | 祭拜祖先 (jìbài zǔxiān)

4. Bring peace to both the living and the dead | 為陰陽兩界帶來平安 (wèi yīnyáng liǎngjiè dàilái píng’ān)

Comprehension Questions | 理解問題

1. What do people in Taiwan politely call wandering ghosts during Ghost Month? | 在台灣，人們在鬼月期間通常客氣地稱孤魂野鬼為什麼？

   • a) 祖先 (Ancestors)

   • b) 好兄弟 (Good Brothers)

   • c) 神明 (Gods)

2. When is the Zhongyuan Festival in 2026? | 2026年的中元節是在國曆哪一天？

   • a) 8月13日 (August 13)

   • b) 8月27日 (August 27)

   • c) 9月10日 (September 10)

3. What is the main purpose of holding Pudu ceremonies? | 舉行普度儀式的主要目的是什麼？

   • a) To show off wealth | 為了炫耀財富

   • b) To pray for exam success only | 只為了祈求考試順利

   • c) To care for wandering spirits and pray for peace | 關照無主孤魂並祈求平安

Answers: 1. b | 2. b | 3. c

References | 參考資料

Directorate-General of Personnel Administration, Executive Yuan. (2025). 中華民國一百一十五年政府行政機關辦公日曆表 [2026 government administrative office calendar].

Taiwan Historica. (n.d.). 中元略談公普與私普 [A brief discussion of public and private Pudu during Zhongyuan]. Academia Historica.

Halla, M., Liu, C.-L., & Liu, J.-T. (2019). The effect of superstition on health: Evidence from the Taiwanese Ghost Month (IZA Discussion Paper No. 12066). IZA Institute of Labor Economics.

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Part 2: How to Talk about Taboos, Safer Choices & Ghost Marriages 第二課：如何談論鬼月禁忌、安全選擇與冥婚

Ghost Month affects how some people behave in Taiwan. Traditional taboos (禁忌, jìnjì) include avoiding weddings (結婚, jiéhūn), moving house (搬家, bānjiā), swimming, and making major purchases (重大消費, zhòngdà xiāofèi) such as houses or cars.[1] The effect on marriage can be dramatic. Using Taiwan marriage records from 1998 to 2006, researchers found an average of only 29 marriages a day during Ghost Month, compared with 283 a day during the 60 days before and after—a drop of about 90%.[1] Not everyone follows these traditions, but many people prefer to wait until Ghost Month is over.

鬼月 [Ghost Month] 也會影響一些台灣人的生活習慣。傳統的禁忌 [taboos] 包括避免結婚 [weddings]、搬家 [moving house]、游泳 [swimming]，以及買房或買車等重大消費 [major purchases]。[1] 這對婚姻的影響尤其明顯。研究人員分析1998年至2006年的台灣婚姻資料後發現，鬼月期間平均每天只有29對新人結婚，而鬼月前後60天平均每天有283對，減少約90%。[1] 雖然不是每個人都遵守這些習俗，但許多人仍會選擇等鬼月結束後再辦大事。

Some Ghost Month beliefs also encourage safer behavior. A study of Taiwanese mortality records from 1981 to 2005 found that the drowning (溺水, nìshuǐ) death rate during Ghost Month was 1.37 per million, compared with 1.67 per million during matched periods outside Ghost Month.[2] The researchers said that believers tend to reduce swimming and other risky water activities during this period. These traditional beliefs encourage more cautious (謹慎, jǐnshèn) behavior.[2]

有些鬼月信仰甚至可能讓人採取比較安全的行為。一項分析1981年至2005年台灣死亡資料的研究發現，鬼月期間的溺水 [drowning] 死亡率為每百萬人1.37人，而其他相近時期則為1.67人。[2] 研究者認為，相信鬼月禁忌的人可能會減少游泳或其他具有風險的水上活動 [risky water activities]。在這種情況下，傳統信仰可能使人變得更加謹慎 [cautious]。[2]

But there is an interesting supernatural twist: while living couples may avoid weddings during Ghost Month, Taiwanese tradition may include ghost marriage (冥婚, mínghūn). In the past, an unmarried (未婚, wèihūn) woman who died could not traditionally be placed with the ancestors of her birth family and might eventually have no descendants to make offerings to her. Her family could therefore arrange a ghost marriage so that she could enter her husband’s family, have a place on its ancestral tablet (祖先牌位, zǔxiān páiwèi), and continue to receive incense (香火, xiānghuǒ), food, and other offerings (供奉, gòngfèng).[3] One well-known version of the custom involved leaving a red envelope (紅包, hóngbāo) for a man to pick up.[3] This is the tradition behind the ghost wife in last week’s SLL94 story.

不過，這裡有一個有趣的轉折：活著的情侶可能會避免在鬼月結婚，但台灣傳統中也有冥婚 [ghost marriage]。過去，未婚 [unmarried] 女性過世後，按照傳統習俗不能列入原生家庭的祖先牌位 [ancestral tablet]，而且日後也可能沒有後代祭拜或供奉她。因此，家人有時會替她安排冥婚，讓她進入丈夫的家族，在祖先牌位中得到位置，並在死後繼續接受香火 [incense]、食物和其他供奉 [offerings]。[3] 其中一種大家熟悉的方式，是把紅包 [red envelope] 放在路上，等待男子撿起。[3] 這正是上週 SLL94 故事中「鬼妻」背後的傳統。

Vocabulary | 單字

1. taboo, 禁忌 (jìnjì)

2. move house, 搬家 (bānjiā)

3. major purchase, 重大消費 (zhòngdà xiāofèi)

4. drowning, 溺水 (nìshuǐ)

5. risky behavior, 危險行為 (wēixiǎn xíngwéi)

6. cautious / careful, 謹慎 (jǐnshèn)

7. ghost marriage, 冥婚 (mínghūn)

8. unmarried, 未婚 (wèihūn)

9. ancestral tablet, 祖先牌位 (zǔxiān páiwèi)

10. incense offerings / family line continuity, 香火 (xiānghuǒ)

11. red envelope, 紅包 (hóngbāo)

12. worship / make offerings, 供奉 (gòngfèng)

Useful Expressions | 實用短語

1. Better safe than sorry | 小心駛得萬年船 (xiǎoxīn shǐ dé wànnián chuán)

2. Wait until Ghost Month is over | 等鬼月結束再說 (děng guǐyuè jiéshù zài shuō)

3. Pick up a red envelope on the ground | 撿路上的紅包 (jiǎn lùshang de hóngbāo)

4. Set up an ancestral tablet | 安置祖先牌位 (ānzhì zǔxiān páiwèi)

Comprehension Questions | 理解問題

1. According to marriage data from 1998 to 2006, how much did daily marriages drop during Ghost Month? | 根據1998至2006年的資料，鬼月期間的每日結婚人數下降了約多少？

   • a) 10%

   • b) 50%

   • c) 90%

2. Why was the drowning death rate lower during Ghost Month? | 為什麼鬼月期間的溺水死亡率反而降低了？

   • a) People were more cautious and swam less | 人們更謹慎且減少了玩水活動

   • b) Swimming pools were all closed | 所有的游泳池都關閉了

   • c) Summer was already over | 夏天已經結束了

3. What was the main cultural reason for arranging a ghost marriage for an unmarried deceased woman? | 替未婚過世的女性安排冥婚的主要文化原因是什麼？

   • a) To collect wedding gifts | 為了收取結婚禮金

   • b) To give her a place on an ancestral tablet and ongoing offerings | 讓她能列入祖先牌位並享有後代香火供奉

   • c) To help living men get rich quickly | 為了幫助活著的男子快速致富

Answers: 1. c | 2. a | 3. b

References | 參考資料

Halla, M., Liu, C.-L., & Liu, J.-T. (2019). The effect of superstition on health: Evidence from the Taiwanese Ghost Month (IZA Discussion Paper No. 12066). IZA Institute of Labor Economics.

Yang, C.-H., Huang, Y.-T., Janes, C., Lin, K.-C., & Lu, T.-H. (2008). Belief in ghost month can help prevent drowning deaths: A natural experiment on the effects of cultural beliefs on risky behaviours. Social Science & Medicine, 66(9), 1990–1998. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2008.01.014

National Museum of Taiwan History. (n.d.). 娶個鬼新娘─臺灣喪葬儀式中的冥婚 [Marrying a ghost bride: Ghost marriage in Taiwanese funeral rituals]. Taiwan Women (臺灣女人).

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“Alone with me, as always”

The dress was black, short, and tight. The lights caught her smooth legs as she moved. She tipped her head back, tossing her hair aside.

Men watched. She knew. Hsin-yi watched, too.

“Are you quite done?” a voice hissed.

He felt the familiar chill beside him, even through the heat and noise. He took a slow sip of beer. “Just admiring the atmosphere, darling.”

“The atmosphere in the little skirt?” Mei-ling scoffed. “You’ve been staring all night. I didn’t marry you for this.”

Neither had he. He regretted picking up that red envelope.

“Just enjoy the music,” he muttered.

The woman caught his eye and smiled. Then she began walking toward him.

“Oh, wonderful,” Mei-ling said. “Tell her to go away.”

She stopped in front of him. “Hello. I’m Li-fen.”

Mei-ling moved between them, but Li-fen looked straight through her. “I saw the empty seat. Are you with someone?”

Hsin-yi met Mei-ling’s glare. “Tell her you have a wife.”

“No.” He looked at Mei-ling. “Leave me alone!” A sharp cold pinch bit into his arm.

He didn’t hear Li-fen say, “Whatever.” He didn’t see her shrug. He only saw her walk back toward the dance floor.

Mei-ling settled onto the empty stool beside him. Her smile returned.

“Alone with me,” she whispered into his ear. “As always.”

Epilogue

Hsin-yi never thought it would be real. He had found a red envelope containing money and a lock of black hair. Then a grieving family appeared and asked him to marry their dead daughter, Mei-ling. Out of pity, he agreed and added her name to his ancestral tablet. He thought it was an old superstition and nothing more. He did not expect a ghost wife to follow him home.

In traditional Chinese society, marriage also determined a woman’s place after death. A woman was said to 嫁給 (jià gěi) a man, “to be married off,” while a man 娶 (qǔ) a wife, “to take a wife.” An unmarried woman could be left outside the ancestral line, with no descendants to offer incense, food, or joss paper to her hun (魂) soul and po (魄) soul. Ghost marriage offered her a place in another family’s lineage, where her spirit could be remembered and cared for. In this tradition, peace after death depended partly on still belonging among the living.

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「只能跟我在一起，像一直以來那樣」——鬼月的冥婚怪談

那件黑色的洋裝短而貼身。燈光隨著她的游移映照出光滑的雙腿。她微微仰頭，將長髮拂至一旁。

男人們目不轉睛，她心知肚明，而信益也在看著。

「你夠了沒？」一個聲音在耳邊低聲嘶語。

即使隔著熱氣與嘈雜聲，他依然能感受到身旁那股熟悉的寒意。他慢慢地喝了一口啤酒。「只是在看看這裡的氣氛嘛，親愛的。」

「看氣氛？看的是那件小短裙吧！」美翎冷笑道。「你盯著她看了一整晚。我可不是為了這種事才嫁給你。」

他也沒想過會搞成這樣。他真後悔撿起了那個紅包。

「好好聽音樂就好了，」他嘟囔著。

那個女人對上了他的眼神，並對他笑了笑。接著，她開始朝他走來。

「好極了！」美翎說。「叫她走開。」

她在他的面前停下腳步。「你好，我是荔芬。」

美翎擋在他們中間，但荔芬直接穿透她的身影，直視著信益。「我看到這裡有空位。你是一個人嗎?」

信益對上了美翎怒視的眼神。「告訴她你有老婆了。」

「不要。」他看著美翎。「別煩我！」一陣尖銳的寒意捏住他的手臂。

他沒有聽到荔芬說「隨便你」，也沒看到她聳聳肩。他只看到她走回舞池。

美翎在他身旁的空高腳椅上坐了下來。她的笑容又回到了臉上。

「只能跟我在一起」她在他的耳邊輕聲說道。「像一直以來那樣。」

故事討論

信益從沒想過這會是真的。當初他撿到一個裡面裝有現金與一縷黑髮的紅包。隨後，一個悲痛的家庭找上門，請求他娶他們過世的女兒美翎。出於同情，他答應了，並把她的名字列入了他的祖先牌位。他以為這不過是個過時的迷信，僅此而已。結果萬萬沒想到會有一位鬼新娘跟著他回家。

在傳統華人社會中，婚姻也決定了女性死後的歸宿。女性被說是「嫁給」男性，而男性則是「娶」妻子。未婚過世的女性往往無法列入本家的祖先牌位，沒有後代能為她的「魂」與「魄」供奉香火、食物或紙錢。冥婚為她提供了融入另一個家族血脈的機會，讓她的靈魂得以被銘記與照顧。在這項傳統中，死後的安寧，某種程度上取決於是否依然在陽世有所歸屬。

Key Vocabulary

1. ghost marriage, 冥婚 (míng hūn)

2. Ghost Month, 鬼月 (guǐ yuè)

3. ghost wife / ghost bride, 鬼新娘 (guǐ xīn niáng)

4. red envelope, 紅包 (hóng bāo)

5. ancestral tablet, 祖先牌位 (zǔ xiān pái wèi)

6. superstition, 迷信 (mí xìn)

7. incense offerings, 香火 (xiāng huǒ)

8. joss paper, 紙錢 (zhǐ qián)

9. chill, 寒意 (hán yì)

10. stare, 盯著看 (dīng zhe kàn)

11. regret, 後悔 (hòu huǐ)

12. glare, 怒視 (nù shì)

13. pinch, 捏 (niē)

Useful Expressions

14. as always, 像一直以來那樣 (xiàng yì zhí yǐ lái nà yàng)

15. out of pity, 出於同情 (chū yú tóng qíng)

16. leave me alone!, 別煩我！ (bié fán wǒ)

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Lesson 1: AI Advances, Virality, and “AI Slop” 第一課：AI 的進步、病毒式傳播與「AI 垃圾內容」

AI tools can now let ordinary users create songs, singers, album covers, music videos, fake performances, and social media posts. This, like everything, is both good and bad. Good because creative tools and abilities are becoming more democratic and accessible to people who want to create. However, it is also dangerous because the internet is becoming flooded with cheap, generic (公式化的), misleading (誤導性的) content. This has come to be known as “AI slop (AI 垃圾內容)”, which Cambridge Dictionary defines as low-quality synthetic media (合成媒體) made using artificial intelligence, especially when it appears online in large amounts [1]. More specifically, though, it has become a criticism and usually means low-quality AI-generated content (AI 生成內容) made quickly and carelessly, often for clicks, attention, or algorithm (演算法) reach.

現在的 AI 工具讓一般使用者也能創作出歌曲、歌手、專輯封面、音樂錄影帶（MV）、虛構表演以及社群媒體貼文。就像每件事一樣，這有好有壞。好處在於創作工具和能力變得更加普及，讓想創作的人都能輕鬆上手。然而，這也很危險，因為網路上開始充斥著廉價、公式化的（generic）且具誤導性的（misleading）內容。這就是大家所稱的「AI 垃圾內容（AI slop）」。根據《劍橋詞典》的定義，它是指利用人工智慧製作的低品質合成媒體（synthetic media），特別是當它大量出現在網路上時。更具體地說，這個詞已成為一種批評，通常指那些為了點閱率、關注度或演算法（algorithm）觸及率，而被快速且草率製作出來的低品質 AI 生成內容（AI-generated content）。

In a famous New Yorker article in 2024, science fiction writer Ted Chiang similarly argued “Why A.I. Isn’t Going to Make Art.” Chiang claimed that “art is something that results from making a lot of choices” [2] and if these choices are mostly outsourced to AI, it is no longer art. The farther away from the creation process the human is, the less the product can be considered art and the more it can be considered AI slop.

科幻作家特德·姜（Ted Chiang）在 2024 年《紐約客》的一篇知名文章中，也提出了類似的觀點——〈為什麼 AI 無法創造藝術〉。姜主張「藝術是做出大量選擇後的成果」，如果這些選擇大部分都外包給 AI，那它就不再是藝術了。人類距離創作過程越遠，這件作品就越不能被稱為藝術，而更應該被視為 AI 垃圾內容。

In June 2026, Deezer reported that mass-produced (大量製造的) AI-generated music reached more than 50% of all new daily uploads on its platform at peak levels, about 90,000 AI-generated tracks per day [3]. This shows the sheer speed and virality (病毒式傳播) of AI music scaling. A human band may need weeks to make a song. A Suno AI user can make many versions in minutes. As AI generating technology improves, it is becoming more difficult to identify it. Just two years ago, AI-generated images and videos of people contained too many fingers and looked and moved in unnatural ways. Today, AI images and videos of people are becoming difficult to distinguish from reality. But there are still tell-tales of slop such as fake branding, generic emotion, unclear authorship, too many versions too quickly, little editing, no disclosure (透明揭露), no clear purpose, and no sign of human intentionality (意圖性) in making careful choices.

2026 年 6 月，音樂串流平台 Deezer 指出，在其平台高峰期，大量製造的（mass-produced） AI 生成音樂占了每日新增上傳量的 50% 以上，每天約有 90,000 首 AI 生成曲目。這展現了 AI 音樂擴展時強大的病毒式傳播（virality）速度。一個真人樂團可能需要數週才能完成一首歌，但 Suno AI 的使用者卻能在幾分鐘內產出多個版本。隨著生成技術進步，辨識 AI 變得越來越困難。兩年前，AI 生成的人像和影片還常出現過多手指，動作也很不自然；如今，AI 影像已難辨真假。但垃圾內容依然有破綻可尋，例如虛假的品牌包裝、公式化的情緒、模糊的作者身份、短時間產出過多版本、缺乏修改、未做透明揭露（disclosure）、缺乏明確目的，以及毫無人類用心做出選擇的意圖性（intentionality）。

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Vocabulary | 單字

1. AI-generated content, AI 生成內容 (AI shēng chéng nèi róng)

2. AI slop, AI 垃圾內容 (AI lā jī nèi róng)

3. synthetic media, 合成媒體 (hé chéng méi tǐ)

4. virality, 病毒式傳播 (bìng dú shì chuán bō)

5. algorithm, 演算法 (yǎn suàn fǎ)

6. mass-produced, 大量製造的 (dà liàng zhì zào de)

7. generic, 公式化的 (gōng shì huà de)

8. misleading, 誤導性的 (wù dǎo xìng de)

9. disclosure, 透明揭露 (tòu míng jiē lù)

10. intentionality, 意圖性 (yì tú xìng)

Comprehension Questions | 理解問題

1. Why does Ted Chiang believe AI cannot truly make art? | 為什麼特德·姜認為 AI 無法真正創造藝術？

a) AI does not have enough computing power | AI 沒有足夠的運算能力

b) Art requires humans to make many creative choices | 藝術需要人類做出許多創作抉擇

c) AI tools are too expensive to use | AI 工具太過昂貴

2. What is a major problem with “AI slop” on the internet? | 網路上的「AI 垃圾內容」帶來了什麼主要問題？

a) It floods platforms with low-quality and misleading media | 它讓低品質且具誤導性的媒體內容充斥平台

b) It takes years to produce a single track | 製作一首曲目需要耗費數年

c) It only uses human-recorded voices | 它只使用真人錄製的聲音

3. Which of the following is a sign of AI slop? | 以下哪一項是 AI 垃圾內容的特徵？

a) Clear disclosure and purpose | 清楚的透明揭露與創作目的

b) Weeks of careful human revision | 歷經數週細心的人工修改

c) Generic emotion and no human intentionality | 公式化的情感且缺乏人類意圖性

Answers: 1. b, 2. a, 3. c

References

[1] Cambridge Dictionary. “AI slop.” Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary & Thesaurus.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/ai-slop

[2] Chiang, T. “Why A.I. Isn’t Going to Make Art.” The New Yorker. August 31, 2024.
https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-weekend-essay/why-ai-isnt-going-to-make-art

[3] Deezer Newsroom. “Deezer: AI music has surpassed 50% of new music uploads for the first time.” July 21, 2026.
https://newsroom-deezer.com/2026/07/ai-music-exceeds-50-percent-daily-uploads-deezer/

Lesson 2: Why “When I’m Gone” Went Viral 第二課：為什麼《When I’m Gone》會爆紅？

In the spring of 2026, an America’s Got Talent (AGT) video of an old rock singer named Michael Bennett became a massive online hit (網路爆紅作品). This song, called “When I’m Gone”, featured a raw and emotional voice and catchy electric guitar riffs. But more than that, it had a strong emotional twist (情感反轉). At first, it sounded like a traditional rock love ballad, but after the first few stanzas it became clear it was about a lonely father singing to his children. This was not the typical rock pop song that deliberately avoids topics of old age, neglected parents, death, guilt, and family silence. The song was powerful. But after listening to it and enjoying it a few times, something felt off.

