Underground Discovery, Underwater Discovery

News Bites

Hello and welcome back to another brand new episode of News Bites! I'm Paz Bueno. And I'm Nancy Sun. Today's stories… Underground treasures, underwater treasures, and new Japanese-English words! Let's begin! ________________________________ 台積電因為古蹟停工 TSMC Project Paused for Ruins Great discoveries are often hidden underground (地下). Many times, people find them when they dig for construction (挖掘建設). When people build new things, they might find amazing old things. For example, in 1974, farmers in China found the famous Terracotta Army (兵馬俑) while digging a well. In Italy, workers found ancient Roman treasures (古羅馬的寶藏) while expanding their subway system (擴建地鐵). And in Egypt, construction workers discovered an ancient tomb (古墓) when building a new building! And recently in Chiayi, construction workers for a new TSMC plant (台積電工廠) made a new discovery. They found pieces of pottery (陶器) and ceramic rings (陶環) that might be from 3,500 to 4,500 years ago. These artifacts are from a cord-marked pottery culture. 這些文物來自繩紋陶文化。 The factory was going to use advanced Chip-on-Wafer-on-Substrate, or CoWoS, technology. 這個工廠本來打算使用先進封裝技術（CoWoS）。 When the old site was found, the government stepped in (介入) to protect it. TSMC said they will follow the laws and work with the authorities (當局) on what to do next. The Southern Taiwan Science Park Administration (南科管理局) said the artifacts (文物) found at Chiayi are fewer and more scattered (分散) compared to other sites. They think this will not cause major delays (不會造成重大延誤). To keep up (跟上) with their schedule, TSMC is now planning to start work on a second factory in Chiayi. The Chiayi County Cultural and Tourism Bureau (嘉義縣文化觀光局) said that all future building projects will be watched closely (密切監視) to make sure old sites are protected. ________________________________ 青銅時代時空膠囊 A Bronze Age Time Capsule Besides being buried underground, many treasures are waiting to be discovered underwater (水下). The ocean is filled with ancient ships (古代的船隻), valuable artifacts (珍貴的文物), and secrets from the past. In the Mediterranean Sea, an ancient shipwreck (沉船) has been found! This ship sank (沉沒) over 3,300 years ago during the Bronze Age (青銅時代). That was a time when ancient Egypt was very powerful. 那時候古埃及非常強大。 The ship was found about 90 kilometers from land and about 1.6 kilometers underwater. They found two old clay jars called Canaanite amphorae. 他們發現了兩個古老的陶罐，稱為迦南陶罐。 These jars were used to store (儲存) things like honey, olive oil, and wine. The ship might have sunk due to a storm, strong winds, or pirates. When it sank, it landed upright on the sea floor (垂直地落在海床上). Many jars on the ship were still intact (完好無損), meaning they weren't broken. This is very rare (非常罕見) for shipwrecks from this time. A robot called a Remotely Operated Vehicle (R.O.V.) found the ship. 遙控的機器人找到了這艘船。 This robot is controlled from a ship and has cameras and lights to see in the dark deep sea. The R.O.V. found the ship and took two jars from it to study. The discovery team said the ship is like a "time capsule" (時空膠囊). This means it is very well-preserved (保存得非常完好) and gives us a look into the past. This discovery is very important because it shows that ancient traders (古代商人) traveled far from land. This discovery will help us learn more about trade (貿易) and travel during the Bronze Age. For now, the rest of the ship will stay underwater to keep it safe until better technology can be used to study it. ________________________________ So, in today's News Bites… Recently in Chiayi, construction for a new TSMC plant had to stop. They found pieces of pottery and ceramic rings that might be from 3,500 to 4,500 years ago. TSMC said they will follow the laws and work with the authorities on what to do next. ________________________________ And, In the Mediterranean Sea, an ancient shipwreck has been found by a robot. This ship sank over 3,300 years ago during the Bronze Age. The discovery team said the ship is like a "time capsule." The ship will stay underwater to keep it safe until better technology can be used to study it. ________________________________ 趣味小點 Tasty Tidbit The Oxford English Dictionary has added 23 new Japanese words. Most of these words are related to food. For example, "katsu" means a piece of meat, seafood, or vegetable that is deep-fried and cut into strips. "Donburi" is a bowl of rice topped with other ingredients. Another word, "okonomiyaki," is a savory pancake that means "what you like" and "to fry." Other new words include "kintsugi," the art of fixing broken pottery with gold… …and "isekai," a type of fantasy story where characters enter a different world. These new words show the influence of Japanese culture on the English language. If you have a fun fact, a joke, or interesting news you'd like to share with us, record your message and send us your Tasty Tidbit to [e-mail], 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!