Hi, welcome back to an all-new episode of News Bites.

I'm Jacob Ingram.

And I'm Nancy Sun.

In this episode, we'll be talking about Diwali, and long-lost treasure!

And today's News Flash word is: Bipartisan.

Stay tuned for those stories.
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台中慶祝印度傳統的排燈節！
Taichung Celebrates Diwali!

Hey, have you heard about Diwali (排燈節)?

That's an Indian festival (印度的節日), right?

Yeah, that's right!

And Taichung will be celebrating it this year!

Diwali is a "festival of lights" (光明節) - a celebration of the victory
(勝利) of light over darkness …

… Or, in other words, good over evil.

Diwali takes place every year between mid-October and mid-November.

The exact date changes every year because Hindus (印度教徒) follow the lunar
calendar (陰曆).

Diwali is always a five-day celebration (為期五天的慶典).

This year, the celebration will begin in late October (十月底).

The main event in Taiwan will be held on October 24th at Taichung City Hall
Square (台中市政廣場).

The India Taipei Association is organizing it to mark its 30th anniversary!
印度台北協會為了慶祝成立三十年，特別舉辦這項活動！

It's also the third year (第三年) that the association has held this Diwali
celebration in Taiwan.

It was in Taipei in 2023 and in Kaohsiung last year.

This time, the highlight will be the India Dance Competition Grand Finale,
featuring 30 teams competing for prizes.

Performances will include classical and folk dances (古典舞蹈和民俗舞蹈).

There will also be fusion styles (融合各種風格) that combine street dance
(街舞), contemporary dance (現代舞), or even ballet (芭蕾舞).

It just goes to show how diverse Indian dance can be
(可以看到多采多姿的印度舞蹈)!

Alongside the dance show, there will be a Diwali Bazaar (排燈節市集) from 3
to 9 p.m.

A bazaar is basically a marketplace.

The Diwali Bazaar will feature over 30 booths (攤位) selling Indian food,
handicrafts (手工藝品), and much more!

Now, why do people celebrate Diwali?

The goddess (女神) honored during Diwali is Lakshmi.

She's the wife of Vishnu, who's one of the three main gods in Hinduism
(印度教裡的三大神之一).

Lakshmi represents prosperity (繁榮) and wealth (財富).

Some legends say that Diwali is the night she chose to marry Vishnu.

During Diwali, families light oil lamps (點油燈), firecrackers (放鞭炮), and
candles (點蠟燭).

Some even set off fireworks or float candles down rivers.

Before the festival, people clean their houses, wear their best clothes, or
even buy brand new outfits for the celebration.

And of course - there's lots of food, especially desserts and sweets
(有各種甜點)!

Diwali actually sounds a lot like Lunar New Year (農曆新年)!

That was my thought too!
我也是這樣想的！

Hinduism (印度教) is the largest religion in India.

But the country is home to many religions.
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失落的西班牙寶藏 在美國佛州海岸重見天日
Long-lost Spanish Treasure Found off Florida Coast

This next story is about a real-life treasure discovery!

More than 1,000 gold and silver coins（黃金與白銀硬幣） have been found under
the sea near Florida.

That area is called the Treasure Coast（寶藏海岸）.

The coins are worth about one million U.S. dollars（價值大約一百萬美元）.

Experts believe the coins came from Spanish ships that sank in 1715 during a
hurricane（颶風）.

These ships were traveling from South America to Spain, carrying gold,
silver, and jewels.

Over the years, many people have found treasure along this part of the coast.

But this new find is special.

Why?

Because some of the coins still have dates and mint marks（年份與鑄造標記）.

This helps historians learn where and when they were made.

有些硬幣上仍然可以清楚看到標記，對歷史學家而言是非常寶貴的資料。

The people who found the treasure used underwater metal
detectors（水下金屬探測器）.

They carefully searched the ocean floor, and uncovered the coins by hand.

According to Florida law, treasure found in the sea belongs to the state
government（州政府）.

But treasure hunters are allowed to keep some of what they find.

Around 20% of artifacts（文物） must stay in public museums or research
collections.

Would you like to go treasure hunting under the sea?
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So in today's News Bites,

Diwali is an Indian festival that celebrates the victory of good over evil.

This five-day celebration follow the lunar calendar, and honors the goddess
Lakshmi for prosperity and wealth.

Taichung will host the main event at Taichung City Hall Square, featuring a
dance competition and a Diwali Bazaar.
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And,

Divers found over 1,000 gold and silver coins near Florida's Treasure Coast.

The coins came from Spanish ships that sank in 1715 during a hurricane.

Some coins still show clear dates and mint marks, helping historians study
the past.
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Today's vocabulary word is bipartisan.

In Mandarin, it means "兩黨的" or "跨黨派的."

The word bipartisan means two different political parties (政黨) agree or
cooperate on a specific issue.

Remember: "Bi" means two!

In Taiwan, if lawmakers from two different parties in the Legislative Yuan
(立法院) both support an important bill, that is called bipartisan support
(跨黨派支持).

So, when you hear bipartisan, think simply: Two sides coming together.
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If you have a fun fact, a joke or interesting news story you'd like to share
with us, record your message and send us your Bite-Sized Break to
newsbites@icrt.com.tw, and you might hear it in an episode.

We'll see you next time for an exciting new episode of News Bites!