2026 年春天，一段《美國達人秀》（America’s Got Talent, AGT）的影片在網路上瘋傳，成為一部網路爆紅作品（online hit）。影片中的主角是一位名叫麥可·班奈特（Michael Bennett）的老年搖滾歌手。這首名為《When I’m Gone》的歌曲，有著粗獷且充滿情感的嗓音與洗腦的電吉他旋律。更重要的是，它帶有強烈的情感反轉（emotional twist）。起初，它聽起來像一首傳統的搖滾情歌，但在唱了幾段之後，大家才發現這是一位孤獨的父親在對他的孩子歌唱。這不是那種刻意避開衰老、被忽視的父母、死亡、內疚和家庭冷漠的典型流行搖滾樂。這首歌極具感染力，但反覆聽了幾次之後，總讓人覺得有些不對勁。

The father’s voice was not just lonely. It was also condemning. The song deployed a kind of graveyard guilt, public shame, moral judgment, and regret-after-death as engineered emotion (被設計出來的情緒) triggers. This was not the kind of song a father would spend days or weeks thinking about, writing, experimenting with, and recording. Fathers are not attention-seeking or bitter for such a long creative process. But if AI can source a lot of this work, it can help create a plan for a viral song designed to trigger the emotions and guilt many people feel when they neglect their elderly parents, and especially fathers who rarely ask for anything.

這位父親的聲音不僅孤獨，還帶著指責。這首歌利用了一種「死後內疚」、公開羞辱、道德評判與死後遺憾作為被設計出來的情緒（engineered emotion）觸發點。這並不是一位父親會花費數天或數週去思考、創作、嘗試並錄製出來的歌曲。在如此漫長的創作過程中，父親通常不會為了博取關注或宣洩怨恨而寫歌。但如果 AI 能代勞大部分工作，它就能策劃出一首爆紅歌曲，專門觸發許多人在忽視年邁父母時產生的情緒與罪惡感，特別是那些從不開口要求的父親。

Forbes reported that “Michael Bennett” was actually a fake contestant (假參賽者). Fremantle, the company behind AGT, said there was no record of him and confirmed the staged audition (被設計的試鏡) video was completely AI-generated [4]. Even the video had AI tell-tales: exaggerated audience reaction (觀眾反應), AGT judges in different clothes, fake-looking guitar strumming, and even changes in the computer-made voice (電腦生成聲音) and singer’s face across clips [3]. Michael’s story was a copy of the viral formula of Ernesto’s fake AGT video in 2025: a lonely older man, a tragic family backstory (背景故事), an AGT-style stage, crying judges, and an AI-assisted song [5]. But this raises a question of authenticity (真實性) and media literacy (媒體識讀): if art is supposed to make people feel something and a fake singer makes people feel something real, is this AI product still art--whether or not the human behind the AI was making a lot of choices?

《富比士》（Forbes）報導指出，「麥可·班奈特」實際上是一位假參賽者（fake contestant）。製作該節目的 Fremantle 公司表示完全沒有他的紀錄，並證實這段被設計的試鏡（staged audition）影片完全是由 AI 生成的。影片本身也有許多破綻：過於誇張的觀眾反應（audience reaction）、評審穿著不同集數的服裝、看起來很不自然的吉他彈奏，甚至是電腦生成聲音（computer-made voice）與歌手長相在不同片段中出現變化。麥可的故事只是在複製 2025 年厄內斯托（Ernesto）假影片的爆紅公式：孤獨的老人、悲慘的家庭背景故事（backstory）、AGT 風格的舞台、落淚的評審，以及一首 AI 輔助生成的歌曲。但這引出了一個關於真實性（authenticity）與媒體識讀（media literacy）的思考：如果藝術的目的是讓人產生感受，而一個虛構的歌手讓人產生了真實的情感，那麼這個 AI 產物還算不算是藝術——無論背後的人是否做出了大量的選擇？

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Vocabulary | 單字

1. online hit, 網路爆紅作品 (wǎng lù bào hóng zuò pǐn)

2. fake contestant, 假參賽者 (jiǎ cān sài zhě)

3. staged audition, 被設計的試鏡 (bèi shè jì de shì jìng)

4. computer-made voice, 電腦生成聲音 (diàn nǎo shēng chéng shēng yīn)

5. emotional twist, 情感反轉 (qíng gǎn fǎn zhuǎn)

6. backstory, 背景故事 (bèi jǐng gù shì)

7. audience reaction, 觀眾反應 (guān zhòng fǎn yìng)

8. engineered emotion, 被設計出來的情緒 (bèi shè jì chū lái de qíng xù)

9. authenticity, 真實性 (zhēn shí xìng)

10. media literacy, 媒體識讀 (méi tǐ shì dú)

Comprehension Questions | 理解問題

1. What was the “emotional twist” in the song “When I’m Gone”? | 歌曲《When I’m Gone》中的「情感反轉」是什麼？

a) It turned out to be a fast dance track | 它最後變成了一首快節奏舞曲

b) It seemed like a love song, but was actually a lonely father singing to his children | 它起初看似情歌，其實是一位孤獨父親唱給孩子的歌

c) The singer forgot the lyrics halfway through | 歌手在唱到一半時忘詞了

2. How did people find out the AGT video was fake? | 人們是如何發現這段達人秀影片是假的？

a) Fremantle confirmed there was no record of Michael Bennett | 製作公司 Fremantle 證實完全沒有麥可·班奈特的紀錄

b) The singer admitted it live on television | 歌手在電視直播中承認造假

c) The audience booed him off the stage | 現場觀眾把他噓下台

3. Why do viral AI videos often use tragic family backstories? | 為什麼爆紅的 AI 影片常使用悲慘的家庭背景故事？

a) To test new video editing software | 為了測試新的影片剪輯軟體

b) To trigger engineered emotions like guilt and sympathy for clicks | 為了觸發內疚與同情等被設計出來的情緒以換取點閱率

c) Because talent shows only accept sad stories | 因為選秀節目只接受悲傷的故事

Answers: 1. b, 2. a, 3. b

References

[4] Katz, L. “America’s Got Talent Fans Fooled By AI-Generated Contestant’s Sob Story.” Forbes. March 2, 2026.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/lesliekatz/2026/03/02/americas-got-talent-fans-fooled-by-ai-generated-contestants-sob-story/

[5] Mumford, G. “Meet Ernesto, the viral America’s Got Talent contestant ... who doesn’t exist.” The Guardian. May 30, 2025.
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2025/may/30/meet-ernesto-the-viral-americas-got-talent-contestant-who-doesnt-exist

Lesson 3: Making “No Need to Reply” as Memory-Work 第三課：將《不用回信》作為一種記憶創作

Last week’s Chin-Glish Story for Language Learning “No Need to Reply” was inspired by these viral AI videos, yet used AI for more educational and personal reasons. So, the goal was not to create art, nor to fake a public talent-show performance, nor to generate a viral piece of AI content. Instead, the intention was to create a personal Father’s Day tribute (父親節致敬作品) to a real-world father who was lonely but would never feel he had the right to demand sympathy or inflict emotional punishment.

上週的「Chin-Glish 語言學習故事」《不用回信》（No Need to Reply）正是受到這些爆紅 AI 影片的啟發，但使用 AI 是出於教育與個人理由。因此，這項創作的目的不是為了創造藝術，不是為了偽造選秀節目的舞台表演，也不是為了製造爆紅的 AI 內容。相反地，初衷是製作一份個人的父親節致敬作品（Father’s Day tribute），獻給一位真實世界中的父親——他雖然孤獨，卻從不認為自己有權利索求同情，或對家人施加情感上的負擔。

As I did a few years ago when I researched the eulogy (悼詞) I wrote for my father, I created a personal archive (檔案資料庫) of my father’s last eight years of correspondence (書信往來) and used AI to detect his language and sentiment patterns: the diction (用字遣詞) of his sentences, favorite turn of phrase (慣用說法), dry humor, emotional restraint (情感克制), and self-effacing tone. Then, ChatGPT assisted in the composition of several drafts of the letter where I made several small and large revision (修改) passes to the organization and phrasing; after all, it has no way of knowing my father or even what it means to be a father. Language patterning can only take an LLM so far to reflect real human experience or personality.

就像我幾年前在為父親撰寫悼詞（eulogy）時所做的一樣，我整理了父親生命最後八年的書信往來（correspondence）建立了一個檔案資料庫（archive），並利用 AI 分析他的語言與情緒模式：句子的用字遣詞（diction）、口頭禪與慣用說法（turn of phrase）、冷幽默、情感克制（emotional restraint）以及自謙的語氣。接著，ChatGPT 協助生成了幾版信件草稿，而我對架構和語句進行了多次修改（revision）；畢竟，AI 不可能真正了解我的父親，更無法體會身為父親的意義。語言模型單靠語言模式分析，能反映出的人類真實經驗或人格特質終究是有限的。

The music was also based on his preferences. As a young boy, I remember Sundays in the living room listening to Chicago, BTO and especially Blood, Sweat & Tears with their 1970s jazz-rock, horns, Hammond organ, and literary storytelling. I used ChatGPT to create a similar music genre prompt for Suno AI, and then had it modify the letter “No need to reply” into song lyrics, which again required a fair amount of human editing and revising. Suno AI generated the resulting song in that post from the music and lyrics prompts, and after listening to 20 different generations, sometimes two or three times, I settled on one version. I had intended the Chinese lyrics to be haunting female voiced echoes of key sentiments, but I didn’t really get it.

音樂也是根據父親的喜好量身打造的。小時候，我記得週日總是在客廳聽著 Chicago、BTO，特別是 Blood, Sweat & Tears 那種 1970 年代的爵士搖滾、銅管樂器、漢門電風琴以及充滿故事性的敘事風格。我使用 ChatGPT 為 Suno AI 設計了類似音樂風格的提示詞，並將《不用回信》這封信改寫為歌詞，這同樣經過了大量的人工編輯與調整。Suno AI 根據音樂和歌詞提示詞生成了貼文中的歌曲，在反覆聆聽了 20 個版本（有些甚至聽了兩三遍）之後，我才選定最終版本。我原本希望中文歌詞能以動人的女聲回響呈現關鍵情緒，但最後並未達到理想的效果。

This project is not art in Chiang’s sense. It was not intended to be. Its goal is primarily educational for language learning, and secondarily as a personal Father’s Day memory project (記憶創作計畫). I would argue that it is not AI slop either considering the amount of time, intentionality, and number of choices behind it.

從特德·姜的標準來看，這個作品並不能算作藝術，它一開始也沒有這樣的打算。它的首要目標是用於語言學習的教育資源，其次則是一項個人的父親節記憶創作計畫（memory project）。但考量到背後投入的時間、意圖與大量的人為選擇，我認為它也不能被稱為 AI 垃圾內容。

AI helps me in areas where I have weak or non-existent skills, like music production, image design, and fast brainstorming. It lets me create educational resources that would have been impossible for me to make alone. Ultimately, I hope its value comes from choosing, revising, rejecting, explaining, and taking the final responsibility (最終責任) for the result. That part is still human.

AI 在我不擅長或完全缺乏技能的領域提供了協助，例如音樂製作、圖像設計和快速腦力激盪。它讓我能夠創造出原本靠我一人不可能完成的教學資源。歸根結底，我希望這份作品的價值來自於背後的篩選、修改、捨棄、詮釋，以及對最終成果承擔最終責任（final responsibility）。而那一部分，依然是由人類所完成的。

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Vocabulary | 單字

1. Father’s Day tribute, 父親節致敬作品 (fù qīn jié zhì jìng zuò pǐn)

2. memory project, 記憶創作計畫 (jì yì chuàng zuò jì huà)

3. archive, 檔案資料庫 (dǎng àn zī liào kù)

4. correspondence, 書信往來 (shū xìn wǎng lái)

5. diction, 用字遣詞 (yòng zì qiǎn cí)

6. turn of phrase, 慣用說法 (guàn yòng shuō fǎ)

7. emotional restraint, 情感克制 (qíng gǎn kè zhì)

8. eulogy, 悼詞 (dào cí)

9. revision, 修改 (xiū gǎi)

10. final responsibility, 最終責任 (zuì zhōng zé rèn)

Comprehension Questions | 理解問題

1. What was the primary goal of the “No Need to Reply” project? | 《不用回信》這項創作的主要目標是什麼？

a) To generate viral social media clicks | 為了在社群媒體上博取爆紅點閱率

b) To create an educational language learning resource and a personal tribute | 作為語言學習的教育資源與個人的致敬創作

c) To sell music albums online | 為了在線上販售音樂專輯

2. Why did the author need to heavily edit ChatGPT’s draft of the letter? | 為什麼作者需要對 ChatGPT 的信件草稿進行大量修改？

a) ChatGPT cannot truly understand the author’s father or the feeling of fatherhood | ChatGPT 無法真正理解作者的父親或身為父親的感受

b) The AI tool refused to output Chinese words | AI 工具拒絕產出中文詞彙

c) The grammar in the model output was completely wrong | 模型的文法輸出完全錯誤

3. According to the author, what part of the creative process remains uniquely human? | 根據作者所述，創作過程中哪一部分依然完全屬於人類？

a) Fast automated generation | 快速的自動化生成

b) Choosing, revising, and taking final responsibility for the work | 篩選、修改並對最終作品承擔責任

c) Letting the algorithm decide everything | 讓演算法決定一切

Answers: 1. b, 2. a, 3. b

Read more

(Dear Reader, audio coming in the next day or two. - Nigel)

No Need To Reply

When the residence cleaners emptied his room, they found the usual things first: books, papers, conference folders, old cables, a few envelopes that had been opened and kept for no obvious reason. Under a folder on the desk was a printed letter with no stamp, no envelope, and no sign that it had ever been sent. At the top, it had only one name.

Nigel.

I have begun this several times, then deleted what I wrote, which is perhaps just as well. WORD and I have never been on the best of terms. That is my fault, I am sure. One cannot teach an old dog new tricks, or so they say. There is no need to reply to this, assuming I send it, which I probably shall not.

I trust that you are well. I am fine. There is nothing anyone can do. That is not entirely true, but it closes the subject. The evening sits beside the phone. The floor waits by the chair. I think of calling, then do not. I do not wish to be a burden. Old age is not for the faint-hearted. Walking has become more complicated than it ought to be, balance is uncertain, and the floor is harder than I remember floors being. I am comfortable sitting, reading, lying down, and working on the computer. Getting up to cross the room can be another matter. I have fallen, as you know. I was foolish about the life-line. There is no point pretending otherwise.

There were evenings when I wished the telephone would ring, not with anything important, merely news from Taiwan, a complaint about work, something about your daughter, a question about German or English or some old phrase. Anything ordinary would have done. Ordinary things are underrated until one has too few of them.

I was not always as present as I might have been. There is no point pretending otherwise. Work was a useful word. Perhaps too useful. I have wondered what memory amounts to. A name on the spine of a book no one opens? Perhaps one is remembered by children, then grandchildren. Then, as the Germans say, Es schweigt im Walde. “It becomes silent in the forest.” That sounds gloomy. It is not. It is merely realistic.

You may have become a better father than I was. That is not self-accusation, nor praise meant to embarrass you. It is simply an observation. I prefer observations to confessions. They are less theatrical. Still, I was proud of you. I loved you. I trusted you. I was proud of you. If I did not say it often enough, that is one more failure of expression from a man who spent his life with words. There is some irony in that. Perhaps too much.

Anyway, enough of this. Give my love to C.J. and Jaylla. Be well.

Love,
Dad

P.S. If this seems overly sentimental, feel free to ignore it. Shit happens.

Epilogue

In Taiwan, Father’s Day falls on August 8 because “8/8” in Mandarin sounds like 爸爸, or “Dad.” It is an appropriately simple wordplay, as fathers are often remembered through simple things: a phrase, a habit, a silence, an old chair. Or perhaps a phone that did not ring. This song is not a typical SLL story. It is a Father’s Day song lesson about wanting to be remembered, but not wanting to become a burden. It also happens that my father passed away at this time two years ago.

This lesson was partly inspired by the viral AI music phenomenon a few months ago around “When I’m Gone” and “After I’m Gone,” songs linked to the AI-generated “Michael Bennett” / “Mikhail Bennett” persona and fake America’s Got Talent-style videos. Forbes reported that the clips spread across YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and beyond, sometimes drawing hundreds of thousands of views, and that Fremantle, the company behind AGT, confirmed that the video was AI-generated [1]. The related Spotify presence was also substantial, with one Mikhail Bennett artist page indexed at more than 647,000 monthly listeners [2]. The song worked because its twist was unusual: what first sounded like a rock love ballad became a father speaking to his children. In an era of disposable pop themes, this felt closer to older art-rock concerns with death, family, regret, and storytelling.

The viral song was powerful, and I listened to it several times because it touched a nerve in me, as it did with so many others. But I felt something was off. It felt too prosecutorial: the father were building a case against his children from beyond the grave. While emotionally impactful, it did not sound like the typical father who would not demand grief, not ask to be pitied, and not admit that he was lonely. So I made this song differently: first by creating a database of about eight years of my father’s last correspondences to capture his voice, tone, repeated phrases, and dry self-corrections; then by using ChatGPT to draft versions of a song from that material; and finally by using Suno with lyrics and music prompts inspired by music my father listened to in the 1970s, including rock songs with brass sections and Hammond keyboards. The result is a tribute to my father and all fathers. AI can create slop, but if used with intention and care, AI can help create deeply personal messages, experiences, and even understandings by helping us notice patterns we may have missed: the phrases people repeated, the feelings they avoided, and the love they expressed indirectly.

References

[1] Katz, L. (2026, March 2). America’s Got Talent fans fooled by AI-generated contestant’s sob story. Forbes.

[2] Spotify. (n.d.). Mikhail Bennett [Artist profile]. Retrieved August 8, 2026.

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當養老院的清潔人員清理他的房間時，他們首先發現了常見的東西：書籍、文件、研討會資料夾、舊電線，以及幾封拆開後不知為何留下來的信封。在桌上一個資料夾下方，有一封列印出來的信，沒有郵票、沒有信封，也沒有任何寄出過的痕跡。信的頂端只有一個名字。

Nigel

這封信我動筆了好幾次，然後又把寫好的內容刪掉，不過這樣或許也好。我跟 WORD 這個軟體一直都不太合。我敢說這是我的問題。俗話說「老狗學不會新把戲」，大概就是這個意思吧。假設我真的寄出了這封信（雖然我大概不會寄），你也不必回覆。

希望你一切都好。我很好，反正誰也幫不上什麼忙。那不完全是真的，但這樣說就可以結束這個話題。夜晚守在電話旁，地板在椅子邊等待。我曾想打電話給你，但最後還是沒有。我不想成為負擔。衰老不是膽小的人受得了的。走路變得比想像中還要複雜，平衡感變得不太穩定，而地板也比我記憶中還要堅硬。我坐著、讀書、躺著和使用電腦時都很舒服，但要站起來走過房間又是另一回事了。如你所知，我跌倒過。我之前對緊急救援線的想法太傻了，沒必要假裝不是這樣。

有些晚上，我真希望電話會響起，不用是什麼大事，只要是來自台灣的近況、對工作的抱怨、關於你女兒的事，或是問一個德文、英文或某個古老片語的問題都好。任何平凡的小事都可以。平凡的事物總是容易被人忽視，直到你擁有的太少時才知道珍惜。

過去我可能沒有常常陪伴在你身邊，沒必要假裝不是這樣。「工作」是一個很好的藉口，也許太好用了。我一直在想，記憶究竟代表著什麼？是一本再也沒人翻開的書本脊背上的名字嗎？也許一個人先是被孩子記住，然後是孫子。接著，就像德國人說的：「Es schweigt im Walde」（森林裡陷入了沉默）。這聽起來很陰鬱，但其實不是，這只是現實罷了。

你也許已經成為了一個比我更好的父親。這不是自責，也不是為了讓你尷尬的稱讚，這只是一個客觀的觀察。比起告白，我更喜歡客觀的觀察，因為這樣比較不那麼戲劇化。儘管如此，我一直以你為榮。我愛你，我信任你，我真的為你感到自豪。如果我以前說得不夠多，這是一個用了一生文字的人，在表達上的又一次失敗。這確實有點諷刺，甚至有點過頭了。

總之，不說這些了。替我向 C.J. 和 Jaylla 問好。保重。

愛你的，

爸爸

又及：如果這封信看起來太感傷了，請隨意忽略它。人生就是這樣。

後記

在台灣，父親節是八月八日，因為「8/8」的中文發音聽起來像「爸爸」。這是一個簡單又貼切的諧音，因為人們常常透過微小的事物記住父親：一個片語、一個習慣、一段沉默、一張舊椅子，或者一通沒有響起的電話。這首歌不是傳統的語言學習故事，而是一堂關於渴望被記住、卻又不想成為負擔的父親節歌曲課程。巧合的是，我父親也在兩年前的這個時候過世了。

這首歌的靈感部分來自幾個月前爆紅的 AI 音樂現象，圍繞著《When I’m Gone》和《After I’m Gone》這幾首歌。這些歌曲與 AI 生成的角色「Michael Bennett」/「Mikhail Bennett」以及假的《美國達人秀》風格影片有關。《富比士》報導指出，這些短片在 YouTube、TikTok、Instagram 等平台上流傳，有時吸引數十萬次觀看，而《美國達人秀》背後的 Fremantle 公司也證實該影片是由 AI 生成的。其在 Spotify 上的影響力也相當大，其中一個 Mikhail Bennett 的藝人頁面顯示每月聽眾超過 64 萬人。這首歌之所以成功，是因為它的轉折很特別：原本聽起來像搖滾情歌，最後卻變成一位父親對孩子說的話。在這個流行主題快速被遺忘的時代，這感覺更接近早期藝術搖滾對死亡、家庭、遺憾和敘事的關懷。

那首爆紅的歌曲很有感染力，我也聽了好幾次，因為它觸動了我內心的心弦，就像觸動了許多其他人一樣。但我總覺得有些不對勁。它感覺太像在控訴，彷彿父親在陰間指責他的孩子。雖然情感衝擊力很強，但這聽起來不像典型的父親——典型的父親不會要求孩子悲傷、不會尋求憐憫，也不會承認自己的孤獨。因此，我用不同的方式製作了這首歌：首先建立了一個包含我父親最後八年間來往信件資料庫，以捕捉他的聲音、語氣、重複使用的片語和乾澀的自我修正；然後使用 ChatGPT 從這些素材中草擬歌曲版本；最後使用 Suno，並搭配受我父親在 1970 年代聆聽的音樂所啟發的歌詞與音樂提示詞，包括帶有管樂和漢蒙管風琴（Hammond keyboards）的搖滾歌曲。成果是一份獻給我父親以及所有父親的致敬。AI 可以產生垃圾內容，但如果用心且審慎地使用，AI 能幫助我們注意到可能忽略的模式：人們重複的話語、他們迴避的情感，以及他們間接表達的愛，從而幫助我們創造極具個人色彩的訊息、體驗，甚至是理解。

Vocabulary List

1. Father’s Day, 父親節 (fùqīnjié)

2. stoic, 堅忍不拔的 (jiānrěn bùbá de)

3. reserved, 內斂的 (nèi liǎn de)

4. undemonstrative, 不善於表達情感的 (bù shàn yú biǎodá qínggǎn de)

5. faint-hearted, 膽小的 (dǎnxiǎo de)

6. burden, 負擔 (fùdān)

7. reluctance, 不情願 (bù qíngyuàn)

8. correspondence, 來往信件 (láiwǎng xìnjiàn)

9. observation, 觀察 (guānchá)

10. prosecutorial, 控訴性的 (kòngsù xìng de)

11. tribute, 致敬 (zhìjìng)

12. sentimental, 感傷的 (gǎnshāng de)

13. ordinary, 平凡的 (píngfán de)

14. P.S. (postscript), 又及 (yòují)

15. give one’s love to, 向⋯問好 (xiàng... wènhǎo)

16. phenomenon, 現象 (xiànxiàng)

17. viral, 爆紅的 (bàohóng de)

18. substantial, 相當大的 (xiāngdāng dà de)

19. intention, 用心 (yòngxīn)

20. disposable, 一次性的 (yí cì xìng de)

21. slop (AI slop), 垃圾內容 (lējī nèiróng)

22. shit happens (that’s life), 人生就是這樣 (rénshēng jiùshì zhèyàng)

23. on the best of terms, 關係融洽 (guānxì róngqià)

24. teach an old dog new tricks, 讓老狗學新把戲 (ràng lǎo gǒu xué xīn bǎxì)

25. touch a nerve, 觸動心弦 (chùdòng xīnxián)

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Chin-Glish song version

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(Note: for paid subscribers, Quizlet vocabulary flashcards, audio, and interactive vocabulary activities below).

