國發會與ICRT共同製播的時事英語廣播“The World in Brief”固定於每周三在雙語資源網更新，與大家一起聽時事學英文。

本周主題：臺灣文化祭 TAIWAN PLUS

今(2024)年將在5月11日至5月12日於京都市勸業館(Miyako Messe Exhibition Center)所舉行的「臺灣文化祭」(TAIWAN PLUS)主題為「京都新寶島」(Kyoto Formosa)。此活動旨在向日本展示臺灣文化的精華，也已邁入第五屆。本次將將成為迄今為止最盛大的活動，除了集結眾多臺灣、日本知名音樂家表演外，還有精心策畫的藝術展、市集、美食等供大家探索。想知道更多嗎？讓我們用3分鐘一起跟著主持人了解更多吧！

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Transcript

Voice: You’re listening to the World in Brief …

Crowd: … On tour! 

Kevin: ‘Dear ICRT, I live in Japan. Where can a guy get some decent DòuHuā* around here?

Host: Kevin in Kyoto can’t find his favorite Taiwanese food! Let’s help him out …

Host: Well, we’ve arrived! Mmm! Something smells delicious! We’re in a super-cute café of some kind, here in the ancient city of Kyoto, once Japan’s largest city. It remains one of the country’s best preserved, most ancient destinations.

Expert: It used to be the capital of Japan, you know!

Host: No doubt! It’s absolutely breathtaking. Thanks for the info, and hi!

Expert: Hello! Sorry to butt in like that …

Host: No problem! It sounds like you know an awful lot about this city.

Expert: That’s right, I do. I moved here from Taiwan nearly twenty years ago.

Host: No way! I’m from Taiwan too!

Expert: What a coincidence! Are you here for the TAIWAN PLUS festival?

Host: TAIWAN PLUS? What’s that?

Expert: Oh, don’t you know? It’s a big event here in Japan. It’s a festival of Taiwanese culture!

Host: Awesome! When’s it happening?

Expert: May 11^th to 12^th, at Kyoto’s Miyako Messe Exhibition Center.

Host: How long has it been running?

Expert: Since 2018. This will be their fifth edition, and it promises to be their biggest event ever! I’m really excited, I’ll finally be able to go check it out!

Host: You couldn’t go before?

Expert: No. All their other events have been in Tokyo. My work keeps me very busy. I’ve not been able to go yet. Now, at last, it’s coming to Kyoto!

Host: And, you said it will be their biggest festival yet?

Expert: Yes. More and more people have been going every year. In 2018, they had 55,000 visitors. Last year, that number went all the way up to 220,000!

Host: Whoa! And this year they’re expecting to welcome even more people, I guess?

Expert: That’s right, which is why they’ll be exhibiting over 100 Taiwanese brands at their market. I’ll be able to show my Japanese friends all my favorite things from back home, I can’t wait!

Host: So, they’ll have a big market. Anything else?

Expert: Sure! The theme this year is “Kyoto Formosa,” so they’ll have a bunch of well-known Taiwanese and Japanese musicians performing. They’ll be showcasing Taiwanese artists and designers too, with exhibitions and installations. And, of course, they’ll be selling lots of tasty Taiwanese food!

Host: Ooo! Do you think they’ll be selling DòuHuā?

Expert: I’d imagine so! Kyoto’s famous for its tofu, after all. And DòuHuā is such a well-known Taiwanese dessert.

Host: Great! I must tell my friend Kevin. He’ll be so happy! He’s been looking for a decent bowl of DòuHuā here in Kyoto for a while now …

Expert: You should tell him to come here, to “Ama Douhua.” The owners are married. They’re Taiwanese and Japanese. Just like TAIWAN PLUS, they work

together to celebrate both cultures! And, believe me, their DòuHuā is excellent!

Host: Great idea! Thanks for all your help, goodbye!

 

Vocabulary

decent 像樣的，相當不錯的 (adj.) (fairly good, adequate, satisfactory)

Kevin, with his sweet tooth, craves a bowl of DòuHuā, but I’m dying for a decent Gua Bao, a steamed bun holding a tender slice of stewed pork belly topped with condiments.

 

butt in 打斷談話（或討論）；插話，插嘴 (phrasal verb)

In Japan, it’s rude to butt in when people are talking, especially when you don’t know them, but when you know something that might be very useful to them, it’s hard to wait!

 

awful 極大的；很多的 (adj.)

An awful lot of Japanese foodies in the Kyoto region, eager for a chance to sample many Taiwanese foods, will descend on the food stalls at the TAIWAN PLUS Festival.

 

exhibit 展出；展示 (v.)

When a festival is exhibiting products from your own country, it’s always worth checking them out because there’s usually some very cool stuff you didn’t know about before.

 

bunch 串，束；大量 (n.)

A diehard DòuHuā fan in all seasons, Kevin gleefully chose a bunch of toppings for his order, including mashed taro, sweet potato balls, grass jelly, red beans, and peanuts!