The Hakka Tung Blossom Festival (2)

Tung trees were once a great source of income for the Hakka people. Villagers sold the water-resistant oil they made from Tung seeds until more profitable materials were later discovered. But the Hakka still have a deep sense of appreciation for the part the Tung tree has played in their lives.

As the seasons change, so does the Tung tree. In the spring, the tree is covered in small white blossoms. Lush green leaves replace the blossoms in the summer. The leaves then turn yellow in the fall before the wind blows them away. In winter, the trees appear to be dead, only to produce fresh growth again in the spring.

The Tung tree's four seasons have often been compared to the history and the perseverance of the Hakka people. Over the years, the Hakka have experienced many hardships. But they've protected their culture and hoped for a better future.

In the Hakka community, the annual Tung Blossom Festival is more than just a commericial enterprise. It's a chance to cherish Hakka traditions and the Tung tree's importance.


Info Cloud
my neck of the woods 

Hello, friends. Welcome to Info Cloud. I love spring. The weather is so mild, and the air is so fresh. Don't you think so?

No! It's already getting hot down in my neck of the woods.

Oh. Let me take a minute to explain what Anne Marie means by that phrase. Neck of the woods just means the place, city or area that you live. She means that where she lives, the weather is hotter.

Thanks for explaining, Rex. There are several different theories about how this phrase began to come into use.

As English is a language derived from many different languages, one idea is that this phrase came from German. The words "meine ecke" in German means my corner. The sound is pretty similar sounding to "my neck."

Another interesting possible explanation is that this word came from the Algonquian language. The Algonquians are a tribe of Native Americans. There is a word in their language spelled N-A-I-A-C-K, which means point or corn.

With the USA being such a mix of different cultures, it's easy to see how other languages have influenced American English.

You're absolutely right. Are there any special phrases you say in your neck of the woods?

英文有一些有趣的用語可以用來形容你住的地區，像是今天介紹的 my neck of the woods 就是指我住的社區。從字面上看，my neck是我的脖子，woods就是樹林，my neck of the woods聽起來有點怪怪的，原來這個用語是從德文 meine ecke 衍生而來。

meine ecke是我的角落或是我的地盤，聽起來像是英文的my neck，因此，my neck of the woods 就用來形容我居住的地區。It’s getting hot in my neck of the woods. 我住的地區開始變熱了。


Language Lab
profitable adj.有營利的、有益的
making money; producing good or helpful results or effects
- This small business has finally turned profitable after many years.
這間小企業多年後就終於開始獲利。
- Jackie had a very profitable conversation with her teacher this afternoon.
Jackie 今天下午跟他老師有一番很有收穫的對話。
profit n. 利潤、好處
money that is made in a business, through investing, etc., after all the costs and expenses are paid : a financial gain
- This restaurant is making a good profit after hiring a new manager.
這家餐廳在聘請一位新的店經理後，開始有不錯的營利。
profit v. 賺錢、獲益
to earn or get money by or from something
- Susie really profited a lot from working with her supervisor.
Susie 從跟她主管共事當中，獲益良多。

replace v.
to do the job or duty of (someone) 取代、替換
- When the new manager came to the company, he replaced the workers with his own team of people.
新的經理來到公司後，把所有的員工換成他自己的人。
- Alfred is always replacing his car with a newer and faster one.
Alfred 老是把他的車換成更新更快的。
to be used instead of (something) 更換
- This flashlight doesn’t work because you didn’t replace the batteries.
這支手電筒不能用，因為你沒有更換電池。
- After Frank repainted his house and replaced all the windows and doors, the house looks new again.
Frank 漆了房子又更換所有的門窗後，就讓整棟房子像新的一樣。

commercial adj. 商業的 
related to or used in the buying and selling of goods and services
- Dorothy’s new apartment is very close to the commercial zone.
Dorothy的新公寓離商業區很近。
- Although the festival is a cultural celebration, it has also become a commercial opportunity for local businesses.
這項活動雖然是個文化慶典，但也為當地商人帶來商機。
[more commercial; most commercial] a : concerned with earning money (某產品、活動、節目) 商業化、純粹是為了營利的
- The local residents don’t like the new zoo because it is too commercial.
當地居民並不喜歡新的動物園，因為太商業化了。
commercial n. 商業廣告
an advertisement on radio or television
- The television program was so boring that even the commercials were more interesting to watch.
那個電視節目超無聊，連廣告都比它有趣。

cherish v. 珍惜、愛護 、 珍愛
to feel or show great love for (someone or something)
to remember or hold (an idea, belief, etc.) in a deeply felt way
- Carol is rarely home, so when she is home, she cherishes her time with her family.
Carol 很少在家，所以只要在家，她都會很珍惜與家人共處的時間。
- The old lady might seem mean to her grandchildren, but she really does cherish them.
那位老婦人也許看起來對她的孫子很兇，但她其實很愛護他們的。
- Although the rich man lives in a mansion full of wonderful things, the thing he cherishes the most is an old toy given to him by his grandfather.
那位富翁雖然住在一棟裝潢富麗華美的豪宅，但他最珍愛的東西卻是他爺爺送他的舊玩具。

The Hakka Tung Blossom Festival (1)

The roots of a culture and a popular tree run deep 
客家桐花祭 向下扎根的文化與樹木

For many people, flowers bring happiness. That would make Taiwan's Hakka regions some of the happiest places on earth. This month, the areas are in the midst of the Tung blossom season. When the trees are blooming, the air is fragrant. Country roads are covered in white blossoms. The beautiful flowers are often referred to as "May Snow."