Lesson 1: Taiwan’s Underworld Is Not One Big Mafia 第一課：台灣黑道不只有一個「黑手黨」

Taiwanese organized crime is often called the underworld (黑道, hēidào), but Taiwan does not have one unified organization equivalent to “the Mafia.” A police study divided criminal groups into several types. Neighborhood-based local factions (角頭, jiǎotóu) accounted for about 41%, while formally organized gangs—with initiation ceremonies, written rules, bosses and branches—accounted for only 12% [1]. A jiǎotóu may control a market, entertainment district or several streets, while a larger gang (幫派, bāngpài) may operate through branches across Taiwan.

在台灣，組織犯罪通常被稱為黑道，但台灣並沒有一個相當於「黑手黨」的統一組織。一項警方研究將犯罪團體分為幾種類型。以社區為基礎的地方角頭約佔 41%，而具有入幫儀式、幫規、老大與分會的正式組織幫派，則僅佔 12% [1]。一個角頭可能會控制一個市場、娛樂區或幾條街，而規模較大的幫派則可能透過遍布台灣各地的堂口來運作。

The contrast remains visible today. In 2025, Taiwan’s police reported investigating 756 gang-related criminal organizations, arresting 4,955 suspects and seizing illegal financial flows worth about NT$7.49 billion [2]. However, these figures include many separate groups rather than one national crime family. A leader may be called big brother (大哥, dàgē), and junior members may be called little brothers (小弟, xiǎodì), but both words also have harmless everyday meanings. Similarly, Eight Generals (八家將, bājiājiàng) is a traditional temple performance and should not be confused with the insulting slang 8+9 (bā jiā jiǔ) or with gang membership.

這種對比至今依然清晰可見。在 2025 年，台灣警方通報調查了 756 個與幫派相關的犯罪組織，逮捕了 4,955 名嫌犯，並扣押了價值約新台幣 74.9 億元的不法金流 [2]。然而，這些數字包含許多獨立的團體，而不是單一的全國性犯罪家族。幫派領袖可能會被稱為大哥，資淺成員則可能被稱為小弟，但這兩個詞在日常生活中也有無害的普通意思。同樣地，八家將是一種傳統的廟會陣頭表演，不應該與具有貶義的流行用語 8+9 或幫派成員身份混為一談。

Vocabulary

1. underworld, 黑道 (hēidào)

2. gang, 幫派 (bāngpài)

3. organized crime, 組織犯罪 (zǔzhī fànzuì)

4. local faction / local gang boss, 角頭 (jiǎotóu)

5. big brother / gang boss, 大哥 (dàgē)

6. junior member / underling, 小弟 (xiǎodì)

7. gang member / “brother,” 兄弟 (xiōngdì)

8. territory, 地盤 (dìpán)

9. gang branch, 堂口 (tángkǒu)

10. protection money, 保護費 (bǎohùfèi)

11. Eight Generals, 八家將 (bājiājiàng)

12. young troublemaker, 8+9 (bā jiā jiǔ)

Comprehension Questions | 理解問題

1. What does a jiǎotóu (角頭) traditionally control? | 1. 「角頭」(jiǎotóu) 傳統上通常控制什麼？

A. A national court system | A. 國家法院系統

B. A local territory or business district | B. 地方地盤或商業區

C. All of Taiwan’s gangs | C. 台灣所有的幫派

D. A military base | D. 軍事基地

2. What percentage of the groups in the police study were formally organized gangs? | 2. 在警方的研究中，正式組織的幫派佔了百分之多少？

A. 12% | A. 12%

B. 41% | B. 41%

C. 49% | C. 49%

D. 76% | D. 76%

3. What may dàgē (大哥) mean outside gang culture? | 3. 在黑道文化之外，「大哥」(dàgē) 可能代表什麼意思？

A. Police detective | A. 刑警 / 警探

B. Gambling boss | B. 賭場老闆

C. Older brother | C. 哥哥

D. Temple performer | D. 廟會表演者

4. Which statement about Bājiājiàng (八家將) is correct? | 4. 關於「八家將」(bājiājiàng) 的敘述，哪一個是正確的？

A. It is another name for the Bamboo Union. | A. 它是竹聯幫的另一個名稱。

B. It is a traditional temple performance. | B. 它是傳統的廟會表演。

C. It means protection money. | C. 它的意思是保護費。

D. It is Taiwan’s largest gang. | D. 它是台灣最大的幫派。

Answers: 1.B, 2.A, 3.C, 4.B

References

[1] Chou, W.-Y. [周文勇]. (2007). 我國組織犯罪次文化與警察機關防制對策 [Organized-crime subculture and police countermeasures in Taiwan]. Criminal Investigation Bureau, National Police Agency. https://www.cib.npa.gov.tw/ch/app/data/doc?detailNo=791541652178104320&module=wg128&type=s

[2] Criminal Investigation Bureau, National Police Agency. (2026). 刑事警察局114年度單位決算 [Criminal Investigation Bureau final accounts for 2025]. Ministry of the Interior. https://www.cib.npa.gov.tw/ch/app/data/doc?detailNo=1499377370010750976&module=wg130&type=s

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Lesson 2: Local Taiwanese and Mainlander Gangs 第二課：本省掛與外省掛

Taiwan’s gang history was shaped partly by the distinction between local Taiwanese groups (本省掛, běnshěng guà) and mainlander groups (外省掛, wàishěng guà). Older 本省 groups usually developed as neighborhood-based jiǎotóu connected to a street, market, railway station, port or temple community. Mainlander-associated gangs developed largely among young people from military dependents’ villages (眷村, juàncūn) after 1949. They often copied the structures of traditional Chinese secret societies, including initiation ceremonies, named leaders and formal branches [1].

台灣的黑道歷史在一定程度上受到在地團體「本省掛」與外來團體「外省掛」之區分的影響。較早期的本省團體通常發展為以社區為基礎的角頭，與特定街道、市場、火車站、港口或廟宇社群相連。而與外省籍相關的幫派，則主要在 1949 年後於眷村的年輕人之間發展起來。他們常常模仿中國傳統秘密幫會的結構，包括入幫儀式、明確的領袖職銜和正式的堂口（分會）[1]。

The best-known mainlander-associated organizations include the Bamboo Union (竹聯幫, Zhúlián Bāng) and the Four Seas Gang (四海幫, Sìhǎi Bāng). The Heavenly Way Alliance (天道盟, Tiāndào Méng) later brought a number of local Taiwanese factions into a larger alliance. An academic study using official records examined 726 gangs, factions and branch units as of December 31, 2018; it identified the Bamboo Union, Heavenly Way Alliance and Four Seas Gang as the three organizations most strongly associated with violence and recruitment of young people [2]. Today, however, 本省掛 and 外省掛 are mainly historical labels: members, businesses and alliances increasingly cross older ethnic and territorial lines.

最知名且與外省籍相關的組織包括竹聯幫和四海幫。後來成立的天道盟則將許多本省角頭勢力整合為更大的聯盟。一項運用官方紀錄的學術研究調查了截至 2018 年 12 月 31 日的 726 個幫派、角頭和堂口單位；研究指出，竹聯幫、天道盟和四海幫是與暴力事件及招募年輕人最密切相關的三個組織 [2]。然而在今天，「本省掛」和「外省掛」主要是歷史標籤：幫派成員、事業和聯盟越來越超越以往的族群與地盤界線。

Vocabulary

1. local Taiwanese faction, 本省掛 (běnshěng guà)

2. mainlander faction, 外省掛 (wàishěng guà)

3. native Taiwanese, 本省人 (běnshěngrén)

4. mainlander, 外省人 (wàishěngrén)

5. military dependents’ village, 眷村 (juàncūn)

6. local faction, 角頭 (jiǎotóu)

7. Bamboo Union, 竹聯幫 (Zhúlián Bāng)

8. Four Seas Gang, 四海幫 (Sìhǎi Bāng)

9. Heavenly Way Alliance, 天道盟 (Tiāndào Méng)

10. gang branch, 堂口 (tángkǒu)

11. initiation ceremony, 入幫儀式 (rùbāng yíshì)

12. alliance, 聯盟 (liánméng)

Comprehension Questions | 理解問題

1. What was a typical feature of a běnshěng guà (本省掛)?「本省掛」(běnshěng guà) 的典型特徵是什麼？

A. It was connected to a local territory. 它與在地地盤有所連結。

B. It operated only outside Taiwan. 它只在台灣境外運作。

C. It had no relationship with neighborhoods.它與社區沒有任何關係。

D. It was controlled by one national leader.它由一位全國性領袖所控制。

2. Which environment helped some wàishěng gangs develop? | 哪種環境促進了某些「外省掛」幫派的發展？

A. University dormitories 大學宿舍

B. Military dependents’ villages 眷村

C. Fishing boats 漁船

D. Foreign embassies外國大使館

3. What organizational structures did mainlander-associated gangs (外省掛) often copy? 「外省掛」幫派早期常常模仿何種組織結構？

A. University academic departments大學學術科系

B. Traditional Chinese secret societies中國傳統秘密幫會

C. Foreign trading companies外國貿易公司

D. Local temple boards在地廟宇委員會

4. Why should 本省掛 and 外省掛 be used carefully today?為什麼今天在使用「本省掛」和「外省掛」時應該更加謹慎？

A. Both terms now refer only to police units.這兩個詞現在僅指警方單位。

B. Modern membership and alliances cross older divisions.現代的成員與聯盟已跨越了過去的劃分。

C. Both groups disappeared before 1950. 這兩個群體在 1950 年之前就消失了。

D. The terms describe different religions. 這兩個詞描述的是不同的宗教。

Answers: 1.A, 2.B, 3.B, 4.B

References

[1] Cheng, C.-Y. [鄭傑云]. (2018, December 4). 揭開社會的黑暗面：臺灣黑幫的組織、地域和省籍情結 [Revealing society’s dark side: Organization, territory and provincial identity among Taiwanese gangs]. StoryStudio. https://storystudio.tw/article/gushi/taiwan-underworld-organization-2

[2] Yueh, Y.-T. [岳瀛宗]. (2020). 犯罪幫派屬性與活動型態關係之研究 [A study of the relationship between gang attributes and types of activities] [Doctoral dissertation, Central Police University]. National Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations in Taiwan. https://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/cgi-bin/gs32/gsweb.cgi/login?o=dnclcdr&s=id%3D%22108CPU00102008%22.&searchmode=basic

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Lesson 3: From Tea Houses to Online Fraud 第三課：從茶室到網路詐騙

Earlier gang businesses were usually tied to physical territory. They included gambling dens (賭場, dǔchǎng), prostitution, dance halls, illegal debt collection and providing protection (圍事, wéishì). In districts such as Wanhua, some tea houses (茶室, cháshì) offered companionship or sexual services, although many others were simply places to drink tea, exchange news and socialize. Gangs could protect an establishment, collect debts, remove competitors or charge protection money (保護費, bǎohùfèi).

早期的幫派生意通常與實體地盤緊密相連。這些生意包括賭場、性交易、舞廳、非法討債以及圍事提供保護。在萬華等地區，有些茶室提供陪伴或性服務，但也有許多茶室單純只是喝茶、交流消息和社交的地方。幫派可以保護店家、幫忙討債、清除競爭對手，或是收取保護費。

As Taiwan’s economy changed, gang interests expanded into entertainment, investment, construction, sand and gravel businesses, temples and legitimate companies. An analysis of 726 officially recorded gang units found that entertainment businesses were the most common area for gang protection or investment, followed by investment businesses, construction-related industries and temple activities [1]. Modern groups also participate in telecom fraud (電信詐騙, diànxìn zhàpiàn) and money laundering (洗錢, xǐqián). In one recent case, police said a Bamboo Union-linked operation used fake investment platforms and eATM technology against 22 victims, causing losses of more than NT$25.38 million; seven suspects were arrested [2]. The territory has moved from streets and tea houses to bank accounts, phones and online platforms.

隨著台灣經濟轉型，幫派的利益延伸到了娛樂業、投資、營造業、砂石業、廟宇以及合法公司。一項針對 726 個官方紀錄之幫派單位的分析發現，娛樂業是幫派圍事或投資最常見的領域，其次是投資事業、營造相關產業以及廟會活動 [1]。現代幫派團體也參與電信詐騙和洗錢。在最近的一個案例中，警方表示一個與竹聯幫相關的犯罪團體利用假投資平台與 eATM 技術詐騙了 22 名受害者，造成超過 2,538 萬新台幣的損失；共有七名嫌犯被逮捕 [2]。幫派的地盤已經從街道和茶室轉移到了銀行帳戶、手機和網路平台。

Vocabulary

1. tea house, 茶室 (cháshì)

2. gambling den, 賭場 (dǔchǎng)

3. prostitution, 性交易 (xìngjiāoyì)

4. providing protection, 圍事 (wéishì)

5. protection money, 保護費 (bǎohùfèi)

6. violent debt collection, 暴力討債 (bàolì tǎozhài)

7. entertainment business, 娛樂業 (yúlèyè)

8. construction industry, 營造業 (yíngzàoyè)

9. telecom fraud, 電信詐騙 (diànxìn zhàpiàn)

10. fake investment platform, 假投資平台 (jiǎ tóuzī píngtái)

11. money laundering, 洗錢 (xǐqián)

12. criminal proceeds, 不法所得 (bùfǎ suǒdé)

Comprehension Questions | 理解問題

1. What did wéishì (圍事) usually involve? | 1. 「圍事」(wéishì) 通常包含什麼？

A. Translating gang rules | A. 翻譯幫規

B. Providing unofficial protection | B. 提供非官方的保護

C. Operating a legal bank | C. 經營合法銀行

D. Performing in a temple parade | D. 在廟會巡遊中表演

2. Which industry ranked highest for gang protection or investment in the study? | 2. 在研究中，哪一個產業在幫派圍事或投資中排名最高？

A. Education | A. 教育業

B. Farming | B. 農業

C. Entertainment | C. 娛樂業

D. Medicine | D. 醫療業

3. What did the fake investment operation use to contact or deceive victims? | 3. 假投資詐騙集團使用了什麼工具來聯繫或欺騙受害者？

A. Online platforms and electronic banking | A. 網路平台與電子金融系統

B. Tea ceremonies | B. 茶藝儀式

C. Temple performances | C. 廟會表演

D. Railway stations | D. 火車站

4. How have modern gang activities evolved compared to traditional street operations? | 4. 相比傳統的街頭運作，現代幫派活動發生了什麼演變？

A. They now rely exclusively on agriculture. | A. 他們現在完全依賴農業。

B. They have shifted toward digital platforms, telecom fraud, and finance. | B. 他們轉向數位平台、電信詐騙與金融領域。

C. They no longer collect protection money anywhere. | C. 他們不再在任何地方收取保護費。

D. They have moved entirely into military manufacturing. | D. 他們已完全轉入軍事製造業。

Answers: 1.B, 2.C, 3.A, 4.B

References

[1] Yueh, Y.-T. [岳瀛宗]. (2020). 犯罪幫派屬性與活動型態關係之研究 [A study of the relationship between gang attributes and types of activities] [Doctoral dissertation, Central Police University]. National Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations in Taiwan. https://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/cgi-bin/gs32/gsweb.cgi/login?o=dnclcdr&s=id%3D%22108CPU00102008%22.&searchmode=basic

[2] Criminal Investigation Bureau, National Police Agency. (2026). 刑事局破獲首宗eATM試卡集團：溯源破獲竹聯幫分子擁槍毒吸收少年涉詐 [Police uncover Taiwan’s first eATM card-testing fraud group and trace it to Bamboo Union members]. Ministry of the Interior. https://www.cib.npa.gov.tw/ch/app/news/view?id=1885&module=news&serno=60759062-5bc0-4c8d-9b0f-22bd5447a5b8

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Audio (English —> Vocabulary —> Chinese)

Yellow-soled shoes

The man looked up at the Garrison Command martial-law poster and its strict warnings against public disorder, then at the uniformed officer smoking near the bustling night-market entrance.

And then at the scuffed, yellow-soled shoes hanging beside the prize board.

The man lowered his eyes and turned back to the game. The steel marble rattled down the wooden pinball board and dropped into the 10-point hole.

“Ten,” Ah-Ming said, turning a sausage over the coals. “No prize.”

The man pulled the lever again. Another ten.

Ah-Ming saw him glance back at the shoes. “Those are the top prize,” he said without expression.

The man frowned. “Shoes? Bad luck to give those as a gift.”

“Yup! Especially for Sister Feng. The bastard who killed her left these shoes at her house.”

“That’s one stupid thief,” the man muttered.

“No shit,” said Ah-Ming.

The man inserted another marble. The marble struck the brass pins and fell into the 30-point hole.

“One soda,” Ah-Ming said.

“Keep it.” The man glanced at the shoes again, then fed in his last marble. He pulled the lever.

Clack.

The marble bounced through the pins and dropped into the narrow 60-point hole.

“Pretty good. That’s the real top prize.” Ah-Ming placed a red pack of Lucky (Ji Li 吉利) cigarettes on the glass.

Grinning ear to ear, the man chuckled, “Finally, some good luck.”

“No shit,” said Ah-Ming.

Just as the man was about to light his Lucky cigarette, Ah-Ming unrolled a wanted criminal sketch onto the counter: same long jaw, same heavy brows, same scar beside the left ear.

The man turned, and then froze. Two police officers and three gang members blocked the alley.

An officer grabbed his shoulder. “You’re coming with us.”

Ah-Ming turned a sausage over the coals, already thinking of tomorrow. Big Brother can forget about the police checkpoints, open tea houses, and get back to business as usual.

As they walked away, the officer called back, “You can stop grilling now, kid.”

“No shit,” he said, smiling.

Epilogue

This review story (SLL90, SLL91) was inspired by the 1972 Shuangcheng Street homicide in Taipei. Li Feng-ying, who operated a beef stall at Qingguang Market, returned to her nearby home on November 25 and interrupted a burglary. Investigators discovered a pair of men’s leather shoes that did not belong to the family—left behind at the front door when the panicked thief fled out the back. They used this forensic evidence to trace Lin Wen-qing, a repeat thief who knew Li and had visited her home. He was eventually arrested a few months later and convicted after he killed his girlfriend and friend who he thought would turn him in.

The homicides became one of Taiwan’s controversial “Five Major Criminal Cases” of 1972–1973 because the crimes occurred close together and caused public fear that deadly violence was spreading, despite the government’s strict martial-law controls. Ah-Ming, the game stall and the gang’s trap are fictional.

In this story, Big Brother, a title given to gang leaders or jiaotou. Is a local gang leader whose influence was rooted in a particular neighborhoods. These gangs did more than commit crimes. They collected protection money from storefronts, controlled gambling and other local businesses, provided staff and security for festivals, and took visible roles in temple processions, funerals and community activities. This made gangsters both threatening and useful: they might settle disputes, protect merchants or help organize religious events, while profiting from the same neighborhood. During martial law, these relationships could also extend to local officials and police. Cooperation was not universal, but some officers tolerated illegal businesses, exchanged information with gang figures or relied on them to maintain order and control local communities. Ah-Ming’s role therefore reflects a world in which solving a murder, protecting gang business and assisting the police might all be interconnected.

