Hi there! It's time for another episode of News Bites!
I'm Nancy Sun.
And I'm Hope Ngo.
In today's news:
Taiwan's first documentary on railway culture, and an emperor's theater, under a hotel.
And in today's Tasty Tidbits…
Who doesn't love the sweet, sweet taste of honey? And that sweetness may last a lot longer than you think. We'll tell you all about it at the end of the episode.
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台灣第一步鐵道文化紀錄片
Taiwan's First Documentary on Railway Culture
Before airplanes and the high-speed rail, the train was the fastest way to get around in Taiwan.
Taiwan's railway history dates back to the Qing dynasty.
The first railway line was built in the 1890s.
It ran from Keelung to Taipei.
And from there, more railway lines were built.
Since then, the train has been an important part of Taiwan's culture.
And now there is a documentary (紀錄片) all about this.
"On the Train" is Taiwan's first documentary on railway culture.
The film talks a lot about the South Link Line (南迴鐵路) that connects Taitung and Pingtung.
The line took more than 30 years to plan and 12 years to build.
It was also the last part of a "round-island railway".
Director Hsiao Chu-chen spent 6 years producing the film.
「南方．寂寞鐵道」是蕭菊貞導演花6年拍攝，記錄南迴鐵路的故事。
She uses the stories of the people who built it and kept it running to tell the tale.
Hsiao interviewed construction workers, people who lived close by, riders, train drivers and other railway staff.
There are even families who have worked on the railway for 3 generations (代).
For these people, the railway is not just transportation (交通工具), but a part of their lives.
They talked about the changes the railway brought to communities (社區) along the way.
They also talked about the impact that train accidents have on them.
All these stories come together to create a feeling of nostalgia (懷舊).
The director says some people questioned if there was any value (價值) in making this film.
She says the memories of these ordinary folks are invaluable history.
She says these memories should be preserved (保存).
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羅馬皇帝的私人劇院遺址出土
Emperor's Theater Found Under Rome Hotel
Nero was a Roman emperor.
He ruled during the first century.
There are many stories about him.
The emperor loved music and the arts.
He especially loved to sing and recite poetry (吟詩) before the public.
A great fire once almost burned Rome to the ground.
And some say that Emperor Nero sang and played the lyre (七弦琴) during the fire.
But now historians proved that Nero actually helped save the city.
Nero also built a lavish (奢侈的) theater just for his own rehearsals (排演).
He would perform there for private audiences.
Historians (歷史學家) say the theater was very large.
But no one knew where the theater was.
Now, it has finally been found.
A hotel in Rome was going through renovations (裝修).
And construction workers digging into the ground found the theater.
The theater has marble columns (大理石柱).
It also has gold-leaf decorations and storage rooms with old costumes (戲服).
There are stamps (標記) on the bricks.
These stamps show that the structure was built in the mid-first century.
The workers also found hundreds of old artifacts.
There were glass goblets (高腳杯), cooking pots, coins and pieces of musical instruments.
Experts say it would take years to study all the treasures.
Many of the smaller pieces will be taken to Roman museums for display.
Once the excavation (挖掘) is done, the site will be reburied (重新掩埋) in order to protect it.
The sun, wind, and rain has already started to damage the structures that have been unearthed.
So we might not be able to see the ruins of the theater in the future.
But with modern technology, scientists could create a 3-D model, and the world could finally be able to see the magnificent theater.
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So, in today's News Bites:
"On the Train" is Taiwan's first documentary on railway culture.
The film talks a lot about the South Link Line that connects Taitung and Pingtung.
Director Hsiao Chu-chen spent 6 years producing the film.
She uses the stories of the people who built it and kept it running to tell the tale.
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Construction workers found a lavish theater, built by a Roman emperor.
The workers also found hundreds of old artifacts.
Experts say it would take years to study all the treasures.
Once the excavation is done, the site will be reburied in order to protect it.
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趣味小點
Tasty Tidbit
In today's Tasty Tidbits…
Is there a jar of honey in your kitchen cabinet? Did you know that honey could stay edible forever?
Many scientists have found that honey never goes bad.
There is very little moisture in honey. This keeps bacteria from growing. And honey is acidic, which stops most bacteria and other organisms from growing too. And honey also contains hydrogen peroxide, a chemical that kills germs.
Archaeologists say pots of honey found in tombs hundreds of years old are still fresh!
If you have a fun fact or a joke you'd like to share with us, record your message and send us your Tasty Tidbit to newsbites@icrt.com.tw, and you might hear it at the end of an episode!
We'll see you next time for an exciting new episode of News Bites!