The Hakka Affairs Council holds a Hakka Tung Blossom Festival every spring. The festival began as a one-day event in 2002 to promote and preserve Taiwan's Hakka traditions.

Today, it is a month-long event. More than 14 cities and counties celebrate the festival, and millions of people visit every year. Festival-goers can enjoy Hakka music, art and food. They can walk along one of the 108 Tung blossom hiking trails. Most importantly, they can admire the tree that beautifully symbolizes Hakka culture.

Tung trees were brought to the island by the Japanese during their rule from 1895 to 1945. The trees were planted in the hills of Taoyuan, Hsinchu and Miaoli, home to many people in the Hakka community.

Info Cloud
root of the problem

Welcome back to Info Cloud, friends. Today we want to share with you some idioms about trees.

But not just trees in general, idioms about roots, the part of the tree you can't see deep in the ground.

Our first idiom uses that idea: the root of the problem. We use this phrase to mean the cause of something or the reason that something is an issue.

Amanda is always running late to class. The root of the problem is that she doesn't like her teacher.

Do you see how this idiom can show that there's a deeper issue, a root problem?

Not all root idioms have to do with problems. If an idea or concept has taken root, it means that it has begun to be accepted. When I was learning to sing, once the proper techniques had taken root, I really started to improve.

To put down roots generally means that somewhere has begun to feel like home and you have connections and a life in that place.

Anne Marie, do you feel like Asia is your home now?

Hmm. Well, with all of the great friends I have here, I definitely feel that I had begun to put down roots.

今天要跟大家介紹跟root有關的用語，首先，root有「根源」的涵義，root of the problem 就是問題的根源。Amanda is always late. The root of the problem is her attitude. Amanda 總是遲到，問題的根源是她的態度。

另外一個跟root of the problem 相當類似的用語是 root problem，也就是藏在表面底下真正的問題。如果你聽到有人用taken root來形容某種觀念或理念，那就代表這些觀念或理念已經普遍被人接受。The proper singing technique has taken root. He started to improve. 正確的歌唱技巧已經扎根了，他開始進步了。

最後，to put down roots 代表把一個地方當成家，在那邊定居。Anne Marie has put down roots in Asia. Anne Marie老師慢慢地在亞洲定居，把這邊當成家。


Language Lab
bloom v.
to produce flowers
- If you take good care of these plants, they will bloom in spring.
to change, grow, or develop fully
- Mr. Coleman is very honest to his customers, so his business bloomed quickly.
- The boy's artistic talent began to bloom thanks to his teacher's support.

fragrant adj.
/ˈfreɪgrənt/
having a pleasant and usually sweet smell
- The room smells fragrant because of the fresh flowers on the table.
- The bathroom always smells nice after I wash my hands with the fragrant soap.
- Paul likes to eat Thai food because he thinks Thai rice is very fragrant.

midst n.
/ˈmɪdst/
the middle area or part of something
- The river passes through the midst of the city.

admire v. 欣賞
to look at (something or someone) with enjoyment
- Melinda wasn’t interested in buying anything at the store, but she did stop to admire a few dresses.
Melinda 沒有打算在店裡買什麼，但是她有停下來欣賞幾件洋裝。
- The tourists weren’t able to admire the view from the cliff because it suddenly became foggy.
觀光客無法在懸崖上欣賞風景，因為突然起了霧。
to feel respect or approval for (someone or something) 佩服
- Although Jacqueline didn’t like her son’s decision to study in another country, she admired his courage.
Jacqueline 雖然不贊成她兒子到海外讀書，但是她很佩服他的勇氣。
- Henry admired the salesman’s honesty because he knew the other salesmen would have lied to him.
Henry 很欽佩那名業務員的誠實，因為他知道其他業務員絕對會對他說謊。

symbol n. 標誌 
a letter, group of letters, character, or picture that is used instead of a word or group of words
- When Gary was travelling in a foreign country, he couldn’t read the signs, but he did recognize some of the symbols.
Gary 在海外旅行時，他雖然看不懂當地招牌上的字，但是他還是能認出幾個標誌。
an action, object, event, etc., that expresses or represents a particular idea or quality — often + of  象徵
- A red rose is a symbol for love.
紅色的玫瑰花是愛情的象徵。
symbolize v.象徵
to be a symbol of (something)
- The dove symbolizes peace.
鴿子象徵著和平。
- We wore green shirts to go clean the beach because green symbolizes environmental protection.
我們穿著綠色衣服去淨灘，因為綠色象徵著環境保護。