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黃底的鞋子

男子抬頭看了看警備總部的戒嚴海報及其嚴禁擾亂社會秩序的嚴格警告，接著看向在熱鬧的夜市入口附近抽菸的制服警察。

然後看向掛在獎品板旁那雙磨損、黃底的鞋子。

男子垂下眼簾，轉回遊戲上。鋼珠在木製彈珠台上滾落，掉進了 10 分的洞裡。

「10 分，」阿明一邊在炭火上翻動香腸一邊說。「沒中獎。」

男子再次拉動拉桿。又是 10 分。

阿明注意到他又看向那雙鞋。「那是頭獎，」他面無表情地說。

男子皺起眉頭。「鞋子？拿鞋子當禮物送很不吉利耶。」

「對啊！特別是對鳳姐來說。殺了她的那個混蛋把這雙鞋留在了她家。」

「真是個笨賊，」男子嘟囔著。

「阿不然咧！」阿明說。阿明說。

男子又投進一顆彈珠。彈珠撞擊著黃銅釘，掉進了 30 分的洞裡。

「一瓶汽水，」阿明說。

「不用了。」男子又看了一眼那雙鞋，接著放進最後一顆彈珠。他拉動拉桿。

喀啦。

彈珠在金屬釘之間彈跳，掉進了狹窄的 60 分洞裡。

「厲害喔。這才是真正的頭獎。」阿明在玻璃上放了一包紅色的吉利牌（Lucky）香菸。

男子笑得合不攏嘴，笑著說：「終於有點好運氣了。」

「阿不然咧！」阿明說。阿明說。

正當男子準備點燃那包吉利香菸時，阿明在檯面上攤開了一張通緝犯的畫像：同樣的長下巴、同樣的濃眉，以及左耳旁同樣的疤痕。

男子轉過身，隨即愣住了。兩名警察和三名幫派份子封鎖了巷口。

一名警察抓住他的肩膀：「跟我走一趟。」

阿明在炭火上翻動著香腸，心裡已經在構思明天的事了。大哥不必再擔心警察的路檢，茶室可以重新營業，一切都能恢復正常運作。

當他們走遠時，警察回頭喊道：「小子，你可以不用再烤香腸了。」

「阿不然咧！」阿明說。他笑著說。

後記

這篇複習故事（SLL90、SLL91）的靈感來自 1972 年發生於台北市雙城街的命案。在晴光市場經營牛肉攤的李鳳英，於 11 月 25 日返回附近的家中時，恰巧撞見正在行竊的歹徒。鑑識人員在玄關發現了一雙不屬於該戶家人的男用皮鞋——這是慌張的小偷從後門逃跑時遺留下來的。警方利用這項證物追查到林文清，他是一名慣竊，認識李鳳英且曾去過她家。幾個月後，他在殺害了以為會舉報他的女友及朋友後，最終遭到逮捕並定罪。

這些命案成為 1972 年至 1973 年間台灣備受爭議的「五大刑案」之一，因為案發時間非常接近，且儘管當時有政府嚴格的戒嚴管制，民眾仍深恐致命暴力事件擴散。故事中的阿明、彈珠攤以及幫派設下的陷阱則皆為虛構。

在這篇故事中，「大哥」是用來稱呼幫派老大或「角頭」的頭銜。角頭是影響力深植於特定街區的在地幫派領袖。這些幫派不單單只是犯罪，他們還向店家收取保護費、掌控賭博及其他在地生意、為慶典活動提供人手和維安，並在廟會遶境、喪禮及社區活動中扮演顯眼的角色。這使得黑道份子同時具有威脅性與實用性：他們可能幫忙調解糾紛、保護商家或協助舉辦宗教活動，同時又從同一個街區中牟利。

在戒嚴時期，這種關係甚至延伸至地方官員和警察。這種合作並非普遍現象，但有些警察會包庇非法生意、與幫派人物交換情報，或是依賴他們來維護秩序並控制地方社區。因此，阿明的角色反映了一個將破案、保護幫派生意以及協助警察緊密相連的世界。

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Review vocabulary

1. glass, 玻璃 (bōli)

2. coin, 硬幣 (yìngbì)

3. business, 產業 (chǎnyè)

4. storefront, 店面 (diànmiàn)

5. staff, 店員 (diànyuán)

6. prize, 獎品 (jiǎngpǐn)

7. grin ear to ear, 笑得合不攏嘴 (xiào de hé bù lǒng zuǐ)

8. detain, 拘留 (jūliú)

9. investigation, 調查 (diàochá)

10. martial law, 戒嚴 (jièyán)

11. controversial, 充滿爭議 (chōngmǎn zhēngyì)

12. forensic, 鑑識 (jiànshì)

13. homicide, 謀殺 (móushā)

14. no shit, 阿不然咧 (ā bù rán leh)

15. wanted criminal sketch, 通緝犯畫像 (tōngjìfàn huàxiàng)

16. burglary, 竊案 (qiè’àn)

17. police officer, 警察 (jǐngchá).

18. protection money, 保護費 (bǎohùfèi)

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Audio (bilingual article + bilingual word list)

In 1981, Chen Wen-chen, a 31-year-old assistant professor of statistics at Carnegie Mellon University, returned to Taiwan for the summer vacation during the White Terror period. On July 2, he was detained by military police and taken to the Taiwan Garrison Command for interrogation. [1] The next morning, his body was found on the National Taiwan University campus. The case became a famous suspicious death and later a major unsolved case, with the key question being the cause of death: suicide, accident, or homicide.

1981 年，卡內基美隆大學 31 歲的統計學助理教授陳文成，在白色恐怖時期回到台灣度暑假。7 月 2 日，他被憲警拘留並帶往台灣警備總司令部接受偵訊。[1] 隔天清晨，他的遺體在國立台灣大學校園內被發現。這起案件成為著名的可疑死亡事件，隨後成為重大的未解懸案，其核心問題在於死因：究竟是自殺、意外還是他殺。

Over the years, different investigations reached different conclusions. Earlier official explanations suggested suicide or accident, but Chen’s family, activists, and later investigators continued to challenge those conclusions. [2] The evidence did not fully fit: there were questions about the crime scene, the position of the body, the injuries, and whether the place where he was found was really the original scene. [3]

不同的調查得出了不同的結論。早期的官方解釋認為是自殺或意外，但陳文成的家屬、社會運動人士以及後來的調查人員，持續對這些結論提出質疑。[2] 證據並未完全吻合：人們對案發現場、屍體位置、傷勢，以及他被發現的地點是否真的是原始現場，都存有疑問。[3]

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In 2009, prosecutors reopened the investigation, but closed it without charges after concluding there was not enough evidence to prove homicide or suicide. [4]

2009 年，檢察官重啟調查，但隨後在認定沒有足夠證據證明是他殺或自殺的情況下結案，並未起訴任何人。[4]

In 2020, the Transitional Justice Commission reopened the historical record and concluded that Chen was most likely murdered, with state security forces likely involved. [2] One important piece of forensic evidence involved wounds on Chen’s body, which the new investigation said were not well explained by the earlier fall explanation. [3]

2020 年，促進轉型正義委員會重新調閱歷史檔案，並得出結論認定陳文成極有可能死於謀殺，且國家安全機構很可能參與其中。[2] 其中一項重要的法醫證據涉及陳文成遺體上的傷口，新調查指出，先前的墜樓說法無法合理解釋這些傷勢。[3]

In 2021, National Taiwan University held the opening ceremony for the Chen Wen-chen Incident Memorial Square. [5]

2021 年，國立台灣大學舉行了「陳文成事件紀念廣場」的啟用典禮。[5]

By 2022, the case was still not solved, and political parties were still calling for the investigation to be reopened because key questions remained unanswered. [6] However, now the popular public opinion has changed. The case is no longer seen as only a mysterious campus death, but a possible act of state violence that had never been fully answered.

到了 2022 年，案件仍未破案，且由於關鍵問題仍未得到解答，各政黨仍在呼籲重啟調查。[6] 然而，如今大眾的普遍輿論已經改變。這起案件不再僅被視為一起神祕的校園命案，而被視為一場可能從未得到完整交代的國家暴力行為。

[For References, scroll down.]

Quizlet vocabulary flashcards (30 terms)

Quizlet study set

Core case vocabulary

case, 案件 (ànjiàn)

campus death [murder case], 校園命案 [命案] (xiàoyuán mìng’àn [mìng’àn])

suspicious death, 可疑死亡 (kěyí sǐwáng)

unsolved case, 懸案 (xuán’àn)

investigation, 調查 (diàochá)

cause of death, 死因 (sǐyīn)

suicide, 自殺 (zìshā)

homicide [murder], 他殺 [謀殺] (tāshā [móushā])

official explanations, 官方解釋 (guānfāng jiěshì)

People involved

investigator, 調查人員 (diàochá rényuán)

prosecutors, 檢察官 (jiǎncháguān)

activists, 社會運動人士 (shèhuì yùndòng rénshì)

state security forces, 國家安全機構 (guójiā ānquán jīgòu)

family, 家屬 (jiāshǔ)

Evidence

evidence [forensic evidence], 證據 [法醫證據] (zhèngjù [fǎyī zhèngjù])

injury [wounds], 傷勢 [傷口] (shāngshì [shāngkǒu])

crime scene, 案發現場 [犯罪現場] (ànfā xiànchǎng [fànzuì xiànchǎng])

position of the body, 屍體位置 (shītǐ wèizhì)

Useful verbs

interrogate [interrogation], 偵訊 (zhēnxùn)

detain, 拘留 (jūliú)

find [discovered], 發現 (fāxiàn)

challenge [question], 質疑 (zhíyí)

conclude, 認定 (rèndìng)

reopen, 重啟 (chóngqǐ)

remain unsolved, 仍未破案 (réng wèi pò’àn)

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Vocabulary practice

Multiple Choice | 選擇題. Fill-in-the-Blank Exercise | 填空練習

Choose the best answer for each blank. | 每題請選出最適合填入空格的答案。

Core case vocabulary | 核心案件詞彙

1. Chen Wen-chen’s death became a famous ______ because the truth was never fully known. | 陳文成的死亡成了一起著名的______，因為真相從未完全大白。

2. Some people believed his death was suicide, while others suspected . | 有些人認為他是自殺，而其他人則懷疑是。

3. A new ______ in 2020 changed how many people understood the case. | 2020年的一項新______改變了許多人對這起案件的理解。

People involved | 相關人員

4. A ______ may describe what they saw or heard. | ______可能會描述他們所看到或聽到的情景。

5. A ______ studies the body, injuries, and medical evidence. | ______會研究屍體、傷勢和醫學證據。

6. A ______ is a person who may have been involved in a crime. | ______是指可能涉嫌犯罪的人。

Evidence | 證據

7. Investigators look for ______ to support or challenge a theory. | 調查員尋找______來支持或質疑某種推論。

8. A small ______ can sometimes change the direction of an investigation. | 一個微小的______有時能改變調查的方向。

9. The position of the body made people question the ______. | 屍體的位置讓人們對______產生懷疑。

Useful verbs | 實用動詞

10. After new evidence appeared, officials decided to ______ the case. | 在新證據出現後，官方決定______這起案件。

11. Many people continued to ______ the earlier conclusion. | 許多人繼續______先前的結論。

12. Investigators could not fully ______ suicide or accident for many years. | 多年來，調查員無法完全______自殺或意外。

Answers: 1-B, 2-A, 3-C, 4-C, 5-B, 6-B, 7-D, 8-A, 9-C, 10-D, 11-B, 12-A

References

[1] National Center for Theoretical Sciences. (2021). Statistics symposium in memory of Wen-Chen Chen. National Center for Theoretical Sciences.
https://ncts.ntu.edu.tw/events_2_detail.php?nid=314

[2] Central News Agency. (2020, May 4). New report links state forces to death of 1980s activist Chen Wen-chen. Taiwan News.
https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/news/3927828

[3] Chen, Y.-f., & Hetherington, W. (2020, May 5). New details revealed in activist’s death. Taipei Times.
https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2020/05/05/2003735851

[4] Taiwan High Prosecutors Office. (2009). 林宅血案及陳文成命案重新調查報告 [Reinvestigation report on the Lin family massacre and the Chen Wen-chen death case]. Ministry of Justice.
https://www.tph.moj.gov.tw/media/72850/9101910301925.pdf?mediaDL=true

[5] National Taiwan University. (2021, February 4). National Taiwan University holds opening ceremony for Dr. Chen Wen-chen Incident Memorial Square. National Taiwan University.
https://www.ntu.edu.tw/english/spotlight/2021/1919_20210204.html

[6] Shan, S. (2022, July 4). Archives of Chen murder “concealed without merit”. Taipei Times.
https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2022/07/04/2003781106

(Note: For paid subscribers, there are Quizlet vocabulary flashcards, bilingual audio recordings, and interactive vocabulary games.)

In Memory of July 3 紀念七月三日

At 6:00 a.m. on July 3, Meiling was finally heading home after fourteen hours cleaning up a dataset for her supervisor. The Taipei heat had a physical weight that pressed down on her in the university corridors.

Then she felt a cool draft slipping through the half-open door of a classroom she had never seen before. She stopped to enjoy the sudden relief from the heat. A moment later, she was inside.

On the blackboard were two freshly written lines:

‖ ≠ ⟂

∴ Reject H₀

A few minutes later, the janitor entered with a wet cloth.

“Oh. That again.”

Meiling turned. “Again?”

“Every July third since 2020.” He raised the cloth.

“Wait.”

She pointed to the last line. “H₀ means the null hypothesis. In statistics, it is the explanation you begin by assuming is true.”

“And this says reject it?”

“Yes.”

“Reject what?”

Meiling looked back at the blackboard.

“That’s the problem. It doesn’t say.”

That afternoon, she showed the equation to her PhD supervisor. “The janitor says it appears every July third. Always in the same classroom.”

Her supervisor stopped looking at the paper. “July third?”

Meiling nodded.

“In 1981, a young statistics professor was found dead on this campus on July third. The day before, he had been detained and interrogated for his support of Taiwan’s democracy movement.”

“How did he die?”

“They said suicide.” He paused. “But he had a successful career, a young wife, and a baby son. It didn’t make sense.”

Meiling pointed to the first line. “Then what does this mean?”

Her supervisor stared at the two symbols. “Parallel lines don’t equal perpendicular ones,” he said.

“Well, the professor’s death was originally explained as a suicide jump from a building. But a more recent investigation found that the two parallel wounds on his back could not be explained by the ditch where his body was found. They concluded that suicide was unlikely.”

Meiling looked again at the blackboard message. “But unlikely isn’t the same as rejecting it.”

“No,” her supervisor said. “It doesn’t.”

An hour later, Meiling finally left the building. The July heat weighed down even heavier on the campus.

As she crossed the small, paved area below the classroom with the equation, a cool breeze brushed past her. And for the first time, she noticed the sign she had passed many times before without reading:

Chen Wen-chen Incident Memorial Square

In memory of a brave person who resolutely resisted state violence.

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Epilogue

This story is inspired by one of Taiwan’s most mysterious and tragic unsolved deaths from the White Terror period [see SLL28, SLL76, CGLL8]. As the supervisor in the story said, times were very different back then: the island was under martial law, rival political parties were banned, and fear of Communist infiltration intensified government repression. This fear was real after the KMT, or Nationalist Party, lost the Chinese Civil War to Mao Tse-Tung’s Communists and retreated to Taiwan in 1949.

Chen Wen-chen (陳文成) was a 31-year-old statistics professor at Carnegie Mellon University with a promising academic career. [1] While visiting Taiwan in 1981, he was questioned for more than twelve hours by the Taiwan Garrison Command on July 2, and his body was found the next morning outside the former Graduate Library at National Taiwan University. [2] His death remained controversial, with suicide, accident, and homicide considered at different stages of the investigation. [3] In 2021, National Taiwan University approved the inscription 「紀念一位堅決抵抗國家暴力的勇者」 (“In memory of a brave person who resolutely resisted state violence”) for permanent display at Chen Wen-chen Incident Memorial Square. [4]

One of the key forensic disputes concerned two horizontal blunt-force marks on Chen’s back. [3] The 2009 reinvestigation concluded that the marks corresponded to the approximately 17-centimetre-wide drainage ditch where his body was found and treated the location as the original death scene. [3] However, a 2020 Transitional Justice Commission investigation challenged that conclusion, reporting that the injuries came from another type of impact and that bloodstains on Chen’s clothes suggested his body may have been dragged. [5] The commission concluded that homicide was highly likely and that Chen may never have left state custody after his interrogation. [5] The blackboard clue in the story, ‖ ≠ ⟂, is an artistic simplification of this forensic contradiction rather than terminology used in the official investigations. The exact circumstances of Chen Wen-chen’s death remain unsolved.

紀念七月三日

在七月三日的清晨六點，美玲幫指導教授整理了一組資料集整整十四個小時後，終於準備回家。

臺北的酷熱彷彿有了重量，在大學校園的走廊上沉沉地壓在她身上。

這時，她感覺到一陣涼風，從一間她以前從未見過的教室半開的門縫中吹了出來。

她停下腳步，享受這陣突如其來的涼爽。下一刻，她已經走進了教室。

黑板上有兩行剛寫好的字：

幾分鐘後，校工拿著一塊濕抹布走了進來。

「噢，又是這個。」

美玲轉過身問：「又是這個？」

「自從 2020 年以來，每個七月三日都會這樣。」他舉起抹布說。

「等一下。」她指向最後一行。「H₀ 代表虛無假說。在統計學中，這是你一開始假設為真的解釋。」

而這上面寫著要拒絕它？」

「是的。」

「拒絕什麼？」

美玲回頭看著黑板。「問題就在這裡。它沒有寫出來。」

那天下午，她把這個算式拿給她的博士班指導教授看。「校工說每個七月三日它都會出現，而且總是在同一間教室。」

她的指導教授停下看報告的動作。「七月三日？」

美玲點了點頭。

「在 1981 年的七月三日，有一位年輕的統計學教授被發現陳屍在校園裡。就在前一天，他因為支持臺灣的民主運動而遭到拘留和審訊。」

「他是怎麼死的？」

「官方說法是自殺。」他停頓了一下。「但他當時事業成功，有年輕的妻子，還有一個剛出生的兒子。這根本不合邏輯。」

美玲指向第一行。「那這行是什麼意思？」

她的指導教授盯著那兩個符號。「平行線不等於垂直線，」他說。

「當年這位教授的死因被解釋為跳樓自殺。但後來的調查發現，他背部兩條平行的傷痕，無法用發現屍體的水溝來解釋。因此他們得出結論，自殺的可能性極低。」

美玲再次看著黑板上的訊息。「但『可能性極低』並不等於『完全推翻』它。」

「沒錯，」她的指導教授說。「確實不算。」

一個小時後，美玲終於離開了教學大樓。七月的酷熱此時在校園裡顯得更加沉重。

當她穿過寫有算式那間教室下方的鋪石廣場時，一陣涼風輕輕掠過她身旁。這也是她第一次注意到那面她走過無數次卻從未讀過的牌子：

陳文成事件紀念廣場

紀念一位堅決抵抗國家暴力的勇者

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後記

這篇故事的靈感來自於臺灣白色恐怖時期最神祕且悲慘的未解懸案之一 [請參閱SLL28, SLL76, CGLL8]。正如故事中的指導教授所說，當時的時代背景截然不同：全島處於戒嚴時期，禁止組黨，且對共產黨滲透的恐懼加劇了政府的打壓。這種恐懼在 1949 年國民黨（KMT）在國共內戰中敗給毛澤東率領的共產黨並撤退到臺灣後，變得非常具體。

陳文成是一位在卡內基美隆大學任教的 31 歲統計學教授，有著充滿前景的學術生涯。1981 年他返臺探親時，於 7 月 2 日遭到臺灣警備總司令部（警總）約談超過 12 個小時，隔天清晨，他的遺體在國立臺灣大學前研究生圖書館旁被發現。他的死因一直充滿爭議，在調查的不同階段中，自殺、意外和謀殺都曾被納入考量。2021 年，國立臺灣大學通過將「紀念一位堅決抵抗國家暴力的勇者」這段碑文，永久展示於陳文成事件紀念廣場。

鑑識上最核心的爭議之一，是陳文成背部兩條水平的鈍器傷痕。2009 年的重新調查得出結論，認為這些傷痕與發現遺體處約 17 公分寬的排水溝相吻合，並將該地點視為第一死亡現場。然而，促進轉型正義委員會（促轉會）在 2020 年的調查挑戰了這項結論，指出該傷痕來自於另一種形式的撞擊，且陳文成衣服上的血跡顯示其遺體可能曾被拖行。促轉會得出結論，認為謀殺的可能性極高，且陳文成在接受審訊後可能根本從未離開過政府機關的掌控。故事中黑板上的線索「‖ ≠ ⟂」是這種鑑識矛盾的藝術化簡寫，而非官方調查中所使用的專業術語。陳文成教授死因的確切真相，至今仍未被完全解開。

Vocabulary 字彙

1. dataset, 資料集 (zīliàojí)

2. null hypothesis, 虛無假說 (xūwú jiǎshuō)

3. janitor, 校工 (xiàogōng)

4. detain, 拘留 (jūliú)

5. interrogate, 審訊 (shěnxùn)

6. suicide, 自殺 (zìshā)

7. investigation, 調查 (diàochá)

8. memorial square, 紀念廣場 (jìniàn guǎngchǎng)

9. martial law, 戒嚴 (jièyán)

10. repression, 打壓 (dǎyā)

11. controversial, 充滿爭議 (chōngmǎn zhēngyì)

12. forensic, 鑑識 (jiànshì)

13. homicide, 謀殺 (móushā)

14. parallel, 平行的 (píngxíng de)

15. perpendicular, 垂直的 (chuízhí de)

References

[1] 國家理論科學研究中心（National Center for Theoretical Sciences）.〈紀念陳文成統計研討會〉（“Statistics Symposium in Memory of Wen-Chen Chen”）.
https://ncts.ntu.edu.tw/events_2_detail.php?nid=314

[2] Taipei Times. “New details revealed in activist’s death.” May 5, 2020.
https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2020/05/05/2003735851

[3] 臺灣高等檢察署（Taiwan High Prosecutors Office）.〈林宅血案及陳文成命案重新調查報告〉（“Reinvestigation Report on the Lin Family Massacre and Chen Wen-chen Case”）, 2009. https://www.tph.moj.gov.tw/media/72850/9101910301925.pdf?mediaDL=true

[4] 國立臺灣大學秘書室（National Taiwan University Secretariat）.〈109學年度第2學期第2次校務會議紀錄〉（“Minutes of the Second University Affairs Meeting of the Second Semester, Academic Year 109”）, 2021.
https://sec.ntu.edu.tw/administration_109-2-2minute.html

[5] 行政院促進轉型正義委員會（Transitional Justice Commission, Executive Yuan）. 陳文成案調查資料（Investigation materials on the Chen Wen-chen case）, 2020.
https://www.ey.gov.tw/tjb/496D7D0857CA01F

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One More Coin

The claw closed around the bear’s head, lifted it two centimeters, then dropped it flat on its face. Leo slapped the machine. “It hates me.” Nina did not look up from her mango smoothie. “No. It likes your money.”

