帶老外遊苗栗賞油桐花做擂茶

Where is Miaoli? What kind of place is it?

苗栗在哪裡？那是個什麼樣的地方？

Miaoli County, which lies between Xinzhu and Taizhong, is one of Taiwan’s most rural and sparsely ¹⁾populated areas. ⁷⁾Bordered by the Snow ⁸⁾Mountain Range to the east and the Taiwan ²⁾Strait to the west, Miaoli is a land of farms, ³⁾orchards and small towns. Originally home to the Taokas people, Miaoli ⁴⁾received large numbers of Hakka ⁵⁾immigrants in the 17th century. To this day, Miaoli is still a main center of Hakka culture. In the past, people left Miaoli to find work in Taiwan’s growing cities. Now, people are coming to Miaoli to escape the city and once again enjoy the relaxed ⁶⁾pace of country living.

苗栗縣位於新竹與台中之間，是台灣最鄉下、人口最稀少的地區之一。東鄰雪山山脈，西濱台灣海峽，苗栗是農田、果園和小鎮之鄉。原為道卡斯族（平埔族的一支）家鄉的苗栗，在十七世紀湧入大批客家移民。時至今日，苗栗仍是客家文化的重鎮。以往，苗栗人會離鄉背井，到台灣成長迅速的城市謀職。現在，人們開始為逃離城市而來到苗栗，再一次享受鄉村生活的輕鬆步調。

What is there to see and do in Miaoli?

在苗栗有什麼可以遊覽呢？

Miaoli may be most famous for its beautiful tung blossoms, which bloom in April and May. Originally planted by the Japanese for their seeds, which produce tung oil, the trees now grow wild in the hills of Miaoli. When the tung trees are in bloom, it looks like the hillsides are covered with snow. During the annual Hakka Tung Blossom Festival, thousands of visitors come to view the flowers, enjoy traditional music and dance performances, and try delicious Hakka food. Other scenic spots include Lion’s Head Mountain, with its ancient caves and Buddhist temples, and Manabang Mountain, where you can pick your own fruit and stay in ⁹⁾guesthouses among the orchards.

苗栗最出名的或許就是美麗的油桐花了，油桐花會在四、五月開花。最早是日本人為取其種子、製造桐油而種植，如今，油桐樹在苗栗山間恣意生長。油桐樹開花時，滿山遍野彷彿覆上皚皚白雪。每年一度的客家桐花季期間，成千上萬遊客來此賞花、享受傳統歌舞表演，並品嘗美味的客家料理。其他景點包括有古老洞窟和佛寺的獅頭山，以及馬那邦山─你可以在那裡摘採水果，並在果園間的民宿留宿一晚。

Vocabulary Bank

1. populate 居住於，殖民於
   The pond is populated with small fish.
2. strait (n.) 海峽
   Greenland and Iceland are separated by the Denmark Strait.
3. orchard (n.) 果園，果樹林
   My family owns an apple orchard.
4. receive (v.) 接納，容納
   Las Vegas receives millions of visitors each year.
5. immigrant (n.) 移民，僑民
   Carlos is the son of Mexican immigrants.
6. pace (n.) 步調，腳步，速度
   The teacher allows students to learn at their own pace.
7. border (v.) 與…接壤
   Tennessee is bordered by eight other states.
8. mountain range (n.) 山脈
   The Andes are the longest mountain range in the world.
9. guesthouse (n.) 民宿，小旅館
   Can you recommend a good guesthouse in Bangkok?

What to DO

好玩又好吃的擂茶

1. Lei cha, which means “pounded tea” in Chinese, is a traditional Hakka beverage.
擂茶，中文是「搗碎茶葉」的意思，是一種客家傳統飲品。

2. Tea leaves and herbs are pounded together with roasted nuts, seeds and grains.
茶葉及香草加入烤香的堅果、種子、穀物一起搗碎。

3. The mixture is then ¹⁾brewed into a drink by adding boiling water.
混和物加滾水沖泡成飲品。

4. There are restaurants and shops where you can pound your own lei cha.
有些餐廳及商店可以讓你自己擂茶。

5. Lei cha was traditionally salty, but now it’s usually sweet.
傳統的擂茶是鹹的，但現在常常做成甜的。

What to EAT

鹹香夠味客家菜

1. Hakka cuisine is known for being salty, oily and ²⁾fragrant.
客家菜以鹹香多油著稱。

2. It also makes use of lots of pickled and dried vegetables.
客家菜也使用許多曬乾醃漬的蔬菜。

3. Hakka stir-fry ³⁾consists of strips of pork, squid and dried tofu fried with green onions.
客家小炒裡面有豬肉絲、魷魚乾、豆干及青蔥。

4. ⁹⁾Braised pork with dried vegetables is made with fatty pork, soy sauce and dried mustard greens.
梅干扣肉是用肥豬肉加入菜乾、醬油及梅干菜做的。

5. ¹⁰⁾Candied sweet potato is ⁴⁾chunks of deep-fried sweet potato coated with ⁵⁾syrup.
拔絲地瓜是以炸熟的地瓜塊裹上糖漿。

6. While sticky rice ball soup is usually sweet, the Hakka version has meat and a salty ⁶⁾broth.
儘管湯圓常常做成甜湯的口味，客家式的湯圓加的是肉和鹹味高湯。

7. Pig ¹¹⁾intestines stir-fried with ⁷⁾shredded ginger is a classic Hakka dish.
薑絲炒大腸是一道經典客家美食。

8. Pork ¹²⁾tripe and pickled vegetable soup is good for ⁸⁾stimulating the appetite.
鹹菜豬肚湯很能刺激食慾。

Vocabulary Bank

1. brew (v.) 泡茶，煮咖啡，釀酒
   Could you brew another pot of tea?
2. fragrant (a.) 芳香的
   The field was full of fragrant flowers.
3. consist (of) (v.) 組成，構成
   The salad dressing consists of oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.
4. chunk (n.) 大塊，厚片
   The cook cut the meat into chunks.
5. syrup  (n.) 糖漿
   Do you want syrup on your pancakes?
6. broth (n.) 高湯
   How much salt should I put in the chicken broth?
7. shred (v.) 切絲
   Could you shed the cabbage and put it in the soup?
8. stimulate (v.) 刺激
   The government lowered interest rates to stimulate the economy.
9. braise (v.) 文火慢燉
   The chef braised the beef in red wine.
10. candied (v.) 用糖熬煮的
    We had ice cream with candied fruit for dessert.
11. intestine (n.) 腸
    Most Americans don’t eat intestines.
12. tripe (n.)（可食用動物的）肚
    You should try the beef tripe soup.