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：台美嘻哈交流計畫 Next Level

嘻哈文化現已成為臺灣文化的重要組成部分之一，賴總統甚至邀請當地嘻哈團隊於就職典禮上進行表演。嘻哈最早於90年代初由L.A. Boyz帶進臺灣，臺灣流行的嘻哈歌手包括熱狗(MC HotDog)、大支(Dwagie)等，而蛋堡(Soft Lipa)2021年製作的專輯〈家常音樂〉還獲得三項金曲獎，其中與Leo王共同合作的歌曲「無病呻吟有情抒情」也深受大眾喜愛。台美嘻哈交流計畫(Next Level)至今已舉辦十年，藉由教授MC、DJ、塗鴉藝術等，來推廣嘻哈文化，盼能以此建立地球村。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！

您喜歡這則時事英語廣播嗎?進入表單與我們分享您對The World in Brief的喜好與看法吧！

 

Transcript

Pete: ‘Dear ICRT, my kid loves hip hop! She wants to be an MC. Any advice?’

Host: Pete in Puzi’s daughter wants to master the mic! Let’s see if we can help …

Host: We’ve arrived. Hey, I know where we are! This grand white arch leads to the steps of that majestic white monument over there, Taipei’s famous Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall. To our left and right are two identical buildings, both adorned with yellow roofs and strong red pillars. They’re Taiwan’s National Theater and National Concert Hall. Look, over there! Can you see them? People are dancing … lots of people! Let’s check it out.

Expert: Step – Turn – Kick, two, three – Hold, two, three – And drop!Nice work, gang!

Dancers: Woo! / Yeah! / Alright!

Expert: You’re all looking great! Now, let’s take a break and rest up. We’ll start again in five minutes, OK? Make sure to drink plenty of water …

Host: Hi there! That dance was really great!

Expert: Thank you! We’re here every week. Dancing is very popular here in Taiwan. It’s a great way to keep fit and have fun with your friends.

Host: I can see that! It looks exhausting. You must all be very strong!

Expert: Hip hop is a lot of work! But it’s worth it. It’s great fun!

Host: You like hip hop?

Expert: Of course! Folks all over Taiwan do. It’s very popular. President Lai even had a local hip hop crew perform at his presidential inauguration …

Host: Really? Hip hop must be a big part of Taiwan’s cultural identity, then?

Expert: It is. The L.A. Boyz first popularized the genre here in the 90s. They opened the door for other artists, like MC HotDog, Dwagie, and the TriPoets.

Host: I know those guys! They’ve been around for years, since the early 2000s! What current Taiwanese hip hop stars should I be looking out for?

Expert: Soft Lipa. His album “Home Cookin” picked up three Golden Melody Awards in 2021. He and Leo Wang work together a lot. Check out the album “Wu Bing Singing, Yo Chin Soothing.” It’s excellent.

Host: I will for sure! Anyone else?

Expert: There’s a Taiwanese hip hop collective called “Beats and Friends.” They love pushing boundaries with music and language. Plus, they’ve produced some awesome artists over the years, like Conehead and DJ Kool Klone.

Host: My friend’s daughter wants to be an MC. She loves hip hop.

Expert: There’s been an international hip hop exchange program happening in Taiwan, called “Next Level.” It’s been teaching hip hop skills to young people all over the world for a decade. It hosts classes in MCing, DJing, graffiti art, and more. Its goal is to build a global community through hip hop culture.

Host: What a great idea! Art has a way of breaking down barriers, especially when it’s something as raw and accessible as hip hop.

Expert: That’s true. Here in Taiwan hip hop created a new way of making music, and gave younger generations a fresh way to talk about their feelings.

Host: Without these kinds of programs, how do kids today get good at music?

Expert: The best advice for any art form is just to give it a try. Practice, and don’t be afraid of mistakes. I didn’t know anything about dancing at first. Now I’m a choreographer! Which reminds me, we’re meant to be starting again soon …

Host: Oh, no problem. I’ll leave you to it. You’ve been very helpful, thank you! Bye!

 

Vocabulary

be worth it  (某人/某事)是值得的 (phrase)

In an awards speech, an artist told his mother that dropping out of university to have a music career was worth it for him; other artists have graduated, to their parents’ relief. 

 

open the door  使…成為可能 (idiom)

In Taiwan, where the majority of hip hop artists are male, female hip hop artists such as Miss Ko and Dizzy Dizzo have opened the door for more women to be hip hop stars.

 

pick up 贏得、獲得 (phrasal verb)

Leo Wang was a first-time nominee when he picked up the 2019 Golden Melody Award for Best Male Mandarin Singer and became the first hip hop artist to win in this category.

 

boundary 界線、邊界 (n.)

Taiwanese hip hop artists have been pushing the genre’s boundaries since day one, bringing their own styles and cultural perspectives that created a homegrown hip hop. 

 

raw 真實的、強烈的 (adj.)

Taiwan’s “academic rappers” from university hip hop clubs can write finely crafted verses, even one that’s a palindrome in Mandarin, that still feel real and raw.