Outside, July heat came off the pavement in waves. Inside the claw machine shop, blue and pink lights blinked over rows of plastic prizes. A small sign on the glass said Guaranteed win: 300.

Behind them, a little boy pulled at his father’s shorts. “Again, Daddy. Try again.” The father fed another coin into the machine. The claw dropped, touched a stuffed animal, and came up empty. The boy bounced on his toes. “Again!” Near the door, an old lady stood with a grocery bag under one arm. Green onions stuck out from the top. She watched quietly.

Leo put in another ten-dollar coin. The bear rolled closer to the hole. Not close enough. “You see?” he said. “Progress.” “You almost paid for the next person,” Nina said.

The father behind them sighed and walked to the change machine. The old lady stepped quietly to his machine. Two tries later, a bear fell into the prize box. The little boy stared. The old lady smiled, put the bear into her grocery bag, and walked away before the father returned.

Leo kept feeding coins into the machine. The bear moved, turned, fell, escaped, and still smiled at him through the glass. Finally, on his last coin, the claw caught one soft ear. The bear slid, hung for a long second, and dropped into the box. Leo held it up like a trophy.

Near the door, the little boy was crying beside his father, who held a new handful of coins. Nina looked at Leo. “No,” he said. She waited. Leo sighed and gave the bear to the boy. The boy stopped crying. He looked at his father, confused. His father nodded. Then the boy grinned ear to ear [beamed]. Nina took one last sip of her smoothie, and said with a smile, “Now it was worth it.”

Epilogue

Taiwan’s claw-machine shops show how a small game became a street-culture business. The model is suitable for Taiwan’s dense neighborhoods: a small storefront can hold many machines, run long hours, and need few or no staff. The boom has not faded: by the end of 2024, Taiwan had 10,474 claw-machine venues, a 42.3 percent increase from 2018 [1]. Players like Leo and the father in the story are pulled in by the same thought: one more NT$10 coin might change everything. But the old lady understands another side of the game. Skilled players watch the claw strength, the prize position, and whether others have already spent enough to make the machine “ready.” Under 2024 government rules, “guaranteed grab” (保夾,) means the posted guaranteed-prize amount cannot exceed NT$990, and the machine must eventually give a prize [2]. That makes the game feel a bit unfair, but also possible and hard to leave.

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再來一枚

夾子扣住了小熊的頭，抬起兩公分，又把它的臉朝下摔回去。Leo拍了一下機台。「它討厭我。」Nina 連頭都沒抬，吸著她的芒果冰沙。「沒啊，它喜歡你的錢。」外頭七月的熱浪從柏油路上蒸騰而起。夾娃娃店裡，藍粉色燈光在一排排塑膠獎品上閃爍。玻璃上貼著一張小告示：「保夾：300」。

他們身後，一個小男孩拉著爸爸的短褲。「再一次，爸比！再一次啦！」 那位爸爸又投了一枚硬幣。夾子落下，碰到一隻娃娃，又空手升起。男孩興奮地踮著腳尖跳著。「再玩一次！」門口附近，一位老太太站在那裡，手臂下夾著一個購物袋。幾根青蔥從袋口探了出來。她靜靜地看著。 Leo又投了一枚十元硬幣。小熊滾得離洞口更近了一點，但還不夠近。「你看吧！」他說。「有進展了。」「你這樣都等於在替下一個人付錢了。」Nina說。

身後的那位爸爸嘆了口氣，走向兌幣機。老太太悄悄地走到他原本的的機台前。抓了兩次之後，一隻小熊掉進了獎品洞口。小男孩盯著看。老太太笑了笑，把小熊放進她的購物袋，在爸爸回來之前就走開了。

Leo繼續不斷地往機台裡投硬幣。小熊移動、翻身、倒下、逃脫，卻仍然隔著玻璃對他微笑。最後，在他投下最後一枚硬幣時，夾子抓住了那隻柔軟的耳朵。小熊滑動著，懸空停頓了漫長的一秒，然後掉進了獎品洞口裡。Leo像拿著獎盃一樣把牠高高舉起。

門口附近，那個小男孩正站在他爸爸身旁哭泣，而那位爸爸手裡又握著一把新的硬幣。Nina看向Leo。「我才不要。」他說。她靜靜等著。Leo嘆了口氣，把小熊給了那個男孩。男孩停止了哭泣。他困惑地看著爸爸。爸爸點了點頭。接著，男孩露出了燦爛的笑容。Nina喝完最後一口冰沙，微笑著說：「現在，總算值得了。」

故事討論

台灣的夾娃娃機店展現了一個小遊戲如何演變成一種街頭文化產業。這種模式非常適合台灣人口稠密的社區：一個小店面就能擺放許多台機器、營業時間長，且幾乎不需要或完全不需要店員。這股熱潮至今仍未消退：截至2024年底，台灣已有10,474家夾娃娃機店，比2018年增長了42.3% [1]。像故事中的Leo和那位爸爸一樣的玩家，都被同一個念頭所吸引：再投一枚新台幣10元硬幣，或許就能改變一切。但那位老太太明白這場遊戲的另一面。厲害的玩家會觀察夾子的力道、獎品的位置，以及別人是否已經投入足夠的金額，讓機器進入「準備就緒」的狀態。根據2024年的政府法規，「保夾」意味著公告的保證取物金額不能超過新台幣990元，且機器最終必須夾出獎品 [2]。這讓遊戲顯得有些不公平，但也讓人覺得有機會成功，因而難以自拔。

Vocabulary

1. claw machine, 夾娃娃機 (jiā wáwá jī)

2. glass, 玻璃 (bōli)

3. coin, 硬幣 (yìngbì)

4. grocery bag, 購物袋 (gòuwùdài)

5. progress, 進展 (jìnzhǎn)

6. trophy, 獎盃 (jiǎngbēi)

7. stuffed animal, 娃娃 (wáwá)

8. business, 產業 (chǎnyè)

9. storefront, 店面 (diànmiàn)

10. staff, 店員 (diànyuán)

11. prize, 獎品 (jiǎngpǐn)

12. boom (craze), 熱潮 (rècháo)

13. worth it, 值得 (zhídé)

14. grinned ear to ear, 笑得合不攏嘴 (xiào de hé bù lǒng zuǐ)

15. hard to leave, 難以自拔 (nányǐ zìbá)

16. bounce on one’s toes, 踮著腳尖跳 (diǎnzhe jiǎojiān tiào)

References

[1] Legislative Council Secretariat. (2025, October 3). Regulation of claw machine venues in Taiwan. Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. https://www.legco.gov.hk/research-publications/english/essentials-2025ise09-regulation-of-claw-machine-venues-in-taiwan.htm

[2] Ministry of Economic Affairs. (2024, October 14). 自助選物販賣事業管理規範. https://law.moea.gov.tw/LawContent.aspx?id=GL001755

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The Wrong Father

Mr. Lin stood in the doorway wearing an old undershirt and slippers.

“Mr. Lin? Did you order this fruit basket?” asked the young delivery rider.

“No,” he said. “But maybe it’s from my daughter.”

Yuting, a university student working as a delivery rider during the holiday, checked the name and address again on the order.

“My daughter lives in California,” he added. “She often sends something for Father’s Day.”

Father’s Day? Yuting thought. Father’s Day isn’t for another two months. Perhaps he had confused the date.

The fruit basket was growing heavy, and she was glad to hand it to him. Inside were a pineapple, two mangoes, several lychees, a guava, three wax apples, and two passion fruits.

Mr. Lin lifted a mango and smelled it. “Not bad,” he said. “Still firm, but almost ripe.” He pressed the other one gently.

“This one is a little soft. It will be sweet and juicy tomorrow.”

“You know a lot about fruit,” Yuting said.

“My wife taught me. She always chose the ugly mangoes.” Yuting smiled, handed him the basket, and left.

Her phone rang before she reached the elevator.

“Where is my fruit?” an angry customer asked.

Yuting looked at the screen. Apartment 8B.

Across the hall, another Mr. Lin stuck his head outside the door. Inside, his family was preparing a reunion dinner for Dragon Boat Festival. A child was trying to stand an egg on the floor, although it was already past noon. The table held plates of zongzi and sliced fruit.

The older Mr. Lin had already opened the basket. He looked at the fruit, then at Yuting. “I can pay for it,” he said quietly.

The other Mr. Lin looked through the open door. On the old man’s table sat one unopened zongzi, one bowl, and one pair of chopsticks.

“We have too much food,” he said. “Bring the basket over.”

Soon, everyone was eating together. The child tasted a passion fruit and made a face. “Too sour!”

Everyone laughed.

Then the old man’s phone rang. It was his daughter. “Dad, I’m sorry,” she said. “Work has been crazy. I didn’t send a Father’s Day gift this year.”

The child handed Mr. Lin a slice of mango. “Grandpa (爺爺), try this one.”

His daughter heard the voices. “Dad, where are you?”

“Next door,” he said. “Your gift went to the wrong address.”

“What gift?”

Mr. Lin took a bite of the mango. “Exactly.”

Epilogue

This review story brings together vocabulary and themes from June’s two stories of SLL87 The Mango Lesson and SLL88 One More Delivery: choosing mangoes, Taiwan’s summer fruits, and delivery work during Dragon Boat Festival.

In 2026, Dragon Boat Festival fell on June 19. International Father’s Day, observed on the third Sunday of June in many countries, came two days later on June 21. Taiwan, however, celebrates Father’s Day on August 8 (8^th day of the 8^th month). It is often called 8-8 Festival (八八節) because 八八, or “eight-eight,” sounds similar to 爸爸 (bàba), meaning “father.” Since Mr. Lin’s daughter lives in the United States and sometimes sends him gifts for either Father’s Day, his mistake is understandable.

The shared surname also makes the mix-up quite possible. Surnames are highly concentrated in Taiwan. According to the Ministry of the Interior’s 2023 household-registration analysis, the ten most common surnames are 陳 (Chen), 林 (Lin), 黃 (Huang),張 (Chang), 李 (Lee), 王 (Wang), 吳 (Wu), 劉 (Liu), 蔡 (tsai), and 楊 (Yang). Together, they account for 52.79 percent of Taiwan’s population. Lin is the second most common surname, shared by about 1.95 million people, or roughly one person in twelve. Two unrelated Mr. Lins living across the hall from each other is not unusual.

The fruit basket reached the wrong Mr. Lin. By the time Yuting corrected the address, however, the lonely father had already found a place at his neighbors’ table, welcomed into a small, extended Lin family across the hall.

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送錯的父親

林先生穿著一件舊汗衫和拖鞋，站在門口。

「林先生嗎？這是您訂的水果籃嗎？」年輕的外送員問。

「不是，」他說。「但這可能是我女兒送的。」

宇婷是一名利用連假兼職做外送的大學生，她再次核對了訂單上的姓名和地址。

「我女兒住在加州，」他補充說。「她常常會寄東西祝我父親節快樂。」

父親節？宇婷心想。父親節還要再過兩個月才到。他也許是記錯日期了。

水果籃越來越沉，她很樂意把它遞給他。裡面有一顆鳳梨、兩顆芒果、幾顆荔枝、一顆芭樂、三顆蓮霧和兩顆百香果。

林先生拿起一顆芒果聞了聞。「很不錯，」他說。「還很結實，但快熟了。」

他輕輕按了按另一顆。「這顆有點軟。明天吃一定又甜又多汁。」

「您對水果很了解呢，」宇婷說。

「是我太太教我的。她總是挑外表不好看的芒果。」宇婷笑了笑，把籃子交給他後便離開了。

還沒走到電梯，她的手機就響了。

「我的水果在哪裡？」一位生氣的顧客問。

宇婷看了看螢幕。8 樓 B 棟。

走廊對面，另一位林先生把頭探出門外。屋裡，他的家人正在準備端午節的團圓飯。一個孩子正試著在地上立蛋，雖然此時早就過了正午。

桌上擺著幾盤粽子和切好的水果。

年長的林先生已經打開了籃子。他看了看水果，又看了看宇婷。「我可以付錢買下來，」他輕聲說。

另一位林先生透過敞開的門往裡看。老先生的桌上只擺著一顆沒拆開的粽子、一個碗和一雙筷子。

「我們這邊食物太多了，」他說。「把水果籃拿過來一起吃吧。」

很快地，大家圍坐在一起吃了起來。孩子嚐了一口百香果，皺起眉頭做個鬼臉說：「好酸！」逗得大家哈哈大笑。

這時，老先生的手機響了。是他女兒打來的。「爸，對不起，」她說。「最近工作忙瘋了。我今年沒寄父親節禮物回去。」

孩子遞給林先生一片芒果。「爺爺，吃吃看這片。」

女兒聽到了聲音。「爸，你在哪裡？」

「在隔壁，」他說。「妳的禮物送到錯的地址了。」

「什麼禮物？」

林先生咬了一口芒果。「沒錯。」

後記

這篇複習故事結合了六月份兩篇故事（SLL87 《芒果選修課》與SLL88 《再一單外送》）的字彙與主題：挑選芒果、台灣的夏季水果，以及端午節期間的外送工作。

在 2026 年，端午節落在 6 月 19 日。許多國家在 6 月第三個星期日慶祝的國際父親節，則在兩天後的 6 月 21 日到來。然而，台灣是在 8 月 8 日（八月第八天）慶祝父親節。它通常被稱為「八八節」，因為「八八」的發音與意思是父親的「爸爸」非常相似。由於林先生的女兒住在美國，有時會在這兩個父親節的其中一個寄禮物給他，因此他的誤會是可以理解的。

相同的姓氏也讓這次的烏龍極有可能發生。在台灣，姓氏的集中度非常高。根據內政部 2023 年的戶籍登記分析，前十大常見姓氏依序為：陳、林、黃、張、李、王、吳、劉、蔡、楊。這些姓氏合起來佔了台灣人口的 52.79%。其中「林」是第二大姓，約有 195 萬人姓林，大約每十二個人中就有一位。因此，兩位沒有血緣關係的林先生住在走廊對門，並不是什麼稀奇的事。

雖然水果籃送錯了林先生，但在宇婷修正地址時，這位孤單的父親早就在鄰居的餐桌旁找到了位置，被迎進走廊對面那個由「林家人」組成的小小大家庭中。

Vocabulary / 字彙

1. delivery rider, 外送員 (wàisòngyuán)

2. holiday, 連假 (liánjià)

3. fruit basket, 水果籃 (shuǐguǒlán)

4. wax apples, 蓮霧 (liánwù)

5. passion fruit, 百香果 (bǎixiāngguǒ)

6. mango, 芒果 (mángguǒ)

7. ripe, 熟 (shú)

8. juicy, 多汁 (duōzhī)

9. reunion dinner, 團圓飯 (tuányuánfàn)

10. Dragon Boat Festival, 端午節 (duānwǔjié)

11. stand an egg, 立蛋 (lìdàn)

12. zongzi, 粽子 (zòngzi)

13. celebrates, 慶祝 (qìngzhù)

14. surname, 姓氏 (xìngshì)

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Note: Paid subscribers can access audio recordings, Quizlet flashcards, and interactive vocabulary exercises below.)

One More Delivery: A Dragon Boat Festival Story

The zongzi were still hot in Kai’s pink Foodpanda delivery bag. His phone vibrated: Dragon Boat Bonus: Six more orders before 7:30 p.m.

Another vibration. His wife. “Are you coming home soon? We’re waiting to start dinner.”

“Almost finished,” Kai said. “You said that two hours ago.”

“It’s a good day. More money for the bills. Maybe we can take Mei to Okinawa this summer.”

There was a short silence.

“Mei and I tried to stand eggs upright at noon.” He wished he could have been there. “She also made you a card.”

The app pinged again.

Eight orders. All the addresses were close together. Good luck, Kai thought. Good pay.

“I have to go. See you soon,” Kai said.

He rode across the Xindian River to collect the orders. Dragon boat drums still rolled beneath the bridge.

At a red light, smoke from burning spirit money filled the street. Small metal braziers burned outside stores, sending smoke up like sidewalk chimneys. Folding tables held fruit, tea, meat, and zongzi.

Kai checked the time. 7:11.

Google Maps kept whispering in his ear: “Turn left. Go straight.” He could also hear Mei’s little voice, “Hurry up, Daddy.”

At 7:28, he stopped outside an apartment building near home.

The guard smiled. “Busy day?”

Kai nodded and carried two heavy bags into the elevator and went to the eighth floor.

His wife was waiting by the doors. Mei ran toward him. “Daddy, you’re late.”

Kai looked from them to the address on his phone with a blank stare. “What is this?”

Mei pulled him into an apartment. Family members and neighbors sat around a long table. Bowls, chopsticks, soup, tea, and plates of food were ready.

“We’re waiting for the zongzi,” his wife said, taking the bags. “We all ordered together. Different addresses, one location. One dinner.”

“Happy Dragon Boat Festival!” everyone called.

At the far end of the table were three empty seats. Beside them stood two bowls of noon water. Coins shone in one.

“For the bills?” Kai asked. “For Okinawa,” his wife said.

She pushed the other bowl toward him with a small towel. “Wash your face first. For luck and protection.” Kai washed away the sweat and road dust.

Mei presented her card. “I drew it with crayons,” she beamed. An egg was standing upright on a table where a Mommy, Daddy, and little girl were sitting.

Kai looked at the card, still standing. Mei and her Mommy sat down and placed zongzi on the plates.

Kai’s phone vibrated. Another order. More pay. Nearby.

He turned off the phone and placed it face down and under Mei’s card.

“So, Mei,” he said as he sat down and began unwrapping the bamboo leaves from a zongzi, “where would you like to go this summer?”

Epilogue

Kai’s dilemma reflects Taiwan’s large delivery economy. More than 100,000 people now work as delivery riders, many attracted by the freedom to choose their own hours and earn extra income [1]. Uber Eats reported average net earnings of NT$270 (about US$8.50) per active delivery hour in 2025, compared with the national minimum hourly wage of NT$190 (about US$6). However, the riders’ union said this figure did not fully account for the time and expenses involved [2]. Busy-period bonuses and grouped orders can increase earnings, but they also give riders a reason to keep working during holidays, rain, and family meals.

Dragon Boat Festival, or Duanwu Festival (端午節), falls on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. In 2026, it falls on June 19. It is one of the major traditional festivals in Chinese culture and marks the arrival of the hot, humid summer season, once associated with disease and harmful forces. That is why many festival customs relate to health, protection, and good fortune.

The festival is also closely associated with Qu Yuan, a poet and official of the ancient state of Chu who lived around 300 BCE. According to legend, he drowned himself after his country fell (see SLL3a). People raced boats to search for him and threw rice into the river to protect his body from fish. This is how dragon boat racing and eating zongzi are said to have begun [3]. In Taiwan today, families eat zongzi, watch races, prepare offerings, and burn spirit money. At noon, when yang energy is believed to be strongest, some people try to balance eggs or collect “noon water” exposed to noonday sunlight for cleansing, protection, or wealth.

Dragon Boat Festival is also one of the most important Chinese holidays for family reunions. Kai, however, spends the day delivering other families’ festival meals—until his wife’s plan finally brings him to his own.

