Episode Details

It's time for today's new episode of News Bites. I'm Nancy Sun… And I'm Brody Halverson. In today's news: A moving movie theater, and eating to fight wildfires. And in today's Tasty Tidbit… Shakespeare wrote "What's in a name?" to say that names of things aren't very important. But Scots may think differently. We'll tell you all about it at the end of the episode! ________________________________ 行動電影車「花鐵號」開啟巡迴戶外放映 Mobile Movie Theater Travels Hualien Catching a movie is a fun way to enjoy a day off. But what if you don't live close to a movie theater? Hualien County is running a mobile movie truck! It's called the "Hua Tie Hao" (花鐵號). The truck has a big 150-inch LED screen on the side. It also has a sound system that's as good as systems in movie theaters! The Hualien County government bought and set up two trucks using $5.2 million NT from the Ministry of Culture. The second truck is used to carry workers and equipment for the Hua Tie Hao. The truck started showing movies outdoors during the Mid-Autumn Festival long weekend. The Hua Tie Hao parked at a plaza next to a market. It showed the movie "Cheerful Wind", made in 1982 by director Hou Hsiao-hsien. And there was even pizza, popcorn, and other snacks for people to enjoy. 這台行動電影車叫「花鐵號」，9月30日中秋連假期間，在文化局你來廣場辦理戶外首映會，播放由侯孝賢導演、鳳飛飛主演的《風兒踢躂踩》。 Officials say later the Hua Tie Hao will also travel to elementary schools and community centers to show movies. Their goal is to show at least one movie in every township and city in the county within one year. People can also request a showing in their area. The county government says Hualien is a big county, and most movie theaters are in Hualien City. It says some people in faraway areas have to drive almost an hour to see a movie. The county government hopes the Hua Tie Hao can help people living all over the county enjoy watching films. ________________________________ 山羊大軍啃草防野火 Grazing Goats Help Fight California Wildfires California has struggled with wildfires for many years. The US state has dry, windy and hot weather. And changes in the state are making wildfires more frequent and more dangerous. But the state has also been working with a new secret weapon. A different kind of hero… A hero with strong muscular legs… And a big appetite (胃口)… You guessed it, goats! California is hiring herds of goats to help it fight wildfires. The goats help by doing something they love…eating! Workers bring hundreds of goats to areas full of grass, shrubs (灌木), and plants. Many of these places are on rocky hills. It's hard for people and machines to get to these places. But the terrain (地形) is no problem for goats! They quickly get to work, eating up the plants. 人類無法到達的陡坡對山羊來說都不是問題，它們可以輕鬆的在山邊穿梭啃草，把易燃的灌木叢和雜草全部清光。 The goats can eat a lot of plants. They eat weeds, bushes, low leaves, and dry shrubs. These are all plants that burn in wildfires. To fight wildfires, California has asked people to cut down dead plants and mow their grass (割草). These are all things that goats do, easily and naturally. The experts also say the goats have the "right mouths". Their mouths are narrow and deep (又窄又深). This helps them eat woody plants that other animals may find too tough (堅硬) to eat. And they can stand up on their hind legs (後肢) to eat shrubs up to 2 meters high. And officials say using goats also help California save money. To clear dead plants from one square meter of land, people and machines would cost about $3,000 US dollars. But using goats would cost about $1,000 US dollars. Many cities in California are now using goats to clear dead plants. And many say it's a more natural and safe way to fight wildfires. ________________________________ So, in today's News Bites: Hualien County is running a mobile movie t