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再一單外送：端午節的故事

阿凱的粉紅色 Foodpanda 外送包裡，粽子還是熱的。他的手機震動了：端午節獎金：晚上 7:30 前再完成六單。

又是一次震動。是他老婆。「你快回家了嗎？我們在等你開飯。」

「快結束了，」阿凱說。

「你兩個小時前就這麼說了。」

「今天生意很好。可以多賺點錢付帳單。說不定今年夏天我們能帶小梅去沖繩。」

電話那頭是一陣短暫的沉默。

「我和小梅中午試著立蛋了。」他多希望自己當時也能在場。「她還幫你做了一張卡片。」

外送 App 又發出提示音。八個訂單。所有的地址都很近。運氣真好，阿凱想。收入不錯。

「我要去忙了。待會見，」阿凱說。

他騎車跨過新店溪去取餐。橋下依然傳來陣陣的龍舟鼓聲。

停紅燈時，燒金紙的煙霧瀰漫整條街道。商店門口燒著小金爐，像人行道上的煙囪一樣升起煙霧。摺疊桌上擺著水果、茶、肉和粽子。

阿凱看了看時間。7 點 11 分。

Google 地圖不停在耳邊低語：「左轉。直行。」他彷彿也能聽到小梅稚嫩的聲音：「爸爸快點。」

7 點 28 分，他停在自家附近的一棟公寓大樓前。

大樓管理員微笑著說：「今天很忙喔？」

阿凱點點頭，提著兩個沉重的袋子走進電梯，上了八樓。

他老婆正在大門口等他。小梅朝他跑過來。「爸爸，你遲到了。」

阿凱茫然地看著她們，又看看手機上的地址。「這是怎麼回事？」

小梅把他拉進公寓裡。親戚和鄰居圍坐在一張長桌旁。碗筷、湯、茶和一盤盤的菜餚都準備好了。

「我們在等粽子呢，」老婆接過袋子說。「我們大家一起訂的。不同的地址，同一個地點。同一頓晚餐。」

「端午節快樂！」大家大喊著。

長桌的盡頭有三個空位。旁邊放著兩碗午時水。其中一碗裡有錢幣在閃閃發光。

「這是要付帳單的嗎？」阿凱問。

「這是要去沖繩的，」老婆說。

她拿著一條小毛巾，把另一碗水推到他面前。「先洗把臉吧。保平安和好運。」阿凱洗去了汗水和路上的塵土。

小梅拿出她的卡片。「這是我用蠟筆畫的，」她笑逐顏開。卡片上有一張桌子，上面立著一顆蛋，旁邊坐著媽媽、爸爸和小女孩。

阿凱看著卡片，依舊站著。小梅和媽媽坐了下來，把粽子放到盤子裡。

阿凱的手機震動了。又是一單。收入更多。在附近。

他關掉手機，將螢幕朝下放在小梅的卡片底下。

「那麼，小梅，」他坐下來，開始剝開粽葉時說道，「今年夏天妳想去哪裡玩啊？」

後記

阿凱面臨的兩難處境反映了台灣龐大的外送經濟。目前有超過十萬人從事外送員工作，許多人是被自由選擇工作時間和賺取額外收入的彈性所吸引 [1]。Uber Eats 報告指出，2025 年外送員在每小時的有效外送時間內，平均淨收入為新台幣 270 元（約合 8.50 美元），而當時全國的基本時薪為新台幣 190 元（約合 6 美元）。然而，外送員工會表示，這個數字並未完全將投入的時間與成本費用計算在內 [2]。尖峰時段的獎金和組合訂單雖然可以增加收入，但這也成為外送員在節日、雨天和家人聚餐時繼續工作的誘因。

端午節，又稱端午，是在農曆的五月初五。2026 年，端午節落在 6 月 19 日。它是中華傳統文化中的主要節日之一，標誌著炎熱潮濕的夏季到來，過去這個季節常與疾病和有害力量聯繫在一起。這就是為什麼許多節日習俗都與健康、趨吉避凶和好運有關。

這個節日也與屈原密切相關，他是生活在公元前 300 年左右的古代楚國詩人兼官員。根據傳說，他在國家滅亡後投江自盡（見 SLL3a）。人們划船尋找他，並將米飯投入江中以保護他的遺體不被魚吃掉。據說這就是划龍舟和吃粽子習俗的由來 [3]。在今天的台灣，家家戶戶會吃粽子、看龍舟賽、準備供品並燒金紙。正午時分，被認為是陽氣最盛的時候，有些人會嘗試「立蛋」，或是收集暴露在正午陽光下的「午時水」，用來淨化、尋求庇佑或招財。

端午節也是最重要的華人家庭團聚節日之一。然而，阿凱這一天都在幫別的家庭外送節日大餐——直到他老婆的計畫終於讓他回到了自己的團聚晚餐。

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Vocabulary

1. Dragon Boat Festival, 端午節 (duān wǔ jié)

2. zongzi, 粽子 (zòng zi)

3. good fortune, 好運 (hǎo yùn)

4. dragon boat race, 龍舟比賽 (lóng zhōu bǐ sài)

5. drum, 鼓 (gǔ)

6. spirit money, 金紙 (jīn zhǐ)

7. offering, 供品 (gòng pǐn)

8. noon water, 午時水 (wǔ shí shuǐ)

9. yang energy, 陽氣 (yáng qì)

10. protection, 保平安 (bǎo píng ān)

11. stand an egg upright, 立蛋 (lì dàn)

12. family reunion, 家庭團聚 (jiā tíng tuán jù)

13. delivery rider, 外送員 (wài sòng yuán)

14. bonus, 獎金 (jiǎng jīn)

15. bills, 帳單 (zhàng dān)

16. lunar month, 農曆月份 (nóng lì yuè fèn)

17. Qu Yuan, 屈原 (Qū Yuán)

References

[1] Wang, S.-Y. (2025, November 24). Delivery worker bill sets hourly pay floor; labor minister says consumers need not fear price increases. Central News Agency. https://www.cna.com.tw/news/ahel/202511240039.aspx

[2] Central News Agency. (2025, May 9). Uber Eats releases delivery worker income data, reporting average earnings of NT$270 per hour. https://www.cna.com.tw/news/afe/202505090054.aspx

[3] Ministry of Culture. (2013, June 12). Dragon Boat Festival. https://www.moc.gov.tw/en/News_Content2.aspx?n=468&s=16867

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Contents 目錄

1.Reading: Why Is Taiwan’s Fruit So Good? 臺灣的水果為什麼這麼好吃？

2a. Summer Fruit Vocabulary 夏天水果詞彙

2b. Taste Words 味道詞彙

2c. Texture Words 口感詞彙

3. How to Choose Fruit 怎麼挑水果

4.Useful Fruit Stand Questions 水果攤實用問句

5.Useful Seller Replies 老闆常用回應

6.Mini Dialogue 迷你對話

7.Try It Yourself 換你試試看

8.Culture Note 文化小筆記

1. Reading 閱讀 : Why Is Taiwan’s Fruit So Good? 臺灣的水果為什麼這麼好吃？

Taiwan produces some of the world’s most delicious fruit because it has three strengths: warm weather, varied land, and skilled farmers. The island sits near the Tropic of Cancer, so it gets strong sunlight, warm temperatures, and seasonal rain. At the same time, Taiwan has hot lowlands, cooler mountain areas, hills, plains, and coastlines.

臺灣能種出世界上一些最美味的水果，是因為它有三個優勢：溫暖的氣候、多樣的地理環境，以及農民的技術。臺灣位在北回歸線附近，所以有充足的陽光、溫暖的氣溫和季節性雨水。同時，臺灣有炎熱的低地、較涼的山區、丘陵、平原和海岸。

These different environments help farmers grow many kinds of fruit, from mangoes, pineapples, papayas, guavas, wax apples, and dragon fruit to pears and persimmons in cooler places [1]. Taiwan is sometimes called a fruit kingdom. More than 30 kinds of fruit are grown across the island. In recent years, fruit farms covered about 180,000 hectares, and yearly fruit production reached about 2.6 million metric tons [1].

這些不同的環境，讓農民可以種出很多種水果，從芒果、鳳梨、木瓜、芭樂、蓮霧、火龍果，到較涼地區的梨子和柿子都有 [1]。臺灣有時被稱為水果王國。全臺各地種植超過三十種水果。近年來，水果栽培面積約十八萬公頃，每年的水果產量約二百六十萬公噸 [1]。

But Taiwan’s fruit is not good only because of nature. Farmers also use experience and science to improve taste, safety, and quality. Mango farmers, for example, use helpful insects to pollinate mango flowers. They also use fruit bags to protect mangoes from pests such as oriental fruit flies [2]. Pineapple farmers grow more than 20 pineapple varieties. The most famous is Golden Diamond pineapple, which makes up more than 80 percent of Taiwan’s pineapple production and is best from March to June [3]. Wax apple farmers also use methods such as shade nets, water control, and pruning to grow better fruit in different seasons [4].

不過，臺灣水果好吃，不只是因為自然條件好。農民也用經驗和科學來改善味道、安全和品質。以芒果為例，農民會利用有益的昆蟲幫芒果花授粉，也會使用水果套袋，保護芒果不受東方果實蠅等害蟲影響 [2]。鳳梨農民種植超過二十種鳳梨品種，其中最有名的是金鑽鳳梨。它占臺灣鳳梨產量的八成以上，最佳季節是三月到六月 [3]。蓮霧農民也會使用遮網、控水和修剪等方法，在不同季節種出更好的果實 [4]。

In Taiwan, good fruit is partly nature, partly science, and partly the farmer’s hands.

在臺灣，好水果一部分來自自然，一部分來自科學，也一部分來自農民的雙手。

Key Vocabulary from the Reading 閱讀關鍵詞彙

climate, 氣候 (qìhòu)
geography, 地理環境 (dìlǐ huánjìng)
sunlight, 陽光 (yángguāng)
seasonal rain, 季節性雨水 (jìjié xìng yǔshuǐ)
lowlands, 低地 (dīdì)
mountain areas, 山區 (shānqū)
growing areas, 栽種環境 (zāizhòng huánjìng)
tropical fruit, 熱帶水果 (rèdài shuǐguǒ)
varieties, 品種 (pǐnzhǒng)
farmers, 農民 (nóngmín)
protect, 保護 (bǎohù)
insects, 昆蟲 (kūnchóng)
fruit bags, 水果套袋 (shuǐguǒ tàodài)
harvest, 採收 (cǎishōu)
quality, 品質 (pǐnzhí)

References 參考資料

[1] Agriculture and Food Agency. “Taiwan Fruits.”
https://www.afa.gov.tw/eng/index.php?article_id=22919&code=list&flag=detail&ids=474

[2] Ministry of Agriculture. “Mango: The Fruit from Taiwan that Earned Its International Reputation.”
https://eng.moa.gov.tw/ws.php?id=2503976&print=Y

[3] Agriculture and Food Agency. “Taiwanese Pineapples Enter Peak Season: Sweet Delights Now Available.”
https://www.afa.gov.tw/eng/index.php?article_id=31836&code=list&flag=detail&ids=475

[4] Taiwan Agricultural Research Institute. “Techniques for Inducing the Production of Wax-apple Fruit.”
https://www.tari.gov.tw/english/news/index-1.asp?Parser=9%2C15%2C79%2C%2C%2C%2C1824

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Lesson: How to Talk about Summer Fruit 課程：如何聊夏天水果

After reading The Mango Lesson, let’s learn how to talk about summer fruit in Taiwan. Fruit stands are common in Taiwan, but choosing fruit takes some local knowledge. You can ask about the season, the taste, the texture, and whether the fruit is ripe.

讀完《芒果課》之後，我們來學怎麼聊臺灣的夏天水果。臺灣到處都有水果攤，但挑水果需要一點在地知識。你可以問水果的季節、味道、口感，以及熟了沒有。

2a. Summer Fruit Vocabulary 夏天水果詞彙

mango, 芒果 (mángguǒ)
lychee, 荔枝 (lìzhī)
pineapple, 鳳梨 (fènglí)
wax apple, 蓮霧 (liánwù)
papaya, 木瓜 (mùguā)
watermelon, 西瓜 (xīguā)
guava, 芭樂 (bālè)
passion fruit, 百香果 (bǎixiāngguǒ)
dragon fruit, 火龍果 (huǒlóngguǒ)
fruit stand, 水果攤 (shuǐguǒ tān)
fruit seller, 水果攤販 (shuǐguǒ tānfàn)

2b. Taste Words 味道詞彙

sweet, 甜的 (tián de)
sour, 酸的 (suān de)
sour and sweet, 酸酸甜甜 (suān suān tián tián)
fragrant / smells good, 香的 (xiāng de)
fresh, 新鮮的 (xīnxiān de)
mild, 溫和的 (wēnhé de)

Example sentences

1. This mango is very sweet.
這顆芒果很甜。Zhè kē mángguǒ hěn tián.

2. Passion fruit is sour and sweet.
百香果酸酸甜甜。Bǎixiāngguǒ suān suān tián tián.

3. This pineapple smells good.
這顆鳳梨很香。Zhè kē fènglí hěn xiāng.

2c. Texture Words 口感詞彙

ripe, 熟的 (shú de)
soft, 軟的 (ruǎn de)
firm, 硬的 / 偏硬 (yìng de / piān yìng)
crisp, 脆的 (cuì de)
juicy, 多汁的 (duōzhī de)
watery, 水分很多的 (shuǐfèn hěn duō de)
smooth, 光滑的 (guānghuá de)
shiny, 亮澤的 (liàngzé de)

Example sentences

1. A ripe mango is a little soft.
成熟的芒果會有點軟。Chéngshú de mángguǒ huì yǒu diǎn ruǎn.

2. Guava is usually crisp.
芭樂通常很脆。Bālè tōngcháng hěn cuì.

3. Wax apples should look smooth and shiny.
蓮霧的外皮應該看起來光滑亮澤。Liánwù de wàipí yīnggāi kàn qǐlái guānghuá liàngzé.

3. How to Choose Fruit 怎麼挑水果

You can choose fruit by looking, smelling, touching, and sometimes listening.

挑水果時，可以看、聞、摸，有時候還可以聽。

A mango should smell sweet near the top.
芒果的頂部要聞起來甜香。Mángguǒ de dǐngbù yào wén qǐlái tián xiāng.

A watermelon can be tapped.
西瓜可以輕敲。Xīguā kěyǐ qīng qiāo.

A pineapple should smell sweet near the bottom.
鳳梨的底部要帶甜香。Fènglí de dǐbù yào dài tián xiāng.

Passion fruit often tastes better when the skin is wrinkled.
百香果的外皮皺一些時，往往更好吃。Bǎixiāngguǒ de wàipí zhòu yìxiē shí, wǎngwǎng gèng hǎochī.

Papaya should be deep orange and slightly soft.
木瓜要呈深橘色，帶點柔軟。Mùguā yào chéng shēn jú sè, dài diǎn róuruǎn.

4. Useful Fruit Stand Questions 水果攤實用問句

Is this ripe?
這個熟了嗎？Zhège shú le ma?

Is this sweet?
這個甜嗎？Zhège tián ma?

Can I eat this today?
這個今天可以吃嗎？Zhège jīntiān kěyǐ chī ma?

Can you help me choose one?
你可以幫我挑一個嗎？Nǐ kěyǐ bāng wǒ tiāo yí ge ma?

Which one do you recommend?
你推薦哪一個？Nǐ tuījiàn nǎ yí ge?

Is this in season now?
這個現在是季節嗎？Zhège xiànzài shì jìjié ma?

Which fruit is good in June?
六月什麼水果好吃？Liùyuè shénme shuǐguǒ hǎochī?

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5. Useful Seller Replies 老闆可能會這樣說

This one is ready to eat today.
這個今天可以吃。Zhège jīntiān kěyǐ chī.

This one needs two more days.
這個還要放兩天。Zhège hái yào fàng liǎng tiān.

This one is sweeter.
這個比較甜。Zhège bǐjiào tián.

This one has more juice.
這個比較多汁。Zhège bǐjiào duōzhī.

Don’t press too hard.
不要捏太大力。Bú yào niē tài dàlì.

This one is in season now.
這個現在正當季。Zhège xiànzài zhèng dāngjì.

6. Mini Dialogue 迷你對話

Customer: Is this mango ripe?
客人：這顆芒果熟了嗎？Kèrén: Zhè kē mángguǒ shú le ma?

Fruit seller: Not yet. It needs one more day.
水果攤販：還沒。還要放一天。Shuǐguǒ tānfàn: Hái méi. Hái yào fàng yì tiān.

Customer: Can you help me choose one for today?
客人：你可以幫我挑一顆今天可以吃的嗎？Kèrén: Nǐ kěyǐ bāng wǒ tiāo yì kē jīntiān kěyǐ chī de ma?

Fruit seller: This one is good. Smell the top.
水果攤販：這顆不錯。聞聞看頂部。Shuǐguǒ tānfàn: Zhè kē búcuò. Wén wén kàn dǐngbù.

Customer: It smells sweet.
客人：聞起來甜甜的。Kèrén: Wén qǐlái tián tián de.

Fruit seller: Yes. It is ripe, soft, and juicy.
水果攤販：對。它熟了，有點軟，也很多汁。Shuǐguǒ tānfàn: Duì. Tā shú le, yǒu diǎn ruǎn, yě hěn duōzhī.

7. Try It Yourself 換你試試看

Use these patterns to talk about fruit.

用下面的句型來聊水果。

This fruit is ________.
這個水果很 ________。Zhège shuǐguǒ hěn ________.

I like ________ because it is ________.
我喜歡 ________，因為它很 ________。Wǒ xǐhuān ________, yīnwèi tā hěn ________.

· I like wax apples because they are crisp and watery.
我喜歡蓮霧，因為它又脆水分又多。Wǒ xǐhuān liánwù, yīnwèi tā yòu cuì shuǐfèn yòu duō.

· I like passion fruit because it is sour and sweet.
我喜歡百香果，因為它酸酸甜甜。Wǒ xǐhuān bǎixiāngguǒ, yīnwèi tā suān suān tián tián.

Can you help me choose ________?
你可以幫我挑 ________ 嗎？Nǐ kěyǐ bāng wǒ tiāo ________ ma?

· Can you help me choose a mango?
你可以幫我挑一顆芒果嗎？Nǐ kěyǐ bāng wǒ tiāo yì kē mángguǒ ma?

8. Culture Note 文化小筆記

In Taiwan, fruit is part of daily life. People buy fruit at markets, roadside stands, supermarkets, and night markets. Some fruit is sold by weight, and some is sold in boxes or on plates. Many people trust the fruit seller to choose the best one. A good fruit seller knows what is ready today, what needs a few more days, and what tastes best in the season.

在臺灣，水果是日常生活的一部分。人們會在市場、路邊水果攤、超市和夜市買水果。有些水果秤重賣，有些會裝盒或裝盤。很多人會請水果攤販幫忙挑。好的水果攤販知道哪一顆今天可以吃，哪一顆還要放幾天，也知道當季什麼最好吃。

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The Mango Lesson

The mango looked perfect. It sat on the fruit stand like a small sunset, red on one side and gold on the other. “I’ll take this one,” said Daniel. The fruit seller shook her head. “Not that one.” Daniel was surprised. “Why not? It looks beautiful.” “Yes,” she said, “but beautiful is not always ready.”

She picked up another mango and held it near his nose. “First, smell here.” Daniel smelled the top of the mango. It was sweet and warm. “Good mangoes have a smell,” she said. “Next, feel the weight.” The mango felt heavy for its size. “More juicy,” she said. “But don’t press too hard. A ripe mango is a little soft.”

“Is June mango season?” he asked. “Mango season, yes,” she said. “But also lychee season. Pineapple is still good. Watermelon cools you down. Guava is crunchy. Passion fruit is sour and sweet.” Daniel looked around the fruit stand. June in Taiwan was full of color. He saw red lychees, yellow pineapples, green guavas, dark passion fruit, and a huge watermelon on the ground. He also saw some pink bell-shaped fruit he had never seen before. “What are those?” Daniel asked. “Wax apples,” she said. “Crisp and watery. Good for hot days.”

Daniel bought the mango she chose, and some shiny wax apples. That night, he cut open the mango and took a bite. Juice ran down his arm onto the plate. Delicious! He smiled. In Taiwan, even fruit had a teacher.

Epilogue: Taiwan’s Taste of Summer

June is one of the best months to enjoy fruit in Taiwan. Mango is the star, especially in southern areas such as Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Pingtung. But Taiwan’s fruit culture is not only about warm weather. The island sits near the Tropic of Cancer, and its mountains, hills, and plains create many growing areas.

At a fruit stand, choosing fruit is also a skill. A mango should smell sweet near the top and feel heavy for its size. A watermelon can be tapped; many people listen for a deep sound. Pineapple should smell sweet near the bottom. Guava is usually firm and crunchy.

Passion fruit often tastes better when its skin is wrinkled. Wax apples are different: their skin should look smooth, shiny, and fresh. Papaya should be deep orange and slightly soft, and it is often used in Taiwan’s famous papaya milk.

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芒果選修課

那顆芒果看起來完美無瑕。它擺在水果攤上，就像是一輪小小的夕陽，一側鮮紅，一側金黃。「我想要這顆。」丹尼爾說道。水果攤販搖了搖頭。「別選這顆。」丹尼爾感到很驚訝。「為什麼不行？它看起來很漂亮呀！」「沒錯，」她回話道，「但漂亮不一定代表它熟了。」

她拿起了另一顆芒果，湊到他的鼻子旁。「首先，聞聞看這裡。」丹尼爾聞了聞芒果的頂端。聞起來甜甜的，帶著一絲暖意。「好的芒果會有個香味，」她說。「接下來，感受一下它的重量。」以它的大小來說，這顆芒果拿起來意外地重。「代表更多汁，」她接著說，「但別捏得太大力。成熟的芒果會有點軟。」

「六月是芒果季嗎？」他詢問。「是芒果季沒錯。」她回覆道，「但同時也是荔枝的季節。鳳梨也還很好吃。西瓜可以消暑。芭樂很清脆。百香果酸酸甜甜。」丹尼爾環視水果攤。臺灣的六月五彩繽紛。他看見了紅紅的荔枝、金黃的鳳梨、翠綠的芭樂、深色的百香果，地板上還有一顆巨大的西瓜。他還看到了一些從未見過、粉紅色鐘形的水果。「那些是什麼？」丹尼爾問。「蓮霧，」她說，「又脆水分又多。很適合在大熱天吃。」

丹尼爾買了她挑選的那顆芒果，還有一些亮澤的蓮霧。那天晚上，他切開芒果咬了一口。果汁順著他的手臂流到盤子上。太美味了！他笑了笑。在臺灣，連水果都有老師。

故事討論：臺灣的夏日滋味

六月是臺灣品嚐水果的最佳時節之一。芒果是主角，尤其是在臺南、高雄與屏東等南部地區。不過，臺灣的水果文化並不只與炎熱氣候有關。臺灣位在北回歸線附近，山地、丘陵和平原交錯，造就了多樣的栽種環境。

在水果攤前挑水果，也是一門學問。芒果的頂部要聞起來甜香，拿起來則應該比它的大小更沉。西瓜可以輕敲，許多人會聽那聲音是否渾厚。鳳梨的底部要帶甜香。芭樂通常要偏硬、口感爽脆。

百香果的外皮皺一些時往往更好吃。蓮霧則相反：外皮要光滑、亮澤，看起來新鮮。木瓜要呈深橘色、帶點柔軟，常被用來製作臺灣著名的木瓜牛奶。

Key Vocabulary

1. mango, 芒果 (mángguǒ)

2. lychee, 荔枝 (lìzhī)

3. pineapple, 鳳梨 (fènglí)

4. wax apple, 蓮霧 (liánwù)

5. papaya, 木瓜 (mùguā)

6. fruit stand, 水果攤 (shuǐguǒ tān)

7. ripe, 熟的 (shú de)

8. crisp, 脆的 (cuì de)

9. juicy, 多汁的 (duōzhī de)

10. shiny, 亮澤的 (liàngzé de)

Idioms / Useful Phrases

1. 五彩繽紛 (wǔcǎi bīnfēn), full of color

2. 完美無瑕 (wánměi wúxiá), perfect / flawless

3. 消暑 (xiāoshǔ), cool you down / beat the heat

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Liberty Breakfast

“Last year, where did we go on holiday?” the boy asked.

“Vacation, not holiday” his sister corrected. “Mr Thomas says American English now.”

The two children in blue uniforms sat near the window, writing English homework between bites of fried egg and hot dog.

It’s 7:15 and the breakfast store was already noisy.

The menu screen above the cashier flashed: Liberty Breakfast: US egg and beef burger, hash browns and Soymilk. Special price today.

In the corner, the TV was on mute. Red subtitles crawled under images of crowds outside a bank in Chengdu.

A man in a business suit ordered the Liberty Meal and paid with his iPhone. “Have a great morning, Mr Chen,” the machine chirped in English.

The shop was packed, so he squeezed onto a stool beside Grandma Lin, who was already halfway through her breakfast.

Chen checked his company orders from Arizona, Texas, and Ohio. His factory made tiny parts for the new Foxconn plants there. He smiled.

“Good month?” an old lady asked. She was also a regular.

“Best in years,” he said. “No war. Ports open. Consumer demand high.”

Grandma sipped her milk tea and looked at her phone. TSMC and the chip suppliers were all red and hit their daily limit up. She smiled.

She slowly dipped another piece of pan-fried radish squares in soy sauce with her chopsticks and plopped it in her mouth.

“No Liberty Meal for you Grandma Lin?” Chen asked. “It’s high CP value.”

“American breakfast?” Grandma Lin said. “Not my cup of tea.”

Both Mr Chen and Grandma looked up at the TV news coverage. Smoke was rising over a local bank in Chengdu. Protests had spread again after another week of unpaid wages.

Then the news cut to Taipei. Trump stood beside Taiwan’s president and three tech CEOs.

“Liberty Meal for Mr. Chen!” the cashier shouted.

Mr. Chen stood, grabbed the warm bag from the counter, and headed to his double-parked BMW outside.

On the TV, Trump was beaming. The caption read: FIVE YEARS OF THE LIBERTY PROTECTORATE: “BEST DEAL EVER,” SAYS TRUMP.

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Epilogue: A What-If Taiwan

This story is a what-if. It was inspired by the mid-May 2026 Trump-Xi meeting in Beijing where Trump appeared to treat Taiwan as a bargaining chip, and by his blunt way of talking about territory, protection, and payment. He has talked about buying Greenland, turning Canada into the 51st state, and making Taiwan pay for its defense. In Liberty Meal, Taiwan survives because of this kind of deal, but that survival comes with a price

To understand the story, we need a little history. The Republic of China, or ROC, was founded in 1912 and once governed mainland China. After Japan lost World War II, the ROC took control of Taiwan in 1945. But in 1949, the Chinese Communist Party won the civil war and created the People’s Republic of China, or PRC. The ROC government retreated to Taiwan. For many years, both sides claimed to be the real China.

Over time, Taiwan changed. Martial law was lifted in 1987. In 1996, Taiwan held its first direct presidential election. Many people began to see Taiwan not only as the ROC, but as Taiwan: a democratic society with its own elections, market economy, military, culture, identity, and way of life.

China sees this differently. Beijing says Taiwan is part of China and must one day be “reunified” with the mainland. From China’s view, Taiwan’s separate identity is a threat to national unity. From Taiwan’s view, China’s claim is a threat to its hard-won democratic freedom.

In the story’s imagined future, China almost takes Taiwan. Two things stop it. First, Trump makes a deal. He does not save Taiwan for free. He trades Taiwan’s security for chips, supply chains, and strategic geography. Second, Xi Jinping dies, and China falls into crisis. The Politburo breaks into competing factions. Protests, mass unemployment, and failed coups weaken Beijing.

Taiwan survives. But survival has a price. If freedom is protected by a stronger power, is it still freedom, or has it become a trade-off?

自由早餐

「去年我們去哪裡度假？」男孩問。

「是 vacation，不是 holiday，」他的姐姐糾正他。「湯瑪斯老師說現在要用美式英文。」

兩名穿著藍色制服的孩童坐在窗邊，一邊咬著荷包蛋和熱狗，一邊寫著英文作業。

現在是早上 7:15，早餐店裡已經鬧哄哄的。收銀台上方的菜單螢幕閃爍著：自由早餐：美式牛肉蛋堡、薯餅加豆漿。今日特價。

角落的電視開著靜音。紅色的字幕在成都一家銀行外聚集的人群畫面下滾動著。

一名穿著西裝的男子點了自由早餐，並用 iPhone 結帳。「祝您有美好的一天，陳先生，」點餐機用英文發出清脆的聲音。

店裡擠滿了人，於是用餐的陳先生擠進林奶奶身旁的圓凳，此時林奶奶的早餐已經吃了一半。

陳先生查看了來自亞利桑那州、德州和俄亥俄州的公司訂單。他的工廠為當地全新的富士康廠區製造微小零件。他露出了微笑。

「這個月業績不錯吧？」老太太問道。她也是這裡的常客。

「這幾年來最好的一年，」他說。「沒有戰爭、港口開放、消費者需求強勁。」

林奶奶吸了一口奶茶，看著手機。台積電和晶片供應商的股價全都滿江紅，全部漲停板（漲停）。她笑了笑。

她緩慢地用筷子夾起另一塊煎得金黃的蘿蔔糕，沾了沾醬油，然後送進嘴裡。

「林奶奶，妳不點份自由早餐嗎？」陳先生問。「CP 值很高耶。」

「美式早餐喔？」林奶奶說。「那不是我的菜。」

陳先生和林奶奶同時抬頭看著電視新聞報導。成都當地一家銀行的上空正冒著煙。在又一週拿不到薪水後，抗議活動再次蔓延。

隨後，新聞畫面切換到台北。川普與台灣總統以及三位科技公司的執行長站在一起。

「陳先生的自由早餐好囉！」收銀員大喊。

陳先生站起身，從櫃檯拿走那袋溫熱的餐點，走向他外面併排停車的 BMW。

電視上，川普正笑逐顏開。字卡字幕寫著：自由保護領五年：「史上最佳交易」，川普表示。

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後記：一個「如果」的台灣

這則故事是一個假設性的「如果」。它的靈感來自 2026 年 5 月中旬在北京舉行的川普與習近平會面，當時川普似乎將台灣視為籌碼，以及他對領土、保護和付費直截了當的談論方式。他曾談過購買格陵蘭、將加拿大變成第 51 個州，以及讓台灣為自己的國防買單。在《自由早餐》中，台灣因為這種交易而得以倖存，但這樣的生存是要付出代價的。

要理解這個故事，我們需要了解一點歷史。中華民國（ROC）成立於 1912 年，曾統治過中國大陸。二戰日本戰敗後，中華民國於 1945 年接管台灣。然而在 1949 年，中國共產黨贏得了內戰，建立了中華人民共和國（PRC）。中華民國政府撤退到台灣。多年來，雙方都聲稱自己才是正統的中國。

隨著時間推移，台灣發生了轉變。台灣在 1987 年解嚴。1996 年，台灣舉行了首次總統直選。許多人開始不再僅僅把台灣視為中華民國，而是視為「台灣」：一個擁有自己選舉、市場經濟、軍隊、文化、認同和生活方式的民主社會。

中國的看法則截然不同。北京聲稱台灣是中國的一部分，有朝一日必須與大陸「統一」。從中國的角度來看，台灣獨立的認同是對國家統一的威脅。而從台灣的角度來看，中國的主權宣稱則是對其得來不易的民主自由的威脅。

在故事所想像的未來中，中國幾乎奪取了台灣。有兩件事阻止了這一切。第一，川普做了一場交易。他不會免費拯救台灣。他用台灣的安全來交換晶片、供應鏈和戰略地理位置。第二，習近平逝世，中國陷入危機。政治局分裂成相互競爭的派系。抗議活動、大規模失業和失敗的政變削弱了北京的勢力。

台灣生存了下來。但生存是有代價的。如果自由是靠著更強大的勢力來保護，那它還算不算自由？抑或，它已經變成了一種利益交換？

Vocabulary | 字彙學習

1. consumer demand, 消費者需求 (xiāofèizhě xūqiú)

2. bargaining chip, 籌碼 (chóumǎ)

3. trade-off, 利益交換 (lìyì jiāohuàn)

4. deal, 交易 (jiāoyì)

5. payment, 付費 (fùfèi)

6. unpaid wages, 未付薪資 (wèifù xīnzī)

7. martial law, 戒嚴 / 解嚴 (jièyán / jiěyán)

8. direct presidential election, 總統直選 (zǒngtǒng zhíxuǎn)

9. retreat, 撤退 (chètuì)

10. identity, 認同 (rèntóng)

11. reunified, 統一 (tǒngyī)

12. protectorate, 保護領 (bǎohùlǐng)

13. democratic freedom, 民主自由 (mínzhǔ zìyóu)

14. uniform, 制服 (zhìfú)

15. cashier, 收銀員 (shōuyínyuán)

16. subtitles, 字幕 (zìmù)

Idioms & Useful Expressions | 實用片語與用語

1. not my cup of tea, 不是我的菜 (búshì wǒ de cài)

2. beaming (“grinning ear to ear”), 笑逐顏開的 (xiàozhúyánkāi de)

3. come with a price, 付出代價 (fùchū dàijià)

4. Cost Performance value, CP 值 (CP zhí) – Cost-performance ratio; a popular term in Taiwan used to describe something that is well worth the money.

5. hit the daily limit up, 漲停板 (zhǎngtíngbǎn) – A financial phrase meaning a stock price has reached the maximum percentage it is allowed to rise in a single trading day.

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It still amazes me to enter a bustling Taipei temple like Bao-An Gong. Here you can see how local religious traditions are very much alive and well in this first-world country that is the semi-conductor supply chain that drives the global computer and AI industries.

走進大龍峒保安宮這樣熱鬧的台北廟宇，始終讓我驚嘆不已。在這裡，你可以看到在地的民間宗教傳統依然充滿活力，而這個第一世界國家正是推動全球電腦與人工智慧產業發展的半導體供應鏈重鎮。

Whether you visit to pray and pay respects or observe a festival like Mazu’s pilgrimage last month (SLL83) or the Emperor Bao-sheng’s birthday earlier this month (SLL85), understanding what the temple-goers are doing makes the visit more interesting. And it gives you something to think and talk about, in both languages.

無論你是去拜拜 ，還是去觀察上個月的媽祖遶境 （SLL83）或這個月初的保生大帝聖誕（SLL85）等節慶 ，了解信眾在做什麼都會讓這趟行程更有趣。這也能讓你在兩種語言中，都有可以思考和討論的話題。

On May 1st, my wife and I went to her preferred temple in Taipei, Bao’an Gong, to celebrate the birthday of the god of healing and medicine, Baosheng Emperor [保生大帝 (Bǎoshēng Dàdì)] or “The Emperor who Protects Life”.

5月1日，我和太太去了她在台北最喜歡的廟宇——保安宮，慶祝掌管醫療與健康的保生大帝 （即「保護生命的大帝」）聖誕。

We go a few times a year—certainly during the lunar new year, but also at times when we have spells of misfortune, need help or luck with my daughter’s schooling, or want to pray for the health of an ailing loved one. As a somewhat ambivalent atheist, I usually don’t pray with my wife, but sometimes I do.

我們一年去幾次——農曆新年 是一定會去的，但當我們遇到不順、需要為女兒的學業祈求 好運，或是想為生病的家人祈求健康時，我們也會去。作為一個有點矛盾的無神論者 ，我通常不跟太太一起拜拜，但有時候也會加入。

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From my Master’s research in Chinese religions and Traditional Chinese Medicine almost three decades ago and my lived experiences in Taipei for about the same amount of time, I have changed my thinking about religion, belief, and practice.

從我將近三十年前對華人宗教 和中醫 的碩士研究，到我在台北生活大約相同時間的親身經歷，我改變了對宗教、信仰 與實踐 的看法。

In contrast to major Western monotheistic religions that are almost by definition exclusionary and emphasize correct belief (orthodoxy), Chinese religions tend to be more open and inclusive and privilege practice (orthopraxy). In other words, they are more practical, in both senses of the word.

相較於西方主要的單一神教——這些宗教在定義上幾乎排他，且強調「正統信仰」——華人宗教往往更加開放和包容，並且更看重「正統行為」。換句話說，無論從哪種意義來看，它們都更加實用]。

As a rule of thumb in a Confucian society, your identity as a person changes depending on the social role you occupy at any given time.

根據經驗，在儒家社會 中，你作為一個人的身份會隨著你當時所處的社會角色而改變。

At times I am a husband, father, teacher, employee, manager, older coworker—these roles are relational and are context dependent. This can be difficult to navigate when you occupy more than 1 role at any given time. Such is life everywhere.

有時候我是丈夫、父親、老師、員工、主管、資深同事——這些角色都是互動的，且取決於情境。當你同時擁有不只一個角色時，這可能很難應付。到處的生活都是如此。

But knowing your role demands knowing what to do in a given situation and doing it. This is the real mark of Chinese authenticity, regardless of what you may be thinking or feeling inside.

但了解自己的角色，意味著你要知道在特定情況下該做什麼，並付諸行動。無論你內心在想什麼或感受如何，這才是華人文化中「真實性」的真正標誌。

So, on our trip to the temple on May 1, I followed my wife as we made our inner temple pilgrimage from one god to the next, each one representing a different aspect of life, like health (Baosheng Emperor), business—whether legitimate or shady (Guan Gong [關公 (Guān Gōng)]), and studying (Confucius [孔子 (Kǒngzǐ)]).

所以，在5月1日的寺廟之旅中，我跟著太太在廟裡進行了一趟參拜之旅 [pilgrimage]，從一位神明拜到下一位。每位神明都代表生活的不同面向，例如健康（保生大帝）、商業——無論合法還是非法的（關公），以及學業（孔子）。

We also went upstairs to pray to the Buddhist gods, too. All the gods, Taoist and Buddhist, all in one temple. This is not uncommon in Taoist temples (though not the case in Buddhist temples).

我們也到樓上去拜佛教神祇。所有的神明，不論是道教的 還是佛教的，都聚集在同一座廟裡。這在道教寺廟中很常見（但在佛教寺廟中並非如此）。

We skipped several gods, like the god for childbirth, Zhusheng Niangniang [註生娘娘 (Zhùshēng Niángniáng)].

我們跳過了好幾位神明，例如掌管生育的註生娘娘。

Last year, we took our daughter to the temple before her college entrance exams. Spring and early summer are peak worship season for students.

去年，在女兒參加大學入學考試 之前，我們帶她去了廟裡。春天和初夏是學生的拜拜旺季。

We took our daughter to pray to Tiandu Yuanshuai [田都元帥 (Tiándū Yuánshuài)] before her dance audition to get into the prestigious National Taipei University of the Arts.

在女兒參加舞蹈甄試 以進入著名的國立臺北藝術大學之前，我們帶她去拜了田都元帥。

She was admitted—one of the four out of more than 150 audition applicants. Even though she did not really want to, we went back to the temple and she performed a little dance to fulfill her vow.

她被錄取了——是150多名面試者中錄取的四人之一。雖然她不是很想，但我們還是回到了廟裡，她跳了一小段舞來還願 。

That is the tit-for-tat transaction at a temple: you ask for something, make a promise of payment, and if you get your wish, you pay for your part of the deal. No belief necessary.

這就是寺廟裡那種禮尚往來的交易：你祈求某件事，許下回報的承諾，如果你如願以償，你就履行你的那部分約定。不需要信仰。

The following lesson talks more about this. It is an informal guide on how to pray and pay respects at a Chinese temple.

接下來的課程會詳細討論這一點。這是一份關於如何在華人寺廟祈禱與拜拜的非正式指南。

Vocabulary

1. Religious tradition, 宗教傳統 (zōngjiào chuántǒng)

2. To pray and pay respects, 拜拜 (bàibai)

3. Pilgrimage, 參拜之旅 (cānbài zhī lǚ)

4. Temple-goer / Worshipper, 信眾 (xìnzhòng)

5. Lunar new year, 農曆新年 (nónglì xīnnián)

6. Atheist, 無神論者 (wúshénlùnzhě)

7. Belief, 信仰 (xìnyǎng)

8. Inclusive, 包容的 (bāoróng de)

9. Practical, 實用的 (shíyòng de)

10. Social role, 社會角色 (shèhuì juésè)

11. Authenticity, 真實性 (zhēnshíxìng)

12. Buddhist deity, 佛教神祇 (fójiào shénqí)

13. Entrance exam, 入學考試 (rùxué kǎoshì)

14. Audition, 甄試 (zhēnshì)

15. To fulfill a vow, 還願 (huányuàn)

Praying at Bao’an Gong | 在保安宮拜拜

Bao’an Gong is my wife’s preferred temple [廟宇 (miàoyǔ)] in Taipei. We often go there during Lunar New Year [農曆新年 (nónglì xīnnián)], or when a specific need arises. Two weeks ago, we returned to honor Baosheng Emperor on his birthday. The temple was crowded with worshippers [香客 (xiāngkè)], incense smoke [香煙 (xiāngyān)], and offerings [供品 (gòngpǐn)].

保安宮是我太太在台北最喜歡的廟宇 [temple]。我們常在農曆新年 [Lunar New Year] 或有特定需求時前往。兩週前，我們再次回去感念保生大帝的聖誕。廟裡擠滿了香客 [worshippers]、香煙 [incense smoke] 與供品 [offerings]。

1. Prepare auspicious offerings | 準備吉祥供品

First, we brought apples [蘋果 (píngguǒ)]. Apples are a common offering because the word sounds like peace and safety [平安 (píng’ān)]. A good offering [供品 (gòngpǐn)] can be practical—after the gods enjoy them, we take them home to eat.

首先，我們帶了蘋果 [apples]。蘋果是很常見的供品，因為這個詞聽起來就像平安 [peace and safety]。好的供品 [offering] 可以很實用——在神明享用完後，我們可以帶回家吃。

2. Place the offerings on the table | 將供品放在供桌上

Near the entrance, we put the offerings on the long offering tables [供桌 (gòngzhuō)] facing the main altar [主殿 (zhǔdiàn)]. In Taiwan, people collect the offerings [收供品 (shōu gòngpǐn)] after the ritual is finished. It is practical and not wasteful.

在入口附近，我們將供品放在面向主殿 [main altar] 的長供桌 [offering tables] 上。在台灣，人們會在儀式結束後收供品 [collect the offerings]。這既實際又不浪費。

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3. Take incense | 拿香

Next, we lit the incense [香 (xiāng)]. Incense carries the prayer upward to the gods [神明 (shénmíng)]. It also gives the body a role: to stand, bow, and show respect.

接著，我們點燃了香 [incense]。香能將祈禱向上帶給神明 [gods]。它也讓身體參與其中：站立、鞠躬並展現尊重。

4. Start with the main god | 先從主神開始

The main god [主神 (zhǔshén)] at Bao’an Gong is the Baosheng Emperor. You must introduce yourself: your name, address, and your purpose [來意 (láiyì)]. This is like reporting your information to a spiritual official.

保安宮的主神 [main god] 是保生大帝。你必須自我介紹：姓名、住址以及你的來意 [purpose]。這就像向靈魂界的官員報告你的資訊。

5. Bow three times | 拿香拜三拜

After praying, you bow three times [拜三拜 (bài sān bài)] with the incense in your hands. Then, you place one stick into the incense burner [香爐 (xiānglú)]. Your incense joins the prayers of everyone else.

祈禱後，你手拿著香拜三拜 [bow three times]。接著，將一支香放入香爐 [incense burner]。你的香便與其他人的祈禱合而為一。

6. Visit the other gods | 參拜其他神明

Chinese religion is like a bureaucracy; different gods have different roles. We visited Mazu, Confucius, and even a deity of theater [戲曲之神 (xìqǔ zhī shén)] for my daughter. You move through the temple [廟宇 (miàoyǔ)] according to the correct order.

華人宗教就像官僚體系；不同的神明有不同的職責。我們參拜了媽祖、孔子，甚至還有為我女兒祈求的戲曲之神 [deity of theater]。你按照正確的順序在廟宇 [temple] 中穿梭。

7. Go upstairs for Buddha | 到樓上參拜佛祖

After the Daoist gods, we went upstairs to see Shakyamuni Buddha [佛祖 (fózhǔ)] and Guanyin. Taiwanese temples are very inclusive [包容的 (bāoróng de)], allowing different traditions to share the same space.

拜完道教神明後，我們到樓上看佛祖 [Buddha] 和觀音。台灣的寺廟非常包容 [inclusive]，允許不同的傳統共享同一個空間。

8. Burn the gold paper | 燒金紙

Finally, we took our gold paper [金紙 (jīnzhǐ)] to the furnace [金爐 (jīnlú)]. We fold each piece before throwing it in. This completes the ritual exchange [儀式交換 (yíshì jiāohuàn)] between the visitor and the god.

最後，我們帶著金紙 [gold paper] 前往金爐 [furnace]。我們在丟進去之前會先摺好每一張。這完成了信眾與神明之間的儀式交換 [ritual exchange]。

Vocabulary

1. Temple, 廟宇 (miàoyǔ)

2. Worshipper, 香客 (xiāngkè)

3. Offering, 供品 (gòngpǐn)

4. Gold paper, 金紙 (jīnzhǐ)

5. Incense, 香 (xiāng)

6. Incense burner, 香爐 (xiānglú)

7. Main god, 主神 (zhǔshén)

8. Main altar / Hall, 主殿 (zhǔdiàn)

9. Deity / God, 神明 (shénmíng)

10. Peace and safety, 平安 (píng’ān)

11. Auspicious, 吉祥 (jíxiáng)

12. To pay respects / To pray, 拜拜 (bàibai)

13. Ritual, 儀式 (yíshì)

14. Inclusive, 包容的 (bāoróng de)

15. To fulfill a vow, 還願 (huányuàn)

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Song

The song The Dragon’s Eye (龍之眼) retells the legend of Baosheng Emperor from the bilingual story for language learning of the same name.

這段文字介紹了歌曲《龍之眼》（The Dragon’s Eye），該曲改編自同名的雙語教學故事，重現了保生大帝的傳說。

The song, created with Suno, aims to be a cinematic folk ballad with a dark temple-lofi atmosphere that tries to capture the mysterious and dramatic mood. The male and female vocal contrast evokes the tension between pain and healing, human and dragon, storm and calm.

這首歌是與 Suno 共同創作的，旨在打造出一種具有「電影感」的民謠風格，並結合暗黑寺廟 Lofi（dark temple-lofi）的氛圍，以捕捉神秘且充滿戲劇性的情調。男女聲的對唱則喚起了痛苦與療癒、人類與巨龍、風暴與平靜之間的緊張感。

As a bilingual language review, the lyrics recycle key English and Chinese vocabulary from the story, especially Traditional Chinese Medical terms such as pulse, Wind-heat and (medicinal) herbs.

作為雙語學習的複習教材，歌詞中重新運用了故事裡的英漢核心詞彙，特別是與中醫相關的術語，例如：脈搏（pulse）、風熱（Wind-heat）與草藥（medicinal herbs）。

I hope you enjoy this musical language review!

希望你會喜歡這段以音樂呈現的語言複習！

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The Dragon’s Eye: A legend of the Baosheng Emperor

Rain hammered the roof in hard, uneven bursts. “Hold him still!” Baosheng pressed one hand against the stranger’s brow as the man twisted on the wooden bed. His left eye was swollen shut. The right one burned red like a coal. “It feels like fire,” the man gasped. “Like something is clawing inside.” Thunder rolled across the mountain. Baosheng leaned closer. The man’s skin was cold, but heat rose from his face. A strange smell hung in the air.

He began the four methods of diagnosis. He looked. The eye was red and wet, the veins swollen. He listened. The man’s breath came in deep, shaking waves. He smelled it. Beneath the sour heat of illness was a strange damp scent, like river water before a storm. He asked. The pain had begun after flying through storm clouds, the stranger said, then quickly bit his lip. Flying?

At last, Baosheng took his pulse. His fingers paused. The pulse pattern was wiry and rapid, surging under the skin like water against stone. This was no ordinary fever. “Your vital energy is in disorder,” Baosheng said softly. “There is wind-heat in the eye, but the root is deeper. Too much heat is rising. This is liver fire blazing upward.”

At that, the man turned away. “Then let me go.” Baosheng refused. He ground herbs into a cool paste, mixed drops for the eye, and laid two fingers gently beneath the lid. At once the bed shook. A cry filled the room, too deep for any human throat. Then the rain stopped. Slowly, the swollen eye opened. In a single breath, Baosheng saw not a man on the bed, but a dragon. Then the stranger bowed his head. “Doctor,” he said, “you truly see.” Then flew off into the clouds.

Epilogue

In Taiwan, Baosheng Dadi, or the Baosheng Emperor, is famous as the god of medicine, a healer people pray to for health, recovery, and protection from illness. One well-known legend says he met a woodcutter in the mountains who was actually a dragon in disguise, suffering from an eye disease. The legend also reflects key ideas in traditional Chinese medicine, where a doctor looks beyond the painful body part and searches for the deeper cause through the four methods of diagnosis: observation, listening and smelling, questioning, and pulse-taking.

Dalongdong Bao’an Temple in Taipei is one of Taiwan’s most important temples dedicated to Baosheng Dadi, and its Baosheng Cultural Festival has developed into a major late-spring celebration. Because Baosheng Dadi’s birthday fell on May 1 in 2026, the festival is especially timely this month. Events linked to the celebration include a neighborhood parade, folk opera performances, the formal Three Offerings rite for the deity’s birthday, Fire Lion fireworks, fire-walking, and even free traditional Chinese medicine clinics. These activities show why Baosheng is still deeply present in Taiwanese life today. He is not only a god in legend, but also a symbol of healing, ritual, performance, and community in modern Taiwan.

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龍的眼睛：保生大帝的傳說

雨勢一陣陣地猛砸在屋頂上，時急時緩，毫無規律。「把他固定住！」當那名陌生男子在木床上扭動掙扎時，保生大帝一手按在了男人的額頭上。男子的左眼腫脹得無法睜開，右眼則猶如燒紅的木炭。「感覺像火在燒，」那個男人喘著氣說道「就像有東西在裡面抓。」隆隆的雷聲低沉地在山間迴盪，保生大帝傾身靠近。男人的皮膚冰冷，但是臉上卻散發著熱氣。空氣中瀰漫著一股奇特的氣味。

保生大帝開始進行四診（中醫中，稱之為「望聞問切」的四種診斷方式）。他觀察。那隻眼睛濕潤且發紅，血管充血腫脹。他聆聽。那個男人的呼吸深沉而顫抖著。他嗅聞。在那股酸熱病氣下，藏著一種奇特的潮濕味，宛如暴風雨前的河水。陌生人說，那股疼痛是在飛過暴風雲後才開始的，話音剛落他隨即咬住嘴唇，閉口不言。「飛過？」

最後，保生大帝為他把了把脈。他的手指停止了動作。脈象弦急且快，在皮膚下劇烈跳動，就像水流衝擊著石頭。這不是普通的發燒。「你的『氣』亂了。」保生大帝輕聲說道。「眼中雖有風熱，但病根在更深處。體內的熱氣過盛，這是肝火上炎。」

聽到那句話，男子轉過身。「那就讓我走吧。」保生大帝拒絕了。他將草藥磨成了清涼的藥膏，又調了幾滴眼藥，接著以兩根手指輕輕撐起眼皮。床鋪立刻震動起來。一聲低沉到不像人類能發出的嘶吼充斥著整個房間。接著，雨停了。腫脹的眼睛慢慢張開。瞬息之間，保生大帝看到的已不是躺在床上的男人，而是一條龍。陌生人低下頭行禮。「大夫，」他說，「您果然看得透徹。」隨即騰雲而去，消失在雲海之中。

故事討論

在台灣，保生大帝（又稱保生帝君）以醫神之名聞名，人們向這位醫者祈求健康、康復與避開疾病。最廣為流傳的傳說之一，講述祂在山中遇見一位樵夫——其實是化身為人的龍，正受眼疾所苦。這則故事也反映了中醫的核心觀念：醫者不只著眼於疼痛的部位，而是透過「望、聞、問、切」四診法，探尋更深層的病因。

位於台北的大龍峒保安宮，是台灣最重要的保生大帝廟宇之一，而「保生文化祭」也逐漸發展成春末的重要慶典。由於2026年的保生大帝聖誕落在國曆的5月1日，本月的祭典顯得格外應景。相關活動包括遶境、家姓戲表演、聖誕祭祀的「三獻禮」、放火獅、過火，甚至還有免費的中醫義診。這些活動展現了保生大帝至今仍深植於台灣人的生活中。祂不僅是傳說中的神明，更是現代台灣治癒、儀式、表演與社群的象徵。

Vocabulary 詞彙

1. legend, 傳說 (chuán shuō)

2. diagnosis, 診斷 (zhěn duàn)

3. four methods of diagnosis, 望聞問切 (wàng wén wèn qiè)

4. pulse pattern, 脈象 (mài xiàng)

5. vital energy, 氣 (qì)

6. herbs, 草藥 (cǎo yào)

7. healer, 醫者 (yī zhě)

8. recovery, 康復 (kāng fù)

9. temple, 廟宇 (miào yǔ)

10. festival, 祭典 (jì diǎn)

11. ritual, 儀式 (yí shì)

Idioms 成語/慣用語

1. In a single breath, 瞬息之間 (shùn xī zhī jiān)

2. In disguise, 化身 (huà shēn)

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The Happiness-to-Price Ratio

Kai sat outside Chun Shui Tang sipping his bubble milk tea in his hand. It was already 11:15 pm, but his phone kept vibrating.

One message was from his boss: “Can you finish this before tomorrow morning?”

Another was from his mother: “Don’t forget to send money home this month.”

Kai looked at both messages and sighed softly. He had graduated one year ago, but adult life did not feel like freedom. It felt like a Faustian contract he did not remember signing.

On his way home, he passed a small roadside altar to Mazu. Three sticks of incense burned in the rain. A tired worshipper stood there, praying softly for blessing, safety, and peace. Beside the ash bowl stood a tiny plastic lotus. Someone had placed a cup of tea there, already cold.

Kai remembered a story his grandmother once told him. When the child god San Taizi was human, he had “returned flesh and bones” so the Dragon Kings would spare his parents for the disaster he had caused. He sacrificed everything, but peace still did not come.

But Kai had caused no disaster. He had not killed a dragon prince. He had only graduated, found a job in Taipei, rented a room, and “entered society”. Somehow, that had been enough to place him in debt.

His salary was small. His rent was high. His job duties never ended. Every month, his hope became smaller, but he kept going. He kept chasing what he could—small pleasures (小確幸). A pricey bubble milk tea. A quiet coffee shop. Small indulgences (小小享受) with a high happiness-to-price ratio (幸價比).

His phone buzzed again. Kai held the cup tighter. He decided not to look at it.

Rain fell on the road. The incense smoke rose.

Then Kai opened the message. “Rent was due three days ago…”

Epilogue

This review story brings together vocabulary and themes from three recent Chin-Glish pieces: SLL82 “Returning Flesh and Bones: The Legend of the Third Prince,” SLL83 “The Accidental Pilgrim Under Mazu’s Chair,” and CGLL13 “How to Talk About Taiwan’s Gen Z Pressures: Netflix’s Agent from Above.”

Chun Shui Tang is a fitting setting because it presents itself as the birthplace of bubble tea, first created in 1987. A bubble tea there costs about NT$125, about the same as a cheap meal, making it pricier than many ordinary takeaway drinks in Taiwan.

In the story, that drink becomes more than a drink. It is Kai’s small but certain happiness (小確幸) in a life shaped by salary, rent, duty, and uncertainty. It also has a high “happiness-to-price ratio” (幸價比), a playful twist on Taiwan’s common Chin-Glish phrase “CP value” (CP值), from “cost-performance value.” People use CP value to ask whether something is worth the money.

Kai, like many GenZ facing economic pressures in Taiwan, decides that small comforts are worth the cost. Unlike San Taizi, Kai is not paying for a terrible mistake. His burden begins when he does what society expects: graduate, find work, rent a room, help family. Those are the costs of “entering society” (進入社會).

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幸價比

阿凱坐在春水堂外面，啜飲著手中的珍珠奶茶。已經晚上十一點十五分了，但他的手機仍震動個不停。一則訊息是老闆傳來的：「你能在明天早上之前完成這個嗎？」另一則是媽媽傳來的：「別忘了這個月要寄錢回家。」

阿凱看著這兩則訊息，輕輕地嘆了口氣。他已經畢業一年了，但成年人的生活感覺並不自由。這感覺像是一份他不記得自己曾經簽署過的「浮士德式契約」。

在回家的路上，他經過路邊一個供奉媽祖的小祭壇。三炷線香在雨中燃燒著。一位疲憊的香客站在那裡，輕聲祈求著保佑與平安。香灰缸旁放著一朵小小的塑膠蓮花。有人在那裡放了一杯茶，早已冷了。

阿凱想起奶奶曾告訴過他的故事。當小神明三太子還是凡人時，他「削骨還肉」給父母，好讓龍王能因為他造成的災難而饒過他的雙親。他犧牲了一切，但平安依舊沒有到來。

但阿凱並沒有造成任何災難。他沒有殺死龍王太子。他只是畢業了、在台北找到工作、租了房間，然後「進入社會」。不知為何，光是這樣就足以讓他身陷債務。

他的月薪微薄。他的租金很高。他的工作責任沒完沒了。每個月，他的希望都變得越來越渺小，但他仍繼續前進。他繼續追求他所能及的事——小確幸。一杯價格偏高的珍珠奶茶。一間安靜的咖啡館。這些具有高「幸價比」的小小享受。

他的手機又震動了。阿凱把杯子握得更緊。他決定不去看它。雨落在馬路上。線香的煙霧升起。接著阿凱打開了訊息：「房租三天前就到期了……」

後記

這則回顧故事結合了最近三篇「Chin-Glish」文章的單字與主題：《SLL83還肉還骨：三太子的傳說》、《SLL83誤打誤撞成為媽祖轎下的香客》，以及《CGLL15如何談論台灣 Z 世代的壓力》。

春水堂是一個很合適的場景，因為它是珍珠奶茶的發源地。那裡的一杯茶大約要 125 元台幣，比台灣許多普通的外帶飲料還貴。在故事中，那杯飲料變成了阿凱的「小確幸」。

它也具有極高的「幸價比」，這是對台灣常用語「CP值」的一種趣味翻玩。人們用 CP 值來詢問某樣東西是否值得那個價錢。

阿凱和許多在台灣面臨經濟壓力的 Z 世代一樣，認為小小的慰藉是值得這些花費的。與三太子不同，阿凱並不是在為嚴重的錯誤付出代價。他的負擔始於他達成社會的期望：畢業、找工作、租房、幫助家庭。這些就是「進入社會」的代價。

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Vocabulary

1. contract, 契約 (qìyuē)

2. duty, 責任 (zérèn)

3. burden, 負擔 (fùdān)

4. salary, 月薪 (yuèxīn)

5. rent, 租金 (zūjīn)

6. graduate, 畢業生 (bìyèshēng)

7. uncertainty, 不確定性 (bù quèdìngxìng)

8. small pleasures, 小樂趣 (xiǎo lèqù)

9. bubble milk tea, 珍珠奶茶 (zhēnzhū nǎichá)

10. altar, 祭壇 (jìtán)

11. incense, 香 (xiāng)

12. ash, 香灰 (xiānghuī)

13. lotus, 蓮花 (liánhuā)

14. sacrifice, 犧牲 (xīshēng)

15. happiness-to-price ratio, 幸價比 (xìngjiàbǐ)

REVIEW list

From SLL82: “Returning Flesh and Bones”

1. San Taizi, 三太子 (Sān Tàizǐ)

2. return flesh and bones, 還肉還骨 (huán ròu huán gǔ)

3. [return flesh and bones to parents, 還肉還骨給父母 / 削骨還肉給父母 (huán ròu huán gǔ gěi fùmǔ / xuē gǔ huán ròu gěi fùmǔ)]

4. sacrifice, 犧牲 (xīshēng)

5. lotus, 蓮花 (liánhuā)

6. incense, 香 (xiāng)

7. altar, 祭壇 (jìtán)

8. ash, 香灰 (xiānghuī)

9. Dragon Kings, 龍王 (lóngwáng)

10. parents, 父母 / 雙親 (fùmǔ / shuāngqīn)

11. disaster, 災難 (zāinàn)

12. peace, 平安 (píng’ān)

From SLL83: “The Accidental Pilgrim Under Mazu’s Chair”

1. Mazu, 媽祖 (Māzǔ)

2. incense, 香 / 線香 (xiāng / xiànxiāng)

3. altar, 祭壇 (jìtán)

4. worshipper, 香客 / 信徒 (xiāngkè / xìntú)

5. pray, 祈禱 (qǐdǎo)

6. blessing, 保佑 / 庇佑 (bǎoyòu / bìyòu)

7. safety and peace, 平安 (píng’ān)

From CGLL15: “How to Talk About Taiwan’s Gen Z Pressures”

1. bubble milk tea, 珍珠奶茶 (zhēnzhū nǎichá)

2. contract, 契約 (qìyuē)

3. duty, 責任 (zérèn)

4. burden, 負擔 (fùdān)

5. salary, 月薪 (yuèxīn)

6. graduate, 畢業生 (bìyèshēng)

7. uncertainty, 不確定性 (bù quèdìngxìng)

8. pleasure, 小樂趣 (xiǎo lèqù)

9. small but certain happiness, 小確幸 (xiǎo què xìng)

10. happiness-to-price ratio, 幸價比 (xìngjiàbǐ)

From SLL84 REVIEW: “The Happiness-to-Price Ratio”

1. Faustian contract, 浮士德式契約 (Fúshìdé shì qìyuē)

2. CP value, CP值 (CP zhí)

3. cost-performance value, 成本效益 / 性價比 (chéngběn xiàoyì / xìngjiàbǐ)

4. rent, 租金 (zūjīn)

5. enter society, 進入社會 (jìnrù shèhuì)

6. pricey, 價格偏高 (jiàgé piān gāo)

7. Chun Shui Tang, 春水堂 (Chūnshuǐtáng)

8. small indulgence, 小小的享受 (xiǎo xiǎo de xiǎngshòu)

9. takeaway drink, 外帶飲料 (wàidài yǐnliào)

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Background (from SLL83 Epilogue)

Mazu is one of the most widely worshipped gods in Taiwan. Her birthday falls on the 23rd day of the third lunar month, which is usually in April or May on the Western calendar. The Dajia pilgrimage begins at Jenn Lann Temple in Taichung.

媽祖是台灣最廣為信奉的神明之一。每年的農曆三月二十三日是媽祖聖誕，換算成國曆大約落在四月或五月。大甲遶境以台中的大甲鎮瀾宮為起點。

Official sources say its history in Dajia goes back to 1730, when settlers brought a statue of Mazu from Meizhou in Fujian to Taiwan.[2] Today, the pilgrimage lasts nine days and eight nights. The route is about 300 kilometers long and goes through central Taiwan to Fengtian Temple in Xingang, Chiayi, before returning north.

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根據官方記載，這項傳統可追溯至 1730年，當時的移民從福建湄洲將媽祖神像帶來台灣。如今，這項遶境活動長達九天八夜，路線全長約三百公里，橫跨台灣中部各縣市，抵達嘉義新港奉天宮後再折返北上回到大甲。

One famous ritual is the passing under Mazu’s sedan chair. People kneel or lie on the ground and let the chair pass over them. They believe this can bring blessing, safety, and peace. Another special part of the procession is the movement of the chair. Sometimes it suddenly shakes, sways, or turns. Many worshippers believe this shows that Mazu is present and guiding the chair.

遶境過程中最知名的儀式莫過於「鑽轎腳」，也就是信徒跪伏在路中央，讓媽祖神轎從上方經過，以此祈求保佑與平安。此外，神轎毫無徵兆地劇烈搖晃、擺動或轉向的姿態，也是繞境的一大特色，這些動向被信徒視為媽祖顯靈，親自指引路徑的象徵。

For many pilgrims, the journey is more than faith. It is also about a once-in-a-lifetime experience of community and walking the road with others.

對許多香客來說，這趟旅程不僅僅是信仰，更是一段與眾人同行、千載難逢的人生體驗。

Song: The accidental pilgrim 意外的信徒 (Yìwài de xìntú)

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